Dissertation Guidelines and Checklist
A message from Associate Dean Candace Hetzner
Congratulations on nearing the end of your doctoral work at Boston College. If you would like to schedule an optional Exit Interview please contact me at hetzner@bc.edu. This is an opportunity for you to share your experiences and assist us in formulating objectives for future change.
Submit your dissertation online
Dissertation Checklist
University-wide policy on dissertation submission requirements to be used across all doctoral programs at BC
Management of dissertations at Boston College is online-only. The public dissemination of research fits with university social justice values supporting global access to scholarship. The University policy with regard to dissertations is as follows:
All final dissertations must be submitted and published online through ProQuest/UMI, as well as BC’s open access institutional repository, by the University required deadline.
The ProQuest ETD Administrator system is used for student submission, school administration approval, and library management of the process, as it is at the vast majority of Carnegie Tier 1 schools. BC also supports an institutional repository (IR) as its system of record, in which we are legally obligated to preserve all dissertations, and where materials are made available Open Access online according to Creative Commons licensing of the student’s choosing. For both repositories, embargoes may be placed for up to two years. Embargoes can be extended up to five years with school approval. Each system carries its own set of licenses, terms and options (e.g. ProQuest license, BC IR license.)
Exceptions to the requirement to submit digitally will be based on decisions made by individual schools or by the Provost. BC Libraries provide support, instruction, and infrastructure to enable the collection, approval, description, security, access and preservation of all Boston College dissertations and theses.
(February 2021)
Signature Page
Use this 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 these instructions. 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.
Please fill out this information on this site.
Elements of Your Dissertation
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 dissertation title should be concise and meaningful, and the title on the signature page and title page should match.
Copyright Page
Regardless of which option you select with UMI, this page is required and must conform to this sample; otherwise, the Graduate School reserves the right to require the page to be redone. The copyright year should match the date of defense.
Abstract
The abstract must include the title of your dissertation, your name, and that of your dissertation advisor as the heading. The abstract must be double-spaced in the same type font as the dissertation text.
Dissertation Form and Style
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.
Language
Dissertations should ordinarily be written in English. In exceptional cases where there are substantial academic reasons for doing so, departments—with the approval of the associate dean for academic affairs—may accept dissertations in a language other than English.
Margins and Page Numbers
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.
Pagination
The 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.).
Charts, Graphs, Tables
Illustrative material may be included (in color, greyscale, or black and white).
If you have any questions about the format of your dissertation contact the Dean's Office, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Gasson 108, at 617-552-3268. Dissertations not conforming to the minimum standards described here in may be returned to the candidate and the awarding of the degree delayed.
Dissertation Submission
Dissertation submission
- To qualify for graduation you must deposit your completed dissertation with the University by the date indicated on the University Academic Calendar.
- In order to graduate your graduation date must match your graduation date listed in Agora. If not, you must contact the Dean's Office at 617-552-3268 or gsasinfo@bc.edu to have this corrected.
- Follow the Dissertation Checklist to ensure you have completed all requirements.
All elements on the following checklist must be completed by the deadline for dissertation submission printed on the University's Academic Calendar.
University-wide policy on dissertation submission requirements to be used across all doctoral programs at BC
Management of dissertations at Boston College is online-only. The public dissemination of research fits with university social justice values supporting global access to scholarship. The University policy with regard to dissertations is as follows:
All final dissertations must be submitted and published online through ProQuest/UMI, as well as BC’s open access institutional repository, by the University required deadline.
The ProQuest ETD Administrator system is used for student submission, school administration approval, and library management of the process, as it is at the vast majority of Carnegie Tier 1 schools. BC also supports an institutional repository (IR) as its system of record, in which we are legally obligated to preserve all dissertations, and where materials are made available Open Access online according to Creative Commons licensing of the student’s choosing. For both repositories, embargoes may be placed for up to two years. Embargoes can be extended up to five years with school approval. Each system carries its own set of licenses, terms and options (e.g. ProQuest license, BC IR license.)
Exceptions to the requirement to submit digitally will be based on decisions made by individual schools or by the Provost. BC Libraries provide support, instruction, and infrastructure to enable the collection, approval, description, security, access and preservation of all Boston College dissertations and theses.
(February 2021)