Thesis Preparation PHD AS

Additional regulations specific to the Applied Social Psychology PhD program:

Normally a PhD thesis will contain the following sections:

1. Introduction
2. For each study
   1. Overview of the study
   2. Method
   3. Results
   4. Discussion
3. General discussion
4. References
5. Appendices

Appendices normally contain:

• A copy of the REB certificate (if applicable)
• Materials for the study(ies) (e.g., questionnaires that were used)
• Other relevant information at the discretion of the student

During the preparation of the written thesis the student should be receiving feedback from the advisor as well as the advisory committee (what form that takes (e.g., drafts, meetings) will be up to each committee to determine). Students are encouraged to have a carefully planned out timeline for this process, as it will likely take longer than they expect.

Thesis length can be highly variable depending on the nature of the PhD thesis project; typically varying between 100 to 200 pages in length, excluding references and appendices. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss a plan of the structure of their thesis (including approximate length of the different sections) with their advisor prior to writing their thesis.

The style of the thesis (e.g., based on chapters; similar to a manuscript) should be confirmed with the advisory committee. The committee is encouraged to consider thesis styles and format amenable to scholarly publications when appropriate.

Theses should adhere to the most recent APA formatting guidelines.

The thesis should strive to evince critical and creative thinking skills, literacy skills and communication skills and a global understanding. The thesis and the work it includes must be professional and adhere to the highest ethical standards.

As stated in the graduate calendar “The thesis is expected to be a significant contribution to knowledge in its field and the candidate must indicate in what ways it is a contribution. The thesis must demonstrate mature scholarship and critical judgement on the part of the candidate and it must indicate an ability to express oneself in a satisfactory literary style. Approval of the thesis is taken to imply that it is judged to be sufficiently meritorious to warrant publication in reputable scholarly media in the field.”

Typically, students will submit multiple drafts of their thesis (often times by sections or chapters) to their advisor prior to submitting it to their committee.

A minimum of two weeks will be allowed for any Advisory Committee member, including the advisor, to evaluate any work submitted to them.