MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master's Thesis Award

The Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Master's Thesis Award recognizes recent master's graduates whose theses demonstrate exceptional research and scholarship.  

Eligible students may self-nominate, and graduate programs may nominate multiple eligible students per award cycle. 

The two master's graduates selected to represent the University of Cincinnati in the regional competition will each receive a $150 award. 

MAGS solicits nominations in two of four award categories each year. The categories alternate annually: 

• Odd-numbered years: Social Sciences category and Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering category 
• Even-numbered years: Biological and Life Sciences category and Humanities category 

The Graduate College is accepting nominations for the 2027 MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award in the following categories: 

• Social Sciences 
• Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering 

 Eligible nominees must have been certified for their master’s degree between July 2, 2024, and June 30, 2026.  

Application deadline: Monday, November 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. 

Students selected to represent UC in the regional competition will be announced by November 19, 2026.  

All nomination materials must be submitted electronically through the 2027 MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards application form. 

The Graduate College is also accepting nominations for the 2028 award cycle in the following categories: 

• Biological and Life Sciences 
• Humanities 

Eligible nominees must have been certified for their master’s degree between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2027. 

Each nomination application must include the following materials: 

1. Thesis abstract: An abstract of the nominated thesis. 
2. The thesis: The complete thesis in an accepted electronic format. 
3. Student resume: A one-page resume that includes current contact information (email address, phone number and mailing address).  
4. Faculty mentor letter: A letter of support from the student's faculty mentor. 

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. 

To be eligible for consideration, a thesis must:  

• Contain original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline. 
• Conform to accepted disciplinary standards for thesis format. 
• Have been accepted as final by the University of Cincinnati. 

Theses submitted electronically should normally be in PDF format. Hyperlinks to supplementary materials may be included, but , but all links musty be verified before submission.  

Programs wishing to submit a thesis in another electronic format should consult Megan Carroll in the Graduate College Office at carrolm2@ucmail.uc.edu before submitting the application. 

Original works accepted by an institution in lieu of a thesis, such as musical compositions, published books, works of art or computer software, are not eligible for nomination. 

The competition is intended to recognize scholarship by students pursuing their first graduate research degree. Individuals who earned a PhD or comparable research degree in any discipline before writing their master’s thesis are not eligible. However, individuals who earned a first professional degree before writing their thesis may be nominated. 

For questions about the award or technical issues with the application, contact Graduate College program director, Megan Carroll at carrolm2@ucmail.uc.edu.