Thesis Checklist
If you are in a Master's degree program that requires a thesis you must deposit your completed thesis with the University by the date indicated on the University Academic Calendar in order to qualify for graduation. Your graduation date listed in Agora must match the semester you plan to graduate. If not contact the Dean's Office .
Thesis Checklist
Please familiarize yourself with the embargo policy:
Upon submission of a completed doctoral dissertation or master's thesis in the Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, a student may request an embargo for not more than two years without special permission. To request an extension beyond two years, but for no more than five years, a student must submit a written rationale to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Candace Hetzner. Please carbon copy Cara Burke. Requests for more than five years will be granted only for extraordinary reasons.
Use the provided template. Complete the form by choosing the appropriate drop-down choice and typing in the required information, including the names of your advisor and readers as designated beside the signature line. This form allows for electronic signatures; this is the preferred method. Please follow the instructions linked to the right. If someone in your committee cannot sign the document electronically, you must print out two copies for original ink signatures—both copies must be original, not photocopies; print only AFTER any electronic signatures have been applied. Do not include a copy of the signature page in the electronic-submission copy of your dissertation. Send electronic signature pages to the dean's office as instructed; hard copies should be sent to Gason 108.
N.B., digital images of signatures should never be included in the electronic version of the dissertation, e.g., on signature pages, IRB forms, copyright permissions, etc.
Please fill out this information form.
Elements of Your Thesis
The following should be submitted in this order:
- Traditional Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Abstract
- Dissertation Traditional Title Page
The title page must conform to this sample; otherwise, the Graduate School reserves the right to require the page to be redone. The thesis title should be concise and meaningful and the title on the signature page and title page should match.
If you have specific questions about the format of your thesis, contact the Dean's Office, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Gasson 108, at 617-552-3268. Theses not conforming to the minimum standards described here may be returned to the candidate and the awarding of the degree delayed.
Regardless of which option you select with UMI/Proquest this page is required and must conform to this sample; otherwise, the Graduate School reserves the right to require the page be redone. The copyright year should match the date of defense.
The abstract must include the title of your thesis, your name, and that of your thesis advisor as the heading. The abstract must be double-spaced in the same type font as the thesis text.
The signature page, traditional title page, copyright page, and the abstract must not be numbered. The Graduate School does not require use of one particular style manual; however, make sure that you consistently follow one method of reference and bibliographic notation throughout your dissertation.
The typing of all textual material must be double-spaced; notes, bibliographic references, and long quotations may be single-spaced. The font size must be minimum (10) point. While the font size and style should be consistent throughout your text, the notes, bibliographic references, and long quotations may be in a size smaller than your text, but must still be at least (10) point.
Left and right margins must be 1.25 inches. Top and bottom margins must be (1) inch. Page numbers must be 1 inch from paper edge on top or bottom of page. These margins must be strictly maintained throughout your work.
The signature page, traditional title page, copyright page, and abstract cannot be numbered and should be submitted in that order. Table of contents, acknowledgments (optional), lists of tables, etc. are considered the introductory material of the manuscript; therefore, the pages should be numbered in lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, etc.). Every page of the dissertation body, i.e., after the introductory material, must be sequentially numbered in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.).
Illustrative material may be included (in color, greyscale, or black and white).