Thesis Guidelines MPN Program

For whom is this document intended?

This document is designed for students completing the Master of Psychiatric Nursing (MPN) program at Brandon University. The document will describe the nature of a thesis and outline the process for completion of the thesis.

What is a thesis?

A thesis is a formal comprehensive, written document describing a research study on a chosen subject. A thesis is used to demonstrate capacity to complete a research project and present the findings. A completed thesis represents a distinct contribution to knowledge in the field of study.

What is the process for completion of a thesis?

The thesis process involves:

  • Identifying a Thesis Advisor;
  • Selecting a Thesis Committee;
  • Identifying learning needs and developing a learning plan for Advanced Readings in collaboration with the Thesis Advisor (75:656);
  • Completing coursework and registering for the thesis;
  • Developing and finalizing the thesis proposal;
  • Obtaining ethical approval for the study;
  • Conducting the research and preparing the thesis;
  • Submitting drafts to the Thesis Committee; and
  • Defending the thesis and submitting final documents.

Identifying a Thesis Advisor

The process of completing a thesis starts with identification of a Thesis Advisor. The Thesis Advisor provides assistance at every stage of the MPN program, including selection of a thesis committee, planning to address learning needs, selecting / clarifying the research question(s), and choosing research methods. The Thesis Advisor will also provide guidance on practical aspects of conducting research and will ensure that the work meets university requirements.

The Thesis Advisor must be approved by the Graduate Health Studies Steering Committee (GHSSC) as outlined in the Thesis Advisor and Committee Member Policy. Once the student has selected a Thesis Advisor and confirmed that the faculty member is willing to serve in that capacity, the student will submit a letter of request to the GHSSC indicating rationale for the selection.  Students should use the guidelines for writing Thesis Advisor or Committee Member to make the request to the GHSSC.

Selecting a Thesis Committee

Once confirmed, the Thesis Advisor will work with the student to identify and arrange for at least two other members to serve on the Thesis Committee. Collectively, the Thesis Advisor and other Thesis Committee members will have the expertise to guide the thesis work and evaluate the thesis. The number of people who are eligible to serve as committee members is larger than the number of people approved for thesis advising. Committee members are content experts and may be from inside or outside Brandon University.

Once committee members have been identified and have agreed to serve on the committee, the student will send a request letter to the GHSSC for approval.

If the committee member requires membership in the Faculty of Graduate Studies membership in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, this process will be initiated after the GHSSC has approved the appointment.

Identifying learning needs and developing a learning plan

The Thesis Committee will collaborate with the student to identify learning needs for completion of the thesis and will work with the student to develop a plan to address learning needs. Learning needs will normally be addressed through the directed readings course (75:656) or an elective but, depending on the learning needs, additional courses or workshops may be required by the committee. If learning needs will be addressed through a directed readings course, the Thesis Advisor will work with the student to develop a course outline that specifies the overall purpose of the course, learning activities, contact schedule, and course requirements.

Completing coursework and registering for the thesis

All courses must be complete before the student may register for the graduate thesis (75:700).  Similar to registering for a reading course, the Thesis Advisor submits a form to create the course and the Program Assistant then sends an email to Registration and Finance to register the student for the course.  Registration for the thesis is for the student’s remaining program length and no additional fee is charged if the student completes the thesis within that time frame.

Developing and finalizing a thesis proposal

The thesis proposal is constructed by the student with guidance from the Thesis Advisor and Thesis Committee members. The student will deliver an oral presentation and defense of the completed thesis proposal to their Thesis Committee. The thesis proposal must be approved by the students’ Thesis Committee and an ethics certificate received from Brandon University Research Ethics Committee (BUREC) before the research can commence.

Obtaining ethical approval for the study

After thesis committee approval of the thesis proposal the student is required to submit an application to Brandon University Research Ethics Committee (BUREC). In order to receive BUREC approval students are required to complete the TCPS 2: TCPS 2: CORE-2022 and submit the tutorial completion certificate with their ethics application to BUREC.

The student will prepare and submit an application BUREC. The application form must be reviewed by the Thesis Advisor and the form must indicate that this review has taken place. Forms, processes, and deadlines for submission are available on the BUREC web pages. Once BUREC approval is received, the student will submit a copy of the approval letter for the student file. The student is responsible for complying with all BUREC policies and conditions, including preparation of an annual and/or final report(s).

Additional ethics applications may be required depending upon the nature of the research and the population of interest for the study.  For example ethical approval may be required from a regional health authority if the clients they serve are invited to be participants in the study.  A copy of the ethics certificate(s) will be included as an appendix of the thesis document.

Conducting research and preparing the thesis

Only after all required ethical approvals have been met can research begin, including data collection, data analysis, and preparation of the thesis document. During the period of data collection, analysis, and writing, the student will need to be in regular contact with the Thesis Advisor to provide updates on progress and solicit guidance as needed. The contact schedule is negotiated between the Thesis Advisor and the student, but routine contact is recommended. The student may also be in contact with other members of the Thesis Committee as needed to draw on their expertise.

The student will meet with the Thesis Advisor at least once a year, usually in conjunction with preparation of the Annual Progress Report Form. It is also recommended that the student up-date Thesis committee members on their progress at least once a year.

The student will work with the Thesis Advisor to develop an outline for the thesis. The student will share draft chapters and sections with the Thesis Advisor for feedback. This feedback is essential to ensure that expectations are clear and that the work stays on track. Draft material also will be shared with the Thesis Committee at points to be determined by the student and Thesis Advisor.

The structure of the thesis document will adhere to the requirements outlined in the most recent version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Guidelines for Graduate Thesis as established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students will also attend to APA guidelines for mechanics of style and writing clearly and concisely. The expectations that should be met in a Thesis Proposal, Thesis, and a Manuscript thesis can be found in the Thesis Proposal and Thesis Guidelines document.

Thesis Defense

The thesis defense will be conducted on-campus or virtually and the student must be present for the defense. A thesis defense can be scheduled once the Thesis Advisor and Thesis Committee members are satisfied that the work is completed, and the student is ready for the oral defense of the research. The student and Thesis Advisor will collaborate to determine a date for the defense. Scheduling the defense will consider availability of Thesis Committee members and the MPN Coordinator (or designate), who will chair the defense. Thesis Committee members also serve as the Examining Committee. Examining Committee members must be provided with the complete electronic thesis document at least 30 days in advance of the oral defense.

In arranging the thesis defense, the Thesis Advisor is responsible to:

  • distribute the complete electronic thesis document to members of the Examining Committee;
  • notify committee members and the MPN Coordinator about the date, time, and location of the defense;
  • arrange for technology, to support participation of off-site committee members and, where possible, off-site graduate students; and
  • work with the Program Assistant for the MPN program to prepare the announcement of the defense.

The Program Assistant will book space for the thesis defense, and arrange for distribution of the announcement to members of the university community in conjunction with an invitation to attend the thesis defense as an observer.

The MPN Coordinator (or designate) will act as Chair for the thesis defense. The Chair is a neutral party who manages the examination but does participate in evaluation of the thesis.

What is the process for defending a thesis?

  1. The Chair introduces the Masters candidate and their Examining Committee to the faculty, graduate students, and visitors.
  2. The student provides an oral presentation (approximately 30 minutes) of the research, findings, and implications of the work.
  3. Examining Committee members pose questions to the candidate in rounds, beginning with the external member and ending with the Advisor.
  4. The thesis defense, including questions, will not normally exceed 1.5 hours. If time permits, the Chair may invite others who are present to ask questions.
  5. The student and observers are asked to withdraw from the room to enable the committee to deliberate and reach a decision on evaluation of the candidate’s thesis. The meeting is held in-camera. Decision options include: pass, pass with minor revisions (revisions to be approved by the thesis advisor), major revisions, or fail. In the event of a decision for major revisions to the written thesis the student will repeat the full thesis defense process. If the student obtains a pass on the written thesis but needs to repeat the oral defense then only the oral defense must be repeated. If the student is unsuccessful on the second attempt for either the written thesis or oral defense then the decision is for fail. No further attempts are possible. The student must successfully complete both the written thesis and the oral defense to complete the MPN program.
  6. The Chair informs the student of the decision.
  7. Examining Committee members identify in writing any necessary revisions and identify who will be responsible for verifying those revisions have been made. The student and Examining Committee members will discuss and document the time frame for completion of the revisions.

What final documents need to be submitted?

Once the Thesis Advisor has determined that all necessary revisions have been made, the Advisor forwards the following documents to the Program Assistant prior to the entry of the final grade online: (a) Thesis Defense Final Report Form , (b) The final pdf version of the completed thesis, which must include the Thesis Defense Final Report Form inserted after the title page, and (c) The signed e-Thesis Permission Form.

Students are responsible for submitting the final pdf version of the completed thesis to Brandon University’s Institutional Repository (IRBU).

Publication/Dissemination

It is expected that publication and dissemination of the thesis research project will occur.  In consultation with the Thesis Advisor, students should decide on a dissemination strategy prior to thesis completion.  It is expected the Thesis Advisor will be second author on all publications/presentations arising from the research project.  Thesis Committee Members may also be included as co-authors depending upon their relative contributions to the thesis project.