2027 MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards

The Executive Committee of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) is soliciting nominations for the 2027 MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards. The awards are to recognize and reward distinguished scholarship and research at the master’s level.

The Guidelines for the 2027 MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards are:

1. Each member institution may submit one nomination for the award in each of the two categories (i.e., each institution can nominate a total of 2 theses). Each nomination requires the written endorsement of the Dean of the Graduate School or equivalent official (this can take the form of a signature on a letter of support from the faculty mentor, as appropriate). The institution selection process is the responsibility of that individual.

2. To be considered, a thesis must contain original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline. It must be in a format that conforms to accepted disciplinary standards, and it must have been accepted as final by the degree-granting institution. Theses submitted electronically will normally be in PDF format; hyperlinks to additional materials may be included but must be verified prior to submission. Any institution wishing to submit a thesis in another electronic format should consult with the chair of the MAGS Distinguished Thesis Committee prior to doing so.

3. Nominations will be accepted in the disciplines of Social Sciences; and, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering, in which the institution offers a master’s degree. Original works accepted by an institution “in lieu of thesis” (such as musical compositions, published books, works of art, computer software, etc.) may not be nominated.

4. The effective date of degree award, or the completion of master’s degree requirements, must fall in the period of July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, inclusive, for each nominee selected. Such degree award or completion is to be confirmed by the institution’s graduate dean or other administrative officer responsible for master’s degree programs. Since the intent of the competition is to recognize scholarship by students who are pursuing their first graduate research degree, individuals who received a Ph.D. (or comparable research degree) in any discipline prior to the writing of the master’s thesis are not eligible. However, recipients of a first professional degree awarded prior to the

writing of the thesis may be nominated.

5. The nomination consists of the following electronic submissions no later than November 15, 2026, by 5pm CDT:
   1. The Nomination Form (click here for the Google Form link)
   2. The Abstract of the nominated thesis
   3. The Thesis itself
   4. A Letter from either the faculty mentor or the Dean of the Graduate School (or equivalent) should accompany the nomination. If a letter from the faculty mentor is used, a signature from the Dean of the Graduate school (or equivalent) must be included in/accompany that letter.

Each recipient of a MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award will receive a $750 honorarium. In addition, up to $500 will be available to each recipient for travel expenses to attend the 83rd MAGS Annual Meeting March 24–26, 2027, in Minneapolis, MN at the Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis. Additional conference details are available at uwlax.edu/ex/mags.

It is expected that the winner’s institution will cover any travel expenses which exceed the $500 provided by MAGS for the awardee to attend the meeting to receive the award. The faculty mentor or thesis advisor will also be invited to attend the presentation ceremony, but their expenses will not be covered.

Questions may be directed to the committee chair by email at malia.roberts@wmich.edu.