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  • The thesis is in its final version. Once submitted, revisions cannot be made to your thesis unless you are instructed by Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) to do so. More information on formatting requirements can be found below.
  • The full text is in one file.
  • The full text is in Adobe PDF format.
  • The complete file size is no more than 1,000 MB
  • A user account is created at ProQuest ETD Administrator (different than your UMN username and password).
  • Once you have fulfilled the requirements, submit your thesis at ProQuest ETD Administrator . 
  • In addition, fill out and submit the Thesis/Dissertation Approval and Deposit Agreement .

You must follow the University of Minnesota formatting and submission guidelines . The guidelines found in your department or in the University Library to format your thesis may not meet current formatting guidelines. The Graduate School website includes additional writing resources for graduate students that may support you while writing your dissertation or thesis. GSSP cannot provide technical support.

Formatting your thesis or dissertation

+ the full text of the thesis.

Requirements: The full text must be in Adobe PDF format and must be one file. "Full text" refers to all introductory pages, the body of the manuscript, bibliography, and appendices.

Requirements: Every page of the thesis, including all appendices, notes, and the bibliography, must have top, left, right, and bottom margins of 1 inch (2.6 cm).

Additional recommendations: If intending to print your manuscript, a left margin of 1.5 inches (3.9 cm) is recommended.

+ Pagination

Requirements: You are responsible for correctly numbering and organizing sections in your thesis. Page numbers cannot be placed on the left-hand side (portrait orientation) or the top margin (landscape orientation) of the thesis.

  • The title and copyright page must not be numbered or counted. Page numbering for the rest of the introductory material is required and is expressed in lowercase Roman numerals, beginning with page “i”.
  • The main text, illustrations, bibliography, and appendices are considered the body of the manuscript.
  • Every page in the body of the text, through the bibliography and appendices, must be numbered in Arabic numerals starting with page 1.

+ Tables and figures

Requirements: Color may be used in tables, charts, or graphs. However, references to color may not be made, as reproductions may be in black and white. Identification of lines and figures on graphs and charts must be made clear by the use of line symbols rather than variation in color. Captions may be single-spaced.

Additional recommendations: A list of figures is recommended if you include figures, and a list of tables is recommended if tables are included in the dissertation. Students should follow the standard within their field of study. If included, each list must contain the page number of where each figure or table can be found in the thesis. The list of figures or list of tables must be represented in the table of contents if included in the thesis.

+ Bibliography

Requirements: The bibliography may be single-spaced and should appear either at the end of each chapter, or before the appendix . Students should follow the standard within their field of study. If a cumulative bibliography is used, the bibliography must be represented in the table of contents.

It is recommended that students include an abstract following the standard within their field of study. 

Requirements: If included, the abstract may appear as a comprehensive section in the introductory materials or as a section in each chapter.   

Request to delay the release of your thesis/dissertation

You may need to delay the release of a thesis or dissertation to the public. During this holding period, GSSP will not release the thesis/dissertation to the public. Any copies of the thesis/dissertation purchased through ProQuest will be fulfilled after the hold expires. ProQuest has assembled a  guide to help you decide if you need to hold your thesis/dissertation .

At one time, you may request a hold that is:

If needed, you may also submit an extension to your first hold request. You can hold your thesis/dissertation for up to 4 years total. This is in accordance with the University of Minnesota Board of Regents’ policy regarding the withholding of research results. You are responsible for extending the hold request before the expiration date if necessary.

When your hold or your extension expires, your thesis/dissertation will be released for circulation to ProQuest, University Libraries, and the University Digital Conservancy (part of University Libraries). We will not contact you when the hold or extension expires. We are unable to honor any hold requests that we receive after the thesis/dissertation has been released.

If you have questions or would like to release the hold on your thesis/dissertation before the expiration date, please  contact GSSP .

Submit a hold request

  • Your major, degree, and graduation month and year
  • The title of your thesis/dissertation
  • The reason and a brief explanation of your hold request
  • The length of time for the hold request
  • Your advisor’s/co-advisor’s UMN email
  • The form will be routed to your advisor(s) for approval.
  • The hold period begins immediately after the official degree conferral date (last working day of graduation month).
  • You’ll receive an email confirmation when the form is processed.
  • Keep a record of the expiration date of your hold.

Submit an extension

  • Your student ID number and UMN email
  • Length of your previous hold request
  • Length of time you wish to extend the hold (total hold cannot exceed 4 years)
  • A brief explanation for the extension request
  • Keep a record of the expiration date of your extension.
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UCLA Graduate Programs

Graduates in their caps and tassels sit down for the ceremony

File Your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD)

Ready to file.

Review the formatting requirements for filing theses and dissertations and University policy regarding graduate thesis and dissertation public dissemination in UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements & Public Dissemination .

To begin the ETD filing process OR to check the approval status of your ETD:

During the filing process, you may choose your publishing agreement, register your copyright, and order copies of your manuscript.

FILING DEADLINES

See also: Filing Deadlines Chart

Deadline for Registered Students and Students on Filing Fee to Submit their Manuscript via ProQuest & Receive Committee Member Approval

Last Day for to Complete Degree Requirements* for Spring 2025 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Participation and Hooding Booklet Information Listing
Last Day for to Complete Degree Requirements* for Spring 2024 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Participation and Hooding Booklet Information Listing

*Complete Degree Requirements includes: completion of the online ETD Filing Application (button above), all committee members have reported approval of your manuscript and the passing of the final oral examination (if applicable) to the Division of Graduate Education; submission of a final PDF via ProQuest including requested changes from the Division of Graduate Education, and receipt of the Division of Graduate Education confirmation email of the formal completion of degree requirements.

See the UCLA term calendar for the  degree – award date , which is the final day of the term, also the deadline to submit manuscripts and to complete graduate degree requirements.

Deadlines for previous academic terms are available in the Registrar’s Office online calendar archive .

PREPARING TO FILE YOUR ETD

  • Review UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements & Public Dissemination
  • Register and Enroll for the term, or apply for Filing Fee
  • Review  Graduation Requirements
  • Changing your Name on your Thesis or Dissertation

THESIS & DISSERTATION COMMITTEES

  • Thesis Committee Regulations
  • Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution
  • Change Committee Members

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  • ETD Workshops & Drop-In Hours
  • ETD Workshop Presentation Slides
  • Video: Formatting Tutorial
  • UCLA Library Scholarly Communication Services (Copyright Assistance)

ETD & FILING FAQS

1. What happens to the thesis or dissertation a graduate student files?

In the past, the physical manuscript was placed on the shelves of the UCLA library where it could be accessed by visitors and through the international interlibrary loan network. Today, digital access to the document is provided through the University of California Digital Library , our institutional repository. Additionally, the abstracts of theses and dissertations worldwide are indexed by ProQuest , SciFinder and other abstracting services. In the past, interested scholars who wanted to obtain copies of theses and dissertations would either write to the author or purchase paper, microfilm or microfiche copies from ProQuest, but now they can purchase electronic copies instead. Technology changes aside, graduate students retain the copyright on your dissertation, and will receive royalties when copies are purchased. See University of California Copyright for more information.

2. Can graduate students file their thesis or dissertation from outside the US?

Yes. Graduate students do not need to be physically present on campus to submit their thesis or dissertations. Graduate students only need access to the internet.

3. Do graduate students have to be registered when they file?

Graduate students must either register and enroll or, if eligible, use the Filing Fee .

4. Can a graduate student file during the Summer?

Yes. In order for a graduate student to file and receive a Summer degree, students must either register and enroll in a minimum of 4 units in a Summer Session or be on Filing Fee status.

5. Can a graduate student still file on paper?

No. Since March 13, 2012, only electronic filing is available for graduate students.

6. How can graduate students order hard copies of my thesis or dissertation?

Graduate students may order hard copies through ProQuest. Copies take about 5 weeks to ship after the manuscript is published by ProQuest. Graduate students can also order copies through the UC Bindery .

7. I’ve included co-authored works in my thesis or dissertation. How do I cite them?

You must include in your Acknowledgments section any material based on co-authored work that is published, in-press, submitted, or in preparation for publication. For each segment of the work that involved co-authors, you must identify (briefly describe) and acknowledge the specific contributions of each co-author. For details, see page 15 of UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements & Public Dissemination .

8. Will my thesis or dissertation manuscript be sold to third-party retailers?

No. A graduate student’s thesis or dissertation is not shared with Amazon. ProQuest’s reseller program with Amazon has been discontinued, with all existing agreements ending in 2014.

1. What are the filing deadlines for graduate students?

See the Deadlines above. Deadlines of past academic terms are available in the Registrar’s Office online calendar archive .

2. What counts as submitting my thesis or dissertation by the deadline?

All of the following must occur by 5pm PT on the day of official deadline:

  • All committee members have approved electronically
  • Committee has certified you have passed the final oral exam (if applicable)
  • A graduate student has submitted a final PDF via ProQuest
  • A graduate student has completed the online Division of Graduate Education process using the link at the top of  this page
  • If the Division of Graduate Education requests any changes, the graduate student will have submitted the specific changes within the designated time period

3. How will the Division of Graduate Education determine my thesis or dissertation filing date and whether I’ve met the deadline?

The last date that all of the items listed above is complete will be your filing date for your thesis or dissertation. For example, if you submit your final dissertation PDF and complete the online process on May 31, three committee members sign on June 1, and the final committee member signs on June 2, your filing date will be June 2 assuming you have met all other degree requirements.

1. What is a certifying member?

Certifying members are responsible for approving your dissertation.  Effective Fall 2016, all doctoral committee members must read, approve, and certify the dissertation. All committee members must enter a decision for the final oral exam, if required.

2. Do my thesis or dissertation committee members need to sign the committee page?

Certifying committee members approve the thesis or dissertation electronically. There is no signature page, but rather a committee page listing your certifying committee members in the manuscript.

3. Can a committee member approve a thesis or dissertation from outside of Los Angeles?

Yes. Professors can approve a thesis or dissertation from anywhere with access to the internet.

4. A graduate student’s UCLA faculty committee member prefers to use a non-UCLA email address. Can an email request be sent to that email address?

No. UCLA faculty will be notified via their official UCLA business email addresses. Graduate students are welcome to send a reminder email to their non-UCLA email address with the link (https://go.grad.ucla.edu) to the approval page.

5. How do committee members who are not from UCLA approve theses or dissertations?

Committee members from outside UCLA will still receive the email notification and go to a similar approval page as UCLA faculty.

6. Can graduate students check the status of when their committee members approve their manuscripts electronically?

Yes, after graduate students complete the online process they can log back into the ETD Filing Application to check the status.

Formatting Guide

1. What special characters can graduate students use in their titles?

Only the ones approved by UCLA. The list can be found on the  Formatting and Filing Information page.

FYI: ProQuest will NOT publish any special characters included in your title although the special characters will display when you submit your thesis or dissertation.

2. Does the Division of Graduate Education have a LaTeX template?

No. Please consult with your graduate department or program.

3. Can the Division of Graduate Education check my thesis or dissertation formatting before submitting it to ProQuest ?

The Division of Graduate Education will only check your thesis or dissertation formatting once you have submitted it to ProQuest, or during designated ETD Drop-In Hours.

Release of Manuscript

1. Why will my thesis or dissertation be available for public access after it has been filed by the university?

The UCLA Graduate Thesis and Public Dissemination Policy affirms the university’s commitment to open access of scholarly work.

It is the University of California’s expectation that the research and scholarly work conducted by graduate students that is incorporated into theses and dissertations will be made available to the public. UCLA requires that research and scholarly work conducted by graduate students and incorporated into theses and dissertations be made publicly available through the University of California’s institutional repository, eScholarship .

All theses and dissertations are available as open access via UC eScholarship unless a delayed release is selected.

2. When will I be able to view my thesis or dissertation on ProQuest?

6-8 weeks after you receive final confirmation from the Division of Graduate Education.

3. When will I be able to view my thesis or dissertation on UC eScholarship?

2-3 months after you receive final confirmation from the Division of Graduate Education.

4. What is the UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Submission Agreement?

The UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Submission Agreement allows graduate students to affirm their understanding of the rights and responsibilities associated with the submission of their manuscripts to the campus institutional repository, eScholarship .

All thesis and dissertation filers will complete the institutional repository agreement as part of the submission process via ProQuest.

In the process of filing a thesis or dissertation via ProQuest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree at UCLA, graduate students agree to grant a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to The Regents of the University of California (“University”). Graduate students retain copyright.

1. What does it mean for graduate students to register the copyright of their thesis or dissertation? 

The copyright of your work is inherent upon creation. Graduate Students do not need to register their copyright to enjoy copyright protection, but registration does provide some benefits. For full detail, read the U.S. Copyright Office circular “ Copyright Basics “. The benefits of registration are outlined on Page 7 of the circular.

2. I found images on the internet that I want to use in my thesis or dissertation. Is this OK?

Graduate Students should assume that anything produced by someone other than themselves is protected by copyright unless they determine otherwise. This includes items found on the internet. Items in copyright will need either permission or a fair use justification.

If you have flexibility in the final selection of your images, search for images that are 1) in the public domain, or 2) made available for reuse via a Creative Commons license . Such images can be incorporated into your dissertation without permission or concern for fair use.

3. I’ve provided attribution and a citation for the source material I used in my thesis or dissertation. That’s all I need, right ?

Proper attribution is absolutely required; that’s a part of academic integrity and good scholarship. But copyright permission, if necessary, is an entirely separate matter and covered by U.S. Code Title 17 .

4. Do I need permission for every image, chart and graph that I use in my thesis or dissertation from other sources?

It depends. Some materials may qualify under fair use, and others are best used with permission. Graduate students should consult the filing procedures for more detail, or for consultation on a specific situation, get assistance from a UCLA librarian at [email protected] .

5. I’ve obtained verbal permission to use copyrighted material in my thesis or dissertation. Is this sufficient?

Written permission is best. It can be as simple as an email granting permission. Graduate students should retain copies of all permissions in their files.

6. How do graduate students determine what they can use without permission under Fair Use?

If graduate students do not know the four-factor balancing test of Fair Use , they need to become familiar with it. For more information on Fair Use, we recommend you explore the UC Copyright website .

7. Can I use an article, which I previously authored and published, as a chapter in my thesis or dissertation without permission?

It depends on the agreement you signed with your publisher. Most agreements require you to transfer your copyright to the publisher. If this is the case, you must request permission from the publisher to “reprint” the article as a chapter in your thesis or dissertation. However, some agreements specify that you retain the right to reprint the article in your dissertation. Read your author agreement to see if you retained such rights; if you are unsure, consult with a UCLA librarian at [email protected] .

8. After my thesis or dissertation is published, can I reuse one of the chapters as the basis of a future journal article?

If portions of your thesis or dissertation have been previously published as journal articles, you are bound by the agreement you signed when that content was published. But in regards to the remaining, unique content of your thesis or dissertation: Yes, you own the copyright of your thesis or dissertation, and are free to adapt and republish it as you see fit.

9. For those items that require permission, do graduate students need that permission before they file?

Though it is highly recommended that graduate students secure permissions as early as possible, they DO NOT need those permissions in order before they file their theses or dissertations. Permissions are only necessary from ProQuest’s perspective, and theses or dissertations will be published on ProQuest only after the filing process is complete. So, there is a window of several weeks for graduate students to finish gathering permissions.

10. What happens if a graduate student cannot produce the necessary permissions if/when a copyright owner objects and ProQuest asks for them ?

If the inclusion of copyrighted material is challenged by the copyright owner of the material and/or ProQuest, then the publication will be removed from ProQuest until the issue is resolved. A full citation and abstract of the graduate student’s thesis or dissertation will remain.

This rare issue (less than 1% of dissertations are challenged in this manner) is most commonly resolved by redacting or removing the copyrighted content from your thesis or dissertation and resubmitting the modified document to ProQuest. This will require the graduate student to pay a processing fee to ProQuest. Keep in mind that the copyright owner must be amenable to this as a resolution.

11. Won’t having my thesis or dissertation freely available online reduce my chances of securing a book deal and/or publishing portions as journal articles?

If you are concerned that such availability would impact your ability to later publish the thesis or dissertation as a monograph, or derive a journal article from a chapter, several studies of publisher practices have shown that this is not the case. In a 2011 Publisher’s Survey , only 6% of monograph publishers and 3% of journal editors would “never” consider a work derived from a publicly available ETD. If you have concerns, you can embargo your dissertation for up to two years.

Delayed Public Dissemination (Embargo)

1. What does delayed public dissemination (embargo) mean?

Delayed public dissemination, commonly known as “embargo”, postpones public distribution of the thesis or dissertation that has been approved and filed with the university.

2. I chose to delay the release of my thesis or dissertation? When will the embargo begin?

The delayed release period in ProQuest will begin on the date that ProQuest receives your submission.

The delayed release period in eScholarship will begin on the date that your submission is approved by the Division of Graduate Education.

3. Can I request to delay the release of my thesis or dissertation for more than two years?

Under rare circumstances and prior to the filing of the thesis or dissertation, the Dean of Graduate Education may approve requests for time-delimited embargoes beyond the two-year limit. Please see UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements & Public Dissemination for more information on the exception request process.

4. I did not delay the public dissemination of my thesis or dissertation at the time of submission. Can I request an embargo in eScholarship post-submission?

Graduate students who wish to delay public dissemination in eScholarship must select this option at the time they submit their theses or dissertations to the Division of Graduate Education via ProQuest. Requests to embargo a thesis or dissertation after the manuscript has been filed in UC eScholarship are permissible only in exceptional circumstances, and require Division of Graduate Education approval.

Please see UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements & Public Dissemination  for more information on the exception request process.

5. I think (or my research adviser thinks) that my thesis or dissertation work contains classified, secret or confidential information that cannot be disclosed to the public. Can I restrict access?

The University of California and UCLA do not have security clearances that permit the conduct of classified research on the UCLA campus (see page 2 of Responsibility for Executing Research Memo ). Further, the UCLA Graduate Council does not endorse the conduct of confidential research by graduate students; in instances where it is approved, the end results must be in an academically acceptable thesis or dissertation that can be deposited at the University without restricting access to it. In some cases, for example when a patent is being filed, it may be reasonable and appropriate to put in place an embargo that delays public release of the thesis or dissertation. Such an embargo should not be permanent, however. See UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements & Public Dissemination  for guidelines and instructions on this option.

6. I have heard that publishers won’t publish articles based on results that have been presented in preliminary form in my dissertation. Is that true?

In general, no. Publishers recognize that work described in theses and dissertations is often preliminary and may require additional research and writing before it can be submitted to the journal. Theses and dissertations also have not undergone peer review. Consequently, the vast majority of scientific and scholarly publications do not view theses and dissertations as constituting prior publication that would render articles based on the work ineligible for consideration.

7. Depending on the academic field, books/monographs are considered the primary form of publication and the basis for getting an academic position. Do graduate students jeopardize their chance of getting future books published if their theses or dissertations are “out there”?

What publishers say is, “A dissertation is not a book.” The process of turning the dissertation into a book involves considerable transformation, which may include additional research, shifts in scope or emphasis, broadening or narrowing, refining of the arguments, and/or changes in style to appeal to the target audience. Because of these significant differences, and the fact that dissertations are not marketed, most publishers do not consider making a dissertation available in a public repository such as eScholarship (the UC Digital Library) as cause for rejecting a book proposal.

The Thesis Process

The thesis is an opportunity to work independently on a research project of your own design and contribute to the scholarly literature in your field. You emerge from the thesis process with a solid understanding of how original research is executed and how to best communicate research results. Many students have gone on to publish their research in academic or professional journals.

To ensure affordability, the per-credit tuition rate for the 8-credit thesis is the same as our regular course tuition. There are no additional fees (regular per-credit graduate tuition x 8 credits).

Below are the steps that you need to follow to fulfill the thesis requirement. Please know that through each step, you will receive guidance and mentorship.

1. Meet with Your Research Advisor

Upon admission to the program, set up an introductory meeting with your Research Advisor to discuss potential thesis topics as well as course selections that can support your thesis path. 

When you have completed between 24 and 32 credits, you work more intensively with your assigned Research Advisor to determine a specific thesis topic.

Log in to MyDCE , then ALB/ALM Community to schedule an appointment with your assigned Research Advisor via the Degree Candidate Portal.

Failure to work with your Research Advisor initially and then more intensively may result in your Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) Application not being approved (see below) and/or the selection of a different thesis topic.  

Thesis Topic Selection Guidelines

Every effort is made to support research interests that are grounded in your ALM course work, but faculty guidance is not available for all possible projects. Therefore, revision or a change of thesis topic may be necessary.

  • The above point about topic selection is particularly pertinent to scientific research (e.g., biology) that is dependent upon laboratory space, project funding, and access to private databases.
  • This point is also critical for our candidates in ALM, liberal arts fields (i.e., anthropology, English, government, history, international relations, psychology, and religion) who are required to have Harvard faculty direct their thesis projects. Review Harvard’s course catalog online ( My.Harvard.edu ) to be sure that there are faculty teaching courses related to your thesis topic. If faculty are not available, you will need to choose an alternative topic.
  • Your topic choice must be a new area of research for you. You cannot re-purpose prior research. If you want to draw or expand upon your own previously written scholarship for a small portion of your thesis, you need to obtain the explicit permission of your research advisor and cite the work in both the proposal and thesis. Violations of this policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

We’ve put together this guide  to help frame your thinking about thesis topic selection.

While it is natural to follow your interests in selecting a thesis topic, it is important to avoid choosing a topic where your own passions might produce insurmountable biases and assumptions. A thesis is not a piece of advocacy work where you are out to prove something that you already believe. Thesis projects must take a fair and balanced stance by bringing in differing points of view from respected scholars in the field. 

2. Prepare Your Crafting the Thesis Proposal Application

Once you and your Research Advisor have confirmed your thesis topic, the next step in the process is to prepare and submit the CTP Application in order to gain registration approval for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course.

The CTP Application process confirms that you have done enough prior reading and thinking about your thesis topic to generate a pertinent and answerable research question. Pre-CTP preparation is critical as it helps to ensure that you will benefit from and succeed in the CTP.

Application Approvals and Denials. Your Research Advisor will provide feedback on your CTP Application.  If your application is not approved after 3 submissions, your Research Advisor cannot approve your CTP registration. 

If not approved, you’ll need to take additional time for further revisions and submit a new CTP Application during the next CTP submission cycle (if your five-year degree completion date allows).

Application Eligibility Requirements. To be eligible to submit a CTP Application, you need to (1) be in good standing and (2) have completed a minimum of 32 degree-applicable credits, including the research methods/statistics and Engaging in Scholarly Conversation requirement, if required for your field.

Advising Note for Psychology Candidates View More

Students in psychology sometimes face difficulty securing necessary IRB approvals for certain projects. For this reason, Research Advisors will not approve proposals that raise significant concerns about feasibility. Such concerns include cases where projects would require the researcher to possess a level of expertise or experience exceeding documented capabilities, as well as instances where the researcher is unlikely to be able to obtain appropriate faculty supervision for a proposed topic, question, method, or procedure. You must schedule an appointment with your Research Advisor at least three months in advance of the CTP Application deadlines to discuss potential research projects to ensure adequate time for assistance in developing a viable project idea.

Advising Note for Biology and former Biotechnology and Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Candidates View More

Thesis projects in these fields are designed to support ongoing scientific research happening in Harvard University, other academic institutions, or life science industry labs and usually these are done under the direction of a principal investigator (PI). Hence, you need to have a thesis director approved by your research advisor  prior  to submitting CTP Application. Your CTP Application is then framed by the lab’s research. Schedule an appointment with your research advisor a few months in advance of the CTP Application deadlines in order to discuss potential research projects and thesis director assignment.

The CTP Application is sent to our central email box:  [email protected] by the following firm deadlines:

  • June 1 for fall CTP
  • November 1 for spring CTP.  
  • September 1 for the three-week January session (ALM sustainability candidates only)
  • International sustainability students who need a student visa to attend Harvard Summer School must be officially admitted to the degree program before February 1, must submit the CTP Application on February 1, and must register for the CTP course on March 1 in order to submit timely I-20 paperwork. See international students guidelines for more information.

3. Register and Successfully Complete Crafting the Thesis Proposal

Once your CTP Application is approved, you register for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course as you would any other degree requirement.

The goal of the CTP is to produce a complete, well-written draft of a proposal containing all of the sections required by your Research Advisor. Creating an academically strong thesis proposal sets the foundation for a high-quality thesis and helps garner the attention of a well-respected thesis director.

Thesis proposals typically include approximately 15 to 20 pages of text, in addition to any required reference sections, such as bibliographies and glossary/definition of terms.

Tutorial experience. The fall and spring CTP  tutorials are not courses in the traditional sense. Although there will be assignments for you to complete during the CTP, with due dates, and there will be times when you and your classmates meet as a group with your Research Advisor, there won’t be a regularly scheduled class meeting time for the CTP. 

The main work for the CTP will consist of your working independently on your proposal with your Research Advisor by submitting multiple drafts and scheduling individual appointments.

Grading. You need to make self-directed progress on the proposal without special prompting from the research advisor. You receive a final grade of SAT or UNSAT (failing grade).

You are expected to incorporate all of your Research Advisor’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong proposal leading to a thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your Research Advisor, follow directions, or produce an acceptable proposal, you will not pass the CTP.

The CTP for sustainability is a three-week course in the traditional sense and you receive a letter grade, and it must be B- or higher to receive degree credit for the course.

Academic Integrity. Successful CTP completion also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

Maximum of two attempts . If you don’t pass the CTP, you’ll have — if your five-year, degree-completion date allows — just one more attempt to complete the CTP before being required to withdraw from the program. If you fail the CTP just once and have no more time to complete the degree, your candidacy will automatically expire. Please note that a WD grade counts as an attempt.

If by not passing the CTP you fall into poor academic standing, you will need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before enrolling in the CTP for your second and final time, but only if your five-year, degree-completion date allows. If you have no more time on your five-year clock, you will be required to withdraw from the program.

Human Subjects

If your thesis, regardless of field, will involve the use of human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, observations), you will need to have your research vetted by the  Committee on the Use of Human Subjects  (CUHS) of Harvard University. Please review the IRB Lifecycle Guide located on the CUHS website. Your research advisor will help you prepare a draft copy of the project protocol form that you will then finalize with your thesis director to send to the CUHS. 

Given the amount of time that can be required for IRB review, drafting of the required CUHS project protocol forms need to be started with your Research Advisor during the CTP tutorial, before a thesis director has been assigned.

4. Post-CTP Proposal Approval, Thesis Director Assignment, and Registration

Successfully completion of the CTP means you have completed a well-written full draft proposal. Ordinarily, this full draft is not a final accepted proposal. Most students reach the final accepted proposal stage by submitting additional changes and edits to their RA post-CTP.

Post-CTP Changes and Edits Deadline. We expect you to work diligently and quickly with your RA post-CTP to move from full draft to final proposal stage. Indeed, you should have an approved final proposal and be registered in the thesis soon after CTP completion, within weeks, but no later than 3 months. You cannot delay. If you take longer than 3 months after the CTP to register for the thesis, you may be required to retake the CTP.

Thesis Director Assignment. Once your RA has determined that your draft has reached the final proposal stage, you move to the thesis director assignment stage. The Research Advisor places you with a thesis director by sending out your final proposal to prospective Thesis Directors.

Do not approach faculty to ask about directing your thesis.  You may suggest names of any potential Thesis Directors to your Research Advisor, but it must be the Research Advisor who makes contact with them. (If they are eligible/available to direct your thesis, after you have an approved thesis proposal.) You are not permitted to approach faculty to ask them about directing your thesis.

Registration. When a Thesis Director has been identified or the thesis proposal has been fully vetted by the preassigned life science Thesis Director, you will receive a letter of authorization from the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs officially approving your thesis work and providing you with instructions on how to register for the eight-credit master’s thesis. The letter will also have a tentative graduation date as well as four mandatory thesis submission dates (see Thesis Timetable below).

When registering for the thesis, you will have two weeks to pay in full.  This is an eight-credit course, so be sure to have the necessary funds available when you register.

You must be good academic standing to register for the thesis. If not, you’ll need to complete additional courses to bring your GPA up to the 3.0 minimum prior to registration.

Thesis Submission Deadlines and Graduation Timetable

The thesis is a 9-to-12-month project that begins after the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP); when your Research Advisor has approved your proposal and identified a Thesis Director.

The date for the appointment of your Thesis Director determines the graduation cycle that will be automatically assigned to you:

Thesis MilestoneFor May GraduationFor November GraduationFor February Graduation
March 1 – June 30August 15 – October 15November 1 – February 15

.
February 1July 15October 1
.

March 1August 15November 1

April 1September 15December 1
April 15October 1December 15
(see step 7 below).May 1October 7January 3

As you can see above, you do not submit your thesis all at once at the end, but in four phases: (1) complete draft to TD, (2) final draft to RA for format review and academic integrity check, (3) format approved draft submitted to TD for grading, and (4) upload your 100% complete graded thesis to ETDs.

Due dates for all phases for your assigned graduation cycle cannot be missed.  You must submit materials by the date indicated by 5 PM EST (even if the date falls on a weekend). If you are late, you will not be able to graduate during your assigned cycle.

If you need additional time to complete your thesis, you need to formally request an extension by emailing that petition to:  [email protected] .  Regardless of when you started, the maximum allotted time to complete your thesis, including any granted extensions of time is 12 months.

Advising Tip to Meet Your Five-Year Deadline: The last possible time you can register for the CTP to meet your five-year deadline date is the fall term two years prior or, if a sustainability student, in the January session one year prior. It is not, however, recommended to wait this long. Indeed, it is vigorously discouraged.

For example, if your five-year deadline is May 2026:

  • Complete the CTP in fall 2024 (or in January 2025, if a sustainability student)
  • Be assigned a Thesis Director (TD) in March/April 2025
  • Begin the 9–12-month thesis project with TD
  • Submit a complete draft of your thesis to your TD by February 1, 2026
  • Follow through with all other submission deadlines (April 1, April 15 and May 1 — see table above)
  • Graduate in May 2026

5. Working with Your Thesis Director

You must work diligently and independently, following the advice of your Thesis Director in a consistent, regular manner equivalent to full-time academic work to complete both the research and the writing phases of your thesis by your required timeline.

You are expected to incorporate all of your Thesis Director’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your Thesis Director, follow directions, or produce an acceptable scholarly thesis product, you will not receive a passing grade.

You are required to produce at least 50 pages of text (not including front matter and appendices). Chapter topics (e.g., introduction, background, methods, findings, conclusion) vary by field.

Once registered in the thesis, we will do a 3-month check-in with you and your Thesis Director to ensure progress is being made. If your Thesis Director reports little to no progress, the Dean of Academic Programs reserves the right to issue a thesis not complete (TNC) grade (see Thesis Grading below).

6. Thesis Template, Format Review, and Academic Integrity Check

All ALM thesis projects must written in Microsoft Word and follow a specific Harvard Extension School format. A properly formatted thesis is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without it.

You are required to use the Extension School  ALM Thesis Template  or the Extension School ALM Thesis Template for Creative Writing  (specifically designed for creative writing degree candidates). The template has all the mandatory thesis formatting built in.

Besides saving you a considerable amount of time as you write your thesis, the template ensures that your submitted thesis meets the mandatory style guidelines for margins, font, title page, table of contents, and chapter headings. If you use the template, format review should go smoothly, if not, a delayed graduation is highly likely.

Your Research Advisor will complete the format review  prior  to submitting your thesis to your Thesis Director for final grading according to the Thesis Timetable (see above).

Academic Integrity. Format review also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our  academic integrity  guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

7. Mandatory Thesis Archiving

Once your thesis is finalized, meaning that the required grade has been earned and all edits have been completed, you must upload your thesis to Harvard University’s electronic thesis and dissertation submission system (ETDs).

Uploading your thesis ETDs is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without completing this step. Furthermore, no changes to the thesis are allowed once it has been graded and archived in ETDs.

The thesis project will be sent to several downstream systems:

  • Your work will be preserved using Harvard’s digital repository DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard).
  • Metadata about your work will be sent to HOLLIS (the Harvard Library catalog).
  • Your work will be preserved in Harvard Library’s DRS2 (digital preservation repository).

By submitting work through ETDs @ Harvard you will be signing the Harvard Author Agreement. This license does not constrain your rights to publish your work subsequently. You retain all intellectual property rights.

For more information on Harvard’s open access initiatives, we recommend you view the Director of the Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC), Peter Suber’s brief introduction .

Thesis Grading

You need to earn a grade of B- or higher in the thesis. If you fail to complete substantial work on the thesis, you will earn a grade of TNC (thesis not complete). If you have already earned two withdrawal grades, the TNC grade will count as a zero in your cumulative GPA.

If you earn a grade below B-, you will need to petition the Administrative Board for permission to attempt the thesis for a second and final time. The petition process is only available if you are in good academic standing and your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time. Your candidacy will automatically expire if you do not successfully complete the thesis by your required date.

If approved for a second attempt, you may be required to develop a new proposal on a different topic by re-enrolling in the CTP and being assigned a different thesis director. Tuition for the second attempt is calculated at the current year’s rate.

If by not passing the thesis you fall into poor academic standing, you’ll need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before re-engaging with the thesis process for the second and final time. This is only an option if your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time.

The Board only reviews cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the successful completion of the thesis.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education Logo

Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines

These guidelines provide students at Vanderbilt University with essential information about how to prepare and submit theses and dissertations in a format acceptable to the Graduate School. You can either explore the guidelines by topic below or review the complete Format Guidelines document .

General Information

Manuscript preparation.

  • NEW: Dissertation Template
  • Approved LATEX Template for Dissertations

Submission Requirements

Students in foreign language departments may submit manuscripts in a language other than English. The abstract, however, must be in English.

You may use a multi-part presentation format for combining original research that has been conducted in two or more related or non-related areas, or for presentation of combined journal articles (published or submitted for publication). You should organize the parts or articles into chapters, with well-defined subheadings, including an introduction, methods, results and discussion. Each chapter may contain its own list of references and appendices, or you may list them all at the end, depending on the custom of your discipline.When using this format, the thesis or dissertation should nonetheless consist of an integrated argument that binds the chapters together. You should include the appropriate preliminary pages, an introduction presenting the general theme of the research, and a conclusion summarizing and integrating the major findings. Any additional appendices related to the dissertation as a whole or any general references from the introduction, conclusion or transitional sections should come at the end of the dissertation.

When you have previously published portions of your thesis or dissertation as an article or book chapter, you must ensure the work may also be published as part of the dissertation or thesis. The  standard provisions of copyright law  regarding quoted and previously published material under copyright apply to the publication of theses and dissertations. Many publishers provide exceptions to work published as part of graduation requirements and this is often clearly outlined as part of the publication agreement signed by the author.In order to include your own previously published or co-authored material in your thesis or dissertation, you must comply with the following:

  • You must be the first author, or obtain permission from your committee, to be uploaded as an Administrative file in Vireo.
  • The article must be based on research completed while you were enrolled at Vanderbilt University.
  • You must have permission from the publisher to reuse the work, which should be uploaded to VIREO as an Administrative file. The record of permission may take the form of the publishing agreement, a copy of the publisher’s webpage describing reuse rights, or an email approval from the publisher. You should also identify which chapters are associated with which articles when prompted within VIREO.
  • If there are co-authors, you must obtain the permission of all co-authors to include the work in the thesis or dissertation as a matter of both copyright law and professional courtesy. Include these permissions (email approval is acceptable) as an Administrative file in VIREO.
  • You must properly acknowledge previously published material and any co-authors within the text of your manuscript. This would typically take the form of a footnote, or, alternately, an italicized statement beneath the relevant chapter heading. The rubric should be: “This chapter is adapted from [Title] published in [Journal] and has been reproduced with the permission of the publisher and my co-authors [List co-authors]” and include the full citation required by the publisher, if any, or appropriate to your discipline.

If the work is submitted to the ProQuest database, ProQuest will scan the document to ensure it contains no copyrighted material without consent and proper citation.

Inclusion of Third-Party Content

If you are including content in your dissertation not authored or created by you, consider copyright issues. If your use of the content would exceed fair use under the Copyright Act, then you will need to seek the copyright holder’s permission in order to use the material. Obtaining copyright permissions often takes time and should not be left until the last minute.You should discuss questions about copyrighted material with your dissertation advisor or contact the VU Librarian for Copyright and Scholarly Communications at  [email protected]  for help evaluating fair use or obtaining permissions.

Your thesis or dissertation is automatically protected by copyright as soon as it is fixed in a tangible form, such as being saved as an electronic file.  Although not required, it is good practice to include the copyright symbol, your name, and the year on the title page of your work (© 2017 by [your name]).You also may choose to register your copyright, which will gain you additional protections in case of litigation for copyright infringement. You can file a copyright registration online directly with the  U.S. Copyright Office  for a fee of $45.00.

You will be asked to agree to the license to deposit your submission to the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository.  The Library, with the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository, enhances the metadata provided with your dissertation and adds your record to discovery tools like the Library Catalog and WorldCat, making it easily findable for scholars worldwide. The library also maintains the technical infrastructure of the repository.  If you plan to make your dissertation open access, we can assist you in understanding the options for licensing. If your dissertation makes use of copyrighted content, you will want to think early on about whether you may rely on fair use or need to acquire licenses. We will be glad to meet with you to discuss the requirements of your particular project.PhD students also have the option to request deposit of your submission with ProQuest, at no additional cost to you. If you elect to deposit your submission with ProQuest, you must also agree to the ProQuest license. This agreement is entirely between you and ProQuest.  Vanderbilt’s sole responsibility is to pass on the license agreement and your work to ProQuest.  Please contact ProQuest Dissertation Publishing, at 1(800) 521-0600 or  [email protected]  with any questions.

The expectation of the Graduate School is that all theses and dissertations will be made publicly available absent these limited circumstances.  You have the option to make your submission available immediately or to temporarily embargo its release for a limited period of time. Students may elect to embargo their work if they anticipate publication, are making a patent application, have restrictions imposed by sponsors, or privacy concerns.  Metadata, including the abstract, about your submission will still be visible in the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository, thereby indicating that your submission was accepted.  You should discuss any anticipated hold on publication with your advisor. If selecting the ProQuest publishing option, be sure that you make the same embargo selection under the Vanderbilt options. Once your submission has been released to ProQuest, we have no ability to retract it.If, after consultation with your advisor, you would like to request a temporary embargo, you can elect from the following:

  • No embargo and release immediately for worldwide access
  • Six (6) month embargo
  • Twelve (12) month embargo
  • Twenty-four (24) month embargo

If you, after consultation with your advisor, determine that you need to extend your embargo beyond your initial selection, you can only do so with permission from the Graduate School. If you have questions about your embargo, you may email  [email protected]

The Graduate School recommends Campus Copy for procuring bound copies of theses and dissertations. You may contact them directly at 615-936-4544, or online at  Printing Services .

These guidelines provide students at Vanderbilt University with essential information about how to prepare and submit theses and dissertations in a format acceptable to the Graduate School. The topics range from writing style to the completion of required forms. There are instructions and sample pages on the Graduate School website for guidance through this process.

There is a distinct difference between submitting a manuscript to a publisher and providing a completed thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School. A manuscript represents a pre-publication format; a thesis or dissertation is a final, completely edited, published document. Students should use these guidelines, not other style manuals, as the final authority on issues of format and style. Areas not covered in this document or deviation from any of the specifications should be discussed with a Graduate School format editor. Do not use previously accepted theses and dissertations as definite models for style.

Manuscripts consist of four major sections and must be placed in the order listed:

  • Title Page (required)
  • Copyright (optional)
  • Dedication (optional)
  • Acknowledgments/Acknowledgment of Support (optional)
  • Table of Contents (required)
  • List of Tables (required, if tables are in the body of the manuscript)
  • List of Figures (required, if figures are in the body of the manuscript)
  • List of Abbreviations/Nomenclature/Symbols (optional)
  • Introduction (may be referred to as Chapter 1)

Body of Manuscript

  • References  (required)
  • Appendices  (optional)

The dedication is an optional portion of the academic manuscript. It is a personal message from the author in tribute to a person, group, or cause. Most dedications are brief statements beginning with “To…” or “For…” such as “To my family” or “For my daughter, Samantha.” The dedication, if any, is considered to be the sole work of the author and does not reflect endorsement of the views and opinions expressed therein by Vanderbilt University, the Graduate School, or the members of the faculty committee.

The acknowledgment is another optional portion of the academic manuscript. It is appropriately used to thank those people and organizations that have helped or encouraged the author in the process of obtaining the degree or otherwise making the graduate degree possible: advisers, the committee, labmates or members of one’s cohort, family, friends, etc. Typically, an acknowledgment is no more than 1 page in length.Acknowledgment of grant/contract or other financial support may be included on the acknowledgment page. Similarly, permission to reprint copyrighted material may be included here.The acknowledgment, if any, is considered to be the sole work of the author and does not reflect endorsement of the views and opinions expressed therein by Vanderbilt University, the Graduate School, or the members of the faculty committee.

The abstract is a separate document from the manuscript; it is not bound with the thesis or dissertation. Abstracts must be printed on white, 8 ½ x 11-inch paper. No page numbers are printed on the abstract. One copy is required. Abstracts must have the original signature(s) of the faculty advisor(s). The maximum length of the thesis abstract is 250 words. The maximum length of the dissertation abstract is 350 words, including the dissertation title. Majors are listed on the last pages of these guidelines. NEW: Abstract sample

The title page must be printed on white, 8 ½ x 11-inch paper. Committee member signatures on the title page must be originals. Spacing on the title page will vary according to the length of the title. The five lines following your name must be formatted exactly as found on the sample title page. The title page is considered page ‘i’ but the page number is not printed on the page.  The month, day, and year representing the conferral date must be listed on the title page.

  • NEW: ETD Title Page sample
  • NEW: Title Page With Signatures sample

Use a standard font consistently throughout the manuscript. Font size should be 10 to 12-point for all text, including titles and headings. It is permissible to change point size in tables, figures, captions, footnotes, and appendix material. Retain the same font, where possible. When charts, graphs, or spreadsheets are “imported,” it is permissible to use alternate fonts. Italics are appropriate for book and journal titles, foreign terms, and scientific terminology.  Boldface  may be used within the text for emphasis and/or for headings and subheadings. Use both in moderation.

Measure the top margin from the edge of the page to the top of the first line of text. Measure the bottom page margin from the bottom of the last line of text to the bottom edge of the page. Page margins should be a minimum of one-half inch from top, bottom, left, and right and a maximum of one inch from top, bottom, left, and right. Right margins may be justified or ragged, depending upon departmental requirements or student preference.

The title page is considered to be page ‘i’ but the page number should not be printed on this page. All other pages should have a page number centered about ½ inch from the bottom of the page. Number the preliminary pages in lowercase Roman numerals. Arabic numerals begin on the first page of text. Pages are numbered consecutively throughout the remainder of the manuscript. The Introduction may be placed before the first page of Chapter 1, if it is not considered a chapter. The use of Arabic numbers may begin on the first page of the Introduction.

The entire text may be single-spaced, one and one-half spaced, or double-spaced. Block quotations, footnotes, endnotes, table and figure captions, titles longer than one line, and individual reference entries may be single-spaced. With spacing set, the following guidelines should be applied: Two enters after chapter numbers, chapter titles and major section titles (Dedication, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, List of Abbreviations, Appendices, and References). Two enters before each first- level and second-level heading. Two enters before and after tables and figures embedded in the text. One enter after sub-level headings.

Chapters may be identified with uppercase Roman numerals or Arabic numbers. Styles used on the Table of Contents should be consistent within the text. Tables, figures, footnotes, and equations should be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript with Arabic numerals. These may also be numbered consecutively by each chapter. Equation numbers should be placed to the right of the equation and contained within parentheses or brackets. Use uppercase letters to designate appendices.

Departments will determine acceptable standards for organizing master’s theses into chapters, sections, or parts.  Usually, if a thesis has headings, a Table of Contents should be included. The dissertation must be divided into chapters. The use of parts, in addition to chapters, is acceptable.

Words and Sentences

Take care to divide words correctly. Do not divide words from one page to the next. Word processing software provides for “widow and orphan” protection. Utilize this feature to help in the proper division of sentences from one page to another. In general, a single line of text should not be left at the bottom or top of a page. Blank space may be left at the bottom of a page, where necessary.

Headings and Subheadings

Use headings and subheadings to describe briefly the material in the section that follows. Be consistent with your choice of “levels” and refer to the instructions on spacing for proper spacing between headings, subheadings, and text. First-level headings must be listed on the Table of Contents. Second-level and subsequent subheadings may be included.

Acronyms/Abbreviations/Capitalization

Abbreviations on the title page should appear as they do in the body of the thesis or dissertation. (Examples:  Xenopus laevis , Ca, Mg, Pb, Zn; TGF-β, p53.) Capitalize only the first letter of words of importance, distinction, or emphasis in titles and headings. Do not alter the all-cap style used for acronyms (Example: AIDS) and organizational names (Example: IBM). Use the conventional style for Latin words (Examples:  in vitro, in vivo, in situ ). Genus and species should be italicized. Capitalize the first letter of the genus, but not that of the species name (Example:  Streptococcus aureus ).

Figures commonly refer to photographs, images, maps, charts, graphs, and drawings. Tables generally list tabulated numerical data. These items should appear as close as possible to their first mention in the text. Tables and figures may be placed in appendices, if this is a departmental requirement or standard in the field. Tables and figures should be numbered with Arabic numerals, either consecutively or by chapter. Be consistent in the style used in the placement of tables and figure captions. Tables and figures may be embedded within the text or placed on a page alone. When placed on its own page, a figure or table may be centered on the page. When included with text, a table or figure should be set apart from the text. Tables and figures, including captions, may be oriented in landscape. Make sure to use landscape page positioning on landscape-oriented pages. Table data and figure data must be kept together, if the information fits on one page.

The submission process for theses and dissertations begins at the Graduate School. Forms must be digitally submitted to the Graduate School. View the Checklist for Graduation

The Vanderbilt Libraries have recently implemented  VIREO , an Electronic Thesis & Dissertation review and submission system for the Graduate School. The Graduate School requires electronic submission of all theses and dissertations through this new platform. Format reviews now occur within the VIREO submission process. If you have questions or would like an in-person format review,  contact administrators .Students will use their VUnet ID and password to log in and begin completing the appropriate information, as outlined below.

Verify Your Information

  • Orcid ID (can obtain in VIREO)
  • Department/Program, Degree, Major
  • Phone & Address

 License & Publication Agreements

  • Vanderbilt License Agreement (required)
  • ProQuest Publication (optional)

 Document Information

  • Title, degree month/year, defense date, abstract, keywords, subjects, language
  • Your committee, Chair email
  • Previously published material (optional)
  • Embargo options

Upload Your Files

  • Primary document: thesis/dissertation
  • Additional files: supplemental, source, administrative (CV, Survey of Earned Doctorates (additional SED information is in the Ph.D. Dissertation Requirements accordion below))

Confirm and Submit

  • Students will receive a confirmation email once submitted

Any documents you will be uploading into VIREO as administrative files should be saved as a PDF, and named with your last name, first name-file-conferral month and year. Examples:

  • King, Amanda-IntraTermApp-032021.pdf
  • King, Amanda-CV-052021.pdf
  • King, Amanda-SED-052021.pdf
  • King, Amanda-Title Page-052021.pdf
  • King, Amanda-Permissions-052021.pdf
  • King, Amanda-DGS Approval-052021.pdf

Intent to Graduate

Students planning to graduate at the end of the fall, spring, or summer term should submit the Intent to Graduate form through YES by clicking on Graduation – Intent. Note that all masters students should submit this form , even if they are receiving a master’s in passing to the PhD.

Format Review

A format review is required before thesis or dissertation approval. Review will take place through VIREO when you first upload your document. Allow time before the deadline for review and revisions. For questions contact  [email protected] .

Submit one copy of the title page, with original signatures of the advisor and a second reader (either a member of the committee or DGS of the program). The date on the title page will reflect the month, day, year of degree conferral.

Submit one copy of the abstract with the signature of the advisor.

Intent to Graduate 

Students planning to graduate at the end of the fall, spring, or summer term should submit the Intent to Graduate form through YES by clicking on Graduation – Intent.

Defense Results

Students must schedule the Defense Exam with the Graduate School two weeks prior to the exam. Students will bring the Defense Results Form (along with the Title Page & Abstract) to obtain committee signatures. Upload the signed title page and abstract as one administrative file (title page first followed by abstract) to VIREO as an administrative file, and have your department submit the defense results to the graduate school submissions portal.

Upload your signed title page as an administrative file in VIREO. The date on the title page will reflect the month, day, year of degree conferral. Be sure it is the date of conferral and not the date of your defense.

Upload your signed abstract as an administrative file in VIREO.

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Students finishing a doctorate degree are required to complete the  SED survey . Information provided to the National Opinion Research Council remains confidential and will be used for research or statistical purposes. Submit the Certificate of Completion with your VIREO submission as an administrative file.

Curriculum Vitae

Submit your CV through your VIREO submission as an administrative file. Directions on preparing a curriculum vitae are available here.

  • Submitting Your Dissertation
  • Introduction

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

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

Program Submission

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

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

Thesis Acceptance Certificate

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

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

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

Registrar’s Office Submission

Students must submit their dissertation in PDF format to the FAS Registrar’s Office through ProQuest ETD by the deadline established for each degree conferral date (see the Degree Calendar  or the  Registrar’s Office website . Major formatting errors that are not corrected in a timely manner may prevent you from receiving your degree.  During the submission process, students are asked to upload a separate copy of the signed thesis/dissertation acceptance certificate, approve two license agreements, and complete two surveys (the Harvard Griffin GSAS Employment Exit Survey and the Survey of Earned Doctorates). If you are requesting an embargo of more than two years, you will need to submit a signed approval form from the department's director of graduate studies (DGS) with your dissertation submission.

Redaction and Editing 

Ordinarily, students and alumni may not edit their dissertation once the submission deadline has passed. The FAS Registrar's Office will review the submissions to ProQuest ETD after the deadline, but prior to degree conferral, for formatting policy compliance. If errors are identified, students are given a brief window prior to degree conferral to make these limited formatting changes.  

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

In exceptional circumstances, in order to correct discrete errors caught after the formal submission of the dissertation, the author may request permission to submit an errata statement. The request will be reviewed by a committee assembled by the Dean of the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences that includes at least one faculty member from the author’s disciplinary area. 

Contact Info

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

Tel: 617-495-1543  Fax: 617-495-0815

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

For additional questions, please  send us a message .

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

Thesis & dissertation.

Student writing

  Understanding Deadlines and Requirements

The final requirement in earning a graduate degree is the completion and defense of the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. Understanding the steps and associated deadlines in the thesis/dissertation submission and degree conferral process is necessary to establish a successful plan and realistic timeframe.

2024 Thesis/Dissertation Submission to the Graduate School Deadlines:

  • For May 26, 2024 conferral, deadline is May 1.
  • For August 31, 2024 conferral, deadline is August 1.
  • December 31, 2024 conferral, deadline is December 1.

See our  Planning Timeline  for more detailed information.

  Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation

The Graduate School offers several writing resources to help you get started, meet your goals, and complete your thesis/dissertation on time. 

Before You Begin:

  • Guide to Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation
  • Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option
  • Required Sections, Guidelines, and Suggestions
  • Formatting Requirements
  • Fair Use, Copyright, Patent, and Publishing Options

Resources for Writing:

  • Thesis & Dissertation Templates
  • Writing from A to B

  Scheduling and Taking Your Final Exam

Once you have submitted your draft thesis/dissertation to your committee you are ready to defend. This involves scheduling and taking your final exam (“B” exam), an oral exam/dissertation defense for Ph.D. candidates, or (“M” exam), an oral exam/thesis defense for Master’s candidates.

  • About Exams
  • Defending Your Thesis or Dissertation
  • Taking Exams

 Submitting Your Thesis/Dissertation

Policy requires the thesis/dissertation be submitted within 60 days of the final exam. The Graduate School uses a service called ProQuest to administer the electronic thesis/dissertation (ETD) submission and committee approval process. Once you have made any necessary revisions and the thesis/dissertation is final, you are ready to begin the approval and submission process.

Before initiating the submission process, students are required to complete an ORCID iD and complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates.

  • Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID iD)
  • Survey of Earned Doctorates 
  • Thesis & Dissertation Submission Process
  • Submission Fees
  • Graduation Requirements 

thesis submission application

Academics | Candidacy & Defense

https://graduate.rice.edu/academics/candidacy-defense-thesis-submission/thesis-signatures

Thesis Defense & Submission

The deadline to submit for the August degree conferral has passed. The deadline to submit for the December degree conferral is noon CDT on Friday, December 6, 2024. Be sure to upload your Signed Title Page and Original Approval of Candidacy form at the website here after submitting your thesis through thesis.rice.edu .

Students must submit the final thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies no later than six months from the date of the defense. However, in order to qualify for a specific degree conferral date, the submission deadline for that semester must be met. See the academic calendar for deadlines. The General Announcements has complete information on thesis defense .

Administrative Things to do before the defense

Review the committee members with your graduate administrator. If the committee has changed since the student petitioned for candidacy, then a committee revision form must be sent to GPS prior to the defense (the earlier, the better)

Register the defense! The thesis announcement must be entered here: https://events.rice.edu/rgs/

Doctoral students must announce the defense at least 14 calendar days before the defense

Masters students must announce the defense at least 7 calendar days before the defense

Provide copies of the thesis to the committee members

Doctoral students give the thesis to their commitee at least 14 calendar days before the defense

Masters students give the thesis to their committee at least 7 calendar days before the defense

What happens before the Defense

A couple of days before the defense the student will receive via email an Adobe Sign link containing 2 forms: an approval of candidacy form and a thesis title page. These forms are to be signed after the completion of the successful defense and they get signed in order. The approval of candidacy form is the committee signing/approving that the defense was passed. The title page is the committee signing/approving the final version of the thesis.

The Defense

The thesis is presented to the committee and it goes great!

Doctoral students can stop by the Tiebrary in the GPS office (Sewall Hall 370) to pick out a tie to take to Valhalla to celebrate!

The Tiebrary is open Monday - Friday 9:00 am - noon and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Thesis Submission Process

There are 2 online portals that the student will submit items for the thesis submission. The thesis portal and the online thesis submission form . The thesis portal is where the student will upload the defended version of the thesis, final version of the thesis with the signed thesis title page and the signed approval of candidacy form. Doctoral students will also need to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates and upload the certificate that is received after completing the survey. The online thesis submission form portal is where the student uploads the signed approval of candidacy form and the signed thesis title page. This portal is where and how the thesis submission gets approved.

After the successful defense, the student will come back to the Adobe Sign link and fill out the approval of candidacy form and this will go to the committee members for their signatures. They can sign in parallel. The student and the student's graduate administrator will be notified of each signature. Once the last committee member signs the approval of candidacy form, the form will come back to the student to edit the thesis title page. Once this is filled out and signed, the form goes back around to the committee for their signatures. More information on the Adobe Sign process can be found here.

Depending on the feedback form the committee after the defense, below is how the student will proceed with the thesis submission into the thesis portal and the online thesis submission form:

  • If your thesis is defended but not complete (e.g., you need to make changes), follow the instructions in Part 1 within one weeks of your defense.
  • If your thesis is defended and all changes have been made, submit your thesis using Part 2 below within six months of your defense or before the thesis submission deadline for the upcoming degree conferral
  • If your thesis is defended and no changes were necessary, complete all of the steps in Part 1 and Part 2

Part 1: Within a week of your defense

  • Navigate to thesis.rice.edu
  • Click "Start your submission"
  • Login with your NetID and password
  • Follow the instructions on the site, using the guides for assistance

Verify that all the information is accurate before moving forward.

Assent to the terms of the agreement by checking the appropriate boxes.

  • Enter your thesis title, graduation date, abstract, and keywords. The information entered here should match the information in your document.
  • Supply the names of your committee members.

If you’ve used the online thesis submission process, once all your committee members have signed virtually, you will receive the PDF of the Original Approval of Candidacy form. Print this form, digitally separate the two pages and upload them to thesis.rice.edu:

  • The Original Approval of Candidacy is uploaded as an administrative file, and
  • The defended version of the manuscript is uploaded as the "Manuscript in PDF".
  • The title page should not be signed or submitted until the advisor confirms that the thesis is in its final form and ready to submit.

For guidelines on supplemental files, please click here .

  • Confirm that your information is correct and click the "Confirm and Submit Button".
  • This initial submission (Part 1) is not final. Your submission will be sent to GPS for an initial review. You will still be able to edit your submission, thesis, and uploaded documents following the GPS review, typically within two business days.
  • If you need to make changes to your submission at this point, do not start a new submission. Contact [email protected] to have your thesis status changed so you can make edits.
  • Once GPS acknowledges your defense, your status will be changed to "Defended, Not Final." Please review the thesis format guidelines if you have not already done so prior to submitting the final copy of your thesis.
  • Within six months of your defense, you must upload and submit the final copy of your thesis and all supplemental documents. This is Part 2. Once you submit a final copy of your thesis and your signatures have been received, and you’ve completed the required electronic Thesis Submission webform (see Part 2), you will not be permitted to alter your thesis.
  • Please make all corrections prior to submitting your thesis. The online webform referenced above replaces the visit to GPS and the Office of the Registrar.

Part 2: Changes made, ready to submit

Please note all thesis and administrative files must be PDFs.

  • Create a single PDF of your thesis, including the signed electronic Thesis Title Page form. Please review the thesis format guidelines if you have not already done so.
  • Separate your electronic Original Approval of Candidacy.
  • Doctoral only: complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates and create PDF of the certificate you'll receive upon completion. The certificate will come via email to you.
  • Open http://thesis.rice.edu in your web browser.
  • Select "Start your submission."
  • Login with your Rice NetID and password.
  • If you have already started a submission previously, select the action "Edit" or "Continue" to continue a previous submission. Otherwise, select "Start a new submission."

If any of the information is incorrect or needs to be updated, email [email protected] .

  • Upload defended and corrected copy of your thesis as your primary document. This action will archive the defended version.
  • You must include your signed electronic Thesis Title Page form as the first page of your final version of your thesis.

Upload the following required documents as ADMINISTRATIVE FILES:

  • Your signed Original Approval of Candidacy
  • Survey of Earned Doctorates Certificate (Doctoral only)
  • Supplemental files are optional and may include non-PDF materials, such as videos, that complement your thesis.

Add a note here if there have been any changes in your thesis submission data.

  • Complete the webform here . This replaces what is normally a visit to GPS and the Office of the Registrar for final submission.
  • GPS will review the thesis submission and sign the form accordingly.
  • You'll receive the form back as a receipt once complete.
  • GPS will also sign the Original Approval of Candidacy form, and you and your graduate program administrator will receive a copy.
  • The thesis will be published with the electronic title page if there are no embargoes.

Congrats, you got your ducks in a row! Be on the lookout before the May and December commencement ceremonies for an invitation to Cheese & Quackers !

Updated August 2024

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Graduate Studies

Submitting your electronic thesis or dissertation.

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

Steps for Submitting Your Manuscript

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

Submission Instructions by Degree:

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

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

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

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

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Electronic Theses and Dissertations Submission

Submit your final thesis or dissertation by the posted submission  deadline .

Submission to the Graduate School must include:

  • Thesis or Dissertation PDF electronically uploaded in ProQuest.
  • Use this form if you have one major professor:  Thesis & Dissertation Approval and Publishing Options Form – 1 Major Professor  (PDF)  
  • Use this form if you have two co-major professors:  Thesis & Dissertation Approval and Publishing Options Form —Two Major Professors  (PDF) .
  • Complete the online Survey of Earned Doctorates (PhD students only)

Steps to Publish Your ETD

The process of submitting a thesis or dissertation electronically includes the following:

  • Follow Graduate School Formatting Requirements .
  • Write and save your document (MS Word, LaTeX, Pages, etc)
  • Embedding the fonts.
  • Converting your document to PDF format. You may need assistance in preparing a PDF for submission. ProQuest has a very helpful Resources & Guidelines site .
  • Uploading the document to ProQuest.
  • Ordering personal hard copies (optional).
  • Registering the copyright through ProQuest with the Library of Congress (optional).
  • Submission.
  • ProQuest automatically sends you an e-mail confirming that your submission is complete. Keep for your records. It is your proof that you submitted online and before the deadline expired.
  • ProQuest will then notify the UWM Graduate School of your submission.
  • The Graduate School will review your document to make sure the formatting adheres to the above-mentioned Thesis & Dissertation Formatting Guidelines. The Graduate School will request necessary changes on your original work if required, and you will re-upload the revised document to ProQuest.
  • When approved by the Graduate School, after your degree is awarded, your document will be submitted to ProQuest, who will log, index and publish your thesis or dissertation.
  • The UWM Libraries provide free, long-term, full-text access to UWM ETDs on and off campus through UWM Digital Commons . They also receive a copy of the PDF file for access and archiving once the thesis or dissertation is submitted and approved by the Graduate School.

Your Thesis in UWM Digital Commons

After your submission to ProQuest, the UWM theses and dissertations are automatically published in the UWM Libraries’ Digital Commons . Digital Commons is the digital extension of the physical library. Historically, theses and dissertations were made available on a physical library shelf and, since the conversion to digital, theses and dissertations are now made available electronically. Your thesis or dissertation will be searchable by Google and other third-party apps through Digital Commons.

Publishing Options

By default, theses and dissertations by UWM students are made openly available via UWM Libraries’ Digital Commons . This means that they are available to read both inside and outside of UWM. Sharing your thesis or dissertation is an important part of obtaining a degree at UWM.

There are two ways to publish through ProQuest—traditional or open access.

  • Open Access means free access to scholarly research. Some open access publications are also licensed for reuse, often via a Creative Commons license.
  • Theses and dissertations can be made openly available for anyone to read via ProQuest for $95.
  • Your thesis or dissertation will still be free to read via the UWM Libraries’ Digital Commons, whether or not you choose this option in ProQuest.
  • Traditional Publishing Traditional Publishing makes your work available for purchase by others and enables you to receive royalties based on those purchases. However, the need for others to purchase your document means that it will not receive the widest possible dissemination. Your document is, however, listed in an online database. Those who choose not to purchase it have access online only to an extract consisting of the title page and the first few content pages.

There are two possible publishing options. You are responsible for one of the following:

  • Open Access through the UWM Library: Free. Traditional publishing through ProQuest: Free.
  • Open Access through the UWM Library: Free. Open Access Publishing through ProQuest: $95—paid to ProQuest at time of submission.

Embargoes (Delaying Publication)

While most dissertations will be published immediately after submission, in rare cases a student will need to delay the publication of their thesis. Such circumstances may involve:

  • Disclosure of intellectual property that preclude patents rights.
  • Disclosure of sensitive data about persons, institutions, or technologies that violate professional ethics regarding protection of confidentiality,
  • An academic or commercial press has expressed interest in acquiring the rights to publish the work as a book. The works in creative writing are qualified for an embargo.
  • A part of the content has already been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal that may require an embargo. Many journals consider each submission on a case-by-case basis. To clarify the policy consult with the journal editor.

When an exception is necessary, an embargo provides a temporary, delayed public release of the work.

Embargo periods of six months, one year, or two years are available. If needed, select the embargo option on both the Approval and Publishing Options form, as well as in the publishing options section in ProQuest.

Copyright is automatically generated when an author publishes his or her work. For theses and dissertations, a student includes the copyright notice in the contents of their thesis or dissertation, and then has copyright on the work after its publication.You may wish to register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to protect your rights in a dispute or to be compensated for damages caused by infringement. You can do this in one of two ways:

  • You may register the copyright yourself by paying the registration fee ($35) and following the directions at: https://www.copyright.gov/registration/
  • You may also designate ProQuest to act as your agent in registering the copyright by electing to do so during the submission process (the registration fee is $55).

For more information regarding copyright registration and the advantages, please visit the ProQuest site.

  • Copyright and Your Dissertation or Thesis: Ownership, Fair Use, and Your Rights and Responsibilities (PDF)
  • See also: The U.S. Copyright Office

Ordering Bound Copies

ProQuest can bind your document. Follow the directions at the ProQuest Website regarding their full range of binding options. You select the binding option you prefer at the “Order Copies” step of the submission process. Orders can be placed at the time of submission, or after publication.

ETD Submission PowerPoint

Forms and policies for students

The Graduate School uses DocuSign Powerforms for all forms that require signatures, and web forms (Formstack) for all forms that do not require signatures.

With one exception only, the Application to Pursue Graduate Degree , we do not accept PDF or printed submissions.  If a printed and/or handwritten form is submitted, it will be returned and delay your approval process.

DocuSign automates the routing and collection of digital signatures. For each form linked below, a pdf version is provided solely as an instructional template for preparing the DocuSign version, not as an alternative form of submission. If you are new to using Powerforms, please read through the DocuSign instructions to understand how to initiate and complete your form. If you have questions about the process or encounter issues with our forms, please contact (775) 784-6869 or email  [email protected] .

DocuSign instructions and FAQ [PDF]  |  DocuSign instructions [PDF]

Forms are organized in alphabetical order within the four sections below:

  • Admissions - Applicable to all graduate students applying to the Graduate School
  • General - Forms applicable to all graduate students within the Graduate School
  • Doctoral  - Forms and information specific to doctoral programs
  • Master's - Forms and information pertaining only to master's programs

Please note that faculty/program director forms are located under faculty forms .  If you need assistance or cannot access a form, please contact the Graduate School office at (775) 784-6869 .

Graduate School admissions forms

Application for graduate school admission.

Applicants are required to create an account. You will use this username and password every time to protect your account information.

Online Application for Graduate School Admission

Application to Pursue an Accelerated Degree Program

An accelerated bachelor's/master's program allows outstanding University of Nevada, Reno students to obtain both a baccalaureate and a master's degree in an accelerated timeframe.

Students in College of Engineering programs:

Application to Pursue an Accelerated Engineering Degree Program [DocuSign] Application to Pursue an Accelerated Engineering Degree Program [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Students in all other programs:

Application to Pursue an Accelerated Degree Program [DocuSign] Application to Pursue an Accelerated Degree Program [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Application to Pursue Graduate Degree

Administrative and Academic faculty interested in pursuing a graduate degree through the University of Nevada, Reno are required to submit an "Application to Pursue a Graduate Degree" form when applying to their program of choice.

Application to Pursue Graduate Degree [PDF]

Declaration or Removal of Certificate

Graduate students admitted to a degree program can add or remove a graduate certificate with this form.

Declaration or Removal of Certificate [Docusign] Declaration or Removal of Certificate [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

General Course Catalog

The University of Nevada, Reno General Course Catalog.

Online General Course Catalog

Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request

Use this form when requesting a transfer of credits from other institutions.

Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request [DocuSign] Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Graduate Special Application

Use the same application portal as undergraduate students to complete the Graduate Special Application for non-degree seeking students.

Online Graduate Special Application

Notice of Reinstatement to Graduate Standing

This form is to be completed by the student requesting reinstatement to their graduate program after an unapproved leave. Once completed, the program will return this form to the Graduate School for final approval.

Notice of Reinstatement to Graduate Standing [DocuSign] Notice of Reinstatement to Graduate Standing [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Undergraduate Request for Graduate Study

A scholastically eligible undergraduate student at the University who is within 30 credits of completing the requirements for the bachelor's degree may enroll in graduate-level courses for graduate credit, provided that such credit is requested by the student and approved by the current undergraduate advisor and Graduate Dean.

Undergraduate Request for Graduate Study [DocuSign] Undergraduate Request for Graduate Study [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

General forms

Advanced degree certificate graduation application deadline appeal.

Appeals to the application deadline for certificate programs are accepted at the Graduate School until the last day of the graduation term.

Advanced Degree Certificate Graduation Application Deadline Appeal [DocuSign] Advanced Degree Certificate Graduation Application Deadline Appeal [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Advanced Degree Graduation Application Deadline Appeal

Appeals to the application deadline for degree programs are accepted at the Graduate School until the last day of the graduation term.

Advanced Degree Graduation Application Deadline Appeal [DocuSign] Advanced Degree Graduation Application Deadline Appeal [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Change in Program of Study

Add or remove courses from your program of study.

Change in Program of Study [DocuSign] Change in Program of Study [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Change of Advisory Committee

Use this form if you need to make a change to the personnel on your advisory committee.

Change of Advisory Committee [DocuSign] Change of Advisory Committee [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Declaration of Advisor/Major Advisor/Committee Chair

This form initial agreement between a student and their advisor/committee chair. For master's students, the Declaration of Advisor form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of the student's second semester. For doctoral and MFA students, the completed Declaration of Advisor form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of the student's third semester.

Declaration of Advisor/Major Advisor/Committee Chair [DocuSign] Declaration of Advisor/Major Advisor/Committee Chair [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Doctoral/M.F.A. Commencement Participation Request

Doctoral/M.F.A. Commencement Participation Request [Docusign] Doctoral/M.F.A. Commencement Participation Request [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Exit Survey

Students that have graduated may be asked to complete an exit survey by their program providing valuable program-specific and high-level feedback to the Graduate School about their experience. 

Exit Survey [Formstack]

Graduation Application

Every candidate for a degree must formally apply for graduation through MyNevada  by the applicable deadline:

  • May graduation: March 1
  • August graduation: June 1
  • December graduation: October 1

Within 3-8 weeks of applying for graduation, you will receive an email outlining any additional graduation requirements. As a candidate for graduation, it is your responsibility to confirm with your advisor that the list of requirements emailed to you is comprehensive and includes all applicable final-semester requirements necessary to graduate on your desired date.

Application instructions:

  • Log into MyNevada   using your NetID and password.
  • Select the Academic Records tile.
  • Select Apply for Graduation from the menu and complete the steps.

Graduation Application in MyNevada

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence is a temporary cessation of study and may be granted for up to one year. Students requesting a leave of absence must be in good academic standing and submit the completed form before the period of leave begins. Time spent on an approved leave is included in the time allowed to complete the degree, i.e. six calendar years for the master’s degree and eight calendar years for the doctoral degree.

Leave of Absence [DocuSign] Leave of Absence [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Program of Study

The program of study specifies the courses and credits required to satisfy the requirements for the degree and documents the approval of the chair and members of the student’s duly constituted advisory committee. The program of study must receive final approval by the Graduate Dean. For master's degree students, the completed Program of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of the student's third semester. For MFA and doctoral students, the completed Program of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the end of the student's fourth semester.

Program of Study [DocuSign] Program of Study [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Program Change of Degree/En Route Request

Requests to declare a master’s en route to the Ph.D., change a sub-plan, or change degree levels must be approved by the student’s major advisor and graduate program director.

Program Change of Degree/En Route Request [DocuSign] Program Change of Degree/En Route Request [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Doctoral student forms

Dissertation defense calendar event.

Use this link to add your dissertation defense to the University's event calendar.

Dissertation Defense Calendar Event [Formstack]

Dissertation Filing Guidelines

Filing your dissertation at the Graduate Division is one of the final steps leading to the award of your graduate degree. This link will provide you a comprehensive overview, as well as several forms required to file your dissertation.

Dissertation Filing Guidelines Webpage

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)

Sample pages

  • 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 .

Dissertation Final Review Approval

Obtain signoff on your dissertation from your advisory committee chair.

Dissertation Final Review Approval DocuSign Powerform Dissertation Final Review Approval [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Dissertation Title

Submit the title of your dissertation and the name of your advisor to the Graduate School.

Submit Dissertation Title Online

Doctoral Degree Admissions to Candidacy

This is a status for those who have completed every requirement except for the dissertation.

Doctoral Degree Admission to Candidacy [DocuSign] Doctoral Degree Admissions to Candidacy [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Notice of Completion: Doctoral Degree

This is a generic form that every student must complete in their graduating semester which relates to the cumulative project (dissertation, professional paper, comprehensive exam). Fill out the sections that apply to your requirements. The advisory committee listed on the program of study signs the form. The notice of completion must be submitted by established deadlines for graduation.

Notice of Completion: Doctoral Degree [DocuSign] Notice of Completion: Doctoral Degree [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Master's student forms

Notice of completion: master's degree.

This is a generic form that every student must complete in their graduating semester which relates to the cumulative project (thesis, professional paper, comprehensive exam). Fill out the sections that apply to your requirements. The advisory committee listed on the program of study signs the form. The notice of completion must be submitted by established deadlines for graduation.

Notice of Completion: Master's Degree [DocuSign] Notice of Completion: Master's Degree [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

Thesis Filing Guidelines

Filing your thesis at the Graduate Division is one of the final steps leading to the award of your graduate degree. This link will provide you a comprehensive overview, as well as several forms required to file your thesis. The Docusign form will require you to enter your advisory committee chair's name and email address. Upon submission, the form will be routed to your advisory committee chair for final approval.

Thesis Filing Guidelines Webpage

Thesis Final Review Approval [DocuSign] Thesis Final Review Approval [PDF example; Not accepted for submission]

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

Thesis Final Review Approval

The Docusign form will require you to enter your advisory committee chair's name and email address. Upon submission, the form will be routed to your advisory committee chair for final approval.

Dissertations and Theses

Main navigation.

Congratulations on being close to the finish line with your dissertation or thesis.

After you’ve applied to graduate and enrolled, dissertations and theses may be submitted online through the Dissertation & Thesis Center in Axess.  

Once you finish submitting your dissertation or thesis in Axess, and it has been approved by the university, the submission is considered final and no further changes are permitted. 

The electronic submission process is free of charge and allows you the ability to check your pre-submission requirements and when ready, upload a digital copy of your dissertation or thesis. 

You can learn more about the center on the How to Use the Dissertation & Thesis Center webpage.

  • FAQs: Dissertation & Theses
  • How to Submit Your Signature Page
  • How to Use the Dissertation & Thesis Center
  • How to Request to Use Copyrighted Material

Note: The online submission process is not available for master's theses or undergraduate honors theses. Please consult with your department directly regarding submission procedures.

Follow these guides to ensure you meet all the requirements for submitting your dissertation or thesis. 

  • Prepare Your Work for Submission
  • Submit Your Dissertation or Thesis
  • Steps After Submission

Submission Deadlines for Conferral

You must apply to graduate and enroll before you can access the Dissertation & Thesis Center in Axess.

The Dissertation & Thesis Center opens to submissions on the first day of instruction each quarter for which the student has applied to graduate.

The quarterly deadlines are set as late in the quarter as possible, providing the time necessary for review of the dissertation or thesis, including review of final degree requirements by the Registrar's Office and the departments. 

You are strongly encouraged to submit your work at least two weeks prior to the deadline to ensure that all requirements can be met in time for the conferral of your degree. 

Once you finish submitting your dissertation or thesis in Axess, and it has been approved by the university, the submission is considered final and no further changes are permitted. 

After the final reader approves the dissertation, it typically takes about seven (7) business days for the university to process the submission.  

Deadlines by Quarter

DeadlineAutumn 
2023-24
Winter 
2023-24
Spring 
2023-24
Summer 
2023-24
Dissertation / Thesis Submission DeadlineFriday, December 8, noonFriday, March 15, noonFriday, June 7, noon Friday, August 30, noon
Application to Graduate DeadlineFriday, November 17, 5 p.m.Friday, March 1, 5 p.m.Friday, April 12, 5 p.m.Friday, August 2, 5 p.m.
Degree Conferral DateThursday, January 11Thursday, April 4Sunday, June 16Thursday, September 12

Dissertation deadlines are strictly enforced.  No exceptions are made. By noon on the final submission deadline date, all of the following steps must be completed:           

  • The student enrolls and applies to graduate;
  • The student confirms the names of reading committee members in Axess, and designates a Final Reader;
  • The student submits reading committee signatures;
  • The student completes the necessary University Milestones;
  • The student’s candidacy is valid through degree conferral;
  • The student submits the final dissertation or thesis in Axess;
  • The designated Final Reader certifies the final draft of the dissertation or thesis submitted in Axess.

For help, contact the Student Services Center .                                                                        

For faculty and staff information on Dissertations, visit Inside Student Services.

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Submitting your thesis for examination (PhD, EdD, MD, BusD, MLitt, MSc)

Format of the thesis, the thesis must:.

be written in British English, apart from quotations and recognised technical formulae

be in A4 portrait format

use one-and-a-half spaced type

include any photographs or other illustrations scanned into the text

be a single file saved in the electronic format and naming style specified by your Degree Committee

Examiners are not expected to edit work. They will deal with errors of fact and typographical errors that affect the meaning of your work, as well as larger structural issues. The extent to which the text has or has not been properly prepared may influence their recommendation concerning the award of the degree. You are therefore advised to check your thesis thoroughly prior to submission to ensure clear, formal British English has been used throughout and that there are minimal typing and/or spelling mistakes.

How and when to present the thesis for examination

You must submit an electronic copy of your thesis for examination, and any required accompanying documents, to your Degree Committee by your submission deadline (which can be found under 'Thesis Submission details' on the Academic tile in your CamSIS self-service). If you are not a self-funded student, the terms and conditions of your funding may require you to submit your thesis earlier than the date shown in CamSIS. If you are unsure what your funder-expected submission date is, you should contact your Funding Administrator. You are required to submit your thesis for examination by your deadline even if the date falls over a weekend or holiday period.

Your Degree Committee should provide you with guidance for electronic submission; please contact them directly if you require any assistance.

The thesis you submit to your Degree Committee will be the thesis forwarded to the examiners for examination. It is not possible to 'retract submission' or to send a revised copy directly to your examiners. Therefore you should carefully check the file(s) you upload when submitting your thesis.

Postgraduate students must keep a minimum number of terms of research before they can submit (for example, 9 for the full-time PhD) unless they have been granted an allowance or exemption of terms . The thesis may be submitted from the first day of the term in which this requirement is met, provided that full-time students have also met the minimum residence requirement (unless they have been granted an allowance of terms). If you attempt to submit too early and have not had an allowance or exemption of terms approved, your thesis submission will not be accepted. If you have an application for an allowance or exemption of terms under consideration in CamSIS at the time you submit your thesis, your thesis will be kept on hold until a decision on your application is made.

Requirements

You must include the following bound inside your thesis:

Please ensure the pages are in the correct order. This is very important - if these preliminary pages are in a different order in your final hardbound thesis to your thesis submitted for examination, this could cause problems and delay approval for your degree.

1. A title page displaying:

the full title of the thesis

your full legal name (as it appears on your passport, marriage certificate or deed poll)

your college

the date of submission (month and year)

a declaration stating: "This thesis is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Education/Doctor of Business/Doctor of Medicine/Master of Science/Master of Letters (as appropriate)."

2. A declaration in the preface stating:

'This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any work that has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted, for any degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee.'

The declaration does not need to be signed . For more information on the word limits for the respective Degree Committees see Word Limits and Requirements of your Degree Committee )

3. An abstract/summary of your thesis

4. [if applicable] the list of additional materials that were approved for submission alongside the thesis

You must also submit the following documents (not included inside the thesis):

Required: One declaration form

Optional: Research Impact Statement If pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster have significantly impacted on your research, you are invited to submit a Research Impact Statement with your thesis using the template provided. The purpose of the statement is for you to describe any restrictions or difficulties experienced in undertaking your research as a result of pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster, and to provide details of any alternative arrangements made to complete the work for your thesis. Further details for students and supervisors can be found in the Research Impact Statement guidance  and the Research Impact Statement form can be downloaded here . 

Inclusion of additional materials

Students other than those in the Faculty of Music must seek permission through their  CamSIS Self Service page if they wish to submit additional materials for examination alongside their thesis. Content such as figures, tables, photographs, bibliography, or appendices is contained within the submitted thesis and would not normally constitute separate additional materials. Additional materials are integral to the thesis but in a format that cannot be easily included in the body of the thesis (for example, 3D graphics). You should refer to the ' Policy on the inclusion of additional materials with a thesis ' before making an application to include additional materials. Talk to your supervisor and contact your Degree Committee if you require any advice. The application process should be initiated prior to the thesis submission. If a thesis is submitted with additional materials and without permission to include them, it will be held by the Degree Committee until approval is confirmed.

Please bear in mind that if you are granted permission to submit additional materials, you are required to upload the same materials to the University repository, Apollo , when you submit your approved thesis  post-examination (doctoral candidates only). Therefore, the inclusion of additional material that contains uncleared third-party copyright or sensitive material may affect the access level that is most appropriate for your thesis.

Submitting a revised thesis

If you are resubmitting your thesis following a viva outcome of being allowed to revise and resubmit the thesis for examination for a doctoral degree, you need to follow the same procedure as for the original thesis submission .

What happens following submission of the thesis for examination 

When you submit your thesis for examination the Degree Committee will check the submission, acknowledge receipt, and inform Student Registry you have submitted. The Student Registry will update your CamSIS record.

The Degree Committee will forward your thesis to your examiners. If you have not received confirmation of the date of your viva (oral examination) within six weeks of submitting your thesis, or if you have any questions with regard to your thesis at this stage, you should contact your Degree Committee. 

Your Examiners should not ask you for a printed copy of your thesis or other material in advance of your viva (oral examination). If they do, please seek advice from your Degree Committee.

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Graduate Thesis Submission Guide

  • Thesis Guide
  • Formatting Requirements

Submitting Your Thesis

  • Managing References
  • Database Pro Tips
  • Avoiding Plagiarism This link opens in a new window
  • Discoverability, Embargo, and the Scholarly Conversation
  • Open Access Images
  • Requesting Permission for Copyrighted Materials
  • Thesis Collection This link opens in a new window

Preparing to Submit

Once your thesis has been approved by your department, you are ready to prepare for submission to the Library through the ProQuest ETD Portal.

In preparation to submit, gather the following:

  • A PDF version of your approved thesis.  This must be a single file, and the first page(s) must be the appropriate  departmental title page . Do not include any authentic signatures in your thesis PDF. 
  • An abstract.  An abstract is a short paragraph (approximately 150-200 words) that distills the intention of your thesis. The  Purdue OWL guide provides general guidance on writing an abstract. (See examples:  1 , 2 , 3 )
  • Supplementary files (e.g., images, data, etc.).  These may be an integral part of the project, but have not been included in the main thesis PDF. Supplementary files will be bundled together as a ".zip" file with your thesis, like this example.  Note: Any images embedded in the full-text PDF will appear as such in the final published version.
  • Optional : A list of keywords. This   can help make your thesis more discoverable.- A note on keywords: Consider what your thesis project is about. What unique words would you use to describe it? How would you search for it if you were browsing on Google? It is preferable to use single words or phrases.
  • Optional :  Any necessary copyright documents . Keep in mind Pratt's Intellectual Property Policy .

1. Create an account on Pratt's ProQuest ETD site .

2. Read and accept ProQuest's Publishing agreement . 

3. Read and accept Pratt's Publishing agreement.

4. Determine if you wish to put your thesis under an embargo. For more information about embargoes, please see this guide:  Discoverability, Embargo, and the Scholarly Conversation . 

5. Enter your contact information, including a non-Pratt email address.

6. Enter the title and abstract of your thesis; your degree information; relevant  subject categories and keywords ; and your thesis committee's information.

7. Upload your thesis PDF document. Make sure your PDF file conforms to ProQuest's standards . At this time,  ProQuest will ask you to upload any additional copyright documents. Please see our guide  Copyright and Your Thesis for information on obtaining copyright documents.

8. Upload any supplemental files.

9. OPTIONAL : Determine whether you want ProQuest to register copyright of your thesis on your behalf. Keep in mind Pratt's Intellectual Property Policy . This costs $75 and is  optional .

10. OPTIONAL : Determine whether you want ProQuest to make your thesis Open Access. This costs $95 and is  optional .

10. OPTIONAL : At this point, you may order bound copies of your thesis. This is entirely up to you.

11. Submit your thesis! If there are any errors with your submission, a library staff member will contact you to make corrections.

Congratulations!

Video Walkthrough

Do you need help submitting your thesis, or have questions , are you feeling overwhelmed by the entire process.

We're here to help!

Get support by contacting the Reference Desk:

  • Visit us in person at the Brooklyn Library (1st floor)
  • Chat virtually using LibChat—you can find this function in the bottom right corner of our website , labelled "Live Chat" or "Chat Offline"
  • Telephone: 718.636.3704
  • Email:  [email protected]
  • << Previous: Title Page
  • Next: Thesis Research and Writing >>
  • Last Updated: Apr 9, 2024 10:43 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.pratt.edu/thesisguide

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If you are redirected to an incorrect form after logging in, return to the forms landing page and select the correct form again:

  • Undergraduate student forms
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Doctoral Thesis Completion Award Application

Doctoral Thesis Completion Award Application (PDF)

Use this form to:

  • apply for a doctoral thesis completion award

A limited number of awards are available each academic term to support doctoral students who are within the last two terms of program completion (term of award plus one additional term). The intention is to assist highly qualified, full-time doctoral students to complete their thesis writing and defence. 

Priority will be given to applicants who identify as Indigenous*

*For the purpose of this award, an Indigenous person is one who is a citizen or member of a First Nations community (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982. To protect the integrity of Indigenous graduate students eligible for specific funding, those identifying as Indigenous must be verified by the Office of Indigenous Relations at the University of Waterloo through the  Indigenous verification process .  

Value: Varies

Eligibility and Requirements:

Applicants must:

  • be registered full time in a PhD program
  • be in good academic standing with a realistic plan of completing their degree within 1-2 terms of receiving the award (term of award plus one additional term)
  • not have previously received this award

Preference will be given to doctoral students who are no longer receiving minimum funding and/or have experienced research interruptions that were beyond their control.

A change of enrolment status to part-time, inactive, withdrawal or degree completion during the term in which the award is paid will require repayment of all or part of the award. Repayment amounts are recalculated based on the University of Waterloo tuition refund policy . Any inquiries regarding OSAP/provincial student loans should be directed to the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office . 

Departmental deadlines:

Fall term – july 15     , winter term – november 15  , spring term – march 15    .

Where the advertised deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline date will be the following Monday.

Application process, notification, and payments:

  • Applicants will submit their complete application to their department co-ordinator.
  • Departments review and submit the applications to their Faculty.
  • The Faculty sends forward their top four applications to Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) and notifies those that were not selected for Faculty endorsement.
  • GSPA ranks, makes final selections, and notifies applicants of the results.
  • Awards will be applied to the student's Quest account at the beginning of each term.

IMAGES

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  2. how to write a thesis declaration

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  4. Nbe Thesis Submission Form

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  5. Thesis Submission Form

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  6. Approval Sheet for Thesis with Examples and Format

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COMMENTS

  1. Submitting Your Thesis/Dissertation : 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 ...

  2. Thesis or dissertation submission

    Submit a hold request. On or before the last working day of your intended month of graduation, submit a Thesis/Dissertation Hold Request form (requires login). To complete the form you'll need the following information: Your major, degree, and graduation month and year. The title of your thesis/dissertation.

  3. File Your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD)

    Jun. 3, 2024. *Complete Degree Requirements includes: completion of the online ETD Filing Application (button above), all committee members have reported approval of your manuscript and the passing of the final oral examination (if applicable) to the Division of Graduate Education; submission of a final PDF via ProQuest including requested ...

  4. Submit Your Dissertation or Thesis

    When you apply to graduate, you will be instructed to enter the title of your dissertation or thesis. You are not eligible to submit your work until an application to graduate has been filed for the current quarter. Program Requirements. In order to submit your work in Axess, you must ensure: Your candidacy is valid; Your reading committee is ...

  5. Checklist: Submitting My Dissertation or Thesis

    During Online Submission. Ensure your electronic dissertation or thesis is formatted following these guidelines: One electronic copy of the dissertation or thesis in PDF format. Page size is standard U.S. letter size (8.5" x 11"). For D.M.A Composition students, score page size is 11" x 17". Type size 10, 11, or 12 point.

  6. The Thesis Process

    To be eligible to submit a CTP Application, you need to (1) be in good standing and (2) have completed a minimum of 32 degree-applicable credits, ... Thesis Submission Deadlines and Graduation Timetable. The thesis is a 9-to-12-month project that begins after the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP); when your Research Advisor has approved your ...

  7. Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines

    The Graduate School recommends Campus Copy for procuring bound copies of theses and dissertations. You may contact them directly at 615-936-4544, or online at Printing Services. Manuscript Preparation. These guidelines provide students at Vanderbilt University with essential information about how to prepare and submit theses and dissertations ...

  8. How to Submit UF Theses and Dissertations

    How to Submit UF Theses and Dissertations For information, links, and forms for writing and publishing a traditional electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD), you can visit the Graduate Editorial Office web site.. UF Academic Technology maintains the ETD Help Desk, which provides training and support for student submission of ETDs.. If you have questions about who can access an ETD or want to ...

  9. Guidelines for Thesis Preparation and Submission

    Once the student has completed the thesis, it should be submitted to his or her faculty mentor along with the Thesis Approval Form (pdf) for initial approval. Once approved by the faculty mentor, the student must upload the thesis through the Thesis Submission Online application in BC WebCentral. The graduate deputy and the appropriate school ...

  10. Thesis Submission

    Thesis Submission

  11. Submitting Your Dissertation

    Program Submission. Students must submit their dissertation by the date established by their program (generally six to eight weeks prior to the Registrar's Office dissertation submission deadline) and follow the program's instructions on the number of copies to submit and format (bound or unbound).. Please note: Students are responsible for notifying their department of any requested ...

  12. Thesis & Dissertation : Graduate School

    Policy requires the thesis/dissertation be submitted within 60 days of the final exam. The Graduate School uses a service called ProQuest to administer the electronic thesis/dissertation (ETD) submission and committee approval process. Once you have made any necessary revisions and the thesis/dissertation is final, you are ready to begin the ...

  13. Thesis Submission

    The online thesis submission form portal is where the student uploads the signed approval of candidacy form and the signed thesis title page. This portal is where and how the thesis submission gets approved. ... select "Start a new submission." Step 3: View your application. If any of the information is incorrect or needs to be updated, email ...

  14. Submitting Your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation

    Steps to Create a Single Thesis or Dissertation File (Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010) For the best results to set up the file, please do NOT Copy/Paste the two Template pages before this file is generated with the following instructions. Create a number of pages (Page breaks)—Go to Insert (Ribbon)—Click on "Page Break" any number of times ...

  15. Submission Process

    Submission Process. The submission of a thesis or dissertation can seem daunting, but we are here to help. We have outlined the steps to what submission in your final semester will look like. DEGREE APPLICATION. You must submit a degree application in ONE.UF BEFORE you can submit a document for review by the Thesis, Dissertation, and ...

  16. Electronic Theses and Dissertations Submission

    Submit your final thesis or dissertation by the posted submission deadline. Submission to the Graduate School must include: Thesis or Dissertation PDF electronically uploaded in ProQuest. Thesis & Dissertation Approval and Publishing Options Form signed by you and your major professor or co-major professors and uploaded in ProQuest.

  17. Thesis Application

    Eligible students can apply to the Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) thesis program each year between June and September. The URS application consists of two parts: Part 1: Intent to Apply. Part 2: Completed application template submitted to the Scholars Thesis Submittal System (STSS) that includes: Proposal.

  18. Graduate School Forms

    Your center for all Graduate School forms, including Program of Study, Leave of Absence and a link to the application portal.

  19. Dissertations and Theses

    Summer. 2023-24 Thursday, September 12. Dissertation deadlines are strictly enforced. No exceptions are made. By noon on the final submission deadline date, all of the following steps must be completed: The student enrolls and applies to graduate; The student confirms the names of reading committee members in Axess, and designates a Final Reader;

  20. Submitting your thesis for examination (PhD, EdD, MD, BusD, MLitt, MSc)

    The thesis you submit to your Degree Committee will be the thesis forwarded to the examiners for examination. ... If you have an application for an allowance or exemption of terms under consideration in CamSIS at the time you submit your thesis, your thesis will be kept on hold until a decision on your application is made.

  21. Submitting Your Thesis

    Go to the Graduate Theses page and select the "Submit Thesis" link under the Author Corner heading. Read and accept the Submission Agreement. Provide information about yourself, including your name as it is listed on the Title page and non-OBU email address. Provide information about your degree program, your date of graduation, and your ...

  22. PDF Guidelines for Ph.D. thesis submission and No dues at ...

    is required at the time of Ph.D. thesis submission: i) Soft copy of the Ph.D. thesis must be mailed to [email protected] in specified single pdf format, which includes the followings: Cover Page printed in BOLD LETTERS: (a)The title at the top (b) Author's name in the middle (c) IIT Delhi

  23. Thesis preparation and submission

    Before submitting a thesis, please make sure the following has been considered and/or completed. Please note that students are not required to submit physical copies of their thesis. Thesis submission and examination is completed online via the Thesis Examination Portal. A student will only be required to submit a soft thermal-bound copy of ...

  24. Graduate Thesis Submission Guide

    Preparing to Submit. Once your thesis has been approved by your department, you are ready to prepare for submission to the Library through the ProQuest ETD Portal. In preparation to submit, gather the following: A PDF version of your approved thesis. This must be a single file, and the first page (s) must be the appropriate departmental title page.

  25. PDF Ph.D. Thesis Submission Application

    (Submission of Thesis) To, Deputy Registrar, PG Admissions, Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune - 411007 Sir, ... Ph.D. Thesis Submission Application Author: Dell Created Date: 7/28/2020 4:41:18 PM ...

  26. Submitting the electronic copy of your master's thesis

    Apart from the paper copies, you are required to submit an electronic copy of your master's thesis as well, using the web application 'Master's thesis' in your KU Loket. If you have registered your master's thesis in your individual study programme (ISP) this application will be shown under the 'Student' menu. Guidelines FAQ

  27. Doctoral Thesis Completion Award Application

    Doctoral Thesis Completion Award Application (PDF) Use this form to: apply for a doctoral thesis completion award; A limited number of awards are available each academic term to support doctoral students who are within the last two terms of program completion (term of award plus one additional term).