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Finding theses

Ordering It is not currently possible to make an online request for theses via iDiscover but you can order either:

• in person in the Manuscripts Reading Room, or
• by sending an email to [email protected] , or
• by phoning 01223 333143

Please give as much notice as possible when ordering by email – we do not fetch over the lunch period (12:30-14:00) and during busy periods we may not be able to answer your email immediately.

Please note that theses dating prior to 2007 are stored offsite and require a notice period of 24 hours to be made available for consultation.  The classmarks covered by these requirements are PhD.1 - PhD.29839.

University of Cambridge theses are not available for inter-library loan. We can supply copies of theses to individuals for research. Information on how to order and image prices is available on the Digital Content Unit web pages. If you have any questions please email [email protected] .

To purchase a copy for library stock you will need the author's permission. You should ask him/her to write to the Digital Content Unit (signed PDF, fax or handwritten letter) giving his/her approval.

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Email:  [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 333000

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PhD Students (and the following Doctoral students: Doctor of Business, Doctor of Engineering, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine under Special Regulations) are required to deposit an electronic copy of their thesis in the University of Cambridge's institutional repository, Apollo. This has been a requirement since 1st October 2017, when the Board of Graduate Studies introduced the requirement that these students deposit both a hard copy and an electronic copy of their thesis. For the avoidance of doubt, the requirement to deposit an electronic thesis in Apollo applies irrespective of when the degree commenced. 

These pages contain information for Doctoral students about requirements to deposit their theses and advice on how to manage this process. They also contain information for potential researchers and readers of theses.Information about  submitting hardbound copies  can be found on the Student Registry's website.

Any alumni who wish to have their thesis digitised and made open access are  can find guidance here.

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This project is a joint initiative of Cambridge University Library and the Research Strategy Office .

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PhD theses (HPS)

We hold bound copies of all PhD theses completed by students in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science in the University of Cambridge since at least the mid 1980s. These are available from the staff desk (you will be asked to sign a copyright declaration form). They can be read in the library, but may not be copied or borrowed.

All our PhD theses are catalogued on iDiscover : find them by searching for author name and title keywords in the same way as for a printed book. Alternatively, select the Whipple as the holding library and search for "dissertation" to get a more comprehensive list. 

In addition, the following lists give you a quick overview of the PhD theses we hold, in alphabetical and chronological order:

• HPS PhD theses (alphabetical)
• HPS PhD theses (chronological)

If the thesis you are looking for is not held here at the Whipple it's possible it was submitted to a different department or faculty in the University. Cambridge University Library holds hard copies of all PhD theses in all subjects approved by the University of Cambridge since 1921. These can be consulted in person in the Manuscripts Room .

How can I obtain a copy of a Cambridge PhD thesis?

Unfortunately we are not able to provide copies of PhD theses, either in hard copy or digital, from the Whipple. However, our colleagues in the Digital Content Unit at the University Library may be able to help; visit their website for further information about their image ordering service and to access the online request form.

Other HPS theses

The Library has a small collection of PhD and Masters-level theses and dissertations on a variety of HPS topics from other universities, acquired by donation. These are not catalogued on iDiscover, but are listed separately. Please ask staff for details.

MPhil and Part III dissertations

We have a large - but not comprehensive - collection of MPhil dissertations completed in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science since the late 1990s. These are catalogued on iDiscover , and are available for use in the Library only. Please ask at the staff desk for further details.

The following lists give you a quick overview of the MPhil and Part III dissertations we hold:

MPhil History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine

• Alphabetical list
• Chronological list

MPhil Health, Medicine and Society

Part iii history and philosophy of science.

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• Chronological List

Sample Part II, Part III and MPhil coursework

We also have a selection of sample work submitted for Part II, Part III and MPhil exams in recent years, which is available to consult in the Library. This includes Part II Primary Source Essays and Dissertations, Part III Research Papers, and MPhil Essays. The samples include a range of historical and philosophical approaches and are intended to provide good examples of each type of work. Please ask at the staff desk for further details.

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Printed theses held in Cambridge

Copies of all postgraduate theses written by students at the University of Cambridge must be deposited in Cambridge University Library. Their online Theses catalogue contains records of theses approved from 1970 onwards. For pre-1970 theses there is a card catalogue in the Manuscripts Reading Room. See the Manuscripts Department's web page on Theses for further information.

Electronic Cambridge theses

From 1 October 2017 all PhD students are required to deposit both a hard copy and an electronic copy of their thesis to the University Library. Find out more on how to access Cambridge electronic theses and how to deposit yours if you are a Cambridge PhD student, on the Office of Scholarly Comunications' Theses website.

UK theses, electronic and in print

You may need to consult a thesis published by another university in the UK. For information on how to access these via the University Library, see their Inter-Library Loans website.

The British Library also has a new Electronic Theses Online Service (EThOS) .

International theses, electronic and in print

Try some of the "Related links" on the right hand side of this page to locate national and international theses, either in digital or print format. Many universities around the world now require their Ph.D. or Masters students to provide their theses in electronic format, and to deposit them on their institutional repositories so that they can subsequently be downloaded by everyone for free. Try finding the website for the university that published the thesis that you are interested in and then search for "theses" or "Electronic Theses and Dissertations" or "ETDs" - or try a Google search using the same search terms and the name of the university.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses A&I is a comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, dating back to 1743. Access for members of the University of Cambridge is to the abstracts only but it is a good source for finding out the bibliographic details of theses. 

Useful links

• Centre for Research Libraries, CRL
• DART-Europe
• dissertations.se (Swedish theses)
• DiVA (Scandinavian theses)
• EThOS (UK e-theses)
• Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)
• OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories)
• ROAR (Registry of Open Access Repositories)
• Trove (Australian theses)
• University of Cambridge theses on the institutional repository, Apollo
• PQDT (ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Abstracting & Indexing Service)

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Q. How do I access a dissertation from the University of Cambridge?

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Answered By: Jenni Lecky-Thompson Last Updated: Mar 22, 2023     Views: 11293

Finding print dissertations

The University Library holds all Cambridge dissertations from 1921 onwards and they can be ordered from the Manuscript Reading Room (01223 333143, [email protected] ). They can't be borrowed or supplied for inter-library loan.

Information on finding theses and dissertations can be found on the Theses Libguide .   Details of all Cambridge theses approved since 1970 can be found using iDiscover . They are also listed in the EThOS database.

Copying of Cambridge dissertations is subject to regulations made by the Board of Graduate Studies. Personal applications for the purchase of copies of dissertations for private research can be directed to the Digital Content Unit ( http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/departments/digital-content-unit ; email [email protected] ). There is a charge for this. To purchase dissertations on behalf of an institution (e.g. for library stock) the author's permission is required before a copy can be supplied.

Finding digitised dissertations

Apollo , the University's institutional repository, holds full-text digital versions of several hundred Cambridge PhD. theses. This is a rapidly growing collection deposited on a voluntary basis.

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Depositing your electronic thesis

Welcome to this module on depositing your electronic thesis into the Apollo Repository .

The module covers the key things you need to know when depositing your electronic thesis to Apollo

• How to ensure you meet all the requirements for submission,
• How to decide on the access level for your thesis
• A demonstration of successfully depositing your work using Symplectic Elements.

PhD students are required to deposit both a hard copy and electronic copy of their thesis to the University Library in order to graduate. This is a requirement of the university in order for your PhD to be awarded. There is more information in the statutes of the university.

To complete this section, you will need:

• Approximately 45 minutes.
• Access to the internet. All the resources used here are available freely.
• Some equipment for jotting down your thoughts, a pen and paper will do, or your phone or another electronic device.

What to include (and not) in your electronic submission

• A completed thesis access confirmation form, signed by yourself and your supervisor. 
• A PDF copy of your electronic thesis
• Any relevant copyright permissions documents

Do not include: 

• The depositing and copying form containing signatures, and any other signatures throughout your thesis.
• Thesis Access Confirmation Form

Access Levels

There are a number of access levels you can choose for your thesis: 

• Open Access: free to download from Apollo, all rights reserved or under license.
• Embargoed: closed for a specific time, can be requested from author, all rights reserved license. 
• Controlled: permanently closed, can be requested from library for private study – unpublished.
• Restricted (time limited): closed for a specific time, cannot be requested.
• Restricted (indefinitely): closed permanently, cannot be requested. 

Quick Quiz - choosing theses access levels

Based on the information above, choose the appropriate theses acces levels for three different scenarios in our Quick Quiz

Third party copyright

Open Access/Embargoed = published work. ​You will need to ensure that you have permission for any third party copyright material which you include.

​You need permission to reuse materials published elsewhere.​

​Redrawing is not sufficient.

​Permission is needed to adapt or modify​.

​No permission? You will need to redact​ anything you do not have permission to use.

You may be finding images through ​Wiki commons – you should check the terms of use, although they state images are free to use, some images may require you to gain permission. If you are uncertain, it is best to seek permission for intended use.​

Information on your digital thesis and third party copyright .​

Reusing content

If you are planning to reuse content in your thesis you may need to consider getting permission.

• Start requesting permissions early.
• Look for online reuse forms, sometimes you may need to write directly to the owner of the image you are trying to use.
• Request more permission than you think you need.
• Keep records of all correspondence.
• People may ask for money

It is important to gain written permission – verbal permission is not enough.

Quick Quiz - reusing content

Based on the information above, think about what the researcher would need to do to reuse content in three different scenarios in our Quick Quiz

Funder Requirements

Many funders will have different requirements in relation to theses. Here are just a few examples of what your funder may require: 

UKRI – permits a maximum 12 month embargo​

Submitting your work for publication? Check if your funding body has any specific guidance regarding choosing your access level.​

Cambridge University Press (CUP) – no specific requirements​

Oxford University Press (OUP) – no specific requirements 

Ultimately it is best to check with your funder if you are considering submitting for publication.

More information on our thesis page - funder requirements .

Step by Step guide

The following video guides you through the process of depositing your thesis through Symplectic Elements .

Please note we no longer charge £15 for controlled access theses

Further Resources

Throughout this guide there are a number of areas which you may wish to read further about. The following links are provided as a starting point.

Read more about the University Statutes  for depositing your thesis.

Information on the requirements to deposit your thesis . 

Student registry information on depositing your hardbound and electronic copy . 

Copyright information from the Legal Admin Department  (Raven login required) and further information on our Research Skills - Copyright and Licenses Guide .

If you have any further questions please email  [email protected]

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