gps thesis submission

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This page lists doctoral theses containing research relating to or employing GPS technologies.

The list is arranged alphabetically by name of the graduate student.

Click on the title of any thesis, displayed in bold blue text , to view/download a copy of the thesis.

Abbott, Eric Land-vehicle navigation systems: An examination of the influence of individual navigation aids on system performance Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 1997

Alban, Santiago Design and Performance of a Robust GPS/INS Attitude System for Automobile Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2004

Alter, Keith Using wide area differential GPS to improve total system error for precision flight operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2000

Axelrad, Penina A closed loop GPS-based orbit trim system for Gravity Probe B Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 1990

Barrows, Andrew GPS 3-D cockpit displays: Sensors, Algorithms, and Flight Testing Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

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Bauregger, Frank Novel anti-jam antennas for airborne GPS navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2003

Bell, Thomas Precision robotic control of agricultural vehicles on realistic farm trajectories Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1999

Bevly, David High speed, dead reckoning, and towed implement control for automatically steered farm tractors using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2001

Blanch, Juan Using Kriging to bound Satellite Ranging Errors due to the Ionosphere Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2003 *ION Parkinson Award for Best Ph.D. Thesis

Boyce, C. O. Lee Atmospheric Noise Mitigation for Loran Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2007

Chao, Yi-Chung Real Time Implementation of the Wide Area Augmentation System for the Global Positioning System with an Emphasis on Ionospheric Modeling Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1997

Chen, Yu-Hsuan Design and Implementation of a Real-Time GNSS Receiver and its Applications in the Presence of Interference and Ionospheric Scintillation Ph.D. Dissertation, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C., November 2011

Chiou, Tsung-Yu Design of a Doppler-Aided GPS Navigation System for Weak Signals Caused By Strong Ionospheric Scintillation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2010

Choi, Myungjun Evaluation of Advanced Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring for Vertical Guidance Using GPS and GLONASS Signals Engineer Degree Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2014

Cobb, Stewart GPS Pseudolites: Theory, Design, and Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1997

Cohen, Clark Attitude Determination Using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1992 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner * *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Dai, Donghai Interoperability of Space Based Augmentation Systems for Aircraft Navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, April 2001

Datta-Barua, Seebany Ionospheric Threats to the Integrity of Airborne GPS users Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

De Lorenzo, David Navigation Accuracy and Interference Rejection for GPS Adaptive Antenna Arrays Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2007

Do, Ju-Yong Road to Seamless Positioning: Hybrid Positioning System Combining GPS and Television Signals PRESENTATION mode (in PDF) Ph.D., Stanford University, May 2008 (Presentation, April 2007)

Dressel, Louis Efficient and Low-Cost Localization of Radio Sources with an Autonomous Drone Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2018

Elkaim, Gabriel System Identification for Precision Control of a Wingsailed GPS-Guided Catamaran Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2001 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Ene, Alexandru Utilization of Modernized Global Navigation Satellite Systems for Aircraft-Based Navigation Integrity Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2009

Fuller, Richard Aviation Utilization of Geostationary Satellites for the Augmentation to GPS: Ranging and Data Link Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000

Gao, Grace Xingxin Towards Navigation based on 120 Satellites: Analyzing the New Signals Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 2008 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Gautier, Jennifer GPS/INS Generalized Evaluation Tool (GIGET) for the Design and Testing of Integrated Navigation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2003

Gazit, Ran Aircraft surveillance and collision avoidance using GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1996

Gebre-Egziahber, Demoz Design and Performance Analysis of a Low-Cost Aided Dead Reckoning Navigator Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2001

Gromov, Konstantin GIDL: Generalized Interference Detection and Localization System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2002

Gunning, Kazuma Safety Critical Bounds for Precise Positioning for Aviation and Autonomy Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2021

Hansen, Andrew Tomogrpahic Estimation of the Ionosphere Using Terrestrial GPS Sensors Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2002

Heng, Liang Safe Satellite Navigation with Multiple Constellations: Global Monitoring of GPS and GLONASS Signal-In-Space Anomalies Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2012

Holforty, Wendy Flight-deck display of neighboring aircraft wake vortices Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2003

Houck, Sharon Multi Aircraft Dynamics, Navigation and Operation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, April 2001 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Jan, Shau-Shiun Aircraft Landing Using a Modernized Global Positioning System and the Wide Area Augmentation System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003

Jardin, Matthew Robert Toward real-time en route air traffic control optimization Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2003

Jennings, Chad Threat Displays for Final Approach Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Jung, Jaewoo High integrity carrier phase navigation using multiple civil GPS signals Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2000

Kee, Changdon Wide Area Differential GPS (WADGPS) Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1993

Kim, Euiho Innovative Use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems for Flight Inspection Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

Kim, Ung Suok Mitigation of Signal Biases Introduced by Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas in a High Integrity Carrier Phase Differential GPS System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2007

Ko, Ping-Ya GPS-based precision approach landing navigation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2000

Koenig, Michael Optimizing the Decision Rule of a GPS Integrity Monitoring System for Improved Availability Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2010

Konno, Hiroyuki Design of an Aircraft Landing System using Dual-Frequency GNSS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2007

Lawrence, David Aircraft Landing Using GPS: Development and Evaluation of a Real Time System for Kinematic Position using the Global Positioning System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, September 1996

Lee, Jiyun GPS-Based Aircraft Landing Systems with Enhanced Performance Beyond Accuracy Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2005

Lightsey, Glenn Development and flight demonstration of a GPS receiver for space Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, February 1997

Liu, Xinwei Characterization of the Clock and Ephemeris Error Distributions of the Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) Engineer Degree Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2023

Lo, Sherman Broadcasting GPS Integrity Information Using Loran-C Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, July 2002

McMilin, Emily Single Antenna Null-Steering for GPS & GNSS Aerial Applications Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2016 *ION Parkinson Award for Best Ph.D. Thesis

Mitelman, Alexander Signal quality monitoring for GPS augmentation systems (zipped) Signal quality monitoring for GPS augmentation systems ] Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2004 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner * *ION Parkinson Award for Best Ph.D. Thesis

Montgomery, Paul Carrier differential GPS as a sensor for automatic control: Development of a full state estimation and flight control system for an autonomous aircraft based on the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1996 *Ballhaus Award Winner for Best Ph.D. in Aero/Astro

Ndili, Awele Robust GPS Autonomous Signal Quality Monitoring Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 1998

Neish, Andrew Establishing Trust Through Authentication in Satellite Based Augmentation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2020

O'Connor, Michael Carrier-phase differential GPS for automatic control of land vehicles Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1997

Olsen, Eric GPS sensing for formation flying vehicles Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, November 1999

Opshaug, Guttorm R. A Leapfrog Navigation System Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2003

Park, Young Shin Design of Airport Surface Movement Using Single-Frequency GPS Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 2016

Perkins, Adrien Fast Interference Localization to Protect Global Navigation Satellite Service Operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2020

Pervan, Boris Navigation integrity for aircraft precision landing using the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 1996 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Phelts, Robert Eric Multicorrelator Techniques for Robust Mitigation of Threats to GPS Signal Quality Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2001 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Pullen, Sam Probabilistic engineering design optimization: Application to spacecraft and navigation systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 1996

Qiu, Di Security from Location Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2009

Rabinowitz, Matthew A differential carrier-phase navigation system combining GPS with low Earth orbit satellites for rapid resolution of integer cycle ambiguities Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2000

Ramakrishnan, Shankar Enhancing Satellite Navigation for Low Earth and Geostationary Orbit Missions Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 2018

Reid, Tyler Orbital Diversity for Global Navigation Satellite Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 2017 * RTCA Jackson Award Winner *

Rekow, Andrew System identification, adaptive control and formation driving of farm tractors Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2001

Rife, Jason Automatic Robotic Tracking of Gelatinous Animals in the Deep Ocean Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2003

Rothmaier, Fabian Statistical Inference for Safe and Continuous Navigation in the Presence of GNSS Spoofing Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 2021

Seo, Jiwon Overcoming Ionospheric Scintillation for Worldwide GPS Aviation Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2010

Teague, Edward Harrison Flexible structure estimation and control using the global positioning system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, May 1997

Tsai, Yeou-Jyh Wide Area Differential Operation of the Global Positioning System: Ephemeris and Clock Operations Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, August 1999

Uematsu, Hirohiko The Gravity Probe B niobium bird experiment: Experimental verification of a data reduction scheme with a prototypical dc SQUID readout system Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, October 1993

Walter, Todd A Gyroscope Clock for a Null Gravitational Redshift Experiment Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, December 1993

Wong, Gabriel Impact of Nominal Signal Deformations on Satellite Navigation Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, June 2014

Xie, Gang Optimal On-Airport Monitoring of the Integrity of GPS-Based Landing Systems Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, March 2004

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="gps thesis 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.

Regulations and Procedures for Thesis Master's Graduate Degrees

University graduation requirements for thesis master's degrees , time boundaries for candidacy and defense , time to degree.

• Approval of Candidacy 

Thesis Committee

Announcement of thesis defense, oral examination in defense of thesis, thesis submission regulations and procedures, departmental duties, other requirements.

Candidates receive a master's degree after completing:

• A minimum of 30 graduate semester credit hours of coursework taken at the 500-level or above (including thesis credit hours).
• A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University. 
• A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
• A minimum program GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the thesis master’s degree.*
• A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of full-time graduate study at Rice University.
• Original work reported in a thesis and a public oral examination, approved and submitted to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
• All courses must be taken in the relevant field.

* Note : Departments or programs may identify and define in their program's General Announcements Requirements tab stricter minimum requirements to satisfy their academic program requirements.

Candidacy, Oral Examinations, and Thesis 

Time to candidacy.

Master of Architecture (MArch) students must be approved for candidacy before October 31st prior to their juried defense. Master of Music (MMus) students must be approved for candidacy before beginning the 4th semester of study. All other thesis master’s students must be approved for candidacy no later than the beginning of the 5th semester of their enrollment in the degree program at Rice. See  Candidacy, Oral Examinations and Thesis . Additionally, students must be projected to complete their minimum required credit hours and all other non-thesis degree requirements before the end of the semester in which they defend.

Time to Defense

Master’s students must defend the thesis no later than the 8th semester from the date of their enrollment in the degree program at Rice. See  Candidacy, Oral Examinations and Thesis .

Time to Thesis Submission

Candidates who successfully pass the oral examination in defense of the thesis must submit the thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies no later than six months from the date of the examination. See  Candidacy, Oral Examinations and Thesis .  Candidates must also adhere to all deadlines associated with the Academic Calendar for a given commencement.  

All master’s students are required to complete their program within five years of initial enrollment. This time boundary includes any period in which the student was not enrolled or enrolled part-time, for whatever reason. Failure to meet any university time to degree deadline may result in the student not being able to continue in their degree program.

Approval of Candidacy  

Candidacy marks a midpoint in the course of graduate education. Achieving candidacy for the master’s degree signals that a graduate student has:

• completed required coursework,
• passed any required exams to demonstrate comprehensive grasp of the subject area,
• demonstrated the ability for clear oral and written communication, and
• shown the ability to carry on scholarly work in the subject area.

Requirements for achieving candidacy for the master's degree are determined at the  departmental  level. The department is also authorized to grant waivers or substitutions of specific course requirements, but not to make exceptions to university requirements.

Students enrolled in research degree programs submit their petitions for candidacy for a master’s degree through the department chair to the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. In the petition sent to the dean, the department chair identifies the student’s thesis director, recommends a thesis committee, certifies that the applicant has fulfilled the departmental requirements, and provides a course transcript as evidence that work completed within the department is of high quality. 

Master’s candidacy students must be approved for candidacy before the beginning of the fifth semester of their enrollment at Rice. However, in order to qualify for a given commencement, they must meet the submission deadline for that commencement per the  Academic Calendar . This date falls at the end of October for December degree conferral and the end of February for May degree conferral.

Students who are unable to meet the university time boundary for candidacy may petition the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies or the dean's designee for an extension of time to candidacy. Students who exceed their time boundaries without an approved extension request will be placed on academic probation. Students who exceed their time boundaries and do not receive an extension to their time to candidacy are subject to immediate dismissal by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

The thesis committee administers the oral examination for the student’s thesis defense and has final approval/disapproval authority and responsibility for the written thesis.  The thesis committee is subject to the approval of the department (either the chair or the director of graduate studies) and the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

A thesis committee is composed of at least three members. Two, including the committee chair, must be members of the student’s department faculty. At least three members of the committee must meet one of the following requirements:

• Tenured or tenure-track members of the Rice faculty
• Rice research faculty holding the rank of assistant research professor, associate research professor, or research professor 

Qualified individuals who have been identified by the department chair may serve as additional committee members, but may not substitute for the three tenure or tenure-track faculty members.

The composition of the thesis committee must always meet the guidelines mentioned above, with the following exceptions:

• Interdisciplinary programs (Applied Physics and Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology ) -  The chair of the thesis committee is either the advisor or in the host department of the student, is affiliated with the program and is Rice tenured or tenure-track faculty . The second member of the committee is affiliated with the program and is Rice tenured or tenure-track faculty .  The third member is Rice tenured or tenure-track faculty. The formal structure of the thesis committee for the programs can be found in the program specific sections of the General Announcements and are regularly reviewed by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
• Master of Architecture (MArch) -  The committee chair must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member. Other committee members can be tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure track Rice faculty.

The thesis director must be a tenured or tenure-track member of the Rice University faculty or a research faculty holding the rank of assistant research professor, associate research professor, or research professor. Faculty whose primary appointment is at another institution may serve as thesis director if approved by the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. Emeritus professors may not accept new graduate students or be included on newly formed thesis committees without the approval of the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies and an appointment letter from the school dean.

The committee chair need not be the thesis director. The chair, however, must be either a tenured or tenure-track member of the student's department or a research faculty member of the student's department. In addition to the three required members, additional members of the committee may be selected with the approval of the department chair or the director of graduate studies.

In the event that a member of a students’ thesis committee leaves their position at Rice University, they may continue to serve on the thesis committee if they continue to have the support of the department chair (or in the case of interdisciplinary programs, the graduate program director) to serve in this capacity.

Candidates are responsible for keeping the members of their committee informed about the nature and progress of their research. They also must establish a schedule for thesis completion and review. The members of the committee, in turn, should review the thesis in a timely manner, approving a preliminary form of the thesis before scheduling the oral examination.

Changes to the thesis committee must be approved in writing by the department chair or the director of graduate studies and approved by the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies prior to the defense.  Students have a right to know prior to the defense who will examine them. Changes requested after the thesis defense are generally not granted, so a re-defense may be required, but a petition can be made to the  the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies. 

Oral examinations for the master’s degree must be registered and publicly publicized at least 7 days in advance. Oral examination announcements must be registered with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by entering the information into the Graduate Students Thesis Defense Announcement form at https://events.rice.edu/rgs . Defenses that proceed without timely registration are unofficial and will not meet university degree requirements.

The public oral defense of a thesis is intended to be an examination of a completed body of work and should be scheduled only when the thesis is essentially completed. Students may take the final oral examination in defense of their thesis only after the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies approves their candidacy. 

In addition to announcing the planned defense as described above, at least one copy of the thesis must be available in the departmental office not less than two calendar weeks prior to the date of the oral defense. Graduate programs may allow or require the thesis to be submitted and stored in an electronic format. 

The length of the oral examination and the subject matter on which the candidate is questioned are left to the judgment of the thesis committee. The defense should be scheduled by the student after consultation with the thesis advisor, who agrees that the thesis is completed and ready to be defended. All oral thesis defenses must take place on the Rice University campus with the candidate in physical attendance and all thesis committee members in attendance throughout the entire defense. While the physical attendance of the committee is highly encouraged, it is recognized that this may add unnecessary scheduling conflicts delaying the student’s defense. The student may, at their own discretion, provide an online option for guests to attend the defense.

Should a candidate fail, the committee chair may schedule a second examination. Students who fail a second time will be dismissed from the university.

Following their defense, students must submit a copy of their approval of candidacy form, signed by the thesis committee signifying successful defense of the thesis, along with a copy of their defended thesis, to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies within one week after the oral examination. Instructions to submit this form are located online at https://graduate.rice.edu/academics/candidacy-defense-thesis-submission . The original approval of candidacy form must be turned in when the thesis is submitted.

Master’s students must defend their theses before the end of the eighth semester of their enrollment at Rice. Students who are unable to meet the university time boundary for thesis defense may petition the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies or the dean's designee for an extension of time to defense. Students who exceed their time boundaries without an approved extension request may be placed on academic probation or dismissed by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

A candidate must be enrolled in the semester in which the oral examination is held. Students who defend during the summer must enroll in the summer session of classes. For the purpose of the oral defense only, enrollment in a semester is considered valid through the Friday of the first week of class of the following semester. Students passing the oral examination on or before the end of the first week of classes of any semester do not have to register for that or any subsequent semester even though they may be continuing to make minor revisions to the final copy of their thesis.

The thesis is the principal record of a student’s work for an advanced degree. Instructions for online thesis submission and guidelines for thesis formatting are available at: https://graduate.rice.edu/academics/candidacy-defense-thesis-submission .

Candidates who successfully pass the oral examination in defense of the thesis must submit the thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies no later than six months from the date of the examination. If the thesis is not submitted by the end of the six-month period, the “pass” will be revoked and an additional oral defense will need to be scheduled. Applications for an extension without reexamination must be made by the candidate with the unanimous support of the thesis committee, endorsed by the department chair (or in the case of interdisciplinary programs, the graduate program director), and approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Extensions of this six-month period for completion without reexamination will be granted only in rare circumstances.

Students must have an electronically certified signature of each member of their thesis committee submitted through AdobeSign on two title pages of their thesis. All students submitting theses must complete a ProQuest/University Microfilms International (UMI) publishing contract as part of their thesis submission. 

All theses are permanently preserved in Rice’s Institutional Repository and are available via  https://scholarship.rice.edu  shortly after the final submission of the thesis. At the time of thesis submission, a student may request an embargo of six months, one year, or two years; embargos beyond this period are subject to the approval of the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies.

Students have six months from the date of their defense to submit their thesis. However, in order to qualify for a given degree conferral and the associated commencement ceremonies, they must meet the submission deadline for that degree conferral per the Academic Calendar . This date falls on the last day of classes in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. 

In most research degree programs, students must undertake a limited amount of teaching or perform other services as part of their training. Assigned duties should not entail more than 10 hours per week, averaged over the semester, or extend over more than eight semesters.  Students must be paid as a Teaching Assistant, Instructor of Record, or on an hourly basis for this work, regardless of degree requirements.

There are other additional requirements, regulations and procedures for all graduate programs. They are found under Graduate Students > Academic Policies and Procedures > All Graduate Students , or can be accessed directly here .

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Welcome to the Thesis & Dissertation Submission System

Within a week of your defense, please upload the defended copy of your thesis as well as a scan of your signed approval of candidacy form. Please make sure you have written the title of your thesis in the appropriate section on the form, and that you have indicated the date of your defense on the form.

Once your submission is complete and submitted within this site, please fill out the webform here:

https://graduate.rice.edu/online-thesis-submission-form

in lieu of submitting the thesis in person to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Complete instructions for thesis submission may be found here.

If you have questions after reading the instructions completely, please contact your graduate coordinator or [email protected] for assistance.  

To get started with your submission, click the link below. You will be asked to authenticate using your NetID.  If you have previously started a submission for this thesis, please select "Edit" next to the started submission.  If you have not started to submit this thesis, please select "Start New Submission" at the bottom the page.  

Start your submission

Your help can make things better

This submission process is is made through an online application developed and maintained by the Texas Digital Library, in conjunction with the Texas A&M, MIT, and UIUC.  Your feedback is very important to us; it allows us to continue to improve the system. Please feel free to notify us directly at [email protected] if you have any suggestions to increase the usability or effectiveness of this application.

Instructions | FAQ | Managed by Rice GPS and Fondren Library | Contact Us

Thesis and dissertation filing guidelines

Students who have enrolled in dissertation or thesis credits will prepare a manuscript to publish through ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing. You own and retain the copyright to your manuscript. The Graduate School collects the manuscript via electronic submissions only. All manuscripts are made available through ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (PQDT), in ProQuest/UMI’s Dissertation Abstracts International, and through the University’s institutional repository, ScholarWorks.

Getting started with campus resources:

• Office of Human Research Protection
• Campus computer Help Desk @One : (775) 682-5000
• ProQuest Help Line: (877) 408-5027 (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET, or 5 a.m. - 2 p.m. PT)
• For specific questions, call the Graduate School Graduation staff at (775) 784-6869

Jump to a section

• Important dates and milestones for graduating students
• Electronic manuscript submission
• Checklist to complete your electronic submission
• Instructions for completing thesis/dissertation committee approval page
• Formatting your dissertation or thesis
• Templates, samples and forms for filing

1. Important dates and milestones for graduating students

• Contact your advisor to discuss department considerations and potential dates for your defense.
• Contact the Graduate School to ensure your progression paperwork has been approved.
• View important dates and purchase a graduation application through MyNevada for your graduation semester.
• Doctoral students must submit their dissertation title for the commencement program.
• Schedule defense date with the entire advisory committee in accordance with graduation deadlines.
• Submit all forms and final manuscripts to the Graduate School by established deadlines.

2. Electronic Manuscript submission

ProQuest electronic submission site

Set up an account with ProQuest and wait for a password sent via email. ProQuest offers email and phone support,   1-877-408-5027 , frequently asked questions, etc. Visit the site early to familiarize yourself with the submission process.

3. Checklist to complete your electronic submission

• Master's  Notice of Completion and Doctoral Notice of Completion Form  - This form includes all committee signatures AND the Graduate Program Director’s signature.
• Master's Final Review Approval and Doctoral Final Review Approval   Form - This form serves as the final approval from your advisor. The Graduate School will accept the dissertation/thesis after the date listed on the form. The approval date on the form indicates the student’s submission can be accepted.
• Committee Approval Page   - Use the online Word document template (NO SIGNATURES and no page number). This page will be merged into your manuscript to acknowledge committee members.
• Filing for Copyright Registration   (optional) - Students have the opportunity to register a copyright of their graduate work with the U.S. Copyright Office. It is strictly optional, and there is a $75.00 fee associated with the service, which is paid online with student submission.
• Processing fee  - $85 thesis / $95 dissertation.  Log into your Student Center in MyNEVADA . Under the Finances section, click on the link “Purchase Miscellaneous Items.” Select the applicable processing fee to pay (Dissertation or Thesis) and complete the transaction. You will receive a receipt that generates overnight.  Please keep this item as proof of payment for your records. Our office will automatically check for payment posted.
• NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates  – For  doctoral students only.

4. Instructions for completing thesis/dissertation committee approval page

• The Committee Approval Page (see forms links at bottom of page ): This interactive template has established borders.
• Use the accompanying template on page two of this handout to complete the Committee Approval form. Check spelling carefully and make sure that case (upper-case/capital and lower-case letters) and font style (regular or bold) follow the template. Spacing between lines will depend on how long your thesis/dissertation title is and how many committee members you have.
• Type the words as they appear on the template, i.e., on the first line “We recommend that the thesis/dissertation”, followed by the second line “prepared under our supervision by.”
• At brackets [1] enter your full name in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and BOLD-FACED.
• Type the word “entitled” all in lowercase letters.
• At brackets [2] enter the complete title of your thesis/dissertation. The title should be in both CAPITAL and lower-case letters and must be Bold-Faced. If the title is long, use two or more lines, breaking the lines at appropriate words in the title. Do not hyphenate between lines.
• Type the words “be accepted in partial fulfillment of the,” and then, on the next line, “requirements for the degree of.”
• At brackets [3] enter the name of the degree being awarded, e.g., for Ph.D. enter “Doctor of Philosophy,” for Ed.D. enter “Doctor of Education”. The degree should be in all CAPITAL LETTERS and Bold-Faced. DO NOT enter the name of the graduate program, such as anthropology or economics.
• At brackets [4] type the full name of your thesis/dissertation advisor followed by his/her degree, followed by the word “Advisor”. For example, “Sonia A. Skakich, Ph.D., Advisor”. Use both capital and lowercase letters.
• Enter the subsequent committee members and type the full names of the rest of your committee members followed by their degrees and their roles in the committee (Committee Member or Graduate School Rep.) under each one. Use one line for each member. The Graduate School Representative should be the last committee member listed. Use both capital and lowercase letters.
• The last entry is reserved for the Dean of the Graduate School (which is already entered on the form).
• At brackets [5] enter the month and year of official graduation. The month must be May, August, or December. Enter the appropriate four-digit designation of the year (e.g., 2018).

5. Formatting your dissertation or thesis

The Graduate School requires standardized formatting for the dissertation and thesis documents. Students will follow a style guide (APA, MLA, etc.) to prepare their document; however, the document must comply with University formatting requirements listed below.

Margins and spacing

• Left margin: 1.5” from the left edge of the page.
• Right margin: 1.0” from the right edge of the page.
• Top margin: 1.0” from the top edge of the page.
• Bottom margin: 1.25” from the bottom edge of the page.
• All text should be double-spaced with the exception of captions, footnotes, long quotations, bibliographic entries of more than one line, and materials in tables and appendices.

Recommended fonts

Fonts should be easy to read. Times New Roman, Arial, or a similarly clear font is preferred; type size must be 10, 11, or 12 points. Script and italic typefaces are not acceptable except where absolutely necessary i.e. in Latin designations of species, etc.

In preparing your dissertation or thesis for electronic submission, you must embed all fonts. In Microsoft Word 2013, this is done by accessing the FILE menu; selecting OPTIONS, select SAVE. From the SAVE menu check the box labeled, ”Embed fonts in the file.” If the file size is a concern, check the box next to “Do NOT embed common system fonts."

Large tables, charts, etc., may be reduced to conform to page size, but the print must remain clear enough to be readable. You can also attach a PDF for electronic submissions.

Page numbering

Every page, with the exception of the title page, the copyright page, and the committee approval page is numbered in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top of the page and one inch from the right edge of the page. Do not underline or place a period after the number. Do not use a running header.

• The prefatory materials (abstract, acknowledgments, table of contents, etc.) are numbered in lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv…). Insert a section break after the Roman numerals to create different page numbering styles.
• The first page of the main text and all subsequent pages are continuously numbered in Arabic numerals beginning with one until the final page number (1, 2, 3, 4…)
• Do NOT number appendices or pages of additional material with numbers such as 4a or A-1.

Tables and appendices

Tables and appendices are part of the document and must conform to the same margin and page numbering requirements.

Format and sequence of pages

Assemble pages in the following order:

• Title page *no page number* (create according to the example provided)
• Copyright Notice *no page number* (optional - see example)
• Committee Approval Page *no page number* (use the online template available on our   forms page – NO SIGNATURES on this page)
• Abstract (begins lowercase Roman numerals i, ii, iii…)
• Dedication (optional)
• Acknowledgments (optional)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Body of Manuscript (begins Arabic numbering 1, 2, 3…)
• Back Matter (appendices, notes, bibliography, etc.)
• Do not number the title page
• Center each line of type
• Use BOLD text type for the manuscript title
• The date listed is the month and year in which you will graduate. The only acceptable months are May, August, and December (graduation cycles).

Copyright page

No page number on this page. Although not required, we strongly recommend you insert a copyright notice in your manuscript following the title page. Essential components of the copyright notice include the copyright symbol, full legal name of the author, and year of first publication. Follow the format of the sample provided below.

Committee approval page

• No page number on this page
• Use the electronic PDF template provided below. This page will list the advisory committee members and graduate dean but will NOT include committee signatures.   Combine the PDF into your manuscript to form a single PDF file.  To do this in Adobe Pro, select "Organize pages," "Insert," and "From file."   
• A window will open and you can drag your separate PDF files into this window to combine them into a single file.
• Choose the PDF documents in order of page sequencing (title page, committee page, main manuscript) and then combine files into a single PDF.

(Lower case Roman numeral “i” page number)

Abstracts are required for all theses and dissertations. ProQuest no longer has a word limit on the abstract, “as this constrains your ability to describe your research in a section that is accessible to search engines, and therefore would constrain potential exposure of your work.” ProQuest does publish print indices that include citations and abstracts of all dissertations and theses published by ProQuest/UMI. These print indices require word limits of 350 words for doctoral dissertations and 150 words for master’s theses (only text will be included in the abstract). You may wish to limit the length of your abstract if this concerns you. The abstracts as you submit them will NOT be altered in your published manuscript.

Processing note

Each copy of your thesis or dissertation will be checked for margins, clarity of copy, and pagination. The Graduate School will run the manuscript through the Turn It In plagiarism tool.

Electronically submitted theses/dissertations are available in electronic format only; no hard copies will be produced. Students are responsible for binding any copies for personal use or for distribution to their advisor, department, or committee members.

Dissertation & Thesis Processing Fee

Mandatory processing fees are required for all theses ($85.00) and all dissertations ($95.00). Log into your Student Center in MyNEVADA. Under the Finances section, click on the link “Purchase Miscellaneous Items.” Select the applicable processing fee to pay (Dissertation or Thesis) and complete the transaction. You will receive a receipt that generates overnight.  Please keep this item as proof of payment for your records. Our office will automatically check for payment posted.

Using copyrighted materials

You must certify in ProQuest that any copyrighted material used in your work, beyond brief excerpts, is with the written permission of the copyright owner. Attach copies of permission letters to the agreement form.

Copyright registration (optional)

Students have the opportunity to register a copyright on their graduate work with the U.S. Copyright Office. It is strictly optional, and there is a $75.00 fee associated with the service. Students submitting electronically pay online. Paying for the claim to copyright is a voluntary action, which allows a court of law to award monetary damages if the copyright is infringed. You may file a Registration of Copyright yourself by sending a properly completed application form, a nonrefundable filing fee of $45.00 and a nonreturnable copy of your thesis or dissertation to the United States Copyright Office. Application materials and instructions are available from:

Register of Copyrights Copyright Office Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20559-6000 Information is also available at the Copyright Office’s website:   lcweb.loc.gov/copyright

ScholarWorks repository

ScholarWorks - the University's institutional repository - assists in collecting, preserving, and distributing the university's intellectual output accessible to end-users on local and global levels with few if any barriers. The repository will provide long-term access to the items deposited and can accept works from all the University faculty/staff/students. A wide variety of items including Articles, Datasets, Presentations, Technical Reports, Thesis and Dissertations, Posters, Conference Papers, etc. in all file formats can be deposited into the repository. The repository supports creative commons licensing and open-access publishing without any cost.

The discovery services and search engine optimizations ensure that major search engines easily discover the uploaded content. This increases the visibility, citations, and overall impact of the research. All items deposited in the repository receive a persistent URL that can be used for citations. Various statistics are collected with the built-in statistics module and Google Analytics modules. Information on monthly/yearly views, number of downloads, demographic information, etc. is available for each deposited item upon request.

All the ETDs uploaded into ProQuest are automatically deposited into the University's ScholarWorks repository. The embargo period set in ProQuest during deposit is carried over to the ScholarWorks repository. Any changes to the embargo period after deposit can be made by contacting ProQuest at 1-800-521-0600 as well as the ScholarWorks administrator at [email protected] .

Scholarworks FAQ

Do I need to upload my ETD into the ScholarWorks repository?

• No, ProQuest will automatically upload the ETD into ScholarWorks on approval from the Graduate School.

Can I extend the embargo period on my Thesis/Dissertation after uploading it to ProQuest?

• Yes, to change or extend the embargo period of your ETD you need to contact ProQuest at 1-800-521-0600 and the ScholarWorks administrator at [email protected] .

Can I make my ETD open access in the ScholarWorks repository?

• Yes, ScholarWorks supports open access with creative commons licensing. It is available as a free service to all the faculty/staff/students.

Alternative formatting for thesis or dissertation

These guidelines apply to those theses or dissertations which consist of a number of papers either previously published or being published concurrently with the submission of the thesis or dissertation. Acceptance and publication of the articles are not criteria for this alternative. Each of the papers should constitute a separate chapter of the overall work. Preceding the papers should be an introductory section. This section may be one or more chapters but should include:

• an overall introduction to the thesis/dissertation,
• a review of the appropriate literature, and
• a description of the methodology used in the study.

The student’s advisory committee should determine the format and specific content of this introductory section.

The number of individual papers constituting chapters of the thesis/dissertation is determined by the student’s advisory committee. These chapters may be formatted in the same style required by the journals to which they are to be submitted. However, the margins must conform to those of the overall thesis, i.e. left margin = 1.5"; right margin = 1"; top margin = 1"; bottom margin = 1.25". In addition, each page must be numbered consistent with the rest of the thesis/dissertation, that is, the first page of text is numbered 1 with each subsequent page numbered consecutively until the end, to include all appendices, indexes, etc.

Following the chapters consisting of individual papers, there must follow a summary, conclusions and recommendations section. This section may be formatted as one or more chapters.

Work reported in the articles should represent a major contribution by the student that is the review of the literature, the conceptual framework and/or research design for the reported work. The statistical analyses, summaries, conclusions, and recommendations should represent the student’s own work.

For publication purposes, other researchers may be named as additional authors. This would be especially appropriate when publication is dependent upon extensive revision of the initial manuscript submitted and the faculty involved assumes responsibility for the revisions, or when the student is using an existing database.

When a student chooses this option, the articles will be submitted to the journals agreed upon by the concerned academic unit. Responsibility for follow-up, revisions, etc., should be identified in a written document and agreed upon by the student and faculty member(s) involved.

6. Templates, samples and forms

Please be sure to read the above instructions before proceeding with documents.

Forms for filing a master's thesis   Forms for filing a doctoral dissertation

Thesis filing templates and samples

• Committee Approval page for 3-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page for 3-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page for 4-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page for 4-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)

Sample pages

• Thesis Title page (SAMPLE)
• Thesis Copyright page (SAMPLE)
• Thesis Committee approval page (SAMPLE)

Dissertation filing templates, samples and Survey of Earned Doctorates

• Committee Approval page  for 5-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page  for  5-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page  for 6-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page  for 6 -member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
• Dissertation Title page (SAMPLE)
• Dissertation Copyright page (SAMPLE)
• Dissertation Committee approval page (SAMPLE)

Survey of Earned Doctorates

• Survey of Earned Doctorates  - The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is an annual census conducted since 1957 of all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year. The SED is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and by three other federal agencies: the National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, and National Endowment for the Humanities. The SED collects information on the doctoral recipient's educational history, demographic characteristics, and postgraduation plans. Results are used to assess characteristics of the doctoral population and trends in doctoral education and degrees. Read more about the purpose and methods of the SED .

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• Final Dissertation & Thesis Submission

IMPORTANT: We are not able to do pre-reviews at this time due to the number of theses being submitted for the July and August deadlines. If you are submitting your final thesis, it will be reviewed after you have submitted to cIRcle. Exception: Doctoral dissertations going out to external examiners will be reviewed, but please allow a minimum of five business days for a response. Do not contact the Library or the cIRcle office about a pre-review. They do not provide them.

NOTE ON DEADLINES: Thesis approval deadlines are for having your thesis fully approved in cIRcle, not just submitted. You are expected to submit at least five days ahead of any deadline in order to allow yourself time to make any needed corrections.

This section is only for final, post-defence submission of theses and dissertations.

Note on terminology: The term "thesis" in this section of the website is used collectively to refer to both master's theses and doctoral dissertations.

Final theses and dissertations are submitted electronically to the Library's electronic repository, cIRcle, where they will be open access.

[CREATIVE ARTS ONLY (Master of Fine Arts/Master of Music): As of October 21, 2017 , for MFA and MMus theses only, you may choose to submit to the collection in cIRcle “Electronic Theses and Dissertations in Creative Arts, 2017+ (CWL ACCESS)”. Access to this collection is permanently restricted to individuals who have a Campus-Wide Login (CWL). The collection is not available to the public. Please see cIRcle: Uploading Electronic Creative Arts Theses and cIRcle: File Format Guidelines . ]

You must submit your  final, defended thesis electronically to UBC's online information repository, cIRcle . PDF files must be compatible with Adobe Acrobat version 5, and must not be in "secured" format or password-protected . cIRcle does not accept secured or password-protected PDFs due to access and preservation concerns. A scan to PDF is not acceptable. If you have questions, please contact the cIRcle staff .

Your thesis will be reviewed for formatting by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and approved for inclusion in cIRcle. Your program cannot be closed and you will not be eligible to graduate until the content and formatting of the thesis have been officially approved and you have received an official email confirming final approval of your thesis. It is your responsibility to submit a thesis in the correct format and allow time for revisions to be complete in order to meet deadlines.

Note about pre-reviews: If you are preparing for final submission, your thesis will be reviewed more quickly if you submit directly to cIRcle rather than emailing it for review.

We recommend you submit your thesis a minimum of 3 - 5 business days before any deadline , as corrections may be required. Particularly around deadlines, the thesis team is exceptionally busy and there will be delays in activating accounts and reviewing theses. Additionally, you will need time to make any necessary corrections, as your thesis must be approved and accepted into cIRcle (not just submitted) in order for you to meet deadlines.

Thesis Availability

Your thesis will be available online in 3 - 4 days.

IMPORTANT:  If you would like to delay publication of your thesis , you must obtain approval from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies before submitting your thesis.

Submitting Doctoral Dissertation for External Examination

For information on submitting a doctoral dissertation for transmittal to the External Examiner, please see the Final Doctoral Oral Examinations section of this website.

Checking the Thesis

Please use Resources for Thesis Checking to check formatting before attempting to submit your thesis.

Proofreading

Important: It is your responsibility to proofread your thesis carefully before submitting the final version, and to make sure that the thesis you submit is complete, accurate, and free of errors. You cannot make changes to your thesis after it has been accepted into cIRcle, so you will not be able to correct any errors after your final submission. Check for:

• consistent, sequential numbering of sections
• consistent abbreviations and units of measure
• correct symbols and special characters
• consistent headings and capitalization
• consistent line spacing and table formatting
• typographical errors
• grammatical errors

Proofreading is primarily your responsibility, but supervisors and examiners should not sign off on theses until they are free of errors.

The thesis team checks theses to ensure theses meet the formatting requirements, focusing on the preliminary pages and file names. If staff notice egregious mistakes elsewhere in a thesis they may require them to be corrected in the interest of ensuring a professional presentation of the work.

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Decision by the Common Graduation Commission of the GSLS from 10th February 2022:

As decided by the GSLS Common Graduation Commission (“Gemeinsame Promotionskommission”) on 10 th February 2022, the thesis may be prepared in the form of a monograph ("Monographie") or a manuscript/chapter-based compilation thesis ("Manuskript-/Kapitel-basierte Thesis") . Both thesis types are considered equivalent; there is no a priori difference in quality constituted by the choice whether a thesis is written as a monograph or as a compilation thesis.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the preparation of a doctoral thesis at the GSLS for details.

Thesis Writing

Our  guidelines for the preparation of GSLS doctoral theses   a pply. You may choose between the classical “monography” and the “compilation” (chapter/manuscript) style. Please consult with your first supervisor/thesis committee before deciding on the format. Particularly in the case of compilation theses, don´t forget to include the forms describing your own contribution to the text, as well as to figures and tables in your thesis. If applicable, you may also use these forms when writing in monography style: Form Statement of individual author contributions and of legal second publication rights Form Statement of individual author contributions to figures/tables Please also check the updated guidelines for reviewers of GSLS doctoral thesis .

Fundamental formatting regulations applying to both monography as well as compilation theses:

Preparation for thesis submission

The previous individual submission advisory talk is no longer required. A detailed list covering all  requirements for thesis submission  as well as   a short guide can be found here . Please complete part 1 and partially part 2 of the checklist (Doctoral Thesis Submission Form) and send it to us by email. In addition, please include any specific questions you may have in the email as well. This should ideally be done 4-6 weeks before submission of the thesis.

Please note, the chairperson will be determined by the GSLS office and filled in by hand after thesis submission.

• Make sure that you have fulfilled the requirements of the study program 'Life Sciences' and completed the   study book (preferably electronically). Please remember that your primary supervisor must approve and sign the study book.
• Check that your GSLS admission is valid at the time you submit your thesis.
• Check your thesis for compliance with the formatting regulations (see above)  before printing.

Fill in the template of the diploma supplement and send it to Heike Schrenk as a Word file.  Please do not change the formatting of the template.

Thesis submission

• Make an appointment with Heike Schrenk or Eva Dallmann   for the submission of your thesis.
• The following documents are required at the submission:
• Copy of yellow study book and copies of course certificates (GSLS study program elements)
• Copy of identity card OR c opy of marriage certificate (if applicable) 
• Current matriculation certificate OR civil service working contract OR certificate of good conduct “type 0” (see preparation for thesis submission)
• Form  Application form for the Conferral of a Doctorate at the Graduate School of Life Sciences
• Form  Confirmation by the Thesis Committee
• Form  Declaration Library
• 5   bound copies of your thesis (1 for each reviewer and the chairperson, 1 for the GSLS archive, 1 spare copy + X for non-reviewer committee members if necessary / additional copies for committee members who wants a printed copy)
• Electronic PDF version of your printed thesis and, if applicable, supplemental material (CD or USB stick)

Upon successful thesis submission, you will receive a “Laufzettel”/process sheet , on which the process of graduation (starting with thesis submission) is documented by signatures.

You will need your Laufzettel again after your successful thesis defense when completing the publication of your thesis at the university library – so please don´t lose it!

Graduation process until public thesis defense – timeline

After your submission, the thesis will be sent for evaluation. You should calculate approximately 10-12 weeks in total for the following steps (please be aware that a "summa cum laude" procedure may take considerably longer due to an additional evaluation step):

After the Defense: doctoral certificate and publication of the thesis

Doctoral certificate.

• Right after your successful defense you will receive your preliminary certificate /”Zeugnis”. This is not the final doctoral certificate and it does NOT grant you the right to carry the title "Dr. rer. nat." or "PhD" yet.
• It takes approximately three weeks for the university to prepare the embossed final certificate signed by the president of the JMU, which will officially grant you the title. We will hand out your final certificate together with the diploma supplement signed by the GSLS Dean.
• Please note that we can only hand out your final certificate once we have received the notification from the university library that the publication of your thesis is complete (library signature on the “Laufzettel”/Process sheet).

Publication of the thesis via “OPUS” at the University Library

Please note: The publication via OPUS can only take place AFTER your successful defense!

The following steps are required (see information on the University library website):

Submit five bound copies of your thesis to the Central University Library at Hubland together with your “ Laufzettel”/Process sheet . You are welcome to use any leftover copies from the graduation process. You can collect those at the GSLS office after your defense.

Complete the Publication Contract (Veröffentlichungsvertrag) and either send it to the university Library by email, or hand it in together with the five bound copies of your thesis.  You can find the different types of licenses on the License FAQ – please check with the library staff in case of questions. The most common licence is CC BY-SA.

Upload the electronic version of your final thesis in the OPUS system through the University library website.

For doctoral theses which contain unpublished data or pending patent applications: If substantial reasons exist, you may additionally submit an application for temporary non-publication of a dissertation: Antrag auf vorläufige Nichtveröffentlichung  (German) Application for temporary non-publication (English) Please submit the completed form to the library either with the three physical copies of your thesis or by email.

Once all formalities are successfully completed, the library will sign for the receipt of your thesis on the “Laufzettel”/Process sheet and send it back to the GSLS office. 

Important: The GSLS office requires the signature of the responsible person at the University library to be able to hand out your doctoral certificate and diploma supplement.

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Academics | Candidacy & Defense

Candidacy & defense overview.

The deadline to submit for the August degree conferral has passed. The deadline to submit for the December degree conferral is noon on Friday, December 6, 2024. Be sure to upload your signed title page before submitting your thesis.

In the event that a thesis committee must change from what was previously approved, please confer with your graduate program administrator as soon as possible prior to your defense, and follow the instructions in section B here . The committee must still adhere all of the existing rules for composition in the General Announcements and all changes must be approved by your Department Chair or DGS as well as Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Completing your thesis

Please use the links below for guidelines regarding candidacy, defense and thesis submission. All policies surrounding these events can be found in the General Announcements . Information for doctoral degrees can be found here, and master's degrees can be found here.

• How to achieve candidacy
• How to defend your thesis
• How to submit your thesis

Today’s hours

The thesis submission procedure at Bilkent University Library is designed to complete the graduation procedures for graduate students and make their academic work accessible. Below is a step-by-step explanation of the thesis submission procedure.

* Students continuing to the doctorate must complete the thesis submission and clearance procedures.

1. Preparation of Thesis Format Your thesis must be prepared in accordance with the format and style guidelines set by Bilkent University and submitted in both printed and digital (CD) formats. The content and layout of the file in the CD must be identical to the printed copy. Both formats must include a completed signature page.

Required Documents: You must bring one wet-signed copy of the following documents during thesis submission:

• Bilkent University Thesis Database Submission and Permission Form
• Bilkent University Graduate Thesis Access Postponement Request Form (if there is an access postponement request)
• YÖK National Thesis Center Data Entry and Publication Permission Form
• Bilkent University Doctoral and Graduate Students Clearance Form

The Thesis Database Submission and Permission Form allows us to make your thesis accessible through the university library and, if necessary, publish it in accordance with the open-access policies. A copy will be taken by the library, and the original signed by the authorized librarian will be returned to you.

The Bilkent University Graduate Thesis Access Postponement Request Form is required if there is an access restriction on your thesis work. The information on this form must match the access postponement details specified on the Thesis Database Submission and Permission Form. The form must include necessary signatures.

The YÖK National Thesis Center Data Entry and Publication Permission Form must be completed on the YÖK National Thesis Center platform. A wet-signed copy of the form must be submitted to the library along with your thesis and other documents. This copy will remain with the library.

The Bilkent University Doctoral and Graduate Students Clearance Form will be signed and returned to you by the authorized librarian upon completion of the library thesis submission procedure.

2. Thesis Review and Approval Process To initiate the library thesis submission procedure, you must apply to the User and Access Services Unit at the Main Campus Library with one printed and one digital (CD) copy of your thesis, and the required documents. The authorized librarian will check the printed and digital copies of your thesis. If there are no issues, the submitted documents will be signed, and the necessary copies will be taken. Ensuring that your thesis adheres to the format and style guidelines, includes all required signatures, and has identical content in both printed and digital formats is crucial for completing the library thesis submission procedure..

Any library materials borrowed from Bilkent University Library that have not yet been returned will prevent the clearance process. To complete the thesis submission procedure and clearance process, all borrowed materials must be returned, and any overdue fees must be paid.

3. Publication of Theses in Bilkent University Institutional Repository If there is no access postponement request, the digital copy of your thesis will be made accessible in the Bilkent University Institutional Repository under the open access policy.

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