Indiana University Kokomo
Master of Liberal Studies

Thesis Preparation Guidelines

General comments

Indiana University Kokomo requires that all theses conform to the specifications given below.

Theses must be written in English.

A thesis for the MLS degree must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to carry out research and to organize results. The thesis must be expressed in good literate style.

Theses involving human participants, animal subjects, microorganisms, living cells, other biohazards, and/or radioactive materials, shall include the appropriate compliance certification.

Three copies (one for each member of the thesis committee) of the Master's thesis must initially be submitted to the Dean of Arts and Sciences for use by the examiners on the thesis committee. Three copies of a  corrected version of the thesis is required for final deposition with the signed "Certificate of Acceptability of Thesis (one for submission to the IU Kokomo library, one for the School of Arts and Sciences, and one for the student’s graduate advisor ). 

Thesis specifications

When a thesis is submitted, the student and the thesis mentor must have signed the "Thesis Submission Form" indicating that the thesis meets the requirements of the School of Arts and Science.

1. Originality. Elements of the thesis that are considered to constitute original scholarship and an advancement of knowledge in the domains in which the research was conducted must be clearly indicated.

2. Components of the Thesis. The thesis must include:

1. a title page
2. a copyright page if copyrighting
3. an abstract
4. a dedication page (optional)
5. an acknowledgments page
6. a table of contents
7. an introduction that clearly states the rationale and objectives of the research/thesis
8. a review of the literature
9. a materials and methods section (if applicable)
10. a results and discussion section
11. a final conclusion and summary
12. a bibliography or reference list
13. Appendix containing appropriate certificates or permission letters in the case of research involving human or animal subjects, microorganisms, living cells, and other biohazards.

3. Title Page. The title page must include:

1. the title of the thesis;
2. the name of the author, followed by "School of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University Kokomo, Kokomo, IN";
3. the month and year the thesis was submitted;
4. the following statement: "A thesis submitted to Indiana University Kokomo in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master’s of Liberal Studies";

4. Abstract. An abstract must provide a brief summary of the thesis (150 words or less).

5. Acknowledgements. The candidate is required to declare in an acknowledgements section the extent to which assistance (paid or unpaid) has been given by staff members, other students, technicians or others in the collection of materials and data, the design and construction of apparatus, the performance of experiments, the analysis of data, and the preparation of the thesis (including editorial help). In addition, it is appropriate to recognize the supervision and advice given by the thesis mentor.

6. Length. The thesis will normally not exceed 100 pages in length.

7. Final Version. The final version of the thesis must be free from typographical, grammatical and other errors when submitted to the School of Arts and Science Office. While this is the responsibility of the student, the thesis mentor should not sign off on theses that are not as error free as possible.

Thesis formatting

1. Script and Page Format. Theses must be typed (preferably using a word processor). 8.5" x 11" paper must be used. A conventional font, size 12-point, 10 to 12 characters per inch must be used. Line spacing must be double or 1.5.

Left-hand margins should have a width of not less than 1.5”. The right-hand margin need not be justified but it should defined at 1”. The top and bottom margins should be 1”.

2. Paper and Print Quality. The original of all these must be of laser-print quality or letter quality. Final copies that are to be bound must be printed on 100% cotton rag paper.

3. Pagination. Pagination must be carefully checked for correct sequence and completeness. All errors must be corrected before final deposition. The front matter pages must appear in the following order:

(a) Title page

(b) Copyright page (if copyrighting)

(c) Abstract

These pages (a-c) are not numbered.

(d) Dedication page (optional)

(e) Acknowledgment page

(f) Table of Contents

These pages (d-f) are numbered with lower case Roman numerals, beginning with “iii”. The numerals are always centered at the bottom and continued to the first page of the text.

The actual text of the thesis (starting with the “Introduction”) must be numbered with Arabic numerals, beginning with “1”. The numerals are always centered at the bottom. Pages with figures or illustrations must be numbered in sequence. Every page in the text must be numbered consecutively.

4. Footnotes, References and Appendices. These should conform to a scholarly style appropriate to the discipline. Footnotes may be placed at the bottom of the page or at the end of each chapter. Consistency of formatting for footnotes and references is required throughout the thesis. You may consult handbooks such as the MLA or APA handbook for formatting styles.

5. Figures and Illustrations. Figures, tables, graphs, etc., should be positioned according to the publication conventions of the discipline. Charts, graphs, maps, and tables that are larger than the standard page should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Where graphs, illustrations, photographs, etc. fill an entire page, these pages must be numbered in sequence (see Pagination above). Legends or captions accompanying such full-page graphics must be presented on a separate page.

6. Photographs. Photographs may be incorporated into the thesis. The thesis must include either high-quality black-and-white photocopies or reprints of photos.

7. Additional Materials. Slides, tapes, diskettes, etc. are to be avoided if possible

8. Binding.

Once the final changes have been made and that the final thesis is signed by the committee members, the thesis is ready for binding. Three bound copies are required: one to the IU Kokomo library, one to the School of Arts and Sciences, and one to the graduate student’s thesis mentor.

Binding requirements: The original (with original signatures on the acceptance page) must be printed on 100% cotton rag paper, and at least one copy must also be on 100% cotton rag paper. The School of Arts and Sciences will send the thesis for binding. The student is responsible for the cost of binding, which is $8.00 per copy.  Make check payable to IU Kokomo.