At UNC-Chapel Hill, the Graduate School doesn't set one rule for AI in a thesis. Its handbook leaves thesis and comprehensive exam rules to your graduate program, tells you to discuss any use with your advisor and committee, and keeps you responsible for what comes of it. The answer you need is in your program's guidelines, or with your advisor if your program has none.
The Graduate School Handbook puts the thesis question with your program: “Individual graduate programs may establish guidelines specific to their thesis and comprehensive exams depending on their specific format.” For research and drafting, it adds: “Any use of AI for research and writing purposes should be discussed with supervisors, advisors, committee members, and any other associated individuals.”
The Administrative Board says AI can be a productive tool and says users should take full responsibility for their use of it and for any research that results. You also remain subject to the UNC Student Code of Conduct, whatever your program decides.
The handbook lists these as examples of topics to discuss, and it says its list isn't exhaustive.
| Option | What it is | A question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Citations or a statement | A disclosure of your specific uses of AI | Does our program want one, and where does it go? |
| An appendix | A record of your exchanges with the tool: inputs, outputs, texts, or data | How much of this do you want to see? |
| A methods section | An account of how you used AI and its impact on the research | Does this belong in the methods chapter, and in what detail? |
The handbook treats teaching separately. Campus guidance on teaching applies to teaching assistants, and the handbook says programs can encourage TAs to connect with supervising faculty about using AI in their own teaching work. An answer about your thesis doesn't settle that question, so ask it separately.
It warns that using AI might lead to data leakage, and to unverified data spreading and staying available. If your thesis uses interviews, unpublished results, or anything covered by a data agreement, ask before you put it into a tool. Data you have already uploaded may be hard to take back.
This example is made up. A master's student in public policy finds no AI section in the program's handbook and uses a tool to sort survey comments. The handbook tells students to discuss any use with their advisor and committee, so the lack of a program rule doesn't settle the matter. The student raises it at the next committee meeting. The committee asks for a short methods passage and an appendix with sample inputs, and the student confirms this in an email. If the question comes up at the defense, that email shows what was agreed.
Esmond evaluates every assignment before you submit. It never writes it.
Esmond is an AI tool that doesn't write for you. If your course doesn't allow any AI tools, don't use Esmond for that work. If you're unsure, ask your instructor or advisor.
The handbook asks you to discuss any use of AI for research and drafting with your advisor and committee. That includes comments from Esmond on your draft. If your program wants a statement, list it there. The handbook's warning about journals and AI sites applies to any tool you upload a draft to, Esmond included. UNC-Chapel Hill has not reviewed or approved Esmond.
For that conversation, it may help to share how Esmond works and the sample report, and to check whether you can use Esmond.
The Graduate School leaves that to programs, and it asks you to discuss any use with your advisor and committee. Check your program's guidelines and talk to your committee.
Ask them to settle it before you use the tool, and ask your director of graduate studies if they can't. Keep a record of what they decide.
No. This page is about the handbook of The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill. If you are on another campus, check that campus's policy.
The handbook covers graduate education. For an honors thesis, ask your department and your thesis advisor.
Read on November 4, 2026.
Esmond is not taking orders on this site yet.