Master’s / Ph.D. Thesis Writing Workshop

*In English only.

Workshops offered by Altitude are reserved exclusively to graduate students, doctoral and postdoctoral fellows. A fee may be charged in case of non-excused absence.

Over the course of 3 hours, we will engage in a series of short lectures and in-class activities which will cover key elements in thesis writing (such as the articulation of your topic, conducting a literature search, acceptable formats, etc.) and the evaluation process, including the typical thesis defence and establishing reasonable expectations (such as timely feedback and conflict resolutions) for all concerned. Although a completed or partial draft of your thesis is not required, participants may be asked at some point to briefly articulate and defend their study in this workshop as a way to provide helpful feedback and to highlight certain challenges with thesis writing. That being said, it is not the intention of this workshop to proofread your thesis. In the end, all participants should come away with a stronger sense of degree-appropriate expectations (Masters vs. Doctoral theses) and how to approach this essential scholarly activity that serves double duty as a learning exercise for both the author and the reader.

Although this workshop will be facilitated by a member from the Faculty of Sciences, it is intended for all students regardless of discipline nearing the completion of their respective graduate studies who are either in the process of or plan to start the writing of their final thesis. Given the number of departments and the different styles of theses, participants are encouraged to bring with them at least one example of a past thesis from a successful graduate student within their department (either in electronic or print-out format). From these examples, we will identify common themes but also address any specific features unique to each discipline. This should hopefully improve the impact of your workshop experience.