Thesis / research support
Graduate · Engineering
Syllabus focus
Topics typically covered
Standard syllabus
Research planning and literature
- Developing a focused research question or hypothesis
- Systematic literature search strategies and databases
- Critical reading and synthesis of prior work
- Identifying research gaps and contributions
- Proposal writing and committee feedback cycles
- Research timeline, milestones, and Gantt planning
- IRB, IACUC, or safety approvals when applicable
- Data management plans and reproducibility
- Intellectual property and publication timing
- Advisor communication norms and expectations
Execution, writing, and defense
- Experimental design and statistical planning
- Simulation and modeling validation practices
- Lab notebook and documentation standards
- Handling negative results and iteration
- Thesis/dissertation chapter organization
- Figure, table, and notation consistency
- Citation management with Zotero or EndNote
- Journal manuscript preparation from thesis chapters
- Defense presentation structure and Q&A prep
- Post-defense revisions and graduation paperwork
Study units
Each unit includes a study guide, worksheets, review, practice test, and answer key. One unit is free; subscribe for the full class.
- Research planning and literature
Developing a focused research question or hypothesis
Coming soon - Execution, writing, and defense
Experimental design and statistical planning
Coming soon
Notes
Support is tailored to your department's thesis or dissertation requirements and your advisor's expectations. Bring your proposal, draft chapters, or specific stuck points to sessions.