GUIDE

Guide to the Preparation of Theses & Dissertations

Published by: The Graduate School, Stony Brook University

The criteria set forth in this guide have been established and must be followed in order that each manuscript accepted for official deposit in the University at Stony Brook Library, and for publication by the University Microfilms International (UMI), is a uniform document. Before presenting your thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School be certain that you have followed these guidelines correctly.

The submission of a thesis or dissertation is the last step in the program leading to the award of your degree. Your manuscript is a scholarly statement of the results of a long period of research and related preparation. The final copies become official and permanent records available to all for close scrutiny and study. Doctoral dissertations are published in microfilm form, and the abstracts are published in Dissertation Abstracts International. Microfilming techniques and interlibrary loan services have made theses and dissertations more accessible than ever before. Thus, theses and dissertations are visible reflections of the quality of work produced by students, advisors, departments, and the Graduate School. It is important therefore, that your work not be marred by careless errors in form.

This guide describes the acceptable form for master's theses and doctoral dissertations at the Stony Brook University. All questions regarding the quality of the research and writing of a thesis or dissertation should, of course, be directed to your advisor or dissertation director and the supervising committee. If, after reading these guidelines carefully, you still have questions about acceptable format or important deadlines, direct these questions to the Graduate School at (631) 632-4723 before the final draft is typed.

The following guidelines were designed to cover only doctoral dissertations and those master's theses that are filed with the Graduate School. Consult with your departmental graduate advisor if there are any questions about using this guide for internship reports, special reports, practica, or theses that are filed only in your department, as is required in certain degree programs.

The Graduate School
June, 2006

Before Submitting the Thesis/Dissertation

Graduate students are urged to complete their theses/dissertations and defenses as early as possible during their final semester. Please note that all fees listed below are subject to change without notification

DEADLINES

Deadlines for all graduate degree candidates:
NOTE: For the exact deadline dates consult the current academic calendar and your department's posting.

Last day for Graduate students to apply online for graduation.

Last day for Graduate Students to submit theses/dissertations with the Graduate School.
Candidates who do not complete their requirements within the scheduled deadlines must reapply for the subsequent degree awarding period. Degree applications are not carried forward.

You are also responsible for ensuring that changes suggested by one committee member are approved by all committee members as soon as possible. If you wait until the last minute, there may not be enough time to make necessary changes from all committee members. Such delays may result in the postponement of graduation until the next awarding date.

Deadlines for departments responsible for graduate degree candidates:

Last day for Departments to submit Fall/Spring/Summer Advancements to Candidacy forms.
Last day for Departments to submit completion statements for candidates who have completed all requirements for the degree.

PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS

Students must be registered in the semester they intend to graduate. Spring/Fall candidates must register for at least one graduate credit; Summer candidates may register for zero credits (but it must still be graduate level).

Candidates must complete the online degree application (found at the Graduate School's website under Current Students - Applying for Graduation) within the posted deadlines. The application is generally processed within 1-2 weeks of receipt, and programs are notified of who has applied. The processing of your degree application does not imply academic clearance; it signifies to the program only of your intent to graduate. It is the program's responsibility to prepare your completion papers in time for graduation.

All outstanding university fees must be paid.
All library books must be returned.

Specifications for the Thesis/Dissertation

GENERAL FORMAT

The Complete Manuscript

The thesis or dissertation consists of three parts: the preliminary pages, the text and the reference material.

The internal arrangement of the text and reference material, which also includes the bibliography, appendix and index, will be decided in consultation with you thesis/dissertation advisor. You may include the reference material after each chapter of your text or at the end of your manuscript. Whichever form of organization you decide to adopt, be sure to follow it consistently throughout the thesis or dissertation.

The preliminary pages must be in the order indicated below, and unless otherwise indicated are numbered in lower-case Roman numerals centered at the bottom of the page within the margin limit. The text and reference material are continuously numbered in Arabic numerals.

Overall Appearance

A thesis or dissertation reflects the quality of work produced by the author, the advisor, the department, and the Graduate School. Therefore, it is important that the final manuscript is properly collated and not marred by careless errors.

The text of the thesis or dissertation must be clear and grammatically correct or it will not be accepted. Interlineations, crossed out letters or words, strikeovers, pencil markings, and visible or extensive erasures or corrections will not be accepted in the final copies submitted for deposit. No material may be secured in your manuscript by paper clips or staples.

Paper

Official copies of the thesis or dissertation must be prepared on white, unpunched, 16 to 20 pound bond paper of at least 25 percent rag or cotton content. Use 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper.
Onion skin or erasable paper will not be accepted.

Typefaces

Any standard typeface may be used, including proportionally-spaced fonts, provided that they are no smaller than 15 characters per inch. Size 12 font is recommended.
Exceptions will be made in the case of format style, when larger type is used for chapter or division headings, or if it is necessary to change type for equations or symbols.
The right-hand margin may be justified or ragged.
Each manuscript submitted must be produced on 8½ x 11 inch white, 16 - 20 pound bond paper of at least 25 percent rag or cotton content.
The printing must be letter quality.
Dot matrix is usually not acceptable, but a ruling on near-letter-quality printfaces may be obtained from the Graduate School on presentation of a full-page print sample.

Margins

The left margin must measure 1½ inches. All other margins must measure 1 inch. 1½ inches for all margins is also acceptable. The pages are trimmed at the bindery, so it is important to adhere to these specifications.

Spacing and Indentations

The body of your manuscript may be either single- or double-spaced, although for the convenience of the dissertation committee, double-spacing is preferable for draft copies.
The body of your manuscript must be single-sided, double-sided is not acceptable
The first line of each paragraph should be indented five spaces.
The first line of the text of each chapter or major division should be six single spaces below the last line of the chapter title or section heading, or may be begun on a new page.

Quotations

The recommended practice is to include prose quotations of fewer than six lines as regular running lines of text, enclosed within quotation marks.
If the quotation exceeds six lines, single space the entire quotation, beginning two lines below the last line of the regular text. Indent the quotation on both the left and the right margins for a centering effect. Paragraphs within the indented quotation should be indented an additional four spaces. No quotation marks are used for quotations thus set off from the regular text.
A quotation within a quotation should be enclosed within single quotation marks whether it appears as a running line of the text or is set apart.
Quotations of poetry not exceeding one line may be included in the running line of text, enclosed within quotation marks.
More than one line should be set apart from the text in the same way as prose quotations of more than six lines.
Quotations of poetry set off from the text should be centered on the page.

Pagination

Page numbers should be computer generated or typed. Hand numbering will be cause for rejection of your manuscript.
The preliminary pages are numbered in lower-case Roman numerals at the bottom center.
Every page in the main body must be consecutively numbered in Arabic numerals at the upper right corner or centered at the top or bottom of the page.
Letter suffixes such as 10a, 10b, 10c, etc., are not permitted. If it becomes necessary to make additions to your completed manuscript, you may add them in the form of an addendum at the end.
No punctuation of any kind should be used with page numbers.
The placement of page numbers in the main body must be consistent throughout the thesis or dissertation.
This includes figures, tables, photographs, illustrations, etc. If caption pages are used facing such material they are numbered in the corresponding location (i.e., upper left hand corner or centered at the top or bottom of the page). See pages 8-11, Inclusion of Other Published Media for further information.
Photographic paper onto which type will not adhere need not be numbered but must be counted.
Oversized sheets that are placed in a special pocket in the back cover are not assigned page numbers. See page 10, Oversized Material.

Hyphenation

Avoid dividing words at the end of more than two successive lines of text.
Do not divide the word at the end of the last line of text on any page.

Corrections

No interlineations, crossing out of letters or words, strikeovers, pencil markings, or extensive erasures are permitted.

ORGANIZATION OF PAGES AND SECTIONS

Title Page: unnumbered but counted. See Appendix A for sample page.

Use the term Thesis if you are a master's candidate or the term Dissertation if you are a doctoral candidate.
Use the official and complete name of the degree, degree program, graduate study and/or concentration. See Appendix B: Official Reference List.
If you wish, departments within programs may be mentioned in parentheses under the name of the program.
The date at the bottom of the title page is the month (May, August, or December) and the year in which the diploma is to be awarded.
Do not place statements of acknowledgment on the title page. If you wish to acknowledge separately the auspices under which your research has been carried out and/or funded you may include a paragraph following the abstract or on your acknowledgment page.

Thesis/Dissertation Committee Approval Page: page ii of your manuscript and counted. See Appendix A for sample page.

Type your full legal name, centered, on the line above the main statement. This name should match the name on the title page and abstract page. Do not use initials and do not sign your name.
The committee approval page is page ii of the preliminary pages.
In the body of the main statement use the term Thesis if you are a master's candidate or the term Dissertation if you are a doctoral candidate.
Type signature lines according to the number of members on your committee.
Underneath each line, fully identify the member by typing his or her name, title and department. In addition, include the discipline and affiliation of the outside member.
The first line is reserved for your thesis/dissertation advisor. The second line is reserved for the chairperson of the defense. These two designators must not be the same person. The last line is reserved for the outside member.

Committee members must sign in permanent black ink. A signature in India ink is preferred, but ballpoint pens are acceptable. Felt-tip pens are not acceptable.

Abstract Page(s): page iii + of your manuscript and counted. See Appendix A for sample page.

On the abstract page, use your full legal name. Do not use initials.
The date on the abstract is only the year the degree is awarded.
The abstract begins on page iii of the preliminary pages. Continue lower case Roman numeral pagination throughout the abstract.
The abstract should consist of a short statement of your research, a brief exposition of the methods and procedures employed in gathering the data, and a condensed summary of the findings of your study.
The master's abstract does not have a word limit. However, if it is to be copyrighted, a 150-word limit should be observed.
The original doctoral abstract may consist of several pages, without any word limit.
Please note that your doctoral abstract will be published in Dissertation Abstracts International, which has a 350-word limit. If you do not wish for your original abstract to be further edited or revised, then note the word limit.
The following method will be used for counting words. There should be a maximum of 2,450 typewritten characters per abstract. Count the number of characters (including spaces and punctuation) in a line of average length and multiply by the number of lines. If you wish, you may leave a longer abstract in your doctoral dissertation if you supplement it with a 350-word summary. This summary will serve as the required extra copy actually used for the publication.

Note: See Appendix C for a full explanation and official reference list of degrees, degree programs, graduate studies and concentrations.

Dedication Page (optional): unnumbered but counted.

Frontispiece (optional): unnumbered but not counted.

Table of Contents: numbered and counted. See Appendix A for sample page.

Your table of contents should list all the main divisions of your manuscript following the table of contents as well as subdivisions within the body, references, appendices, and addenda.

List of Illustrations: numbered and counted. Include three lists for 1.) symbols and figures; 2.) tables; and 3.) illustrations. Follow the format as for Table of Contents. See Appendix A for sample page.

Preface (optional): unnumbered but counted. May include the acknowledgments. No part of the thesis or dissertation essential to an understanding of the main body of the text should be included in the preface.

Acknowledgments (optional): unnumbered but counted.

Vita, Publications, and Fields of Study (optional): numbered and counted - doctoral dissertations only.

Text:

Begin Arabic numbering starting with page 1.
The main body of the thesis or dissertation should consist of well-defined divisions, such as parts, chapters, sections, etc., as well as footnotes.

Footnotes/Endnotes

If the nature of your footnotes allows, they should be placed at the bottom of the page. This form is especially convenient for students and scholars who consult microfilm copies of the thesis or dissertation.

If your footnotes contain extensive commentary (as opposed to simple references), they may be placed at the end of the chapters or at the end of the manuscript.

Footnotes:

Each footnote should be single-spaced if it continues beyond one line, and double-spaced between each entry.
The form of footnotes themselves may be that customarily employed in publications addressed to the discipline concerned.
Parenthetical notations in your text are also permissible (i.e., author's name, year, page number etc.), as long as they are detailed in your bibliography.
You are urged to check your footnotes very carefully to avoid complaints from librarians and scholars about inaccurate or poorly organized entries.
Each entry should be contained in its entirety on the page and not continued on to the next page.
Footnotes should be separated from the main part of the text by an unbroken line that extends the length of 20 spaces from the left margin. This line should begin two spaces beneath the last line of your text.

Endnotes:

In place of the first footnote you would otherwise put on the bottom of the page, include a note indicating the inclusive pages where the footnotes may be found. You need to do this only once in each chapter that will have footnotes.

Bibliography: numbered and counted.

Prepare your bibliography using the form of citation that is standard in your field or the form prescribed in any standard manual of style, and use that form consistently throughout the entire bibliography.
A bibliography may list publications that have been cited in the text.
A bibliography may list publications you have consulted or to which the reader should refer, whether or not they have been cited in the text.
Single-space each entry if it continues beyond one line, and double space between each entry.
You are urged to check your bibliography very carefully to avoid complaints from librarians and scholars about inaccurate or poorly organized entries.

Reference Material: numbered and counted.

If appropriate, a glossary or a list of abbreviations devised specifically for use in the thesis or dissertation should be included. "List of References", or some similar phrase, should be used to head a list of publications that have been cited in the text. Prepare your reference material using the form of citation that is standard in your field or the form prescribed in any standard manual of style.

Index (optional): numbered and counted.

Appendix (optional): numbered and counted.

Last section of the manuscript. The text in appendices may be single or double-spaced. Single spacing is recommended, but if the text of the appendix is extensive, double spacing may prove to be more readable.

INCLUSION OF OTHER PUBLISHED MEDIA

Captions

Unless the caption or identifying legend appears on the page with the figure or illustration, captions should be placed on a page facing the figure or illustration.
The text of the caption must be typed and centered on the page, double spaced, with the page number in the upper left hand corner or centered at the top or bottom of the page. See page 4, Pagination.
If the caption is on the same page as the figure or illustration, it may be single-spaced and should be printed either at the top or bottom of the page.
If the page must be turned to be read, the top will be the bound edge and the caption will appear at the bottom, which is the right-hand margin in the normal reading position.

Drawings

All drawings must be produced to the highest standards of draftsmanship, using permanent black ink.
Drawings may be made directly onto regulation paper.
A more common method is to draw them on vellum-type paper and then have copies multilithed or photocopied.
Copies prepared this way are permissible in the original manuscript.

Figures and Tables

Figures and tables may either be interspersed throughout the text of the manuscript, or be placed in groups following the chapters or at the end of the manuscript.
For any figures and tables that are drawn see Drawings in this section for proper format and execution.
Figures and tables must be captioned.
If a page must be turned on its side to be read as a figure or table, the edge to be bound should be the top of the figure, and the caption will appear at the bottom, which is the right hand margin in the normal reading position.
Remember to allow for the regulation margin of 1½ inch left hand margin, and 1 inch margin for all others. 1½ inches for all margins is also acceptable.
For figures or tables that have parts, such as a, b, c, etc., you must caption each part.
All captions must be listed in the List of Figures or Tables in the preliminary pages. See Appendix A for sample page.

Graphs

You may use any graph paper as long as the official copies are reproduced on regulation paper and within the required margins. If you wish the grid to reproduce, use redlined graph paper.

Maps

You should consult with your advisor concerning the appropriateness of maps being included in your thesis or dissertation. Maps should be folded according to the instruction for page 10 (below), Oversized Material.

Non-Typed Materials

Symbols, equations, formulae, accent marks, etc., that are drawn by hand, they must be done in permanent black ink. India ink is preferred, but ballpoint pens are acceptable. Felt-tip pens are not acceptable.

Oversized Material

When materials to be included in the manuscript are larger than the standard page (8½" x 11") size, they should first be reduced as much as possible either by a photographic process or on a photocopying machine with a reducing feature.
Whenever material is enlarged or reduced to meet the margin requirements, it is acceptable to include these reproduced pages in your original copy.
Form letters, questionnaires, and other printed material should be kept within the required margins when reproduced.
If your material is oversized and cannot be reduced, you may fold the material to manuscript size.
The maximum dimensions of materials that may be bound into the manuscript are 17 x 22 inches before folding.
The fold should be made in a pleating fashion, and the folded edges should not be less than ½ inch from either edge of the manuscript so that they will not be cut or sewn in binding.
Oversized material larger than 17 x 22 inches should be folded and inserted into a pocket and placed at the end of your manuscript.
Special pockets may be purchased at commercial stationers or you may construct your own by cutting down the open end of a manila envelope.
When including photographic material in your manuscript it may appear as: the original photograph, a Polaroid photograph, a digital photograph, a multilith reproduction of the photograph, a color photocopy of the photograph, or an "iris" a computer generated reproduction of the photograph.
When such a special pocket is required, the reference to the material it contains should be made in the text.
In the list of figures, illustrations, tables, etc., the following note should be made: "Plates 1 through (last plate number) in pocket in back cover".
The oversized materials themselves should not be assigned page numbers, but your name and the title of your thesis or dissertation should appear on each sheet in the lower right-hand corner.

Photographs

Photographic material must appear in all copies of the manuscript.
Photographs, either singles or composites, must be within the required margins (left margin, 1½ inches, all others 1 inch. 1½ inches for all margins is also acceptable).
Captions may be included on the photographs themselves, or, if space permits, on the same page, rather than on a facing caption page. See page 8, Captions.
If you intend to glue your photographs onto regulation paper, you will need as many prints of each photograph as there will be copies of the manuscript.
Original photographs must be affixed to paper with special adhesive. This service is available for a fee from Media Services in the Health Sciences Center (call 444-3029 for additional information).
Glossy photographs guaranteed by the photographer not to crack or break are acceptable, as are photographs on resin-coated polycontrast paper.
Color photographs may be used, but keep in mind that they will appear in black and white on reproduced copies, so that color alone must not be relied upon for illustrative or interpretive purposes. Color photographs or color reproductions will be included in the reproduced copies only if you provide them for each copy of your manuscript.
Copies may also be prepared on single-weight matte finish photographic paper.
Color Xerox copies are acceptable.
The negative is required for each single or composite picture.
The negatives are submitted with your manuscript, each in a separate envelope on which you list your name, department, name of your advisor, title of your manuscript, and the figure (or plate, etc.) and page number of the photograph within the manuscript.
If the print is an enlargement or reduction from the original negative, the ratio of enlargement or reduction must also be noted on the negative envelope.
If negatives are not available for inclusion, a typewritten statement informing the Graduate School where they are located should be supplied to be kept on file.
If negatives do not exist, as in the case of Polaroid or digital photographs, a typewritten statement to this effect is required.

Published Material

If approved by your advisor and thesis/dissertation committee, reports of research undertaken during graduate study that have been published in appropriate media may be accepted in their printed form as part of your manuscript.

The pages from the published material themselves must be reproduced by one of the acceptable printing methods, as outlined on page 14, Printing Methods. All other procedures and formatting specifications must also be followed.

Units

For scientific work, SI units must be used except where there is good reason not to do so, for example, where it is the accepted practice of workers in the field to use other units.

PERMISSION TO USE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

The filing of a thesis or dissertation in a library is generally presumed to constitute publication in a legal sense. The reproduction of a dissertation by University Microfilms International (UMI) is similarly regarded as a form of publication. Consequently, you are expected to conform to the provisions of the copyright law with regard to quoting from copyrighted material. For this reason, University Microfilms requires that you subscribe to the following statement, which appears on the agreement form:

The author hereby certifies that the use of any copyrighted material in the manuscript beyond brief excerpts is with the permission of the copyright owner, and will save and hold harmless University Microfilms from any damage that may arise from such copyright violations.

Subscription to this section does not mean that you must ask permission from the copyright owners for every quotation of a prose passage of approximately 150 words, nor does the quotation of a few lines of verse in a work of scholarship or criticism call for permission; however, these general considerations do not absolve you from your responsibility in the matter of copyrighted materials.

If you quote continuously or extensively from a particular author, especially in such fields as fiction, drama, poetry, or criticism, or if you reproduce maps, charts, statistical tables, or other similar materials that have been copyrighted, you must write to the copyright owner(s), describe the use to which you are putting the material, and request permission to include it in your thesis or dissertation. This practice also applies if you cite your own published work(s) and your publisher holds the copyright.
For your protection, a statement listing such materials should be included in your thesis or dissertation under Acknowledgments. The statement should indicate 1) that permission has been grated for their use and 2) the source(s) of the permission.
If your published material lists a co-author, and if the co-author is listed by reason of having directed and supervised the research that serves as the basis of the thesis or dissertation, list only your name as the author in the preliminary pages of your thesis or dissertation. In the Acknowledgments you will state, "The text of this (thesis/dissertation) (in part/in full) is a reprint of the materials as it appears in (names of publications). The co-author(s) listed in the publication(s) directed and supervised the research that forms the basis for this thesis or dissertation."
It is your responsibility to resolve any copyright problems arising from the use of published material.

If you own the copyright of the published material, you must supply a copyright page showing the following information for each publication:

Copyright by (name of author/copyright owner): ________________
Copyright Registration Number: ____________________________ (obtain this number from copyright certificate)
Year copyright was obtained: ________________

For master's thesis, when the copyright owner(s) is someone other than yourself, a written statement from the copyright owner(s) is submitted when the thesis is filed, granting you permission to use the copyrighted material and authorizing the University at Stony Brook to reproduce the material by photocopy or in microfilms on a one-at-a-time basis.
For the doctoral dissertation, when the copyright owner(s) is someone other than yourself, a written statement from the copyright owner(s) is submitted when the dissertation is filed, granting you permission to use the copyrighted material and authorizing the University at Stony Brook to reproduce the material by photocopy or in microfilms on a one-at-a-time basis.
No thesis or dissertation incorporating printed material that has been copyrighted will be accepted without appropriate authorization.

Submitting the Thesis/Dissertation

MICROFILMING AND COPYRIGHTING

Microfilming

The Graduate School will send a copy of the manuscript of all doctoral dissertations to University Microfilms International (UMI) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they will be microfilmed, and the abstract published in Dissertation Abstracts International.
A master microfilm of each dissertation is assigned a publication number and then kept on deposit. You will be issued your publication number directly from UMI approximately six months after you file your dissertation. This number is used to order your microfilm copies.
Master's theses are not microfilmed. They are sent directly to the Archives from the Graduate School.
Students in the Ph.D. in Music Composition program should consult the Department of Music Graduate Studies Director for separate guidelines on publication of their composition with the American Music Center.

Microfilm Agreement

When you file your dissertation you will be required to sign an agreement form with UMI, at which time you may take the option to copyright your dissertation. This form is part of the doctoral Exit Questionnaire packet, available in advance from the Graduate School.

Copyrighting the Doctoral Dissertation

Since your doctoral dissertation will be published in microfilm form by University Microfilms, it is important to decide whether you want the protection of a copyright. The danger of fraudulent reproduction or improper use of a dissertation is not likely to be very great. Whether or not your dissertation should be copyrighted depends on the nature of the materials and your plans for its future publication or revision. In deciding the matter, the following considerations are pertinent. See Appendix A for sample page.

Whether or not the dissertation is copyrighted, you retain the right to publish all or any part of your dissertation by any means at any time, except by reproduction from a negative microfilm as described in the Microfilm Agreement Form that you sign.
The university does not have a mandatory policy on copyrighting doctoral dissertations. You may, however, take the option to copyright your dissertation by completing the copyright section on the Microfilm Agreement Form.
If you decide to copyright, University Microfilms will obtain a copyright for your dissertation in your name.
The certificate of registration will be mailed to you approximately five months after University Microfilms receives your dissertation.
A copyright page should be placed in your dissertation following the title page.

Copyrighting the Master's Thesis

Copyrighting your master's thesis is optional. However, you may copyright your manuscript independently by contacting:

Copyright Office
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20559
General Information: (202) 707-3000
For Copyright Forms: (202) 707-9100

If you decide to copyright your manuscript, a copyright page should be placed in your thesis following the title page. Consult Appendix A for sample page.

PRINTING METHODS

An original and the required number of copies of the approved thesis or dissertation must be submitted unbound to the Graduate School before the deadline. The Graduate School will arrange for binding the copies and for microfilming doctoral dissertations. The binding process usually takes about six months.

You are forewarned that shaded background, lack of sharp contrast between the print and the background, streaking, or spotting will be cause for rejection of your manuscript. If you have doubts about the visual clarity of your manuscript, you should obtain a sample of the copy produced by the equipment you intend to use and bring it to the Graduate School to confirm that it will be accepted.

The following are the approved printing methods for preparation of the manuscript and its required copies:

Choose one of these Three Duplication Procedures:

Print the entire required number of copies on a printer. There is 16 - 20 pound, bond, 25% cotton paper available in continuous feed form that may be purchased from commercial stationers. Bear in mind that the edges of the tear sheets must be smooth.
Print your original on regulation paper and photocopy the required number of copies on regulation paper.
Print your copy on any type of paper and photocopy the required number of copies on regulation paper, one of which will be used as the original.

ASSEMBLY AND DEPOSIT OF THE THESIS/DISSERTATION

Please note that the prices listed below are subject to change without notification.

Thesis/Dissertation Submission Requirements

Number of copies required:

Master's candidates: three copies (an original and two copies for binding).
Master's candidates in Engineering or Basic Health Sciences: four copies (an original and three copies for binding).
Doctoral candidates: four copies (an original, one copy for microfilming, and two copies for binding).
Doctoral candidates in Engineering or Basic Health Sciences: five copies (an original, one copy for microfilming, and three copies for binding).
Doctoral candidates in Music Composition: three copies (an original and two copies for binding).

Submitting the Thesis/Dissertation: For both Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations:

The original must be packaged in a clean 9 x 12 inch clasped manila envelope, with no more than 50-60 pages in each envelope.
An extra copy of the title page of the manuscript must be taped to the front of each envelope.
Each remaining copy must be packaged in its own manila envelope large enough to accommodate it, with a copy of the title page taped to the front.

Additional Requirements for Doctoral Candidates:

Submit one extra copy of each of the following: title page, and complete abstract with the advisor's name typed under the year on the first page of the abstract.
Complete the following forms: 1. National Research Council's Survey of Earned Doctorates; 2. University Microfilms Agreement; 3. Exit Questionnaire. Submit these forms with the dissertation. These forms are available in the Graduate School.

Assembly

After you have successfully passed your defense or colloquium, obtain the signature of each of your committee members on the committee approval page.
The signatures must be in permanent black ink.
The original signature page should be placed in the envelope marked "original".
Photocopy the appropriate number of copies of this page onto regulation paper so that there will be a copy for every manuscript.
The copies of your manuscript must be unbound and unperforated.
Assemble your manuscript by placing the original and the required number of copies (as outlined above) in clasped manila envelopes of appropriate size.
Mark one envelope "original" and the others "copy" as appropriate.
An extra copy of the title page should be affixed to the outside of each envelope to serve as an identifying label.
If your manuscript is over 500 pages, it should be divided into two equal parts, labeled appropriately as "Volume 1" and Volume 2", for binding into two volumes.
You can then bring the envelopes to the Graduate School for the signature of the Dean for filing.

DEPOSIT and APPROVAL

You are urged to deposit the final copies of your thesis or dissertation as early as possible during the semester in which you expect to receive your degree.
Consult the Graduate School or your a