School I Will Be Attending Just Dropped Their Thesis Option!!!!

[NSSLHANerd]

Hello all,

 

I put a deposit into the school I will be attending and just found out that they cut the thesis option for all incoming graduate students. I had been thinking about doing a thesis and now that I don't have the option I am extremely disappointed. Does anyone have any advice or comments about this?

 

Signed,

Nervous 

[Slp1268]

Is the thesis a deal beaker for you? If it is, I think you have a good case for getting your deposit refunded.

[NSSLHANerd]

It is not a deal breaker but I do have other options, but this school is my first choice (hence the deposit). I am just feeling really nervous about not having that option makes me really concerned that I will miss out on a really great experience.

[Slp1268]

Yes. It is something to think about for sure.

[jpiccolo]

Maybe contact them and explain you were hoping to pursue a thesis and find out why it was cut. And see if there's other opportunities to do research anyway if you want to.

[iphi]

You should complete a thesis if you ever want to pursue a PhD! So this could be a dealbreaker. Ask the school if they will let you do one, and if not choose another school ASAP before April 15!

[NSSLHANerd]

iphi: I was afraid of that, I emailed and am hoping for some sort of compromise. I have not seen a program yet that does not offer this option.

[NSSLHANerd]

I did just find this on ASHA though:

 

What if I did not do a master's thesis?

Few master's student in CSD complete a thesis, primarily because clinical training programs are so time-consuming. Although the completion of a thesis provides an excellent opportunity for the master's student to learn first hand whether research is exciting, motivating, and interesting to him or her, there are other ways to accomplish this. Many universities have summer research programs for undergraduate students. As an undergraduate or graduate student, you may be able to assist a faculty member with research.

Most doctoral programs have a well-delineated set of research experiences that prepare the doctoral student for the dissertation phase of their program. Thus, there is little assumption that students enter a doctoral program with research proficiency. If you have the opportunity to complete a thesis in your clinical master's or AuD program, it will be good preparation. But if you completed your master's degree or AuD without a thesis, you should not allow the lack of a thesis to deter you from considering a PhD program.

[AlreadySLP]

iphi: I was afraid of that, I emailed and am hoping for some sort of compromise. I have not seen a program yet that does not offer this option.

To be perfectly honest I don't think that is the case for SLPs. The need for PhD level speech therapists is crazy high, and the lack of them is one of the reasons getting into graduate school is so darn hard. I think ASHA's statement (as you posted above) is true and that a vast majority of speech PhD programs would agree with it. If you really love Stevens Point I would still go there. Contact them about research opportunities and be proactive in that regard once you get there. But if at this point you are just considering a thesis and it is not a make or break, then go to your first choice school. I can say with 99.9% confidence that not doing a thesis will not preclude you from getting your PhD. 

 

[NSSLHANerd]

AlreadySLP: Thank you for those kind words, that is reassuring!

[caligirl002]

The schools that I have been accepted to have a thesis and non-thesis option. If one is not going to pursue a PhD, what advantage is there in choosing the thesis option over the non-thesis? 

Edited April 13, 2015 by caligirl002

[_kita]

If you decided to go, consider doing an independent study research project. This will allow you to explore your own research project anyways, and discuss that on the PhD level. It won't be as strong as a thesis, but it will certainly demonstrate your committment to an idea/direction.

[Saila09]

One of the schools I was accepted at did not offer a thesis option. It was a deal breaker for me.