Deadline: September 23, 2024
According to the plans developed by faculty committees and approved by the Graduate Council, each degree granting program of the IU Graduate School Bloomington may nominate one "truly outstanding" master's thesis for consideration by a committee of faculty reviewers. The Awards Committee of the Graduate Faculty Council will consider such criteria as originality, documentation, significance, accuracy, organization, and style.
In addition to recognizing outstanding master's theses, the Distinguished Master's Thesis Award competition is also to solicit competitive applicants for nomination to the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Master's Thesis Award.
Award: Two awards of $1,500 each, one for each field of competition for this year's MAGS Distinguished Master's Thesis Award.
Eligibility
Master's students must have received a master's degree from the Graduate School Bloomington during the two previous academic years. For example, for AY 2024-2025, eligible applicants must have completed their thesis between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024.
Original works accepted “in lieu of a thesis” (e.g. musical compositions, published books, works of art, computer software, etc.) are not eligible for nomination.
Fields of Competition
The fields of competition are based on the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award and alternate between Biological/Life Science and Humanities or Social Sciences and Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering.
The categories for the 2025 MAGS ProQuest competition are Social Sciences, and Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering. Consult the MAGS/ProQuest solicitation for more information about this year's categories.
Social Sciences field includes agricultural economics; geography; anthropology; archaeology; economics; education; sociology; government (political science); demography; and psychology.
Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering fields include mathematics; statistics; computer sciences; data processing; systems analysis; chemistry; earth sciences; physics; geology; meteorology; astronomy; metallurgy; geophysics; pharmaceutical chemistry; aeronautical, architectural, biomedical, ceramic, chemical, civil, and electrical engineering sciences; environmental health engineering; geological, mechanical, mining, nuclear, and petroleum engineering.
Biological/Life Sciences fields includes biology; botany; zoology; ecology; embryology; entomology; genetics; nutrition; plant pathology; plant physiology; anatomy; biochemistry; biophysics; microbiology; pathology; pharmacology; physiology; and related fields. Also included are agriculture, forestry, and related fields.
Humanities fields include history; philosophy; language; linguistics; literature; archaeology; jurisprudence; the history, theory and criticism of the arts; ethics; comparative religion; and those aspects of the social sciences that employ historical or philosophical approaches.
Nomination Process
Nominations may be submitted by the Director of Graduate Studies, Department Chair, or a faculty or staff member designated by the Chairperson. Each department may nominate only one master’s thesis.
The department must submit the following items using this department nomination form.
- Enter the nominee's personal information.
- Upload a non-technical 300 word abstract which can be easily understood by all of the members of the committee of reviewers (who come from a wide variety of different disciplines spanning the humanities, social sciences, and sciences). The abstract should include the title of the thesis and the name of the author (but not list IU as the institution in order to conform to the MAGS Thesis Award Guidelines)
- Upload an electronic copy of the thesis.
- Upload 2 Letters of Support from members of the research committee. One must come from the research adviser. Please address the letters of support to the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.
- Enter the username of the Director of Graduate Studies, Department Chair, or Designated Faculty or Staff Person who will affirm that the student is eligible for this award and the department representative approves the nomination. This person MUST approve the form in order for it to be considered by the review committee. Please inform the approver that they will receive an email FROM 'Graduate Faculty Council' with the Subject line of 'Distinguished Master's Thesis Form' requesting that they approve the form.
- List any additional department contacts we should contact regarding award results.
Questions to be considered by the committee of reviewers
1. Characteristics of the Research. How important is the subject treated in this study? How extensive and how original is the material collected by the author? Does the study present an original claim or thesis? How effectively does the author demonstrate this?
2. Contribution to Team Research. If the thesis is the result of a group effort (i.e., in a research laboratory), to what extent are the data and arguments presented in this study due to the author?
3. Application of the Results. To what extent could the theory presented in the study be extended beyond its present applications? How much revision is necessary before the study could be published? What portions of it have already been published or accepted for publication?
4. Construction of the Study. How would you evaluate the grammar, spelling, and syntax; the clarity of expression; and the general style of the dissertation?
5. Limitations of the Study. In your opinion, how could this study be improved?
Student Deadline: Students must contact their department for the department's internal deadline. The nomination must be submitted by the department. We will not accept any self-nominations. Schools/Departments are responsible for contacting the internal candidates who applied, but were not chosen for nomination.
Please note: These nominations will automatically be considered for the MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. If you do not wish to be considered for this award, please contact the Graduate Fellowships & Awards Coordinator at ugsawrd@iu.edu
