ECU uses an Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Submission Service. More information for Graduate School Theses and Dissertations can be found at https://gradschool.ecu.edu/thesis-dissertation/
You can view examples of previous English Dept. theses at: https://thescholarship.ecu.edu/handle/10342/60
Completing your Thesis
The process for completing a thesis is explained in our MA Handbook, pages 25–29. (The handbook is labeled 2015–
2016, but the only significant change to the thesis section would be that you can now take 6 thesis credits or 3 thesis credits plus an elective course). Here’s a brief summary of the thesis process:
- Prepare your thesis prospectus (refer to the handbook above for details), then hold a Prospectus Meeting with your committee. Feel free to “meet” via e-mail, WebEx, Zoom, or some other virtual method. Then submit both of these forms:
- Graduate School – Master’s Pre-Thesis Research Approval Form: Scroll down for the form and instructions. Remember when filling out the form that interviewing people counts as research with human subjects.
- English Department – Prospectus Meeting Cover Sheet: Use the attachment button to attach your prospectus document.
- Graduate School – Master’s Pre-Thesis Research Approval Form: Scroll down for the form and instructions. Remember when filling out the form that interviewing people counts as research with human subjects.
- After your prospectus is approved, work on your thesis in consultation with your committee. Be sure to adhere to the Graduate School’s required elements and required formatting.
- During the defense, your committee may give you a list of additional revisions to complete. Once your revisions are approved by your committee, you must submit your thesis to the Graduate School through Vireo.
Scheduling your Defense
If you defend/submit your thesis later than the deadlines, then the Graduate School will still review it at
their earliest convenience, but they cannot guarantee approval in time for that semester’s graduation. Here are
some policy clarifications that may prevent you from needing to enroll again for a late thesis. Do not plan a late
defense without first consulting with your committee. Your committee members may be off contract and
unavailable outside of regular semesters.
- Late for Spring: If your thesis is approved by the last day of Spring final exams, then you should still graduate in that semester. If it is approved after the last day of Spring final exams but by the last day of 2nd Summer Session final exams, then you will graduate in either Spring or Summer (depending on how they process it) without needing to register or pay fees.
- Late for Summer: If your thesis is approved between the last day of 2nd Summer Session final exams and the first day of Fall classes, then you will graduate in either Summer or Fall (depending on how they process it) without needing to register or pay fees. If it is approved on or after the first day of Fall classes, then you must be registered for at least 1 credit in the Fall semester in order to graduate.
- Late for Fall: If your thesis is approved by the last day of Fall final exams, then you should still graduate in that semester. If it is approved during winter break but before the first day of Spring classes, then you will graduate in either Fall or Spring (depending on how they process it) without needing to register or pay fees. If it is approved on or after the first day of Spring classes, then you must be registered for at least 1 credit in the Spring semester in order to graduate.
After Defense
Obtain your committee members’ signatures on the signature page and complete the ECU ETD Non-Exclusive Distribution Agreement linked here: https://libguides.ecu.edu/ld.php?content_id=34033762.
These forms bearing original signatures must be delivered to the Graduate School separately through the following link, which includes important deadlines, processes, and forms: https://gradschool.ecu.edu/thesis-dissertation/. You should submit these forms directly after your defense and/or after you have made all the changes recommended by your committee.
Please ensure that your thesis adheres to the ECU Graduate School’s required elements and required formatting. Your thesis manuscript should include your unsigned signature page, and you will need to initiate two separate forms for your committee to sign upon completing your defense:
- Thesis Signature Page – Refer to these instructions.
- Our department chair is Marianne Montgomery, Ph.D. (montgomerym@ecu.edu).
- Our department chair is Marianne Montgomery, Ph.D. (montgomerym@ecu.edu).
- Non-Exclusive Distribution License (NEDL) – The link to the actual form is in small blue text at the top of those instructions.
ProQuest
The signed originals are required to be on file in the Graduate School before your thesis will be submitted to ProQuest.
Be certain that your thesis is formatted in accordance with the Graduate School’s guidelines before submitting your thesis to ProQuest. Visit https://libguides.ecu.edu/vireo/etd/formatting_manual for these requirements.
Note: At the time of your electronic submission, you are to submit a signature page with committee member’s names without signatures.
In order to log into ECU’s ETD Administrator site, you need to create a valid account. Creating an account requires a username and a password. Your username is your email address, and the system selects a password for you.
Visit https://libguides.ecu.edu/vireo/etd/home for more information on the requirements for ETD submissions.
You will be notified by the Graduate School via email upon final approval of your ETD document.
If you would like to inquire about the status of your submission after it has been submitted to ProQuest by the Graduate School, you may contact the Author and School Relations group directly: disspub@umi.com or 800-521-0600 Ext. 7020.
If you would like bounded copies of your thesis, you may order these during the submission process from UMI Dissertations Publishing. Visit https://libguides.ecu.edu/vireo/etd/FAQ for more information.