Poll: Did you give your master's supervisor a bound copy of your thesis?

[wheatGrass]

My department doesn't require any bound copies to be submitted. Theses are deposited online.

When I defended my MA thesis months ago, my incredibly helpful and wonderful supervisor recommended that I get it bound because "it's nice to have on your shelf."

Question: I've heard it's tradition to give your supervisor a bound copy. Did you do this? It seems kind of, I don't know, self-important. It costs $25.

This is someone I anticipate working with in the future, meeting up with at conferences, etc...

[ktel]

It totally depends. I don't know that I would give my supervisor one, just because our group is so large and I think he's had a lot of students. If it was a younger prof and a smaller group, I probably would.

[Shari A Williams]

I've given mine one (even though it's just a draft) and I've kept a bounded one for myself. For me, it was the easiest, neatest way to keep everything together, and I'm sure my supervisor appreciated it as well. It's completely up to you though, because I understand the money issue.

[surefire]

I kept a bound copy for myself and gave one to my supervisor and one to my second reader. I also bound one to give to my folks who live really far away (my mum, bless her heart, actually read the bloody thing).

I had to submit 2 bound copies, and thus had to go through the ringer to learn all of the formatting/submission rules anyway, so it wasn't too much effort to ask for a few additional copies.

Also, binding only cost me $10 a pop, and I was able to fill out a form from the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) and get re-imbursed. Have you checked to see if that option is available?

Giving copies to my committee, at minimum, definitely felt like the right thing to do! I'd seen, in my supervisor's office, a whole shelf of bound copies from students over the years. For my second reader, my MA committee was her very first, and even though it's not necessarily "standard" for readers to get a bound copy, she was totally thrilled to get one!

And, honestly, I like having a physical copy too! It does "look nice on the shelf", and it's nice to have a physical item with some HEFT to consult when reflecting on my MA period!

[far_to_go]

I didn't get any copies bound- it wasn't a requirement at the university where I did my MA. When I finish my PhD dissertation, I'll probably get one bound for myself and one for the department, since they keep a whole bookshelf full of them. I doubt I'd get one bound for my chair, though.

[nari27]

I ordered an extra copy for my advisor and wrote her a nice note on the inside cover. I am very appreciative of all the help that she's given me over the years. I ordered a few for my parents, grandparents etc, so it wasn't that expensive (the more you order, the cheaper it is). But you can get a copy printed out and bound at officemax for like $10. It's a nice parting gift when you move on to your next program or step in life and I think an advisor will appreciate it.

[StrangeLight]

i did get my undergrad honours thesis bound (it was a requirement). i didn't get my MA thesis bound (it wasn't a requirement; my professors just asked me to email it to them so they'd have it in their files). i will get my dissertation bound (again, a requirement).

if your MA is a terminal degree, it might be nice to get it bound and give a copy to your advisor, but you can just ask them if they want a bound copy before you put the money down on it. if it's not a terminal degree (i.e. you move onto the PhD in the same institution without reapplying), people don't usually save hardcopies, in my (limited) experience.