Writing a Thesis

Prior to writing a thesis, students should draft a tentative abstract and meet with any faculty they would like to invite to join their committee. Historically, some of the best theses written by students in our program have developed out of papers written in courses. As you select paper topics in your classes, think about how they might develop into longer projects.

Thesis committees consist of a Director and at least two additional committee members. Directors and one committee member must be tenured or tenure-track faculty in the Department of Religious Studies. The third committee member may be graduate faculty from another GSU department or another university.

Any graduate student who elects to write a MA thesis may enroll in RELS 8998, “Prospectus Research and Writing,” with her Thesis Director as she crafts the prospectus. A prospectus is a plan for research and writing that includes specific elements, such as an abstract, description of methodology, annotated bibliography, and explanation of the project’s significance. Students present their prospectus to the faculty and any committee members from outside the Department in August, November, or April. These are normative timelines for writing a thesis in our Department.

After he successfully presents the prospectus to the faculty, the student may enroll in RELS 8999, “Thesis Research and Writing,” with his Director. Thesis track students must complete at least 6 hours of 8999, and they may be taken in a single semester or over multiple semesters. The latter is typical and recommended. Prior to graduating, thesis students submit drafts of their work to their committee members for feedback and to Graduate Services for formatting review. Writers defend their theses to their committee in an hour-long conversation. Each semester Graduate Services sets deadlines for thesis format reviews and for defenses.

More information on thesis research and writing.

Edward Van Herik, “Moral Injury on the Home Front: Can a New Approach Provide Fresh Insight into Spirituality and Alcoholism?,” 2015

Karli Robinson-Myers, “Sankofa Healing: A Womanist Analysis of the Retrieval and Transformation of African Ritual Dance,” 2015

Natalie Barber, “The Way They Never Were: Nationalism, Landscape, and Myth in Irish Identity Construction,” 2014

Suzanne Degnats, “Dispositional Religiosity: Religion in the Context of Life Narratives,” 2013

Kelly O’Riley, “Hagiography, Teratology, and the ‘History’ of Michael Jackson,” 2011