Students who choose the thesis option must complete at least 24 credits of coursework and 6 credits of thesis, such that the total is 30 credits.
Thesis Option
Thesis checklist:
- Identifying a subject and area of research
- Advisor and committee
- Proposal
- Thesis document
- Defense
Advisor and Committee
In preparation for the thesis, a student should identify to the program's graduate studies director an advisor and a committee. The advisor is a faculty member from either the Computer and Information Sciences Department or the Mathematical Sciences Department. The committee is comprised of two faculty members from the student’s area of specialization, with one of them being the advisor. A third member is required and can be a faculty member from within or outside of the CS and Math departments. The third member may be an appropriate individual in business or industry. Additional members may be included in the committee with approval of the graduate director.
Thesis Proposal
The student must submit a thesis proposal to the committee for approval.
Thesis Document
Upon completion of the thesis, a written document is prepared and an oral defense is scheduled. The document is to be reported in a thesis format. After a successful defense, the final version will be archived in the department and in the IU South Bend library. Note that there is no comprehensive exam. Rather, a student finishes the program with the thesis option by successfully defending the thesis, making corrections to the document, and submitting the final version for archiving.
General IU Guide for The Preparation of Thesis from the Office of the VP for Research