harvard gsas dissertation submission

• Dissertation

Requirements, deadlines, and other information on preparing and submitting a dissertation.

• Fellowships
• Maximizing Your Degree
• Before You Arrive
• First Weeks at Harvard
• Harvard Speak
• Pre-Arrival Resources for New International Students
• Alumni Council
• Student Engagement
• Applying to Degree Programs
• Applying to the Visiting Students Program
• Admissions Policies
• Cost of Attendance
• Express Interest
• Commencement
• Diversity & Inclusion Fellows
• Student Affinity Groups
• Recruitment and Outreach
• Find Your Financial Aid Officer
• Funding and Aid
• Financial Wellness
• Consumer Information
• Life Sciences
• Policies (Student Handbook)
• Student Center
• Title IX and Gender Equity

PhD candidates must successfully complete and submit a dissertation to qualify for degree conferral. It is perhaps the most important and far-reaching undertaking in the entire doctoral program, having an impact that extends well beyond graduate studies. 

Requirements and Deadlines 

Each graduate program maintains specific requirements for the content and evaluation of the dissertation. Be sure to review your program’s departmental requirements prior to beginning the process. You should also review Harvard Griffin GSAS’s dissertation policies for important information about formatting, submission, and publishing and distribution options, including embargoes.  

Degrees are awarded in November, March, and May. Dissertation submission deadlines are noted in the Degree Calendar section of Policies . 

Help with the Dissertation 

Library research .

It’s never too early to start planning for your dissertation. The Harvard Library can help! The Library maintains a guide for graduate students engaged in scholarly writing titled the Writing Oasis . They also offer access to Overleaf , which is an online LaTeX and Rich Text collaborative writing and publishing tool that makes the process of academic writing, editing, and publishing quicker and easier. Overleaf has a section on Writing Your Dissertation that you may find useful.  

Writing 

Students can find support with planning and preparing to write the dissertation from their academic advisors and programs. The Fellowships & Writing Center also offers workshops on various aspects of dissertation writing, holds brainstorming office hours during which students may discuss their dissertations, and provides written feedback on dissertation chapters.  

Dissertation Completion Fellowships 

Harvard Griffin GSAS provides a dissertation completion fellowship (DCF) for one academic year to eligible PhD students in the humanities and social sciences who anticipate completing their dissertations within the year. Find out more in Policies .

Student Affairs

Share this page, explore events.

• Utility Menu

Psychology Graduate Program

• Psychology Department
• Dissertation & Defense

The doctoral dissertation is the culmination of scholarly work in graduate school. Every PhD candidate in the Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is required to successfully complete and submit a dissertation to qualify for degree conferral. The dissertation must be submitted in one of two formats.  

• The traditional format is described in detail here .
• Three articles describing original empirical research that the dissertation committee deems “of publishable quality.”  The student must be the first author on each paper  or obtain approval from their committee to include papers for which they are not the first author . At least one of the three papers must be under review, in press, or published in a peer-reviewed journal. 
• An introductory chapter that thoroughly reviews the literature relevant to the three papers.
• A concluding chapter that describes what was learned from the three papers.

Post-prospectus changes :  If students would like to make substantive changes to the content and/or format of the dissertation after prospectus approval, they must revise their prospectus and obtain approval of the revised version from all committee members. Another meeting of the prospectus committee may be required if the changes are substantial.

If students would like to make changes to the composition of their dissertation committee after prospectus approval, they must obtain 1) approval from the primary advisor/ committee chair to make the change, and 2) approval of the prospectus by any new committee member(s). If the new member doesn't approve of the prospectus as written, the prospectus may need to be revised. If the revisions are substantial, students may need to have another full prospectus meeting to ensure the revised version of the prospectus is approved by every member of the committee.  

Dissertation Committee:  The Dissertation Committee comprises of the three members of the prospectus committee and an additional member—the outside examiner— who was not a member of the prospectus committee. The outside examiner must be approved by the CHD. Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the Psychology Department is automatically approved as an outside examiner.  Outside scholars require approval from your primary advisor and from the CHD. Students may ask the Graduate Program Coordinator if a particular scholar had already been approved in the past; if so, there is no further action needed by the student. If they have not been,  students should petition the CHD via email to the Graduate Program Coordinator; describe briefly why you are requesting the scholar and what they will add to the committee, i.e. "for their expertise in..." and include a copy of the scholar's CV.  

Dissertation Approval:   The dissertation must be approved by the student’s advisor before it is submitted to the dissertation committee. After the student sends the dissertation to the committee, they will have three weeks to read and assess the work. Each committee member should complete a  Dissertation Approval Form  and return it to the student and Graduate Office within three weeks. 

The committee members will receive an evaluation form, where they select among these options:

• Not acceptable in current form and cannot be corrected without major revisions and consultation of committee.
• Needs considerable revision, to be seen by me again. Needs committee consultation: [yes/no]
• Is acceptable with a few minor revisions, to be seen by me again.
• Is acceptable with voluntary minor revisions.
• Is acceptable as is.

If substantive revisions are required, the student will need to respond to these revisions, distribute a revised version to the committee, and the committee will have two more weeks to read and assess the revised version. All committee members must approve "as is" or "with voluntary minor revisions" before the defense can proceed.  

Dissertation Defense Date: Students are responsible for coordinating the schedule for their dissertation defense date. Due to the difficulty of coordinating schedules for several faculty, students are encouraged to find a mutually agreeable tentative date and time (we recommend a 2-hour duration) for the defense and ask committee members to pencil it in. However, it is crucial to recognize that this date will be confirmed only when the student has received approval from all members of their committee. In addition, the department must advertise the defense for two weeks before the date it can be held. Therefore, we strongly recommend the dissertation be submitted to the committee ten weeks before tentative defense date to accommodate time for rounds of revisions. The date will be pushed back if the student has not received approval from all members

Defenses can take place at any point in the year, as long as the committee agrees to convene. However, note there are deadlines to complete the defense in time for November, March, and May degree conferrals. The Department recommends that the defense be held at least 1-2 weeks prior to the dissertation submission deadline for that degree period. Deadlines for the current year can be found online in Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies in the Introduction section.

To submit: Email your dissertation as a single Word Doc or PDF file (or both) to your committee, cc’ing the Graduate Program coordinator. The Graduate Program Coordinator will follow up on this email by distributing the Dissertation Approval Form .  

Oral Defense:   Once the dissertation committee has approved the written dissertation, the student should book a room for the defense and send an abstract to the Graduate Office, which will announce the defense to the Department. WJH 1550 and 105, and NW 243 are the most common choices for a room. Students should submit a room request through FAS RoomBook . Committee members may participate remotely, if necessary, via Zoom or speakerphone. The Building Operations Office can lend a conference phone for this purpose. The Department does not have a budget to fly in committee members from other institutions except for former Harvard Psychology faculty members, although students should consult with their individual advisors to determine whether they would cover travel costs. We can provide a parking pass for committee members at nearby institutions.

The oral examination is moderated by the student's advisor, who is the Committee Chair. The advisor will introduce the student. The student gives a talk  about the work, and then the advisor will ask for questions from the committee. Talk times vary depending on area; please check in with your advisor to confirm. If there is time, the advisor may also choose to invite questions from the audience. The defense is a public event open to all. At the conclusion of the examination, the candidate and audience are dismissed, and the committee meets to make a final evaluation of the student's candidacy for a PhD. In cases of a positive evaluation, the committee members sign the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate .   

Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC):   Students must complete a dissertation acceptance certificate (DAC), which includes the title of the dissertation and signatures of at least three readers approved by the student’s program. Prior to the oral defense, the Graduate Office will prepare a DAC, which includes the title of the dissertation, student name, and signature lines for each committee member The title on the DAC must read exactly as it does on the title page of the dissertation. A copy of the signed DAC should appear before the title page of the online dissertation submission; no page number should be assigned to the DAC. The DAC will be included in all copies of the dissertation.  

Dissertation Submission:   Following the successful oral defense, students must submit their dissertation in PDF format to the FAS Registrar’s Office through  ProQuest ETD by the deadline established for each degree conferral date (see the Harvard Griffin GSAS  Degree Calendar  or the  Registrar’s Office website ). Please carefully review the  dissertation formatting  before submitting online. Formatting errors may prevent students from receiving their degree. Harvard Griffin GSAS provides this helpful Dissertation Submission Checklist . The DAC must additionally be uploaded as a separate "Administrative Document" when submitting the electronic dissertation. The Registrar’s Office will review the dissertation for compliance and will contact the student to confirm acceptance or to request alterations. More details on the dissertation submission process can be found here .

• Required Courses
• First Year Project
• Second Year Project
• Master's in Passing
• Graduating & Commencement

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

From scissors, PFAS everywhere to effects of standardized tests, incarcerated moms

Historian sees a warning for today in post-Civil War U.S.

Faculty working groups formed on institutional voice, fostering open inquiry

Gsas adopts electronic submission of the dissertation.

Until now, a key part of receiving a Ph.D. from Harvard was taking a cab ride to a factory in Charlestown (it was not T-accessible) to have your dissertation bound.

Now that scenic journey is a thing of the past.

After a pilot program launched by GSAS to great success among March degree candidates, all future Harvard Ph.D. dissertations will be submitted electronically for degree completion, binding, and archiving.

Working with ProQuest/UMI, the national repository for dissertation archiving, GSAS has developed a simple online interface where students can upload a PDF version of their dissertation. The submission portal incorporates and streamlines various paper documents students once had to submit to the Registrar’s Office, adding order to the process.

“In a sense, electronic submission dilutes that momentous feeling of actually holding your bound dissertation in your hands,” says Garth McCavana, dean for student affairs for GSAS, “but students have overwhelmingly felt that the time gained and the convenience far outweighs those sentiments.”

Share this article

You might like.

Harvard Horizons Symposium highlights stunning, impactful research of grad students

Past is present at Warren Center symposium featuring scholars from Harvard, Emory, UConn, and University of Cambridge

Garber, Manning announce Noah Feldman, Alison Simmons, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, and Eric Beerbohm as chairs

Harvard announces return to required testing

Leading researchers cite strong evidence that testing expands opportunity

Yes, it’s exciting. Just don’t look at the sun.

Lab, telescope specialist details Harvard eclipse-viewing party, offers safety tips

How dating sites automate racism

Sociologist’s new book finds algorithms that suggest partners often reflect stereotypes, biases

DDes Guidelines for the Dissertation

The dissertation committee.

The dissertation committee normally consists of three, but occasionally of more individuals, two of which have to be GSD faculty. The committee is officially established at/after the successful passing of the prospectus.  The following are requirements for the members of the committee:

• The primary advisor is chair of the committee, he/she must be GSD ladder faculty, including tenured full professors with or without doctoral degrees as well as tenure-track assistant and associate professors who themselves hold a doctoral degree. Tenure-track assistant and associate professors who themselves hold a doctoral degree can chair a committee along with another tenured full professor as a second member. (revised 19-May-2022)
• The second member of the dissertation committee must be a GSD faculty member at any rank, with or without a doctoral degree.
• Other members of the dissertation committee can be faculty members from another school, or individuals from the private or government sector with relevant expertise.

Committee members are obliged to meet at least once each semester as a group with the student, but individual interactions between DDes candidates and the advisors are expected beyond these group meetings.

Changes to the Composition of the Committee

If the student wishes to change the Chair of the dissertation committee, the DDes program director must be notified and approve of the change, in consultation with the current chair and proposed chair.  Please submit the Change of Dissertation Committee Chair Form for signatures.  If the student wishes to change a member of the committee, he/she must consult with the chair and notify, in writing , any member of the committee who will no longer serve on the committee.

Timeline for the Dissertation Defense

The student should coordinate with the committee on a date to submit the final dissertation to read before the defense.  Allow at least two weeks for the committee to read and respond before the defense.  The dissertation defense date should be at least 2-3 weeks before the degree vote as the student may be asked to incorporate changes into the dissertation, which in turn need to be reviewed before the committee signs off.

It is the student’s responsibility to find an acceptable date and time for the defense.  The ASP office will assist with booking a room once the date is scheduled.  The DDes program does not pay for the travel expenses of out-of-town committee members.  Typically, those committee members participate in the defense via Zoom or other teleconference.

Once a room is confirmed, the student may craft an announcement, which the ASP office can share with the GSD community and anyone else as requested.

Dissertation Acceptance Certificate

The ASP office will prepare a dissertation acceptance certificate (DAC).  Please provide the information below via email to Melissa Hulett :

• Student name (Please note, this information is used for the listing in the commencement bulletin).
• Dissertation title.
• Names and titles of all members of the committee.
• Please double check spellings, especially for committee members who are not part of the GSD community.

The DAC must be signed by all committee members. Often this is at the defense; occasionally it may be signed after the edits to the dissertation are finalized.  This is at the discretion of the committee.  The scanned DAC is uploaded with the dissertation.  The original signed copy remains in GSD records.  Contact Melissa Hulett (617-998-1961) with questions regarding the DAC.

The Defense

The ASP office will share an announcement of the defense via email to the GSD community.  The defense is generally a public event.

At the defense:

• The student presents for 25-30 minutes,
• Committee members offer commentary, ask questions, and engage in discussion (30-40 minutes),
• The audience can ask questions.
• The candidate leaves the room and committee members deliberate the outcome.
• The candidate comes back in the room and the committee communicates the outcome. In the case of success, (even if minor changes are required to the written dissertation) all committee members sign the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC), which has been prepared ahead of time.
• The whole event should take approximately 2 hours.

If changes to the written dissertation are required, the student and committee chair will agree on a deadline for the submission of the revised document.  Once the requested changes and revisions to the written dissertation have been made and approved, the student uploads the final dissertation, with the signed DAC incorporated, to Harvard’s Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Submission System .

Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Submission

The final dissertation must be uploaded into Harvard’s ProQuest/ETD system least two days prior to the degree vote, with a Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC) signed by the committee.

This upload makes the dissertation available to the public in ProQuest, in DASH – Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard , and through HOLLIS .

Questions about the publication and processing of dissertations can be addressed to Harvard’s Office for Scholarly Communication . Students that wish for their dissertation to remain private for up to two years can embargo the availability of the dissertation document to the public.

Form of the Dissertation

DDes candidates are required to complete and submit a dissertation to qualify for degree conferral. This guide, The Form of the DDes Dissertation , provides general information on formatting, submission, publishing, and distribution options.

Degree Periods

Each academic year, degrees are granted in three periods.  Graduates participate in the Commencement festivities in May regardless of which degree timeline they choose to follow.

In order to graduate in a given time period, the following must be completed:

• The Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC) must be signed by the committee.
• The dissertation must be uploaded and approved.
• Degree Vote is generally mid-October.
• Dissertation upload must be completed two business days prior.
• November degree candidates are not charged fall tuition. However, if students do not complete the dissertation and defense in time for the fall degree vote, they will be retroactively charged fall tuition.
• Degree Vote is generally early February.
• March degree candidates are not charged spring tuition. However, if students do not complete the dissertation and defense in time for the degree vote, they will be retroactively charged spring tuition.
• Degree Vote is generally mid-May.

*In the event of extenuating circumstances, the program director or advisor may request that the degree be voted on conditionally with the DDes committee, pending the remaining materials.  The deadline would then be extended to two business days before the Full Faculty degree vote meeting (which occurs 1-2 weeks later, except in May when it occurs the following Monday).

Degree Calendar for Academic Year 2023-2024

Download this Guide as a PDF file .

Dissertation Submission

Functional map for the harvard kenneth c. griffin graduate school of arts and sciences (gsas).

Below, please find information related to tools and trainings for GSAS-related processes and procedures. For more information, please contact Patrick O'Brien. Functional Map for GSAS Function Tools Training Training Type Contact/Website Non-Resident...

How to find resources by format

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).

• << Previous: Dictionaries and encyclopedias
• Next: E-books >>

Jump to navigation

Search form

The Graduate School

• Faculty/Staff Resources
• Programs of Study Browse the list of MSU Colleges, Departments, and Programs
• Graduate Degree List Graduate degrees offered by Michigan State University
• Research Integrity Guidelines that recognize the rights and responsibilities of researchers
• Online Programs Find all relevant pre-application information for all of MSU’s online and hybrid degree and certificate programs
• Graduate Specializations A subdivision of a major for specialized study which is indicated after the major on official transcripts
• Graduate Certificates Non-degree-granting programs to expand student knowledge and understanding about a key topic
• Interdisciplinary Graduate Study Curricular and co-curricular opportunities for advanced study that crosses disciplinary boundaries
• Theses and Dissertations Doctoral and Plan A document submission process
• Policies and Procedures important documents relating to graduate students, mentoring, research, and teaching
• Academic Programs Catalog Listing of academic programs, policies and related information
• Traveling Scholar Doctoral students pursue studies at other BTAA institutions
• Apply Now Graduate Departments review applicants based on their criteria and recommends admission to the Office of Admissions
• International Applicants Application information specific to international students
• PhD Public Data Ph.D. Program Admissions, Enrollments, Completions, Time to Degree, and Placement Data
• Costs of Graduate School Tools to estimate costs involved with graduate education
• Recruitment Awards Opportunities for departments to utilize recruitment funding
• Readmission When enrollment is interrupted for three or more consecutive terms
• Assistantships More than 3,000 assistantships are available to qualified graduate students
• Fellowships Financial support to pursue graduate studies
• Research Support Find funding for your research
• Travel Funding Find funding to travel and present your research
• External Funding Find funding outside of MSU sources
• Workshops/Events Find opportunities provided by The Graduate School and others
• Research Opportunities and programs for Research at MSU
• Career Development Programs to help you get the career you want
• Teaching Development Resources, workshops, and development opportunities to advance your preparation in teaching
• Cohort Fellowship Programs Spartans are stronger together!
• The Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (BGHS) A national network society for students who have traditionally been underrepresented
• Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) A gateway to graduate education at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities
• Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) A community that supports retention, and graduation of underrepresented doctoral students
• Recruitment and Outreach Ongoing outreach activities by The Graduate School
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Funding Funding resources to recruit diverse students
• Graduate Student Organizations MSU has over 900 registered student organizations
• Grad School Office of Well-Being Collaborates with graduate students in their pursuit of their advanced degree and a well-balanced life
• Housing and Living in MI MSU has an on and off-campus housing site to help find the perfect place to stay
• Mental Health Support MSU has several offices and systems to provide students with the mental health support that they need
• Spouse and Family Resources MSU recognizes that students with families have responsibilities that present challenges unique to this population
• Health Insurance Health insurance info for graduate student assistants and students in general at MSU
• Safety and Security MSU is committed to cultivating a safe and inclusive campus community characterized by a culture of safety and respect
• Why Mentoring Matters To Promote Inclusive Excellence in Graduate Education at MSU
• Guidelines Guidelines and tools intended to foster faculty-graduate student relationships
• Toolkit A set of resources for support units, faculty and graduate students
• Workshops Workshops covering important topics related to mentor professional development
• About the Graduate School We support graduate students in every program at MSU
• Strategic Plan Our Vision, Values, Mission, and Goals
• Social Media Connect with the Graduate School!
• History Advancing Graduate Education at MSU for over 25 years
• Staff Directory
• Driving Directions

Electronic Theses and Dissertation Submissions

Thesis/Dissertation Office, 466 West Circle Drive, 2nd floor, Chittenden Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824

Phone: 517-353-3220; Email: [email protected] .

The links below provide instructions on what needs to be completed and approved by the Graduate School in order to graduate.

Each semester has a firm submission deadline by which students must submit their thesis/dissertation to ProQuest. The document must have been successfully defended, corrections from the committee addressed and is to be a final version. After submission it may take several days for the Graduate School to review and approve the documents, especially if formatting revisions are needed. Each semester has a final deadline (usually 2 weeks later) by which students must have all required paperwork turned in, all milestones completed and their thesis/dissertation accepted by the Graduate School. 

• Printable Formatting Guide (PDF) Note the absence of List of Tables and List of Figures in the new formatting guide. These sections are generally not necessary and leaving them out helps quicken the review process. Also note that the Table of Contents is more useful when entries are limited to chapter-level headings or chapter-level headings and first-level subheadings.
• Printable Sample Pages (PDF) This includes examples of the title page, abstract, copyright, dedication page, preface, bibliography, table of contents, etc.
• Master’s Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page with Dual Degree Template
• Spring 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (PDF)
• Spring 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (Video)
• All Plan A Master’s and all Doctoral students must turn in the Approval form.
• The Approval form is taken as evidence that the document has been examined and approved by the major professor or thesis/dissertation director. It also serves to document compliance with the appropriate Institutional Review Board for the use of human and vertebrate animals for research.
• Supplemental files may be included with the electronic submission of the thesis or dissertation in the student’s ProQuest account ONLY if the files have been approved by the faculty advisor/committee on the Approval Form.
• ETD Approval Form

Human Research Protection Program

• If human subjects were used in your research, the IRB letter (on letterhead from the Human Research Protection office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
• The IRB number that is to appear your approval form is the “Approved” number on the IRB letter (e.g. STUDY00004871 or AMEND202100608), not the application number (e.g. i45603).
• Sending a screenshot from the “CLICK” site where you are listed as a researcher (CLICK photo must start at the green box that says “APPROVED” and extend so it includes information in the “Contacts” tab below the flow chart) OR
• Having your PI send an email to [email protected] stating the IRB number, the project title, and that you are an approved researcher on the project.  (If you used animal subjects, your name does not need to appear on the IACUC letter.)  

MSU Requirements

MSU IRB review and approval or an exempt determination is required for all projects that involve research or clinical investigations with human subjects conducted by faculty, staff, students, or agents of MSU before initiation of any human subject research activities.

For those projects that may qualify as exempt from IRB approval, an exempt determination must be obtained from the MSU IRB office prior to initiation of the human subject research. For those projects that do not qualify as exempt, IRB approval must be obtained prior to initiation of the human subject research.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if you did not obtain IRB approval prior to the start of your research, if your IRB request was backdated or if your review request was denied by the Human Research Protection office. For further information, please see the Human Research Protection Program website at:  https://hrpp.msu.edu/ . Phone: 517-355-2180. Email:  [email protected] .

Animal Care Program

• If vertebrate animals were used in your research, the IACUC (AUF) letter (on letterhead from the Animal Care Program office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
• The IACUC (AUF) number that is to appear on your approval form is the “IACUC ID” number on the IACUC letter (i.e.: PROTO201800030).

Activities Needing Approval

Any ownership or use of animals for research, teaching, testing, or public outreach by or for MSU must be approved by the IACUC. Some activities are exempt but check first.

Check with the IACUC before you do any of these:

• breed, buy, or conduct research involving animals
• study wild animals
• conduct farming and food production with animals
• euthanize an animal
• import or export animals
• test products, procedures, or treatments on animals
• transport animals
• initiate a new project
• add a new procedure or controlled substance
• change your protocol
• change the breed you are using
• schedule a public performance or demonstration with animals

Get approval before you begin ANY activities involving animals.

The  laws and guidelines  for using animals are numerous. Non-compliance can affect animal care. Non-compliance will be costly to the investigator and the University (such as damage to our reputation and funding). The IACUC committee and staff have up-to-date information on legislation and regulations and contacts with agencies providing guidelines for the care and use of animals.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if you did not obtain IACUC approval prior to the start of your research, if your IACUC request was backdated or if your review request was denied by the Animal Care Program office. For further information, please see the Animal Care Program/IACUC website at:  https://animalcare.msu.edu/iacuc/index.html . Phone: 517-432-8103. Email:  [email protected] .

• Please take a few moments to complete this survey the semester that you plan to graduate. Only students who have applied for graduation will have access to this online survey. Your participation is important and is greatly appreciated by the Graduate School. The survey will ask you questions about your educational experience in your graduate program. The Graduate School uses data from this survey when reviewing graduate programs and to guide decisions about services and initiatives for graduate students.
• Doctoral students:  https://www.egr.msu.edu/doctoral/survey
• Master’s students:  https://msu.12twenty.com
• Enter your MSU NetID (Login name) and password.
• Complete all items on the survey. When finished, click Submit.
• If you cannot open the survey, please contact the Graduate School by email at  [email protected]  and include your name, student ID#, degree level (PhD, MA, MS, etc), and the semester of graduation. You will then be notified when you are able to access the survey.
• The Survey of Earned Doctorates is the definitive source of information on the nation’s new research doctorates. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and five other federal agencies and conducted by RTI, the SED is critical to the understanding in what specialty areas doctorates are produced and their post-graduation employment plans.
• Results are used by government as well as academic institutions to make decisions about graduate education funding, developing new programs and supporting existing ones.
• Michigan State University REQUIRES verification of completion of the survey. When you submit your survey, a notification of completion will automatically be sent to the Graduate School office. It is recommended that at the end of the survey, you also have a copy of the “certificate of completion” emailed to your personal email for your records.
• The registration URL for the survey is:  https://sed-ncses.org . You will receive an email with a PIN and password as well as the URL to the survey upon registering.
• Confidentiality Assurance: The information provided in the survey questionnaire remains confidential and is safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the NSF Act of 1950, as amended. The survey data are reported only in aggregate form or in a manner that does not identify information about the individual.
• Questions about the survey may be directed to RTI at  [email protected]  or at 1-877-256-8167.
• You may submit your document to ProQuest once you have successfully defended your thesis or dissertation and you have made the corrections that your committee wishes you to make.  Do not submit your document prior to your defense. 
• Go to  www.etdadmin.com/grad.msu  and follow the directions for submitting your thesis/dissertation to Michigan State University via ProQuest.
• When creating your account be sure to use an email address that you use regularly. In order to continue the submission process, you will be asked to “confirm” your account using the email address you provided. This is the email address that all correspondence from the Graduate School regarding your document will go.
• Once you “confirm” your account, you are ready to begin the submission process. Please be sure you are on the Michigan State University website within ProQuest. 
• The submission steps are listed on the left side of the screen in the ProQuest website. As each step is completed, a check mark will appear in the appropriate box indicating that you have completed that step. In order to make your initial submission, you must go through each step of the process.
• Once you submit to ProQuest, your electronic submission will be reviewed by a Michigan State University Graduate School Administrator for possible formatting revisions and/or required paperwork before it is “officially” accepted and delivered to ProQuest for publishing.
• You may expect a response with necessary corrections or paperwork from the Graduate School within two business days from the time we receive your electronic submission (or resubmission). NOTE: Response times increase dramatically closer to deadline dates.
• Once all corrections have been made and all necessary paperwork has been turned in to the Graduate School, your document will be accepted and delivered to ProQuest for publishing.
• Please contact ProQuest directly at 800-521-0600 with any technical questions regarding your submission or any questions regarding an order you placed.
• If you wish to have ProQuest file a copyright on your behalf, the current fee is $75.00 and must be paid to ProQuest when you create your submission.  You must be the sole author of the entire document for ProQuest to file for a copyright on your behalf.
• For information regarding a publication hold/embargo on your thesis/dissertation please go to the Embargo link .

• Call us: (517) 353-3220
• Contact Information
• Privacy Statement
• Site Accessibility
• Call MSU: (517) 355-1855
• Visit: msu.edu
• MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.
• Notice of Nondiscrimination
• Spartans Will.
• © Michigan State University

• Crimson Careers
• For Employers
• Harvard College
• Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
• Harvard Extension School
• Premed / Pre-Health
• Families & Supporters
• Faculty & Staff
• Prospective Students
• First Generation / Low Income
• International Students
• Students of Color
• Students with Disabilities
• Undocumented Students
• Explore Interests & Make Career Decisions
• Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter
• Expand Your Network
• Engage with Employers
• Search for a Job
• Find an Internship
• January Experiences (College)
• Find & Apply for Summer Opportunities Funding
• Prepare for an Interview
• Negotiate an Offer
• Apply to Graduate or Professional School
• Access Resources
• AI for Professional Development and Exploration
• Arts & Entertainment
• Business & Entrepreneurship
• Climate, Sustainability, Environment, Energy
• Government, Int’l Relations, Education, Law, Nonprofits
• Life Sciences & Health
• Technology & Engineering
• Still Exploring
• Talk to an Advisor

SEAS Dean's Lecture with Pushmeet Kohli, Vice President of Research, Google Deepmind

• Share This: Share SEAS Dean’s Lecture with Pushmeet Kohli, Vice President of Research, Google Deepmind on Facebook Share SEAS Dean’s Lecture with Pushmeet Kohli, Vice President of Research, Google Deepmind on LinkedIn Share SEAS Dean’s Lecture with Pushmeet Kohli, Vice President of Research, Google Deepmind on X

“Join us on Friday, April 26 from 2-3:30pm for a SEAS Dean’s Lecture featuring Pushmeet Kohli, Vice President of Research at Google DeepMind. The event will be held at the Harvard Science and Engineering Complex in the Winokur Family Hall (room: SEC 1.321). Registration and HUID are required. Seating may be limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Meet the Presenter: Pushmeet Kohli, Vice President of Research (AI for Science & Safety, Reliability and Security) leads the science program at Google DeepMind, which uses AI to help accelerate scientific progress in areas ranging from genomics to quantum chemistry.

Pushmeet’s team is responsible for AlphaFold, an AI system for predicting the 3D structure of proteins. The AlphaFold paper is one of most cited AI biology papers ever, with over 15,000 citations. His team is also working on AI systems for materials discovery and nuclear fusion.

Before working at Google DeepMind, Pushmeet spent 10 years in research for Microsoft, rising to the director of research at Microsoft’s Cognition group. Pushmeet has won a number of awards including the British Machine Vision Association’s “Sullivan Doctoral Thesis Award”, and is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Distinguished Speaker Program.

He also leads research to ensure AI systems are safe, and was the UK government’s nominee for the Responsible AI working group as part of the Global partnership on AI.”

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Website

Note: This is a career-related event (not hosted by MCS) shared because it is open to Harvard students.

Tags: Other Harvard Events , Class Year , Engage with Employers , First Year , Junior , Senior , Sophomore , Technology & Engineering

One more step:

Spread the word by sharing this event with your social networks, save it to your calendar, add to calendar.

• Graduate School of Design
• GSD Theses and Dissertations
• Communities & Collections
• By Issue Date
• FAS Department
• Quick submit
• Waiver Generator
• DASH Stories
• Accessibility
• COVID-related Research

Terms of Use

• Privacy Policy
• By Collections
• By Departments

Interlacing Latent Features: Synthesis of Past and Present in Architectural Design through Artificial Intelligence in a Case Study of Japanese Houses

Citable link to this page

Collections.

• GSD Theses and Dissertations [355]

Contact administrator regarding this item (to report mistakes or request changes)

More from this Issue

Tekoh v. county of los angeles.

Ninth Circuit Denies Rehearing En Banc to Consider Whether a Miranda Violation Can Give Rise to a Claim under § 1983

Same Surname Case

Japanese Supreme Court Holds That Forcing Couples to Share a Surname is Constitutional

Ndambi v. CoreCivic, Inc.

Fourth Circuit Holds That Detained Immigrant Workers Are Not “Employees” Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

This site uses third party services that need your consent. Learn more

This website requires Javascript for some parts to function properly. Your experience may vary.

Subheading text for this page. This area can support limited content, perhaps up to two or three very short sentences.

Joshua Tucker

Faculty advisory board, anne lounsbery, arturas rozenas, ilya kliger, tatiana linkhoeva, postdoctoral fellows, anastasiia vlasenko, christy monet (brandly), affiliated faculty, alla roylance, anne o'donnell, boris groys, bruce grant, cristina vatulescu, eliot borenstein, eugene ostashevsky, evelina mendelevich, gennady estraikh, irina belodedova, jane burbank, katia korsounskaia, larry wolff, leonid peisakhin, marisa karyl franz, martin daughtry, maya vinokour, michael beckerman, michael danilin, mikhail iampolski, olena martynyuk, rossen djagalov, suzanna halsey, yanni kotsonis, visiting scholars, chloë kitzinger, elena adasheva-klein, elena chernyak, ilya slavutskiy, joan neuberger, maria vinogradova, raushan zhandayeva, severyan dyakonov, stanislav budnitsky, postdoctoral fellowship alumni.

Nikolai Erofeev (Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kassel)

Jennifer Flaherty (Lecturing Fellow, Duke University)

Margarita Kuleva (Visiting Professor, Tufts University)

Nataliia Laas (Henry Chauncey Jr.’57 Postdoctoral Fellow, Jackson School of Global Affairs, Yale University)

Emily Laskin (English Edition News Editor, Meduza)

Volodymyr Ryzhkovskyi

Delgerjargal Uvsh (Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin)

Sasha de Vogel (Postdoctoral Researcher, Authoritarian Politics Lab, UNC Chapel Hill)

Updates Right in Your Inbox

Keep up-to-date on all upcoming events.

There are problems with your form input:

Thank you, we received your message and will contact you as soon as possible..