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EBSCO Open Dissertations

EBSCO Open Dissertations makes electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) more accessible to researchers worldwide. The free portal is designed to benefit universities and their students and make ETDs more discoverable. 

Increasing Discovery & Usage of ETD Research

EBSCO Open Dissertations is a collaboration between EBSCO and BiblioLabs to increase traffic and discoverability of ETD research. You can join the movement and add your theses and dissertations to the database, making them freely available to researchers everywhere while increasing traffic to your institutional repository. 

EBSCO Open Dissertations extends the work started in 2014, when EBSCO and the H.W. Wilson Foundation created American Doctoral Dissertations which contained indexing from the H.W. Wilson print publication, Doctoral Dissertations Accepted by American Universities, 1933-1955. In 2015, the H.W. Wilson Foundation agreed to support the expansion of the scope of the American Doctoral Dissertations database to include records for dissertations and theses from 1955 to the present.

How Does EBSCO Open Dissertations Work?

Your ETD metadata is harvested via OAI and integrated into EBSCO’s platform, where pointers send traffic to your IR.

EBSCO integrates this data into their current subscriber environments and makes the data available on the open web via opendissertations.org .

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/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="thesis and doctoral dissertations"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

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

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

Formatting Requirement and Standards

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

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

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

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

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

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

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

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How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

8 straightforward steps to craft an a-grade dissertation.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes time, energy and a lot of will power to get you across the finish line. It’s not easy – but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process. If you understand the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis, your research journey will be a lot smoother.  

In this post, I’m going to outline the big-picture process of how to write a high-quality dissertation or thesis, without losing your mind along the way. If you’re just starting your research, this post is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your proposal, this article which covers how to structure a dissertation might be more helpful.

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

  • Clearly understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is
  • Find a unique and valuable research topic
  • Craft a convincing research proposal
  • Write up a strong introduction chapter
  • Review the existing literature and compile a literature review
  • Design a rigorous research strategy and undertake your own research
  • Present the findings of your research
  • Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Start writing your dissertation

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often, students come to us for help with their research and the underlying issue is that they don’t fully understand what a dissertation (or thesis) actually is.

So, what is a dissertation?

At its simplest, a dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research , reflecting the standard research process . But what is the standard research process, you ask? The research process involves 4 key steps:

  • Ask a very specific, well-articulated question (s) (your research topic)
  • See what other researchers have said about it (if they’ve already answered it)
  • If they haven’t answered it adequately, undertake your own data collection and analysis in a scientifically rigorous fashion
  • Answer your original question(s), based on your analysis findings

 A dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research, reflecting the standard four step academic research process.

In short, the research process is simply about asking and answering questions in a systematic fashion . This probably sounds pretty obvious, but people often think they’ve done “research”, when in fact what they have done is:

  • Started with a vague, poorly articulated question
  • Not taken the time to see what research has already been done regarding the question
  • Collected data and opinions that support their gut and undertaken a flimsy analysis
  • Drawn a shaky conclusion, based on that analysis

If you want to see the perfect example of this in action, look out for the next Facebook post where someone claims they’ve done “research”… All too often, people consider reading a few blog posts to constitute research. Its no surprise then that what they end up with is an opinion piece, not research. Okay, okay – I’ll climb off my soapbox now.

The key takeaway here is that a dissertation (or thesis) is a formal piece of research, reflecting the research process. It’s not an opinion piece , nor a place to push your agenda or try to convince someone of your position. Writing a good dissertation involves asking a question and taking a systematic, rigorous approach to answering it.

If you understand this and are comfortable leaving your opinions or preconceived ideas at the door, you’re already off to a good start!

 A dissertation is not an opinion piece, nor a place to push your agenda or try to  convince someone of your position.

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

As we saw, the first step of the research process is to ask a specific, well-articulated question. In other words, you need to find a research topic that asks a specific question or set of questions (these are called research questions ). Sounds easy enough, right? All you’ve got to do is identify a question or two and you’ve got a winning research topic. Well, not quite…

A good dissertation or thesis topic has a few important attributes. Specifically, a solid research topic should be:

Let’s take a closer look at these:

Attribute #1: Clear

Your research topic needs to be crystal clear about what you’re planning to research, what you want to know, and within what context. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity or vagueness about what you’ll research.

Here’s an example of a clearly articulated research topic:

An analysis of consumer-based factors influencing organisational trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms.

As you can see in the example, its crystal clear what will be analysed (factors impacting organisational trust), amongst who (consumers) and in what context (British low-cost equity brokerage firms, based online).

Need a helping hand?

thesis and doctoral dissertations

Attribute #2:   Unique

Your research should be asking a question(s) that hasn’t been asked before, or that hasn’t been asked in a specific context (for example, in a specific country or industry).

For example, sticking organisational trust topic above, it’s quite likely that organisational trust factors in the UK have been investigated before, but the context (online low-cost equity brokerages) could make this research unique. Therefore, the context makes this research original.

One caveat when using context as the basis for originality – you need to have a good reason to suspect that your findings in this context might be different from the existing research – otherwise, there’s no reason to warrant researching it.

Attribute #3: Important

Simply asking a unique or original question is not enough – the question needs to create value. In other words, successfully answering your research questions should provide some value to the field of research or the industry. You can’t research something just to satisfy your curiosity. It needs to make some form of contribution either to research or industry.

For example, researching the factors influencing consumer trust would create value by enabling businesses to tailor their operations and marketing to leverage factors that promote trust. In other words, it would have a clear benefit to industry.

So, how do you go about finding a unique and valuable research topic? We explain that in detail in this video post – How To Find A Research Topic . Yeah, we’ve got you covered 😊

Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Once you’ve pinned down a high-quality research topic, the next step is to convince your university to let you research it. No matter how awesome you think your topic is, it still needs to get the rubber stamp before you can move forward with your research. The research proposal is the tool you’ll use for this job.

So, what’s in a research proposal?

The main “job” of a research proposal is to convince your university, advisor or committee that your research topic is worthy of approval. But convince them of what? Well, this varies from university to university, but generally, they want to see that:

  • You have a clearly articulated, unique and important topic (this might sound familiar…)
  • You’ve done some initial reading of the existing literature relevant to your topic (i.e. a literature review)
  • You have a provisional plan in terms of how you will collect data and analyse it (i.e. a methodology)

At the proposal stage, it’s (generally) not expected that you’ve extensively reviewed the existing literature , but you will need to show that you’ve done enough reading to identify a clear gap for original (unique) research. Similarly, they generally don’t expect that you have a rock-solid research methodology mapped out, but you should have an idea of whether you’ll be undertaking qualitative or quantitative analysis , and how you’ll collect your data (we’ll discuss this in more detail later).

Long story short – don’t stress about having every detail of your research meticulously thought out at the proposal stage – this will develop as you progress through your research. However, you do need to show that you’ve “done your homework” and that your research is worthy of approval .

So, how do you go about crafting a high-quality, convincing proposal? We cover that in detail in this video post – How To Write A Top-Class Research Proposal . We’ve also got a video walkthrough of two proposal examples here .

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Once your proposal’s been approved, its time to get writing your actual dissertation or thesis! The good news is that if you put the time into crafting a high-quality proposal, you’ve already got a head start on your first three chapters – introduction, literature review and methodology – as you can use your proposal as the basis for these.

Handy sidenote – our free dissertation & thesis template is a great way to speed up your dissertation writing journey.

What’s the introduction chapter all about?

The purpose of the introduction chapter is to set the scene for your research (dare I say, to introduce it…) so that the reader understands what you’ll be researching and why it’s important. In other words, it covers the same ground as the research proposal in that it justifies your research topic.

What goes into the introduction chapter?

This can vary slightly between universities and degrees, but generally, the introduction chapter will include the following:

  • A brief background to the study, explaining the overall area of research
  • A problem statement , explaining what the problem is with the current state of research (in other words, where the knowledge gap exists)
  • Your research questions – in other words, the specific questions your study will seek to answer (based on the knowledge gap)
  • The significance of your study – in other words, why it’s important and how its findings will be useful in the world

As you can see, this all about explaining the “what” and the “why” of your research (as opposed to the “how”). So, your introduction chapter is basically the salesman of your study, “selling” your research to the first-time reader and (hopefully) getting them interested to read more.

How do I write the introduction chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this post .

The introduction chapter is where you set the scene for your research, detailing exactly what you’ll be researching and why it’s important.

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to do some initial review of the literature in Steps 2 and 3 to find your research gap and craft a convincing research proposal – but that’s just scratching the surface. Once you reach the literature review stage of your dissertation or thesis, you need to dig a lot deeper into the existing research and write up a comprehensive literature review chapter.

What’s the literature review all about?

There are two main stages in the literature review process:

Literature Review Step 1: Reading up

The first stage is for you to deep dive into the existing literature (journal articles, textbook chapters, industry reports, etc) to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of research regarding your topic. While you don’t need to read every single article, you do need to ensure that you cover all literature that is related to your core research questions, and create a comprehensive catalogue of that literature , which you’ll use in the next step.

Reading and digesting all the relevant literature is a time consuming and intellectually demanding process. Many students underestimate just how much work goes into this step, so make sure that you allocate a good amount of time for this when planning out your research. Thankfully, there are ways to fast track the process – be sure to check out this article covering how to read journal articles quickly .

Dissertation Coaching

Literature Review Step 2: Writing up

Once you’ve worked through the literature and digested it all, you’ll need to write up your literature review chapter. Many students make the mistake of thinking that the literature review chapter is simply a summary of what other researchers have said. While this is partly true, a literature review is much more than just a summary. To pull off a good literature review chapter, you’ll need to achieve at least 3 things:

  • You need to synthesise the existing research , not just summarise it. In other words, you need to show how different pieces of theory fit together, what’s agreed on by researchers, what’s not.
  • You need to highlight a research gap that your research is going to fill. In other words, you’ve got to outline the problem so that your research topic can provide a solution.
  • You need to use the existing research to inform your methodology and approach to your own research design. For example, you might use questions or Likert scales from previous studies in your your own survey design .

As you can see, a good literature review is more than just a summary of the published research. It’s the foundation on which your own research is built, so it deserves a lot of love and attention. Take the time to craft a comprehensive literature review with a suitable structure .

But, how do I actually write the literature review chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this video post .

Step 6: Carry out your own research

Once you’ve completed your literature review and have a sound understanding of the existing research, its time to develop your own research (finally!). You’ll design this research specifically so that you can find the answers to your unique research question.

There are two steps here – designing your research strategy and executing on it:

1 – Design your research strategy

The first step is to design your research strategy and craft a methodology chapter . I won’t get into the technicalities of the methodology chapter here, but in simple terms, this chapter is about explaining the “how” of your research. If you recall, the introduction and literature review chapters discussed the “what” and the “why”, so it makes sense that the next point to cover is the “how” –that’s what the methodology chapter is all about.

In this section, you’ll need to make firm decisions about your research design. This includes things like:

  • Your research philosophy (e.g. positivism or interpretivism )
  • Your overall methodology (e.g. qualitative , quantitative or mixed methods)
  • Your data collection strategy (e.g. interviews , focus groups, surveys)
  • Your data analysis strategy (e.g. content analysis , correlation analysis, regression)

If these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these in plain language in other posts. It’s not essential that you understand the intricacies of research design (yet!). The key takeaway here is that you’ll need to make decisions about how you’ll design your own research, and you’ll need to describe (and justify) your decisions in your methodology chapter.

2 – Execute: Collect and analyse your data

Once you’ve worked out your research design, you’ll put it into action and start collecting your data. This might mean undertaking interviews, hosting an online survey or any other data collection method. Data collection can take quite a bit of time (especially if you host in-person interviews), so be sure to factor sufficient time into your project plan for this. Oftentimes, things don’t go 100% to plan (for example, you don’t get as many survey responses as you hoped for), so bake a little extra time into your budget here.

Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to do some data preparation before you can sink your teeth into the analysis. For example:

  • If you carry out interviews or focus groups, you’ll need to transcribe your audio data to text (i.e. a Word document).
  • If you collect quantitative survey data, you’ll need to clean up your data and get it into the right format for whichever analysis software you use (for example, SPSS, R or STATA).

Once you’ve completed your data prep, you’ll undertake your analysis, using the techniques that you described in your methodology. Depending on what you find in your analysis, you might also do some additional forms of analysis that you hadn’t planned for. For example, you might see something in the data that raises new questions or that requires clarification with further analysis.

The type(s) of analysis that you’ll use depend entirely on the nature of your research and your research questions. For example:

  • If your research if exploratory in nature, you’ll often use qualitative analysis techniques .
  • If your research is confirmatory in nature, you’ll often use quantitative analysis techniques
  • If your research involves a mix of both, you might use a mixed methods approach

Again, if these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these concepts and techniques in other posts. The key takeaway is simply that there’s no “one size fits all” for research design and methodology – it all depends on your topic, your research questions and your data. So, don’t be surprised if your study colleagues take a completely different approach to yours.

The research philosophy is at the core of the methodology chapter

Step 7: Present your findings

Once you’ve completed your analysis, it’s time to present your findings (finally!). In a dissertation or thesis, you’ll typically present your findings in two chapters – the results chapter and the discussion chapter .

What’s the difference between the results chapter and the discussion chapter?

While these two chapters are similar, the results chapter generally just presents the processed data neatly and clearly without interpretation, while the discussion chapter explains the story the data are telling  – in other words, it provides your interpretation of the results.

For example, if you were researching the factors that influence consumer trust, you might have used a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between potential factors (e.g. perceived integrity and competence of the organisation) and consumer trust. In this case:

  • Your results chapter would just present the results of the statistical tests. For example, correlation results or differences between groups. In other words, the processed numbers.
  • Your discussion chapter would explain what the numbers mean in relation to your research question(s). For example, Factor 1 has a weak relationship with consumer trust, while Factor 2 has a strong relationship.

Depending on the university and degree, these two chapters (results and discussion) are sometimes merged into one , so be sure to check with your institution what their preference is. Regardless of the chapter structure, this section is about presenting the findings of your research in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

Importantly, your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions (which you outlined in the introduction or literature review chapter). In other words, it needs to answer the key questions you asked (or at least attempt to answer them).

For example, if we look at the sample research topic:

In this case, the discussion section would clearly outline which factors seem to have a noteworthy influence on organisational trust. By doing so, they are answering the overarching question and fulfilling the purpose of the research .

Your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions. It needs to answer the key questions you asked in your introduction.

For more information about the results chapter , check out this post for qualitative studies and this post for quantitative studies .

Step 8: The Final Step Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Last but not least, you’ll need to wrap up your research with the conclusion chapter . In this chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and explaining what the implications of these findings are.

What exactly are key findings? The key findings are those findings which directly relate to your original research questions and overall research objectives (which you discussed in your introduction chapter). The implications, on the other hand, explain what your findings mean for industry, or for research in your area.

Sticking with the consumer trust topic example, the conclusion might look something like this:

Key findings

This study set out to identify which factors influence consumer-based trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms. The results suggest that the following factors have a large impact on consumer trust:

While the following factors have a very limited impact on consumer trust:

Notably, within the 25-30 age groups, Factors E had a noticeably larger impact, which may be explained by…

Implications

The findings having noteworthy implications for British low-cost online equity brokers. Specifically:

The large impact of Factors X and Y implies that brokers need to consider….

The limited impact of Factor E implies that brokers need to…

As you can see, the conclusion chapter is basically explaining the “what” (what your study found) and the “so what?” (what the findings mean for the industry or research). This brings the study full circle and closes off the document.

In the final chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and the implications thereof.

Let’s recap – how to write a dissertation or thesis

You’re still with me? Impressive! I know that this post was a long one, but hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to write a dissertation or thesis, and are now better equipped to start your own research.

To recap, the 8 steps to writing a quality dissertation (or thesis) are as follows:

  • Understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is – a research project that follows the research process.
  • Find a unique (original) and important research topic
  • Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal
  • Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter
  • Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review
  • Undertake your own research
  • Present and interpret your findings

Once you’ve wrapped up the core chapters, all that’s typically left is the abstract , reference list and appendices. As always, be sure to check with your university if they have any additional requirements in terms of structure or content.  

thesis and doctoral dissertations

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

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20 Comments

Romia

thankfull >>>this is very useful

Madhu

Thank you, it was really helpful

Elhadi Abdelrahim

unquestionably, this amazing simplified way of teaching. Really , I couldn’t find in the literature words that fully explicit my great thanks to you. However, I could only say thanks a-lot.

Derek Jansen

Great to hear that – thanks for the feedback. Good luck writing your dissertation/thesis.

Writer

This is the most comprehensive explanation of how to write a dissertation. Many thanks for sharing it free of charge.

Sam

Very rich presentation. Thank you

Hailu

Thanks Derek Jansen|GRADCOACH, I find it very useful guide to arrange my activities and proceed to research!

Nunurayi Tambala

Thank you so much for such a marvelous teaching .I am so convinced that am going to write a comprehensive and a distinct masters dissertation

Hussein Huwail

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Eva

This was straightforward. Thank you!

Ken

I can say that your explanations are simple and enlightening – understanding what you have done here is easy for me. Could you write more about the different types of research methods specific to the three methodologies: quan, qual and MM. I look forward to interacting with this website more in the future.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions 🙂

Osasuyi Blessing

Hello, your write ups is quite educative. However, l have challenges in going about my research questions which is below; *Building the enablers of organisational growth through effective governance and purposeful leadership.*

Dung Doh

Very educating.

Ezra Daniel

Just listening to the name of the dissertation makes the student nervous. As writing a top-quality dissertation is a difficult task as it is a lengthy topic, requires a lot of research and understanding and is usually around 10,000 to 15000 words. Sometimes due to studies, unbalanced workload or lack of research and writing skill students look for dissertation submission from professional writers.

Nice Edinam Hoyah

Thank you 💕😊 very much. I was confused but your comprehensive explanation has cleared my doubts of ever presenting a good thesis. Thank you.

Sehauli

thank you so much, that was so useful

Daniel Madsen

Hi. Where is the excel spread sheet ark?

Emmanuel kKoko

could you please help me look at your thesis paper to enable me to do the portion that has to do with the specification

my topic is “the impact of domestic revenue mobilization.

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How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

Published on September 21, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

When starting your thesis or dissertation process, one of the first requirements is a research proposal or a prospectus. It describes what or who you want to examine, delving into why, when, where, and how you will do so, stemming from your research question and a relevant topic .

The proposal or prospectus stage is crucial for the development of your research. It helps you choose a type of research to pursue, as well as whether to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

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Table of contents

What should your proposal contain, dissertation question examples, what should your proposal look like, dissertation prospectus examples, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about proposals.

Prior to jumping into the research for your thesis or dissertation, you first need to develop your research proposal and have it approved by your supervisor. It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives .

Depending on your department’s requirements, there may be a defense component involved, where you present your research plan in prospectus format to your committee for their approval.

Your proposal should answer the following questions:

  • Why is your research necessary?
  • What is already known about your topic?
  • Where and when will your research be conducted?
  • Who should be studied?
  • How can the research best be done?

Ultimately, your proposal should persuade your supervisor or committee that your proposed project is worth pursuing.

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thesis and doctoral dissertations

Strong research kicks off with a solid research question , and dissertations are no exception to this.

Dissertation research questions should be:

  • Focused on a single problem or issue
  • Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
  • Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
  • Specific enough to answer thoroughly
  • Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
  • Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly
  • What are the main factors enticing people under 30 in suburban areas to engage in the gig economy?
  • Which techniques prove most effective for 1st-grade teachers at local elementary schools in engaging students with special needs?
  • Which communication streams are the most effective for getting those aged 18-30 to the polls on Election Day?

An easy rule of thumb is that your proposal will usually resemble a (much) shorter version of your thesis or dissertation. While of course it won’t include the results section , discussion section , or conclusion , it serves as a “mini” version or roadmap for what you eventually seek to write.

Be sure to include:

  • A succinct introduction to your topic and problem statement
  • A brief literature review situating your topic within existing research
  • A basic outline of the research methods you think will best answer your research question
  • The perceived implications for future research
  • A reference list in the citation style of your choice

The length of your proposal varies quite a bit depending on your discipline and type of work you’re conducting. While a thesis proposal is often only 3-7 pages long, a prospectus for your dissertation is usually much longer, with more detailed analysis. Dissertation proposals can be up to 25-30 pages in length.

Writing a proposal or prospectus can be a challenge, but we’ve compiled some examples for you to get your started.

  • Example #1: “Geographic Representations of the Planet Mars, 1867-1907” by Maria Lane
  • Example #2: “Individuals and the State in Late Bronze Age Greece: Messenian Perspectives on Mycenaean Society” by Dimitri Nakassis
  • Example #3: “Manhood Up in the Air: A Study of Male Flight Attendants, Queerness, and Corporate Capitalism during the Cold War Era” by Phil Tiemeyer

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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

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The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

  • If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts and meanings, use qualitative methods .
  • If you want to analyze a large amount of readily-available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how it is generated, collect primary data.
  • If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

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 well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims, that you collect high-quality data, and that you use the right kind of analysis to answer your questions, utilizing credible sources . This allows you to draw valid , trustworthy conclusions.

The priorities of a research design can vary depending on the field, but you usually have to specify:

  • Your research questions and/or hypotheses
  • Your overall approach (e.g., qualitative or quantitative )
  • The type of design you’re using (e.g., a survey , experiment , or case study )
  • Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
  • Your data collection methods (e.g., questionnaires , observations)
  • Your data collection procedures (e.g., operationalization , timing and data management)
  • Your data analysis methods (e.g., statistical tests  or thematic analysis )

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

  • Researchability
  • Feasibility and specificity
  • Relevance and originality

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Theses and Dissertations

Check Cornell’s library catalog , which lists the dissertations available in our library collection.

The print thesis collection in Uris Library is currently shelved on Level 3B before the Q to QA regular-sized volumes. Check with the library staff for the thesis shelving locations in other libraries (Mann, Catherwood, Fine Arts, etc.).

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

According to ProQuest, coverage begins with 1637. With more than 2.4 million entries,  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global  is the starting point for finding citations to doctoral dissertations and master’s theses. Dissertations published from 1980 forward include 350-word abstracts written by the author. Master’s theses published from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts. UMI also offers over 1.8 million titles for purchase in microfilm or paper formats. The full text of more than 930,000 are available in PDF format for immediate free download. Use  Interlibrary Loan  for the titles not available as full text online.

Foreign Dissertations at the Center for Research Libraries

To search for titles and verify holdings of dissertations at the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), use the CRL catalog . CRL seeks to provide comprehensive access to doctoral dissertations submitted to institutions outside the U. S. and Canada (currently more than 750,000 titles). One hundred European universities maintain exchange or deposit agreements with CRL. Russian dissertation abstracts in the social sciences are obtained on microfiche from INION.  More detailed information about CRL’s dissertation holdings .

Please see our resource guide on dissertations and theses for additional resources and support.

Purdue e-Pubs

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Theses and Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations Available from ProQuest

Full text is available to Purdue University faculty, staff, and students on campus through this site. No login is required.

Off-campus Purdue users may download theses and dissertations by logging into the Libraries' proxy server with your Purdue Career Account. Links to log in to the proxy server directly below the download button of each thesis or dissertation page.

Non-Purdue users, may purchase copies of theses and dissertations from ProQuest or talk to your librarian about borrowing a copy through Interlibrary Loan. (Some titles may also be available free of charge in our Open Access Theses and Dissertations Series, so please check there first.)

Access to abstracts is unrestricted.

Open Access Theses

This series contains theses that students have wished to make openly available. The full content is available to all, although some theses may have embargoes. If an embargo exists the date will be listed instead of the download button. The download button will appear once a thesis is no longer embargoed. To browse a fuller listing of theses from Purdue please visit the Theses and Dissertations Available from ProQuest series.

Open Access Dissertations

This series contains open access dissertations that students have wished to make openly available. The full-text content is available to all, although some theses may have embargoes. If an embargo exists the date will be listed instead of the download button. The download button will appear once a dissertation is no longer embargoed. To browse a fuller listing of dissertations from Purdue please visit the Theses and Dissertations Available from ProQuest series.

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Dissertations & theses: home, finding dissertations & theses.

The majority of print dissertations in the UC Berkeley Libraries are from UC Berkeley. The libraries have a nearly complete collection of Berkeley doctoral dissertations (wither online, in print, or both), and a large number of Berkeley master's theses.

UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley PhD Dissertations

Dissertations and Theses (Dissertation Abstracts)     UCB access only  1861-present 

Index and full text of graduate dissertations and theses from North American and European schools and universities, including the University of California, with full text of most doctoral dissertations from UC Berkeley and elsewhere from 1996 forward. Dissertations published prior to 2009 may not include information about the department from which the degree was granted. 

UC Berkeley Master's Theses

UC Berkeley Digital Collections   2011-present

Selected UC Berkeley master's theses freely available online. For theses published prior to 2020, check UC Library Search for print availability (see "At the Library" below). 

UC Berkeley dissertations may also be found in eScholarship , UC's online open access repository.

Please note that it may take time for a dissertation to appear in one of the above online resources. Embargoes and other issues affect the release timing.

At the Library:

Dissertations: From 2012 onwards, dissertations are only available online. See above links.

Master's theses : From 2020 onwards, theses are only available online. See above links. 

To locate older dissertations, master's theses, and master's projects in print, search UC Library Search by keyword, title or author. For publications prior to 2009 you may also include a specific UC Berkeley department in your search:  berkeley dissertations <department name> . 

Examples:  berkeley dissertations electrical engineering computer sciences  berkeley dissertations mechanical engineering

University of California - all campuses

Index and full text of graduate dissertations and theses from North American and European schools and universities, including the University of California.

WorldCatDissertations     UCB access only 

Covers all dissertations and theses cataloged in WorldCat, a catalog of materials owned by libraries worldwide. UC Berkeley faculty, staff, and students may use the interlibrary loan request form  for dissertations found in WorldCatDissertations. 

Worldwide - Open Access

Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)

The Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) is an international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).

Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD)

An index of over 3.5 million electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). To the extent possible, the index is limited to records of graduate-level theses that are freely available online.

  • Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 2:47 PM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/dissertations_theses

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started

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Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

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.

Theses and Dissertations

Defense and submission.

Sign on door that says "Dissertation in Progress"

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

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

Guide for Electronic Submission of Thesis and Dissertation (PDF)

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

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

Notes about the LaTeX Template

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

Dissertation vs Thesis: The Differences that Matter

Updated: January 24, 2023

Published: April 26, 2020

Dissertation-vs-Thesis-The-Differences-that-Matter

As a graduate student, you will have many different types of challenging coursework and assignments. However, the biggest project that you’ll work on when earning your master’s or doctoral degree will be your thesis or dissertation . The differences between a dissertation vs thesis are plenty. That’s because each of these pieces of writing happen at different times in one’s educational journey.

Let’s break down what a dissertation and thesis are so that you have a strong handle on what’s expected. For both a thesis and a dissertation, there is an obvious fluency and understanding of the subject one studies.

Let’s take a look at their similarities and differences.

Photo by  Glenn Carstens-Peters  on  Unsplash

What is a dissertation.

When you enter a doctoral program to earn a PhD, you will learn a lot about how to conduct your own research. At the culmination of your degree program, you’ll produce a dissertation.

A dissertation is a lengthy piece of written work that includes original research or expanded research on a new or existing topic. As the doctoral student, you get to choose what you want to explore and write about within your field of study.

What is a Thesis?

A thesis is also a scholarly piece of writing, but it is for those who are graduating from a master’s program. A thesis allows students to showcase their knowledge and expertise within the subject matter they have been studying.

Main Differences Between a Thesis vs. Dissertation

The biggest difference between a thesis and a dissertation is that a thesis is based on existing research.

On the other hand, a dissertation will more than likely require the doctoral student to conduct their own research and then perform analysis. The other big difference is that a thesis is for master’s students and the dissertation is for PhD students.

Structural Differences Between a Thesis and a Dissertation

Structurally, the two pieces of written analysis have many differences.

  • A thesis is at least 100 pages in length
  • A dissertation is 2-3x that in length
  • A thesis expands upon and analyzes existing research
  • A dissertation’s content is mostly attributed to the student as the author

Research Content and Oral Presentation

Once completed, some programs require students to orally present their thesis and dissertation to a panel of faculty members.

Typically, a dissertation oral presentation can take several hours. On the other hand, a thesis only takes about an hour to present and answer questions.

Let’s look at how the two scholarly works are similar and different:

Similarities:

  • Each is considered a final project and required to graduate
  • Both require immense understanding of the material
  • Written skills are key to complete both
  • Neither can be plagiarized
  • Both are used to defend an argument
  • Both require analytical skills
  • You will have to draft, rewrite, and edit both pieces of writing
  • For both, it is useful to have another person look over before submission
  • Both papers are given deadlines

Differences:

  • A dissertation is longer than a thesis
  • A dissertation requires new research
  • A dissertation requires a hypothesis that is then proven
  • A thesis chooses a stance on an existing idea and defends it with analysis
  • A dissertation has a longer oral presentation component

The Differences in Context: Location Matters

The united states.

In the US, everything that was previously listed is how schools differentiate between a thesis and a dissertation. A thesis is performed by master’s students, and a dissertation is written by PhD candidates.

In Europe, the distinction between a thesis and dissertation becomes a little more cloudy. That’s because PhD programs may require a doctoral thesis to graduate. Then, as a part of a broader post-graduate research project, students may complete a dissertation.

Photo by  Russ Ward  on  Unsplash

The purpose behind written research.

Each piece of writing is an opportunity for a student to demonstrate his or her ability to think critically, express their opinions in writing, and present their findings in front of their department.

Graduate degrees take a lot of time, energy, and hard work to complete. When it comes to writing such lengthy and informative pieces, there is a lot of time management that is involved. The purpose of both a thesis and a dissertation are written proof that you understand and have mastered the subject matter of your degree.

Degree Types

A doctoral degree, or PhD, is the highest degree that one can earn. In most cases, students follow the following path to achieve this level of education: Earn a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s, and then a PhD. While not every job title requires this deep educational knowledge, the salaries that come along with each level of higher education increase accordingly.

Earning Your Degree

Whether you are currently a prospective student considering earning your higher education degree or a student enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program, you know the benefits of education.

However, for some, earning a traditional degree on-campus doesn’t make sense. This could be because of the financial challenges, familial obligations, accessibility, or any other number of reasons.

For students who are seeking their higher education degrees but need a flexible, affordable, and quality alternative to traditional college, take a look at the programs that the University of the People has to offer.

University of the People is an entirely online, US accredited and tuition-free institution dedicated to higher education. You can earn your Master’s in Business Administration or your Master’s in Education . Not to mention, there are a handful of associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs to choose from as well.

If you want to learn more, get in touch with us !

The Bottom Line

Regardless of where and when you earn your master’s or doctoral degree, you will likely have to complete a thesis or dissertation. The main difference between a thesis and dissertation is the level at which you complete them. A thesis is for a master’s degree, and a dissertation is for a doctoral degree.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the prospect of having to research and write so much. Your educational journey has prepared you with the right time management skills and writing skills to make this feat achievable!

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How to search for Harvard dissertations

  • DASH , Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard, is the university's central, open-access repository for the scholarly output of faculty and the broader research community at Harvard.  Most Ph.D. dissertations submitted from  March 2012 forward  are available online in DASH.
  • Check HOLLIS, the Library Catalog, and refine your results by using the   Advanced Search   and limiting Resource  Type   to Dissertations
  • Search the database  ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Don't hesitate to  Ask a Librarian  for assistance.

How to search for Non-Harvard dissertations

Library Database:

  • ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

Free Resources:

  • Many  universities  provide full-text access to their dissertations via a digital repository.  If you know the title of a particular dissertation or thesis, try doing a Google search.  

Related Sites

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Why use a dissertation or a thesis.

A dissertation is the final large research paper, based on original research, for many disciplines to be able to complete a PhD degree. The thesis is the same idea but for a masters degree.

They are often considered scholarly sources since they are closely supervised by a committee, are directed at an academic audience, are extensively researched, follow research methodology, and are cited in other scholarly work. Often the research is newer or answering questions that are more recent, and can help push scholarship in new directions. 

Search for dissertations and theses

Locating dissertations and theses.

The Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global database includes doctoral dissertations and selected masters theses from major universities worldwide.

  • Searchable by subject, author, advisor, title, school, date, etc.
  • More information about full text access and requesting through Interlibrary Loan

NDLTD – Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations provides free online access to a over a million theses and dissertations from all over the world.

WorldCat Dissertations and Theses searches library catalogs from across the U.S. and worldwide.

Locating University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses

Use  Libraries search  and search by title or author and add the word "thesis" in the search box. Write down the library and call number and find it on the shelf. They can be checked out.

Check the  University Digital Conservancy  for online access to dissertations and theses from 2007 to present as well as historic, scanned theses from 1887-1923.

Other Sources for Dissertations and Theses

  • Center for Research Libraries
  • DART-Europe E-Thesis Portal
  • Theses Canada
  • Ethos (Great Britain)
  • Australasian Digital Theses in Trove
  • DiVA (Sweden)
  • E-Thesis at the University of Helsinki
  • DissOnline (Germany)
  • List of libraries worldwide - to search for a thesis when you know the institution and cannot find in the larger collections

University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses FAQs

What dissertations and theses are available.

With minor exceptions, all doctoral dissertations and all "Plan A" master's theses accepted by the University of Minnesota are available in the University Libraries system. In some cases (see below) only a non-circulating copy in University Archives exists, but for doctoral dissertations from 1940 to date, and for master's theses from 1925 to date, a circulating copy should almost always be available.

"Plan B" papers, accepted in the place of a thesis in many master's degree programs, are not received by the University Libraries and are generally not available. (The only real exceptions are a number of old library school Plan B papers on publishing history, which have been separately cataloged.) In a few cases individual departments may have maintained files of such papers.

In what libraries are U of M dissertations and theses located?

Circulating copies of doctoral dissertations:.

  • Use Libraries Search to look for the author or title of the work desired to determine location and call number of a specific dissertation. Circulating copies of U of M doctoral dissertations can be in one of several locations in the library system, depending upon the date and the department for which the dissertation was done. The following are the general rules:
  • Dissertations prior to 1940 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations prior to 1940 do not exist (with rare exceptions): for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available. Also, most dissertations prior to 1940 are not cataloged in MNCAT and can only be identified by the departmental listings described below.  
  • Dissertations from 1940-1979 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1940 to 1979 will in most cases be held within the Elmer L. Andersen Library, with three major classes of exceptions: dissertations accepted by biological, medical, and related departments are housed in the Health Science Library; science/engineering dissertations from 1970 to date will be located in the Science and Engineering Library (in Walter); and dissertations accepted by agricultural and related departments are available at the Magrath Library or one of the other libraries on the St. Paul campus (the Magrath Library maintains records of locations for such dissertations).  
  • Dissertations from 1980-date Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1980 to date at present may be located either in Wilson Library (see below) or in storage; consult Libraries Search for location of specific items. Again, exceptions noted above apply here also; dissertations in their respective departments will instead be in Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.

Circulating copies of master's theses:

  • Theses prior to 1925 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses prior to 1925 do not exist (with rare exceptions); for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available.  
  • Theses from 1925-1996 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1925 to 1996 may be held in storage; consult Libraries search in specific instances. Once again, there are exceptions and theses in their respective departments will be housed in the Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.  
  • Theses from 1997-date Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1997 to date will be located in Wilson Library (see below), except for the same exceptions for Health Science  and St. Paul theses. There is also an exception to the exception: MHA (Masters in Health Administration) theses through 1998 are in the Health Science Library, but those from 1999 on are in Wilson Library.

Archival copies (non-circulating)

Archival (non-circulating) copies of virtually all U of M doctoral dissertations from 1888-1952, and of U of M master's theses from all years up to the present, are maintained by University Archives (located in the Elmer L. Andersen Library). These copies must be consulted on the premises, and it is highly recommended for the present that users make an appointment in advance to ensure that the desired works can be retrieved for them from storage. For dissertations accepted prior to 1940 and for master's theses accepted prior to 1925, University Archives is generally the only option (e.g., there usually will be no circulating copy). Archival copies of U of M doctoral dissertations from 1953 to the present are maintained by Bell and Howell Corporation (formerly University Microfilms Inc.), which produces print or filmed copies from our originals upon request. (There are a very few post-1952 U of M dissertations not available from Bell and Howell; these include such things as music manuscripts and works with color illustrations or extremely large pages that will not photocopy well; in these few cases, our archival copy is retained in University Archives.)

Where is a specific dissertation of thesis located?

To locate a specific dissertation or thesis it is necessary to have its call number. Use Libraries Search for the author or title of the item, just as you would for any other book. Depending on date of acceptance and cataloging, a typical call number for such materials should look something like one of the following:

Dissertations: Plan"A" Theses MnU-D or 378.7M66 MnU-M or 378.7M66 78-342 ODR7617 83-67 OL6156 Libraries Search will also tell the library location (MLAC, Health Science Library, Magrath or another St. Paul campus library, Science and Engineering, Business Reference, Wilson Annex or Wilson Library). Those doctoral dissertations still in Wilson Library (which in all cases should be 1980 or later and will have "MnU-D" numbers) are located in the central section of the third floor. Those master's theses in Wilson (which in all cases will be 1997 or later and will have "MnU-M" numbers) are also located in the central section of the third floor. Both dissertations and theses circulate and can be checked out, like any other books, at the Wilson Circulation desk on the first floor.

How can dissertations and theses accepted by a specific department be located?

Wilson Library contains a series of bound and loose-leaf notebooks, arranged by department and within each department by date, listing dissertations and theses. Information given for each entry includes name of author, title, and date (but not call number, which must be looked up individually). These notebooks are no longer current, but they do cover listings by department from the nineteenth century up to approximately 1992. Many pre-1940 U of M dissertations and pre-1925 U of M master's theses are not cataloged (and exist only as archival copies). Such dissertations can be identified only with these volumes. The books and notebooks are shelved in the general collection under these call numbers: Wilson Ref LD3337 .A5 and Wilson Ref quarto LD3337 .U9x. Major departments of individual degree candidates are also listed under their names in the GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT programs of the U of M, available in University Archives and (for recent years) also in Wilson stacks (LD3361 .U55x).

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This page provides links to databases and websites to find dissertations. This includes links to general databases to find dissertations, databases focused on the humanities, foreign dissertations, dissertations on religion, and dissertations hosted by other universities.

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  • Last Updated: Aug 22, 2023 5:35 PM
  • URL: https://guides.library.yale.edu/dissertations

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ASU Dissertations and Theses

  • Introduction
  • How to Get a Copy
  • Doctoral Dissertations

Dissertations: Introduction

Dissertations: fall 2011 to the present, dissertations: 1999 - spring 2011, dissertations: 1973-1998, dissertations: 1954-1972, dissertations: 1938-1953.

  • Masters Theses
  • Honors Theses

At ASU, doctoral-level programs require a dissertation. "Dissertation" is the preferred term at the doctoral level as "thesis" is generally used to describe the document produced in Undergraduate Honors and Masters programs. 

The availability, location, and format of dissertations depend on the time period in which the student completed the doctoral degree:

  • 2011 to the present
  • 1938-1953 

The Graduate College requires doctoral students to submit an electronic copy of their dissertations to ProQuest; ProQuest waits for approval from the Graduate College before the dissertations are released into the ProQuest databases. ProQuest sends a digital copy of the bibliographic information and full text of these documents to the ASU Library for inclusion in several different databases.    

Note: Not all dissertations are available soon after graduation. The ASU Graduate College currently allows students to request an embargo of up to 2 years before their dissertation is made public; students may choose this option to protect their intellectual property rights or to preserve commercial publication opportunities among other issues. The full text of an embargoed dissertation will not be available for viewing in the following databases until the embargo period has ended.   The dissertations from this time period are available as follows:

  • ASU Digitial Repository: ASU Electronic Dissertations and Theses Collection Has the full text of the dissertations, except for cases where the dissertation is within a requested embargo period; the full text is in PDF and is available for all to view, print, and/or download.   
  • ASU faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students may access these databases from both on- and off-campus
  • ASU Alumni and community members who live in the Phoenix area may access these databases from within an ASU Library; ProQuest does not permit us to offer off-campus access to alumni and community members.
  • Alumni and individuals outside of the Phoenix area should check with their local libraries, particularly libraries at publicly funded colleges and universities, for the availability of the "ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database.      
  • ASU Library's Catalog Contains a bibliographic record for the dissertations and each record has a link to the full text in the ASU Digital Repository.    
  • The ASU Library does not retain or accept print copies of dissertations available in the ASU Digital Repository.    

The Graduate College required doctoral students to submit two printed copies of their dissertation to the ASU Library, one printed copy to their academic unit, and an electronic copy to ProQuest.    

The dissertations from this time period are available as follows:

  • ASU Digitial Repository: ASU Electronic Dissertations and Theses Collections Only the limited number of 2010/2011 dissertations selected for the electronic submission trial are available in full text (PDF); full text for 1999-2009 is not available.  
  • Alumni and individuals outside of the Phoenix area should check with their local libraries, particularly libraries at publicly funded colleges and universities, for the availability of the "ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database.  
  • The first copy, aka the archival copy, is kept in storage and the user must contact the Wurzburger Reading Room (480-965-4932 or [email protected] ) in advance to set an appointment to view a dissertation. The copy may only be viewed in the Reading Room in Hayden Library and is not available for checkout or interlibrary loan.   
  • The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the Library's high-density storage and may be checked out or loaned to other libraries.  Note: not every dissertation has a second copy and some of these copies may be shelved in libraries other than Hayden; see the catalog record for availability.  ASU dissertations are given the call number: LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]

The Graduate College required doctoral students to submit two printed copies of their dissertation to the ASU Library, one printed copy to their academic unit and an electronic copy to UMI (predecessor to ProQuest).

The dissertations from this time period are available as follows: 

  • ASU Alumni and community members who live in the Phoenix area may access these databases from within an ASU Library; ProQuest does not permit us to offer off-campus access to alumni and community members
  • ASU Alumni and individuals outside of the Phoenix area should check with their local libraries, particularly libraries at publicly funded colleges and universities, for the availability of the "ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database.  
  • The first copy, aka the archival copy, is kept in storage and the user must contact the Wurzburger Reading Room (480-965-4932 or [email protected] ) in advance to set an appointment to view a dissertation. The copy may only be viewed in the Reading Room in Hayden Library and is not available for checkout or interlibrary loan.  
  • The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the high-density collection and must be retrieved in advance of a visit. These copies may be checked out or used for interlibrary loan. Some dissertations during this time do not have a second copy. ASU dissertations are given call number:  LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]
  • The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the Library's high-density storage and must be retrieved in advance of a visit. These second copies may be checked out or used for interlibrary loan. Some dissertations during this time do not have a second copy.  ASU dissertations are given call number:  LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]

The dissertations from this time period are only available in print: 

  • The first copy, aka the archival copy, is kept in storage and the user must contact the Wurzburger Reading Room (480-965-4932 or [email protected] ) in advance to set an appointment to view a dissertation. The copy may only be viewed in the Reading Room in Hayden Library and cannot be checked out nor loaned to another library.   
  • The second copy, aka the circulating copy, is kept in the Library's high-density storage and needs to be retrieved from the collection in advance of a visit. These copies may be checked out or used for interlibrary loan. Some dissertations during this time do not have a second copy.  ASU dissertations are given call number:  LD179.15 [year] d [cuttered by author]
  • << Previous: Information for ASU Librarians
  • Next: Masters Theses >>
  • Last updated: Jan 2, 2024 8:27 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/asudissertations

Arizona State University Library

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Available Formats

Electronic copies.

As of September 2010 all doctoral dissertations and masters theses are submitted to the  Proquest Dissertations & Theses database. Electronic copies of doctoral dissertations began to be available in 1997 while masters theses began to be available in September 2010. After a dissertation or thesis is submitted to Graduate Studies, it can take up to several months for it to appear in the database.

As of Spring Quarter 2021, theses and dissertations are also submitted to eScholarship .

Paper Copies

Masters theses from mid-2003 to September 2010 are located in the Shields Library book stacks.

Microfiche Copies

UC Davis theses and dissertations issued between 1978 and mid-2003 are available for use in the Microcopy Collection, Lower Level, Shields Library. Microfiche copies are available for inter-library loan and for reading, copying, or scanning within the library.

Archival Copies

UC Davis theses and dissertations issued before 1978 are typically only available in Special Collections. These are stored offsite and are for use only in the Blanchard Special Collections Reading Room. They can be requested at  aeon.library.ucdavis.edu . Turnaround time is 48-72 hours.

Locating Dissertations and Theses

Via uc library search.

UC Davis dissertations and theses can be located via the library’s online catalog,  UC Library Search . The item record will indicate the location of each thesis and dissertation.

Search Tips

Dissertations and theses do not receive standard “subject” headings. Dissertation titles are required to be descriptive, so title word searches are often effective. Another strategy, applicable for dissertations only, is to search in Proquest’s Dissertations & Theses Database (limiting to UC Davis if desired), where one can search titles, abstracts, and subject descriptors.

Note: with our new catalog options, searching by dissertation subject heading is less used, but in case you need to know, UC Davis catalogs its theses and dissertations with a limited subject heading, constructed of the phrase Dissertations, Academic — University of California, Davis plus the name of the department in which the degree is granted, for example:

  • Dissertations, Academic — University of California, Davis — Genetics

For 1989 and earlier, use the heading Dissertations, Academic — California plus the name of the department in which the degree is granted, for example:

  • Dissertations, Academic — California — Soil science

Via the Dissertations & Theses Database

The  Dissertations & Theses Database  via Proquest includes citations for theses and dissertations from 1861 to the current year. Entries for dissertations from 1980 forward include 350-word abstracts, written by the author. Citations for master’s theses from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts. UC Davis submits only doctoral dissertations for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses via Proquest.

Search Dissertations & Theses by:

  • The keyword of the title or abstract
  • School (“Davis,” for example)
  • Advisor name
  • Other fields

Some UC Davis dissertations are not sent to ProQuest at the request of the author. In such cases, locate the bibliographic record in the UC Library Search online catalog. There may be a microform or print copy available for use, or you may request retrieval of the archival copy via Special Collections.

The Dissertations & Theses database provides access to the complete full-text of all University of California dissertations in addition to UC Davis doctoral dissertations from the year 1997 forward. Free 24-page previews are available for most other university theses and dissertations listed in the database from 1997 forward. Access to the ProQuest database and full-text is limited to UC computer addresses.

How to Obtain PDFs from the Dissertations & Theses Database

When displaying a citation for a dissertation, the Digital Dissertations database will indicate via a “Full text -PDF” button that the dissertation is available for full-text download. Nearly all of the UC dissertations since 1997 are available in full-text format.

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If you have any questions or requests, please send us an email or leave a voicemail and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.

Doctoral Theses

Academic Commons holds the full text of doctoral theses written since 2011 at Columbia and of theses written for a Doctorate of Education at Teachers College since mid 2018. A selection of dissertations from Union Theological Seminary, and from Columbia before 2011, are also available. You can start exploring theses by selecting one of the doctoral programs below.

  • Anthropology (125)
  • Anthropology and Education (26)
  • Applied Anthropology (27)
  • Applied Behavior Analysis (79)
  • Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics (131)
  • Architecture (36)
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  • Chemical Physics (34)
  • Chemistry (268)
  • Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (118)
  • Classical Studies (15)
  • Classics (32)
  • Clinical Psychology (78)
  • Cognitive Studies in Education (91)
  • Communication, Media, and Learning Technologies Design (2)
  • Communications (44)
  • Comparative and International Education (43)
  • Computer Science (249)
  • Counseling Psychology (65)
  • Counseling and Clinical Psychology (4)
  • Curriculum and Teaching (89)
  • Developmental Psychology (14)
  • Earth and Environmental Engineering (88)
  • Earth and Environmental Sciences (184)
  • East Asian Languages and Cultures (108)
  • Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology (65)
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  • Social-Organizational Psychology (42)
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Three Ph.D. Students Honored with Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship

Descriptive image for Three Ph.D. Students Honored with Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship

The University of Maryland's Graduate School has announced Department of Computer Science graduate students Nakul Garg , Shoken Kaneko and Gowthami Somepalli as recipients of the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship , an award recognizing outstanding research contributions and academic performance by doctoral students in the later stages of their dissertation research.

The Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship is a testament to the university's commitment to fostering academic excellence and research innovation. It includes a $15,000 stipend, a candidacy tuition award and additional benefits to facilitate the completion of innovative dissertation work.

Inaugurated in 2005, the award is named in honor of Department of Geology Professor Emerita Ann G. Wylie . The fellowship underscores the importance of academic and research endeavors at the University of Maryland. It is a key component of the Graduate School's efforts to nurture doctoral candidates' academic and professional development. 

The research focuses of the awardees are:  

Garg is a Ph.D. student advised by Assistant Professor Nirupam Roy . His research focuses on the development of sustainable computing technologies. Garg primarily deals with batteryless, AI-driven ambient computing technologies that enhance operational longevity and intelligence while reducing power requirements. His work is intended to support the creation of smarter cities, increase supply chain efficiencies and further develop advanced healthcare systems with a reduced environmental footprint.

Descriptive Image

In addition to his fellowship, Garg has collaborated with Microsoft Research to investigate AI solutions in supply chains, specifically focusing on dynamic tracking systems to reduce global food waste. His projects also include developing next-generation batteryless tags for applications like geofencing, wildlife monitoring and environmental sensing.

Garg plans to explore ambient computing's capabilities further using AI and machine learning to address challenges in egocentric sensing, perception and communications. After completing his Ph.D., he is considering founding a company to commercialize his research and maintain his contributions to the academic field.

Shoken Kaneko

Kaneko is a Ph.D. student advised by Professor Ramani Duraiswami . His work focuses on computational audio and acoustics, specifically spatial audio and boundary element analysis. His work aims to improve numerical simulations in acoustics and electrostatics, enhancing accuracy and reducing costs.

Descriptive Image

Kaneko has developed algorithms that could significantly improve the efficiency of numerical simulations. 

"The methods I've worked on improve spatial audio capture and processing, audio rendering, and sound localization," Kaneko explained. "My research could fundamentally change how we simulate and interact with audio in real-world and virtual environments, like virtual reality and the metaverse."

Looking ahead, he plans to refine spatial audio technologies and further develop engineering tools for audio and acoustics, aiming to enhance how audio is integrated and manipulated in physical and digital spaces.

Gowthami Somepalli

Somepalli is a Ph.D. student advised by Professor Tom Goldstein . Her research focuses on identifying and addressing failure modes in multimodal deep learning models, aiming to enhance their reliability and functionality. Somepalli's work has notably included a study on understanding and memorization in diffusion models, which has significant implications for their practical application across various industries.

Descriptive Image

In addition to her primary research focus, Somepalli is enhancing vision large language models (LLMs), exploring ways to bolster their efficiency and applicability. This work aligns with her broader objectives to address critical challenges in deep learning technologies.

"My work aims to ensure that deep learning systems have a significantly reduced failure rate before they can be utilized on a large scale," Somepalli explained. "The application of my research in diffusion models was notably referenced during the Stable Diffusion lawsuit, and Stability AI has incorporated it in their recent SD3 model to minimize memorization."

Looking ahead, Somepalli plans to continue her research on improving multimodal systems. "Tackling the robustness of these systems is both a challenging and essential task," she remarked, emphasizing the importance of her future endeavors in contributing to the field of artificial intelligence.

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications 

The Department welcomes comments, suggestions and corrections.  Send email to editor [-at-] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu .

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thesis and doctoral dissertations

Graduate School Summer Funding Competition Awards Announced

Seventy-one scholars are the recipients of dissertation and pre-dissertation fellowship awards through The Graduate School’s Summer Funding Competition . The $4,500 awards are given annually to a select group of outstanding doctoral students to support progress to degree and dissertation completion. The awards are part of an expansion of funding and benefits programs announced by the Office of the Provost last spring.   

This year’s awards provide funding for summer research and writing to students in 43 different programs.   

  Dissertation fellowships were awarded to: 

  • Carlos Ramirez Arenas, religion   
  • Emily Beauparlant, social psychology   
  • Chelsea Bouldin, cultural foundations of education   
  • John Brigham, earth sciences     
  • Semaj Campbell-Blakes, history   
  • Stephen Caviness, teaching and curriculum   
  • Ahmet Celik, religion   
  • Shreyas Aralumallige Chandregowda, civil engineering   
  • Sicong Chen, computer engineering and information science    
  • Joseph Colbert, biology   
  • Nicholas Croce, social science   
  • Amber Ford, chemistry   
  • Lerie Gabriel, composition and cultural rhetoric   
  • Nicole Yeannine Moller Gonzalez, geography   
  • Xiaoxia Huang, political science   
  • Jianqing Jia, mathematics   
  • Linghua Jiang, human development and family science   
  • Kelly Kearns, counseling and counselor education   
  • Marie Kramer, mathematics   
  • Qingyang Liu, human development and family science   
  • Yang Liu, instructional design, development and evaluation    
  • Michael McCall, political science   
  • Catherine Montgomery, clinical psychology   
  • Katherine Mott, sociology   
  • Zakery Munoz, composition and cultural rhetoric   
  • Brian Odiwuor, mathematics education   
  • David Okanlawon, anthropology   
  • Felipe Oliveira, philosophy   
  • Madeline Olley, English   
  • Zhijuan Niu, instructional design, development and evaluation    
  • Jared Rosenberg, exercise science   
  • Sarah Souders, public administration   
  • Sarah Stegeman, history   
  • Nimisha Thakur, anthropology   
  • Sidney Turner, composition and cultural rhetoric   
  • Renci Xie, Doctor of Juridical Science    
  • Dong Zheng, civil engineering   

 Pre-Dissertation fellowships were awarded to:  

  • Aleyna Akyuz, physics   
  • Md Mahbubul Alam, chemistry   
  • Karisa Bridgelal, composition and cultural rhetoric   
  • Fatma Celik, religion Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education   
  • Nelson Donkor, chemical engineering   
  • Luanxin Gao, economics   
  • Si Gao, counseling and counselor education   
  • Falak Hadi, political science   
  • Antonia Hamilton, clinical psychology   
  • Sadam Hussain, anthropology   
  • Geoffrey Huyck, composition and cultural rhetoric   
  • Joanne Kim, public administration   
  • Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education   
  • Kaia Kirk, political science   
  • Fasika Melese, instructional design, development and evaluation    
  • Arda Oz, English   
  • Eunji Park, counseling and counselor education   
  • Abdul Bashir Pazhwak, social science   
  • David Peters, mass communications   
  • Caroline Plecki, biology   
  • Vatya Raina, anthropology   
  • Hannah Rembrandt, speech-language pathology   
  • Karie Schmitz, mathematics   
  • Soham Sinha, English   
  • Ilariac Siriner, cognitive psychology   
  • Paige Spencer, religion   
  • Aditya Srinivasan, social science   
  • Xihe Tian, counseling and counselor education   
  • Nathalie Uwamahoro, electrical and computer engineering   
  • Benjamin Valen, social psychology   
  • Bryce Whitwam, mass communications   
  • Jiahe Xing, economics   
  • Zonglin Yang, earth sciences    
  • Shuo Zhang, economics   

Diane Stirling

  • Graduate School Summer Funding Competition Awards Announced Monday, April 15, 2024, By Diane Stirling
  • 5 Students Receive Prestigious Critical Language Scholarship Monday, April 15, 2024, By Kelly Homan Rodoski
  • National Science Foundation Funds Physics Internship Program for Syracuse High School Students Monday, April 15, 2024, By Wendy S. Loughlin
  • Syracuse University to Transform Falk College into First-of-its-Kind College of Sport; Launch Strategic Planning to Advance Excellence in Human Dynamics Programs Monday, April 15, 2024, By News Staff
  • Annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition Provides Research Capsule Talks Monday, April 15, 2024, By Diane Stirling

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Dissertation Defense – Sean McGrath

May 6 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm.

05-06-2024 - Dissertation Defense - McGrath, Sean flyer

Sean will present the dissertation entitled “Inferring Conditional Dependencies in Observational Studies: Nuisance Function Tuning and Transfer Learning”. The dissertation committee is chaired by Dr. Rajarshi Mukherjee, and includes Dr. James Robins, Dr. Brent Coull, Dr. Samuel Kou, and Dr. Rui Duan.

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COMMENTS

  1. OATD

    OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions. OATD currently indexes 7,429,082 theses and dissertations. About OATD (our FAQ). Visual OATD.org

  2. Dissertations & Theses

    ProQuest Dissertations & Theses User Stories. Over the last 80 years, ProQuest has built the world's most comprehensive and renowned dissertations program. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (PQDT Global), continues to grow its repository of 5 million graduate works each year, thanks to the continued contribution from the world's ...

  3. EBSCO Open Dissertations

    EBSCO Open Dissertations makes electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) more accessible to researchers worldwide. The free portal is designed to benefit universities and their students and make ETDs more discoverable. ... In 2015, the H.W. Wilson Foundation agreed to support the expansion of the scope of the American Doctoral Dissertations ...

  4. Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

    Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples. Published on September 9, 2022 by Tegan George.Revised on July 18, 2023. It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation.One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer's block is to check out previous work done by other students on a similar thesis or dissertation topic to yours.

  5. Graduate Theses and Dissertations

    Many theses and dissertations are now being housed within ScholarWorks. Check here first for materials from approximately 2012 to present, though some materials date back to 2009. ... Otherwise, master's theses and doctoral dissertations can be found by searching OneSearch (the libraries' catalog) for author, title, or subject by clicking the ...

  6. What Is a Dissertation?

    A dissertation is a long-form piece of academic writing based on original research conducted by you. It is usually submitted as the final step in order to finish a PhD program. Your dissertation is probably the longest piece of writing you've ever completed. It requires solid research, writing, and analysis skills, and it can be intimidating ...

  7. Guide to Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation : Graduate School

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

  8. How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

    Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal. Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter. Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review. Undertake your own research. Present and interpret your findings. Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications.

  9. How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

    When starting your thesis or dissertation process, one of the first requirements is a research proposal or a prospectus. It describes what or who you want to examine, delving into why, when, where, and how you will do so, stemming from your research question and a relevant topic. The proposal or prospectus stage is crucial for the development ...

  10. Theses and Dissertations

    ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. According to ProQuest, coverage begins with 1637. With more than 2.4 million entries, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global is the starting point for finding citations to doctoral dissertations and master's theses. Dissertations published from 1980 forward include 350-word abstracts written by the author.

  11. Theses and Dissertations

    This series contains open access dissertations that students have wished to make openly available. The full-text content is available to all, although some theses may have embargoes. If an embargo exists the date will be listed instead of the download button. The download button will appear once a dissertation is no longer embargoed.

  12. Home

    Online: UC Berkeley PhD Dissertations. Dissertations and Theses (Dissertation Abstracts) UCB access only 1861-present . Index and full text of graduate dissertations and theses from North American and European schools and universities, including the University of California, with full text of most doctoral dissertations from UC Berkeley and elsewhere from 1996 forward.

  13. Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started

    Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started. 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 ...

  14. Theses and Dissertations

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

  15. Dissertation vs Thesis: The Differences that Matter

    A thesis is performed by master's students, and a dissertation is written by PhD candidates. Europe. In Europe, the distinction between a thesis and dissertation becomes a little more cloudy. That's because PhD programs may require a doctoral thesis to graduate. Then, as a part of a broader post-graduate research project, students may ...

  16. Find Dissertations and Theses

    How to search for Harvard dissertations. DASH, Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard, is the university's central, open-access repository for the scholarly output of faculty and the broader research community at Harvard.Most Ph.D. dissertations submitted from March 2012 forward are available online in DASH.; Check HOLLIS, the Library Catalog, and refine your results by using the Advanced ...

  17. Dissertations and theses

    Locating Dissertations and Theses. The Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global database includes doctoral dissertations and selected masters theses from major universities worldwide.. Searchable by subject, author, advisor, title, school, date, etc. More information about full text access and requesting through Interlibrary Loan; NDLTD - Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations ...

  18. Dissertation vs. Thesis—What's the Difference?

    What is a dissertation vs. a thesis? In American English, a dissertation is a research paper that's required to earn a doctorate degree, while a thesis is a research paper required to earn a master's degree. Dissertations and theses (the plural of thesis) are often mixed up because they're both lengthy research papers written for higher education, especially as part of a master's or ...

  19. Resources to Find Dissertations: Home

    OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center A free, online database of Ohio's undergraduate, masters and doctoral theses and dissertations from participating OhioLINK member schools. It contains the abstract for all included theses and dissertations. The full-text is also available if it was submitted.

  20. Doctoral Dissertations

    The Graduate College required doctoral students to submit two printed copies of their dissertation to the ASU Library, one printed copy to their academic unit and an electronic copy to UMI (predecessor to ProQuest). The dissertations from this time period are available as follows: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) and Dissertations and ...

  21. PDF Standards for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations at the

    Theses and dissertations will be reviewed for format in the order in which they are received. You are welcome to submit your thesis/dissertation prior to the published initial submission date in order to give yourself more time to make revisions. We recommend beginning the formatting process as soon after your defense as you can.

  22. Dissertations and Theses

    The Dissertations & Theses database provides access to the complete full-text of all University of California dissertations in addition to UC Davis doctoral dissertations from the year 1997 forward. Free 24-page previews are available for most other university theses and dissertations listed in the database from 1997 forward.

  23. Doctoral Theses

    Doctoral Theses. Academic Commons holds the full text of doctoral theses written since 2011 at Columbia and of theses written for a Doctorate of Education at Teachers College since mid 2018. A selection of dissertations from Union Theological Seminary, and from Columbia before 2011, are also available.

  24. Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

    From work-first to learn first : navigating educational choices among TANF recipients through the lens of possible selves and stigma

  25. Three Ph.D. Students Honored with Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship

    The University of Maryland's Graduate School has announced Department of Computer Science graduate students Nakul Garg, Shoken Kaneko and Gowthami Somepalli as recipients of the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship, an award recognizing outstanding research contributions and academic performance by doctoral students in the later stages of their dissertation research.The Ann G. Wylie ...

  26. PDF

    Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2023-08. Submitted to the Dept. of Molecular Microbiology. Advisor: Shumin Tan. Committee: Aimee Shen, Carol Kumamoto, and John Leong. Keyword: Microbiology. This object is in collection Theses and Dissertations; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Scholarship; Creator department

  27. Graduate School Summer Funding Competition Awards Announced

    Seventy-one scholars are the recipients of dissertation and pre-dissertation fellowship awards through The Graduate School's Summer Funding Competition.The $4,500 awards are given annually to a select group of outstanding doctoral students to support progress to degree and dissertation completion.

  28. Thesis/Dissertation Deadline

    Office of Graduate StudiesOffice of Research and Graduate Studies. Contact: Kara Owens [email protected] 989-774-1318. Learn more. Students that want to graduate in March 2024 and are in a program with a thesis or dissertation requirement must have their sign-off form and thesis/dissertation submitted to Graduate Studies by 5 p.m. on this date.

  29. Dissertation Defense

    Sean will present the dissertation entitled "Inferring Conditional Dependencies in Observational Studies: Nuisance Function Tuning and Transfer Learning". The dissertation committee is chaired by Dr. Rajarshi Mukherjee, and includes Dr. James Robins, Dr. Brent Coull, Dr. Samuel Kou, and Dr. Rui Duan.