AY 2024-2025

UIS OUTSTANDING MASTER’S THESIS/PROJECT AWARD

Nomination Guidelines:

Each graduate faculty member at UIS can nominate one student for the Outstanding Thesis/Project award program. The faculty member's nomination must be accompanied by a letter explaining the reasons for the nomination. The letter may comment on issues such as the breadth of conceptualization, the depth of the analysis, the significance of the results, and/or the originality of the idea underlying the thesis/project. If the nominated work is a project, the letter should highlight the purpose and nature of the project, as well as its importance to the student's course of study.

The Research Board may recommend that a master’s thesis be entered into the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award program of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.

To be eligible for this year's award, the student must have graduated in Fall 2023, Spring 2024, or Summer 2024. An electronic form, a nomination letter, and an electronic copy of the nominated thesis or project must be sent to Thesis/Project Nomination by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 9, 2024. Documents received after the deadline may not be accepted.

The UIS Research Board will select the outstanding thesis or project based on the criteria described below. The selected author and honorable mention awardees will be recognized at the 2025 Student Technology, Arts & Research Symposium (STARS), with an opportunity for the awardees to present their research.

Questions regarding this process should be directed to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at ora@uis.edu.

Nomination Material and Criteria

Nomination Guidelines

Faculty nominating a former student must complete a nomination WebForm and include:

1.  an electronic copy of the thesis or project including:
   • a list of closure committee members on the manuscript’s title page and
   • the nominated student’s current contact information
2.  a nomination letter which should:
   • explain the reasons for the nomination,
   • note whether the nominated piece is a thesis or a project,
   • comment on issues such as the breadth of conceptualization, the depth of the analysis, the significance of the results, and/or the originality of the idea underlying the thesis/project, and
   • be signed by the thesis chair.
   • If the nominated work is a project, the letter should highlight the purpose and nature of the project, as well as its importance to the student’s course of study.
3.  a note from the student indicating that they accept their faculty mentor’s nomination and are willing to be considered for further award nominations. The Research Board may recommend a master’s thesis be entered into the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award program of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.

Evaluation Criteria

Current and Prior Winners