This paper is the result of a research project conducted in the Facultad de Educación Elemental y Especial of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, where we have eight cycles of licenciaturas, which require a dissertation as a final project to graduate. Although the purpose  of this study is to know the stages  in the preparation  of a dissertation  -from the point of view of individuals graduated and thesis supervisors-, we will pay special attention to the role of the thesis supervisor, the scheme  of his/her responsibilities and the real limitations of his/her work. Many questions  arise concerning  the role of the institutions  on this matter. As an example, this paper provides the results obtained  from a research  based  on a quantitative methodological strategy, which shows the  difficulties observed  at the  end  of different  study cycles. A descriptive design was used. The observation  units of this study were the  students from the  participant  institution.  The  secondary  data  provided  by the  same  institution  and the  statistical  techniques   used  facilitated  the  systematization  of the  information  obtained for its analysis and subsequent classification of relevant results. The findings enable  us to see some  implications  related  to  the  role of thesis  supervisors, the  significance of preparing  a dissertation, and the  institutional  temporary  gaps on this matter. In conclusion, this paper is an invitation to review the institutional commitment in terms of the teachers working as thesis supervisors and the students  going through the thesis preparation

End; thesis; tutor; formation; case study