Sample Thesis Completion Timeline/Work Plan

* Please note that the following timeline reflects an idealized timeline. More complex thesis projects with significant original data collection may take longer to complete.

Month 1 (prior to taking PPA 500)
  1. Generate topic ideas.
  2. Draft potential thesis questions.
  3. Explore backgrounds of potential thesis advisors.
  4. Meet with your prospective advisor(s) to discuss question(s) and methodology and establish initial progress expectations.
  5. Practice sharing a brief ‘elevator pitch’ about your thesis topic with PPA peers and/or colleagues—a good thesis pitch takes under two minutes to introduce (a) the problem or issue, (b) what you hope to learn about it, (c) how you plan to study/learn this, and (d) why you believe tackling this problem or issue matters and to whom.
  6. Confirm primary and secondary thesis advisors. 
  7. Complete your Advancement to Candidacy Form and enroll in PPA 500.
  8. Review PPA Thesis Requirements.
 
Month 2 (prior to taking PPA 500)
  1. Flesh out an initial thesis outline.
  2. Draft thesis proposal (Pre-Thesis Form).
  3. Complete Institutional Review Board (IRB) CITI training if you will be conducting original research with human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, or focus groups); www.csus.edu/research/irb/training.html; talk with your advisor about this if you are uncertain about IRB requirements and process.
  4. Select or create a relevant theoretical framework to guide your study (e.g., Bardach’s Eight-fold Policy Model, a theory of stakeholder interaction, a theory on why and how organizations collaborate, etc.).
  5. Establish an electronic filing system to keep your thesis materials organized.
  6. Scan and collect initial literature.
  7. Submit your thesis prospectus and initial outline to your advisors for feedback.
 
 Month 3 (During PPA 500)
  1. Prepare a more detailed thesis timeline/work plan with guidance from your advisor.
  2. Establish feedback process and timeline with both your primary and secondary advisors (e.g., determine when and how you will share chapter drafts with each).
  3. Read relevant articles in more detail and define key terms.
  4. Write a rough draft or detailed outline of your Chapter 1 (Introduction).
  5. Write an initial draft of your Chapter 2 (Literature Review).
  6. Submit your initial drafts of Chapter 1 and 2 to your advisors for feedback.
  7. Draft any original data collection instruments (e.g., survey or interview questions) and submit them to your advisor for feedback.
 
Month 4 (During PPA 500)
  1. Revise data collection instruments based on advisor feedback.
  2. Submit IRB request with data collection instruments by following Sac State IRB instructions: www.csus.edu/research/irb/submit.html
  3. Revise Chapter 2 based on advisor feedback.
  4. Revise Chapter 1 based on advisor feedback and any literature review insights.
  5. Begin data collection only after you have received any required IRB approval and advisor approval.
  6. Write an initial draft of Chapter 3 (Methods) and submit this to your advisors for feedback.
 
Month 5 (During PPA 500)
  1. Finish your data collection.
  2. Analyze your data and write an initial draft of Chapter 4 (Results).
  3. Revise Chapter 3 based on feedback from advisors.
  4. Write an initial draft of Chapter 5 (Discussion).
  5. Attend or view the required Sac State Thesis Format Workshop: www.csus.edu/gradstudies/currentstudents/thesis-project-dissertation/formattingworkshops.html
  6. Submit Chapters 4 & 5 to your advisor for feedback.
 
Month 6 (During or After PPA 500)
  1. Write an initial draft of Chapter 6 (Conclusion).
  2. Revise Chapters 4 & 5 based on feedback from advisors.
  3. Ask a PPA peer to provide feedback on your thesis.
  4. Read your thesis out loud and make edits.
  5. Complete a final formatting check.
  6. Revise Chapter 6 based on advisor feedback.
  7. Prepare and submit your thesis!