thesis statement unc

Word Choice

What this handout is about.

This handout can help you revise your papers for word-level clarity, eliminate wordiness and avoid clichés, find the words that best express your ideas, and choose words that suit an academic audience.

Introduction

Writing is a series of choices. As you work on a paper, you choose your topic, your approach, your sources, and your thesis; when it’s time to write, you have to choose the words you will use to express your ideas and decide how you will arrange those words into sentences and paragraphs. As you revise your draft, you make more choices. You might ask yourself, “Is this really what I mean?” or “Will readers understand this?” or “Does this sound good?” Finding words that capture your meaning and convey that meaning to your readers is challenging. When your instructors write things like “awkward,” “vague,” or “wordy” on your draft, they are letting you know that they want you to work on word choice. This handout will explain some common issues related to word choice and give you strategies for choosing the best words as you revise your drafts.

As you read further into the handout, keep in mind that it can sometimes take more time to “save” words from your original sentence than to write a brand new sentence to convey the same meaning or idea. Don’t be too attached to what you’ve already written; if you are willing to start a sentence fresh, you may be able to choose words with greater clarity.

For tips on making more substantial revisions, take a look at our handouts on reorganizing drafts and revising drafts .

“Awkward,” “vague,” and “unclear” word choice

So: you write a paper that makes perfect sense to you, but it comes back with “awkward” scribbled throughout the margins. Why, you wonder, are instructors so fond of terms like “awkward”? Most instructors use terms like this to draw your attention to sentences they had trouble understanding and to encourage you to rewrite those sentences more clearly.

Difficulties with word choice aren’t the only cause of awkwardness, vagueness, or other problems with clarity. Sometimes a sentence is hard to follow because there is a grammatical problem with it or because of the syntax (the way the words and phrases are put together). Here’s an example: “Having finished with studying, the pizza was quickly eaten.” This sentence isn’t hard to understand because of the words I chose—everybody knows what studying, pizza, and eating are. The problem here is that readers will naturally assume that first bit of the sentence “(Having finished with studying”) goes with the next noun that follows it—which, in this case, is “the pizza”! It doesn’t make a lot of sense to imply that the pizza was studying. What I was actually trying to express was something more like this: “Having finished with studying, the students quickly ate the pizza.” If you have a sentence that has been marked “awkward,” “vague,” or “unclear,” try to think about it from a reader’s point of view—see if you can tell where it changes direction or leaves out important information.

Sometimes, though, problems with clarity are a matter of word choice. See if you recognize any of these issues:

• Misused words —the word doesn’t actually mean what the writer thinks it does. Example : Cree Indians were a monotonous culture until French and British settlers arrived. Revision: Cree Indians were a homogenous culture.
• Words with unwanted connotations or meanings. Example : I sprayed the ants in their private places. Revision: I sprayed the ants in their hiding places.
• Using a pronoun when readers can’t tell whom/what it refers to. Example : My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though he didn’t like him very much. Revision: My cousin Jake hugged my brother Trey, even though Jake doesn’t like Trey very much.
• Jargon or technical terms that make readers work unnecessarily hard. Maybe you need to use some of these words because they are important terms in your field, but don’t throw them in just to “sound smart.” Example : The dialectical interface between neo-Platonists and anti-disestablishment Catholics offers an algorithm for deontological thought. Revision : The dialogue between neo-Platonists and certain Catholic thinkers is a model for deontological thought.
• Loaded language. Sometimes we as writers know what we mean by a certain word, but we haven’t ever spelled that out for readers. We rely too heavily on that word, perhaps repeating it often, without clarifying what we are talking about. Example : Society teaches young girls that beauty is their most important quality. In order to prevent eating disorders and other health problems, we must change society. Revision : Contemporary American popular media, like magazines and movies, teach young girls that beauty is their most important quality. In order to prevent eating disorders and other health problems, we must change the images and role models girls are offered.

Sometimes the problem isn’t choosing exactly the right word to express an idea—it’s being “wordy,” or using words that your reader may regard as “extra” or inefficient. Take a look at the following list for some examples. On the left are some phrases that use three, four, or more words where fewer will do; on the right are some shorter substitutes:

Keep an eye out for wordy constructions in your writing and see if you can replace them with more concise words or phrases.

In academic writing, it’s a good idea to limit your use of clichés. Clichés are catchy little phrases so frequently used that they have become trite, corny, or annoying. They are problematic because their overuse has diminished their impact and because they require several words where just one would do.

The main way to avoid clichés is first to recognize them and then to create shorter, fresher equivalents. Ask yourself if there is one word that means the same thing as the cliché. If there isn’t, can you use two or three words to state the idea your own way? Below you will see five common clichés, with some alternatives to their right. As a challenge, see how many alternatives you can create for the final two examples.

Try these yourself:

Writing for an academic audience

When you choose words to express your ideas, you have to think not only about what makes sense and sounds best to you, but what will make sense and sound best to your readers. Thinking about your audience and their expectations will help you make decisions about word choice.

Some writers think that academic audiences expect them to “sound smart” by using big or technical words. But the most important goal of academic writing is not to sound smart—it is to communicate an argument or information clearly and convincingly. It is true that academic writing has a certain style of its own and that you, as a student, are beginning to learn to read and write in that style. You may find yourself using words and grammatical constructions that you didn’t use in your high school writing. The danger is that if you consciously set out to “sound smart” and use words or structures that are very unfamiliar to you, you may produce sentences that your readers can’t understand.

When writing for your professors, think simplicity. Using simple words does not indicate simple thoughts. In an academic argument paper, what makes the thesis and argument sophisticated are the connections presented in simple, clear language.

Keep in mind, though, that simple and clear doesn’t necessarily mean casual. Most instructors will not be pleased if your paper looks like an instant message or an email to a friend. It’s usually best to avoid slang and colloquialisms. Take a look at this example and ask yourself how a professor would probably respond to it if it were the thesis statement of a paper: “Moulin Rouge really bit because the singing sucked and the costume colors were nasty, KWIM?”

Selecting and using key terms

When writing academic papers, it is often helpful to find key terms and use them within your paper as well as in your thesis. This section comments on the crucial difference between repetition and redundancy of terms and works through an example of using key terms in a thesis statement.

Repetition vs. redundancy

These two phenomena are not necessarily the same. Repetition can be a good thing. Sometimes we have to use our key terms several times within a paper, especially in topic sentences. Sometimes there is simply no substitute for the key terms, and selecting a weaker term as a synonym can do more harm than good. Repeating key terms emphasizes important points and signals to the reader that the argument is still being supported. This kind of repetition can give your paper cohesion and is done by conscious choice.

In contrast, if you find yourself frustrated, tiredly repeating the same nouns, verbs, or adjectives, or making the same point over and over, you are probably being redundant. In this case, you are swimming aimlessly around the same points because you have not decided what your argument really is or because you are truly fatigued and clarity escapes you. Refer to the “Strategies” section below for ideas on revising for redundancy.

Building clear thesis statements

Writing clear sentences is important throughout your writing. For the purposes of this handout, let’s focus on the thesis statement—one of the most important sentences in academic argument papers. You can apply these ideas to other sentences in your papers.

A common problem with writing good thesis statements is finding the words that best capture both the important elements and the significance of the essay’s argument. It is not always easy to condense several paragraphs or several pages into concise key terms that, when combined in one sentence, can effectively describe the argument.

However, taking the time to find the right words offers writers a significant edge. Concise and appropriate terms will help both the writer and the reader keep track of what the essay will show and how it will show it. Graders, in particular, like to see clearly stated thesis statements. (For more on thesis statements in general, please refer to our handout .)

Example : You’ve been assigned to write an essay that contrasts the river and shore scenes in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. You work on it for several days, producing three versions of your thesis:

Version 1 : There are many important river and shore scenes in Huckleberry Finn.

Version 2 : The contrasting river and shore scenes in Huckleberry Finn suggest a return to nature.

Version 3 : Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

Let’s consider the word choice issues in these statements. In Version 1, the word “important”—like “interesting”—is both overused and vague; it suggests that the author has an opinion but gives very little indication about the framework of that opinion. As a result, your reader knows only that you’re going to talk about river and shore scenes, but not what you’re going to say. Version 2 is an improvement: the words “return to nature” give your reader a better idea where the paper is headed. On the other hand, they still do not know how this return to nature is crucial to your understanding of the novel.

Finally, you come up with Version 3, which is a stronger thesis because it offers a sophisticated argument and the key terms used to make this argument are clear. At least three key terms or concepts are evident: the contrast between river and shore scenes, a return to nature, and American democratic ideals.

By itself, a key term is merely a topic—an element of the argument but not the argument itself. The argument, then, becomes clear to the reader through the way in which you combine key terms.

Strategies for successful word choice

• Be careful when using words you are unfamiliar with. Look at how they are used in context and check their dictionary definitions.
• Be careful when using the thesaurus. Each word listed as a synonym for the word you’re looking up may have its own unique connotations or shades of meaning. Use a dictionary to be sure the synonym you are considering really fits what you are trying to say.
• Under the present conditions of our society, marriage practices generally demonstrate a high degree of homogeneity.
• In our culture, people tend to marry others who are like themselves. (Longman, p. 452)
• Before you revise for accurate and strong adjectives, make sure you are first using accurate and strong nouns and verbs. For example, if you were revising the sentence “This is a good book that tells about the Revolutionary War,” think about whether “book” and “tells” are as strong as they could be before you worry about “good.” (A stronger sentence might read “The novel describes the experiences of a soldier during the Revolutionary War.” “Novel” tells us what kind of book it is, and “describes” tells us more about how the book communicates information.)
• Try the slash/option technique, which is like brainstorming as you write. When you get stuck, write out two or more choices for a questionable word or a confusing sentence, e.g., “questionable/inaccurate/vague/inappropriate.” Pick the word that best indicates your meaning or combine different terms to say what you mean.
• Look for repetition. When you find it, decide if it is “good” repetition (using key terms that are crucial and helpful to meaning) or “bad” repetition (redundancy or laziness in reusing words).
• Write your thesis in five different ways. Make five different versions of your thesis sentence. Compose five sentences that express your argument. Try to come up with four alternatives to the thesis sentence you’ve already written. Find five possible ways to communicate your argument in one sentence to your reader. (We’ve just used this technique—which of the last five sentences do you prefer?)Whenever we write a sentence we make choices. Some are less obvious than others, so that it can often feel like we’ve written the sentence the only way we know how. By writing out five different versions of your thesis, you can begin to see your range of choices. The final version may be a combination of phrasings and words from all five versions, or the one version that says it best. By literally spelling out some possibilities for yourself, you will be able to make better decisions.
• Read your paper out loud and at… a… slow… pace. You can do this alone or with a friend, roommate, TA, etc. When read out loud, your written words should make sense to both you and other listeners. If a sentence seems confusing, rewrite it to make the meaning clear.
• Instead of reading the paper itself, put it down and just talk through your argument as concisely as you can. If your listener quickly and easily comprehends your essay’s main point and significance, you should then make sure that your written words are as clear as your oral presentation was. If, on the other hand, your listener keeps asking for clarification, you will need to work on finding the right terms for your essay. If you do this in exchange with a friend or classmate, rest assured that whether you are the talker or the listener, your articulation skills will develop.
• Have someone not familiar with the issue read the paper and point out words or sentences they find confusing. Do not brush off this reader’s confusion by assuming they simply doesn’t know enough about the topic. Instead, rewrite the sentences so that your “outsider” reader can follow along at all times.
• Check out the Writing Center’s handouts on style , passive voice , and proofreading for more tips.

Questions to ask yourself

• Am I sure what each word I use really means? Am I positive, or should I look it up?
• Have I found the best word or just settled for the most obvious, or the easiest, one?
• Am I trying too hard to impress my reader?
• What’s the easiest way to write this sentence? (Sometimes it helps to answer this question by trying it out loud. How would you say it to someone?)
• What are the key terms of my argument?
• Can I outline out my argument using only these key terms? What others do I need? Which do I not need?
• Have I created my own terms, or have I simply borrowed what looked like key ones from the assignment? If I’ve borrowed the terms, can I find better ones in my own vocabulary, the texts, my notes, the dictionary, or the thesaurus to make myself clearer?
• Are my key terms too specific? (Do they cover the entire range of my argument?) Can I think of specific examples from my sources that fall under the key term?
• Are my key terms too vague? (Do they cover more than the range of my argument?)

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Cook, Claire Kehrwald. 1985. Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Grossman, Ellie. 1997. The Grammatically Correct Handbook: A Lively and Unorthodox Review of Common English for the Linguistically Challenged . New York: Hyperion.

Houghton Mifflin. 1996. The American Heritage Book of English Usage: A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

O’Conner, Patricia. 2010. Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English , 3rd ed. New York: Penguin Publishing Group.

Tarshis, Barry. 1998. How to Be Your Own Best Editor: The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes . New York: Three Rivers Press.

Williams, Joseph, and Joseph Bizup. 2017. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace , 12th ed. Boston: Pearson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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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

The following checklist items should be used to ensure your document is properly formatted prior to submission. These items will be reviewed by staff in The Graduate School and your document will not be accepted until all items are confirmed.

• Be sure you have read and reviewed the information in this Thesis and Dissertation Guide prior to finalizing your document and preparing it for submission.
• Successfully submit an application to graduate in ConnectCarolina before submitting your document.
• Submit your thesis or dissertation after your defense has occurred and all final edits are approved by your advisor and committee.
• Your Committee Composition and Exam Report forms (with all approval signatures) must be submitted to The Graduate School before submitting your document.

General Formatting

• Uniform left (1″ or 1.25″) and right (1″) margins continue throughout the entire document
• Fonts are 10, 11 or 12 points in size and consistent
• Paragraphs are indented consistently throughout
• Text appears in a single column on each page and is double-spaced (except for blocked quotations, notes, captions, legends, and long headings, which are single-spaced)
• Document text is left-justified
• All page numbers are centered at the bottom of the page, 1/2″ from the bottom edge
• Pages do not contain running headers or footers, aside from page numbers; special spacing is present for any landscape pages
• Formatting for tables, figures, and illustrations is consistent throughout the entire document; headings and captions for the associated element are on the same page
• Sections and subheadings within chapters are not left “hanging” on the bottom of pages
• 2″ margin at the top of the page
• Title in all capital letters and centered
• Your full name centered 1″ below the title
• Statement correctly specifying the department/program and school granting your degree, centered 1″below your name
• Chapel Hill centered 1″ below the statement
• The year your thesis or dissertation is committee-approved (20xx) one line below
• The phrase Approved by: 1″ below the year; under that include your committee members' names (without signatures or identifiers), all double-spaced, 2/3 across the page, and left-aligned under the Approved by: phrase
• No page number, even though it counts in numbering
• Copyright symbol followed by year
• Your name exactly as it appears on the title page
• ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
• All text centered, single-spaced, and 2″ from the bottom of the page
• The page is numbered in lower case Roman numerals (ii)
• 2″ margin at the top of the page; the second page, if any, returns to a 1″ top margin
• The heading “ABSTRACT” centered in all capital letters at top of page
• Your full name followed by the title worded exactly as it is on the title page, centered and one double-spaced line below “ABSTRACT”
• The phrase “(Under the direction of [advisor's name])” in parentheses, centered, and one single-spaced line below the title
• The text of your abstract must be double-spaced and no longer than 150 words for a thesis or 350 words for a dissertation
• Pages are numbered in lower case Roman numerals

Dedication, Acknowledgement(s) and/or Preface (if any)

• The dedication, acknowledgements(s) and preface each begin on a new page
• 2″ margin at the top of each first page
• Subsequent pages of Acknowledgements or Preface return to the 1″ top margin
• Short text of the dedication is centered 2″ below top of page
• Required headings for “ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS” and “PREFACE” are in all capital letters and centered 2″ below top of page
• Text of Acknowledgements and/or Preface begins one double-spaced line below the heading, is left-justified, and is double spaced throughout
• The heading “TABLE OF CONTENTS” centered in all capital letters at top of page
• One double-spaced line between the heading and the first entry
• Pages preceding the table of contents are not included, but all parts of the document that follow are included (i.e., tables/figures/abbreviations lists, chapters, appendices, references)
• Each entry is aligned with the document's left margin or indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs
• Major subheadings within chapters are listed and indented to the right of the left page margin
• Entries taking up more than one line are broken up about three-fourths of the way across the page and the rest of the text is placed on a second line, single-spaced between the two lines of text
• Each entry is single-spaced, with a double space between entries
• All corresponding page numbers are accurate and leaders (lines of periods) fill out the space between the end of the entry and the page number; the last digit of each number lines up on the right margin
• Information included in the table of contents matches the headings, major subheadings, and numbering used in the body of the document

Lists of Tables, Figures, Illustrations

• Heading(s) in all capital letters centered 1″ below the top of the page
• Each entry includes a number, title, and page number
• Each table, figure, or illustration has been assigned an Arabic numeral
• Numerals and titles align with the left margin or are indented to the right of the left page margin using consistent tabs
• Numbers, titles, and page numbers match the corresponding information as it appears in the document
• The heading “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS” in all capital letters centered 1″ below the top of the page
• Abbreviations are arranged alphabetically
• Symbols are listed with abbreviations under the heading “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS” or listed in a separate section following the formatting instructions for abbreviations
• The first page ( only ) of each chapter begins 2″ from the top of the page
• The second and subsequent pages of each chapter begin 1″ from the top of the page
• Page numbers are consecutive and consistent throughout the document
• Notes are placed at the bottom of the page and are separated from the text by a solid line one to two inches long
• Notes begin at the left page margin, one single-spaced line below the solid line
• Longer notes are single-spaced between lines
• One double-spaced line between notes
• All notes are numbered with Arabic numerals consecutively within each chapter starting over with number 1 for the first note in each chapter, or notes are numbered consecutively through the entire document
• Numbers precede the note, are superscripted (placed slightly above the line), and no space is placed between the number and the note
• Endnotes always begin on a separate page either immediately following the end of each chapter, or at the end of the entire document
• If endnotes are placed at the end of the entire document, they appear after the appendices and before the references
• The heading “ENDNOTES” in all capital letters centered 1″ below the top of the first page of your endnotes section(s)
• All appendices appear after the last chapter and before the references (not after the chapter to which they pertain)
• 1″ margin at the top of the page with the appropriate heading centered in all capital letters
• For one appendix use the heading “APPENDIX”; for multiple appendices assign each appendix a number or letter heading (APPENDIX 1 or APPENDIX A)
• All appendix headings and titles are included in the table of contents
• Page numbering continues consistently throughout the appendix or appendices
• References begin on a separate page, either immediately following the end of the chapter, or at the end of the entire document
• Each reference page has a 1″ margin at the top
• An appropriate heading is centered, in all capital letters at the top of the page (e.g., “REFERENCES”, “BIBLIOGRAPHY”, or “WORKS CITED”)
• All entries are single-spaced within each entry and double-spaced between entries
• Page numbering continues consistently throughout the references section(s)

Helpful Tips

• Your thesis or dissertation must be in PDF form for submission online
• Be sure to include an email address that you check regularly when you set up your account for online submission
• Specific formatting requirements are explained in detail in The Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Guide

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BIOL Senior Honors Thesis

To graduate with Highest Honors or Honors in Biology, Bio majors/2nd majors must meet the following requirements:

GPA requirement. Biology majors/2nd majors must be in the last semester of their senior year at UNC.  You don’t have to be a student in the honors program to take BIOL 692H. You must have an overall CUM GPA of at least 3.300   and a BIO GPA of at least 3.300 as posted by the end of the application semester (5:00 p.m. on the last day all grades are due as set by the Registrar).  GPAs must meet the minimum 3.300 and won’t be rounded up.  The Bio GPA must include all cross-listed BIOL courses and one semester of BIOL 395 (your most recent 395 grade); however, do NOT count BIOL 101 and BIOL 101L in calculating your Bio GPA.  All candidates must be approved by the Biology Honors Chair, Dr Amy Shaub Maddox ( [email protected] ).

bio-gpa-calculation-in-connect-carolina

gpa-manual-calculation

Research requirement. Students must have completed at least 3 credit hours of BIOL 395.

Thesis statement requirement.   On a separate sheet of paper to be submitted with your BIOL 692H application, answer ALL of the following (typewritten, please):

1. Proposed thesis title

2. Rationale for your research in the form of background on the subject and  “but it is not known whether . . .” (1-2 sentences)

3. Central hypothesis (1 sentence)

4. Methods including level of experience and availability of reagents and equipment (3-4 sentences)

5. Predicted relevance to ecology or human health or other broader impacts (1 sentence)

6. Relevance to long-term goals (1 sentence)

Senior Honors thesis expectations :  The honors thesis is the culmination of high quality research performed in the preceding semester(s) of undergraduate study.  The products of BIOL 692H are a written thesis (minimum of 10 pages) and an oral presentation.  Your BIOL 395 paper or poster will serve as a first draft for the honors thesis.  Beginning early in the semester, the class will work in teams to refine each written thesis and prepare oral presentations.  Thus, new results should not be counted on to go into the honors thesis.  Instead, the research findings that comprise the written and oral theses should be completed before the start of the last semester of undergraduate coursework.  However, extension of that research can and should be going on in parallel to the preparation of the written and oral presentations in BIOL 692H.  Research should continue in the same lab as for BIOL 395.

Senior Honors thesis course (BIOL 692H). BIOL majors/2nd majors can BIOL 692H in their final semester at UNC.  In addition to doing your research, presenting your research in an oral talk and writing a senior honors thesis paper, you also need to attend the BIOL 692H class.  Students receive a letter grade for BIOL 692H and also will get the designation of Highest Honors or Honors added to their transcript.

Enrollment. Only electronic applications will be accepted. Please go to this webpage for the link to the application: https://bio.unc.edu/undergraduate/research/honors-info/ If you are graduating in December, your application is due April 15 (usually around fall semester pre-registration).  If you are graduating in May, your application is due November 15 (usually around spring semester pre-registration). After your CUM & BIOL GPAs have been verified and your application has been approved, the Biology Registrar will register you. If your grades don’t make the minimums, you can continue doing research in BIOL 395 or 495.  If you decide  you want to drop BIOL 692H, please email Dr Maddox by the end of the first week of classes.

Written work. BIOL 692H students must write an Senior Honors Thesis (minimum of 10 pages) based on the independent research project.  Your thesis will be stored electronically in the Wilson Library repository.

Symposium presentation. BIOL 692H students must present and defend their thesis research during the John K. Koeppe Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium.  The exact day/time  you will give your presentation will be assigned within the first 4 weeks of class.  Two graders will independently evaluate the content and presentation of your work.

Koeppe Symposium

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Thesis and Dissertation

General information.

In order to graduate, students must submit   their dissertation or thesis to ProQuest ,  a digital repository of scholarly works. Theses and dissertations will also appear in Niner Commons ,  UNC Charlotte’s own institutional repository. All theses and dissertations must be formatted according to the Graduate School's standards, and all milestones must be met in order to graduate. 

Formatting workshops and general online information

Formatting and submission information can be found on this site. In addition, f ormatting workshops are scheduled throughout each semester. These workshops provide an overview of the thesis and dissertation submission process and the Graduate School's formatting and graduation requirements. Students are invited to bring their own documents and ask questions. Please visit the Center for Graduate Life and Learning  events calendar to register.  

A formatting and submission playlist can also be found on the Center for Graduate Life and Learning's YouTube channel.

ProQuest also provides instructions for how to submit your thesis or dissertation .

For thesis or dissertation formatting or submission questions, contact your college liaison.   Information for connecting with your college liaison can be found in the block on this page.  

The deadlines for all graduation milestones can be found on the Registrar's Calendar .

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Finding Theses and Dissertations: Borrowing & Purchasing

• Finding UNC Theses & Dissertations
• Finding Other Theses & Dissertations

Borrowing a thesis or dissertation from UNC:

If you have a valid One Card or UNC Borrower's Card, you can check out theses and dissertations held by UNC Libraries that are listed as "available" in the catalog. If you are not currently affiliated with UNC, you can request a copy of a dissertation or thesis held at UNC through your library's Interlibrary Loan program.

Borrowing a thesis or dissertation held at a non-UNC library:

UNC-Chapel Hill students, staff, and faculty can request a dissertation or thesis held at another library through UNC's Interlibrary Loan Service . Please note dissertations and theses that are requested from another library are subject to that library's lending policies.

To purchase a copy of a UNC Chapel Hill dissertation:

If it was done after 1959, it can be purchased from ProQuest Dissertation Express. Orders can be placed online or by phone (1-800-521-3042).

If it is a dissertation not available from ProQuest Dissertation Express, or is a master's thesis or dissertation not available for loan, or is an honors thesis, contact the North Carolina Collection .

To purchase a copy of a non-UNC-Chapel Hill dissertation:

UNC-Chapel Hill students, staff, and faculty can make requests for the library to purchase Library copies of dissertations using the Request a Title for Purchase online form.

Orders can be placed through Proquest Dissertation Express . PDFs and unbound copies can be ordered online. There is a telephone number (1-800-521-3042) as well as a mail-in form for ordering microforms and bound copies.

UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff, and students can purchase an unbound paper copy of a dissertation through an Interlibrary Loan request for approximately $20.

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• 208 Raleigh Street CB #3916
• Chapel Hill, NC 27515-8890
• 919-962-1053