Graduate Life Cycle > Getting Started > Writing your Thesis Proposal

Work with your advisor to develop the ideas and procedures for your thesis/dissertation proposal

Many graduate programs require students to develop a formal thesis proposal and have it approved by the advisory committee. Check to see if your program has this requirement. If so, follow the steps below.

• Begin writing drafts of your thesis/dissertation proposal as soon as possible.
• Circulate drafts of the proposal to your supervisor for feedback.
• Present the completed proposal to your advisory committee for feedback on the research plan. In many programs, you are required to schedule a formal committee meeting to review and accept the thesis proposal. Check with your advisor to see if this applies to you. However, even if a formal meeting is not required, it is a good idea to meet with your committee to make sure that they support the proposed plan before you begin the work. Use your committee to help strengthen your research.

When writing the proposal, you should include the following key elements:

• Identification of gaps in the literature.
• An outline of questions you plan to address in your thesis.
• A strong research design or theoretical framework for your study.
• A description of the topics you plan to cover in each chapter of your thesis.
• Speculation of potential results of your study.
• A discussion of the importance of the study to the field.

For more information on writing proposals, see the following books available through the U of M libraries:

Bruce, F. J., Bork, C. E., & Carstens, S. P. (1979). The proposal cookbook: A step by step guide to dissertation and thesis proposal writing. Naples, Fla: Action Research Associates.

Gardner, D. C., & Beatty, G. J. (1980). Dissertation proposal guidebook: How to prepare a research proposal and get it accepted. Springfield, Ill: Thomas.