dissertation submission

University Registrar’s Office

Dissertation submission, submitting the doctoral dissertation.

Notification of Readers (NOR):

• Set up by you or your program prior to dissertation submission, depending on departmental practice. If your program allows students to create the NOR you will see a Notification of Readers tile in the Dissertation Progress Reporting and Submission (DPRS) site. Contact your departmental registrar for questions and assistance.
• Notify program of your intent to submit by February 15 (spring) or September 1 (fall)
• Three readers are required with a maximum of five permitted. Two must be ladder or ladder-track Yale faculty, including the adviser. All readers must hold a PhD degree and a faculty position or be considered otherwise qualified to evaluate the dissertation by the DGS and the Graduate School.
• NOR Submission Instructional video

Submission Information:

• March 15 for spring degree conferral in May/June, 5:00 pm
• October 1 for fall degree conferral in December, 5:00 pm
• A pdf of your dissertation may be submitted using the degree petition page in the  Dissertation Progress Reporting and Submission  (DPRS) site at any time within the academic year. Dissertations submitted after the above semester submission deadlines will be processed for the following degree date
• Final changes to the dissertation must be uploaded in DPRS within 30 days of the submission deadline. To make changes to your dissertation after it has been submitted, email  dissertationreaders@yale.edu .
• Upon submission of your dissertation and approval of your readers by the DGS, a pdf of your dissertation will be automatically sent to all readers.
• Upon request from a reader, students are required to and responsible for mailing a soft-bound copy of the dissertation to the reader.

IMPORTANT: Students who submit their dissertations before the end of the add/drop course enrollment period (see the  academic calendar ) are NOT eligible to register as students for the remainder of that term. Students who wish to remain registered until the end of a given semester must submit their dissertations AFTER add/drop closes in order to remain registered for that semester.

• Submitting Degree Petition and Dissertation in DPRS:

The Degree Petition page in DPRS consists of the degree petition, links to required surveys, and a site to upload a pdf of your dissertation. No paper submission is required.

• ​ The dissertation title is populated from your most recent Dissertation Progress Report. You can change the final title on the petition page by clicking the “No” radio button and modifying the title. Click the save button at the bottom of the page to save the title prior to submitting the dissertation
• Survey of Earned Doctorates – submission confirmation page
• GSAS Exit Survey – upload first page of GSAS Survey that has your email address
• ProQuest (ETD) Publication Agreement – detail page
• Upload a pdf of your dissertation

Degree Petition and Dissertation Submission Instructional Video

Additional Questions?

• Dissertation Office: dissertationreaders@yale.edu   
• Barbara Withington: barbara.withington@yale.edu
• Austin Hanlin: austin.hanlin@yale.edu

Formatting the Doctoral Dissertation

Physical Requirements:

• Double spaced
• Exceptions: block quotations, bibliographic references, captions, footnotes should be single spaced, with a double space between each entry
• Saved as a pdf to be uploaded on the Degree Petition and Dissertation Submission page in DPRS
• No paper copy needs to be submitted

Margins: Left side margin of 1.5”, 1” margin on all other sides

Page Numbers

• 0.5” from any edge
• Preliminary pages are numbered with lower-case roman numerals, except title page and copyright page which are not numbered. The page following the copyright will be numbered (iii) and additional pages will be numbered sequentially
• The dissertation proper begins with page Arabic number “1” and runs consecutively to the end            
• 10- to 12-point font
• Same font type should be used throughout, including header, footnotes, page numbers

Order of Sections:

• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Front Matter (acknowledgements, list of illustrations or tables, etc.)
• Body of Text
• Back Matter (appendices, bibliography, supplemental figures and tables, etc.)
• Placed immediately preceding the title page
• Heading centered on page
• Dissertation title and name of author must match title page
• Text of abstract below the heading, double spaced

Full title of dissertation

Full name of author

Year of PhD conferral (e.g., 20XX)

• All text centered
• Month and year of conferral (e.g., May or June 20XX, or December 20XX)
• See attached example at end of guide

Copyright Notice:

• Typed 3” below top margin
• Format includes copyright symbol ©

                     © 20__ by [Student’s Name]

                     All rights reserved.

• Note: the copyright available through ProQuest is optional and an additional fee

Tables and Figures:

• Tables placed as close as possible to their reference in the text
• Heading at top of table
• Consecutive numbering throughout, or by chapter (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2)
• Captions placed at bottom

(Sample Title Page)

Dissertation Title: Subtitle

(first letter of each word in title should be capitalized)

A Dissertation

Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School

Yale University

In Candidacy for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

[Full Name of Author]

Dissertation Director: [Full  Name of the Advisor(s)]

(or chairperson of advisory committee)

(month of graduation, not of submission)

Submission Policy

Dissertations for the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Doctor of Philosophy degree must be submitted to the Graduate School by 5:00 pm on March 15 for consideration at the May meeting of the degree committee, and by 5:00 pm on October 1 for consideration at the fall meeting of the degree committee. These deadlines are established to allow sufficient time for readers to make careful evaluations and for departments to review those evaluations and make recommendations to the Graduate School. No extensions of the deadlines will be granted. Dissertations submitted after the deadlines will be considered for degree conferral during the following term.

In accord with the scholarly ideal that the candidate for a doctorate must make a contribution to knowledge, all dissertations that have been accepted by the Graduate School are made available in the Yale library.

Students do not need to be registered to be eligible to submit the dissertation.

Students who complete all PhD requirements within four continuous years of full-time study in the PhD program will be registered and charged full tuition only through the term in which the dissertation is submitted. Students who take a leave of absence must complete the four-year full tuition obligation, regardless of when they submit the dissertation.

The Graduate School does not compel departments to evaluate the dissertations of degree candidates who are no longer registered. In practice, however, departments normally agree to evaluate these dissertations.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="dissertation submission"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Submitting your thesis/dissertation.

Submission of the final thesis/dissertation must be within 60 days of the final exam. Students who miss the 60 day submission deadline are ineligible to register in future terms.

The Graduate School uses ProQuest to administer the electronic thesis/dissertation (ETD) submission and committee approval process that results in publication in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database and Cornell’s Library Repository, eCommons. Before initiating the electronic process, students are required to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates (for doctoral students only). A SED Certification of Completion is provided to the student when the survey has been completed. Once the survey is completed, the final ETD can then be submitted to the Graduate School using the ProQuest system. The SED Certification of Completion is required for submission to ProQuest.

ProQuest Submission Steps

In order to complete the submission process, you will need to have the following:

• A single PDF file of your thesis or dissertation
• Your abstract
• Supplemental material
• SED Certification of Completion 

Step 1: Begin Submission Process

Master’s students go to  Cornell Master’s ProQuest site, doctoral students go to  Cornell Doctoral ProQuest site. Click on the “sign up and get started today” button and follow instructions to begin the submission process.

Submission Process: Submission steps are outlined on the left menu. You will see the items checked off as you progress through the submission steps. You must click “Save & Continue” at the bottom of each page, even pages on which you do not enter any information. Using the left menu, you can return to any page and make changes until the point of final submission.

Step 2: Publishing Options

Traditional Publishing:  “Traditional Publishing” is automatically selected and is included in the Cornell Thesis and Dissertation filing fees.

Delayed Release:  ProQuest provides six months, and one and two year embargoes. The Graduate School recommends you discuss the publishing options with your advisor. If your advisor is unavailable or has no opinion, the conservative approach is to choose a two-year embargo.

Step 3: Read and Agree to ProQuest and University Distribution License

Both ProQuest and Cornell University distribution licenses will be presented for your acceptance.

Step 4: Enter Thesis/Dissertation Information

In addition to the mandatory information, such as title and abstract, you will have the opportunity to select up to three categories (subject areas) and six key words that describe your ETD. This information will make it easier for others to find your work when searching the web.

Step 5: Upload PDF and Supplemental Files

Upload PDF: Whether you use the PDF conversion tool provided by ProQuest or you convert your document to PDF yourself, review your PDF to ensure your formatting remains as you intended after conversion.

Supplementary Materials: If supplementary materials – such as audio, video, and spreadsheets – are an integral part of your ETD, you can submit them as supplementary files during the online submission process.

Step 6: Upload Required Documents

The SED Certification of Completion if you are a Ph.D. candidate is required for submission to ProQuest.

Step 7: Register for Copyright

You can complete this process through ProQuest for a fee, or you complete the process independently through the U.S. Copyright Office.

Step 8: Order Copies

If you would like to purchase additional copies of your thesis/dissertation for yourself, your field, or your committee members, you may order bound copies through ProQuest (Order Copies page). The required bound archival copy for the library is automatically ordered for you and included in the Cornell thesis and dissertation filing fees.

Select the “Decline – do not order” option if you don’t wish to order additional copies.

Bound copies can also be ordered through Cornell Print Services .

Step 9: Review and Submit

Once the thesis editor has reviewed the formatting of your thesis/dissertation, you will receive an email to let you know whether any corrections are required. You will then have five days to make the changes and upload the revised PDF. You will not be certified for graduation until the formatting of your ETD has been fully approved by the Graduate School. You will receive a confirmation email of final acceptance.

Step 10: Submitting Revised PDF (if needed)

You will receive an email describing the formatting changes needed with instructions and a link for resubmission.

Theses and Dissertations

Defense and submission.

Below is an overview of the main steps in preparing, defending, and submitting your thesis or dissertation. For detailed instructions on each step, see The Graduate School's  Guide for Electronic Submission of Thesis and Dissertation (PDF) , in addition to this video recording from a workshop given on the subject. 

• Schedule your defense and apply for graduation in DukeHub ( defense and graduation deadlines ).  
• At least 30 days before your defense: Confirm or update your defense committee.  
• Give your thesis/dissertation to your advisor for inspection, and prompt your advisor to send a letter to [email protected] stating that it is complete and ready to defend. Note: For students in School of Medicine Ph.D. programs, their advisor letters are generated through T3.  
• Request your DGSA to send a departmental defense announcement to  [email protected] . Note: For students in School of Medicine Ph.D. programs, their departmental defense announcements are generated through T3.  
• At least 2 weeks before your defense: Submit your complete, correctly formatted dissertation/thesis to ProQuest (initial submission). Also provide it to each member of your committee.  
• Optional: After you receive an email through ProQuest from the Graduate School administrator who reviewed your thesis/dissertation format, you may make an appointment for a brief, virtual meeting with the administrator to discuss any questions you have about the defense process or the recommended formatting revisions.  
• A few days before your defense, The Graduate School will generate your final examination certificate and email it to the chair/co-chair(s) of your examination committee and the DGSA of your department. Note:  For students in School of Medicine Ph.D. programs, their final examination certificates are generated and released through T3.  
• Defend your dissertation. After your final examination, your committee members will vote on whether you passed or failed. Your chair and DGS will record the votes on your final examination certificate, sign it, and submit it to The Graduate School. Your committee may vote that you passed but still require minor edits or corrections before final submission.  
• As soon as possible after your defense, submit to [email protected] the Non-Exclusive Distribution License and Thesis/Dissertation Availability Agreement (“embargo agreement”) signed by yourself and your thesis/dissertation advisor.  
• Within 30 days after your successful defense, or by the established final submission deadline (whichever is first): Submit the final version of your dissertation/thesis to ProQuest.

Guide for Electronic Submission of Thesis and Dissertation (PDF)

We provide the following templates for your convenience and to help you eliminate common formatting errors. However,  all submitted theses and dissertations must meet the specifications listed in the ETD guide . The manuscript must be a completed document, formatted correctly, with no sections left blank.

• Word Template for Thesis/Dissertation (Word)
• LaTeX Template for Thesis/Dissertation (ZIP)

Notes about the LaTeX Template

• This LaTeX template is for both master's and Ph.D. students. Master's theses must also have an abstract title page.
• Neither The Graduate School nor OIT supports LaTeX beyond providing this template.

Ph.D. and master’s students are required to apply for graduation in  DukeHub  by the established application deadline for the semester in which they plan to graduate.

Review the full graduation guidelines on the  Graduation Information and Deadlines  page. 

When you submit your thesis or dissertation electronically, you will also permit Duke University to make it available online through  DukeSpace  at Duke Libraries. See the pages below for more information about ETDs:

• ETDs Overview
• ETD Availability
• ETD Copyright Information 
• ETD Technical Help 

Check out the writing support  offered by The Graduate School, such as writing spaces, consultations, and access to online writing workshops, communities, and resources.

• Submitting Your Dissertation
• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

• Application for Degree
• Credit for Completed Graduate Work
• Ad Hoc Degree Programs
• Acknowledging the Work of Others
• Advanced Planning
• Dissertation Advisory Committee
• Dissertation Submission Checklist
• Formatting Your Dissertation
• Publishing Options
• English Language Proficiency
• PhD Program Requirements
• Secondary Fields
• Year of Graduate Study (G-Year)
• Master's Degrees
• Grade and Examination Requirements
• Conduct and Safety
• Financial Aid
• Non-Resident Students
• Registration

On this page:

Program Submission

• Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance Certificate

Registrar’s Office Submission

• Related Contacts and Forms

Students must submit their dissertation by the date established by their program (generally six to eight weeks prior to the Registrar’s Office dissertation submission deadline) and follow the program’s instructions on the number of copies to submit and format (bound or unbound). 

Please note : Students are responsible for notifying their department of any requested embargoes that were approved at the time of online submission.

Thesis Acceptance Certificate

Students must complete a thesis acceptance certificate (sometimes referred to as the dissertation acceptance certificate), which includes the title of the dissertation and signatures of at least three advisors approved by the student’s program and whose membership follows the Harvard Griffin GSAS policies on the Dissertation Advisory Committee . Electronic signatures  from committee members are acceptable. If a DAC is submitted with electronic signatures, an additional DAC with handwritten signatures will not be required. A  document version of the certificate is available if needed.

The title and the student name on the thesis acceptance certificate must read exactly as it does on the title page of the dissertation, meaning if you use your full middle name or middle initial on one document, it must be the same on the other document. The thesis acceptance certificate must also be uploaded as a separate "Administrative Document" when submitting the electronic dissertation to ProQuest ETD . All thesis/dissertation acceptance certificates are forwarded to the Harvard University Archives.

A copy of the signed thesis acceptance certificate should appear before the title page of the online dissertation submission; no page number should be assigned to the thesis/dissertation acceptance certificate. The thesis/dissertation acceptance certificate will be included in all copies of the dissertation.

Students must submit their dissertation in PDF format to the FAS Registrar’s Office through ProQuest ETD by the deadline established for each degree conferral date (see the Degree Calendar  or the  Registrar’s Office website .  Please carefully review your dissertation formatting  before submitting online. Formatting errors may prevent you from receiving your degree.  During the submission process, students are asked to upload a separate copy of the signed thesis/dissertation acceptance certificate, approve two license agreements, and complete two surveys (the Harvard Griffin GSAS Employment Exit Survey and the Survey of Earned Doctorates). If you are requesting an embargo of more than two years, you will need to submit a signed approval form from the department's Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) with your dissertation submission.

The Registrar’s Office will review the dissertation for compliance and will contact the student to confirm acceptance or to request alterations.

In very rare cases, a dissertation may require redaction, which is the process of obscuring or removing sensitive information for distribution. If sensitive or potentially harmful material appears in the dissertation (e.g., commercially sensitive information, sensitive personal data, risk of harmful retribution, etc.), a student should contact the  Office for Scholarly Communication .

Contact Info

Registrar's Office   Faculty of Arts and Sciences  Harvard University  Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center Office  1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 450  Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Tel: 617-495-1543  Fax: 617-495-0815

Office Hours: 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

For additional questions, please  send us a message .

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• Doctoral Dissertation Guide

Doctoral dissertation submission

Prior to submitting your dissertation:

• You must successfully defend your dissertation.
• You’ll need to decide if you want to register your copyright. Copyright registration is optional, and the fee is $75 through ProQuest, paid directly to them.
• You may make your dissertation available via open access for  free  through IU Libraries’ IUScholarWorks site. Submission to IUScholarWorks may be made only after the Indiana University Graduate School Bloomington (UGSB) accepts your dissertation for publication within ProQuest.
• You'll need to decide if you want to place an embargo (also known as a delayed release) on your dissertation. Students who place an embargo are required to submit a bound copy of their dissertation to the UGSB. Please see below for more details on that process.

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How to submit

You must submit your dissertation online through ProQuest. Make sure you read all submission instructions before you submit.

Go to ProQuest now.»

Once at the site, select “Submit my dissertation/thesis,” and follow the instructions. When you create your account, enter the email address you use most. Once you’ve completed the final step, you will receive an email confirming your submission. Your dissertation will be reviewed, and you will learn by email whether your dissertation requires any formatting changes. Please note that your dissertation will be reviewed within a week of the submission deadline for the month in which your degree will be awarded.

For more information, contact the Graduate Recorder, Shelly Oberdier, at gerbers@iu.edu .

You must also submit the Defense Signatures edoc, located on the Indiana University Graduate School Bloomington (UGSB) One.IU task page :

• The Defense Signatures edoc takes the place of the signed acceptance page and abstract page that were previously submitted in hardcopy to the UGSB.
• Properly formatted but unsigned versions of the acceptance page and abstract are still included in the dissertation. See Formatting requirements for information on how to format these pages.

Students who opt to place an embargo (also known as a delayed release) on their dissertation are required to submit a full-sized, bound, hardcover copy of their dissertation for inclusion in the university library.  If you wish to use ProQuest to order the bound copy, please see the important information below . Dissertations sent to the university library are restricted from circulation but may be requested and viewed in the Wells Library. By the final deadline for the month you wish your degree to be conferred, you must submit an invoice to the UGSB showing that the binding has been ordered and paid for, with the book delivered directly to the UGSB office. The invoice should list the UGSB address as the shipping address if the student wishes the degree to be awarded before the bound copy has been printed and delivered. The shipping address is:

Attn: Graduate Recorder Wells Library, Room E546 1320 E. Tenth Street Bloomington, IN 47405

Dissertation embargoes can be requested for up to two years, initially. If necessary, students can request an extension to their embargo near the end of their initial two-year period. An extension request should be submitted to the Graduate Recorder and must be approved by the Associate Dean of the IU Graduate School Bloomington. Such a request should be submitted, in writing, to the Graduate Recorder in the IU Graduate School Bloomington. All requests for embargo extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis. The need for a longer embargo needs to be well-justified and the written request should include a detailed rationale for the longer embargo.

Bindery options for bound copies:

Students may order a bound copy through ProQuest; however, the order must be completed within the student’s ProQuest account prior to finalizing the ProQuest submission the very first time . Please note that the ProQuest system will require your name to be left in the top address field for the bound copy order. This will not cause a problem; simply enter the address listed above in the remaining fields. If students do not place the order prior to initially submitting the dissertation the first time, an order within ProQuest cannot be made until after the dissertation has been delivered to ProQuest for publication. Since the policy related to embargoes states that a receipt showing the bound copy has been paid for and ordered to be shipped directly to the IU Graduate School Bloomington (UGSB) must be received before the degree can be awarded, students who place an embargo on their dissertation but do not order through ProQuest prior to submitting their dissertation will need to use another bindery to order the bound copy for the UGSB. Students in this situation may use any other bindery, but may not send the dissertation to the other bindery until the final version is approved within ProQuest.

Another bindery option is Thesis on Demand, an online option for IU graduate students. Cost is based on the number of pages and other factors.

Thesis on Demand:

(800) 334-3628

Thesis on Demand Website

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Submission deadlines and checklists:

January 2024 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: December 1, 2023

         Final dissertation deadline: January 12, 2024

May 2024 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: March 29, 2024

         Final dissertation deadline: May 3, 2024

September 2024 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: August 2, 2024

         Final dissertation deadline: September 6, 2024

Note: GSAS submission deadlines are earlier than University Graduation Deadlines .

Please Note: The Office of the Registrar takes up to a month AFTER  the graduation date to fully process all degrees.  DO NOT  count on being able to demonstrate completion of your degree on or soon after the graduation date simply because you turned everything in by the deadline. If you need proof of degree completion, please plan to get all your materials submitted and defend your dissertation well before the final deadline. Please also contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs at the email address below so we are aware that you may need your degree requirements reviewed in an expedited manner. If you wait to tell us until after the deadline, we will not be able to do much to help speed the process for you.

Dissertation Formatting Requirements and Other Informational Guides:

• Doctoral Dissertation Formatting Requirements
• A Formatting Guide for Successful Completion of the Doctoral Dissertation
• Proquest's Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission
• Sample PhD Dissertation Template
• Helpful Information for Doctoral Students

Dissertation Submission In Six Steps:

The following guide presents the necessary steps involved in a doctoral candidate's dissertation submission as required by the Graduate School of Arts and Science. All candidates should check with their dissertation advisor and department administrator regarding additional departmental requirements.  Some additional helpful information regarding these steps and other graduation related issues that we are frequently asked about may be found in this document .

• The candidate must meet with his or her dissertation advisor to discuss research goals, timeframes, and scheduling of an oral defense. If an outside reader is being considered as part of the dissertation committee, the candidate's department must complete and sign the Outside Dissertation Reader Approval Form to include in the candidate's graduation file. 
• The candidate is required to register for graduation on Albert at least 3 months prior to the expected date of graduation. Application deadlines may be found here . Preliminary Dissertation Filing Steps
• One copy of the Title Page, unsigned. If you will need to have this electronically signed, please also submit to us the name and official University email address of your advisor and we will have this done. If you are gathering a physical signature, then only the unsigned Title Page is needed.
• Survey of Earned Doctorates, submit the completion certificate
• Dissertation Publishing Agreement submitted on the ProQuest site when you submit your preliminary dissertation. We do not need to receive a separate copy.
• Dissertation Abstract submitted on the ProQuest site when you submit your preliminary dissertation. We do not need to receive a separate copy.
• A candidate must upload his or her dissertation to ProQuest by the preliminary dissertation submission deadline . The preliminary dissertation submission will be reviewed for adherence to the formatting requirements, not content. (The dissertation advisor oversees content review.) Once the preliminary dissertation is reviewed, the candidate will receive an email notification that details formatting changes that need to be made before final submission. However, candidate do not have to wait for the preliminary dissertation review email, and should upload any new revision to their ProQuest account when it's ready. The latest revision on ProQuest will be reviewed.  Final Dissertation Filing Steps
• The candidate is advised to take the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form to the oral defense. The dissertation committee Chair and members sign the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form according to the result of the oral defense in the spaces provided and return it to the department administrator,  by the final dissertation deadline . You may not handle this form once committee members begin to sign. If gathering some or all physical signatures is not possible, the department administrator will help gather the remaining digital signature(s). The department administrator will then forward the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form to Office of the Registrar. If revisions to the dissertation are required by dissertation committee member(s), the Chair will retain the form until the revisions are made. 
• After editing the text to ensure it is consistent with the comments made during the defense and and any comments you may have received from the review of the preliminary dissertation upload, the candidate must upload a final dissertation to ProQuest by the final dissertation deadline , using the link provided after the preliminary dissertation review or by login to your ProQuest account. Occasionally such a large volume of dissertations may be submitted that we are unable to review the formatting for everyone before the final deadline date. The final dissertation filing date is for content only, so whether or not you have received formatting revisions, make sure you have uploaded the final version of your dissertation in regards to content by this date. If you and your committee are satisfied with the content of your initial upload, then there is no need to upload again until you have made any requested formatting corrections. You will have plenty of time to correct any formatting issues after the final deadline should you need it. If you elected to get a physical signature on your Title Page, you must also submit a signed copy at this time. Steps beyond dissertation submission
• The candidate should check with his/her department to ensure all degree requirements have been met, and the department have submitted the signed Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form  to the Office of the Registrar by the graduation deadline .
• The candidate should contact the Office of the Bursar to confirm that his/her account is not in arrears.
• The candidate should review his/her permanent address on Albert . Diplomas will be mailed to this address, unless the candidate indicated a specific diploma address. You may also elect to have your official or preferred name on your diploma at this time.

Note: Completion of these steps does not guarantee conferral of a candidate's degree. The final conferral decision rests with the Graduate School of Arts and Science and New York University's Office of the Registrar. After completing the final dissertation submission, candidates should contact the Office of the Registrar at [email protected] if there are any questions regarding graduation status or degree conferral.

Additional Resources:

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Contact Us:

The Office of Academic and Student Affairs is located at 6 Washington Square North, 2nd Floor. Questions regarding the dissertation submission procedure should be directed to Academic Affairs at [email protected] or by phone at 212-998-8060.

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Thesis & Dissertation Submission

Thesis / dissertation submission.

Information about the thesis and dissertation submission process can be found by navigating the topics below. The Academic Services Coordinator can be contacted via email at: [email protected]

Thesis/Dissertation Submission

The PhD dissertation represents independent scholarly work that makes an original contribution to knowledge. It is a demonstration that the PhD candidate has achieved  sufficient mastery in the field to pursue independent research and scholarship. A dissertation for a professional doctorate or a master’s thesis represents advanced scholarly work in keeping with the standards of the field.

Continuous Enrollment

When a program requires a dissertation or thesis, registration in dissertation or thesis coursework is required for at least two semesters. Enrollment in 594 Master’s Thesis or 794 Doctoral Dissertation ensures continuous enrollment until the thesis or dissertation has been submitted to the Graduate School. Degrees will be awarded in the semester in which all requirements have been met, including approval of the final version of the thesis or dissertation and submission of supporting documents with authorized signatures. Documents are processed and manuscripts are read in the order received.

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Spring Thesis Submission Deadline: Monday, May 6

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Thesis and Dissertation Credit

Thesis track master's students and all PhD students are required to submit their final thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School after the work has been successfully defended and deemed complete by the committee.  All students must complete  the submission process by the deadlines posted on the academic calendar for the desired semester of graduation. 

Details on the submission and formatting process can be found below.   The Graduate School has not prescribed a particular style to be followed in writing a thesis/dissertation. The style chosen must be appropriate to the student’s field of study. However, the Graduate School has adopted standards for form and organization. These standards are outlined in the formatting manual linked on this page.  

Formatting and Submission Resources

• Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Manual
• ProQuest Submission FAQ
• UNH Connors Writing Center
• Automatic Table of Contents
• Page Numbering
• Landscape Pages

Other Resources

• Intent to Graduate
• UNH Commencement
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The Graduate School offers a free formatting review to all students submitting a thesis or dissertation.  This review is not required, but is strongly suggested.  To obtain a review, please email your thesis/dissertation, either in PDF or with a sharing link, to [email protected] with 'Thesis Review' as the subject line. Reviews may take up to a week depending on the time of year. 

Students should become familiar with the formatting requirements that are outlined in the thesis manual .  The formatting specifications are based on universal formatting required by many colleges and universities around the country.  These requirements are also mandated by the publisher to ensure that all thesis and dissertations have a consistent format.

Students should not rely solely on previously bound copies of theses for answers on formatting issues. While bound copies may provide ideas for possible procedures, format requirements may have changed. If you have a question, please contact the Graduate School. 

The Graduate School does not create or host any formatting templates (Overleaf, LaTeX, etc.).  Any templates that may exist were created by prior students.  Students are advised caution when using previously created templates as formatting requirements may have changed. 

Final Submission

The final approved thesis/dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School through ProQuest via the UNH ETD Administrator website by the appropriate deadline as published in the Graduate School calendar. Publishing options include traditional publishing (free) as well as open access publishing (additional cost).  The benefits of each can be found on the ProQuest website.  Students can opt to embargo their thesis (hold publication) if needed, which will delay publishing for a specified period of time.  Bound copies are available for purchase through ProQuest at the time of submission. Students should check with their department to determine if a bound copy is required. All fees are to be paid by the student at the time of submission.

Students are advised not to wait until the last minute to submit their work. Submissions must be received by the published deadline for your intended graduation term unless the Graduate School has granted an extension. The specific deadline for submission for each graduation date is published on the UNH Academic Calendar as well as on our calendar page .

*Under no circumstances will a submission be accepted after the graduation date has passed.

The final version of the thesis must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School via the secure UNH ProQuest ETD Administrator website: http://www.etdadmin.com/unh . Submissions should be made only after a student has successfully passed the defense and has made all the necessary corrections required by their committee. In addition to the ProQuest submission, students will also need to submit the Thesis Submission Form as well as a copy of their signed signature page to the Graduate School Dean's Office .  

ProQuest Thesis/Dissertation submission: Submit the completed and approved thesis/dissertation through ProQuest.  You will be able to choose from two publishing options and will be able to purchase bound copies if desired.

Signature Page: The signature page is created by the student and should be based on the sample template that we provide in the thesis formatting manual.  This page should be signed by all committee members as confirmation that the thesis/dissertation has been approved.  As we understand that not all faculty may be local or able to sign in person, digital or otherwise electronic signatures are permitted.  A hard copy signature page is not required.  The final page should be submitted to the Graduate School as  PDF file. 

Final Submission Form: This form/checklist, found linked at the top of this page, is to be filled out and submitted by the student as confirmation that all steps in the process have been completed.

The submission form and signature page can be submitted as PDF files to [email protected] (preferred).  Pages can also be submitted in person or mailed to the Graduate School Dean's Office in Thompson Hall.

These materials can be submitted in any order.  Once all materials have been received the Graduate School will review the submission.  If there are changes needed, the student will be notified and will be able to make the necessary changes and resubmit.

Students can choose between Traditional Publishing (no cost) or Open Access Publishing.  More information about the publishing options can be found on the ProQuest website at the time of submission.   All publishing fees are the responsibility of the student. 

Thesis/dissertation submissions will be sent for publishing after all degrees are awarded.  Publishing normally takes 8-10 weeks.  Once published, the thesis/dissertations will be made available online through ProQuest as well as through the UNH Library Scholar's Repository.  

Note: If the student opted for an embargo, then release will not be completed until the embargo expires.  In the case of an infinite embargo, the submission will never be made available. 

Students can request bound copies at the time of submission.  The Graduate School does not require students to purchase copies to complete the submission process.  However, some departments may still require/request copies.  Students can select any format for personal bound copies, however, for university use the 8 1/2 x 11 hardcover is recommended.  Payment for any bound copies is the responsibility of the student. 

After publication, bound copies will be printed and mailed to the address the student provided at the time of submission. Students can also order additional bound copies at any time through the ProQuest portal once publication is completed. 

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

A thesis requires the completion of between 6-10 thesis credits.  Some departments have more specific requirements.  Students who enrolled for more than 10 credits will need to work with the Graduate School to withdraw the excess credits.  

Once the thesis is approved and submitted the department will submit a request to award the CR grade for thesis completion.  The Graduate School monitors thesis grades closely, but it is not unusual for thesis grades to remain incomplete until immediately before the degree is awarded. 

PhD students are required to register for Doctoral Research (999) each semester until their degree is awarded.  Once the dissertation is submitted and approved the department will submit a request to award the CR grade for the dissertation.  Please note that only the most recent registration of 999 will be given a CR.  All other registrations will have a IA grade. 

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Thesis and Dissertation Guide

• « Thesis & Dissertation Resources
• The Graduate School Home

• Introduction
• Copyright Page
• Dedication, Acknowledgements, Preface (optional)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Symbols
• Non-Traditional Formats
• Font Type and Size
• Spacing and Indentation
• Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
• Formatting Previously Published Work
• Internet Distribution
• Open Access
• Registering Copyright
• Using Copyrighted Materials
• Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials

Submission Steps

• Submission Checklist
• Sample Pages

IV. Submission

A Checklist and Sample Pages are provided at the end of this Guide. To expedite the submission process, your work must conform to these guidelines before you submit your document electronically . Please take time before submission to review and comply with these guidelines. You will be required to resubmit your document if revisions are needed, which delays your graduation clearance processing.

Read and follow all information on The Graduate School's Electronic Thesis and Dissertation website.

Completed theses and dissertations must be submitted by the deadlines posted on the Graduation Deadlines website . You are encouraged to submit your document as early as possible to provide ample time for necessary revisions before graduation.

You need to successfully apply to graduate in ConnectCarolina before submitting your document. Your Committee Composition and Exam Report forms (with all approval signatures) should be submitted to The Graduate School before submitting your document.

The time between initial submission and final approval by The Graduate School may also vary due to factors such as proximity to deadlines and your projected graduation date. You will be contacted once your thesis or dissertation has been reviewed by The Graduate School, and you are expected to submit required revisions in a timely manner; please see further details below. Please continue to monitor your email account for notifications until the document is approved.

• Create an account on the ProQuest submission site . Be sure to use an email address that you check regularly (including your junk/spam folder) to prevent delays in communication that will impact graduation clearance. Once the account is created, you can use it to log in and complete the following steps at any time.
• Read and review the information on the ProQuest Instructions page to answer any questions that you may have as you prepare to submit your thesis or dissertation.
• You may convert your document to a PDF a number of ways. You may use the conversion tool provided on the submission site. Other options include using Adobe software (available on campus) or programs and applications such as Microsoft Word 2010 that allow you to print to PDF or save files as a PDF.
• If converted properly, the conversion to PDF format should not affect the quality of the original document.
• See the ProQuest submission site PDF FAQs for more information.
• Review the ProQuest Publishing Options page and select the appropriate publishing options for you. For more information about publishing options, see the section on Distribution above. Select Save & Continue.
• Read and agree to the ProQuest Traditional Publishing Agreement .
• Provide the requested contact information. Be sure to include current, accurate information so that ProQuest and The Graduate School can contact you about your submission. Select Save & Continue.
• Pay careful attention to capitalization and spelling, as this information will be displayed online exactly as it is entered. The keywords and abstract information that you enter will be used to provide online database access to your thesis or dissertation, so accuracy is important.
• Please review the section on your Abstract when submitting this information, especially the tips on keywords and word limits.
• Acceptable media types and information about supplemental files can be found on the ProQuest FAQ page.
• The Graduate School recommends using common file formats that do not require specialized software to open and use. This will increase the likelihood of readers having ready access to the contents of your supplemental files as they review your entire thesis or dissertation.
• The Graduate School recommends that you take care to identify supplemental files as your own. If possible, embed your name and document information within the file contents. You are also encouraged to include your name as a part of the file name. When supplemental files are made accessible online, the file name and the specific contents of the file are the only way to identify to whom the work belongs.
• Electronic file size is limited to 1000 MB total of all files added together. Files can be uploaded in zipped folders.
• Although the ProQuest submission site discusses mailing in documents with very large supplementary files on a CD, DVD, or USB drive, UNC-Chapel Hill will not accept submissions in this manner.
• Choose whether or not you would like ProQuest to file a copyright on your behalf. Please see the section on Registering Copyright for more information. Select Save & Continue.
• Please note The Graduate School cannot take responsibility for your printing job.
• You may order your copies through the ProQuest site at the time of submission or at a later date.
• The Print Stop and Copy Center in the UNC Student Stores will also send documents out to a library bindery on behalf of students. The Print Stop handles payments, provides on-campus customer service, and takes care of the shipping and order tracking. For more information, visit the Print Stop on the third floor of Student Stores or call 919-962-7016.
• You may also find other companies online that offer printing or binding services for theses and dissertations.
• Pay for any applicable fees with a credit card. Expect your card to be charged after you graduate.
• Submit your document by selecting the Submit Dissertation/Thesis button.
• Allow sufficient time for The Graduate School staff to review your document, generally within ten business days of submission. You will be notified via email if revisions are needed, and you must complete all required revisions in a timely manner, usually within 72 hours. Be sure to include an email address that you check regularly in the contact information requested by ProQuest. This email address will be used to contact you with revisions and final approval.
• Once you receive notice that The Graduate School has accepted the final document, no revisions or re-submissions are accepted.

For more details about submission, please visit The Graduate School's Electronic Thesis and Dissertation site and the Frequently Asked Questions on the ProQuest site.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update

On March 11 th  the University announced that beginning March 16 th  instruction for all students will be moving to a remote delivery format. Graduate students enrolled in resident courses should plan on participating remotely, and not coming to campus specifically for face-to-face instruction. Learn more at gradschool.psu.edu/covid19 .

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Thesis and Dissertation Information

•  /  Complete Your Degree
•  /  Thesis and Dissertation Information

The Graduate School, the University Libraries, and the graduate faculty of Penn State have established format standards that a thesis or dissertation must meet before receiving final approval as fulfillment of a graduate requirement. The Office of Theses and Dissertations is the unit of the Graduate School responsible for certifying that theses and dissertations have been prepared in accordance with these established regulations.

Every thesis and dissertation must be reviewed by the Office of Theses and Dissertations for format only and are not edited for spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Master's papers are not reviewed by the Office of Theses and Dissertations.

When a thesis or dissertation is submitted to the Office of Theses and Dissertations, it must meet the formatting and deadline requirements set forth in the Thesis and Dissertation Handbook . All doctoral dissertations and master's theses must be submitted electronically. For more information on electronic theses and dissertations (eTDs), visit the eTD website .

The following forms are available in Adobe PDF and accessible Microsoft Word (DOC) format. The Word documents are designed to be used specifically with screen reader technology.  Please use the PDF versions of these forms unless you require the use of screen reader technology.

You may need to download the latest version of  Adobe Acrobat reader  (free) to view and print the PDF documents.

Submission Requirements

• Thesis and Dissertation Handbook
• Thesis, Dissertation, Performance, and Oral Presentation Calendar
• Copying and Binding
• The Most Common Mistakes
• How To Submit a Doctoral Dissertation
• How To Submit a Master's Thesis
• Format Review Instructions
• Acknowledgement of Federal Funding
• Pay thesis fee ($10) or dissertation fee ($50)

Supporting Materials

• Survey of Earned Doctorates

Templates 

The templates for Thesis and Dissertations are available in OneDrive . Please use the "Download" option from this page to download the required template(s) to use as your local working document.  There is no need to open the file in your browser or request any additional access to the files.

The Statistical Consulting Center gives advice to graduate students working on thesis research. The Graduate Writing Center  provides consultation to graduate students in all disciplines.

Information about using LaTeX is available from the University Libraries .

Information about the Graduate School's commencement ceremony .

Questions about theses, dissertations, or Graduate School commencement should be directed to:

Office of Theses and Dissertations 115 Kern Graduate Building University Park, PA 16802 Phone: 814-865-1795

• The Graduate School >
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Electronic Thesis & Dissertation (ETD) Guidelines

As a requirement for graduation, master’s students who complete a thesis and all PhD and EdD students must electronically submit their thesis/dissertation to the Graduate School via the ETD Administrator site . Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations are stored electronically and accessible in perpetuity through the UB Institutional Repository (UBIR) and ProQuest's dissertations and theses database .

Deadlines and Required Documents

In addition to your master’s thesis/doctoral dissertation, submit the following:

• Doctoral degree recipients surveys  (two surveys required for PhD students only).
• Embargo form (if requesting delayed release).

Visit the ETD Administrator website to begin.

Required Format for Electronic Thesis & Dissertation

Your thesis/dissertation must adhere to the formatting guidelines detailed below.   Using the ETD Template (although not required) is an easy way to ensure your document is formatted correctly.

Choosing a Style Manual

When beginning to construct your thesis or dissertation, the very first step is to choose the style appropriate to your specific discipline. If you are unsure what style is appropriate, confer with your advisor and/or department. Be sure to follow the chosen style consistently throughout the document. Listed below are websites of a few widely recognized style manuals:

• American Psychological Association
• Modern Language Association
• University of Chicago, Chicago Manual of Style

Creating an Accessible Document

The University at Buffalo is committed to ensuring equal access to information that is presented online as per UB's Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Policy . As part of this commitment, university web content must be accessible to everyone, including individuals with physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments, with or without the use of assistive technology.

Refer to Microsoft's Accessibility Guide and the UB's ETD Template to help create an accessible document that includes:

• Alternative text for all visuals, including pictures, graphics and charts.
• Meaningful hyperlinked text.
• Logical semantic (heading) structure.
• Logical table structure with proper table headings.

Formatting the Document

The ETD Template can be used to help format your document. Keep in mind the following:

• Font Size:  Select fonts between 10 and 12 characters per inch. Smaller or larger fonts are generally too hard to read and should be avoided. Use the same font style and print size throughout the document.
• Pagination:  The title page is to be  unnumbered,  but should be counted as “page 1”. With the exception of the title page, all of the pages in your document should be numbered, including the principal text, all tables, diagrams, maps, etc. Roman numerals (I, II, III) should be used on the preliminary pages and Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) are used on the pages that follow the abstract.
• Page Numbering Placement:  Generally the page number is placed in the upper right, lower right or bottom center of the page. Regardless of where you place the page numbers, be sure they are consistent throughout the document.
• Spacing:  Use double-spacing consistently throughout the document, except for long quotations, footnotes and endnotes, which are typically single-spaced. Check your selected style manual for further details on spacing.
• Blank Pages:  There should be no blank pages in your PDF. If you wish to leave a blank page, it must be labeled as follows: “This Page Intentionally Left Blank”.

The Title Page

The  ETD Template can be used to help format your (required) title page. Keep in mind the following:

• Do not number the title page. While it is technically Roman numeral i, the number is not displayed on the page itself. 
• The title page must follow the format in the ETD Template.
• Be sure to use your department's official name and your full legal name.
• The title on your manuscript must match the approved title on your M-form.
• When possible, incorporate word substitutes for formulae and symbols.

Page Order and Page Numbering

The ETD Template can be used to help format your document. Your document should adhere the following prescribed order.

• Title page (required).
• Copyright page (required).  The copyright page is required but you are not mandated to file or pay for a copyright. The date of your defense should be listed on the title page and a copyright page follows the title page in the following format. In the center lower third of the page, just above the bottom margin, type the following (*the Roman numeral ii is to be centered at the bottom of the page).

                        Copyright                   Center your name             Center the conferral year                  All Rights Reserved

                              (ii)*

        For reference, a visual of the Copyright page can be found on page ii of the ETD template.

• Dedication and/or acknowledgments pages (optional).  If you decide to have an acknowledgment section, be sure not to omit any members of your committee. While this section is optional, if included, it should be numbered with Roman numerals.
• Table of contents (required).  The table of contents (TOC) page(s) should also be numbered with Roman numerals. Include the dedication/acknowledgment, abstract and any lists within the TOC. Do not include the title page, the copyright page or the TOC page(s). While a TOC is required, it may follow any format acceptable to your advisor and committee as long as it includes all main divisions and subdivisions within your text and the format is consistent.
• Lists of tables, figures, illustrations, charts and graphs (optional).  Follow the format used for your TOC. Use a separate page for each type of list. Be sure to number with the appropriate Roman numerals.
• Abstract (required).  The abstract page should be numbered with the appropriate Roman numeral. An abstract of your thesis or dissertation is required. It should be a succinct and concise narrative description of your work. Briefly state your topic or problem, describe the procedures and methods you used and summarize your findings or conclusions. Do not use tables, graphs or figures in your abstract.
• Chapters or main divisions of the document (required).  The text should be double-spaced and each page must be numbered consecutively beginning with the number 1. As you turn the content of your research into a professional document, be sure to use a writing style appropriate to your subject and discipline. The document also needs to consistently follow acceptable standards of punctuation, spelling and format. See the "Choose a Style Manual" of this guide for a listing of familiar style manuals. Check with your advisor and department for their recommendation. Be sure chapter titles and subheadings follow your style manual. It is best to include tables or other illustrative materials as necessary in the main body of the document when they are essential to the text.
• Subheadings.  For clarity and flow, it is best not to begin any subheadings or other divisions on separate pages unless the preceding page is filled. If the subheading falls at the very end of a page, move it to the next page unless at least two lines of text can follow the subheading on that page. Be sure to keep subheadings consistent in position and style throughout the document.
• Footnotes/Endnotes.  Place footnotes, if used, at the bottom of the appropriate page, at the end of each chapter or at the end of the document. Refer to the style manual you have chosen. Notes are usually single-spaced. If you group your notes at the end of each chapter, begin them on the first page following the text of that chapter. Also begin the first page in each note section with the heading “Endnotes to Chapter___” or “Notes to Chapter___.”
• Appendix (if applicable).  Appendices are used when you wish to add materials (such as charts, graphs, surveys, etc.) not essential to the text. The appendix is generally placed before the bibliography or references section, and after the last page of the last chapter of text. These pages also need to be numbered. Remember to include a list of appendices in your preliminary pages if you have more than one appendix.
• Bibliography or references (required).  The bibliography or list of references should be single-spaced for each entry and then double-spaced between entries. Group all entries in strict alphabetical order or in another way that seems appropriate to your research and helpful to your readers. Be sure to use the format that is consistent with the format style approved by your advisor and committee. These pages must be numbered as well.

Final Check:  Review your document carefully to be sure it is correctly formatted, that all spelling and grammar is correct, and that the document is totally free of errors. Check that there are no blank pages, omitted paragraphs or missing sections. Be sure the preliminary pages of your document are in the proper order and the pagination is correct.

Converting the Document to a PDF

Electronic submission of your thesis or dissertation in PDF format is mandatory. When you are ready to submit your PDF document, go to the ETD Administrator website .

Write your document as you normally would any other research paper while keeping in mind the following tips on how to format your thesis or dissertation in a PDF-friendly manner, to ensure that your later conversion from MS Word, LaTeX, etc., will go smoothly. Refer to the  ProQuest Support Center  for more tips and helpful hints.

• Spacing and pagination:  Use tabs instead of a series of spaces to align text. Insert page breaks instead of a series of paragraphs to start a new page. Use section breaks to change the format between pages in the document. Use your preferred software for creating tables of contents and cross-references to ensure that pagination is consistent even if the generation of the PDF file causes the pages to shift slightly. 
• Fonts:  We recommend using standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial. If using unusual fonts, be sure to use embeddable Type 1 or TrueType fonts. 
• Graphics:  JPEG, TIFF, PNG or other appropriate file formats can be added. When possible, it is best to use a high resolution such as 600 dpi. Avoid using graphic editors that are part of a word processor. 
• Equations:  Microsoft Word users should not use Word's Equation Editor. Instead, use italic Times Roman font and Symbol font, along with superscripts and subscripts to create equations.
• Orientation:  Portrait, rather than landscape, orientation is preferred. Utilize standard 8 ½” x 11” page size. Avoid including multiple book pages on one single PDF page, as this will diminish appearance and printing quality.
• Supplemental files (optional):  Supplemental files (images, data, etc.) that are an integral part of the thesis or dissertation, but not part of the full-text should be uploaded along with your PDF during the submission process. Supplemental files should be titled according to the following naming convention: Supplemental_File_Title (i.e., no spaces or punctuation marks in the file name. You may use dashes or underscores).

Need more help?

The ETD Preparation Workshop explains how to properly format your ETD, how to use the ETD Template, tips for creating an accessible document and more.

I submitted my ETD, what's next?

The Graduate School reviews submissions in the order they are received. You'll receive a decision email from [email protected] within one to two weeks.

Decisions  include "accepted" (which requires no additional action by you) or "minor revisions required" (which requires you to complete the outlined revisions). As long as you have submitted your ETD by the published deadline, you have met the deadline.

Approved ETDs are viewable on ProQuest and in the UBIR approximately 10 to 12 weeks after degree conferral (unless an embargo was approved).

Additional Resources

Etd public access and embargo policies.

Per UB's  Public Access of Theses and Dissertations policy , after your degree is awarded, your thesis or dissertation will be delivered to and available in perpetuity through the  UB Institutional Repository (UBIR)  and to ProQuest, where your document will be microfilmed, indexed and stored in  ProQuest’s dissertations and theses database , the world’s largest recognized repository of graduate student research. When you submit your thesis or dissertation as a requirement for conferral of your degree, you are granting a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free perpetual license to the University at Buffalo, as set forth in the Public Access Agreement, which you will sign during the ETD submission process.

If you wish to delay the release of your thesis or dissertation because it contains proprietary data or has patents pending, you must submit an  Request for Embargo (Delayed Release) of Thesis or Dissertation  to the Graduate School at the time of your ETD submission. Please review the Graduate School's  Embargo (Delayed Release) of Thesis and Dissertation policy  for more information.

Fees Associated With the ETD Submission Process

There is no fee for ETD submission and cataloging through the UBIR.

Traditional publishing through ProQuest is free. If you select the ProQuest Open Access publishing option and/or request that ProQuest file copyright on your behalf, there will be associated fees. Open access publishing is $95, copyright filing is $75. Payments will be made via credit card directly to ProQuest during the online ETD submission process.

ProQuest Publishing Options

For publishing with ProQuest, you may choose traditional publishing or open access publishing.

• Traditional publishing  gives ProQuest the right to sell copies of your published thesis and to provide you (the author) with royalties from such sales.
• Open access publishing  provides the broadest means of free and complete access of the thesis or dissertation to students and scholars worldwide. For a comparison of these options, see the  ProQuest Publishing Options Guide .

Copyrighting:  You can choose whether or not to copyright your thesis or dissertation. Copyrighting protects your rights as the author. These rights include the ability to make copies of the work, to distribute them, to make derivative works or to perform or display the work. By copyrighting your thesis or dissertation, you can control the rights to it or may authorize others (i.e., a publisher) to exercise those rights. The copyright will be in effect for your lifetime plus an additional 50 years. You should consult with your advisor and discuss this issue before making your decision.

ProQuest can act as your agent with the Library of Congress Copyright office when your thesis or dissertation is submitted. This is done only if you specifically request such services from ProQuest when you submit your ETD. Please note that it is only mandatory to digitize your thesis or dissertation, while copyrighting is optional. Alternatively, you may apply for copyright registration by filing directly through the  U.S. Copyright Office .

Since theses and dissertations involve considerable effort on the part of the major professor (and sometimes other faculty members) as well as the student, you should make arrangements for publication and/or copyrighting only after consulting with your major professor and committee members.

If you have questions about the ETD submission process or the ETD template, please contact us by phone at 716-645-2939 or by email at [email protected] .

Checklist: Submitting My Dissertation or Thesis

Main navigation.

The following checklist includes all items that should be prepared in order to complete the submission of your dissertation or thesis, using the Axess Dissertation and Thesis Center  

We recommend that you take all necessary steps in order to upload your dissertation or thesis in time to meet all of the applicable posted deadlines and give your Final Reader plenty of time to approve the dissertation or thesis once it has been uploaded.

Prior to Online Submission

• Enroll in the quarter for which you intend to submit
• File online “Application to Graduate” through Axess by the appropriate deadline.
• Submit Reading Committee Signature Page requirement online.
• If a committee member is missing, or has been assigned an incorrect role, meet with your department who maintains reading committees and changes permitted within policy.
• For thesis: The name of your Thesis Advisor and designate them as your Final Reader.
• Confirm with your department that your candidacy is valid through your degree conferral date.
• Confirm with your department that you have completed all required university Milestones .
• Review Copyright Considerations for Authors of Electronic Theses and Dissertations . Discuss embargo and other release options with your co-authors and advisor before preparing the submission online.
• For students submitting a dissertation: Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates .

During Online Submission 

Ensure your electronic dissertation or thesis is formatted following these guidelines:

• One electronic copy of the dissertation or thesis in PDF format.
• For D.M.A Composition students, score page size is 11" x 17".
• Type size 10, 11, or 12 point. Smaller fonts are acceptable for tables, captions, etc. 
• Font style is New Times Roman. If applicable, mathematic/scientific notation fonts are embedded in the PDF file.
• Line spacing of dissertation or thesis text is 1.5 or 2.
• Margins are 1.5 inches on the binding edge and 1 inch on all other sides.
• Text is divided correctly.
• Title page is formatted correctly.
• No signature page or copyright page is included.
• Pagination begins with the first page of the Abstract (page “iv” or if formatted for double-sided printing with the Abstract to appear on the right page, then pagination begins with a blank page as page "iv"). Pagination is continuous and placement of numbers is consistent throughout the manuscript.
• Dissertation contains no multimedia or large images embedded into the PDF file.
• The dissertation or thesis is ready-for-publication in appearance. All pages and sections are in order.
• The dissertation or thesis contains no unnumbered pages, except for the title page which is unpaginated, but is assumed page 'i'.
• PDF file size does not exceed 1 GB.
• PDF file has no encryption or other security measures applied.
• One version of the abstract, containing no special text formatting or HTML, entered into an online submission form.
• File size(s) do not exceed 1 GB. 
• Short description or label is applied to each file after upload. 
• Maximum 20 supplemental files.
• Agree to Stanford University publication license.
• Optional: Limit amount of dissertation or thesis content available via third-party distributors.
• Optional: Creative Commons license selected and applied.
• Optional: Delayed release (embargo) of the dissertation or thesis.
• Written permission from the appropriate copyright holder(s) to reproduce any copyrighted material in the dissertation or thesis. Each letter is formatted and uploaded as a single PDF file. Maximum 10 permission files.

After Online Submission

• Confirm via Axess that your designated Final Reader certifies the submission by noon of the final submission deadline date .
• For students submitting a dissertation, if you haven't done so already: Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates .

Thesis/Dissertation Submission

Congratulations on the completion of your thesis/dissertation! 

Please follow the steps below to ensure the efficient processing of your thesis/dissertation and conferral of your degree. The Office of Student Records and Registrar Services cannot confer your degree until your thesis/dissertation has been submitted and accepted by the Graduate School.

• Prepare your thesis/dissertation to the appropriate standards
• Submit your thesis/dissertation electronically
• Submit Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) -  doctoral students only
• Submit processing fees
• Check your email for notifications

You must complete the first three steps by the   thesis/dissertation submission deadline .

1. Prepare your thesis/dissertation to the appropriate standards.

Please consult with your department or faculty advisor to determine whether you should defend your thesis/dissertation before submitting it electronically. Remember to consider the deadlines.

Use the thesis/dissertation formatting guide and sample below to prepare your thesis/dissertation to meet the formatting requirements. All submissions must adhere to the formatting guidelines. 

• Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Guide
• Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Webinar Recording

Please note that these are visual aids for your reference. If you need assistance with your word processing software, we recommend using online tutorials designed for your software.

The formatting guide covers the following topics:

• Manual of style
• General page formatting (including page margins, font size and color, hand lettering and corrections)
• Sequence of pages (page order)
• Page numbering
• Tables and figures
• Illustrative materials
• Specific page layouts (title page, copyright notice, committee page, etc.)

Below, please find helpful video tutorials for some of the most commonly asked questions about formatting your thesis/dissertation, including how to set page margins. Please refer to the Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Guide above for complete formatting requirements when preparing your thesis/dissertation.

• Setting page margins for your document
• Setting margins for your title and headings

2. Submit your thesis/dissertation electronically.

Binghamton University archives theses and dissertations electronically through ProQuest/University Microfilms International (UMI).*

Have the following items ready before you begin the submission process:

• Full text of your thesis or dissertation in PDF format in one file.   It is generally advisable to convert your own work to PDF format before beginning the electronic submission process. If your manuscript is in Word or RTF format, you may convert it to PDF format on the ProQuest/UMI website.
• ProQuest/UMI abstract.  The ProQuest/UMI abstract may be an edited version of the full abstract in the document.
• Optional supplementary files   (images, sound, etc.) that are an integral part of the dissertation, but not part of the full text.

Go to the  ProQuest/UMI website . Follow the instructions for submitting your document.

• Register at the website.
• Enter basic information about you and your work.
• Complete the non-exclusive publishing agreement.
• Attach your document.
• Click "Submit." The submission is not registered until you click "Submit."

During the submission process, you may request that ProQuest/UMI file on your behalf for copyright for a fee, payable directly to ProQuest/UMI. However, even without registering the thesis/dissertation with the federal copyright office, the copyright notice on the page following the title page is sufficient to effect a copyright for the author.

You may also order bound hard copies of your thesis/dissertation through ProQuest/UMI. Please note that some departments/programs require students to purchase at least one bound hard copy of the thesis/dissertation to be archived with the department. Check with your department for details. See the   Graduate School Manual   for a list of departments/programs that have informed the Graduate School that they do not require bound hard copies.

3. Submit Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) -  doctoral students only.

After submitting your dissertation electronically, please submit the following:

• Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)   - mandatory for all doctoral students. Completion of the survey will be emailed to the Graduate School.

4. Submit processing fees. 

The thesis/dissertation processing fees cover electronic submission; indexing and abstract services; microfilming and archiving; and digital storage and access. The thesis processing fee is $85 (USD) and the dissertation processing fee is $100 (USD). You will receive an email with a link to pay your processing fee when your thesis/dissertation has been fully accepted by the Graduate School .

5. Check your email for notifications.

The Graduate School will review your thesis/dissertation and will notify you via email if your submission has been accepted or if your submission requires formatting revisions.

If your submission requires formatting revisions, submit revisions electronically on the ProQuest/UMI website. The Graduate School recommends that you submit revisions in a timely manner (within 1 week of receiving the notification of the need for revisions). The Graduate School must receive revisions in order to accept your thesis/dissertation and, ultimately, to confer your degree. 

Contact the Graduate School at   [email protected] .

Please also refer to the   Graduate School Manual .

*Among its many advantages, electronic archival allows students to include multimedia in their projects, revise their theses/dissertations long-distance, spend less on photocopying and storage costs, and—most importantly—reach a larger audience. Prior to electronic archival, most hard copy dissertations only received a few library requests each semester. Now, Binghamton University's theses and dissertations are downloaded electronically hundreds of times each year. By archiving with UMI, all theses and dissertations receive double-protection archiving (microfilm and digital) and FREE full-text access to the Binghamton University community. In addition, the Library of Congress retains full rights to the UMI collection.

UMI will prepare archival digital copies and microfilm copies, both of which are maintained in perpetuity and migrated to new storage media as necessary, in accord with UMI's contract with the Library of Congress. UMI then disseminates your work to various bibliographic databases and indexes and publishes a full-text copy of your work on a website available to the Binghamton University community. Readers outside of Binghamton University may find your dissertation and purchase copies directly from UMI.

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Last Updated: 1/22/24

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Dissertations and Theses

The dissertation is the hallmark of the research expertise demonstrated by a doctoral student. It is a scholarly contribution to knowledge in the student’s area of specialization. By researching and writing a dissertation, the student is expected to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and the capability to function as an independent scholar. 

A thesis is a hallmark of some master’s programs. It is a piece of original research, generally less comprehensive than a dissertation, and is meant to show the student’s knowledge of an area of specialization.  

Document Preparation

PhD and master’s students are responsible for meeting all requirements for preparing theses and dissertations. They are expected to confer with their advisors about disciplinary and program expectations and to follow Graduate School procedure requirements.

The Graduate School’s format review is in place to help the document submission process go smoothly for the student. Format reviews for PhD dissertations and master’s theses can be done remotely or in-person. The format review is required at or before the two-week notice of the final defense. 

Access and Distribution

Ohio State has agreements with two organizations— OhioLINK   and   ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing —that store and provide access to Ohio State theses and dissertations.  

Examinations

Graduate degree examinations are a major milestone in all graduate students’ pursuit of their graduate degree. Much hinges on the successful completion of these examinations, including the ability to continue in a graduate program. 

The rules and processes set by the Graduate School ensure the integrity of these examinations for graduate students, the graduate faculty, and for Ohio State. 

Final Semester

During your final semester as a graduate student there are many activities that lead up to commencement and receiving your degree. Complete the final semester checklist and learn more about commencement activities.

Graduation Calendar

Select your expected graduation term below to see specific dates concerning when to apply for graduation, complete your examinations and reports, submit approved thesis and dissertation, commencement, and the end-of semester deadline.

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : January 26, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : April 12, 2024

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : April 19, 2024

Commencement 4  : May 5, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : May 6, 2024

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : May 24, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : July 12, 2024

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : July 19, 2024

Commencement 4  : August 4, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : August 19, 2024

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : September 6, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : November 22, 2024

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : November 27, 2024

Commencement 4  : December 15, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : January 3, 2025

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : January 24, 2025

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : April 11, 2025

Approved thesis and dissertation submitted and accepted by 3  : April 18, 2025

Commencement 4  : May 4, 2025

End of Semester Deadline 5  : May 5, 2025

1  Applications to graduate include current semester or End-of-Semester deadline. Applications must be received by close of business.

2 Format reviews may occur electronically or in person at the Graduate School during announced business hours.  Both options require submitting a digital version of the dissertation or DMA document draft in a PDF format to  [email protected] .  

3  Approved documents must be submitted via OhioLINK and accepted by the Graduate School by the close of business before the Report on Final Document will be processed.

4  Students not attending commencement must complete the commencement section on the Application to Graduate to indicate how their diploma should be disbursed.

5  A degree applicant who does not meet published graduation deadlines but who does complete all degree requirements by the last business day prior to the first day of classes for the following semester or summer term will graduate the following semester or summer term without registering or paying fees

Still Have Questions?

Dissertations & Theses 614-292-6031 [email protected]

Doctoral Exams, Master's Examination, Graduation Requirements 614-292-6031 [email protected]

Dissertation Format and Submission

• Format Guidelines
• Dissertation Submission
• Getting Survey Permissions
• Help Videos

Submit to Vireo

Institutional Repository

The University of Houston-Clear Lake requires all dissertations to be published as part of each student's graduation. Dissertations are to be submitted through the Vireo Thesis & Dissertation Submission System at  https://uhcl-etd.tdl.org/ . Electronic copies of dissertations will be open access and globally available through the Neumann Library Institutional Repository at  https://uhcl-ir.tdl.org/uhcl-ir/ , hosted by the Texas Digital Library. Print dissertations are not required and will not be accepted.

Before submission, you are required to conform to all formatting requirements, embed fonts and convert your document to PDF, and scan and save the signed signature page. See the full Format & Submission Guidelines for Dissertations below.

Preparing to Submit Your Dissertation

• Embed fonts & convert to PDF
• Scan & save signature page
• Register for an ORCID ID
• Delay of Publication (embargo)
• Copyright  

You will need to embed your fonts inside your Microsoft Word document, and then convert the document to a PDF file (you will still be able to retain the Word file as a separate document). Do not submit your Word document in Vireo.

Please use one of the below documents to help you complete this step.

Name the document file with the following three elements in all capital letters, separated by a hyphen: year of graduation, semester of graduation, DOCTORALDISSERTATION, your last name. For instance:

2021-FALL-DOCTORALDISSERTATION-WILLIAMS.pdf

• Embedding Fonts and Converting to PDF in Windows OS: Word 2019
• Embedding Fonts and Converting to PDF in Mac OS: 2019 Created by Boston College Libraries

You will need to scan one of your signature pages to be uploaded in Vireo along with your dissertation. The signed signature page should be saved as a separate PDF from the dissertation PDF. The Neumann Library has scanners that are free to use, and we will be happy to help you with this step if needed.

Name the signature page file with the following three elements in all capital letters, separated by a hyphen: year of graduation, semester of graduation, DISSERTATIONSIGNATUREPAGE, your last name. For instance:

2021-FALL-DISSERTATIONSIGNATUREPAGE-WILLIAMS.pdf

This page will be archived, but will not be publicly available to protect the signatures of the signing parties. The signature page with blank signature lines will be used in the publicly available version.

This step is optional but highly encouraged.

Register for an ORCID ID at  http://orcid.org/. Registration is free.

ORCID provides a persistent numeric identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher. ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers.

Connect your ORCID ID to your thesis or dissertation so that users can easily locate your work in cases of:

• name ambiguity: other authors have the same or similar name as you
• inconsistent use of initials across publications (e.g., Katherine Patterson, K. Patterson, K.E. Patterson)
• use of different names across publications (e.g., maiden name or other name change)
• misspelling of name by publisher or indexing service

All dissertations will eventually be available to the public. At the time of submittal in Vireo, you have the option to release the manuscript immediately, or to embargo (delay) the full-text availability for a limited time for publishing/patenting purposes. You may embargo your dissertation for either 6 months, 1 year, or 2 years. If you do not choose to embargo the dissertation, it will be made available within a month after graduation. 

Generally, in order to publish journal articles or books from your dissertation or thesis, the publisher will require significant revisions; for instance, the language may need to be condensed and modified to suit the journal's reader base, the format will need to conform to the publisher's specifications, and the peer reviewers may suggest rewriting or rethinking portions of the work. For these reasons, many publishers do not regard theses and dissertations as prior publications, and will publish articles and books based on those works without requiring the dissertation to be embargoed. Review the policies of publishers you intend to work with, and speak with your Committee Chair.

You are the copyright owner of your thesis or dissertation, regardless of whether you choose to register it with the U.S. Copyright Office. As copyright owner, you have a bundle of rights, enumerated in the United States Copyright Law . 

When submitting your thesis or dissertation, you are asked to agree to a license to grant the Texas Digital Library, UHCL, and your academic department "the non-exclusive rights to copy, display, perform, distribute and publish the content I submit to this repository...and to make the Work available in any format in perpetuity as part of a TDL, Institution or Department repository communication or distribution effort."

Non-exclusive rights allow us to archive, preserve, and make your work available but do not give us ownership over your work. You retain copyright of your work, and can still exercise all of your rights under copyright. Because the license is non-exclusive, you still have the right to publish the work yourself, or transfer exclusive rights to another publisher.

See this Copyright FAQ for general information about copyright: link will be provided

Using materials copyrighted by others If you use copyrighted material in your dissertation beyond the extent covered by fair use, you must obtain the written permission of the copyright holder and upload the permission letter with your dissertation. 

Using your previously publications in your ETD If you have already published portions of your dissertation as articles or book chapters and assigned copyright to the publisher, you must obtain copyright release to include that portion in your dissertation. That permission must be submitted with the dissertation as a supplemental document. An acknowledgement of any previous publication must also be included.

Submitting Your Dissertation

• Submitting to Vireo
• Receiving & Submitting Corrections

Log-in to Vireo at https://uhcl-etd.tdl.org/  using your UHCL username and password. Please contact the Support Center at 281-283-2828 or [email protected] for login issues.

Please watch the video below for submission instructions. For technical assistance using Vireo, contact the Texas Digital Library . For questions relating to format or submission, click on Contact Us above.

After you have submitted your dissertation, the only corrections you may make are those required by the Neumann Library. Additional corrections requested by the student, the chair, or other committee member will not be accepted.

You can monitor the dissertation status by logging in to Vireo. The Neumann Library will contact you via your UHCL email address after review of the manuscript with any required corrections. Log-in to Vireo and you will notice that the Status of your work is "Needs Corrections." 

For step by step instructions about how to make corrections and resubmit your manuscript, please watch the video tutorial below. Click the Edit button and enter the View Application screen, where you can upload a corrected document. The screen will provide instructions, highlighted in red, for uploading a corrected document. You can replace the ETD using the upload tool on this screen and selecting “Complete Corrections” at the bottom of the screen when finished. You will be asked to confirm that you have completed the replacement and will then see a screen confirmation indicating that corrections have been successfully submitted.

All corrections must be made promptly and meet the deadlines at http://libguides.uhcl.edu/dissertation. Graduation will be postponed if corrections are not made on time.

Accessing Your Dissertation

• Publication & Accessibility
• Printing & Binding [optional]

Your work will be accessible directly from the UHCL Institutional Repository at  https://uhcl-ir.tdl.org/uhcl-ir/ , hosted by the Neumann Library and the Texas Digital Library (TDL). Researchers, practitioners, members of the public, and anyone interested in reading your work will be able to find it via the Neumann Library catalog, Google Scholar, Texas Digital Library, the National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, or other academic library catalogs based on searches for your name, the title, or the keywords from the abstract. Researchers will be able to cite it easily because it will be assigned a stable and permanent URL. The Institutional Repository will provide usage statistics, including how many people download it and the cities around the world from which people are viewing your work.

Printed and bound copies are not required by the University of Houston - Clear Lake, but you may want to have physical copies for yourself or others. You can print personal copies of your dissertation from the UHCL Copy Center . You can print/bind using an online service such as GradWorks Online  or a local book binder here in Houston. These vendors are optional and provided here for informational purposes only. The University of Houston-Clear Lake does not endorse these vendors.

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Thesis/Dissertation

To graduate with a master’s (thesis program) or doctoral (dissertation program) degree, students are required to submit an Electronic Thesis/Dissertation (ETD) and a Committee Approval Form to the Graduate School through the  UW ETD Administrator Site . ETDs are distributed by ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing and made available on an open access basis through UW Libraries  ResearchWorks Service .

The Graduate School partners with the UW Libraries to provide comprehensive resources for students as they write, submit, and publish academic theses or dissertations. These pages outline information and policies related to preparing your thesis/dissertation, including formatting, deadlines, copyright and distribution decisions, and, ultimately, graduation. We also encourage you to review the  ETD Library Guide  for additional information.

For comprehensive information on preparing to graduate, please refer to our graduation requirements information page .

Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation

Etd resources.

As a starting point, students submitting an ETD are encouraged to review the below resources:

• Hacking the Academy: UW Theses & Dissertations (Recording of July 29, 2020 event) This session helps students think through their options for how and when to share their work, including the copyright and publishing considerations they may need to take into account.
• Electronic Theses & Dissertations with the UW Libraries The University Libraries welcomes you to this self-guided course on electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at the UW. In this five-part learning experience, you will learn a lot about the ETD process including how the submission process works, how to give and receive recognition for your work, how to find and interpret publisher policies and how to read and inspect publishing contracts.

Formatting Guidelines

After you submit your ETD, the Graduate School will review your document as part of the graduation process at the end of each quarter. We will review for information accuracy, consistency, and to ensure your ETD meets the formatting requirements described below. There are three required sections (pages) that must be included at the beginning of your manuscript: 1) Title Page, 2) Copyright Page, 3) Abstract. Templates for these sections are provided below.

Apart from these first three pages, the Graduate School does not adhere to any specific formatting or publishing requirements unless explicitly stated by the ProQuest Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission (provided below). You should refer to the citation, formatting, and style specifications of your discipline and the guidance of your supervisory committee.  Note: theses and dissertations must be submitted in PDF format.

For a complete overview of the graduation process, please review  Preparing to Graduate .

Required Sections:

• Must include all items listed in the sample title page and placed in the same order
• May be the first or second page of your document
• Title of document
• Author’s Full Name
• Name of degree as it will appear on your diploma
• Year of graduation
• Names of chair/committee members (do not include signatures or professional titles, e.g. Dr. or PhD, before/after faculty names)
• Program authorized to offer degree (school or department)
• Name and year must match title pages
• List the year of graduation
• Place abstract after copyright and title page

Master’s Thesis Approval Form:

You are required to upload a completed and signed Master’s Thesis Approval Form into the UW ETD Administrator (ProQuest) site; the Approval Form is part of your ETD submission. This Approval Form is a separate PDF and should not be included as a page in the thesis or dissertation itself.

• Master’s Thesis Approval Form

Electronic Doctoral Dissertation Approval:

Final Exams scheduled after March 3, 2020 include a link for Reading Committee Members to approve the dissertation online at MyGrad Committee View.

ETD Formatting Resources:

• Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Checklist  – a quick reference guide of the formatting do’s and don’ts provided below.
• ProQuest Dissertation Publishing — Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission
• ProQuest Online Submission FAQs
• Master’s Thesis Title Page – Fillable PDF Template 
• Doctoral Dissertation Title Page – Fillable PDF Template
• Word Templates  – Alex Mamishev, Professor in Electrical Engineering maintains a Word file that other students may find useful when formatting their document.

Common ETD Formatting Revisions Requested

To ensure timely graduating, take some time before you submit to review this information and ProQuest’s document formatting guidelines. These are all common errors and revisions the Graduate School will request when reviewing ETD formatting. You will be required to resubmit if revisions are needed. Be precise, and consistent as you format your document.  Many formatting errors result from following a fellow or former student’s example, so it’s important to review the most current templates and guidelines.

Title Page, Copyright Page, Abstract

Language requirement.

Your document must be written in English ( policy 1.1.4.3 ). If you need to write your document in another language to accommodate the main audience, you must get prior approval to do so by  submitting a petition the dean via MyGrad . If the petition is approved, the required sections (title page, copyright page, abstract) must still be written in English.

Plagiarism is using words, ideas, diagrams, and other content from publicly available work without appropriately acknowledging the sources of these materials. This definition constitutes plagiarism whether it is intentional or unintentional and whether it is the work of another or your own, previously published work.

Plagiarism is a very serious offense that the University of Washington does not tolerate. Evidence of plagiarism may prevent granting of your degree.

Submitting and Publishing

Submitting for dissemination and access.

The Graduate School and the Libraries require that all UW theses and dissertations be submitted electronically for management efficiency, cost control, ease of dissemination, and long-term preservation reasons. In addition, your ETD must eventually be made available openly on the web. Your ETD will be hosted in both UW’s institutional repository,  ResearchWorks , and in  ProQuest’s ETD Database .  Consequently, you will need to indicate your choices in two sections about how your ETD is made available. Most students choose to make their work available immediately, but you can choose to limit access  temporarily  before making it available openly.

Students may restrict access to their theses and dissertations…

• while seeking to publish journal articles or books based on them,
• to protect intellectual property during the patent application process, or
• to prevent the disclosure of sensitive or classified information.

During the submission process, you will select ProQuest and ResearchWorks (Institutional Repository, or IR) publication options. The options are summarized on a table below, followed by selected scenarios to assist you in making your decisions.

IMPORTANT: The metadata describing your ETD, including the citation and abstract, is openly available  immediately— regardless of the embargo or restriction status. This information is searchable by Google, Bing and other search engines, so take care that neither the descriptive information nor the text contain confidential or sensitive information.

Selecting Access Options

Selected etd access scenarios.

The UW Libraries and the Graduate School are committed to the goal of sharing graduate students’ research as soon and as widely as possible, while allowing students to temporarily limit access to their theses and dissertations for such reasons as to support formal publication in journal article or book form or to allow time for filing patents. Below are some examples of how students may wish to use these options to support their publishing or intellectual property-protection goals.

Discussion of Scenarios

• Journal Article Publishing. In recent years graduate students – especially in scientific, medical and technical fields — have increasingly been publishing results of their research in journals.
• The “Research Article” Dissertation. In some disciplines students may be expected to publish 2 or more journal articles during the course of their studies and submit them as the core of their thesis or dissertation — along with an introduction, literature review, and conclusions. Because this has become so common, most journals now permit authors to immediately republish their articles within their theses or dissertations as long as they provide the full article citation and a statement that an article is being “reprinted with permission” of the journal. However, some other journals allow the practice but require that an article not appear on an open access basis before a delay of 6 or 12 months. The Libraries strongly suggests that students become familiar with the policies in place at the journals in which they would like to publish their work, and choose appropriate access restrictions if needed when they submit their ETD’s.
• Book Publishing. Some students in such humanities and social science disciplines as history and political science may hope to publish a revised version of their dissertation as their first book. As they consider that possibility they may be concerned they might undermine their prospects by making their dissertations widely available via ProQuest and/or on an open access basis.Before deciding whether or for how long to limit access to their work based on these concerns, The Libraries recommends students become familiar with the arguments and evidence put forward on these issues. For example, Cirasella and Thistlethwaite 3 and Courtney and Kilcer 4 provide excellent discussions of issues and review recent literature, while William Germano’s classic From Dissertation to Book 5 and Beth Luey’s Revising Your Dissertation 6 offer important insight into what might be involved during the dissertation revision process. While the Libraries recommends that most students hoping to publish their dissertations as books make them widely available while they work toward that goal, they should feel free to consider choosing otherwise, such as “Immediate Access” for ProQuest and limiting to UW for five years – at the end of which students may request additional time.
• Patent Protection Strategies. Students whose theses or dissertations describe work for which patent protection might be appropriate should contact Jesse Kindra at CoMotion ( [email protected] or 206 616-9658) prior to submitting their work to ProQuest and choosing access restrictions. Depending on the circumstances, a student may choose to completely withhold access for one year, but should recognize that doing so will prevent anyone else at the UW from having access to it during the restricted access period. To exercise this option, students should delay releasing their work to ProQuest for 1 or 2 years, and then choose “No access for 1 year, then make Open Access” from the Institutional Repository (IR) Publishing Options menu for the UW copy. In unusual circumstances, requests for access to be withheld an additional year may be considered. To make such a request, students should describe the reason(s) for it in an email to [email protected] prior to expiration of the original embargo period.

1 Marisa L. Ramirez, Joan T. Dalton, Gail McMillan, Max Read and Nancy H. Seamans, “Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities,” College and Research Libraries 74 (July 2013): 368‐80, http://crl.acrl.org/content/74/4/368.full.pdf+html .

2 Marisa Ramirez, Gail McMillan, Joan T. Dalton, Ann Hanlon, Heather S. Smith and Chelsea Kern, “Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Sciences?” College and Research Libraries 75 (November 2014): 808-21, http://crl.acrl.org/content/75/6/808.full.pdf+html .

3 Jill Cirasella and Polly Thistlethwaite, “Open Access and the Graduate Author: A Dissertation Anxiety Manual,” pp. 203-224 in Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication: Implementation (Kevin L. Smith and Katherine A. Dickson, eds.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2017), http://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_pubs/286/ .

4 Kyle K. Courtney and Emily Kilcer, “From Apprehension to Comprehension: Addressing Anxieties about Open Access to ETD’s,” pp. 225-244 in Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication: Implementation (Kevin L. Smith and Katherine A. Dickson, eds.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2017).

5 William Germano. 2013. From Dissertation to Book, 2d. ed. : University of Chicago Press.

6 Beth Luey (ed.). 2008. Revising Your Dissertation: Advice from Leading Editors. University of California Press.

Publishing Agreements

When you submit your ETD for review and publication, you will be required to read and accept two separate publishing agreements. You will also have to decide whether to publish your work right away or to delay its release. Additional pages within this section will outline all the considerations to keep in mind, when deciding how to make your work available to the scholarly community.

All students writing a thesis or dissertation should review the UW Libraries Copyright Research Guide . Understanding copyright law is another critical aspect as you write your thesis or dissertation.  As you compose your work, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you referenced others’ work? If so, you either need to get explicit permission from the rights holder or to determine that your use is Fair.
• Have you previously published any part of the work? If you’ve signed your copyright over to your publisher, you will need permission to use your material in your thesis.

Ordering Paper Copies

There are no required fees , although you have the option to register your copyright via ProQuest for a fee. If you want to order bound (paper) copies of your document, you may do so through the UW Copy Centers or through ProQuest. Questions should be directed to the UW Copy Centers or to ProQuest at 1.800.521.0600 ext. 77020 — available 8 a.m.–5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday (excluding U.S. holidays).

Frequently Asked Questions

I created an account in the etd administrator site, but i’m not ready to submit my etd. can i come back to my account later.

Yes. If you need to finish your submission later (for instance, if you need to update your PDF file before uploading it), you can save your information and come back to finish. No information will be lost.

I submitted my ETD but would like to make an edit to the document. How can I edit my submission?

Once your thesis/dissertation is submitted, no additional changes to the document are allowed with the exception of a major data error in the document. In this circumstance, a letter outlining the necessary changes is required from your supervisory committee chair.

What will the Graduate School be reviewing after I submit my ETD?

Submissions are reviewed by GEMS advisors for formatting requirements for the three required sections — title page, copyright page, abstract — before they are delivered to ProQuest for publication. We are checking for accuracy and consistency. Refer to the Formatting Guidelines section on this page for detailed information.

I submitted my ETD and haven't heard anything yet. When will it be reviewed?

We try to review all ETDs as they are received, but if you submit early in the quarter it may not be acted on immediately. If you need to confirm completion of your degree requirements to an external agency or employer, please access the request for letter of certification in the forms section of our Additional Resources page (once your degree has posted to your UW transcript, we can no longer issue this letter). In general, ETDs are reviewed in the last two to three weeks before the quarter ends and after the last day of the quarter. When your submission has been accepted by a GEMS advisor, you will receive email confirmation.

How can I tell if my ETD was submitted and received by the Graduate School?

When your ETD is successfully submitted and pending review, the status will read “submission in review.”

When will my ETD be made available for access?

This depends on the type of access restrictions you selected when creating your account. However, your submission will be delivered to ProQuest for publishing four to six weeks after graduation and you will receive email confirmation when this has occurred. It should be available in UW ResearchWorks around the same time.

When will the printed dissertation / thesis copies I ordered from ProQuest be ready?

After you receive the email confirmation that UW has “delivered” your submission (ETD) to ProQuest, you should please refer to the ProQuest customer service guidelines for the expected delivery date of your order.

What if I am missing a faculty signature for my thesis or dissertation, or I have encountered difficulties in uploading my ETD? Must I pay the graduate registration waiver fee and graduate in the following quarter?

If you encounter these types of situations, contact Graduate Enrollment Management Services (206.685.2630 or  [email protected] ) as early as possible and no later than the last day of the quarter in which you intend to graduate.

Additional Resources

• Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) Guide  (start here!)
• Copyright and Fair Use
• Open Access
• Scholarly Publishing
• ProQuest/UMI Agreement — Traditional Publishing Agreement
• University Agreement — UW Libraries Thesis and Dissertation Submission Agreement
• UW Human Subjects Division (HSD)
• UW CoMotion

• Student Support
• StudentInfo

Graduate Studies

Submitting your electronic thesis or dissertation.

The University of New Mexico encourages open access to all thesis and dissertations produced for graduate degrees. Therefore, all theses are submitted electronically in PDF format to Graduate Studies. These electronically submitted theses (ETDs) are uploaded on a server housed in the UNM Digital Repository  where they are accessible for search and download through web search engines such as Google.  In most cases, students submitting ETDs benefit from having their work available in the open access repository. In some special cases, however, students may want to delay making their work available for varying lengths of time.  For this reason, UNM has implemented an embargo policy that enables students, with approval from their advisers and Graduate Studies, to delay public-wide access to their work in the UNM Digital Repository. While under embargo the manuscript nonetheless remains available to the University of New Mexico academic community in order to satisfy requirements for the degree. Before submitting your thesis, please consult with your committee chair and review the Embargo Restriction Policy  to determine whether or not you should release your work to open access or petition for an appropriate embargo option. For more information on the embargo policy please see Embargoing your Electronically Submitted Thesis or Dissertation . If the decision is made to request an embargo restriction then the form must be submitted to Graduate Studies at the same time as you submit the Announcement of Examination form — at least two weeks before your dissertation defense.

Steps for Submitting Your Manuscript

Once your thesis or dissertation committee approves your final manuscript and you have made all necessary revisions and corrections, you are ready to submit your work as a single pdf file to the UNM Digital Repository and, for dissertation writers, the ProQuest ETD Administrator archive following the instructions below . At the minimum, you must submit your thesis or dissertation to Graduate Studies within (90) ninety days of your final defense or by the graduation deadline for the term in which you are graduating, whichever comes first.

Submission Instructions by Degree:

• Doctorate of Education
• Doctorate of Philosophy
• Master of Fine Arts
• Master of Arts or Master of Science

Note: You must submit the manuscript as a PDF, thus you will need to convert your Microsoft Word document or any other document to the pdf format. When using either a PC or Macintosh platform with recent versions of Microsoft Office you may lose some formatting when converting your Word document into pdf or when submitting your pdf document to the UNM Digital Repository. To protect against such problems, it is important that you create and save all changes to your document on the same computer platform and using the same version of Microsoft Office. Thus, when you complete your final manuscript do not shift between computers and different versions of Word. If you encounter these problems, contact the Manuscript Coordinator at Graduate Studies for assistance.

Steps to Create a Single Thesis or Dissertation File (Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010)

• For the best results to set up the file, please do NOT Copy/Paste the two Template pages before this file is generated with the following instructions.
• Create a number of pages (Page breaks)—Go to Insert (Ribbon)—Click on “Page Break” any number of times (10-20). You need to estimate how many pages you may need for the Front Matter. Please consult the  Examples of Front Matter . Review the example to decide on the number of pages in the Front Matter.
• In order to be able to create page numbers for the Front Matter (lower case Roman numerals) and Body of Research (Arabic numerals), pick the halfway placement of the pages to set the section break. Place the cursor on the page in which the section break will be set at the beginning of that page.
• Set the section break: Go to Page Layout (Ribbon)—Click on Breaks—Click on Section Break (Next page). Do NOT use the continuous section break.
• At this point, you want to set the lower case Roman numeral page numbers for the Front Matter. Go to the first page of the file and place the cursor at the first page. Go to Insert (Ribbon)—move to the right and click on Page Number. You will need to pick the location placement of your page numbers (window examples). You need to pick either upper right hand corner or bottom center. Once the location is set and make sure your cursor is still at the first page of the file. You should be able to go back to Insert (Ribbon)—Page Number (which may have moved to just below to the left from the ribbon. Scroll down to Format Page Numbers and click to show the window box. At this time, click on the arrow and select the ”i,ii,iii,iv”-lower case Roman numerals which will be highlighted in gray. Move down to the page numbering section and select the start at:  type in “i”. Click on the “OK” button.
• The previous step should have incorporated the lower case roman numbers for the Front Matter. You will see that at the transition page where the section break was set for the Body of Research that an Arabic number is in place instead of the lower case number. Example: I,ii,ii,vi,v,vi,vii,viii,ix,x,11,12,13.
• The first page of the Body of Research should start as page 1. You will need to reset the page numbers for the Body of Research. Place the cursor on this page of the Body of Research and follow the previous step to incorporate correct Arabic page numbers. Go to Insert (Ribbon)—move to the right and click on Page Number. You will need to pick the location placement of your page numbers (window examples). You should be able to go back to Insert (Ribbon)—Page Number (which may have moved to just below to the left from the ribbon. Scroll down to Format Page Numbers and click to show the window box. At this time, click on the arrow and select the  ”1,2,3,…”-Arabic numerals which will be highlighted in gray. Move down to the page numbering section and select the start at:  type in “1”. Click on the “OK” button. This step should have renumbered the Body of Research correctly to start as p.1.
• At this point, this is the file that can now be formatted to become the full thesis or dissertation file. You will now continue with the format criteria for margins, line spacing, fonts, and all other style (APA, MLA, or Chicago) criteria that you can confirm with your committee chair if necessary.
• You can create the two template pages (Approval page and the Title page) which can be copy/pasted to the p.i and p.ii of the Front Matter.  Please consult the  Examples of Front Matter for Thesis or Dissertation  to decide how the Front Matter pages will be generated –Approval page, Title page, Dedication page(optional), Acknowledgement page(optional), Abstract page, Table of Contents, List of Tables(optional), List of Figures(optional).
• For Microsoft 2010 to copy/paste the Template pages, follow the next instructions.  When you are ready to create the template pages, you must unlock the template to complete typing within the gray fields but, also, to Save the template page to your laptop/computer. Go to “Review” (Ribbon) and click on “Review” icon. Move to the far right side and click Restrict Editing. Look down the right side to the bottom area and click Stop Protection. This will allow you to complete the template page and save it to your computer.
• With the document file, you will want to copy/paste your Template pages (Approval page and Title page), Abstract page, Table of Contents to the Front Matter section. You can copy/paste individual files (Introduction or Chapter 1, Chapter 2,…) to the Body of Research section. You want to complete all your edit/revisions within this file. When you paste the documents to the full thesis or dissertation file, use the Paste Special option and then the Picture option to move the selected text to your thesis or dissertation file.
• Most important, please backup your thesis or dissertation file to a USB stick or external hard drive. Be sure to save this file to multiple places so when you have a final thesis or dissertation file, you will be ready to convert this file to a PDF for final submission to the electronic digital repositories to meet the final degree requirement for your degree program.

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.css-1lrpez4{margin-top:unset;}.css-1lrpez4:hover > span,.css-1lrpez4:focus-within > span{opacity:1;-webkit-transform:none;-ms-transform:none;transform:none;-webkit-transform-duration:0.1s;-ms-transform-duration:0.1s;transform-duration:0.1s;} Dissertation Process: Overview .css-14vda7h{font-size:15px;margin-inline-start:0.5rem;opacity:0;position:absolute;-webkit-transform:translateX(-4px);-ms-transform:translateX(-4px);transform:translateX(-4px);-webkit-transition:opacity 0.2s ease-out 0s,-webkit-transform 0.2s ease-out 0s;-webkit-transition:opacity 0.2s ease-out 0s,transform 0.2s ease-out 0s;transition:opacity 0.2s ease-out 0s,transform 0.2s ease-out 0s;}

[data-colorid=v0rh19m34s]{color:#333333} html[data-color-mode=dark] [data-colorid=v0rh19m34s]{color:#cccccc}[data-colorid=u99ofydwy8]{color:#333333} html[data-color-mode=dark] [data-colorid=u99ofydwy8]{color:#cccccc} doctoral dissertation process.

The process for completing a Doctoral dissertation is fourfold. 

• A student will prepare and defend a dissertation proposal consisting of the first three chapters before all members of the dissertation committee, including the chair.
• Once the proposal is approved by the committee, the student must complete the advancement to doctoral candidacy application process.
• Upon successful advancement, the student will conduct the research activities under the guidance of the dissertation chair and committee. 
• The student will defend the completed dissertation before the committee.  After successfully defending and satisfactorily completing any required revisions, the student would earn the Ph.D.

Prepare   Dissertation/Treatise proposal

• To determine if a faculty member is on the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC), which might impact their eligibility to be on your dissertation committee, talk to your advisor.  It is the responsibility of the student to secure a faculty supervisor and committee that meets the requirements of the Graduate School.
• The committee for a Doctoral dissertation must be comprised of four individuals.  The chair of the committee must be a faculty member with GSC status in the Department.  The second and third committee members must be faculty or and/or senior lecturers with GSC status in the Department. The fourth member must be an outside member, who holds a doctorate degree, who is not a member of the student’s GSC. The fourth member, if external to the University, will need to submit a curriculum vitae and a letter indicating his/her willingness to serve on the dissertation committee. 
• Prepare your proposal (traditionally, this is the first 3 chapters of your dissertation/treatise; however, you should work with your dissertation chair to determine the contents of your proposal).
• Once your dissertation committee chair approves your proposal draft, schedule a meeting for the oral proposal presentation and distribute copies to committee members.  
• Schedule a room, with the Graduate Coordinator, in which to present your proposal.

Apply for Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement into candidacy requires an application and approval by the student’s supervising professor, the departmental Graduate Advisor, and the UT Graduate Dean.

The name and rank of each person serving on the doctoral committee and an abstract of the doctoral research are submitted. The doctoral abstract can be broad and is changeable as the student progresses in the program. Once the on-line portion is submitted, it must be approved through UT Direct by the student's supervising professor, the Graduate Advisor, and the Graduate Dean.

PLEASE NOTE: The Graduate Advisor will not approve the on-line portion of the application unless the student completes all the paper forms in the application packet required by the Department. If you have questions about this process, please contact the Graduate Office.

• Read all the information listed under “Human Subjects” (User Guide, Special Topics, Training, IRB Access, IRB members, IRB Policies & Procedures at UT, Forms and Templates, FAQs, and Contacts.  Read the information entitled “About IRB” (including information on Researchers, What is Human Subjects Research? and Dates & Deadlines).
• Fill out the appropriate paperwork on Human Subjects Review and complete the  IRB Approval process . 
• Take the U T Copyright and Plagiarism Tutorial  and print out the certification for proof of completion. Include a copy of this certification when you submit your dissertation/treatise.

Complete Dissertation/Treatise Research Activities

• Two dissertation/treatise courses are required to be taken in consecutive semesters. 
• An advising hold on your registration record will be in place until you meet the IRB Approval Pre-requirement.
• Work with your chair to determine your progress.
• Complete data collection and analysis (for peace of mind, be sure to back up your work).
• Write the final dissertation/treatise draft.
• Submit your draft to your chair for approval.

Dissertation Guidelines

In most cases, the a Doctoral dissertation will include five chapters:

• Chapter I contains an introduction to the study and its context.
• Chapter II contains an examination of the relevant literature. 
• Chapter III presents a thorough discussion of the methodology for the research. 
• Chapter IV features a careful, insightful, and comprehensive coverage of the results of the research. 
• Chapter V includes interpretation, discussion, and implications of the research results. 

Of course, the focus of each chapter and the chapter order are only what is typical and thus do not necessarily apply to all dissertations. All decisions on these matters are completely in the hands of the dissertation chair and committee.  

It is expected that the writing, the use of citations, the review and understanding of the research literature, and the research skills would reflect the highest quality standards. In addition, the style guidelines are typically those of the APA format, those made available by the University, or any other legitimate style appropriate to the study and accepted by the dissertation committee.

Complete Final Oral Exam

Scheduling of the Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation/Treatise) will be predicated upon the quality of the execution, analysis, and writing of the dissertation/treatise and will be conducted only with Dissertation/Treatise Committee approval. While the Dissertation/Treatise Committee alone votes on the acceptability of the student's Final Orals, any member of the Graduate Faculty may participate during the Examination.

Oral Exams are to be scheduled by the student and the Office of Graduate Studies. The Request for Final Oral Examination must be formally submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies at least two weeks prior to the Examination. Normally, students must submit to members of the Dissertation/Treatise Committee a final draft of the dissertation at   least four weeks   prior to the Examination.

• Submit the   Doctoral Application to Graduate   the first week of the semester in which you plan to graduate). 
• Submit your dissertation/treatise to your Dissertation Committee   at least four weeks   before your defense.
• Schedule your  Final Oral Examination   two weeks   before the desired date using the   Request for Final Oral   form. Your committee signatures signifies that they approve of your request for the final oral exam and serves as a receipt that they received your dissertation/treatise draft. 

Please then submit the Request for Final Oral Examination form, along with the Dissertation “front matter” to the Graduate School at   [email protected]   at least   two weeks   before the defense date.

• Work with your chair to determine the elements and presentation method needed for your final oral exam.
• Effective Fall 2020, the Graduate School will not schedule your final defense within   two weeks   of the last class day of the semester. Reference the   UT Academic Calendar   for deadline information.

After a successful defense,

• Make the appropriate corrections to your dissertation/treatise as suggested by your committee and upload the formatted dissertation/treatise by the deadline to the Texas Digital Library website,   https://utexas-etd.tdl.org/ .
• Seek signatures from your committee on the   "Report of Dissertation/Treatise"   form and submit by the Graduate School deadline:   Report of Dissertation form
• Submit all paperwork to the Office of Graduate Studies   ( [email protected] )   following the   deadlines of the semester   in which you wish to graduate.
• Submit  IRB Protocol Closure Report  (Electronic Closure) to Office of Research of Support and Compliance.  

Attend Graduation and Celebrate!!!

• Check the  Graduation Deadlines for Doctoral Candidates  for graduation information.
• Check the  commencement website for ceremony information . 

Extension of Candidacy Policy and Process

Dissertation/treatise completion requirements.

• According to the Graduate School guidelines (Graduate School Handbook), students who have been admitted to doctoral candidacy have two years to complete their degree. The candidacy of each student is reviewed after two years and annually thereafter. At the end of the second year, the Office of Graduate Studies informs the Department Graduate Advisor that a student’s candidacy must be reviewed and a recommendation be made concerning an “Extension of Candidacy” or “Termination of Candidacy.”
• At the end of the second year of candidacy, an Extension of Candidacy for one last year may be requested and must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) of the department according to the process outlined in this policy.
• An extension of candidacy may be approved for up to one year (2 long semesters plus 1 summer semester) only. The student must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
• Under extraordinary circumstances, candidates may request an additional extension of candidacy provided the dissertation/treatise committee chair and the program head support such a request.

Extension of one last year

• The department graduate advisor informs the dissertation/treatise committee chair and the program head of the need for an extension request.
• The student, in collaboration with the chair of the dissertation/treatise committee and the program head, writes and submits a completion plan to the graduate advisor. This plan must include detailed activities and dates to complete and defend the dissertation or treatise, and a support statement from the dissertation/treatise committee chair.
• The graduate advisor presents the request for Extension of Candidacy to the Graduate Studies Committee for approval.
• The dissertation/treatise committee chair makes a brief report providing any additional information. The Graduate Studies Committee makes a decision regarding the extension request including any conditions, or termination of the student’s program.
• The graduate advisor informs the student of the decision including any conditions that might apply.
• The Graduate Advisor submits the Extension of Candidacy Recommendation to the Office of the Graduate Studies.
• This is the last extension of candidacy a student may request. 

Additional Extension

Only under exigent circumstances, as verified by the Chair of the dissertation/treatise committee and the program chair, a student may request an additional extension.

DOWNLOAD FORM:    Extension of Candidacy Application Form

Request to Delay Publication

Initial request for delay of publication.

If you wish to request a temporary delay of publication of your thesis, report, dissertation, or treatise, you must make this request before graduation. The request should be made by using this form. If no request to delay publication is made, the document will be freely available online.

Note that it is not appropriate to use a delay of publication to avoid securing copyright permissions required for publication. Any required publication permissions must be obtained prior to submitting the ETD. The graduate dean makes the final decision regarding delayed publication.

Restrictions and/or holds on publishing requested from ProQuest do not apply to the dissertation archived at the TDL.

Extension Request for Delay of Publication

Authors who already have an approved delay of publication, but wish to extend the time of the delay, may request an extension (up to seven years from the date of graduation).

Request to End Delay of Publication Prior to Scheduled Date

Authors who have an approved delay of publication, but wish to publish their ETD prior to the date initially requested, may request to end the delay of publication.

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Electronic Theses and Dissertation Submissions

Thesis/Dissertation Office, 466 West Circle Drive, 2nd floor, Chittenden Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824

Phone: 517-353-3220; Email: [email protected] .

The links below provide instructions on what needs to be completed and approved by the Graduate School in order to graduate.

Each semester has a firm submission deadline by which students must submit their thesis/dissertation to ProQuest. The document must have been successfully defended, corrections from the committee addressed and is to be a final version. After submission it may take several days for the Graduate School to review and approve the documents, especially if formatting revisions are needed. Each semester has a final deadline (usually 2 weeks later) by which students must have all required paperwork turned in, all milestones completed and their thesis/dissertation accepted by the Graduate School. 

• Printable Formatting Guide (PDF) Note the absence of List of Tables and List of Figures in the new formatting guide. These sections are generally not necessary and leaving them out helps quicken the review process. Also note that the Table of Contents is more useful when entries are limited to chapter-level headings or chapter-level headings and first-level subheadings.
• Printable Sample Pages (PDF) This includes examples of the title page, abstract, copyright, dedication page, preface, bibliography, table of contents, etc.
• Master’s Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page with Dual Degree Template
• Spring 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (PDF)
• Spring 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (Video)
• All Plan A Master’s and all Doctoral students must turn in the Approval form.
• The Approval form is taken as evidence that the document has been examined and approved by the major professor or thesis/dissertation director. It also serves to document compliance with the appropriate Institutional Review Board for the use of human and vertebrate animals for research.
• Supplemental files may be included with the electronic submission of the thesis or dissertation in the student’s ProQuest account ONLY if the files have been approved by the faculty advisor/committee on the Approval Form.
• ETD Approval Form

Human Research Protection Program

• If human subjects were used in your research, the IRB letter (on letterhead from the Human Research Protection office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
• The IRB number that is to appear your approval form is the “Approved” number on the IRB letter (e.g. STUDY00004871 or AMEND202100608), not the application number (e.g. i45603).
• Sending a screenshot from the “CLICK” site where you are listed as a researcher (CLICK photo must start at the green box that says “APPROVED” and extend so it includes information in the “Contacts” tab below the flow chart) OR
• Having your PI send an email to [email protected] stating the IRB number, the project title, and that you are an approved researcher on the project.  (If you used animal subjects, your name does not need to appear on the IACUC letter.)  

MSU Requirements

MSU IRB review and approval or an exempt determination is required for all projects that involve research or clinical investigations with human subjects conducted by faculty, staff, students, or agents of MSU before initiation of any human subject research activities.

For those projects that may qualify as exempt from IRB approval, an exempt determination must be obtained from the MSU IRB office prior to initiation of the human subject research. For those projects that do not qualify as exempt, IRB approval must be obtained prior to initiation of the human subject research.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if you did not obtain IRB approval prior to the start of your research, if your IRB request was backdated or if your review request was denied by the Human Research Protection office. For further information, please see the Human Research Protection Program website at:  https://hrpp.msu.edu/ . Phone: 517-355-2180. Email:  [email protected] .

Animal Care Program

• If vertebrate animals were used in your research, the IACUC (AUF) letter (on letterhead from the Animal Care Program office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
• The IACUC (AUF) number that is to appear on your approval form is the “IACUC ID” number on the IACUC letter (i.e.: PROTO201800030).

Activities Needing Approval

Any ownership or use of animals for research, teaching, testing, or public outreach by or for MSU must be approved by the IACUC. Some activities are exempt but check first.

Check with the IACUC before you do any of these:

• breed, buy, or conduct research involving animals
• study wild animals
• conduct farming and food production with animals
• euthanize an animal
• import or export animals
• test products, procedures, or treatments on animals
• transport animals
• initiate a new project
• add a new procedure or controlled substance
• change your protocol
• change the breed you are using
• schedule a public performance or demonstration with animals

Get approval before you begin ANY activities involving animals.

The  laws and guidelines  for using animals are numerous. Non-compliance can affect animal care. Non-compliance will be costly to the investigator and the University (such as damage to our reputation and funding). The IACUC committee and staff have up-to-date information on legislation and regulations and contacts with agencies providing guidelines for the care and use of animals.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if you did not obtain IACUC approval prior to the start of your research, if your IACUC request was backdated or if your review request was denied by the Animal Care Program office. For further information, please see the Animal Care Program/IACUC website at:  https://animalcare.msu.edu/iacuc/index.html . Phone: 517-432-8103. Email:  [email protected] .

• Please take a few moments to complete this survey the semester that you plan to graduate. Only students who have applied for graduation will have access to this online survey. Your participation is important and is greatly appreciated by the Graduate School. The survey will ask you questions about your educational experience in your graduate program. The Graduate School uses data from this survey when reviewing graduate programs and to guide decisions about services and initiatives for graduate students.
• Doctoral students:  https://www.egr.msu.edu/doctoral/survey
• Master’s students:  https://msu.12twenty.com
• Enter your MSU NetID (Login name) and password.
• Complete all items on the survey. When finished, click Submit.
• If you cannot open the survey, please contact the Graduate School by email at  [email protected]  and include your name, student ID#, degree level (PhD, MA, MS, etc), and the semester of graduation. You will then be notified when you are able to access the survey.
• The Survey of Earned Doctorates is the definitive source of information on the nation’s new research doctorates. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and five other federal agencies and conducted by RTI, the SED is critical to the understanding in what specialty areas doctorates are produced and their post-graduation employment plans.
• Results are used by government as well as academic institutions to make decisions about graduate education funding, developing new programs and supporting existing ones.
• Michigan State University REQUIRES verification of completion of the survey. When you submit your survey, a notification of completion will automatically be sent to the Graduate School office. It is recommended that at the end of the survey, you also have a copy of the “certificate of completion” emailed to your personal email for your records.
• The registration URL for the survey is:  https://sed-ncses.org . You will receive an email with a PIN and password as well as the URL to the survey upon registering.
• Confidentiality Assurance: The information provided in the survey questionnaire remains confidential and is safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the NSF Act of 1950, as amended. The survey data are reported only in aggregate form or in a manner that does not identify information about the individual.
• Questions about the survey may be directed to RTI at  [email protected]  or at 1-877-256-8167.
• You may submit your document to ProQuest once you have successfully defended your thesis or dissertation and you have made the corrections that your committee wishes you to make.  Do not submit your document prior to your defense. 
• Go to  www.etdadmin.com/grad.msu  and follow the directions for submitting your thesis/dissertation to Michigan State University via ProQuest.
• When creating your account be sure to use an email address that you use regularly. In order to continue the submission process, you will be asked to “confirm” your account using the email address you provided. This is the email address that all correspondence from the Graduate School regarding your document will go.
• Once you “confirm” your account, you are ready to begin the submission process. Please be sure you are on the Michigan State University website within ProQuest. 
• The submission steps are listed on the left side of the screen in the ProQuest website. As each step is completed, a check mark will appear in the appropriate box indicating that you have completed that step. In order to make your initial submission, you must go through each step of the process.
• Once you submit to ProQuest, your electronic submission will be reviewed by a Michigan State University Graduate School Administrator for possible formatting revisions and/or required paperwork before it is “officially” accepted and delivered to ProQuest for publishing.
• You may expect a response with necessary corrections or paperwork from the Graduate School within two business days from the time we receive your electronic submission (or resubmission). NOTE: Response times increase dramatically closer to deadline dates.
• Once all corrections have been made and all necessary paperwork has been turned in to the Graduate School, your document will be accepted and delivered to ProQuest for publishing.
• Please contact ProQuest directly at 800-521-0600 with any technical questions regarding your submission or any questions regarding an order you placed.
• If you wish to have ProQuest file a copyright on your behalf, the current fee is $75.00 and must be paid to ProQuest when you create your submission.  You must be the sole author of the entire document for ProQuest to file for a copyright on your behalf.
• For information regarding a publication hold/embargo on your thesis/dissertation please go to the Embargo link .

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Synopsis & Dissertation

Students can submit their dissertation or presentation by logging in with their user ID and password. While submitting a dissertation, you need to pay the fees of Rs. 2000 in online payment mode. Only after successful payment, your dissertation will be accepted.

Download Synopsis Submission Userguide