Each student is entirely responsible for finding a thesis topic and supervisor. While
many people will be willing to help you, the final responsibility is yours alone.
Even if you haven't been involved in a research group where you can do your thesis, it
still isn't that hard to find a thesis. If you already have a very specific topic in mind,
you may have to talk to many faculty and staff to find one interested in supervising you, so start
early.
- You may have done a project in a laboratory subject which you wish to extend, or you may have
done well in a subject which needs a lab or lecture demo developed. If so, talk to the
appropriate faculty or staff members.
- Scan the technical journals.
- Network! Talk to your faculty advisor and any others you know for leads, and to develop and
define your technical interest. Ask Ph.D. students to recommend faculty.
- Browse the Research Supervisors list and Recent M.Eng. Thesis Projects, look at research group
websites and then talk to members of research groups.
- Attend the many colloquia and seminars held by the Department.
- Narrow your scope to one or two specific research areas, and see faculty and staff in those
areas. Skim their recent papers, then ask them what projects they need done, and who else might
have suitable research available in the same area.
- Look at recent CS theses in the IAAU Library or at Digital Library. You will often find definite
suggestions in such theses for additional work that needs to be done. If you get stuck, go back
to your academic advisor and talk things out again, choosing a different field with new people
to contact.
As soon as you have reached a meeting of minds with a supervisor, start work on a thesis
proposal to get your topic defined and formalized.