The Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) partners with ProQuest to accept nominations in four award categories. They include:

  1. Innovation in Technology Award
  2. Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award in STEM Disciplines
  3. Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award in Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Business Disciplines
  4. Distinguished Master’s Thesis and/or Final Master’s Capstone Project Award in the Creative, Visual and Performing Arts

Each academic college/school may nominate no more than one outstanding project/thesis/dissertation for each of the aforementioned applicable categories.

STEM disciplines include: biological sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences, life sciences, health sciences, and engineering.

Non-STEM disciplines include: humanities, social sciences, education, and business.

Creative, Visual and Performing Arts include: Fine Arts

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ may submit only one nomination per each award category.

Each award recipient will receive $1,000, a Certificate of Award, and travel expenses to attend the WAGS Annual Conference and Awards Luncheon in March at the WAGS annual meeting.

Eligibility

Eligible nominees must be 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ graduate students who have successfully defended and completed their creative project, thesis, or dissertation between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. You can find details on all the award categories and nomination criteria on the . Nomination packages are due to the Graduate College by Aug. 1, 2024 at 5 p.m. Colleges/Schools are encouraged to set internal deadlines so that they have sufficient time to adjudicate nominations and select the one nomination to be forwarded to the Graduate College.

Directions for Submission

  1. The nomination package must be uploaded with the WAGS Nomination form (found below) by the Associate Dean of the nominating College/School by the deadline.
  2. The nomination package to be uploaded with the form must include:
    • ProQuest link of the nominated creative project, thesis, or dissertation.
    • 1000-1500 word lay description of the project, thesis, or dissertation written by the nominee.
    • An abstract of the nominee’s research (not to exceed 10 double-spaced pages excluding appendices) written by the nominee.
    • Letter 1: the department chair or nominee's faculty advisor.
    • Letter 2: another faculty member. 
    • Nominee's CV not to exceed five pages.

Please contact gradassociatedean@unlv.edu if you have any questions.