gps thesis guidelines

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This page lists doctoral theses containing research relating to or employing GPS technologies.

The list is arranged alphabetically by name of the graduate student.

Click on the title of any thesis, displayed in bold blue text , to view/download a copy of the thesis.

Abbott, Eric Land-vehicle navigation systems: An examination of the influence of individual navigation aids on system performance Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 1997

Alban, Santiago Design and Performance of a Robust GPS/INS Attitude System for Automobile Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2004

Alter, Keith Using wide area differential GPS to improve total system error for precision flight operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2000

Axelrad, Penina A closed loop GPS-based orbit trim system for Gravity Probe B Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 1990

Barrows, Andrew GPS 3-D cockpit displays: Sensors, Algorithms, and Flight Testing Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

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Bauregger, Frank Novel anti-jam antennas for airborne GPS navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2003

Bell, Thomas Precision robotic control of agricultural vehicles on realistic farm trajectories Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1999

Bevly, David High speed, dead reckoning, and towed implement control for automatically steered farm tractors using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2001

Blanch, Juan Using Kriging to bound Satellite Ranging Errors due to the Ionosphere Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2003 *ION Parkinson Award for Best Ph.D. Thesis

Boyce, C. O. Lee Atmospheric Noise Mitigation for Loran Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2007

Chao, Yi-Chung Real Time Implementation of the Wide Area Augmentation System for the Global Positioning System with an Emphasis on Ionospheric Modeling Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1997

Chen, Yu-Hsuan Design and Implementation of a Real-Time GNSS Receiver and its Applications in the Presence of Interference and Ionospheric Scintillation Ph.D. Dissertation, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C., November 2011

Chiou, Tsung-Yu Design of a Doppler-Aided GPS Navigation System for Weak Signals Caused By Strong Ionospheric Scintillation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2010

Choi, Myungjun Evaluation of Advanced Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring for Vertical Guidance Using GPS and GLONASS Signals Engineer Degree Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2014

Cobb, Stewart GPS Pseudolites: Theory, Design, and Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1997

Cohen, Clark Attitude Determination Using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1992 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner * *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Dai, Donghai Interoperability of Space Based Augmentation Systems for Aircraft Navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, April 2001

Datta-Barua, Seebany Ionospheric Threats to the Integrity of Airborne GPS users Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

De Lorenzo, David Navigation Accuracy and Interference Rejection for GPS Adaptive Antenna Arrays Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2007

Do, Ju-Yong Road to Seamless Positioning: Hybrid Positioning System Combining GPS and Television Signals PRESENTATION mode (in PDF) Ph.D., Stanford University, May 2008 (Presentation, April 2007)

Dressel, Louis Efficient and Low-Cost Localization of Radio Sources with an Autonomous Drone Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2018

Elkaim, Gabriel System Identification for Precision Control of a Wingsailed GPS-Guided Catamaran Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2001 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Ene, Alexandru Utilization of Modernized Global Navigation Satellite Systems for Aircraft-Based Navigation Integrity Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2009

Fuller, Richard Aviation Utilization of Geostationary Satellites for the Augmentation to GPS: Ranging and Data Link Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000

Gao, Grace Xingxin Towards Navigation based on 120 Satellites: Analyzing the New Signals Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 2008 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Gautier, Jennifer GPS/INS Generalized Evaluation Tool (GIGET) for the Design and Testing of Integrated Navigation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2003

Gazit, Ran Aircraft surveillance and collision avoidance using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1996

Gebre-Egziahber, Demoz Design and Performance Analysis of a Low-Cost Aided Dead Reckoning Navigator Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2001

Gromov, Konstantin GIDL: Generalized Interference Detection and Localization System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2002

Gunning, Kazuma Safety Critical Bounds for Precise Positioning for Aviation and Autonomy Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2021

Hansen, Andrew Tomogrpahic Estimation of the Ionosphere Using Terrestrial GPS Sensors Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2002

Heng, Liang Safe Satellite Navigation with Multiple Constellations: Global Monitoring of GPS and GLONASS Signal-In-Space Anomalies Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2012

Holforty, Wendy Flight-deck display of neighboring aircraft wake vortices Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2003

Houck, Sharon Multi Aircraft Dynamics, Navigation and Operation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, April 2001 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Jan, Shau-Shiun Aircraft Landing Using a Modernized Global Positioning System and the Wide Area Augmentation System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003

Jardin, Matthew Robert Toward real-time en route air traffic control optimization Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2003

Jennings, Chad Threat Displays for Final Approach Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Jung, Jaewoo High integrity carrier phase navigation using multiple civil GPS signals Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2000

Kee, Changdon Wide Area Differential GPS (WADGPS) Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1993

Kim, Euiho Innovative Use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems for Flight Inspection Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

Kim, Ung Suok Mitigation of Signal Biases Introduced by Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas in a High Integrity Carrier Phase Differential GPS System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2007

Ko, Ping-Ya GPS-based precision approach landing navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000

Koenig, Michael Optimizing the Decision Rule of a GPS Integrity Monitoring System for Improved Availability Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2010

Konno, Hiroyuki Design of an Aircraft Landing System using Dual-Frequency GNSS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

Lawrence, David Aircraft Landing Using GPS: Development and Evaluation of a Real Time System for Kinematic Position using the Global Positioning System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1996

Lee, Jiyun GPS-Based Aircraft Landing Systems with Enhanced Performance Beyond Accuracy Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2005

Lightsey, Glenn Development and flight demonstration of a GPS receiver for space Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, February 1997

Liu, Xinwei Characterization of the Clock and Ephemeris Error Distributions of the Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) Engineer Degree Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2023

Lo, Sherman Broadcasting GPS Integrity Information Using Loran-C Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, July 2002

McMilin, Emily Single Antenna Null-Steering for GPS & GNSS Aerial Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2016 *ION Parkinson Award for Best Ph.D. Thesis

Mitelman, Alexander Signal quality monitoring for GPS augmentation systems (zipped) Signal quality monitoring for GPS augmentation systems ] Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2004 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner * *ION Parkinson Award for Best Ph.D. Thesis

Montgomery, Paul Carrier differential GPS as a sensor for automatic control: Development of a full state estimation and flight control system for an autonomous aircraft based on the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1996 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Ndili, Awele Robust GPS Autonomous Signal Quality Monitoring Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 1998

Neish, Andrew Establishing Trust Through Authentication in Satellite Based Augmentation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2020

O'Connor, Michael Carrier-phase differential GPS for automatic control of land vehicles Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1997

Olsen, Eric GPS sensing for formation flying vehicles Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, November 1999

Opshaug, Guttorm R. A Leapfrog Navigation System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003

Park, Young Shin Design of Airport Surface Movement Using Single-Frequency GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2016

Perkins, Adrien Fast Interference Localization to Protect Global Navigation Satellite Service Operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2020

Pervan, Boris Navigation integrity for aircraft precision landing using the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 1996 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Phelts, Robert Eric Multicorrelator Techniques for Robust Mitigation of Threats to GPS Signal Quality Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2001 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Pullen, Sam Probabilistic engineering design optimization: Application to spacecraft and navigation systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1996

Qiu, Di Security from Location Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2009

Rabinowitz, Matthew A differential carrier-phase navigation system combining GPS with low Earth orbit satellites for rapid resolution of integer cycle ambiguities Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2000

Ramakrishnan, Shankar Enhancing Satellite Navigation for Low Earth and Geostationary Orbit Missions Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 2018

Reid, Tyler Orbital Diversity for Global Navigation Satellite Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2017 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Rekow, Andrew System identification, adaptive control and formation driving of farm tractors Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2001

Rife, Jason Automatic Robotic Tracking of Gelatinous Animals in the Deep Ocean Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2003

Rothmaier, Fabian Statistical Inference for Safe and Continuous Navigation in the Presence of GNSS Spoofing Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2021

Seo, Jiwon Overcoming Ionospheric Scintillation for Worldwide GPS Aviation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2010

Teague, Edward Harrison Flexible structure estimation and control using the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 1997

Tsai, Yeou-Jyh Wide Area Differential Operation of the Global Positioning System: Ephemeris and Clock Operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 1999

Uematsu, Hirohiko The Gravity Probe B niobium bird experiment: Experimental verification of a data reduction scheme with a prototypical dc SQUID readout system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 1993

Walter, Todd A Gyroscope Clock for a Null Gravitational Redshift Experiment Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1993

Wong, Gabriel Impact of Nominal Signal Deformations on Satellite Navigation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2014

Xie, Gang Optimal On-Airport Monitoring of the Integrity of GPS-Based Landing Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2004

Abbott, Eric Land-vehicle navigation systems: An examination of the influence of individual navigation aids on system performance Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 1997

Alban, Santiago Design and Performance of a Robust GPS/INS Attitude System for Automobile Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2004

Alter, Keith Using wide area differential GPS to improve total system error for precision flight operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2000

Axelrad, Penina A closed loop GPS-based orbit trim system for Gravity Probe B Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 1990

Barrows, Andrew GPS 3-D cockpit displays: Sensors, Algorithms, and Flight Testing Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000

Bauregger, Frank Novel anti-jam antennas for airborne GPS navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2003

Bell, Thomas Precision robotic control of agricultural vehicles on realistic farm trajectories Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1999

Bevly, David High speed, dead reckoning, and towed implement control for automatically steered farm tractors using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2001

Blanch, Juan Using Kriging to bound Satellite Ranging Errors due to the Ionosphere Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2003

Boyce, C. O. Lee Atmospheric Noise Mitigation for Loran Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2007

Chao, Yi-Chung Real Time Implementation of the Wide Area Augmentation System for the Global Positioning System with an Emphasis on Ionospheric Modeling Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1997

Chen, Yu-Hsuan Design and Implementation of a Real-Time GNSS Receiver and its Applications in the Presence of Interference and Ionospheric Scintillation Ph.D. Dissertation, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C., November 2011

Chiou, Tsung-Yu Design of a Doppler-Aided GPS Navigation System for Weak Signals Caused By Strong Ionospheric Scintillation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2010

Choi, Myungjun Evaluation of Advanced Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring for Vertical Guidance Using GPS and GLONASS Signals Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2014

Cobb, Stewart GPS Pseudolites: Theory, Design, and Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1997

Cohen, Clark Attitude Determination Using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1992

Dai, Donghai Interoperability of Space Based Augmentation Systems for Aircraft Navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, April 2001

Datta-Barua, Seebany Ionospheric Threats to the Integrity of Airborne GPS users Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

De Lorenzo, David Navigation Accuracy and Interference Rejection for GPS Adaptive Antenna Arrays Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2007

Do, Ju-Yong Road to Seamless Positioning: Hybrid Positioning System Combining GPS and Television Signals PRESENTATION mode (in PDF) Ph.D., Stanford University, May 2008 (Presentation, April 2007)

Elkaim, Gabriel System Identification for Precision Control of a Wingsailed GPS-Guided Catamaran Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2001

Ene, Alexandru Utilization of Modernized Global Navigation Satellite Systems for Aircraft-Based Navigation Integrity Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2009

Fuller, Richard Aviation Utilization of Geostationary Satellites for the Augmentation to GPS: Ranging and Data Link Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000

Gao, Grace Xingxin Towards Navigation based on 120 Satellites: Analyzing the New Signals Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 2008

Gautier, Jennifer GPS/INS Generalized Evaluation Tool (GIGET) for the Design and Testing of Integrated Navigation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2003

Gazit, Ran Aircraft surveillance and collision avoidance using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1996

Gebre-Egziahber, Demoz Design and Performance Analysis of a Low-Cost Aided Dead Reckoning Navigator Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2001

Gromov, Konstantin GIDL: Generalized Interference Detection and Localization System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2002

Hansen, Andrew Tomogrpahic Estimation of the Ionosphere Using Terrestrial GPS Sensors Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2002

Heng, Liang Safe Satellite Navigation with Multiple Constellations: Global Monitoring of GPS and GLONASS Signal-In-Space Anomalies Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2012

Holforty, Wendy Flight-deck display of neighboring aircraft wake vortices Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2003

Houck, Sharon Multi Aircraft Dynamics, Navigation and Operation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, April 2001

Jan, Shau-Shiun Aircraft Landing Using a Modernized Global Positioning System and the Wide Area Augmentation System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003

Jardin, Matthew Robert Toward real-time en route air traffic control optimization Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2003

Jennings, Chad Threat Displays for Final Approach Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003

Jung, Jaewoo High integrity carrier phase navigation using multiple civil GPS signals Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2000

Kee, Changdon Wide Area Differential GPS (WADGPS) Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1993

Kim, Ung Suok Mitigation of Signal Biases Introduced by Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas in a High Integrity Carrier Phase Differential GPS System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2007

Ko, Ping-Ya GPS-based precision approach landing navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000

Koenig, Michael Optimizing the Decision Rule of a GPS Integrity Monitoring System for Improved Availability Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2010

Konno, Hiroyuki Design of an Aircraft Landing System using Dual-Frequency GNSS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

Lawrence, David Aircraft Landing Using GPS: Development and Evaluation of a Real Time System for Kinematic Position using the Global Positioning System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1996

Lee, Jiyun GPS-Based Aircraft Landing Systems with Enhanced Performance Beyond Accuracy Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2005

Lightsey, Glenn Development and flight demonstration of a GPS receiver for space Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, February 1997

Lo, Sherman Broadcasting GPS Integrity Information Using Loran-C Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, July 2002

McMilin, Emily Single Antenna Null-Steering for GPS & GNSS Aerial Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2016

Mitelman, Alexander Signal quality monitoring for GPS augmentation systems (zipped) ] md5sum = 67e878d718a40048afce40e8fb4b485d Signal quality monitoring for GPS augmentation systems ] md5sum = 0a172b02e3fb8d33557970db6011a643 Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2004

Montgomery, Paul Carrier differential GPS as a sensor for automatic control: Development of a full state estimation and flight control system for an autonomous aircraft based on the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1996

Ndili, Awele Robust GPS Autonomous Signal Quality Monitoring Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 1998

O'Connor, Michael Carrier-phase differential GPS for automatic control of land vehicles Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1997

Olsen, Eric GPS sensing for formation flying vehicles Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, November 1999

Opshaug, Guttorm R. A Leapfrog Navigation System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003

Pervan, Boris Navigation integrity for aircraft precision landing using the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 1996

Phelts, Robert Eric Multicorrelator Techniques for Robust Mitigation of Threats to GPS Signal Quality Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2001

Pullen, Sam Probabilistic engineering design optimization: Application to spacecraft and navigation systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1996

Qiu, Di Security from Location Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2009

Rabinowitz, Matthew A differential carrier-phase navigation system combining GPS with low Earth orbit satellites for rapid resolution of integer cycle ambiguities Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2000

Rekow, Andrew System identification, adaptive control and formation driving of farm tractors Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2001

Rife, Jason Automatic Robotic Tracking of Gelatinous Animals in the Deep Ocean Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2003

Seo, Jiwon Overcoming Ionospheric Scintillation for Worldwide GPS Aviation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2010

Teague, Edward Harrison Flexible structure estimation and control using the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 1997

Tsai, Yeou-Jyh Wide Area Differential Operation of the Global Positioning System: Ephemeris and Clock Operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 1999

Uematsu, Hirohiko The Gravity Probe B niobium bird experiment: Experimental verification of a data reduction scheme with a prototypical dc SQUID readout system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 1993

Wong, Gabriel Impact of Nominal Signal Deformations on Satellite Navigation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2014

Xie, Gang Optimal On-Airport Monitoring of the Integrity of GPS-Based Landing Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2004

McGill PhD Thesis Template

Template for PhD Thesis at McGill University.

As of October 2023 this template complies to the official guidelines: https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/thesis/thesis-guidelines/preparation

Note: If you are NOT a university employee, you MUST request permission to integrate the official logo in your submission, using this webform: https://www.mcgill.ca/visual-identity/application-use-university-logo-demande-dutilisation-du-logo-de-luniversite

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Regulations and Procedures for Thesis Master's Graduate Degrees

University graduation requirements for thesis master's degrees , time boundaries for candidacy and defense , time to degree.

• Approval of Candidacy 

Thesis Committee

Announcement of thesis defense, oral examination in defense of thesis, thesis submission regulations and procedures, departmental duties, other requirements.

Candidates receive a master's degree after completing:

• A minimum of 30 graduate semester credit hours of coursework taken at the 500-level or above (including thesis credit hours).
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University. 
• A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
• A minimum program GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the thesis master’s degree.*
• A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of full-time graduate study at Rice University.
• Original work reported in a thesis and a public oral examination, approved and submitted to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
• All courses must be taken in the relevant field.

* Note : Departments or programs may identify and define in their program's General Announcements Requirements tab stricter minimum requirements to satisfy their academic program requirements.

Candidacy, Oral Examinations, and Thesis 

Time to candidacy.

Master of Architecture (MArch) students must be approved for candidacy before October 31st prior to their juried defense. Master of Music (MMus) students must be approved for candidacy before beginning the 4th semester of study. All other thesis master’s students must be approved for candidacy no later than the beginning of the 5th semester of their enrollment in the degree program at Rice. See  Candidacy, Oral Examinations and Thesis . Additionally, students must be projected to complete their minimum required credit hours and all other non-thesis degree requirements before the end of the semester in which they defend.

Time to Defense

Master’s students must defend the thesis no later than the 8th semester from the date of their enrollment in the degree program at Rice. See  Candidacy, Oral Examinations and Thesis .

Time to Thesis Submission

Candidates who successfully pass the oral examination in defense of the thesis must submit the thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies no later than six months from the date of the examination. See  Candidacy, Oral Examinations and Thesis .  Candidates must also adhere to all deadlines associated with the Academic Calendar for a given commencement.  

All master’s students are required to complete their program within five years of initial enrollment. This time boundary includes any period in which the student was not enrolled or enrolled part-time, for whatever reason. Failure to meet any university time to degree deadline may result in the student not being able to continue in their degree program.

Approval of Candidacy  

Candidacy marks a midpoint in the course of graduate education. Achieving candidacy for the master’s degree signals that a graduate student has:

• completed required coursework,
• passed any required exams to demonstrate comprehensive grasp of the subject area,
• demonstrated the ability for clear oral and written communication, and
• shown the ability to carry on scholarly work in the subject area.

Requirements for achieving candidacy for the master's degree are determined at the  departmental  level. The department is also authorized to grant waivers or substitutions of specific course requirements, but not to make exceptions to university requirements.

Students enrolled in research degree programs submit their petitions for candidacy for a master’s degree through the department chair to the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. In the petition sent to the dean, the department chair identifies the student’s thesis director, recommends a thesis committee, certifies that the applicant has fulfilled the departmental requirements, and provides a course transcript as evidence that work completed within the department is of high quality. 

Master’s candidacy students must be approved for candidacy before the beginning of the fifth semester of their enrollment at Rice. However, in order to qualify for a given commencement, they must meet the submission deadline for that commencement per the  Academic Calendar . This date falls at the end of October for December degree conferral and the end of February for May degree conferral.

Students who are unable to meet the university time boundary for candidacy may petition the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies or the dean's designee for an extension of time to candidacy. Students who exceed their time boundaries without an approved extension request will be placed on academic probation. Students who exceed their time boundaries and do not receive an extension to their time to candidacy are subject to immediate dismissal by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

The thesis committee administers the oral examination for the student’s thesis defense and has final approval/disapproval authority and responsibility for the written thesis.  The thesis committee is subject to the approval of the department (either the chair or the director of graduate studies) and the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

A thesis committee is composed of at least three members. Two, including the committee chair, must be members of the student’s department faculty. At least three members of the committee must meet one of the following requirements:

• Tenured or tenure-track members of the Rice faculty
• Rice research faculty holding the rank of assistant research professor, associate research professor, or research professor 

Qualified individuals who have been identified by the department chair may serve as additional committee members, but may not substitute for the three tenure or tenure-track faculty members.

The composition of the thesis committee must always meet the guidelines mentioned above, with the following exceptions:

• Interdisciplinary programs (Applied Physics and Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology ) -  The chair of the thesis committee is either the advisor or in the host department of the student, is affiliated with the program and is Rice tenured or tenure-track faculty . The second member of the committee is affiliated with the program and is Rice tenured or tenure-track faculty .  The third member is Rice tenured or tenure-track faculty. The formal structure of the thesis committee for the programs can be found in the program specific sections of the General Announcements and are regularly reviewed by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
• Master of Architecture (MArch) -  The committee chair must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member. Other committee members can be tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure track Rice faculty.

The thesis director must be a tenured or tenure-track member of the Rice University faculty or a research faculty holding the rank of assistant research professor, associate research professor, or research professor. Faculty whose primary appointment is at another institution may serve as thesis director if approved by the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. Emeritus professors may not accept new graduate students or be included on newly formed thesis committees without the approval of the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies and an appointment letter from the school dean.

The committee chair need not be the thesis director. The chair, however, must be either a tenured or tenure-track member of the student's department or a research faculty member of the student's department. In addition to the three required members, additional members of the committee may be selected with the approval of the department chair or the director of graduate studies.

In the event that a member of a students’ thesis committee leaves their position at Rice University, they may continue to serve on the thesis committee if they continue to have the support of the department chair (or in the case of interdisciplinary programs, the graduate program director) to serve in this capacity.

Candidates are responsible for keeping the members of their committee informed about the nature and progress of their research. They also must establish a schedule for thesis completion and review. The members of the committee, in turn, should review the thesis in a timely manner, approving a preliminary form of the thesis before scheduling the oral examination.

Changes to the thesis committee must be approved in writing by the department chair or the director of graduate studies and approved by the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies prior to the defense.  Students have a right to know prior to the defense who will examine them. Changes requested after the thesis defense are generally not granted, so a re-defense may be required, but a petition can be made to the  the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. 

Oral examinations for the master’s degree must be registered and publicly publicized at least 7 days in advance. Oral examination announcements must be registered with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by entering the information into the Graduate Students Thesis Defense Announcement form at https://events.rice.edu/rgs . Defenses that proceed without timely registration are unofficial and will not meet university degree requirements.

The public oral defense of a thesis is intended to be an examination of a completed body of work and should be scheduled only when the thesis is essentially completed. Students may take the final oral examination in defense of their thesis only after the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies approves their candidacy. 

In addition to announcing the planned defense as described above, at least one copy of the thesis must be available in the departmental office not less than two calendar weeks prior to the date of the oral defense. Graduate programs may allow or require the thesis to be submitted and stored in an electronic format. 

The length of the oral examination and the subject matter on which the candidate is questioned are left to the judgment of the thesis committee. The defense should be scheduled by the student after consultation with the thesis advisor, who agrees that the thesis is completed and ready to be defended. All oral thesis defenses must take place on the Rice University campus with the candidate in physical attendance and all thesis committee members in attendance throughout the entire defense. While the physical attendance of the committee is highly encouraged, it is recognized that this may add unnecessary scheduling conflicts delaying the student’s defense. The student may, at their own discretion, provide an online option for guests to attend the defense.

Should a candidate fail, the committee chair may schedule a second examination. Students who fail a second time will be dismissed from the university.

Following their defense, students must submit a copy of their approval of candidacy form, signed by the thesis committee signifying successful defense of the thesis, along with a copy of their defended thesis, to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies within one week after the oral examination. Instructions to submit this form are located online at https://graduate.rice.edu/academics/candidacy-defense-thesis-submission . The original approval of candidacy form must be turned in when the thesis is submitted.

Master’s students must defend their theses before the end of the eighth semester of their enrollment at Rice. Students who are unable to meet the university time boundary for thesis defense may petition the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies or the dean's designee for an extension of time to defense. Students who exceed their time boundaries without an approved extension request may be placed on academic probation or dismissed by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

A candidate must be enrolled in the semester in which the oral examination is held. Students who defend during the summer must enroll in the summer session of classes. For the purpose of the oral defense only, enrollment in a semester is considered valid through the Friday of the first week of class of the following semester. Students passing the oral examination on or before the end of the first week of classes of any semester do not have to register for that or any subsequent semester even though they may be continuing to make minor revisions to the final copy of their thesis.

The thesis is the principal record of a student’s work for an advanced degree. Instructions for online thesis submission and guidelines for thesis formatting are available at: https://graduate.rice.edu/academics/candidacy-defense-thesis-submission .

Candidates who successfully pass the oral examination in defense of the thesis must submit the thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies no later than six months from the date of the examination. If the thesis is not submitted by the end of the six-month period, the “pass” will be revoked and an additional oral defense will need to be scheduled. Applications for an extension without reexamination must be made by the candidate with the unanimous support of the thesis committee, endorsed by the department chair (or in the case of interdisciplinary programs, the graduate program director), and approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Extensions of this six-month period for completion without reexamination will be granted only in rare circumstances.

Students must have an electronically certified signature of each member of their thesis committee submitted through AdobeSign on two title pages of their thesis. All students submitting theses must complete a ProQuest/University Microfilms International (UMI) publishing contract as part of their thesis submission. 

All theses are permanently preserved in Rice’s Institutional Repository and are available via  https://scholarship.rice.edu  shortly after the final submission of the thesis. At the time of thesis submission, a student may request an embargo of six months, one year, or two years; embargos beyond this period are subject to the approval of the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies.

Students have six months from the date of their defense to submit their thesis. However, in order to qualify for a given degree conferral and the associated commencement ceremonies, they must meet the submission deadline for that degree conferral per the Academic Calendar . This date falls on the last day of classes in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. 

In most research degree programs, students must undertake a limited amount of teaching or perform other services as part of their training. Assigned duties should not entail more than 10 hours per week, averaged over the semester, or extend over more than eight semesters.  Students must be paid as a Teaching Assistant, Instructor of Record, or on an hourly basis for this work, regardless of degree requirements.

There are other additional requirements, regulations and procedures for all graduate programs. They are found under Graduate Students > Academic Policies and Procedures > All Graduate Students , or can be accessed directly here .

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IMPORTANT : We are not able to do pre-reviews at this time due to the number of theses being submitted for the April 19th deadline for completing submissions in order to graduate in May. Please wait until you submit your final thesis to cIRcle, and it will be reviewed then. Exception: Doctoral dissertations going out to external examiners will be reviewed, but please allow a minimum of five business days for a response. Do not contact the Library or the cIRcle office about a pre-review. They do not provide them.

If you’re beginning to prepare for the completion of your graduate work, congratulations!

The term "thesis" in this section of the website is used collectively to refer to the culminating representation of the scholarly work produced by a research-based master’s or doctoral student. However, when referring to your work, please use "dissertation" if you are a doctoral student, and "thesis" if you are a master's student.

All UBC theses become publicly available online from the UBC Library and Library and Archives Canada shortly after submission. Exceptions to this policy on a temporary basis may be requested (See Delaying Publication of Your Thesis ).

WHERE TO START?

Your supervisor will guide you on the best way to present your research in your thesis. This website provides information on elements common to all theses, but the final expression is up to you and your committee.

Thesis text is normally written in English. Indigenous languages, French, and other languages that form the basis of the scholarly work are welcomed, as appropriate. If you wish to write primarily in a language other than English, you will need to obtain the advance approval of your graduate program and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

In all cases of theses written primarily in languages other than English, the following are required:

• an English translation of the title on the thesis title page and in cIRcle.
• an abstract in English or French.

For doctoral students, the final oral exam is conducted primarily in English.

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The GPS Thesis Office is currently seeking faculty members willing to volunteer as Pro-Deans for oral defences.

Thesis Guidelines

• Final Thesis Submission
• Thesis Writing and Support Resources
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Writing a thesis is one of the most important milestones for degree completion. Students should be familiar with the steps needed to prepare and submit a thesis in the early stages of thesis writing. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about the thesis process from the first draft to final e-thesis submission. Please also consult the  Regulations Concerning Thesis  on McGill's e-calendar. 

Thesis Deadlines

Final Thesis

Resources for thesis writing and supervision.

McGill offers several resources to support students through thesis writing. Consult these resources here .

Another key aspect of successful thesis writing is great supervision. Consult the  Graduate Supervision  website to find out more about your roles and responsibilities as a supervisee, as well as those of your supervisor. 

Are you writing, or on the verge of writing, your PhD thesis?

Not sure what to do between submitting your initial thesis and defending it?

The Doctoral Internship Program might be just right for you.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License . Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University .

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Graduate and postdoctoral studies.

Graduate Study at Rice University

Rice University is a comprehensive research university located on a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas. We pursue pathbreaking research and create innovative collaboration opportunities that further our understanding and contribute to the betterment of our world.

Applications Now Open

Applications for 2024 admission to rice university graduate programs are now open. additionally, rice will waive the gre requirement for most programs for fall 2024 admission., this is houston.

Rice is a 300-acre forested oasis in the heart of Houston's museum district - next door to the world’s largest medical center, a short train ride away from downtown and the nation’s second-largest theater district. Surrounding our campus is a world of opportunity and graduate students are encouraged to take advantage of all the cultural, culinary and sporting events Houston has to offer.

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