master's thesis guidelines

Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines

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

General Information

Manuscript preparation.

• NEW: Dissertation Template
• Approved LATEX Template for Dissertations

Submission Requirements

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

You may use a multi-part presentation format for combining original research that has been conducted in two or more related or non-related areas, or for presentation of combined journal articles (published or submitted for publication). You should organize the parts or articles into chapters, with well-defined subheadings, including an introduction, methods, results and discussion. Each chapter may contain its own list of references and appendices, or you may list them all at the end, depending on the custom of your discipline.

When using this format, the thesis or dissertation should nonetheless consist of an integrated argument that binds the chapters together. You should include the appropriate preliminary pages, an introduction presenting the general theme of the research, and a conclusion summarizing and integrating the major findings. Any additional appendices related to the dissertation as a whole or any general references from the introduction, conclusion or transitional sections should come at the end of the dissertation.

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

In order to include your own previously published or co-authored material in your thesis or dissertation, you must comply with the following:

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

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

Inclusion of Third-Party Content

If you are including content in your dissertation not authored or created by you, consider copyright issues. If your use of the content would exceed fair use under the Copyright Act, then you will need to seek the copyright holder’s permission in order to use the material. Obtaining copyright permissions often takes time and should not be left until the last minute.

You should discuss questions about copyrighted material with your dissertation advisor or contact the VU Librarian for Copyright and Scholarly Communications at  [email protected]  for help evaluating fair use or obtaining permissions.

Your thesis or dissertation is automatically protected by copyright as soon as it is fixed in a tangible form, such as being saved as an electronic file.  Although not required, it is good practice to include the copyright symbol, your name, and the year on the title page of your work (© 2017 by [your name]).

You also may choose to register your copyright, which will gain you additional protections in case of litigation for copyright infringement. You can file a copyright registration online directly with the  U.S. Copyright Office  for a fee of $45.00.

You will be asked to agree to the license to deposit your submission to the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository.  The Library, with the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository, enhances the metadata provided with your dissertation and adds your record to discovery tools like the Library Catalog and WorldCat, making it easily findable for scholars worldwide. The library also maintains the technical infrastructure of the repository.  If you plan to make your dissertation open access, we can assist you in understanding the options for licensing. If your dissertation makes use of copyrighted content, you will want to think early on about whether you may rely on fair use or need to acquire licenses. We will be glad to meet with you to discuss the requirements of your particular project.

PhD students also have the option to request deposit of your submission with ProQuest, at no additional cost to you. If you elect to deposit your submission with ProQuest, you must also agree to the ProQuest license. This agreement is entirely between you and ProQuest.  Vanderbilt’s sole responsibility is to pass on the license agreement and your work to ProQuest.  Please contact ProQuest Dissertation Publishing, at 1(800) 521-0600 or  [email protected]  with any questions.

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

If, after consultation with your advisor, you would like to request a temporary embargo, you can elect from the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Title Page (required)
• Copyright (optional)
• Dedication (optional)
• Acknowledgments/Acknowledgment of Support (optional)
• Table of Contents (required)
• List of Tables (required)
• List of Figures (required)
• List of Abbreviations/Nomenclature/Symbols (optional)
• Introduction (may be referred to as Chapter 1)

Body of Manuscript

• References  (required)
• Appendices  (optional)

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

The acknowledgment is another optional portion of the academic manuscript. It is appropriately used to thank those people and organizations that have helped or encouraged the author in the process of obtaining the degree or otherwise making the graduate degree possible: advisers, the committee, labmates or members of one’s cohort, family, friends, etc. Typically, an acknowledgment is no more than 1 page in length.

Acknowledgment of grant/contract or other financial support may be included on the acknowledgment page. Similarly, permission to reprint copyrighted material may be included here.

The acknowledgment, if any, is considered to be the sole work of the author and does not reflect endorsement of the views and opinions expressed therein by Vanderbilt University, the Graduate School, or the members of the faculty committee.

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

NEW: Abstract sample

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Words and Sentences

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

Headings and Subheadings

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

Acronyms/Abbreviations/Capitalization

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

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

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

View the Checklist for Graduation

The Vanderbilt Libraries have recently implemented  VIREO , an Electronic Thesis & Dissertation review and submission system for the Graduate School. The Graduate School requires electronic submission of all theses and dissertations through this new platform. Format reviews now occur within the VIREO submission process. If you have questions or would like an in-person format review,  contact administrators .

Students will use their VUnet ID and password to log in and begin completing the appropriate information, as outlined below.

Verify Your Information

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

 License & Publication Agreements

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

 Document Information

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

Upload Your Files

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

Confirm and Submit

• Students will receive a confirmation email once submitted

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

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

Intent to Graduate OR Intra-term Application

Please note all students must submit either an Intent to Graduate form or an Intra-Term Application. Students planning to graduate at the end of the fall, spring, or summer term should submit the Intent to Graduate form through YES. Students planning to graduate on one of the  intra-term dates  should instead complete the Intra-Term Application and submit as an administrative file in their VIREO profile.

Format Review

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

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

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

Completion of Master's Degree Form

Form must be completed and signed by the advisor and the DGS, then submitted securely by the program.

Please note all students must submit either an Intent to Graduate form or an Intra-Term Application. Students planning to graduate at the end of the fall, spring, or summer term should submit the Intent to Graduate form through YES. Students planning to graduate on one of the  intra-term dates  should instead complete the Intra-Term Application and submit as an administrative file in their VIREO profile.

Defense Results

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

Title Page (+ Extra Copy)

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

Upload your signed abstract as an administrative file in VIREO.

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

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

Curriculum Vitae

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

Graduate School

Master’s thesis guidelines.

• Academics & Research
• Rules & Regulations

A master’s student with a thesis requirement will submit the file through Brown's  electronic theses and dissertation (ETD) system . The system is designed to collect and archive the thesis or dissertation as a text-based PDF file. An electronic file submitted through the ETD will appear in the Library's  discovery service  and in the Brown  digital repository .

Web Searches and Unrestricted Downloads

In the spirit of the dissemination of new knowledge that is a hallmark of higher education, a thesis or dissertation will be subject to web searches and unrestricted downloads unless the student requests to opt out of the system and have the thesis or dissertation unavailable for download outside of the Brown community. A request to restrict download access to a thesis or dissertation has an initial two-year window from the time of degree conferral. Guidelines associated with restricted dissertation access are:

• The full text version will be available for download only to members of the Brown community.
• Web searches including the citation and abstract of restricted theses or dissertations will continue to be available to the general public.
• After two years the restriction will elapse.
• Restrictions on full text download may be renewed for two-year periods up to a total of ten years from the date of degree conferral. Requests for additional two-year restrictions should be made to the Graduate School.
• Any requests to extend the restriction beyond ten years must go to the Graduate Council for approval.
• In cases where the thesis or dissertation is a co-worked piece and there is disagreement between the student and the advisor over whether the material will or will not be available for download outside of the Brown community, the dispute will be brought before the Graduate Council for resolution.

To use the ETD system, the student must possess a valid username and password for accessing Brown’s computer network. If you are unable to create an account in the system, please contact  [email protected]  for assistance.

Graduate students are eligible to have degrees conferred, and to receive their diploma, at three different times over the course of the academic year. 

For students who complete their degree requirements the preceding summer term. The Application to Graduate opens on July 1, 2024 and closes on September 6, 2024. Degrees are conferred on October 20, 2024.

For students who complete their requirements the preceding fall term. The Application to Graduate opens on October 1, 2024 and closes on January 10, 2025. Degrees are conferred on February 9, 2025.

For students who complete their requirements over the preceding spring term. The dissertation deadline is May 1, 2024.  Please note, the Application to Graduate deadline is April 19, 2024.

The master's thesis and all of the associated forms and documents related to the completion of the degree must be submitted to the Graduate School by the deadlines listed above. 

Registration

If a student registers for Semester I and completes all of the requirements for the degree during that semester, a fee for Semester II will not be charged.

View Sample Title Page

The Signature Page

As part of the overall completion process, the student must separately submit one signature page, which may be sent electronically to  [email protected] . The signature page should bear the signature of the director (not the graduate representative or chairperson). The typed name of the director should appear under the signature line. Electronic signatures are acceptable. An unsigned copy of the signature page should be uploaded to the  ETD system .

View Sample Signature Page

Every effort should be made to have the manuscript as perfect as possible in form and appearance. Pages containing handwritten corrections, typewritten strikeovers and unsightly erasures and the like will not be accepted. Good references for editorial details are the  MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations  (Modern Language Association), Kate Turabian's  A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations  (University of Chicago Press), and  The Chicago Manual of Style  (University of Chicago Press). The department should also be consulted regarding its policies or preferences in matters of format and style.

If publication of the thesis is anticipated, the medium of publication likely to be used should be considered when preparing the manuscript. If it is known in advance that the thesis will be published by a particular publisher or journal, the editorial practices of that publisher or journal should be followed. The form of footnotes and bibliography, in particular, may vary with different publishers and journals.

Type and Spacing Standard

Typefaces set to print at 10-, 11-, or 12-point font are acceptable. Typing or printing should be double-spaced, except for footnotes (single-space footnotes, with double spacing to separate one note from the next).

Page Numbers

Be consistent. Either put all page numbers (both Roman and Arabic) at the top of the page, or put all page numbers (both Roman and Arabic) at the bottom of the page. 

Most theses consist of preliminary pages which are numbered using Roman numerals, and the thesis proper, which is numbered using Arabic numerals.

The preliminary pages must appear in the following order:

• Title page (do not number)
• Signature page (ii)
• Vita* (iii)
• Preface and acknowledgments (iv)
• Table of contents (v)
• List of tables vi List of illustrations (vii)

Should any element of the preliminary pages be longer than one page, number the pages consecutively. The preliminary pages should appear in this order but not necessarily with the page numbers shown above.

The thesis proper (including introduction, main body of the text, illustrations, appendices, and bibliography) is numbered using Arabic numerals. The numbering begins with 1 and runs consecutively to the end.

* The vita is an optional statement giving a short biography of the candidate, including  institutions attended, degrees and honors, titles of publications, teaching or professional experience, and other pertinent information. Do not include date or location of birth or phone numbers.

Dating the Thesis

Because degrees are conferred three times a year, the title page should include the date that the degree is conferred.

The Abstract

If it is appropriate for the thesis to be accompanied by an abstract, it should, in a concise manner, present the problem of the dissertation, discuss the materials and procedure or methods used, and state the results or conclusions. Mathematical formulas, diagrams, and other illustrative materials should be avoided. The abstract should not be part of the thesis itself nor should it be included in the table of contents. It should be headed as follows:

Abstract of (TITLE OF THESIS), by (AUTHOR'S NAME), Degree [A.M., or ScM.], Brown University, May (YEAR IN WHICH DEGREE IS TO BE AWARDED).

The abstract should be prepared carefully since it will be published without editing or revision. The abstract should be double-spaced and may not exceed 350 words (maximum 2,450 characters — including spaces and punctuation — about 70 characters per line with a maximum of 35 lines).

Submission of Final Thesis

When the thesis is submitted electronically to the Graduate School, it must be in final form. It may not be revised in any way after it is presented.  See the list of required items below and note that some, where noted, may be sent electronically to the Graduate School’s Academic Affairs Manager, Barbara Bennett. The thesis will not be accepted and the student’s degree will not be conferred if any item from this list is missing or incomplete. The online submission system will send notifications when each document has been received and approved by the Graduate School.

• One copy of the title page, which may be sent electronically.
• One signed signature page, which may be sent electronically to to  [email protected] .

Digital Supplementary Material

Students interested in depositing digital supplementary materials along with their thesis are welcome to contact the Library for assistance. Please contact: Andrew Creamer in the Library at  [email protected] .

Publishing the Master's Thesis

It is University policy that all research done at the University under its sponsorship must be freely published without restriction. Since 1954, the Graduate School has required that dissertations be published. In 1985, the Graduate Council reaffirmed that decision and approved the following policy:

"All Ph.D. dissertations and Master's theses will be open documents. The Graduate Council will not recommend the awarding of the Ph.D. or Master's degree until the dissertation or thesis is submitted to the Graduate School and accorded unlimited distribution status."

Exceptions to this requirement will be made only if there is a letter from a publisher stating that the dissertation will be published within one year after the degree is awarded and that requests that circulation of the dissertation be withheld for twelve months after the degree is conferred. Six months will be allowed for the clearing of a patent.

If you have a question about temporarily removing your dissertation from the  Library's digital repository , please contact [email protected] .

The Diploma

The Office of the Registrar's Application to Graduate provides the degree candidate with an opportunity to indicate how the diploma name should appear. Otherwise, the name that will appear on the diploma and in the Commencement program, and under which the Library will catalog the dissertation, is the name under which the candidate is officially registered. Any request for a change of registered name should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar and accompanied by supporting legal documentation, such as a court order, marriage license, passport, driver’s license, or social security card. 

Certificate of Completion

If all academic requirements for the degree and all financial obligations have been met before May 1, the Office of the Registrar will issue a certificate of completion within three weeks of the candidate's request.

If you have any questions regarding the submission of your thesis, please contact  Barbara Bennett  in the Graduate School at (401) 863-2843.

Thesis & Dissertation: Guidelines for Masters and PhD Programs

General guidelines for formatting dissertation or thesis.

In formatting your dissertation or thesis, you must follow the guidelines for page composition presented on the following requirements. General guidelines are shown first; specific guidelines relative to each section of your dissertation or thesis follow.

Pagination for Body of Dissertation or Thesis

• Use continuous Arabic numbers (beginning with 1) inthe same size font as the text for the body of the dissertation or thesis.
• Page numbers are placed at the bottom of the page,centered between the margins. There should always be at least a 24-point space between the page number and the text.
• Chapters within the text begin on new pages.
• There are no format requirements for chapter headings. You should use a format that is standard in your field and be consistent for all chapters.
•  There should be no page breaks between sections or before tables or figures, unless they occur naturally. (Exception: If the bibliography is placed at the end of each chapter, a page break needs to be placed at the end of the text and the bibliography started on the next page. The page number stays at the bottom of the page.)
• In a dissertation or thesis with two volumes, the second must continue the numbering of the first part. Each volume must contain a title page (labelled beneath the title with the words “Volume I” or “Volume II”), and the title page of the second volume is counted as a text page but the numeral is not printed on the page.

Pagination for Preliminary Pages

• Preliminary pages are numbered consecutively, usinglowercase Roman numerals in the same size font as the text, centered between the margins, at least 0.5 inch from the bottom of the page.
• Page numbering starts with the biographical sketch,which is numbered as “iii.” (The title page and copyright page are counted but not numbered; the abstract is neither counted nor numbered.) Every preliminary page thereafter is numbered, including multiple pages within a section.

Exact margins are absolutely essential so that the dissertation or thesis can be microfilmed in its entirety for interlibrary loan. After photocopying, margins must be at least:

• Left margin: 1.5 inches or slightly larger.
• Top, bottom, right margins: 1 inch or slightly larger.

(Hint: It is recommended that you set margins at 1.6 inches for the left margin and 1.1 inches for all other margins, since photocopying may enlarge the text by as much as 2 percent.) These margins apply to all pages, including those with tables and figures.

Justification

• Left-aligned, ragged right margins are preferred.
• If you are using a computer or word processor, usejustified margins only if the computer does this well, i.e., does not separate punctuation from characters or leave large gaps in the text.

The dissertation or thesis must contain correct vertical spacing (or 24-point spacing), which is defined as three lines of type and three line spaces per vertical inch throughout the text. Microsoft Word users: go to Format/Paragraph/Indents and Spacing/Line spacing and choose “Exactly.” Set the points at 24. (To check that the font is three lines per inch, place a ruler vertically on the page and measure from the top of the first line to the top of the fourth line.) Exceptions:

• Quotations and footnotes may be single-spaced within each entry.
• Lengthy tables may be single-spaced.
• In an M.F.A. thesis, irregular spacing is permitted to accommodate poetry, some of which is written single-spaced, some triple-spaced, and some with variable spacing.

The Body of the Dissertation or Thesis

• Appendix (or Appendices) (optional)

Bibliography (or References or Works Cited)

• If using a PC, the following fonts and font sizes are acceptable:
• Times New Roman 12
• Helvetica 12
• Times 14 (Times 12 is not acceptable)
• Other fonts may be acceptable (but Courier is not).Check the font with the Thesis Advisor.
• Footnotes may be single-spaced in a 10-point size but must be in the same font as the rest of the text.

Equations, Formulas, and Sub- and Superscripts

• All equations and formulas should be typeset.
• When a computer, word processor, or typewriter cannot make the symbol, insertions by hand are acceptable.
• Equations also may be inserted from a non-matching typewriter or laser-printer font.
• All subscripts and superscripts must be large enough to be read on microfilm. (To ensure readability on microfilm, test a page with sub- or superscripts by photocopying the page using a 25 percent text reduction. If the sub- or superscripts are still readable, then they are large enough.)

Corrections

Strikeovers, correction fluid, and correction tape are not acceptable in the filed copies.

Widows and Headings Separated from Text

•  A dissertation or thesis will not be accepted if it contains “widows” (short lines ending a paragraph at the top of a page) at the end of a chapter.
•  A dissertation or thesis will not be accepted if it contains a heading or subhead at the bottom of a page that is separate from its respective text on the following page.
• In addition to the general formatting guidelines shown above, the following specific guidelines must be followed for each individual section of your dissertation or thesis.

Required Sections, Guidelines, and Suggestions

Required yes.

Typeset the title in all capital letters, centered within the left and right margins, correctly spaced, about 1.5 inches from the top of the page. • Carefully select words for the title of the dissertation or thesis to represent the subject content as accurately as possible. Words in the title are important access points to researchers who may use keyword searches to identify works in various subject areas. • Use word substitutes for formulas, symbols, superscripts, Greek letters, etc. Below the title, at the vertical and horizontal center of the margins, correctly spaced, position the following five lines (all centered): Line 1: A Dissertation [or Thesis] Line 2: Presented to the Faculty of the Weill Cornell Graduate School Line 3: of Medical Sciences Line 4: in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Line 5: Doctor of Philosophy [or other appropriate degree] • Center the following three lines within the margins, 1.5 inches from the bottom of the page: Line 1: by Line 2: [name under which you are registered in the University Registrar’s Office] Line 3: [month and year of degree conferral, not the date the dissertation or thesis is submitted; no comma between month and year]

Copyright page

A notice of copyright should appear as the sole item on the page (there is no page heading), centered vertically and horizontally within the margins: © 201_ [student’s registered name] • The copyright symbol is a lower case “c,” which must be circled. (On Macintosh computers, the symbol is typed by pressing the “option” and “g” keys simultaneously. If the font does not have the © symbol, type the “c” and circle it by hand. On PCs, go to the insert menu, choose “symbol,” and highlight the © symbol.)

Required ? Yes

Doctoral candidates.

The heading of the abstract in a dissertation is centered between the left and right margins about 1.1 inches down from the top of the page; it includes the following lines: TITLE OF DISSERTATION Student’s Name, Ph.D. Cornell University 201_ [year of conferral]

• Following the heading lines, skip one 24-point-spaced line and begin the text of the abstract on the same page.
• The abstract should state the problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results or conclusions of the research.
• The abstract must not exceed 350 words in length (generally about one-and-one-half correctly spaced pages; the abstract may not be more than two pages).

Master’s candidates

• The page heading of the abstract in a thesis is simply the word “ABSTRACT” in all capital letters, centered within the margins at the top of the page. (The thesis abstract does not display the thesis title, author’s name, degree, university, or date of degree conferral.)
•  The abstract must not exceed 600 words in length (approximately two-and-one-half to three pages of correctly spaced typing).

Biographical Sketch

The biographical sketch must be written in third-person voice and contain your educational background. It may contain additional biographical facts.

• As a page heading, use “BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
•  Number this page as iii. (This is the first numbered preliminary page.)

Dedication 

Required optional.

No title is used on the page.

• The text is centered on the page and can be shown in italic or regular type.
• Text on this page does not need to be in English

Acknowledgments

• The acknowledgments may be written in first-person voice. If your research has been funded by outside grants, you should check with the principal investigator of the grant regarding proper acknowledgment of the funding source. Most outside funding sources require some statement of acknowledgment of the support; some also require a disclaimer from responsibility for the results.
• As a page heading, use “ACKNOWLEDGMENTS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Table of Contents

As a page heading, use “TABLE OF CONTENTS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

• List the sections/chapters of the body of the dissertation or thesis; also list preliminary sections starting with the biographical sketch. (The title page, copyright page, and abstract are not listed.)
• If the dissertation or thesis consists of two volumes, list “Volume II” as a section in the table of contents.
• Page numbers must be listed in a column to the right of each section or chapter title; only the first page of each chapter or section is stated (not a range of page numbers, such as 7–22).
• The table of contents may be single-spaced.

List of Figures and List of Illustrations

Required if included.

As a page heading, use “LIST OF FIGURES” or "LIST OF ILLUSTRACTIONS" in all capital letters, centered on the page.

• The list must contain enough of the titles or descriptions so that readers can locate particular items using the list. (It may not be necessary to include entire figure/illustration captions.)
• The list must contain the page number on which each figure or illustration is found, as in a table of contents.
• The list of figures/ illustrations may be single-spaced.
• Figures/ illustrations must be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or they may be placed directly into the text. If a figure is placed directly into the text, text may appear above or below the figure/illustration/table; no text may wrap around the figure/illustration/table.
• If a figure/illustration appears on a page without other text, it must be centered vertically within the margins on the page.
• Figures/ Illustrations may not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation or thesis.
• Figure/illustration must be either continuous throughout the dissertation or thesis, or by chapter (e.g., 1.1, 1.2; 2.1, 2.2, etc.). The word “Figure,”  "Illustration" must be spelled out (not abbreviated), and the first letter must be capitalized.
• A caption for a figure/illustration must be placed at the bottom of the figure.
•  If the figure/illustration not including the caption, takes up the entire page, the figure/illustration caption must be placed alone on the preceding page and centered vertically and horizontally within the margins. (When the caption is on a separate page, the List of Figures, List of Illustrations  will list the page number containing the caption.)
• If the figure/illustration not including the caption, takes up more than two pages it must be preceded by a page consisting of the caption only. The first page of the figure/illustration must include the figure/illustration (no caption), and the second and subsequent pages of the figure/illustration/table must also include, at the top of the figure/illustration/table, words that indicate its continuance—for example, “Figure 5 (Continued)”—and on these pages the caption is omitted.
• If figures/illustrations are too large, they may be slightly reduced so as to render a satisfactory product or they must either be split into several pages or be redone. If a figure/illustration is reduced, all lettering must be clear, readable, and large enough to be legible. All lettering, including subscripts, must still be readable when reduced 25 percent beyond the final version. All page margin requirements must be maintained. Page numbers and headings must not be reduced. Figure/illustration captions must be in the same font and font size as the text, not reduced.
• The caption of a figure may be single-spaced, but then captions for all figures/illustrations/tables must be single-spaced.
• Horizontal figures/ illustrations must be positioned correctly—i.e., the top of the figure/illustration will be at the left margin of the vertical page of the dissertation or thesis (remember: pages are bound on the left margin). Figure/illustration headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the figure/illustration when they are on the same page as the figure/illustration. When they are on a separate page, headings/captions are always placed in vertical orientation, regardless of the orientation of the figure/ illustration.
• Page numbers are always placed as if the figure/illustration was vertical on the page.

List of Tables

• As a page heading, use ““LIST OF TABLES” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
• There must be separate pages for “LIST OF TABLES” even if there is only one example of each.
• The list must contain enough of the titles or descriptions so that readers can locate particular items using the list. (It may not be necessary to include entire table captions.)
• The list must contain the page number on which each  table is found, as in a table of contents.
• The list of tables may be single-spaced.
• Tables must be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or they may be placed directly into the text. If a table is placed directly into the text, text may appear above or below the figure/illustration/table; no text may wrap around the figure/illustration/table.
• If a table appears on a page without other text, it must be centered vertically within the margins on the page.
• Tables may not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation or thesis.
• Table numbering must be either continuous throughout the dissertation or thesis, or by chapter (e.g., 1.1, 1.2; 2.1, 2.2, etc.). The word “Table” must be spelled out (not abbreviated), and the first letter must be capitalized.
•  A caption for a table must be placed above the table.
• If the table, not including the caption, takes up the entire page, the table caption must be placed alone on the preceding page and centered vertically and horizontally within the margins. (When the caption is on a separate page, the List of Tables will list the page number containing the caption.)
• If the table, not including the caption, takes up more than two pages it must be preceded by a page consisting of the caption only. The first page of the table must include the table (no caption), and the second and subsequent pages of the table must also include, at the top of the table, words that indicate its continuance—for example, “Figure 5 (Continued)”—and on these pages the caption is omitted.
• If tables are too large, they may be slightly reduced so as to render a satisfactory product or they must either be split into several pages or be redone. If a table is reduced, all lettering must be clear, readable, and large enough to be legible. All lettering, including subscripts, must still be readable when reduced 25 percent beyond the final version. All page margin requirements must be maintained. Page numbers and headings must not be reduced.
• Table captions must be in the same font and font size as the text, not reduced.
• The caption of a figure/illustration/table may be single-spaced, but then captions for all figures/illustrations/tables must be single-spaced.
•  Horizontal tables must be positioned correctly—i.e., the top of the table will be at the left margin of the vertical page of the dissertation or thesis (remember: pages are bound on the left margin). Table headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the table when they are on the same page as the table. When they are on a separate page, headings/captions are always placed in vertical orientation, regardless of the orientation of the table.

List of Abbreviations

•  As a page heading, use “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

List of Symbols

•  As a page heading, use “LIST OF SYMBOLS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
• As a page heading, use “PREFACE” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Body of the Dissertation or Thesis: Text, Appendix, Bibliography

•  Chapter headings may be included that conform to the standard of your academic field.
• Textual notes that provide supplementary information, opinions, explanations, or suggestions that are not part of the text must appear at the bottom of the page as footnotes. Lengthy footnotes may be continued on the next page. Placement of footnotes at the bottom of the page ensures that they will appear as close as possible in the microfilm to the referenced passage.
•  Footnotes may be single-spaced in a 10-point size but must be in the same font as the text.
• Footnotes should be numbered with superscripted Arabic numerals. Numbering can be continuous throughout the dissertation or thesis or may start again for each chapter or page, but the method used must be consistent throughout the document. (Once footnotes have been numbered, any footnotes that are inserted later will require the renumbering of all footnotes to accommodate the newly inserted one. Amending the existing footnote numbers by adding letters to distinguish repeated Arabic numerals—for example, 12a, 12b—is not allowed.)

Published Material.

• If the material in any chapter has already been published or accepted for publication, written permission from the publisher authorizing the student to use it in the dissertation must be submitted.
• On the first page of all published chapters, type an asterisk (*) next to the title(s). The asterisk should appear again at the bottom of the page, followed by a complete reference to the publication.

Appendix (or Appendices)

•  As a page heading, use “APPENDIX” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
•  Place in an appendix any material that is peripheral but relevant to the main text of the dissertation or thesis, such as survey instruments, additional data, computer printouts, details of a procedure or analysis, a relevant paper that you wrote, etc.
•  The appendix may include text that does not meet the general font and spacing requirements of the other sections of the dissertation or thesis.
• As a page heading, use “BIBLIOGRAPHY” (or “REFERENCES” or “WORKS CITED”) in all capital letters, centered on the page.
•  Bibliographies may be single-spaced within each entry but must be 24-point-spaced between entries.
• The Graduate School recommends that you follow the standard citation format used by a major journal in your academic field and that the style be consistent throughout the dissertation or thesis. (Also see “References for Style and Format.”)

For more information please read the Graduate Degree Requirements: Instructions for Doctoral Dissertation and Thesis Preparation:

Fair Use, Copyright, Patent, and Publishing Options

1. Is information that you plan to include from others considered “fair use” and are you acknowledging these sources correctly?

You are responsible for acknowledging any facts, ideas, or materials of others that you include in your work. You must follow the guidelines for acknowledging the work of others in the “Code of Academic Integrity and Acknowledging the Work of Others” (published in the Policy Notebook for the Cornell Community).

If you use any copyrighted material in the dissertation or thesis, it is your responsibility to give full credit to the author and publisher of work quoted. The acknowledgment should be placed in a footnote at the bottom of the first page of the paper or chapter. Additionally, you must determine whether use of the material can be classified as a “fair use” by performing an analysis of your use of each copyrighted item. Please access the Copyright sources at Weill Cornell Library here. These resources are helpful tools for performing this analysis. (See also, Copyright Law and the Doctoral Dissertation: Guidelines to Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities , published by ProQuest, or The Chicago Manual of Style, published by the University of Chicago Press.)

If your use of material is not considered a “fair use,” you must obtain written permission from the copyright owner. Two copies of each permission letter must be submitted with the dissertation or thesis. ProQuest has specific requirements for the content of the permission letter. For these guidelines, consult the ProQuest Doctoral Dissertation Agreement form (published by ProQuest).

If you have already published or had accepted for publication part of your own dissertation or thesis material in a journal, depending on the terms of your publication agreement, it may be necessary to write to that journal and obtain written authorization to use the material in your dissertation.

2. Embargo of online copies

The value of your dissertation extends well beyond your graduation requirements. It’s important that you make an informed decision about providing online access, via ProQuest and eCommons, to your work. This decision can expand the visibility and impact of your work, but it can also shape the options available to you for publishing subsequent works based on your dissertation.

ProQuest’s ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database indexes almost all dissertations published in the U.S. and provides subscription access online to the full text of more recent dissertations. ProQuest also sells print copies of dissertations, paying royalties to authors, when they exceed a minimum threshold. Authors retain copyright in the works they submit to ProQuest.

eCommons is a service of the Cornell University Library that provides long-term, online access to Cornell-related content of enduring value. Electronic theses and dissertations deposited in eCommons, unless subject to embargo, are freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection. When submitting to eCommons, you retain copyright in your work. Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses submitted to ProQuest are automatically submitted to eCommons, subject to the same embargo you select for ProQuest.

Electronic copies of dissertations in PQDT or eCommons may be made accessible immediately upon submission or after an embargo period of six months, one year, or two years. You may wish to consider an embargo period which helps address publishers’ interests in being the first to publish scholarly books or articles, while also ensuring that scholarship is accessible to the general public within a reasonable period of time. Your decision should be made in consultation with your special committee.

3. Creative Commons license

Creative Commons licenses provide authors with a straightforward and standardized means of prospectively granting certain permissions to potential users of the author’s material. Authors may request proper attribution, permit copying and the creation of derivative works, request that others share derivative works under the same terms and allow or disallow commercial uses. Authors may even choose to place their works directly into the public domain. You will have the option of selecting a Creative Commons license when you upload your dissertation or thesis to ProQuest, and your choice will automatically be applied to the copy of your work in eCommons.

4. Has a patent application been filed (or will one be) on the basis of your thesis or dissertation research?

Cornell University Policy 1.5 governs inventions and related property rights and MSK’s Policy on Intellectual Property . Inventions made by faculty, staff, and students must be disclosed to the Center for Technology Licensing at Cornell University (CTL). Theses and dissertations describing patentable research should be withheld from publication, in order to avoid premature public disclosure. Use the delayed release (embargo) option if a patent application is or will be in process, noting the reason for the delay as “patent pending.” If you have any questions, please contact Cornell’s Center for Technology Licensing at 607-254-4698 or [email protected] .

5. Register for copyright?

Copyright law involves many complex issues that are relevant to you as a graduate student, both in protecting your own work and in referencing the work of others. Discussion of copyright in this publication is not meant to substitute for the legal advice of qualified attorneys. A more detailed discussion of copyright law can be found in the publication from ProQuest entitled Copyright Law and the Doctoral Dissertation: Guidelines to Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities by Kenneth D. Crews.

Copyright protection automatically exists from the time the work is created in fixed form and the copyright immediately becomes the property of the author. Registration with the United States Copyright Office is not required to secure copyright; rather it is a legal formality to place on public record the basic facts of a particular copyright. Although not a condition of copyright protection itself, registering the copyright is ordinarily necessary before any infringement suits can be filed in court.

To register a copyright for your dissertation or thesis, register online or download printable forms . You may also request forms by mail from the Information Section, U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20559, or contact them by telephone at 202-707-3000.

Doctoral candidates: You may authorize ProQuest to file, on your behalf, an application for copyright registration. This option will be presented to you as part of the submission process.

6. Supplementary materials

If supplementary materials (audio, video, datasets, etc., up to 2GB per file) are part of your thesis or dissertation, you may submit them as supplementary files during the online submission process. For help selecting long-lived file formats, note ProQuest’s guidance in their document, “Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission (Including Supplemental Files).” File formats for which ProQuest does not guarantee migration may still have a high likelihood of preservation in Cornell’s digital repository; please see the eCommons help page for further guidance.

Do not embed media files in the PDF version of your thesis or dissertation, as this can significantly increase the size of the file and make it difficult to download and access. Include a description of each supplementary file in the abstract of your thesis or dissertation. You may include an additional supplementary file containing more detailed information about the supplementary materials as a “readme” file or other form of documentation; this is particularly advisable for data sets or code. The Research Data Management Service Group ( [email protected] ) offers assistance in preparing and documenting data sets for online distribution.

7. Make your work discoverable on search engines?

ProQuest offers authors the option of making their graduate work discoverable through major search engines including Yahoo, Google, Google Scholar, and Google Books. If you chose the Search Engine option on their dissertation “paper” publishing agreement or within ProQuest’s PROQUEST ETD Administrator (electronic submission service), you can expect to have your work appear in the major search engines.

If you change your mind and do not want your work to be made available through search engines, you can contact customer service at [email protected] or 800-521-0600 ext. 77020. In addition, if you did not initially adopt this option but now want your works made available through this service, contact the customer service group to change your selection. Please note that search engines index content in eCommons, regardless of the choice you make for ProQuest.

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Formatting Guidelines For Theses, Dissertations, and DMA Documents

Guidelines for Formatting Theses, Dissertations, and DMA Documents is intended to help graduate students present the results of their research in the form of a scholarly document.

Before beginning to write a master’s thesis, PhD dissertation, or DMA document, students should read the relevant sections of the  Graduate School Handbook, section 7.8  for dissertations and/ or  section 6.4  for master’s theses.

Candidates for advanced degrees should also confer with their advisors and members of their graduate studies committees to learn about any special departmental requirements for preparing graduate degree documents.

Members of the graduation services staff at the Graduate School are available to provide information and to review document drafts at any stage of the planning or writing process. While graduation services is responsible for certifying that theses and/or dissertations have been prepared in accordance with Graduate School guidelines, the student bears the ultimate responsibility for meeting these requirements and resolving any related technical and/or software issues . Graduation services will not accept documents if required items are missing or extend deadlines because of miscommunication between the student and the advisor.

Accessibility Features

As of Spring, 2023, all theses and dissertations will need to incorporate the following accessibility features to align with the university’s accessibility policy.  When you submit your final document to OhioLINK you will be verifying that accessibility features have been applied.

• PDF file includes full text
• PDF accessibility permission flag is checked
• Text language of the PDF is specified
• PDF includes a title

Features and Other Notes

Some features are required, and some are optional. Each component is identified with a major heading unless otherwise noted. The major heading must be centered with a one-inch top margin. 

Sample Pages and Templates

Templates are available for use in formatting dissertations, theses, and DMA documents. Please read all instructions before beginning. 

• Graduate Dissertations and Theses Templates - OSU Login Required

FRONTISPIECE (OPTIONAL)

If used, no heading is included on this page.

TITLE PAGE (REQUIRED)

The title page should include:

• the use of title case is recommended
• dissertation, DMA. document, or thesis
• Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree [insert the applicable degree such as Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Science, etc.] in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University
• Name of the candidate 
• Initials of previous earned degrees
• insert correct name from program directory
• Year of graduation
•  Dissertation, document, or thesis [select applicable title] committee and committee member names

COPYRIGHT PAGE (REQUIRED)

Notice of copyright is centered in the following format on the page immediately after the title page. This page is not identified with a page number.

Copyright by John James Doe 2017

ABSTRACT (REQUIRED)

The heading Abstract is centered without punctuation at least one inch from the top of the page. The actual abstract begins four spaces below the heading. See sample pages.

DEDICATION (OPTIONAL)

If used, the dedication must be brief and centered on the page.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

(OPTIONAL, BUT STRONGLY RECOMMENDED)

Either spelling of the word, acknowledgments or acknowledgments, is acceptable. The acknowledgment is a record of the author’s indebtedness and includes notice of permission to use previously copyrighted materials that appear extensively in the text. The heading Acknowledgments is centered without punctuation at least one inch from the top of the page.

VITA (REQUIRED)

Begin the page with the heading Vita, centered, without punctuation, and at least one inch from the top of the page. There are three sections to the vita: biographical information (required), publications (if applicable), and fields of study (required).

There is no subheading used for the biographical information section. In this section, include education and work related to the degree being received.

Use leader dots between the information and dates. The publication section follows. The subheading Publications should be centered and in title case. List only those items published in a book or journal. If there are none, omit the Publication subheading. The final section of the vita is Fields of Study, which is required. Center the subheading and use title case. Two lines below the Fields of Study subheading, place the following statement: Major Field: [insert only the name of your Graduate Program as it reads on the title page] flush left. Any specialization you would like to include is optional and is placed flush left on the lines below Major Field.

TABLE OF CONTENTS (REQUIRED)

The heading Table of Contents (title case preferred) appears without punctuation centered at least one inch from the top of the page. The listing of contents begins at the left margin four spaces below the heading. The titles of all parts, sections, chapter numbers, and chapters are listed and must

be worded exactly as they appear in the body of the document. The table of contents must include any appendices and their titles, if applicable. Use leader dots between the listed items and their page numbers.

LISTS OF ILLUSTRATIONS (REQUIRED IF APPLICABLE)

Lists of illustrations are required if the document contains illustrations. The headings List of Tables , List of Figures , or other appropriate illustration designations (title case preferred) appear centered without punctuation at least one inch from the top of the page. The listing begins at the left margin four spaces below the heading. Illustrations should be identified by the same numbers and captions in their respective lists as they have been assigned in the document itself. Use leader dots between the listed items and their page numbers. See sample pages .

BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES (REQUIRED)

Include a complete bibliography or reference section at the end of the document, before the appendix, even if you have included references at the end of each chapter. You may decide how this section should be titled. The terms References or Bibliography are the most commonly chosen titles. The heading must be centered and at least one inch from the top of the page.

Include this heading in the table of contents.

APPENDICES (REQUIRED IF APPLICABLE)

An appendix, or appendices, must be placed after the bibliography. The heading Appendix (title case preferred) centered at least one inch from the top of the page. Appendices are identified with letters and titles. For example: Appendix A: Data. Include all appendix headers and titles in the table of contents.

Other Notes

Candidates are free to select a style suitable to their discipline as long as it complies with the format and content guidelines given in this publication. Where a style manual conflicts with Graduate School guidelines, the Graduate School guidelines take precedence. Once chosen, the style must remain consistent throughout the document.

Top, bottom, left, and right page margins should all be set at one inch. (Keep in mind that the left margin is the binding edge, so if you want to have a bound copy produced for your personal use, it is recommended that the left margin be 1.5 inches.)

It is recommended that any pages with a major header, such as document title, chapter/major section titles, preliminary page divisions, abstract, appendices, and references at the end of the document be set with a 2-inch top margin for aesthetic purposes and to help the reader identify that a new major section is beginning.

The selected font should be 10 to 12 point and be readable. The font should be consistent throughout the document. Captions, endnotes, footnotes, and long quotations may be slightly smaller than text font, as long as the font is readable.

Double spacing is preferred, but 1.5 spacing (1.5 × the type size) is acceptable for long documents. Single spacing is recommended for bibliography entries, long quotations, long endnotes or footnotes, and long captions. Double spacing between each bibliography entry is recommended.

Each major division of the document, including appendices, must have a title. Titles must be centered and have at least a one inch top margin. The use of title case is recommended. If chapters are being used, they should be numbered and titled. For example: Chapter 1: Introduction. Appendices are identified with letters and titles. For example: Appendix A: Data.

PAGE NUMBERS

Every page must have a page number except the title page and the copyright page. If a frontispiece is included before the title page, it is neither counted nor numbered. The page numbers are centered at the bottom center of the page above the one inch margin. Note: You may need to set the footer margin to 1-inch and the body bottom margin to 1.3 or 1.5- inches to place the page number accurately.

Preliminary pages (abstract, dedication, acknowledgments, vita, table of contents, and the lists of illustrations, figures, etc.) are numbered with small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.). Page numbering begins with the first page of the abstract, and this can be either page i or ii (The title page is technically page i, but the number is not shown on the page).

Arabic numerals are used for the remainder of the document, including the text and the reference material. These pages are numbered consecutively beginning with 1 and continue through the end of the document.

Notation practices differ widely among publications in the sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. Candidates should confer with their advisors regarding accepted practice in their individual disciplines. That advice should be coupled with careful reference to appropriate general style manuals.

• Arabic numerals should be used to indicate a note in the text. 
• Notes may be numbered in one of two ways: either consecutively throughout the entire manuscript or consecutively within each chapter.
• Notes can be placed at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or at the end of a chapter or document (endnotes). Once chosen, the notation style must be consistent throughout the document.
• Notes about information within tables should be placed directly below the table to which they apply, not at the bottom of the page along with notes to the text.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Tables, figures, charts, graphs, photos, etc..

Some documents include several types of illustrations. In such cases, it is necessary that each type of illustration (table, figure, chart, etc.) be identified with a different numbering series (Table 1, Table 2, and so on, or Chart 1, Chart 2, and so on). For each series, include a list with captions and page numbers in the preliminary pages (for example, List of Tables, List of Charts, etc.). These lists must be identified with major headings that are centered and placed at the two-inch margin.

Each illustration must be identified with a caption that includes the type of illustration, the number, and a descriptive title (for example, Map 1: Ohio). Numbering may be sequential throughout the document (including the appendix, if applicable) or based on the decimal system (corresponding to the chapter number, such as Map 2.3: Columbus). When using decimal numbering in an appendix, the illustration is given a letter that corresponds with the appendix letter (for example, Figure A.1: Voter Data). Captions can be placed either above or below the illustration, but be consistent with the format throughout the document. If a landscape orientation of the illustration is used, make sure to also orient the illustration number and caption accordingly. The top of the illustration should be placed on the left (binding) edge of the page.

If an illustration is too large to ft on one page it is recommended that you identify the respective pages as being part of one illustration. Using a “continued” notation is one method. For example, the phrase continued is placed under the illustration on the bottom right hand side of the first page. On the following pages, include the illustration type, number, and the word continued at the top left margin; for example, Map 2: Continued. Whatever method you choose just make sure to be consistent. The caption for the illustration should be on the first page, but this does not need repeated on subsequent pages.

If an illustration is placed on a page with text, between the text and the top and/or bottom of the illustration, there must be three single spaced lines or two double spaced lines of blank space. The same spacing rule applies if there are multiple illustrations on the same page. The top/bottom of the illustration includes the caption.

All final Ph.D. dissertations, DMA. documents, and master’s theses are submitted to the Graduate School through OhioLINK at https://etdadmin. ohiolink.edu. The document must be saved in PDF embedded font format (PDF/A) before beginning the upload at OhioLINK. During the submission process, OhioLINK will require an abstract separate from your document. This abstract has a 500-word limit. You will get a confirmation from OhioLINK that the submission is complete. The submission then goes to the Graduate School for review. After it is reviewed by staff of the Graduate School, you will receive an email that it has been accepted or that changes need to be made. If changes are required, you will need to re-submit the revised document via an amended OhioLINK submission. You will receive an “accepted” email from the Graduate School once the document has been approved.

THESIS OR DISSERTATION IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The Graduate School has no policy specifically permitting graduate degree documents to be written in a foreign language. The practice is allowed as long as it is approved by the student’s advisor and Graduate Studies Committee. Documents in a foreign language must comply with the following requirements:

• The title page must be in English, but the title itself may be in the same language as the document.
• If the title is in a language using other than Roman characters, it must be transliterated into Roman character equivalents.
• The abstract must be in English.
• The academic unit must notify the Graduate School of dissertations in a foreign language so that an appropriate graduate faculty representative can be found to participate in the final oral examination

Dissertation 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. 

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.

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

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• What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.

Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .

Thesis template

You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.

Download Word template Download Google Docs template

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Table of contents

Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.

You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.

• A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay , and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay .
• A thesis is a long-form piece of academic writing, often taking more than a full semester to complete. It is generally a degree requirement for Master’s programs, and is also sometimes required to complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts colleges.
• In the US, a dissertation is generally written as a final step toward obtaining a PhD.
• In other countries (particularly the UK), a dissertation is generally written at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

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The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

• Your discipline
• Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section ,  results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .

Thesis examples

We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.

• Example thesis #1:   “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.
• Example thesis #2: “’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.

The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:

• Your full title
• Your full name
• Your department
• Your institution and degree program
• Your submission date.

Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.

Read more about title pages

The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family. You can also choose to write a preface , but it’s typically one or the other, not both.

Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.

Read more about abstracts

A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your document.

Your table of contents should include all the major parts of your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the the appendices. If you used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic table Microsoft Word.

Read more about tables of contents

While not mandatory, if you used a lot of tables and/or figures, it’s nice to include a list of them to help guide your reader. It’s also easy to generate one of these in Word: just use the “Insert Caption” feature.

Read more about lists of figures and tables

If you have used a lot of industry- or field-specific abbreviations in your thesis, you should include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations . This way, your readers can easily look up any meanings they aren’t familiar with.

Read more about lists of abbreviations

Relatedly, if you find yourself using a lot of very specialized or field-specific terms that may not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary . Alphabetize the terms you want to include with a brief definition.

Read more about glossaries

An introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis, as well as expectations for your reader. This should:

• Ground your research topic , sharing any background information your reader may need
• Define the scope of your work
• Introduce any existing research on your topic, situating your work within a broader problem or debate
• State your research question(s)
• Outline (briefly) how the remainder of your work will proceed

In other words, your introduction should clearly and concisely show your reader the “what, why, and how” of your research.

Read more about introductions

A literature review helps you gain a robust understanding of any extant academic work on your topic, encompassing:

• Selecting relevant sources
• Determining the credibility of your sources
• Critically evaluating each of your sources
• Drawing connections between sources, including any themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps

A literature review is not merely a summary of existing work. Rather, your literature review should ultimately lead to a clear justification for your own research, perhaps via:

• Addressing a gap in the literature
• Building on existing knowledge to draw new conclusions
• Exploring a new theoretical or methodological approach
• Introducing a new solution to an unresolved problem
• Definitively advocating for one side of a theoretical debate

Read more about literature reviews

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.

Read more about theoretical frameworks

Your methodology chapter shows your reader how you conducted your research. It should be written clearly and methodically, easily allowing your reader to critically assess the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, your methods section should convince your reader that your method was the best way to answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

• Your overall approach ( quantitative vs. qualitative )
• Your research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study )
• Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment
• Any tools or materials you used (e.g., computer software)
• The data analysis methods you chose (e.g., statistical analysis , discourse analysis )
• A strong, but not defensive justification of your methods

Read more about methodology sections

Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. These two sections work in tandem, but shouldn’t repeat each other. While your results section can include hypotheses or themes, don’t include any speculation or new arguments here.

Your results section should:

• State each (relevant) result with any (relevant) descriptive statistics (e.g., mean , standard deviation ) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics , p values )
• Explain how each result relates to the research question
• Determine whether the hypothesis was supported

Additional data (like raw numbers or interview transcripts ) can be included as an appendix . You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results.

Read more about results sections

Your discussion section is where you can interpret your results in detail. Did they meet your expectations? How well do they fit within the framework that you built? You can refer back to any relevant source material to situate your results within your field, but leave most of that analysis in your literature review.

For any unexpected results, offer explanations or alternative interpretations of your data.

Read more about discussion sections

Your thesis conclusion should concisely answer your main research question. It should leave your reader with an ultra-clear understanding of your central argument, and emphasize what your research specifically has contributed to your field.

Why does your research matter? What recommendations for future research do you have? Lastly, wrap up your work with any concluding remarks.

Read more about conclusions

In order to avoid plagiarism , don’t forget to include a full reference list at the end of your thesis, citing the sources that you used. Choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your thesis, taking note of the formatting requirements of each style.

Which style you choose is often set by your department or your field, but common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA.

Create APA citations Create MLA citations

In order to stay clear and concise, your thesis should include the most essential information needed to answer your research question. However, chances are you have many contributing documents, like interview transcripts or survey questions . These can be added as appendices , to save space in the main body.

Read more about appendices

Once you’re done writing, the next part of your editing process begins. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and editing prior to submission. Nothing looks worse than grammar mistakes or sloppy spelling errors!

Consider using a professional thesis editing service or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect.

Once you’ve submitted your final product, it’s common practice to have a thesis defense, an oral component of your finished work. This is scheduled by your advisor or committee, and usually entails a presentation and Q&A session.

After your defense , your committee will meet to determine if you deserve any departmental honors or accolades. However, keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality. If there are any serious issues with your work, these should be resolved with your advisor way before a defense.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

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The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.

Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:

• Plan to attend graduate school soon
• Have a particular topic you’d like to study more in-depth
• Are considering a career in research
• Would like a capstone experience to tie up your academic experience

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Thesis and Dissertation Guide

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Please read this Thesis and Dissertation Guide (Guide) carefully before preparing your thesis or dissertation. Staff members in the Admissions and Enrolled Students area of The Graduate School are available to assist you in preparing and submitting your thesis or dissertation. You are encouraged to visit the Admissions and Enrolled Students Contacts website and contact Graduate School staff if you have questions about these guidelines.

This Guide is not meant to be an exhaustive manual. For specific questions of style, consult the most recent edition of the style manual used in your disciplinary field (e.g., Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations ; The MLA Style Manual ; or the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Manual ). When using a style manual, follow the specifications for published documents, but do not include typesetting notations often used when submitting manuscripts to a publisher. For assistance with style manuals, consult the following library resource site , or visit a campus library or the Writing Center .

Pay careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar in your thesis or dissertation, as your work will be available for others to access online. The Graduate School will not review your thesis or dissertation for proofreading and editing purposes. The Graduate School will check your thesis or dissertation for proper formatting only.

Please note that the work in your thesis or dissertation must be your own. Consult the Honor Code or the Graduate School Handbook if you have questions about plagiarism. See Section IV of this Guide for information on Copyright.

If there is a discrepancy in formatting between a style manual and this Guide, the regulations set forth in this Guide take precedence. Please do not use another thesis or dissertation as a model for your work since a particular style or example in a previous year may not meet current guidelines. Also, certain commonly used software packages may require format modifications in order to comply with current guidelines. It is your responsibility to ensure that your thesis or dissertation is formatted correctly before you submit it to The Graduate School.

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Master's Thesis Idea Development

The MA thesis requirement is a multi-step process that should ideally begin during the first year of the program. Students in their first year are therefore encouraged to start thinking about a thesis topic in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and other faculty members in the program as early as the spring of their first year. By the end of the spring semester of the first year, students should have a preliminary thesis topic that they will have discussed with the Director of Graduate Studies and with faculty members in the program. Before the end of their first year students will submit a short pre-prospectus plan for their summer and preliminary directions on the thesis. If the research involves working with human subjects, then it will need to be approved by the University Committee on Activities Involving Human Subjects (UCAIHS) prior to the beginning of the research process. IRB clearance is necessary for the completion of your thesis if you plan to conduct interviews, so please plan ahead and visit  here .

Second Year

In the fall of the second year, students are required to formalize their thesis topic by getting it approved by their thesis committee and by the Director of Graduate Studies. A thesis committee consists of a thesis advisor and of a second reader; it should be created in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. Once a thesis committee has been selected, students are required to write a thesis topic proposal in consultation with their thesis committee. The final proposal should be 3-5 pages in length and should include a preliminary bibliography. The proposal should clearly state your topic, delineate your research question(s), discuss the motivations behind your topic, and describe the material and the methodology that you will be relying on. See  Elements of a Thesis Proposal   for further guidance. Once your thesis proposal has been approved by both of your thesis committee members, you will need to submit a copy of your proposal as well as a signed copy of the  Masters Thesis Proposal Approval Form  to the Director of Graduate Studies by Dec. 5.  (electronic submission via individual student folder).

Thesis Research and Writing Process

Once a thesis topic has been approved, students should begin the research, reading, and writing process in consultation with their thesis committee. Students are highly encouraged to meet with their advisor prior to Winter break in order to agree on next steps. Students should plan on using the break to make significant headway on their reading and research. Ideally, students should meet with their committee members on a regular basis throughout the spring semester in order to obtain feedback on outlines and drafts, come up with deadlines, and discuss progress towards completion. Students are also encouraged to meet regularly and consult with the Director of Graduate Studies. For more information on the thesis process, tips on research and writing, and a detailed layout of the submission process, please read the Kevorkian Center MA Thesis Handbook.

The final draft of the thesis should be 35-50 pages long (50 pages is the absolute maximum); it should be divided into chapters and include proper citations and a bibliography. It should generally have the format and style of a substantial scholarly article in a Middle Eastern studies field. Joint Global Journalism and Near Eastern Studies students usually submit a long form journalistic piece as their thesis, and accordingly work closely with the Journalism faculty throughout this process. In addition, joint students usually have a primary advisor from the journalism school and a second reader from Near Eastern Studies. In either case, the final thesis must present the author’s own research and relate this to existing scholarly understanding of the topic or field.

Submitting Your Thesis 

The deadline for Final Thesis Submission with all the signatures and corrections is April 30 at 11:59 (EST). 

Given this, you likely want to circulate the final draft by April 15  to your reader and advisor so they have enough time to give constructive feedback and for you to then integrate those edits. This deadline is not flexible. Normally, students hand off a printed version at the Kevorkian Center, but we will keep you posted on the protocol and how signatures for reader and advisor will work. Please plan accordingly with your drafts, developing sections, seeking feedback, and working towards an early April goal for circulating that draft.

If one of your committee members is an outside faculty member who is not based at NYU, then they can scan and email the forms to Professor Jared McCormick  ( [email protected] ) with their signature and comments. You will also need to provide Professor McCormick with a copy of their CV.

USEFUL LINKS

• Masters Thesis Approval Form
• GSAS Master Thesis Reader Sheet
• Sample Thesis Title Page
• Grad Student How-To: Mastering the Thesis
• Time Management Tips

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Required sections, guidelines, and suggestions.

Beyond those noted on the Formatting Requirements page , the Graduate School has no additional formatting requirements. The following suggestions are based on best practices and historic requirements for dissertations and theses but are not requirements for submission of the thesis or dissertation. The Graduate School recommends that each dissertation or thesis conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field.

For both master’s and doctoral students, the same basic rules apply; however, differences exist in some limited areas, particularly in producing the abstract and filing the dissertation or thesis.

• Information in this guide that pertains specifically to doctoral candidates and dissertations is clearly marked with the term “ dissertation ” or “ doctoral candidates .”
• Information pertaining specifically to master’s candidates and theses is clearly marked with the term “ thesis ” or “ master’s candidates .”
• All other information pertains to both.

Examples of formatting suggestions for both the dissertation and thesis are available as downloadable templates .

Required? Yes.

Suggested numbering: Page included in overall document, but number not typed on page.

The following format for your title page is suggested, but not required.

• The title should be written using all capital letters, centered within the left and right margins, and spaced about 1.5 inches from the top of the page. (For an example, please see the template .)
• Carefully select words for the title of the dissertation or thesis to represent the subject content as accurately as possible. Words in the title are important access points to researchers who may use keyword searches to identify works in various subject areas.
• Use word substitutes for formulas, symbols, superscripts, Greek letters, etc.
• Below the title, at the vertical and horizontal center of the margins, place the following five lines (all centered):

Line 1: A Dissertation [or Thesis]

Line 2: Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School

Line 3: of Cornell University

Line 4: in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Line 5: Doctor of Philosophy [or other appropriate degree]

• Center the following three lines within the margins:

Line 2: Primary or Preferred Name [as registered with the University Registrar’s Office and displayed in Student Center]

Line 3: month and year of degree conferral [May, August, December; no comma between month and year]

Copyright Page

Suggested numbering: Page included in overall document, but number not typed on page

The following format for your copyright page is suggested, but not required.

• A notice of copyright should appear as the sole item on the page centered vertically and horizontally within the margins: © 20__ [Primary or Preferred Name [as registered with the University Registrar’s Office]. Please note that there is not usually a page heading on the copyright page.
• The copyright symbol is a lowercase “c,” which must be circled. (On Macs, the symbol is typed by pressing the “option” and “g” keys simultaneously. If the font does not have the © symbol, type the “c” and circle it by hand. On PCs, in the insert menu, choose “symbol,” and select the © symbol.)
• The date, which follows the copyright symbol, is the year of conferral of your degree.
• Your name follows the date.

Required?  Yes.

Suggested numbering: Page(s) not counted, not numbered

Abstract formats for the doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis differ greatly. The Graduate School recommends that you conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field.

Doctoral candidates:

• TITLE OF DISSERTATION
• Student’s Primary or Preferred Name, Ph.D. [as registered with the University Registrar’s Office]
• Cornell University 20__ [year of conferral]
• Following the heading lines, begin the text of the abstract on the same page.
• The abstract states the problem, describes the methods and procedures used, and gives the main results or conclusions of the research.
• The abstract usually does not exceed 350 words in length (about one-and-one-half correctly spaced pages—but not more than two pages).

Master’s candidate:

• In a thesis, the page heading is simply the word “ABSTRACT” in all capital letters and centered within the margins at the top of the page. (The thesis abstract does not display the thesis title, author’s name, degree, university, or date of degree conferral.)
• The abstract should state the problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results or conclusions.
• The abstract usually does not exceed 600 words in length, which is approximately two-and-one-half to three pages of correctly spaced typing.
• In M.F.A. theses, an abstract is not required.

Biographical Sketch

Suggested numbering: iii (may be more than one page)

• Type number(s) on page(s).

The following content and format are suggested:

• The biographical sketch is written in third-person voice and contains your educational background. Sometimes additional biographical facts are included.
• As a page heading, use “BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
• Number this page as iii.

Required? Optional.

Suggested numbering: iv (may be more than one page)

The dedication page is not required and can contain whatever text that you would like to include. Text on this page does not need to be in English.

Acknowledgements

Suggested numbering: v (may be more than one page)

The following content and format are suggested, not required.

• The acknowledgements may be written in first-person voice. If your research has been funded by outside grants, you should check with the principal investigator of the grant regarding proper acknowledgement of the funding source. Most outside funding sources require some statement of acknowledgement of the support; some also require a disclaimer from responsibility for the results.
• As a page heading, use “ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Table of Contents

Suggested numbering: vi (may be more than one page)

The following are suggestions.

• As a page heading, use “TABLE OF CONTENTS” in all capital letters and centered on the page.
• List the sections/chapters of the body of the dissertation or thesis. Also, list preliminary sections starting with the biographical sketch. (Title page, copyright page, and abstract are not listed.)
• For theses and dissertations, the conventional format for page numbers is in a column to the right of each section/chapter title. The first page of each chapter/section is stated with a single number. Table of contents usually do not include a range of page numbers, such as 7-22.
• The table of contents is often single-spaced.

Two-Volume Theses or Dissertations

If the dissertation or thesis consists of two volumes, it is recommended, but not required, that you list “Volume II” as a section in the table of contents.

List of Figures, Illustrations, and Tables

Suggested numbering: vii (may be more than one page)

• If included, type number(s) on page(s).

As described in the formatting requirements above, figures and tables should be consecutively numbered. The Graduate School recommends that you conform to the styles set by the leading academic journals in your field. The items below are formatting suggestions based on best practices or historic precedents.

Table of contents format:

• As a page heading, use “LIST OF FIGURES,” “LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,” or “LIST OF TABLES” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
• There should be separate pages for “LIST OF FIGURES,” “LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,” or “LIST OF TABLES” even if there is only one example of each.
• The list should contain enough of the titles or descriptions so readers can locate items using the list. (It may not be necessary to include entire figure/illustration/table captions.)
• The list should contain the page number on which each figure, illustration, or table is found, as in a table of contents.
• The list of figures/illustrations/tables may be single-spaced.

Page format:

• Figures/illustrations/tables should be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or placed directly into the text. If a figure/illustration/table is placed directly into the text, text may appear above or below the figure/illustration/table; no text may wrap around the figure/illustration/table.
• If a figure/illustration/table appears on a page without other text, it should be centered vertically within the page margins. Figures/illustrations/tables should not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation or thesis.
• Figure/illustration/table numbering should be either continuous throughout the dissertation or thesis, or by chapter (e.g. 1.1, 1.2; 2.1, 2.2, etc.). The word “Figure,” “Illustration,” or “Table” must be spelled out (not abbreviated), and the first letter must be capitalized.
• A caption for a figure/illustration should be placed at the bottom of the figure/illustration. However, a caption for a table must be placed above the table.
• If the figure/illustration/table, not including the caption, takes up the entire page, the figure/illustration/table caption should be placed alone on the preceding page and centered vertically and horizontally within the margins. (When the caption is on a separate page, the List of Figures or List of Illustrations or List of Tables can list the page number containing the caption.)
• If the figure/illustration/table, not including the caption, takes up more than two pages, it should be preceded by a page consisting of the caption only. The first page of the figure/illustration/table must include the figure/illustration/table (no caption), and the second and subsequent pages must also include, at the top of the figure/illustration/table, words that indicate its continuance—for example, “Figure 5 (Continued)”—and on these pages the caption is omitted.
• If figures/illustrations/tables are too large, they may be reduced slightly so as to render a satisfactory product or they must either be split into several pages or be redone. If a figure/illustration/table is reduced, all lettering must be clear, readable, and large enough to be legible. All lettering, including subscripts, must still be readable when reduced 25% beyond the final version. All page margin requirements must be maintained. Page numbers and headings must not be reduced.
• While there are no specific rules for the typographic format of figure/illustration/table captions, a consistent format should be used throughout the dissertation or thesis.
• The caption of a figure/illustration/table should be single-spaced, but then captions for all figures/illustrations/tables must be single-spaced.
• Horizontal figures/illustrations/tables should be positioned correctly—i.e., the top of the figure/illustration/table will be at the left margin of the vertical page of the dissertation or thesis (remember: pages are bound on the left margin). Figure/illustration/table headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the figure/illustration/table when they are on the same page as the figure/illustration/table. When they are on a separate page, headings and captions are always placed in vertical orientation, regardless of the orientation of the figure/illustration/table. Page numbers are always placed as if the figure/illustration/table was vertical on the page.

Photographs should be treated as illustrations. To be considered archival, photographs must be black-and-white. (If actual color photographs are necessary, they should be accompanied by black-and-white photographs of the same subject.) Color photos obtained digitally do not need to be accompanied by a black-and-white photograph. Make a high-resolution digital version of each photograph and insert it into your electronic document, following the guideline suggestions for positioning and margins.

Optional Elements

List of abbreviations.

As a page heading, use “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

List of Symbols

As a page heading, use “LIST OF SYMBOLS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Suggested numbering: xi (may be more than one page)

As a page heading, use “PREFACE” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Body of the Dissertation or Thesis: Text

Suggested numbering: Begin page number at 1

• Text (required)
• Appendix/Appendices (optional)
• Bibliography, References, or Works Cited (required)

Please note that smaller font size may be appropriate for footnotes or other material outside of the main text. The following suggestions are based on best practice or historic precedent, but are not required.

• Chapter headings may be included that conform to the standard of your academic field.
• Textual notes that provide supplementary information, opinions, explanations, or suggestions that are not part of the text must appear at the bottom of the page as footnotes. Lengthy footnotes may be continued on the next page. Placement of footnotes at the bottom of the page ensures they will appear as close as possible to the referenced passage.

Appendix (or Appendices)

An appendix (-ces) is not required for your thesis or dissertation. If you choose to include one, the following suggestions are based on best practice or historic precedent.

• As a page heading, use “APPENDIX” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
• Place in an appendix any material that is peripheral, but relevant, to the main text of the dissertation or thesis. Examples could include survey instruments, additional data, computer printouts, details of a procedure or analysis, a relevant paper that you wrote, etc.
• The appendix may include text that does not meet the general font and spacing requirements of the other sections of the dissertation or thesis.

Bibliography (or References or Works Cited)

A bibliography, references, or works cited is required for your thesis or dissertation. Please conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field.

• As a page heading, use “BIBLIOGRAPHY” (or “REFERENCES” or “WORKS CITED”) in all capital letters, centered on the page. The bibliography should always begin on a new page.
• Bibliographies may be single-spaced within each entry but should include 24 points of space between entries.

Suggested numbering: Continue page numbering from body

If you choose to include a glossary, best practices and historic precedent suggest using a page heading, use “GLOSSARY” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Suggested numbering: Continue page numbering from glossary

If you choose to include one, best practices and historic precedent suggest using a page heading, use “INDEX” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Font Samples

Sample macintosh fonts.

• Palatino 12
• Garamond 14
• New Century School Book
• Helvetica 12 or Helvetica 14
• Times New Roman 12
• Times 14 (Times 12 is not acceptable)
• Symbol 12 is acceptable for symbols

Sample TeX and LaTeX Fonts

• CMR 12 font
• Any font that meets the above specifications

Sample PC Fonts

• Helvetica 12

Academics | Candidacy & Defense

Thesis format guidelines.

After reviewing these guidelines, if doubt exists as to the correct format of the thesis, the candidate is encouraged to consult with the Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Office before the final copies are submitted.

Thesis Templates

Some of your colleagues have contributed thesis templates which you may find helpful as you begin your thesis writing. If you have developed a template that you would like to share, please let us know and we will add it to our library.

LaTeX Files Full Thesis Template

Fonts and Desktop Publishing

Features that should stand out in the thesis include the quality of the scholarship or research, the soundness of the logic, the originality of ideas, and the lucidity of the prose, but not the size of the headlines. The use of headers or chapter titles larger than 3/16" is discouraged and the use of excessive italics or bold print is discouraged.

Theses should generally be written in font 12. Possibilities include, but are not restricted to: Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial, Calibri. The font provided through LaTeX is acceptable. However, if LaTeX is used, be careful to ensure proper margins when producing the final copy.

Use 1.5 or double spaced text. Only footnotes, long quotations, bibliography entries (double space between entries), table captions, and similar special material may be single-spaced.

The thesis should be formatted to be printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper within your PDF. Students in the School of Architecture and the Shepherd School of Music may format their theses to a larger size.

We recommend a left margin of 1.5" and a top, bottom, and right margin of 1" if the thesis is to be bound. Page numbers do not need to meet the 1" margin requirement. If you do not follow the appropriate margin guidelines that are included here, you might lose content if your thesis is later bound. Some students may wish to extend their work beyond the margin requirement for aesthetic reasons; this is acceptable.

The title page is now signed via an AdobeSign document. This is sent to the student a couple of days before the student's thesis defense. The student may create a placeholder thesis title page for the rough draft of the thesis. A sample title page is available.

The degree must be shown as Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Music, or Master of Architecture.

The month shown on the title page should be the final copy submitted to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies OR the month in which the degree will be conferred (May, August or December). The month of the oral defense should not be shown unless the thesis is actually presented to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies during that month.

The titles (i.e., faculty rank) of committee members should be typed below the signature lines with their names and departments. For example, John Smith, Associate Professor of Biology. The word chair or director should appear after the faculty title as appropriate.

All signatures on the title page are collected via AdobeSign. Please make arrangements in advance if one or more of your committee members will be unavailable to sign. You may also review specific signature requirements .

Once the committee has signed the title page, you will separate the title page from the other documents and merge it into a single document with the PDF of your thesis. To complete your thesis, please follow the directions here and ensure that you complete the online thesis submission form .

An abstract is to be included with the thesis. Particular care should be taken in preparing the abstract since it will be published in Dissertation Abstracts or Master's Abstracts and the length is limited by the publisher. The abstract may not exceed 350 words for a doctorate or 150 words for a master's. In style, the abstract should be a miniature version of the thesis. It should be a summary of the results, conclusions or main arguments presented in the thesis.

The heading of the abstract must contain the word Abstract, and must show the title of the thesis and the writer's name as indicated here.

Hyperlinks are not to be used as a substitute for complete bibliographic citations.

Assembling the Thesis

Your thesis should be assembled as a PDF. In some cases a thesis might be created as multiple documents; these must be merged into a single document. The thesis must be assembled in this order:

• Copyright Notice (if applicable; for information on copyright, see the thesis FAQ page .)
• Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables, etc., if any
• Preface, if any
• Text (the first page of the text is the first Arabic-numbered page)
• Notes (unless they appear on pages of text or at end of chapters)
• Bibliography or list of references
• Appendices, if any, may follow 8, 9 or 10

Page Numbering

Page numbers should be placed in the upper right corner of the page. Only the number should appear, not "page 9" or the abbreviation "p. 9." On the first page of each chapter, the number may be placed at the center bottom, one double space below the last line of type (the conventional placement), or at the top right corner.

Page numbers should not be shown on the Title Page, the Abstract, or on the first page of the Acknowledgments, Table of Contents, List of Tables or the Preface. However, the following pages (e.g., the second and succeeding pages) of each of these sections should be numbered using Roman numerals. The count for these preliminary pages should start with the title page. For example, if the thesis has a two-page abstract, then the second page of the acknowledgments should be the first page showing a number, and it should be numbered with the Roman numeral v.

Pages of the text itself and of all items following the text (i.e. the notes and bibliography) should be numbered consecutively throughout in Arabic numbers, beginning with number 1 on the first page of the first chapter or introduction (but not preface). Please number every page to be bound, including pages on which only illustrations, drawings, tables, or captions appear. The page numbers do not need to meet the 1" margin requirements.

Please note that when a graph, map, etc. is oversized, there is a limit on how much of this can be handled by the archiving process with ProQuest/UMI. All figures should appear within the text at the point where reference to them is first made.

In presenting footnotes and bibliography, use a consistent form acceptable in your discipline, such as Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers (University of Chicago Press), the MLA Style Sheet, or Campbell's Form and Style (Houghton Mifflin). Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information (Information Today, Inc.) is helpful for noting electronic information. There are style guides for almost every discipline. Check with the library for further information.

Thesis Acknowledgements

Use this space to thank the funding and folks that contributed to your success in graduate school. Some view this as an informal section of the thesis, while others still consider this a piece within a formal document. You can thank people like your advisor(s), committee members, peers, friends, family, and even a special pet if you couldn't have done all the late nights without them! Be cautious to not reveal too much sensitive personal information that could be used in identity theft. Consider checking out these sites about acknowledgements: https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/acknowledgements/ and https://elc.polyu.edu.hk/FYP/html/ack.htm .

Extra Copies

You may also choose to bind copies of your thesis for personal use through a bindery.

Updated November 2023

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The resources in this section are designed to provide guidance for the first steps of the thesis or dissertation writing process. They offer tools to support the planning and managing of your project, including writing out your weekly schedule, outlining your goals, and organzing the various working elements of your project.

Weekly Goals Sheet (a.k.a. Life Map) [Word Doc]

This editable handout provides a place for you to fill in available time blocks on a weekly chart that will help you visualize the amount of time you have available to write. By using this chart, you will be able to work your writing goals into your schedule and put these goals into perspective with your day-to-day plans and responsibilities each week. This handout also contains a formula to help you determine the minimum number of pages you would need to write per day in order to complete your writing on time.

Setting a Production Schedule (Word Doc)

This editable handout can help you make sense of the various steps involved in the production of your thesis or dissertation and determine how long each step might take. A large part of this process involves (1) seeking out the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding specific document formatting requirements, (2) understanding research protocol limitations, (3) making note of deadlines, and (4) understanding your personal writing habits.

Creating a Roadmap (PDF)

Part of organizing your writing involves having a clear sense of how the different working parts relate to one another. Creating a roadmap for your dissertation early on can help you determine what the final document will include and how all the pieces are connected. This resource offers guidance on several approaches to creating a roadmap, including creating lists, maps, nut-shells, visuals, and different methods for outlining. It is important to remember that you can create more than one roadmap (or more than one type of roadmap) depending on how the different approaches discussed here meet your needs.

• Thesis and Projects Guidelines

Difference between a Thesis and Project

A thesis is a research paper–a traditional master’s thesis. “Research” includes the use of interviews, surveys, online sources, and archival collections as well as traditional book-based work.

If you wish to engage in creative, alternative work, that’s a project. Examples of projects include writing a memoir or biography, composing original music, and filming a documentary. Internships and community service work can also lend themselves well to MALS projects. Projects must include a research component relevant to the nature of the endeavor.

Both projects and theses involve extensive research.  However, for the project the research is the background for, or supplementary to, the creative or alternative activity that forms the bulk of the project.

Expected length for theses and projects is at least 50 pages of text, excluding the signature pages, bibliography, etc. The number of sources used in research depends on the topic.  Both length and number of sources should be agreed upon with your advisor and second reader.

Your Advisor and Second Reader

Finding an Advisor

​If you know whom you’d like to ask to serve as your advisor, you’re welcome to talk with that person directly.  Otherwise, the MALS director will help you to identify appropriate faculty. 

Thesis advisors must be full-time UD faculty; UD regulations do not permit adjunct or retired faculty to serve as thesis advisors.  If you would like to work with an adjunct or retired faculty member, please ask the MALS director about the possibility of appointing co-advisors, one of whom must be a full-time UD faculty member. 

When you know who your advisor will be , please let the MALS office know so that the appropriate designations can be made in UDSIS. This is important so that you can be graded properly for your thesis/project work.

Finding a Second Reader

Once you know who your advisor will be, work with that person to identify a second reader. Ideally, the second reader should be able to fill in areas of expertise that differ from those of the advisor.  As an example, a student who is writing about the effect of Saturday morning cartoons on the behavior of children might want to work with someone who specializes in mass communication and someone else who knows about child psychology.

If you need suggestions for a person to serve as second reader, please contact the director, who will help you identify an appropriate person.

The Role of Your Advisor and Second Reader

Your advisor helps you to define your topic and to refine your proposal.  He or she also provides suggestions, guidance, and feedback as needed.  Although there is no single model for student-advisor interaction, it is a good idea to touch base with the advisor periodically rather than doing a whole semester’s work before discussing it with the advisor.

In your last semester, you should submit your finished work to the advisor at least a month, and preferably six weeks, before the due date.  The advisor may require revisions before approving the work.  There is no hard-and-fast rule about whether the work goes first to the advisor and then to the second reader, or to both at the same time.  The advisor is solely responsible for assigning a grade to the work.

The second reader should offer advice, suggest sources, and provide other help in the areas of the work that fall within his or her expertise.  Like the advisor, the second reader must approve both the proposal and the finished work.  There is no hard-and-fast rule about whether the work goes first to the advisor and then to the second reader, or to both at the same time.  The second reader may and should require any revisions he/she deems necessary.  If differences of opinion arise between the advisor and second reader, those should be resolved by the two faculty members, not by the student.

Getting a Topic Approved

​Once you have established a relationship with an advisor, you will write a thesis or project  proposal . After being approved by both the thesis/project advisor and the second reader, the proposal should be sent to the MALS director as an e-mail attachment with copies to the advisor and second reader.  No hard-copy signatures are necessary.  The MALS director will forward it to the Faculty Advisory Committee, which normally responds within a week.  As soon as the proposal is approved, you are ready to start your work.

Students are encouraged to submit a thesis/project proposal during or shortly after their final MALS course.  If you take time to write the proposal during MALS869 or 879, you decrease your chances of finishing your work in the projected graduation term.

At the very latest, you must submit a proposal by the end of the seventh week of the first semester in which you register for MALS 869 or 879.

Click here for detailed instructions on submitting your proposal:  Proposal Guidelines Revised 12-2020.pdf

Registering for Thesis/Project Credit

Please contact the MALS office ( [email protected] ; 302-831-4130) to register for thesis or project credit.  We will insure that your advisor is designated as the instructor so that you can be appropriately graded for your work.

You must take a total of six credits of MALS869 (thesis) or MALS879 (project). The number of credits you take each semester is up to you. You are required to be registered for credits each fall and spring semester until you graduate. You may sign up for MALS869 or 879 in winter or summer if you wish to do so. The decision about how many credits to take each semester should be based on the amount of time you propose to devote to the thesis or project that semester. You should also bear in mind that the semester in which you graduate is not a full semester of work on the thesis or project even if you are registered for MALS869 or 879 at that time. The completed work is due in mid-November in the fall semester and in mid-April in the spring semester, which means that the final draft has to reach the thesis/project advisor at least a month before that. Please see current deadlines at  grad.udel.edu/policies/step-by-step-guide-to-graduation/#submission-dates .

Ideally, you should pace the credits of MALS869 or 879 to finish the credits and the work in the same semester. If that does not work out, you must register for sustaining credit each semester until you graduate, including the graduation semester itself. Requests for sustaining status should be sent to the MALS director, who will forward them to the Graduate College. 

Structure and Formatting of Your Thesis/Project

Your advisor will help you to select a style guide that is appropriate for the kind of work you are doing.  The most commonly used are the Modern Language Association Style Manual, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, and the Chicago Manual of Style.  This style guide will help you structure such things as footnotes and the Works Cited page.

For both a thesis and a project, you must acquire and use the  UD Thesis / Dissertation Styles  to set up the format for your paper. These styles will ensure that your document meets the standard formatting requirements.

Regardless of whether you are doing a thesis or a project, you should consult the UD Graduate College’s Thesis and Dissertation Manual, available at  https://grad.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/UD-Thesis-Manual-7-19.pdf .  

If you are doing a project rather than a thesis, check the sample title and signature pages. Your signature page should include lines for the signatures of the advisor and the MALS director only.​

For specific requirements for MALS  projects , please refer to  MALS Project Requirements.pdf

Grading Thesis or Project Credits

As you complete credits of MALS869 (thesis) or 879 (project), your advisor should assign a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.  These are temporary grades, and when you complete the work, they will be replaced by the regular letter grade the advisor assigns to the completed project or thesis.  

Including Interviews and Surveys

​Any form of research, including interviews and surveys, is acceptable in both theses and projects. If you propose to use interviews or surveys, it is necessary to get approval from the UD Human Subjects Review Board. More information is available  here .

Submitting Your Project or Thesis

Thesis 

Please consult the Graduate College’s  Thesis and Dissertation Manual for details.

As that manual indicates, theses are submitted online as a pdf file.

 You will need the signatures of your advisor, second reader, the MALS program director, the dean of the    College of Arts and Sciences and the Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education.

• First acquire the signatures of your advisor, the second reader and the MALS director.
• Then submit your thesis as a pdf to  [email protected] .
• Finally, the Graduate College arranges for the Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education to sign the approval pages.

Please submit a pdf of your thesis, including signature pages, to the MALS office for our records and so that we can provide models for the other students to consult. We will place your abstract on the MALS website.

When you have the final approved version of your thesis/dissertation by your committee,  s ubmit your thesis/dissertation to the ETD site    http://www.etdadmin.com/udel .

For a project, the only signatures required are the advisor, second reader and MALS program director. A sample  signature page  is available. The project does not need to be submitted to the dean’s Office or Graduate College.

Projects are due to the MALS office on the same day as theses are due to the Graduate College in a given semester. Students must submit a pdf of the project to the MALS office, including signature pages (for mixed media projects, the written portion thereof). The abstract of the project will be placed on the MALS website.

If a project has a non-print component, such as music or film, a copy should be submitted on CD, DVD, or whatever other format is appropriate.

Your deadlines for submission of your project or thesis are available at  http://grad.udel.edu/policies/step-by-step-guide-to-graduation/ .

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Thesis & Dissertation Preparation & Submission

Old Dominion University requires a dissertation from all doctoral candidates and a thesis from all thesis option master's candidates. The thesis/dissertation should be presented in a scholarly, well-integrated, properly documented manner, which reports the original work done by the student under the supervision of the advisory committee.

This Guide for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations has been authorized by the Graduate Administrators Council of Old Dominion University to assist graduate students and their committee members in the preparation of theses and dissertations. The primary purpose of this manual is to provide uniform standards regarding style and format while allowing enough flexibility to satisfy the acceptable practices of each academic discipline. The word "thesis" will be used in reference to general instructions equally applicable to all theses and dissertations. "Journal model" will be used in reference to general style instructions.

Presentation

The finished work must reflect a comprehensive understanding of the pertinent literature and express in clear and legible English the method, significance, and results of the student's research. Full documentation and appropriate tabular and/or graphic presentation are especially important. The completed manuscript should be no longer than is necessary to present all pertinent information. The length will vary widely according to research topic, academic discipline, and the degree sought.

The thesis should be presented as a single unit; continuity from chapter to chapter is important. Several studies or experiments may be presented in separate chapters or major sections. Continuity in the thesis is provided by common Abstract, Introduction, Conclusion, and Reference sections. Each study or experiment may have subdivisions such as Introduction, Materials and Methods, Discussion, and Summary. The thesis may have only one Abstract and one Reference section; a study or experiment cannot have a separate Abstract or Reference section.

Each graduate program maintains an approved list of journal styles and/or accepted style manuals. The style specifications for the thesis should be approved during the preparation of the research proposal, and the appropriate instructions should be cited in the graduate student's permanent file.

The journal will be followed for:

• placement of table titles
• placement of figure titles
• reference format

Whenever there are differences in format and layout between the specifications of this Guide for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations and the journal model, this guide overrules the journal. Consistency of style and form should be the rule throughout the manuscript. The thesis is not expected to duplicate a published journal in typographic arrangement and display. The more sophisticated publication and layout practices of some journals (such as the use of double columns on a text page, etc.) are not to be followed. A journal's "Instructions to Contributors" are not to be followed exactly when writing a thesis. These instructions are for the convenience of the editors and printers of a journal and do not necessarily apply to the format of a thesis.

Check with the graduate program director in your department for further style instructions.

Publication of Research

Graduate students may publish material that subsequently will be used as part of the thesis provided that the student's graduate committee is notified at the time the student submits the paper for publication. In addition, students should be aware of the agreement that is signed when a journal accepts an article for publication. At that time, the student assigns rights to the journal as publisher and the student may no longer possess rights. See Copyright section for more information.

Use of Other Sources

Copyright protection extends for a statutory period on creative, original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium. Since a thesis is legally classified as a literary work, care must be taken not to violate copyright laws. If the manuscript contains any material (figures, tables, text, etc.) taken from other sources, the student has the responsibility to determine if a license or a letter of permission from the copyright holder is needed. This is true even if the student is an author of the other source - - a letter of permission from the publisher may still be needed should the publisher own the copyright. Note: A work need not bear the copyright symbol in order to be protected under copyright law. If a letter is needed, it must be included in a separate appendix. In addition, an extra copy of the letter must be provided to the Office of the University Registrar.

Your thesis, being an original, written work, is automatically protected by copyright law even without a copyright notice or registration with the U.S. Copyright Office. Your document, once written, is automatically protected. Including the copyright notice and/or registering with the U.S. Copyright Office does add additional protections, however. Students who desire an additional layer of protection may register their work through ProQuest. If you wish ProQuest to act as your agent in securing additional copyright protection, you must indicate this when completing the ETD process and pay the copyright registration fee directly to ProQuest. Registration offers certain advantages to the copyright holder in the event of an infringement.

The copyright notice, if included, must be placed on a separate page immediately after the Abstract page. Refer to the sample pages in this manual for specific directions. A copyright notice should also appear on all other material included in the thesis (e.g., audio, video/film, other digital content). A thorough explanation of how copyright law applies to theses and dissertations is available in "Copyright and Your Dissertation or Thesis: Ownership, Fair Use, and Your Rights and Responsibilities," available from ProQuest  here .

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Procedures - Submission of Theses or Dissertations

The below content is organized in order for the standard process of submitting theses or dissertations. Please consult with the appropriate GPD for more specific procedures.

Initial Creation/Revisions

The student and committee ensure quality of content and correctness of form of the thesis. The student may be given ongoing evaluations by the committee, but final approval may be given only on the completed document. The student must apply for graduation prior to the semester of graduation and be enrolled in the University.

Submission to Thesis/Dissertation Committee

The finalized document must be submitted to the thesis or dissertation director a minimum of two weeks prior to the oral defense. If the director, committee, and graduate program director agree that the document is in acceptable form for presentation at an oral defense, announcements will be published and distributed.

Thesis/Dissertation Defense

Theses/dissertations must be defended in front of designated examining committees. The decision as to whether a student has passed or failed the examination rests with the committee, but it shall take into account the opinions of other participating faculty members. A majority of the committee, including a majority of those from the student's major department, must approve the thesis or dissertation. A unanimous decision is not necessary.

Committee Recommendations

Immediately following the examination, the chair of the committee shall communicate the results to the student. In some cases, further revision of the document may be required. The Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance form and the thesis or dissertation should be transmitted to the graduate program director for review and approval.

Begin ProQuest ETD Process

The student is advised to begin the ProQuest ETD (Electronic Thesis & Dissertation) process but should not upload the pdf version of the thesis/dissertation. The student may create the ProQuest account and familiarize her/himself with ProQuest publishing options and complete contact information and graduate work details sections.

Review by Dean's Office

The Dean's Office shall review the thesis/dissertation for compliance with this guide and return it for correction if necessary. The manuscript must be corrected and resubmitted as a new document, and the Dean's Office review process begins anew. All original submission deadlines must be met during the re-submission process in order to graduate that semester. The student should not submit the thesis/dissertation to ProQuest until it has been approved by the Dean's Office. Note: Graduation will be postponed if corrections are not made on time.

Finalize ETD Submission to ProQuest

The student must submit a final, error-free pdf version of the document to Proquest. Do not submit the pdf until all previous steps have been completed.

Department Submit Forms

The student's department must email the Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance and Processing form (M3 or D5) and the Result of the Master's/Doctoral Examination (M2 or D3) form to the ETD Manager ( [email protected] ). Forms emailed by students will not be accepted. Once forms have been submitted, the ETD Manager will approve and send the submitted thesis to ProQuest Dissertation Publishing, and the student will receive an email confirmation.

Please Note for Capstone and Paper Submissions: Do not submit your work to ProQuest unless it is an official thesis or dissertation. Capstone projects and paper submissions should be sent to  Karen Vaughan  for inclusion in the ODU Digital Commons. Contact your GPD with any questions.

Human Subjects Research and Research Involving Animals, Hazardous Chemicals, Biohazard Materials, Radioactive Materials.

Any proposal for research involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved according to the ODU Procedures for Review of Human Subjects Research. The process and approval must be cited in the text of the thesis.

All research involving human subjects, and certain human cultured cell lines, must conform to federal, state, and university policies providing for the protection of human subjects. While some forms of research may be classified by federal and state regulations as being exempt (i.e., survey research involving standard educational testing materials), all student research must first be reviewed and approved.

The student's thesis/dissertation director, acting as lead investigator, determines whether or not the project should qualify as exempt from Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. If the investigator believes it to be exempt and the study does not have a federal funding source, it can be submitted to the College Human Subjects Review Committee (HSRC) for review. If the College committee approves the project, the process stops there. If the College committee believes the project to be non-exempt, the project is forwarded to the IRB for review. The exception to this process is that federally funded exempt research needs to be reviewed by the IRB. These projects bypass college committees.

The student will receive an approval number that must be cited in the thesis or dissertation.

Any proposal for thesis or dissertation research involving vertebrate animal subjects, hazardous chemicals, biohazardous materials, or radioactive materials and/or radiation producing machines must be reviewed and approved according to the guidelines established by the appropriate committee. The process and approval must be cited in the text of the thesis or dissertation.

Guidelines Established By:

Additional questions regarding the review and approval processes outlined here should be directed to the University Research Compliance Officer. More information and appropriate forms can be found  here .

ETD (Electronic Thesis & Dissertation) Submission to ProQuest - General Specifications

All theses and dissertations must be submitted electronically to ProQuest. Fees for registering with the U.S. Copyright Office and ordering bound copies of the thesis or dissertation are payable directly to ProQuest. Click  here  to read through our ProQuest guide for submitting electronically.

Digitized Reproductions

Digitized reproductions of photographs or other materials are acceptable if there is enough resolution and contrast for viewing. The recommended minimum resolution for digitized images and/or photographs is 300dpi.

Tables & Figures

All figures and tables should be sharp black and white, clearly legible, and of professional quality. Hand-drawn material must be of publishable quality. If color is used for tables and figures, a consistent color scheme should be used. For example, tables should not differ drastically from one another in form, color, or general appearance.

Oversized Tables & Figures

Each table and figure in the text must have a unique title. If a figure or table is reduced in size, the title must remain normal size (10-12 point or 12-14 point). Ensure consistent formatting of table/figure titles - capitalization, placement, use of a period at the end.

Each table and figure in the text must have a unique number. Figures and tables are numbered consecutively throughout the text, and each table or figure must be mentioned by number in the text. When possible, first mention of each table or figure must be either within 1.5 pages before the table/figure or on the page immediately following the table/figure. Exceptions must be approved, in advance, by the Dean of the College.

The minimum font size within a table or figure is 10 point.

Tables and figures may be included on a page with text, or they may appear on separate pages. If a table or figure is placed on a page with other material, the table or figure should be separated from the text (or other materials) by a minimum of 2 double spaces (4 single spaces) at the top and bottom.

Placement of titles on tables and figures (above or below) is determined by the style format chosen as a model. If the table or figure is placed lengthwise (landscape position), the top of the table or figure must be at the left-hand, binding side of the page. The caption is placed in the same direction as the figure or table. The page number stays in regular (portrait) position.

Tables or figures longer than one page in length must have the complete title and number of the table/figure on the first page only. Subsequent pages have the table or figure number and the word "Continued" and necessary column headings for ease of reading. The end line of a table appears only on the last page of the table.

Captions or titles on a facing page are to be used only when absolutely necessary. Facing page captions may be used for figures only, never tables. This format applies only when the caption cannot be placed directly onto the page on which the figure appears. If a facing page caption is necessary, the facing page must face in the normal manner. The caption page comes first with only the page number on the front side of the page; (facing page is blank) the caption is placed on the back side of the page in the same direction as the figure. The facing page with the caption and the page with the figure are both numbered consecutively, with the page numbers in the standard position. The number of the page on which the figure itself appears is the only one recorded in the List of Figures.

Manuscript Details

The following tabs provide guidelines for proper manuscript details.

The entire thesis must be of uniform font or typeface. Do not attempt to replicate a journal's use of varying sizes and styles of typeface or font. Any standard bookface font may be used. The graduate program director will make the final decision regarding the legibility and acceptability of fonts. Acceptable printers will produce solid, unbroken lines of type. Consult with your graduate program director if there is doubt about the acceptability of a printed document.

Italics or boldface print (in the same point size as the text) may be used for major headings, subheadings and for emphasis. Underlining is an acceptable alternative to italics, but do not use underlining and bold together. Exceptions: tables, figures, and material in appendices may be in different fonts.

The thesis must be of uniform font size (10 point minimum - 12 point maximum).

Exceptions:

• Tables, figures, and appendix material can vary in point size.
• Major headings may be up to two point sizes larger than the text (maximum suggested size is 14 point). If this option is chosen, it must be used for all headings throughout the entire manuscript.
• Point size reduction may be made in narrative text footnotes, tables, figures and appendix material only. The minimum size for numbers and upper-case letters is 1.5 millimeters; symbols must be large enough to remain legible. The font of the preliminary pages, narrative text, endnotes, reference section, and vita may not be reduced.

Margins are 1.0" on all sides -- left side, right side, top, and bottom. All typing except page numbers must be within the area defined by the margins. Justified right-hand margins may be used in theses only with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Every page in the thesis except the Title/Approval Page and the Abstract must be numbered. Preliminary pages are numbered with lower-case Roman numerals beginning with the Title/Approval Page, understood to be i (no page number appears on this page), and the Abstract, understood to be ii (no page number appears on this page). The text and supplementary pages are numbered with Arabic numerals beginning with the first page of text (numbered 1). Every page following will have a page number. The Vita is the last numbered page.

Page numbers are placed in the upper right-hand corner of the page, one-half inch below the top edge of the paper and one inch from the right-hand edge.

Major Headings

All headings must be consistent regarding point size and the use of bold type. All major headings must be centered at the top of a new page in all capital letters. Point size may be the same size as the body text or up to 2 points larger: 12 point if text is 10 point or 14 point if text is 12 point.

The manuscript may be double-spaced or one and one-half spaced. Mixing of spacing in the text is unacceptable. Single spacing is used only for long, blocked, and inset quotations; footnotes; endnotes; and itemized or tabular material. For spacing of specialized pages (Table of Contents, List of Figures, etc.) see the sample pages included at the end of this guide.

Content Order

The first tab provides the list of contents in the proper order of presentation. The following tabs provide guidelines for each section.

Preliminary Pages (with Roman numeral page numbers)

All sections in italics are optional

• Title/Approval Page (no page number - understood to be i)
• Abstract (no page number - understood to be ii)
• Copyright Notice
• Acknowledgments
• Nomenclature
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables (if two or more tables appear in the text)
• List of Figures (if two or more figures appear in the text)
• List of Graphs (if two or more graphs appear in the text)
• List of Plates (if two or more plates appear in the text)

Text (with Arabic numeral page numbers)

• Introduction (as first chapter or section)
• Main body of text divided into various chapters or sections
• Summary or Conclusion (as last chapter or section)

References and Supplemental Sections

• Reference section
• Appendix material (i.e. copyrights)

The following general rules must be followed in the body of the document:

• Divide the body into chapters.
• Use Roman or Arabic numerals in chapter titles and any reference to chapters.
• Each text page needs at least 4.5 inches of text on it unless the page contains a table or a figure or the next text begins a new chapter or major section.
• Numbering of equations must be consecutive. No two equations may be numbered the same unless identical term for term.
• Do not use double columns in text.

Major Headings & Subheadings

The requirements for major headings and subheadings are as follows:

• Major headings in the text are bold if other major headings are bold. Boldface or italics may be used for subheadings.
• Each new chapter begins on a new page.
• The chapter designation (CHAPTER I) is upper-case and centered at the top of the page. The chapter title is also upper-case and centered at least one double-space (no more than two double-spaces) below chapter designation.
• Titles and subheadings more than one line in length must be double-spaced.
• There is no punctuation after a heading or subheading that is on a line by itself.
• Only major headings may be centered and in all capital letters. First level subheadings may be typed in all capital letters provided they are placed flush left.
• Spacing before/after headings and subheadings must be consistent throughout.
• The style used for subheadings must clearly show their various levels and must be consistent from chapter to chapter.
• Subheadings do not begin on a new page. Text continues within a chapter or section.
• A subheading at the bottom of a page must be followed by at least one line of text.

All theses and dissertations must include a references section. The requirements for the section are as follows:

• The title is the same heading used in the journal model (REFERENCES, WORKS CITED, BIBLIOGRAPHY). The heading is in all capital letters and bold if major headings are bold.
• The reference list must be consistent, accurate and complete.
• A journal article or accepted style guide approved by the graduate program director is used as a model for the reference list. Capitalization, punctuation and ordering (alphabetized, or alphabetized and numbered, or non alphabetized and numbered) of information must follow this model.
• The use of italics (or quotation marks) for book titles, journal names and article titles and the use of bold type must match the journal model.
• In an alphabetized list, the system of ordering multiple entries must be consistent.
• Citations should contain: volume number and page range for journal articles; publisher and city for books; city for universities, laboratories or corporations. Refer to the appropriate style manual for rules governing internet citations.
• Unpublished material must contain sufficient information for retrieval.
• Designation of state names (abbreviated or not) should be consistent.
• Single space within citations and between citations or use the spacing of text throughout the entire section.
• All references must be cited in the text and all textual citations must be referenced. All textual citations must be from sources the student has actually used.
• General references consulted and used as background study may be listed under a separate subdivision of the reference section. A subheading such as "Supplemental Sources Consulted" should be added at the end of the sources cited section. Follow the same style used in the reference section.

Appendices are used for supplementary material. The requirements for appendices are as follows: 

• Heading(s) is/are bold if major headings are in bold. 
• Appendix headings may either be on a separate cover sheet before appendix material or at the top of the first page of each appendix. Be consistent from appendix to appendix. 
• Appendix headings are centered. Appendix titles are centered, in all capital letters and appear at least one double space below heading. 
• Page numbering is continued from the last page of references. 
• All material must be within margins. 
• Tables and figures in appendices may be numbered consecutively following the text, or they may be numbered with an appendix designation. If numbered consecutively from the text, they must be included in the List of Tables or List of Figures 
• Material may be reduced but must conform to minimum size and legibility requirements. 
• Material may have mixed fonts and point sizes and may be single-spaced.  

The requirements for the vita section are as follows:

• The heading (VITA) is in bold if major headings are in bold.
• Wording of the student's name must agree with the name on the first three thesis pages.
• The vita should contain the address for department of study and a brief biographical sketch listing educational background (including background for all previous degrees: degree, major subject, university and date of graduation).
• Other information is optional but encouraged: professional experience, publications, business or academic information.
• Name of the word processor may be stated at the bottom of the page. (Example: The word processor for this thesis was Mary Jones.)
• The vita is limited to one page.
• Use either paragraph style with same spacing as text or resume style.

Dean's Office Checklist

Theses and dissertations submitted to the Dean's Office will be reviewed for acceptable execution of the following requirements:

General neatness and legibility.

Consistency in style and format.

Correspondence between titles and page numbers in the text and in the Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures.

Each major heading is centered, in all capital letters, and at the top of a new page.

Formatting and legibility of figures and tables should follow requirements in this guide.

Use only page numbers outside the margins.

Inclusion of a major introductory chapter or section and a major concluding chapter or section.

Quality of digitization or reproduction.

Title/Approval Page and Abstract must match the format of samples in this guide.

Journal model or style guide formatting for tables, figures and references.

Major headings and first level subheadings appear in the Table of Contents.

Consecutive numbering of tables and figures throughout the body of the thesis.

Documents should begin with the Title/Approval Page and end with the Vita.

Consistent subheading formatting throughout.

Visit our ProQuest guide page for how to submit your work electronically 

Check out these sample pages for guidance. .

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Princeton University Library

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

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• Conducting Research
• Services & Policies
• Theses & Dissertations
• Master's Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations: Submission Guidelines
• Senior Thesis Submission Information for Students
• Senior Thesis Submission Information for Academic Departments

The Princeton University Archives at the Mudd Manuscript Library is the repository for Ph.D. dissertations and Master’s theses. The Princeton University Archives partners with ProQuest to publish and distribute Princeton University dissertations beyond the campus community.

Below you will find instructions on the submission process and the formatting requirements for your Ph.D. dissertation or Master's thesis. If you have questions about this process, please use our Ask Us form  or visit the Mudd Manuscript Library during our open hours.

Ph.D Dissertation Process

Overview of the Ph.D. Dissertation Submission Process

Publishing options, embargo renewals, formatting your dissertation.

• A ccess to Dissertations and Theses
• The Master’s Thesis Submission Process   

Ph.D Dissertation Submission Process

Step 1) Near the time of the final public oral examination (FPO) (shortly before or immediately after) the student must complete the online submission of their dissertation via the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website ( www.etdadmin.com/princeton ). Students are required to upload a PDF of their dissertation, choose publishing options, enter subject categories and keywords, and make payment to ProQuest (if fees apply). This step will take roughly 20-25 minutes.

Step 2) After the FPO the student should log on to TigerHub  and complete the checkout process. When this step is complete, Mudd Library will be notified for processing. This step will occur M-F during business hours. The Mudd Library staff member will review, apply the embargo (when applicable), and approve the dissertation submission in ProQuest. You will receive an email notification of the approval from ProQuest when it has been approved or needs revisions. 

Step 3) The vast majority of students will not be required to submit a bound copy of their dissertation to the library. Only students who have removed content from the PDF to avoid copyright infringement are required to submit a bound copy to the library. This unredacted, bound version of the dissertation must be formatted according to the Dissertation Formatting Guidelines , and delivered by hand, mail, or delivery service to the Mudd Manuscript Library by the degree date deadline in order to be placed on the degree list. Address the bound copy to: Attn: Dissertations, Mudd Manuscript Library, 65 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.

ProQuest Publishing Options

When you submit your dissertation to the ProQuest ETD Administrator site, you will be given two options: Traditional Publishing or Open Access Publishing Plus. ProQuest compares the two options in their  Open Access Overview document . Full details will be presented in the ProQuest ETD Administrator site.

Traditional Publishing

No fee  is paid to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text to subscribing institutions only through the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database ; If you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing or purchase through the subscription database during the embargo period.

Open Access Publishing Plus

$95 fee to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text through the Internet to anyone via the ProQuest Database ; if you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing through the open access database during the embargo period.

Optional Service: Copyright Registration

$75 fee to ProQuest; ProQuest offers the optional service of registering your copyright on your behalf. The dissertation author owns the copyright to their dissertation regardless of copyright registration. Registering your copyright makes a public record of your copyright claim and may entitle you to additional compensation should your copyright be infringed upon. For a full discussion of your dissertation and copyright, see ProQuest’s Copyright and Your Dissertation .

If you have questions regarding the ProQuest publishing options, contact their Author and School Relations team at 1-800-521-0600 ext. 77020 or via email at [email protected] .

Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace

Each Princeton University dissertation is deposited in Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace . Dissertations will be freely available on the Internet except during an embargo period. If your dissertation is embargoed, the PDF will be completely restricted during the embargo period. The bound copy, however, will be available for viewing in the Mudd Manuscript Library reading room during the embargo. 

According to the Graduate School’s embargo policy , students can request up to a two-year embargo on their dissertation, with the potential for renewal by petition. If approved, the embargo would apply to the dissertation in ProQuest, as well as in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace . Students in the sciences and engineering seeking patents or pursuing journal articles may be approved for a shorter embargo period. Students must apply for the embargo during the Advanced Degree Application process . More information can be found on the Graduate School's Ph.D. Publication, Access and Embargoing webpage .

Those who have been approved for the embargo can choose "Traditional Publishing" or "Open Access Plus" publishing when they complete their online submission to ProQuest. Mudd Manuscript Library staff will apply the embargo in the ProQuest ETD system at the time of submission of materials to the Library. In the case of Open Access Plus, the dissertation would become freely available on the ProQuest open access site when the embargo expires. The embargo in ProQuest will also apply to the embargo in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace

Those who wish to request a renewal of an existing embargo must email Assistant Dean Geoffrey Hill and provide the reason for the extension. An embargo renewal must be requested in writing at least one month before the original embargo has expired, but may not be requested more than three months prior to the embargo expiration date. Embargoes cannot be reinstituted after having expired. Embargoes are set to expire two years from the date on which the Ph.D. was awarded (degrees are awarded five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings); this date will coincide with the degree date (month and year) on the title page of your dissertation. Please note: You, the student, are responsible for keeping track of the embargo period--notifications will not be sent.

• To find the exact date of an embargo expiration, individuals can find their dissertation in DataSpace , and view the box at the bottom of the record, which will indicate the embargo expiration date.
• The Graduate School will inform the Mudd Library of all renewals and Mudd Library staff will institute the extensions in ProQuest and DataSpace .   
• Princeton University Archives'  Dissertation Formatting Requirements  (PDF download) document provides detailed information on how to prepare the dissertation PDF and bound volume (if you are required to submit a bound volume). Please take special note of how to format the title page (a title page example is downloadable from the upper-right-hand side of this webpage). The title page must list your adviser’s name.  
• ProQuest's Preparing Your Manuscript guide offers additional information on formatting the PDF. Where there are discrepancies with the Princeton University Archives Dissertation Formatting Requirements document, the Princeton University Archives requirements should be followed. Special consideration should be paid to embedding fonts in the PDF.
• ProQuest ETD Administrator Resources and Guidelines  web page offers several guides to assist you in preparing your PDF, choosing publishing options, learning about copyright considerations, and more. 
• ProQuest's Support and Training Department can assist with issues related to creating and uploading PDFs and any questions regarding technical issues with the online submission site.

Whether a student pays fees to ProQuest in the ETD Administrator Site depends on the publishing option they choose, and if they opt to register their copyright (if a student selects Traditional Publishing, and does not register their copyright, no charges are incurred). Fees are to be submitted via the UMI ETD Administrator Site. Publishing and copyright registration fees are payable by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express and a small service tax may be added to the total. The options listed below will be fully explained in the ETD Administrator site. 

• Traditional without copyright registration: $0 to ProQuest (online)
• Traditional with copyright registration: $75 to ProQuest (online) 
• Open Access without copyright registration: $95 to ProQuest (online)
• Open Access ($95) with copyright registration ($55): $150 to ProQuest (online)

Degrees are granted five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings. Deadlines for materials to be submitted to the Mudd Manuscript Library are set by the Office of the Graduate School . The title page of your dissertation must state the month and year of the board meeting at which you will be granted your degree, for example “April 2023.”

Academic Year 2023-2024

• Tuesday, October 31, 2023, degree date "November 2023"
• Friday, December 29, 2023, degree date "January 2024"
• Thursday, February 29, 2024, degree date "March 2024"
• Thursday, May 9, 2024, degree date "May 2024"

Academic Year 2024-2025

• Friday, August 30, 2024, degree date "September 2024"
• Thursday, October 31, 2024, degree date "November 2024"
• Tuesday, December 31, 2024, degree date "January 2025"
• Friday, February 28, 2025, degree date "March 2025"
• Thursday, May 8, 2025, degree date "May 2025"

Please note: If a student is granted an extension for submission of their materials after a deadline has passed, the Mudd Manuscript Library must have written confirmation of the extension from the Office of the Graduate School in the form of an email to [email protected] .  

Access to Ph.D. Dissertations

Bound Copy : One non-circulating , bound copy of each dissertation produced until and including the January 2022 degree list is held in the collection of the University Archives. For dissertations submitted prior to September 2011, a circulating , bound copy of each dissertation may also be available. Information about these dissertations can be found in Princeton University Library's main catalog .

Electronic Copy (PDF) in ProQuest: ProQuest Dissertation Publishing distributes Princeton University dissertations. Members of the Princeton University community can access most dissertations through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database, which is made available through the Princeton University Library. For students that choose "Open Access Plus publishing," their dissertations are available freely on the internet via  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses . Dissertations are available for purchase through ProQuest Dissertation Express . Once the dissertation has been accepted by the Mudd Library it will be released to ProQuest following the Board of Trustee meeting on which your degree is conferred.Bound copies ordered from ProQuest will be printed following release.  Please note, dissertations under embargo are not available in full text through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database or for sale via ProQuest Dissertation Express during the embargo period.

Electronic Copy (PDF) in Princeton's Institutional Repository, DataSpace : Beginning in the fall of 2011, dissertations will be available through the internet in full-text via Princeton's digital repository, DataSpace . (Embargoed dissertations become available to the world once the embargo expires.)

Interlibrary Loan : Dissertations that have bound copies and are not under embargo are available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to libraries in the United States and Canada, either through hard copy or PDF. If PDFs are available, they can be sent internationally. 

Submitting Your Master’s Thesis to the Mudd Manuscript Library

Students who are enrolled in a thesis-based Master’s degree program must upload a PDF of their thesis to Princeton's ETD Administrator site (ProQuest) just prior to completing the final paperwork for the Graduate School. These programs currently include:

• The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Computer Science (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Near Eastern Studies (M.A.)

The PDF should be formatted according to our  Dissertation Formatting Requirements  (PDF download) . The Mudd Library will review and approve the submission upon notification from the Graduate School that your final paperwork is ready for this step. Bound copies are no longer required or accepted for Master's theses. 

Students who are not in a thesis-based Master's degree program do not need to make a submission to the library upon graduation. If you have questions, please contact the Mudd Manuscript Library using our Ask Us form.

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Master Thesis Guidelines

Pursuing the thesis option will require you to perform research and make a novel contribution to the field of interest. Although there are only 6 credits associated with this, it requires a substantial amount of work and dedication to complete a MS thesis. Hence it is of rather important that you select a topic that is of great interest to you. Your interest could be based on your future career goals, long work history in a particular field, or interest to learn something new. There are a lot of different research project ongoing within MCE, and we encourage each student to visit with various professors to gauge and learn about these project for possible fit for a MS thesis.

Any master thesis should represent a noticeable contribution to the applicable field. This implies that the student must conduct an in-depth literature survey to probe where the current state of know-how is in the selected field. Only after such a review it is then appropriate to define and propose a topic and a set of clear stated objectives. Such a proposal is treated formally by a short report to the committee members. The proposal is preferably constructed by closely consulting with your major advisor. The proposal should clearly state the problem, detailed objectives, an in-depth literature survey, an anticipated time line, methods to be used, theories to be developed, and equipment needed. It is expected that such a document is drafted during the first semester of being enrolled for master thesis research. This document serves as the guide in defining your efforts toward your thesis.

General Expectations

For a potential employer or future graduate school, a master thesis does not say much about the quality and rigor of the work included. One method of showing the quality and the level of contribution is to have publications. Therefore, we usually expect that a master thesis results in at least one publication in a respected, peer reviewed conference proceeding and/or in a peer reviewed journal.

It might be advisable to arrange a weekly meeting with your major advisor at the beginning of the semester. This is at minimum a weekly, one-hour meeting to discuss the progress of your research. Also, the meeting length may well be increased as you near the end of your master thesis. You are expected to show up in your advisor's office at those times reserved. Note that repeatedly unexcused missed meetings will result in your removal from the project. It is expected that continuous progress in the form of reports is made while enrolled in thesis research. If such is not achieved for any reasonable time period, it may happen that you will be removed from the project and a new student is assign to this task.

At the end of each semester, it is customary to turn in a progress report from each master student. This can be drafted with the help of your major advisor.

Currently, it is extremely difficult to obtain research funding for any type of project. Your project may or may not be funded. Your advisor will always try to find support for that project and student, but no guarantee can be given that support is available.

MS Program of Study and Thesis Special Project Plan