ACM Thesis Guidelines

Management and Organization Department

Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business
De La Salle University

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1.0

2.0

THESIS OVERVIEW
1.1

Every Applied Corporate Management (ACM) student is required to complete an

undergraduate thesis on a topic that aligns with the research agenda of the
Management and Organization Department (MOD). The thesis is the students
personal contribution to the body of knowledge that allows scholarly discourse to
prosper. The thesis is the reflection of a students sophisticated understanding
and insights of a particular research question. The thesis itself is a written
document that the University Library shall catalogue and preserve for future
access.

1.2

This document covers the policies governing the ACM Thesis. It outlines the
overall policies as well as procedures students undergo to complete a thesis
worthy of acceptance.

1.3

The qualitative standards for an ACM Thesis are high in consideration of the
stringent qualifications that the MOD used to accept a student into the ACM
Program.

1.4

Moreover, quality output includes proper research conduct. Thus, MOD has
taken time to prepare a Researchers Code of Conduct (ACM-S005-1).

1.5

The MOD also believes that students must learn to prepare research work that
maintains a professional look. The MOD also prepared the ACM Instructions for
Thesis Preparation (ACM-S005-2).
The document contains the detailed
instruction for preparing the manuscript.

THESIS STANDARDS
2.1

The MOD sets high standards for its students. Consequently, the thesis paper
should reflect the following:
2.1.1 The thesis must be an original work. Plagiarism is a serious offense in the
academe.
2.1.2 The thesis should reflect a deep understanding by the students of the
research topic. Thus, students must present their interpretation of the
phenomenon that demonstrates insight and creativity.
2.1.3 The thesis is a scholarly output and students must write it clearly. It must
be free of typographical and grammatical errors.

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2.2

Further, all ACM students are required to take the How to Recognize
Plagiarism online test prepared by the Indiana University School of Education.
2.2.1 Students must log on to https://www.indiana.edu/~tedfrick/plagiarism/.
They must first learn about plagiarism and then take the test. The test
developers estimate that the learning process would take around two
hours.
2.2.2 Do note that the College of Education, Indiana University, shall issue a
Confirmation Certification only if test takers are able to perfect the test. A
student who receives the certificate must printout two copies. Submit one
copy to the ACM Thesis Coordinator together with the Plagiarism
Confirmation Certificate (ACM-F018) and retain one copy for your files.
2.2.3 The Confirmation Certificate is a pre-requisite to the Thesis Proposal
defense and students must submit it to the ACM Thesis Coordinator no
later than the 8th week of the term.

3.0

PRE-THESIS STAGE
3.1

While students take their thesis on their senior year, they are encouraged to form
into thesis groups and think about their thesis topics while enrolled in their
Management Research (MANARES) class during their junior year. Students who
do this are able to gain a competitive advantage since they have the benefit of
time to think their topics thoroughly.

3.2

Students are encouraged to work in groups to strengthen their team management

skills.
3.2.1 Allowable group size is between two to four students.
3.2.2 In exceptional cases, the MOD, through the Thesis Coordinator, may
allow an individual to work alone. The concerned student must make a
formal request explicitly stating the circumstances that make it difficult to
work in a team.

3.3

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The composition of the groups shall remain the same from the research proposal
phase to thesis proper defense. The MOD recognizes, however, there may be
circumstances that may prevent students from working on their thesis together.
Thesis groups who find themselves in this situation must immediately discuss the
matter with the Thesis Coordinator in the absence of a Thesis Adviser.

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3.3.1 Thesis groups may disband and re-group freely before enrollment in the
thesis proposal stage.
3.3.2 Thesis groups who opt to change their composition while undertaking
their thesis proposal may do so provided they are able to find other groups
to work with. If this is not possible, the student or students who leave the
group must prepare and defend a separate thesis proposal.
3.3.3 Thesis groups who have defended their thesis proposal are discouraged
from disrupting the group composition. If it is inevitable, the group
members would have to decide who will retain and work on the approved
thesis proposal. The other party must then prepare and defend another
thesis proposal.
3.3.4 Thesis groups, who are enrolled in THSAPC2 are not allowed to disband.
3.4

As soon as students form a thesis group, they may explore thesis topics. Groups
may start-off during their MANARES class, consult with the ACM Thesis
Coordinator, or approach full-time faculty members of the MOD for potential
topics.

3.5

In support of the MOD thrust for responsible management education and the
Departments research agenda, preferred thesis topics should focus on the
following as applied to the different functional areas:
3.5.1 Business Ethics
3.5.2 Corporate Social Responsibility
3.5.3 Corporate Governance
3.5.4 Sustainable Organizations
3.5.5 Spirituality in the Workplace

3.6

Groups may choose to do a basic research or an applied research that closely

aligns with the research agenda of MOD. A study or project for a host company
may be approved as a research topic, provided that: (1) it is consistent with the
research agenda of MOD, (2) the research design and methodology meet the
standards of a thesis project, and (3) the students secure the written consent of the
host company to undertake the research project. The company representative then
sits as a panel member.

3.7

Thesis groups then present concept papers to the Thesis Coordinator.

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4.0

PROPOSAL STAGE
4.1

For ID 109 and above, students enroll in Thesis Proposal Writing for Applied
Corporate Management students (THSAPC1). It is a 3-unit thesis mentoring
course so there are no regular class meetings.

4.2

Prior to the start of the enrolled term, thesis groups must submit soft/hardcopies of
their Enrollment Assessment Form (EAF) as well as their concept papers to the
Thesis Coordinator. This allows the Thesis Coordinator enough time to assess the
whether the topic aligns with the MOD research agenda and which faculty
member can advise the group.

4.3

Students must attend the Thesis General Assembly, scheduled every first Friday
of the trimester.

4.4

Within the first two weeks of the trimester, the Thesis Coordinator shall assign
thesis groups with a MOD faculty member. In assigning an adviser, the Thesis
Coordinator considers the following:
4.4.1 Previous commitments of the faculty member and thesis students
4.4.2 The expertise of the faculty member
4.4.3 The advising and administrative workload of the faculty member
4.4.4 The working relationship of faculty and thesis students

4.5

Once thesis groups know who their advisers are, they will download and print the
Student-Thesis Adviser Agreement (ACM- F017). All parties will then sign the
Agreement in triplicate.
4.5.1 The thesis group submits one copy of the signed Agreement to the Thesis
Coordinator.
4.5.2 The thesis group leaves the second copy of the signed Agreement with the
adviser.
4.5.3 The thesis group retains the last copy of the signed Agreement for
personal files.

4.6

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Thesis groups should meet their thesis adviser and prepare the work plan for the
entire duration of the trimester taking into account the course deadlines.

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ACTIVITY
Submission of copy of EAF
Submission of Student-Thesis Adviser
Agreement (ACM-F017)
Submission of Plagiarism Confirmation
Certificate (ACM-F018)
Submission of Thesis Proposal to Thesis
Coordinator for quality check
Submission of three hard copies of Thesis
Proposal as endorsed by the Thesis Adviser
Thesis Proposal Defense
Submission of one CD copy and three hard
copies of Revised Thesis Proposal
4.7

DEADLINE
Before start of term
Third Friday of the term,
12 noon
Seventh Friday of the term,
12 noon
Eighth Friday of the term,
12 noon
Ninth Friday of the term,
12 noon
Week 10
Twelfth Friday of the term,
12 noon

Once the thesis proposal course begins, students will have to work closely with
their Thesis Adviser to reach the next milestone the thesis proposal. In that
process, the MOD protects the interest of both the student and the adviser.
4.7.1 By agreeing to work with thesis groups, the thesis adviser assumes the
students are responsible, internally motivated individuals who will pursue
their thesis with perseverance. It is not the responsibility of the adviser to
go after students. Thus, students must keep their adviser constantly
updated on the progress of their work.
4.7.2 Students should remember that faculty members supervise other students
and have their own teaching and research pursuits. Thus, students should
maintain professionalism in dealing with their adviser by meeting
deadlines and providing enough time to review submissions.
4.7.3 Advisers are not obliged to be in the campus beyond their class and
consultation hours, during the summer, and trimestral breaks. Thus,
students must plan so that they do not make undue impositions on their
adviser.
4.7.4 If students are keeping their end of the bargain and their adviser is not,
students must refer the matter to the Thesis Coordinator. Students should
not suffer in silence. Advisers are obliged, to assist students within
reasonable bounds, during the duration that students are enrolled in the
thesis courses. This obligation is covered in the Student-Thesis Adviser
Agreement signed by all concerned parties, prior to commencing the work.

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4.8

It is possible that thesis groups will need expert advice that their advisers cannot
provide. If a thesis group needs to consult another faculty member, whether in the
MOD or not, the students must request their adviser to officially endorse them to
another. Students then accomplish the Advisers Endorsement to Expert Faculty
form (ACM-F019) that the adviser will sign. The students bring the signed to the
expert faculty when they meet. Within MOD, a faculty member may refuse to
assist thesis groups unless they receive a copy of the signed endorsement.

4.9

Students must strictly use the prescribed ACM Thesis Format when writing their
manuscript. The Instructions for Thesis Preparation (ACM-S005-2) provides a
sample thesis that students can use as a pattern. Moreover, thesis groups should
download and print the Thesis Format Checklist (ACM-F020) as a last reminder
to review their manuscript with respect to format. Students tick the boxes if they
believe they complied with the item.

4.10

Prior to submitting the Thesis Proposal for approval, thesis groups must download
and accomplish the Plagiarism Confirmation Certificate (ACM-F021). Students
sign and insert the form before the table of contents.

4.11

By the eighth Friday of the term, assuming the groups have consulted with their
Thesis Adviser, students must submit to the Thesis Coordinator a copy of their
manuscript for compliance check. Depending on the Thesis Coordinator, this
may e-mailed or printed on recycled paper.

4.12

After the quality check, thesis groups submit the Thesis Proposal to their adviser
for endorsement. Thesis groups download and accomplish the Thesis Proposal
Endorsement Form (ACM-F022) and have their adviser sign on the form. The
signed form is ring-bound with each of three copies of the Thesis Proposal that
was printed on recycled paper.

4.13

Students should encode the thesis proposal title and print three copies of the
Thesis Proposal Evaluation Form (ACM-F023). They should insert, and not ring
bind the form, on the first page. Moreover, students should encode thesis
proposal title and print one copy of the Thesis Proposal Summary Evaluation
Form (ACM-F024).

4.14

Thesis groups submit three hardcopies of their thesis proposal, with the evaluation
sheets, to the Thesis Coordinator on deadline. Thesis groups who fail to submit
on time will incur a 5-point deduction from the final course grade.

4.15

The Thesis Proposal defense is on the tenth week of the term. The Thesis
Coordinator will advise all parties concerned about the schedule either through email or bulletin board posting.

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4.16

Prior to the thesis proposal defense proper, the Thesis Adviser and panelists will
meet to discuss any controversial issues of the paper. This may result in any of
the following:
4.16.1 The faculty members agree that the proposal meets MOD standards and
the defense may proceed as scheduled.
4.16.2 The faculty members cannot agree on whether the proposal meets the
standards of MOD. However, they are willing to give the students a
chance to present their case. In this instance, the defense will proceed as
scheduled.
4.16.3 The faculty members agree that the proposal does not meet MOD
standards and the students must revise the manuscript. Thus, the defense
will not proceed as scheduled. The Thesis Coordinator will reset the
defense.
4.16.4 The faculty members cannot agree on whether the proposal meets the
standards of MOD. The matter is elevated to the MOD Chair. In this
instance, the defense will not proceed as scheduled. The Thesis
Coordinator will reset the defense.

4.17

On the defense date, thesis groups should be in the venue at least 10 minutes
before presentation.
4.17.1 Students should be in business attire.
4.17.2 Students should bring a hardcopy of the thesis proposal. Students are also
encouraged to bring their laptops.
4.17.3 The oral presentation should not go beyond 10 minutes. The presentation
material must be concise and contain bullet points rather than whole
sentences. ACM-S005-3 is a portable document format (PDF) file of a
PowerPoint Presentation that may guide students.
4.17.4 After the presentation, the panelists will begin their inquiry. During that
time, students must respond convincingly. Their Thesis Adviser will be
present but cannot respond for the students. To aid in remembering the
discussion, students may record the conversation, with the consent of the
Thesis Adviser and panelists. Notwithstanding, students should note the
recommended revisions and encode immediately in form ACM-F025.

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4.18

After the inquiry, students will leave the room. They will then make a print-out
copy of the suggested revisions as discussed during the inquiry. When asked to
return inside the defense room, they will submit the copy to the Panel Chair.

4.19

Simultaneously, the panelists and Thesis Adviser shall then evaluate the
manuscript and presentation using the Thesis Proposal Evaluation Sheet (ACMF023). The Panel Chair shall summarize the ratings in the summary sheet (ACMF024).
4.19.1 The Panel Chair averages the grades of the panelists. The average panel
grade is 50% of the thesis proposal grade.
4.19.2 The Panel Chair inputs the evaluation of the Thesis Adviser. This grade is
40% of the thesis proposal grade.
4.19.3 The Panel Chair also inputs the advisers assessment of the thesis groups
attitude and work ethic. This is equivalent to 10% of the thesis proposal
grade.

4.20

Prior to signing the summary sheet, the Panel Chair shall review the grades.
4.20.1 In no instance should the grade point difference between the two panelists
be greater than 10 points.
4.20.2 In no instance should the grade point difference between the average
panelists grades and the Thesis Advisers grade using ACM-F023, be
more than 10 points.
4.20.3 If differences occur, the panelists and adviser will deliberate and remedy
the situation.

4.21

Once signed, the Thesis Adviser shall ask the students to re-enter the room. The
Panel Chair shall summarize the proceedings, review and sign ACM-F025, and
announce the thesis proposal grade. The Panel Chair then forwards all signed
forms to the Thesis Coordinator. In case of a major revision, thesis groups have
to re-defend their papers.

4.22

The thesis proposal grade is final. The Thesis Adviser should encode the grade
equivalent during the online submission of grades upon notification by the Thesis
Coordinator that the students submitted the revised documents. However, if the
Thesis Coordinator, Thesis Adviser, or panelists discover arithmetic errors in the
evaluation sheets, the Thesis Coordinator will revise the records. To change the
grade, each signatory must counter-sign on the error.

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5.0

4.23

After the defense, thesis groups are to make revisions on their thesis proposals
based on the comments of their panelists. They may consult with their Thesis
Adviser and panelists to ensure they understand the required revisions.

4.24

To facilitate the subsequent review of the revisions, each group must accomplish
the third column of the Thesis Proposal Summary of Revisions (ACM-F025).
The groups insert this form into the revised thesis proposal. They then submit the
revised research proposal to the panelists for approval. If approved, each panelist
shall sign on the Thesis Proposal Approval Form (ACM-F026).

4.25

Each thesis group must submit three ring-bound copies of the Accepted Research
Proposal to the Thesis Coordinator no later than the set deadline. The Thesis
Coordinator will give the Thesis Adviser and the panelists a copy of the
manuscript.

THESIS STAGE
5.1

After successfully defending the thesis proposal, thesis groups proceed with the
thesis proper. This next milestone involves data gathering, analysis, and
conclusion. It is the groups contribution to the body of knowledge.

5.2

All ACM students enrolled in Thesis Writing for Applied Corporate Management
students (THSAPC2). It is a 3-unit thesis mentoring course so there are no
regular class meetings.

5.3

Prior to the start of the enrolled term, thesis groups must submit soft/hardcopies of
their Enrollment Assessment Form (EAF). This provides the Thesis Coordinator
with advanced information on students schedules that is helpful in the scheduling
of the thesis defense. As much as possible, thesis defense is scheduled during the
free time of the students.

5.4

Students must attend the Thesis General Assembly, scheduled every first Friday
of the trimester.

5.5

Students will work with the same Thesis Advisers who they worked with during
the thesis proposal stage. In the event that it is not possible (e.g. faculty is on
leave), the Thesis Coordinator shall find a replacement. The parties then sign
another set of Student-Thesis Adviser Agreement (ACM-F017).

5.6

Like in the thesis proposal stage, it is possible that thesis groups will need expert
advice that their advisers cannot provide. If a thesis group needs to consult
another faculty member, whether in the MOD or not, the students must request

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their adviser to officially endorse them to another. Students then accomplish the
Advisers Endorsement to Expert Faculty form (ACM-F019) that the adviser will
sign. The students bring the signed to the expert faculty when they meet. Within
MOD, a faculty member may refuse to assist thesis groups unless they receive a
copy of the signed endorsement.
5.7

Again, students must strictly use the prescribed ACM Thesis Format when writing
their manuscript. The Instructions for Thesis Preparation (ACM-S005-2)
provides a sample thesis that students can use as a pattern. Moreover, thesis
groups should download and print the Thesis Format Checklist (ACM-F020) as a
last reminder to review their manuscript with respect to format. Students tick the
boxes if they believe they complied with the item.

5.8

Prior to submitting the thesis manuscript for approval, thesis groups must
download and accomplish the Declaration of Originality (ACM-F027). Students
sign and insert the form before the table of contents.

5.9

By the ninth Friday of the term, assuming the groups have consulted with their
Thesis Adviser, students must submit to the Thesis Coordinator a copy of their
manuscript for compliance check. Depending on the Thesis Coordinator, this
may e-mailed or printed on recycled paper.

5.10

After the quality check, thesis groups submit the thesis manuscript to their adviser
for endorsement. Thesis groups download and accomplish the Thesis Defense
Endorsement Form (ACM-F028) and have their adviser sign on the form. The
signed form is ring-bound with each of three copies of the thesis manuscript that
was printed on recycled paper.

5.11

Students should encode the thesis title and print three copies of the Thesis
Evaluation Form (ACM-F029). They should insert, and not ring bind the form,
on the first page. Moreover, students should encode thesis title and print one copy
of the Thesis Summary Evaluation Form (ACM-F030).

5.12

Thesis groups submit three hardcopies of their thesis manuscript, with the
evaluation sheets, to the Thesis Coordinator on deadline. Thesis groups who fail
to submit on time will incur a 5-point deduction from the final thesis grade.

5.13

The thesis defense is on the eleventh week of the term. The Thesis Coordinator
will advise all parties concerned about the schedule either through e-mail or
bulletin board posting. If the Thesis Coordinator posts the schedule in the bulletin
board, it will not contain the thesis titles in preparation for the blind-evaluation for
the Thesis Excellence Award.

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5.14

Prior to the thesis defense proper, the Thesis Adviser and panelists will meet to
discuss any controversial issues of the paper. This may result in any of the
following:
5.14.1 The faculty members agree that the manuscript meets MOD standards and
the defense may proceed as scheduled.
5.14.2 The faculty members cannot agree on whether the manuscript meets the
standards of MOD. However, they are willing to give the students a
chance to present their case. In this instance, the defense will proceed as
scheduled.
5.14.3 The faculty members agree that the manuscript does not meet MOD
standards and the students must revise the manuscript. Thus, the defense
will not proceed as scheduled. The Thesis Coordinator will reset the
defense.
5.14.4 The faculty members cannot agree on whether the manuscript meets the
standards of MOD. The matter is elevated to the MOD Chair. In this
instance, the defense will not proceed as scheduled. The Thesis
Coordinator will reset the defense.

5.15

On the defense date, thesis groups should be in the venue at least 10 minutes
before presentation.
5.15.1 Students should be in business attire.
5.15.2 Students should bring a hardcopy of the thesis manuscript. They should
also bring all original copies of survey forms and all other supporting
documents. Students are also encouraged to bring their laptops.
Moreover, if they used any software program, they should upload this in
the laptop. The students should be ready to present statistical runs.
5.15.3 The oral presentation should not beyond 20 minutes. The presentation
material must be concise and contain bullet points rather than whole
sentences. In the final defense, it may be better to be upfront about your
findings. After stating your research question, indicate your findings.
Then show how you arrived at your findings.
5.15.4 After the presentation, the panelists will begin their inquiry. During that
time, students must respond convincingly. Their Thesis Adviser will be
present but cannot respond for the students. To aid in remembering the
discussion, students may record the conversation, with the consent of the

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Thesis Adviser and panelists. Notwithstanding, students should note the

recommended revisions in form ACM-032.
5.16

After the inquiry, students will leave the room. They will then make a print-out
copy of the suggested revisions as discussed during the inquiry. When asked to
return inside the defense room, they will submit the copy to the Panel Chair.

5.17

The panelists and Thesis Adviser shall then evaluate the manuscript and
presentation using the Thesis Evaluation Sheet (ACM-F029). The Panel Chair
shall summarize the ratings in the summary sheet (ACM-F030).
5.17.1 The Panel Chair averages the grades of the panelists. The average panel
grade is 50% of the thesis grade.
5.17.2 The Panel Chair inputs the evaluation of the Thesis Adviser. This grade is
40% of the thesis grade.
5.17.3 The Panel Chair also inputs the advisers assessment of the thesis groups
attitude and work ethic. This is equivalent to 10% of the thesis grade.

5.18

Prior to signing the summary sheet, the Panel Chair shall review the grades.
5.18.1 In no instance should the grade point difference between the two panelists
be greater than 10 points.
5.18.2 In no instance should the grade point difference between the average
panelists grades and the Thesis Advisers grade using ACM-F023, be
more than 10 points.
5.18.3 If differences occur, the panelists and adviser will deliberate and remedy
the situation.

5.19

When the thesis grades are resolved, the panelist will verify if the thesis grade is
at least 90. If so, only the panelists will discuss whether they wish to nominate
the thesis manuscript for the Thesis Excellence Award based on the criteria listed
in the Thesis Excellence Award Nomination form (ACM-F031). Both panelists
have to agree. If they do, they will sign on the form.

5.20

After deliberations, the Thesis Adviser shall ask the students to re-enter the room.
The Panel Chair shall summarize the proceedings, review the required revisions
and sign ACM-032, and announce the thesis grade. If the panelists are
nominating the thesis group for the excellence award, the Panel Chair shall also
inform the students. The Panel Chair then forwards all signed forms to the Thesis
Coordinator.

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5.21

In case of a major revision, thesis groups have to re-defend their papers.

5.21.1 The thesis group and the panelists must agree upon a re-defense date. To
receive course credit by the end of the term, the said date must be at least
two weeks earlier than the change of grade deadline of the University
Registrar.
5.21.2 The thesis group then submits the revised manuscript one week before the
schedule following the same procedures as if it were a first submission.
5.21.3 After a successful defense, the thesis group must submit the final approved
thesis manuscript at least a day for the change of grade deadline.
5.21.4 A thesis group unable to comply with any of the requirements for redefense will receive a grade of 9.9 for THSAPC2. The group must then
comply with all thesis requirements by the next trimester. If met, the 9.9
grade shall be replaced with the thesis defense grade. If not, the 9.9 is
converted to 0.0. The thesis group must then re-enroll in the subject on
the next trimester to be able to defend their thesis.

5.22

The thesis grade is final. The Thesis Adviser should encode the grade equivalent
during the online submission of grades, upon notification by the Thesis
Coordinator that the thesis group submitted the thesis requirements. However, if
the Thesis Coordinator, Thesis Adviser, or panelists discover arithmetic errors in
the evaluation sheets, the Thesis Coordinator will revise the records. To change
the grade, each signatory must counter-sign on the error.

5.23

After the defense, thesis groups are to make revisions on their thesis manuscripts
based on the comments of their panelists. They may consult with their Thesis
Adviser and panelists to ensure they understand the required revisions.

5.24

To facilitate the subsequent review of the revisions, each group must accomplish
the third column of the Thesis Summary of Revisions (ACM-F032). The groups
insert this form into the revised thesis manuscript. They then submit the revised
research proposal to the panelists for approval. If approved, each panelist shall
sign on the Thesis Approval Sheet (ACM-F033).

5.25

As a requirement for graduation, each thesis group must submit their thesis
manuscript to the Thesis Coordinator on time. The Thesis Coordinator will then
inform the Thesis Advisers who will encode the final grades for THSAPC2.

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5.26

The MOD requires the following submission:

5.26.1 One green-bound copy of the thesis manuscript, duly approved by the
panel as evidenced by the Thesis Approval Sheet.
5.26.2 Two properly labeled CD copies of the thesis manuscript in Adobe
portable document format (PDF) format. The label pasted on the CD
should contain the Thesis title, Thesis Authors, Date of Submission.

6.0

GROUNDS FOR FAILURE

6.1

Being an ACM student does not guarantee you will pass your thesis. MOD has
set very high standards. You will fail the course if you are unable to successfully
defend your work and/or submit the required documents before deadline.
6.1.1 Non-Submission of Paper for Defense. MOD follows strict deadlines.
You will have to submit your properly endorsed paper no later than the
10th week of the term to allow sufficient time to schedule your defense. In
the unfortunate event you are unable to do, the Department allows a oneweek delay subject to a 5-point penalty on your final grade. If you are
unable to submit your paper for defense by the end of the 11th week, you
will receive a grade of 0.0.
6.1.2 Failing Grade. You are assigned a Thesis Adviser and you should be
coordinating with your Adviser throughout the trimester. If you do so,
you will be assured that your paper is ready for defense. If you do not,
you run the risk of a poor paper. In either case, you will need to defend
your work in front of a panel. If you are unable to defend your paper well,
you may receive a low score. If your final score falls below 70 points
inclusive of any late submission penalties, you will fail the course.
6.1.3 Failure to Comply with Requirements for Re-defense. It is possible that
your defense will result in major revisions that require a re-defense.
Given the tight trimestral schedule, you must comply with the deadline for
resubmission. If you are unable to comply will all requirements for redefense, you will receive a grade of 0.0.
6.1.4 Non-Submission of Revised Paper. After your defense, you are given two
weeks to revise your paper, with appropriate endorsement from your
adviser and panelists. If the thesis coordinator does not receive your
revised paper in its proper form by the end of the 12 th week, you will
receive a 5-point deduction in your course grade. This is in addition to the

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5 point late submission penalty if you incurred such. If you are unable to
submit the same by the end of the 13th week, you will receive a grade of
9.9. You then have the following trimester to fulfill the course
requirements. If you are again unable to submit the revised paper as
approved by the panel by the end of the 13 th week of the following term,
you will receive a grade of 0.0.
6.2

7.0

If you fail the Thesis course, you will have to re-enroll. If your failure was due to
non-submission of your paper, you will receive the grade announced during your
defense less 5 points for delayed submission. If your failure was due to inability
to defend your paper successfully, you will have to present your paper and defend
this in front of a panel. All other rules apply.

THESIS EXCELLENCE AWARD

7.1

Each trimester, the Thesis Coordinator, using criteria set by the MOD, shall
convene an Ad-Hoc Thesis Award Committee to determine the Thesis Excellence
Awardee for the trimester. This Committee shall be composed of faculty
members, one of whom will serve as Committee Chair, who did not serve as
Faculty Advisers of the nominated groups. Excluded also are faculty members
who served as panelists.

7.2

The selection of a Thesis Excellence award is independent of the number of ACM

thesis groups enrolled. Consequently, the Thesis Coordinator forms the
committee even if there is only one thesis group enrolled in the term.

7.3

The Thesis Excellence award is for exemplary work. It is thus possible that there
be no awardee for a particular term. There can only be one awardee each
trimester.

7.4

To be eligible for an award, the thesis of the group is by the Thesis Panelist,
immediately after the defense, using the Thesis Excellence Award Nomination
Form (ACM-F031).

7.5

In determining whether to nominate a thesis group, the following shall guide the
panelist:
7.5.1 The paper should have garnered at least 90 points during the defense.
Note that a paper that is re-defended due to major revisions is no longer
qualified.

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7.5.2 The study is significant. Underlying issues are nationally important, either
in theoretical terms or in policy or practical terms
7.6

Thesis groups whose manuscripts are nominated for the Thesis Excellence Award
must submit additional requirements on the deadline of Thesis submission.
7.6.1 One hardcopy of the approved thesis, removing all identifying marks
(names of student, adviser, and panelists)
7.6.2 A CD copy of the approved thesis also without identifying marks (names
of student, adviser, and panel). This allows for a blind review of each
work by the Ad-Hoc ACM Thesis Award Committee members.
7.6.3 Three copies of a 15-20 page condensed version of the thesis following an
academic journal article format. This should be printed on letter-sized
bond paper, single-spaced, with 1 margin. Again, there should be no
identifying marks of the authors.

7.7

It is the responsibility of the Thesis Coordinator to collate all soft copy

submissions into one CD and then reproduce it for distribution to the members of
the awards committee.

7.8

Each member of the Ad-Hoc Thesis Award Committee shall evaluate each
nominated thesis using the Thesis Excellence Award Rubric (ACM-F034). The
evaluation considers the following:
7.8.1 Thesis defense grade
7.8.2 Significance, with the highest mark for a paper that has national
implications.
7.8.3 Contribution to new knowledge, with the highest mark given to papers that
introduced innovative methods, analysis, and conclusions.
7.8.4 Technical superiority, with the highest mark given to robust model and
reliable data, supported by critical analysis
7.8.5 Composition, with the highest mark given to a paper that was composed in
an engaging manner, free from grammatical error.

7.9

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Once accomplished, the committee members forward their evaluation sheets to

the committee chair. The committee chair will then tabulate the results in the
Thesis Excellence Award Summary Form (ACM-F035). All committee members
sign the form to confirm the entries. The committee chair then submits the
summary and individual evaluation sheets to the Thesis Coordinator.
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8.0

7.10

Should it be necessary, the Ad-Hoc Thesis Award Committee may re-convene to

further deliberate on the results. If there is an unresolved deadlock or
controversies rise, the matter will be elevated to the MOD.

7.11

To win the Thesis Excellence Award, a thesis paper must have garnered an
average of at least 93 points. If none of the nominated papers meets the minimum
evaluation grade, then there will be no award for the trimester.

7.12

The Thesis Coordinator shall endorse the adjudged winner of the Thesis
Excellence Award to the Department Chair. The Chair will then prepare a
memorandum to the Dean of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business
(RVR-COB). The Dean of the College of Business in turn will collate the list of
awardees for all departments and submit to the Universitys Honors and Awards
Committee. Given the process, the MOD sets the first Friday of each trimester as
the deadline for selecting the Thesis Excellence awardee.

7.13

The RVR-COB recognizes Thesis Excellence awardees during the College

graduation ceremony. The University also recognizes the Thesis Excellence
awardees during the University graduation ceremony. If the awardees are not
graduating students, the MOD will invite them to attend College graduation
ceremonies. Moreover, awardees who do not belong to the RVR0COB are
invited to the College graduation ceremonies.

THESIS PUBLICATION
8.1

It is the desire of MOD that all thesis outputs are converted into journal form for
submission to reputable journals. Thus, thesis groups who are interested to see
their work published, can condense their work using the format of their targeted
journal. If they need assistance, they may consult with their Thesis Adviser or the
Thesis Coordinator.

8.2

There may be thesis groups who are interested to have their work condensed
together with their Thesis Adviser. These groups must directly approach their
Thesis Adviser. The parties involved then agree on the following:
8.2.1 Who will be the lead author (the first name in a list of names)
8.2.2 Who will be the corresponding author (the person who the editor contacts)
8.2.3 Who will write the first draft of the article
8.2.4 Who will make the revisions based on the reviewers comments

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8.3

In principle, the party who does most of the work becomes the lead author. Thus,
the Thesis Adviser can be the lead author, last author, or simply supervisor
depending on the amount of contribution to the research output. The
corresponding author need not be the lead author. Neither does it mean that the
corresponding author will revise the paper, unless the parties agree to this.

8.4

For transparency purposes, and to guard against future misunderstanding, the

agreement of the Thesis Adviser and thesis students must be explicit and
preferably documented. A copy of the agreement may be lodged with the Thesis
Coordinator.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

9.1

We are thinking of undertaking a thesis topic not within the thrust of MOD. Is
this allowed?
The MOD envisions itself to be movers of faith-driven organizations who behave
ethically and humanely. In support of this, the MOD administrators have
reshaped its academic programs. Consequently, it is imperative that all thesis
topics align with the vision.

9.2

After submitting our concept paper, we realized that we cannot work with each
other. Can we break up the group?
The rules on re-composition of thesis groups depend on what stage you are in, in
the Thesis process. Theoretically, you may change your groups but there are
repercussions. Do read section 3.3 of this kit carefully.

9.3

When will I know who my adviser will be?

The Thesis Coordinator will assign your adviser close to the start of term, after
assessing the merits of the concept paper.

9.4

We are more comfortable with a particular faculty member, may that faculty
member be our adviser?
The MOD administrators would like students to excel in their thesis.
Consequently, there is a conscious effort to provide you a Thesis Adviser who can
help you achieve this. It is possible that your preferred faculty member may not
be your adviser.

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9.5

The group was unable to submit its paper for defense on time. What are the
implications?
If you do not submit your paper on time, you will receive a 5-point penalty for
late submission. You then must submit your quality-checked paper no later than
the 12th Friday of the term. You will be allowed to defend up to the 13th week
only.

9.6

What happens if we are unable to submit the revised paper on time?

If you have successfully defended your paper but were unable to submit the
revised paper properly endorsed by your panel on time, you will receive a grade
of 9.9 for the term. You will then have to submit your requirements on the
following term. If you are unable to submit the revised paper on the deadline for
that term, your 9.9 shall be converted to a 0.0. If you are able to do so, your 9.9
shall be converted to your thesis defense grade less 5-point for late submission.

9.7

What is the maximum point deduction I can get from the thesis grade?
ACM students should submit their papers on time. In the unlikely event that you
are unable to submit your paper for defense on time, you will receive a 5-point
deduction from the defense grade. If again, you are unable to submit your
approved thesis paper on time, you will receive another 5-point deduction from
the defense grade. That means the maximum deduction is 10 points.

9.8

Can I fail my thesis course?

You will get a grade for your thesis proposal/final thesis, following the grade
point system of the university. If you receive a grade of 0.0, that means you fail
the course and must re-enroll.

9.9

We are the only group nominated for the Thesis Excellence award for the
trimester, are we automatically the Thesis Excellence awardees?
Nominated thesis groups are not automatic Thesis Excellence awardees. The
MOD convenes an Ad-Hoc Thesis Excellence Award committee who evaluates
the merits of each nomination. To be chosen, a thesis group must garner at least
93 points during the evaluation process. If not, it is possible there will be no
awardees. If there are more than two groups who receive a grade of at least 93
points, it is the group with the highest number of points who will become the
Thesis Excellence awardee.

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9.10

We are not yet graduating students, yet we won the Thesis Excellence award.
How will we be recognized?
The COB will invite Thesis Excellence awardees to the college graduation where
they will formally receive their medals. Moreover, you will be acknowledged in
University rites when you finally graduate.

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