Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award

Each Fall, UIS graduate faculty may nominate one student for this award, using these Nomination Guidelines.

Nominations are due Monday, October 3rd by 5 p.m.

By November 1 the Research Board selects one Outstanding Master’s Thesis or Project, using criteria as outlined in Scholarship Assessed, (Glassick et. al.)

The thesis chosen as the campus’ Outstanding Master’s Thesis is forwarded to the Midwest Association of Graduate School’s (MAGS) annual Outstanding Master’s Thesis competition. A reception honoring all departmental nominees and their faculty mentors is held early in the spring semester. Please note that Master’s Projects are ineligible for MAGS submission.

Nomination Material and Criteria

Nomination Guidelines

Each graduate faculty member at UIS can nominate one student for the Outstanding Thesis/Project award program. To be eligible for this year’s award, the student must have graduated in Fall 2020, Spring 2021, or Summer 2021.

Faculty nominating a former student must complete an application form located at OMTA nomination and include:

1.  an electronic copy of the thesis or project including:
   • a list of closure committee members on the manuscript’s title page and
   • the nominated student’s current contact information
2.  a nomination letter which should:
   • explain the reasons for the nomination,
   • note whether the nominated piece is a thesis or a project,
   • comment on issues such as the breadth of conceptualization, the depth of the analysis, the significance of the results, and/or the originality of the idea underlying the thesis/project, and
   • be signed by the thesis chair.
   • If the nominated work is a project, the letter should highlight the purpose and nature of the project, as well as its importance to the student’s course of study.
3.  a note from the student indicating that they accept their faculty mentor’s nomination and are willing to be considered for further award nominations. The Research Board may recommend a master’s thesis be entered into the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award program of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.

The electronic form with nominated thesis/project and nomination letter must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 24, 2021. Documents received after the deadline may not be accepted.

The UIS Research Board will select the outstanding thesis or project, based on criteria described below. The selected author and honorable mention awardees will be recognized at the Student Technology, Arts & Research Symposium (STARS) luncheon during the Spring 2022 semester, with an opportunity for the awardees to present their research. Questions regarding this process should be directed to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Evaluation Criteria

Current and Prior Winners