submitting a phd thesis

Theses and Dissertations

Defense and submission.

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

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

Guide for Electronic Submission of Thesis and Dissertation (PDF)

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

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

Notes about the LaTeX Template

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dissertations and Theses

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

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

Document Preparation

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

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

Access and Distribution

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

Examinations

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

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

Final Semester

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

Graduation Calendar

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

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : January 26, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : April 12, 2024

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

Commencement 4  : May 5, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : May 6, 2024

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : May 24, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : July 12, 2024

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

Commencement 4  : August 4, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : August 19, 2024

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : September 6, 2024

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : November 22, 2024

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

Commencement 4  : December 15, 2024

End of Semester Deadline 5  : January 3, 2025

Applications to Graduate Due 1  : January 24, 2025

Examinations and Reports completed by 2  : April 11, 2025

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

Commencement 4  : May 4, 2025

End of Semester Deadline 5  : May 5, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

Still Have Questions?

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

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

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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 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. Additional materials are integral to the thesis but in a format that cannot be easily included in the main 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. This 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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• Checklist: Writing a dissertation

Checklist: Writing a Thesis or Dissertation

Published on August 30, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 18, 2023.

Your thesis or dissertation is probably the longest academic text you’ve ever had to write, and there are a lot of different elements to keep in mind.

Use this simple checklist to make sure you’ve included all the essentials and submit your dissertation with confidence.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Other interesting articles, checklist: dissertation.

My title page includes all information required by my university.

I have included acknowledgements thanking those who helped me.

My abstract provides a concise summary of the dissertation, giving the reader a clear idea of my key results or arguments.

I have created a table of contents to help the reader navigate my dissertation. It includes all chapter titles, but excludes the title page, acknowledgements, and abstract.

My introduction leads into my topic in an engaging way and shows the relevance of my research.

My introduction clearly defines the focus of my research, stating my research questions and research objectives .

My introduction includes an overview of the dissertation’s structure (reading guide).

I have conducted a literature review in which I (1) critically engage with sources, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of existing research, (2) discuss patterns, themes, and debates in the literature, and (3) address a gap or show how my research contributes to existing research.

I have clearly outlined the theoretical framework of my research, explaining the theories and models that support my approach.

I have thoroughly described my methodology , explaining how I collected data and analyzed data.

I have concisely and objectively reported all relevant results .

I have (1) evaluated and interpreted the meaning of the results and (2) acknowledged any important limitations of the results in my discussion .

I have clearly stated the answer to my main research question in the conclusion .

I have clearly explained the implications of my conclusion, emphasizing what new insight my research has contributed.

I have provided relevant recommendations for further research or practice.

If relevant, I have included appendices with supplemental information.

I have included an in-text citation every time I use words, ideas, or information from a source.

I have listed every source in a reference list at the end of my dissertation.

I have consistently followed the rules of my chosen citation style .

I have followed all formatting guidelines provided by my university.

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Submitting Your Dissertation

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Submission deadlines and checklists:

January 2025 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: December 6, 2024

         Final dissertation deadline: January 10, 2025

May 2025 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: March 28, 2025

         Final dissertation deadline: May 2, 2025

September 2024 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: August 2, 2024

         Final dissertation deadline: September 6, 2024

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

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

Dissertation Formatting Requirements and Other Informational Guides:

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

Dissertation Submission In Six Steps:

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

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

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

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Contact Us:

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

Format, bind and submit your thesis: general guidance

You no longer need to submit a physical copy of your thesis. Please refer directly to the “Submit Your Thesis” section below.

This information is for research students submitting a thesis for assessment. It tells you how to:

• format your thesis
• submit your thesis
• bind your thesis (if applicable) 
• submit the final copy of your thesis

There are different requirements for students of fine arts, design, architecture or town planning.

Find out more about these requirements

Format your thesis

UCL theses should be submitted in a specific format, this applies to both the viva and final copies of your thesis. 

View the thesis checklist

Presentation

In the electronic version of your thesis, hyperlinks (including DOIs) should be functional and resolve to the correct webpage.

We would recommend using Arial or Helvetica fonts, at a size of no less than 12.

Find out more about the accessibility guidelines

If printed, please present your thesis in a permanent and legible format.

Illustrations should be permanently mounted on A4 size paper and bound in with the thesis; you may not use sellotape or similar materials.

A4 size paper (210 x 297 mm) should be used. Plain white paper must be used, of good quality and of sufficient opacity for normal reading. Both sides of the paper may be used.

Both sides of the paper may be used.

Margins at the binding edge must not be less than 40 mm (1.5 inches) and other margins not less than 20 mm (.75 inches). Double or one-and-a-half spacing should be used in typescripts, except for indented quotations or footnotes where single spacing may be used.

All pages must be numbered in one continuous sequence, i.e. from the title page of the first volume to the last page of type, in Arabic numerals from 1 onwards. This sequence must include everything bound in the volume, including maps, diagrams, blank pages, etc. Any material which cannot be bound in with the text must be placed in a pocket inside or attached to the back cover or in a rigid container similar in format to the bound thesis (see Illustrative material ).

The title page must bear the following:

• the officially-approved title of the thesis
• the candidates full name as registered
• the institution name 'UCL'
• the degree for which the thesis is submitted

The title page should be followed by a signed declaration that the work presented in the thesis is the candidate’s own e.g.

‘I, [full name] confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis.'

Please see the section below entitled ‘Inclusion of published works in doctoral theses’ for more information about how to indicate when you have re-used material that you have previously published.

The signed declaration should be followed by an abstract consisting of no more than 300 words.

Impact Statement

The abstract should be followed by an impact statement consisting of no more than 500 words. For further information on the content of the Impact Statement, please see the Impact Statement Guidance Notes for Research Students and Supervisors on the Doctoral School's website. 

Find out more about the Impact Statement

Inclusion of published works in doctoral theses

If you have included any work in your thesis that you have published (e.g. in a journal) previously, then you will need to insert a completed copy of the UCL Research Paper Declaration Form into your thesis after the Impact Statement. The form, and information about how to complete it is available on the Doctoral School’s website.

Find out more about the UCL Research Paper Declaration Form

Table of contents

In each copy of the thesis the abstract should be followed by a full table of contents (including any material not bound in) and a list of tables, photographs and any other materials. It is good practice to use bookmarking within the PDF of the thesis in electronic form to allow readers to jump to the relevant section, figure, table etc. from the table of contents.

Illustrative material

Illustrative material may be submitted on a CD-ROM. If you wish to submit material in any other form, your supervisor must contact Research Degrees well in advance of submission of the thesis.

Any material which cannot be bound in with the text must be placed either in a pocket inside or attached to the back cover or in a rigid container similar in format to the bound thesis. If it is separate from the bound volume it must be clearly labelled with the same information as on the title page. Each copy of the thesis submitted must be accompanied by a full set of this material.

Submit your thesis

Viva copies.

You must submit an electronic version of your thesis to via the UCL OneDrive . You no longer need to submit a printed copy unless your examiners ask for this. 

Find out more on how to submit via the UCL OneDrive

We will check your status and if your examiners have been appointed we will forward the thesis directly to them. They will then be able to download the copy of your thesis to prepare for your exam. 

If, following your submission, an examiner requests a hard copy of the thesis, you or your supervisor will need to arrange for this to be printed. Your supervisor or department can arrange for this to be sent directly to the examiner at their preferred postal address, or it can be handed to the  Student Enquiries Centre  during their walk-in operational hours. If submitted to the Student Enquiries Centre, the research degrees team will collect your thesis and post it on to the examiners, but please be aware that collections take place once per week and we cannot guarantee the physical copies will be posted within less than 8-10 working days    UCL’s standard submission of a thesis is electronic, in line with UCL’s sustainability strategy . If an examiner requests a physical thesis copy (this may be due to accessibility requirements of the examiner), you are responsible for making sure that your thesis is correctly printed and bound by the company you select. 

If your examiners have not been appointed, your thesis will be held securely until your examiners have been formally appointed by UCL.

Covid-19 Impact Form

We have developed a form for you to submit with your thesis if you wish to declare an impact on your research.   The form is optional and your choice to complete it or not will have no bearing on the outcome of your examination. It is intended to set the context of examination and is not a plea for leniency. Your examiners will continue to apply the standard criteria as set out in UCL’s Academic Manual and the joint examiners’ form. Please see the publication from the QAA on Advice on Doctoral Standards for Research Students and Supervisors for further support.

You must submit this form as a separate Word document or PDF when you submit your thesis via the UCL Dropbox as detailed in our guidance above.   We will only accept the form if you submit it at the same time that you submit your thesis.  This will apply if you are making an initial submission or a resubmission.

Download the Covid-19 Impact Form

Find out more about the Student Enquiries Centre

Your examination entry form must be received and logged by Research Degrees before you submit your thesis.

Find out more about examination entry

Re-submission

If you need to re-submit you must:

• submit a new examination entry form to the Research Degrees office at least 4 weeks prior to the expected submission of the thesis
• you must submit an electronic version of your thesis to via the UCL OneDrive . You no longer need to submit a printed copy unless your examiners ask for this.  Find out more on how to submit via the UCL OneDrive

We will check your status and confirm that your examiners are willing to review your revised thesis. We will then forward the thesis directly to them. They will be able to download the copy of your thesis for assessment. 

If an external examiner requests a hard copy of the thesis you will need to arrange for this to be printed and submitted to the Student Enquiries Centre during their walk-in operational hours. We will collect your thesis and post it on to the examiners.

Submitting as a Non-Registered Student

If you do not submit your thesis by the end of your period of Completing Research Status, your registration as a student will end at that point. Your supervisor will then need to apply for permission for you to submit your thesis in writing to the Research Degrees section, at least 3 weeks before your expected submission date. You will be charged a submission extension fee at the point you submit your thesis.

Bind your thesis

You no longer need to submit a printed copy unless your examiners specifically request this.

The thesis must be bound securely.  Both sides of the paper may be used.   Illustrations should be permanently mounted and bound in with the thesis.  Illustrative material may be submitted on a separate electronic storage device. If you wish to submit material in any other form, your supervisor must contact Research Degrees well in advance of submission of the thesis.   Any material which cannot be bound in with the text must be placed either in a pocket inside or attached to the back cover or in a rigid container similar in format to the bound thesis. If it is separate from the bound volume it must be clearly labelled with the same information as on the title page. Each copy of the thesis submitted must be accompanied by a full set of this material.  

You are responsible for making sure that your thesis is correctly bound by the company you select.

Final copies

UCL no longer requires a printed copy of your final thesis and we will award your degree once you have met the academic conditions and the Library have confirmed receipt of your e-thesis, the Deposit Agreement form, and you have cleared any outstanding fees.

You will need to deposit an electronic copy of your final thesis (and a completed E-Thesis Deposit Agreement form) via UCL's Research Publications Service (RPS). Please ensure that you remove, or blank out, all personal identifiers such as signatures, addresses and telephone numbers from the e-thesis (this does not include your own name on the title page).    Any photographs that you have taken should not show identifiable individuals without their permission and any you have taken of children should mask their faces.

If you do wish to deposit a hard copy you can do so by sending it directly to the Cataloguing & Metadata department of Library Services by post, or in person at the Main Library help desk.  You will find more information about the process on the existing webpage for e-thesis submission. 

Find out more about depositing an electronic and printed copy of your thesis

Related content

• Research degrees: examination entry
• Format, bind and submit your thesis: fine art, design, architecture and town planning
• Viva examinations: guidance

Important Information:

The UCL Student Centre has now moved.  Details of their new location can be found here.  

• Public Lectures
• Faculty & Staff Site >>

Thesis/Dissertation

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

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

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

Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation

Etd resources.

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

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

Formatting Guidelines

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

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

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

Required Sections:

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

Master’s Thesis Approval Form:

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

• Master’s Thesis Approval Form

Electronic Doctoral Dissertation Approval:

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

ETD Formatting Resources:

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

Common ETD Formatting Revisions Requested

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

Title Page, Copyright Page, Abstract

Language Requirement

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

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

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

Submitting and Publishing

Submitting for dissemination and access.

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

Students may restrict access to their theses and dissertations…

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

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

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

Selecting Access Options

Selected ETD Access Scenarios

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

Discussion of Scenarios

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Publishing Agreements

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

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

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

Ordering Paper Copies

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When will my ETD be made available for access?

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

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

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

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

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

Additional Resources

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

• MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

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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
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/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="submitting a phd thesis"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

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How to submit a PhD thesis

The final few months of a phd can often be the hardest, so here are a few tips from a doctoral candidate who recently submitted her thesis.

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You know the transitional phase of childbirth, where a woman says she can’t go on and the midwife will say that means you’re nearly there? Well, I’m hoping that it is the same with this thesis.

About a month before submitting my thesis , I found myself uttering this sentence (working on ancient infertility inevitably means that any analogies I make are related to childbirth in some way). This was at the stage where the tiredness had really set in, but it was also the point where the end was in sight and I finally began to believe that my thesis could be completed before the deadline for submission.

As anyone will tell you, the final few months before submitting a PhD thesis are a whirlwind. There are drafts and redrafts being pinged back and forth between you and your supervisors. That section of a chapter that you’ve been (often with good reason) putting off for the past three years can wait no longer. There are corrections to be made, references to chase, a bibliography to check and arguments to refine – and all you really want to do at this point is lie down in a dark room and pretend that the world doesn’t exist (this may have been just me, but I suspect it’s fairly common).

Although slightly manic, as the thesis came together I actually found that I enjoyed the final stages of thesis writing. Admittedly this may have been an academic version of Stockholm syndrome (where kidnap victims start to identify with their captors), but I learned a lot in those last few months before submission.

Having had some time to reflect, I thought I would share some of the tactics I employed to get my thesis written, things that helped me to keep my sanity – and one thing that meant that I nearly missed my deadline.

Get organised

In the final few months before submission, your world shrinks somewhat and your thesis is likely to become if not the only thing in your life, one of the few things that can grab your attention. Although this is true to some extent throughout your PhD, it does step up a gear at this point. Knowing that this would be the case a couple of months before submitting, I decided to get organised.

In terms of thesis, this meant going through all the criteria for submission from how to set out the title page to downloading the form that I needed to complete when I submitted. I also made sure that I had all the paper and ink cartridges I would need for printing. I also sorted out all the non-thesis things that needed to be done before submission. I wrote birthday cards, booked appointments and did anything I could that would mean I needed to keep as little as possible in my head and fewer things to distract me.

‘Thesis brain’

Unfortunately, being so focused on one thing means that inevitably other things fall out of your brain. This might be a case of not being able to remember simple facts or completely forgetting people’s names. In my case, it was forgetting that the university library doesn’t open on a bank holiday (let’s be honest, forgetting that it actually was a bank holiday). If your brain deems something non-essential, it may well refuse to recall it.

I termed this phenomena “thesis brain” and, if it does happen to you, rest assured that you probably aren’t losing your memory and it is (mostly) reversible once you've submitted. The other positive of thesis brain is that it gives you some interesting stories to tell post-submission (one of mine includes two suspected cases of Ebola – don’t ask).

Plan some time out

With a deadline looming, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking “I don’t have time to stop”, but you do, and it’s essential that you do. This doesn’t have to be a big night out, and to be honest you will probably be too tired at this point anyhow. Take an hour out to have coffee with a friend or dinner with family or anything that involves communicating with another human being.

Admittedly, had I read this advice six months ago, I would have thought two things: a) what an obvious thing to say; and b) it’s OK for you to say that but I really don’t have time. However, in the middle of submitting a thesis, it’s easy to forget and, although it’s taken me a long time to learn this, taking that time out will make you more productive in the long run, I promise.

Beware of the inevitable guilt trip

On the subject of taking time out, this seems the perfect time to mention guilt . For me, and probably a lot of people, writing and guilt go together. From asking myself why hadn’t I read/written this before now, to “what on earth was I thinking taking a week off last Christmas?”: I could beat myself up about anything. About two months before submitting, I realised that I was spending too much time and energy (of which I had little to spare) on asking myself why I hadn’t done something already rather than getting tasks completed now.

In the end, I told myself that there was time to beat myself up after submitting (although to be fair, after the thesis was finished it didn’t matter any more) and right now it was about getting on with it – this telling-off was the best thing I ever did and freed me to get on with finishing the thesis.

There is no right way to complete a thesis

Of course, there are guidelines to follow and standards to be met, but how you go about getting there is unique to you. Just because Bob wrote his introduction in his first year and looks at you in horror when you say you haven’t written yours five months before submission does not mean you are doing the PhD wrong, just that you’re approaching it in a different way, and that’s fine (really it is). Also if, like Bob, you did write a perfect introduction by the end of your first year, that’s also fine, but do try to keep the looks of horror to a bare minimum – they are not helpful.

Do not – I repeat do not – finish proofing, print, bind and post off your thesis on the submission date

This is what I did – and it was nearly my undoing (and yes, I should know better). I was very lucky that this did not go terribly wrong. It will take you longer than you think to print out your thesis. In my case, this was a three-and-a-half hour printing marathon that involved much shouting at my printer (which I still cannot look at without an involuntary shudder) and cleaning the entire house because I could not stare any longer at the printer willing it to print quicker.

This resulted in my turning up at the binders 15 minutes before it shut. They (very kindly) ended up staying open 30 minutes later than normal, during which time they had to deal with a slightly hyper and very tired PhD student (I still owe them a box of chocolates). Then there was the sprint to the post office before it shut at 6pm.

Do not do this. However, if this does happen to you remember you are not alone.

Recognise that the end is in sight

One of the scariest things about a PhD is that it is your project and only you can write it. This is not merely scary; it can be overwhelming at times. However, in those final few months I realised that while the impending deadline was still scary, my thesis no longer was. Despite all its faults, all the things I might have done differently and all the things I still don’t know (I have a long list of all three), I had written a thesis. Four months before I submitted, I genuinely didn’t believe that this was something I would achieve. However, very slowly in those last few months, I began to feel that, although I still had no idea how it was going to happen, finishing my thesis was something I could do.

Those final few months are tough – there is no way around that – but for me they were also the most rewarding part of the entire PhD. In the final stages of thesis writing, everything happens fast: all of a sudden, chapters go from being drafts to being finished; you find a place for the pesky bit of evidence that needed to be included but didn’t seem to fit anywhere; and that perfect quote to open chapter five suddenly appears from nowhere. There is nothing like seeing a project you’ve been working on for so long come together in this way. However, in the midst of submitting a thesis, it’s easy not to recognise this and to ignore all the little accomplishments because all you can think about is what is left to do.

And perhaps this is the most important message I would pass on to anyone heading towards completing their thesis. No matter how stressful it is or how tired you are, take enjoyment out of seeing your thesis come together and from the knowledge that the end is in sight.

Rebecca Fallas  is a full-time PhD student in the Open University’s department of classical studies who has just submitted her thesis on “Individual Responsibility and the Culture of Blame Surrounding Infertility in Ancient Medical Texts”. This post originally appeared on her department’s blog .

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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

*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.

Dissertation, Doctoral Project, and Thesis Information & Templates

Note: Forms required for the submission of theses and dissertations are available on the  Academic Forms  page.

Important Notes for Dissertation, Doctoral Project & Thesis Writers

• Information is available in Section IV.B.2 Research on Human Subjects of the  Graduate Bulletin   (from the  Resources and Policies page ).
• Additional information and forms are available on the   IRB website . Your IRB approval number must be included on the Thesis or Dissertation Proposal Form.
• Consult the  Guidelines for Dissertation, Doctoral Project and Thesis Writers  before beginning your thesis or dissertation.
• Download a template to assist with formatting your work. The templates are unlocked and can be edited (links to the template can be found in the “Submission Procedures” sections below).
• Check the Resources & Guidelines section of the ProQuest website for instructions on using the site. The Library has created a very informative series of  short videos  about the choices you must make on the ProQuest site.
• Additional information on copyright, publishing options and other topics is available on  Lauinger’s Scholarly Communication  website.
• More information about the requirements for dissertations, doctoral projects and theses can be found in the  Graduate Bulletin .

Submission of the Thesis, Doctoral Project or Dissertation

Information on the forms required leading up to a defense and also afterward appear on Submission of Thesis  and  Submission of Dissertation or Doctoral Project .

Download a Thesis / Doctoral Project / Dissertation Template

(for Master’s and Doctoral candidates) We recommend that you download a Thesis / Doctoral Project / Dissertation Template using Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Google Chrome browsers. There are some reported issues for students trying to download using Internet Explorer. The download links are shown below:

• The combined  Master’s Thesis / Doctoral Project / Doctoral Dissertation Template  for MS-Word for Windows is available at: Thesis/Project/Dissertation Template-PC
• The  Master’s   Thesis Template  for Word for Mac is available at:  Thesis Template-MAC
• The  Doctoral Template  for Word for Mac is available at  Dissertation Template-MAC
• If you use the LaTeX markup language, you can download a ZIP file folder containing several template and style documents, as well as an extensive tutorial manual, at this link:  Thesis/Dissertation Template-LaTeX . An updated .sty file was uploaded in June 2020.

LaTeX users please note: These LaTeX template materials are provided for the use of those who are already proficient in the use of LaTeX. Neither the Graduate School nor the faculty who helped develop this template are able to provide support or training in the use of this specialty software.

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

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.

The Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Submit your thesis for graduate college review and deposit.

Your thesis deposit is not complete until you have made all corrections requested by the Graduate College Thesis Office and have submitted all supporting items required for the deposit . All corrections and additional materials must be received in satisfactory condition by the Thesis Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the deposit deadline for your intended graduation period. Once the thesis or dissertation has been approved for deposit by the Graduate College, no additional changes to the document will be allowed. Note: The Graduate College does not accept emailed or hard copy thesis submissions for review or deposit.

Prepare your submission

To begin your submission, your thesis should be formatted according to Graduate College thesis requirements and approved by your department .

Prepare your PDF

• The thesis must be submitted as a single Portable Document Format (PDF) file. See the Thesis Office FAQ for a few tips on the PDF conversion process.*
• Security settings should not be applied to the PDF file.
• The PDF file should not contain embedded multimedia.
• Do not include  required supporting items for the deposit  in the PDF file.
• Verify/remove inaccurate metadata by opening the file in Adobe Reader and selecting "Properties" from the File menu. On the "Description" tab, verify that the title, author name, and so on are correct.

*Note: The Thesis Office will not assist with the conversion of thesis files to PDF.

SUPPLEMENTAL APPENDIX FILES (Optional)

If you have supplemental appendix files for your thesis (video, audio, data sets, etc.), you will upload those files one at a time during the submission process. An appendix page with a brief description of the content of the supplemental file must be included in the main PDF file of the thesis. See the Graduate College thesis requirements for further information. Also note that any supplemental appendix files must be reviewed and approved by your director of research and committee, and those files will also be available in IDEALS according to the release option you choose.

ideals DEPOSIT agreement and release options

In step 2 of your submission profile, you will be asked to agree to the IDEALS license and choose an IDEALS release option. See the Release Options page for detailed information about those choices.

(OPTIONAL) ProQuest publishing agreement - Doctoral students only

In step 2 of the submission profile, doctoral students will be given the option to have the Graduate College send their dissertation to ProQuest for inclusion in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global and Dissertation Abstracts International databases . If you wish to send your dissertation to ProQuest, agree to the ProQuest publishing agreement during step 2. See the Release Options page for detailed information about the agreement and how your IDEALS release option will determine your ProQuest release option.

Submit your thesis

To create your thesis submission profile and submit your thesis to the Graduate College Thesis Office for review, click on the link below. (If your NetID is no longer active, you will be able to create your own temporary password once you begin the submission process.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you receive an error message as you are trying to submit your thesis, please either clear your cache or try a different browser (Google Chrome usually works well).

SUBMIT your thesis

After you have submitted your thesis for review, you will receive a series of emails from the Graduate College Thesis Office that will notify you that we have received your thesis and alert you to any required corrections or other steps you will need to take to complete your thesis deposit. You may also check the status of our review of your thesis at any time by returning to your submission profile via the link provided above.  

Complete your deposit

Your thesis deposit is not complete until you have made all corrections requested by the Graduate College Thesis Office and have submitted all supporting items required for the deposit . All corrections and additional materials must be received in satisfactory condition by the Thesis Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the deposit deadline for your intended graduation period.

After your deposit is complete, review our Post-deposit Considerations .

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Thesis & Dissertation Submission

The Graduate School is here to help as you prepare and submit your thesis or dissertation. The links below provide resources and instructions to guide you throughout the process.

Dissertation/Thesis Submission Process

• Format your thesis and follow the Thesis Approval Form (TAF) process.
• Upload your pdf , attaching the single page TAF as a supplemental file, for Graduate School review and approval.
• The Gradaute School will contact you via e-mail to let you know if your submission has been accepted or if revisions are needed.
• Any necessary revisions should be submitted by the posted deadline . Contact the Graduate School at [email protected] should you have any questions or concerns.

Thesis Approval Form

• Attach the final version of your thesis for their review.
• After the complete TAF is returned to you, save it as a separate one page document (uncoupled from your thesis).
• Then, upload the single page TAF as a supplemental file along with the thesis.
• Detailed instructions are available to assist you.

Resources & Guidelines for Thesis Submission

• The  ProQuest  ETD website provides a variety of resources related to PDF creation, thesis submission, copyright and publishing options.
• University Libraries provides a host of resources related to copyright, fair use and authors' rights.

Deadlines for Thesis Submission & Graduation

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Thesis and practicum examinations and MSpace submission

When you have finished writing your Master’s or Ph.D. thesis or practicum, it must be examined and passed by your examining committee before being revised, if necessary, and submitted to MSpace, the university’s digital repository, where it will become available worldwide.

On this page

Thesis submission deadlines and requirements, submitting your ph.d. thesis for examination, thesis examination process, submitting your thesis or practicum to the mspace digital repository, thesis and practicum submission checklist, archiving of your thesis and practicum.

Procedures for the submission and examination of Master’s theses and practica may vary between programs and are carried out at the unit level. For details, please consult the program’s supplementary regulations .

Doctoral theses must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies office via the Graduate Studies Hub (University of Manitoba account login required) to initiate the written examination process. The Ph.D. thesis examination process is carried out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies; please see below for details.

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their theses and practica well in advance of the relevant deadlines outlined in the table below to ensure that they will be able to graduate in their intended graduation period (May, October, or February).

Timelines for completing thesis examinations and satisfying outstanding requirements can vary significantly; students who leave the distribution of their theses and practica until the deadline often have difficulty getting their work approved in time to meet graduation deadlines. Failing to meet these deadlines will result in delays to your convocation.

Table notes:

1 The “Approval to Proceed to Thesis Examination” form verifies that each member of the advisory committee has read the complete version of the thesis and has provided the candidate with a detailed review and comments including any necessary revisions. Please contact your unit/department for internal procedures and deadlines regarding review of your thesis by the internal examiners.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all requirements are delivered to the Faculty of Graduate Studies office by the deadline noted.

• Students cannot be added to the potential graduand list after the final deadline listed in the table above.
• When a submission date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

Before submitting your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for examination, your advisory committee must verify that they have read the complete thesis and provided you with a detailed review and comments, including any necessary revisions, by signing the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form (PDF available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies Forms page ). This form must be signed by all parties and submitted by the student alongside the thesis. Signing the Approval to Proceed form does not constitute a formal evaluation of the thesis.

The thesis will be eligible for examination if:

• No more than one (1) member of the advisory committee indicates on the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form that they do not support proceeding to the formal examination of the thesis; and
• The department/unit indicates on the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form that they do support proceeding to the formal examination of the thesis.

Once the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form is signed by all parties and the thesis is ready for examination, you must submit it, your thesis, and any related files (if applicable) to the Faculty of Graduate Studies via the Ph.D. Thesis Submission Form on the Graduate Studies Hub (University of Manitoba account login required). Below are complete instructions on how to submit your thesis to the committee and for what to expect after your thesis has been submitted.

Graduate Studies Hub

Note on advisors, co-advisors, and internal examiners from outside of the University of Manitoba Individuals who do not have a UMNetID and University of Manitoba email address (e.g., faculty from the University of Winnipeg who do not have an appointment at the University of Manitoba) must be added to the University of Manitoba's Microsoft user directory in order to access the Graduate Studies Hub and the administrative processes hosted on that site, including the Ph.D. thesis examination process. For additional details, please see the External Users page on the Graduate Studies Hub site (University of Manitoba account login required).

Those who hold adjunct appointments or are otherwise eligible to claim a UMNetID must claim their UMNetID to be able to access the Graduate Studies Hub and other University of Manitoba services and systems. For additional information, please visit the Claim UMNetID page on the University of Manitoba website.

If your Advisor, Co-Advisor, and/or examining committee members do not have an appointment (including adjunct) at the University of Manitoba, they must be granted access to the Graduate Studies Hub before you submit your thesis for examination.

Submission instructions

The Ph.D. thesis examination process is located on the Graduate Studies Hub Sharepoint site, which is accessible to all faculty, staff, and students. This is the method Ph.D. students must use to submit their thesis for examination.

To access the thesis submission form, you will need to:

• If you accessed the login page from a link to the Graduate Studies Hub, you will be directed to the Graduate Studies Hub home page once you have logged in using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). If you were already logged into your account in your web browser, you will not be prompted to log in again.
• If you accessed the login page from another link (e.g., portal.office.com), you can navigate to Sharepoint from the Apps waffle menu in the top left-hand corner of your screen. Once you are on the Sharepoint homepage, search for the Graduate Studies Hub using the search bar at the top of the screen. For more information on navigating Sharepoint, please visit the Microsoft website .
• From the Graduate Studies Hub home screen, select the “Ph.D. Thesis Examinations” button or navigate to the page from the navigation toolbar at the top of the screen (under “Program Requirements”).
• Read the “Before you begin” section on the Ph.D. Thesis Examinations page for details about submission requirements. Ensure that you have all of the proper documents and information available before navigating to the submission form.
• Once you are ready to submit your thesis, select “Submit your Ph.D. thesis for examination”. This link is available in multiple places along the right-hand side of the screen and will open in a new tab in your web browser upon selection.
• Preamble (eligibility for examination and anticipated graduation date)
• Student Information (student name, number, email address, program)
• Thesis Information (title, abstract, PDF thesis file, Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination Form, supplementary file(s) and/or descriptions of revisions, if applicable)
• Examining Committee Information (for each examiner: name, email address, role, department/unit)
• Review all information entered for accuracy before proceeding to the next section and ensure that the correct documents are uploaded. When you are ready to submit the form, select the “Submit” button at the bottom of the screen. You will receive a confirmation email shortly after the thesis has been submitted.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] .

As per University policy, students are required to check their @myumanitoba.ca email account regularly as continuous information is emailed to students throughout the examination process.

The Ph.D. thesis examination process consists of the examination of the written thesis by an examining committee comprised of the Advisor/Co-Advisor, internal examiners, and an external examiner selected by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. If the thesis is passed at the written examination stage, it will be permitted to proceed to the oral examination.

The Ph.D. thesis examination process begins with the submission of the Ph.D. Thesis Submission Form (including the thesis and Approval to Proceed form). Once this form has been successfully submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies:

• The student will receive an email confirming that their thesis has been received.  
• The thesis submission number and student number (included in the email notification);
• The Advisor (and Co-Advisor, if applicable) name and email address;
• Full name, email address, department/unit, and University
• Current Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing their scholarly publications, research activities, and Ph.D. student supervision/examination experience in Word or PDF format;
• A short statement explaining the rationale for the nomination; and
• Acknowledgements of each of the eligibility requirements with room to elaborate, if necessary.  
• If there is a Co-Advisor, they will receive an email asking them to approve the nominations. This email will contain instructions for submitting their approval or rejection.  
• The external examiner will be chosen and invited to serve by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Associate Dean and will remain anonymous until the external examiner’s report is received.  
• The student and Advisor/Co-Advisor informing them that the thesis examination has begun. They are reminded that while the thesis is undergoing review, no communication is permitted with examining committee members regarding the thesis until all internal and external examiner reports have been received
• Internal and external examiners providing them with a link for accessing a .pdf copy of the candidate’s thesis (and supplementary files if applicable) and instructions for submitting their report. Internal and external examiners are requested to submit their detailed reports via the appropriate Report Form within four (4) weeks. Automated reminders will be sent one (1) week before the report deadline and one (1) day after the deadline. The Faculty of Graduate Studies will contact examiners who have not submitted their report by one (1) week after the deadline.  
• Once all examiner reports are received, they will be reviewed by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and sent via email to the Advisor/Co-advisor, internal examining committee members and the Department/Unit Head. The Advisor/Co-Advisor will be asked to share the reports with the student. If the written examination is passed, they will also be provided with information concerning scheduling the Ph.D. Oral Examination at this point.

Please see the Faculty of Graduate Studies Academic Guide for policies and regulations regarding the Ph.D. thesis examination process.

The Ph.D. oral examination Please visit the Ph.D. oral examination page for details about Ph.D. oral examination scheduling and procedures.

If both the written and oral examinations are passed, the final copy of the thesis (including any necessary revisions) must be submitted to MSpace.

All theses and practica are submitted electronically to MSpace, the University of Manitoba digital repository. Here they become searchable and available to a worldwide audience.

You must submit your thesis or practicum to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the deadlines indicated in the Academic Schedule in the Graduate Calendar to be eligible for graduation for a specific graduation period. The Faculty of Graduate Studies does not provide extensions for thesis or practicum submissions beyond these final deadlines.

You submit your thesis or practicum to MSpace following the approval of the work by the examining committee and the completion of any revisions required by that committee. The digital copy is required for the University of Manitoba library and remains the property of the University of Manitoba.

To be eligible to receive your parchment and official transcripts, you must pay all outstanding university fines and fees (library, parking, tuition, etc.) and your file must not be on hold.

Learn more about MSpace

Benefits of mspace.

Having your thesis or practicum in the university's digital repository has a number of advantages.

Global exposure and self-promotion

Your thesis/practicum can be read from anywhere in the world in full text by prospective employers, researchers, colleagues, friends and relatives. You can promote your thesis/practicum by adding its MSpace URL to your CV and your home page.

Faster and wider accessibility

Your thesis/practicum will be processed quickly and will be accessible from MSpace, Google, Google Scholar, the UM Libraries’ catalogue, and elsewhere. 

URLs and accompanying files (including multimedia files)

You can add URLs with active links within your e-thesis. You can also add audio or video or other accompanying files to MSpace as separate files.

Lower costs and less paper

You save money and trees by providing everyone with the MSpace URL to your thesis/ practicum.

Before you submit your thesis or practicum

Please review these points to ensure you are prepared to submit your thesis or practicum. 

Log in to MSpace

You log in to MSpace using your UMNetID user name and password.

Prepare your thesis/practicum PDF

• You must submit the electronic version of your thesis (”e-thesis”) in portable document format (PDF). 
• Convert your electronic thesis into a single unsecured (not password protected) PDF file with fonts embedded. The PDF file must remain unsecured for full text indexing and processing. For help, please see the Libraries’ Depositing Help page .
• Name the PDF file as your last and first name.  For example: doe_jane.pdf
• Remove signatures and personal information. Make sure your thesis does not contain any personal contact information (e.g., addresses, email addresses, and/or telephone numbers).
• Any signatures on scanned letters or forms should be removed before sending your thesis to the printer (if stipulated in your program’s supplementary regulations) and submitting to MSpace.

Information to have on hand

Before posting your thesis, please review  What you need before you deposit  

Submitting additional files

Please review What you can deposit .

Submit an electronic thesis

• Submit one electronic copy of your thesis or practicum according to the instructions on the MSpace website. Ensure there are no missing pages in your document. Submit additional files separately.
• You will be asked to agree to the MSpace license before your submission can be completed.

Submit to the Faculty of Graduate Studies:

• Master’s students: The original Thesis/Practicum Final Report form. This is signed by your examining committee after you have successfully defended and/or completed your thesis and practicum revisions.
• PhD students: The Faculty of Graduate Studies provides the Chair Report Form and the Final Approval of the Ph.D. Thesis Form to the Chair of the Ph.D. oral examination. These forms must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the Chair and Advisor/Co-Advisor, respectively, following the oral examination.

Other Requirements:

• The Thesis Release form – this is a copyright license declaration form that you must complete in MSpace when you submit your thesis
• A copy of the Ethical Review Board approval letter (if applicable) received from the Research Ethics Board and any other pertinent access approval forms (if applicable).

It is your responsibility to provide copies of your thesis or practicum to your department if required in the supplementary regulations for your program.

Please see  Expectations and obligations in a deposit for more information.

Delay before your thesis appears on MSpace

After you post your e-thesis, it goes into the MSpace submission pool, and the status will appear as “Awaiting Editor’s Approval”. Your e-thesis will appear in MSpace after a Graduate Studies staff member has reviewed and accepted it.

For help and information about submitting electronic theses, please see Depositing help & FAQ .

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Writing and submitting your doctoral thesis

Doctoral thesis format .

By reading and analysing theses by other researchers in your department or institution, you can get an idea of the format expected of you.

Writing your doctoral thesis

The prospect of sitting down to write your thesis can be intimidating. Your supervisor should support you by reading drafts, providing feedback and helping you to judge appropriate style and level. You can expect them to read your whole thesis, probably more than once, but make sure to get someone else to proofread it as your supervisor is most likely to be concentrating on the technical detail.

This section offers specific advice and tips on the process of writing a thesis.

• Getting started and analysing a thesis
• Writing as you go
• Structuring your thesis
• Knowing when it is finished .

For more practical tips and advice read for example Patrick Dunleavy's Authoring a PhD and Rowena Murray's How to write a thesis , and check for any courses on thesis writing that your institution may run.

Submitting your thesis

Your institution will have specific regulations governing the format of your thesis, including word limits and formatting. There will be stipulations on how many copies you need to submit and how they need to be bound. Make sure you know what these are in advance and before submitting check again that your thesis adheres to the required guidelines.

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Submit, deposit and share your doctoral thesis (dissertation)

• Publish an Open Access journal
• ISBN registration

Your doctoral thesis

Are you about to finish your PhD at Maastricht University ? Then you are required, by article 22 of the “ Regulations for obtaining the doctoral degree at Maastricht University ” [PDF], to send a digital copy of your doctoral thesis to the Maastricht University Library. You must do this at the latest three weeks before the date of the degree ceremony.

Submit in two steps

Submit your doctoral thesis in two steps.

Follow steps one and two to submit, deposit and publish the e-version of your doctoral thesis. Optional steps are requesting a DOI or an ISBN for your work.

Step 1 - Statement of approval and embargo

• Before submitting your doctoral thesis, please download the statement of approval [PDF] and fill in what applies to your doctoral dissertation.
• When signed you can upload this file together with your doctoral thesis in the submission form (step 2).
• For more information about publisher’s policies for unpublished articles, see our Copyright Information Point .

Step 2 - Submit your doctoral thesis

Please use this link to send us the individual files of your dissertation .

If the link does not work on your device, please send an email to [email protected] and attach the following documents:

• The thesis [PDF]
• The propositions (PDF file)
• The summary (PDF file)
• The cover (JPG image file)
• The signed Statement of Approval (see Step 1)

Optional: request a DOI to include in the hard-copy

When the date of your defence is set, we will prepare a DOI (Digital Object Identifier, a unique and persistent link to your work) for registration which will refer to your doctoral thesis on the Research Information portal . We will register and activate this DOI after you submit a digital copy of your doctoral thesis.

If you want to include your DOI in the hard copy of your dissertation, we can send it to you before printing. Please send your request to [email protected] after your defence date has been set.

From a scholarly communication point of view, you should use your DOI in your communication and online to link to your dissertation instead of sending files. This will add to your visibility and reputation.

Optional: request an ISBN for your dissertation

Before finalising your PhD thesis, you can ask the library to register an ISBN . There are no costs involved.

More information

Worldwide dissemination

The repository team will archive and publish your dissertation online via Maastricht University | MUMC+ Research Information and share the metadata via Netherlands Research Portal  and OAlster (international open-access index). Google Scholar, Unpaywall and ORCID also index the UM Research Information portal.

Research Data Storage

See the Publishing and Archiving guide via the UM Research Data Management portal to find more information about storing your research data.

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Permanent URI for this collection

The theses in UWSpace are publicly accessible unless restricted due to publication or patent pending.

This collection includes a subset of theses submitted by graduates of the University of Waterloo as a partial requirement of a degree program at the Master's or PhD level. It includes all electronically submitted theses. (Electronic submission was optional from 1996 through 2006. Electronic submission became the default submission format in October 2006.)

This collection also includes a subset of UW theses that were scanned through the Theses Canada program. (The subset includes UW PhD theses from 1998 - 2002.)

Recent Submissions

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