Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education - Thesis route

Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education students are encouraged to undertake original research and pursue a thesis. After completing the core requirements, interested students should contact the DE office to discuss their thesis intentions with the MEd thesis route advisor.

Students will be eligible to register in the thesis preparation courses after completing all core and elective requirements.

• MDDE 700: Introduction to Thesis Research (3 credits)
• MDDE 701: Quantitative Research Methods (3 credits) or MDDE 702: Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)
• MDDE 703: Research Proposal Writing (3 credits)

Following completion of MDDE 703, students will establish a thesis supervisory committee that consists of a supervisor (typically a full-time faculty member of Distance Education) and at least one other committee member. Students will present their proposal to their supervisory committee. They will then seek approval to implement their preliminary research proposal from the student's thesis committee and from Athabasca University's Review of Ethics Board. The student will conduct research, analyze their findings, and complete their thesis. The length of time required to complete a thesis varies, but 12 to 18 months is likely.

The final step of the thesis program route is the student's oral defense which is carried out by the student's committee members (supervisor, second committee member) and an appointed external examiner. At this time students will register in MDDE 704: Thesis Completion and Oral Defense (3 credits) manually through the DE office, which is not a conventional course but serves as a placeholder for administrative purposes.

All components of the MEd thesis are subject to the policies and procedures of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students may choose at any time to opt out of the thesis route and complete their program through the course-based route.