Your final thesis project is composed of two parts: the thesis documentation and your thesis project itself. The notes below pertain solely to the written portion of your thesis.
What is the written thesis?
The written thesis is a part of the process of achieving your degree – it must be understood that, with the help of your faculty, the documenting and researching of your areas of inquiry is required as essential to being a part of the design community. In that regard ALL written thesis will include: a concept or artistic statement, a collection of research unique to your project, a description of methodology, and an evaluation of your work. Your writing faculty will help you understand the requirements and further details can be found at: thesis.cdt.parsons.edu. Your final documentation must express the year-long commitment to your areas of inquiry and your project.
The final form of your thesis will fall in one of two categories.
The academic paper.
Most students choose the standard academic paper. It is allows for a professional exploration of your work that many students find benefical to their second-year project and future career. The standardized, but flexible, format benefits students who are more interested in content than form concerning the written portion of their thesis. The requirements for the Academic thesis are:
Must demonstate deep thought and commitment to your subjects of inquiry.
Must include substantial and insightful research
Must explain your working methods
Must evaluate your project
A minimum of 1 rough draft must be seen by your writing faculty
A minimum 1 edited final draft must be seen by your writing faculty
Must include a 300 word peer reviewed abstract
Must include a 20+ source bibliography
Must include a 20+ wd glossary
Must include a 150 word biography in some form
Must be formatted as per the cdt.thesis.edu website with consulation from your writing faculty
The document must be dated and reviewed by faculty before being turned into the department office.
The non-standard paper
The final form of your written thesis can take any form as long as it is approved by your writing faculty. Possibilities include: siggraph, grant, brochures, meta-narratives, graphic novels and others. However, you are still bound by the thesis requirements for the non-standard papers. if you choose an alternative form of documentation that does not demonstrate that you have met the minimum requirements below, you are then required to turn in a supplementary document that does so.
Must demonstrate deep thought and commitment to your subjects of inquiry
Must include substantial and insightful research
Must explain your working methods
Must evaluate your project
A minimum of 1 rough draft must be seen by your writing faculty
A minimum 1 edited final draft must be seen by your writing faculty
Must include a 20+ source bibliography
The document must be dated and reviewed by both studio and writing faculty before being turned into the department office.
Notes on Word Count or Page Length. The written thesis is normally around 8,000 words (approximately thirty double-spaced pages). A lower limit may be understood to be roughly 5,000 words (approximately twenty double-spaced pages)*. Students who have been writing throughout the semester sometimes may write theses of up to 20,000 words. However, readers generally do not think longer is better; indeed there can be an inverse correlation between length and grade. Aiming for 8,000 words is a good target. This provides another reason for beginning your actual writing early: so that you have time to cut as needed. If you are doing a non-standard thesis, your word-count may be lower, but often, the inverse is true.
* a limit lower than 8,000 words must be approved by your writing instructor.