Hybrid Thesis Track

Outlined below is the typical curriculum for a full-time Thesis student. Upon acceptance into the program, (before the first Fall semester) thesis intended students must reach out to discuss plans with the Program Director, Dr. Jie Li.

A thesis requires an oral defense and a written paper evaluated and approved by the thesis committee convened for that purpose. The student should distribute the written thesis paper to the thesis committee for preliminary approval at least 10 days prior to the oral defense. The oral defense is open to the university community and the public. The written paper should be of quality for peer-review publication as a first author or a co-author.

The length of the Research Thesis track is usually 24 months, which includes the required 30-credit lecture courses in the first year, and the oral defense and written thesis paper in the second year.