Instructions for Nomination
Each college is invited to select and nominate up to three students (in each award category as appropriate) for the Master's Thesis Award. If a college/school nominates more than three students in any one category, the Graduate School will contact one of the unit’s associate deans (or another designee) to downselect the top three candidates. For each nominee, the thesis must have been accepted in partial fulfillment of master’s degree requirements during the past two academic years.
A college/school may nominate up to three students for an award in the following fields:
Even years (2024, 2026, 2028):
Odd years (2023, 2025, 2027):
Notes:
- The Master’s Thesis Award operates on a two-year cycle in regard to fields of competition, as outlined above.
- This cycle corresponds with that of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools' (CSGS) awards. Winners of the Auburn University Master’s Thesis Award may be nominated by the Graduate School for the CSGS Award.
- No student may be nominated in more than one award category (e.g., in two consecutive years) and may not be nominated by more than one college.
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Even years (i.e. 2024, 2026, 2028):
Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering; Humanities and Fine Arts
The following list, although not all-inclusive, illustrates the fields considered for this nomination:
Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering: mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, data processing, systems analysis, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, geology, meteorology, astronomy, metallurgy, geophysics, pharmaceutical chemistry; aeronautical, architectural, biomedical, ceramic, chemical, civil, and electrical engineering sciences; environmental health engineering; geological, mechanical, mining, nuclear, and petroleum engineering.
Humanities and Fine Arts: history; philosophy; language; linguistics; literature; archaeology; jurisprudence; the history, theory and criticism of the arts; ethics; comparative religion; and those aspects of the social sciences that employ historical or philosophical approaches.
Odd years (i.e. 2023, 2025, 2027):
Life Sciences; Social Sciences, Business, and Education
The following list, although not all-inclusive, illustrates the fields considered for this nomination:
Life Sciences: animal science, agriculture, biological anthropology, biochemistry, biostatistics, biological and biomedical sciences, chemistry, epidemiology, health sciences, medical social work, (computational) neuroscience, nursing, physics-biophysics, psychobiology, radiology, sports science, and research in closely related fields.
Social Sciences, Business, and Education: anthropology, accountancy, business, communications, criminal justice, demography, economics, education, finance, gender and sexual studies, geography, government, international relations, law, linguistics, management, marketing, political science, psychology, public administration, public policy studies, sociology, social work, urban studies, and research in closely related fields.
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Each nominee must prepare an abstract (not to exceed 10 pages) of the thesis, typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper and a brief resume or CV. The pages should be numbered and each should bear the name of the nominee. A letter of reference from the student’s major professor addressing the significance and quality of the work should be included in the nomination materials. The nominee should submit the following through the nomination form: abstract, resume or CV, letter of reference, and thesis (or a web link to the thesis).
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The Graduate School will name an award review committee whose members have established records in the disciplinary areas under consideration. At their discretion, additional consultation may be sought. The nominated thesis should represent original work making an unusually significant contribution to the respective discipline. Winners are selected on the basis of clarity of style and presentation, scholarship, research methodology, and contributions to the field or discipline.
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The deadline for submission to the Graduate School is July 30. If this date falls over a weekend or holiday, submissions are due by 8:00 am CT on the next business day.
