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Guidelines for Master's Thesis

Click here to download Fall 2024 Thesis Deadlines and Format Guidelines

Click here to download Spring 2025 Thesis Deadlines and Format Guidelines

1. Graduate students conduct their thesis work under the close supervision and guidance of a full-time faculty member of the School of Engineering. The thesis advisor and Dean approve all copies of the thesis report after it has been successfully defended.

2. The master's thesis is defended through an oral presentation during the fall or spring semesters only. This defense summarizes the content of the thesis and is open to all interested persons. School-wide distribution of an invitation should go to all engineering faculty, graduate students, and seniors within your major at least two weeks before the defense. An invitation should be submitted to the Dean’s Office for posting. If needed, the Dean's Office will guide you through the preparation.

3. One digital copy of the thesis for faculty review must be sent to the Dean's office a minimum of two weeks before the thesis defense. 

4. After a thesis is successfully defended and the thesis report is finalized with the student’s advisor:

        a. Make sure your thesis follows the format outlined here.

       b. The advisor should sign the thesis and you should email a searchable pdf file of your approved thesis to Beth Slack (beth.slack@cooper.edu). Alternatively, you can also email a link where the file can be downloaded.

        c. Your thesis should be digitally archived here choosing the ProQuest Open Access Publishing Plus option. Please make sure to include the scanned copy of the signature page prior to submitting.

       d. Purchase any copies of the thesis through the ProQuest website.

5. The Office of Admissions & Records submits the list of engineering Master’s Degree candidates to the School of Engineering Committee on Academic Standards. The Committee in turn presents the recommended list of candidates to the engineering faculty at the semester-end faculty meeting, and to the Board of Trustees’ December/May meeting for approval of conferment of the Master of Engineering degree.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

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  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.