Graduate Thesis and Dissertation Policy
Graduate theses and dissertations are essential elements of a student’s academic journey. They are required for Master’s Thesis Plan A degrees, Ph.D. degrees, and some professional doctorates.
Responsibility and Costs
- Student Responsibility: While students work closely with their advisor and committee, they are primarily responsible for the content, format, and presentation of their thesis or dissertation.
- Associated Costs: Students may be responsible for some or all costs related to their thesis or dissertation research. These costs vary depending on the discipline, research topic, and availability funding.
- Accessibility: Students are encouraged to submit electronic theses and dissertations that meet accessibility requirements, in accordance with CSU’s Policy on the Accessibility of Electronic Information and Technologies.
Language Requirements
- Primary Language: Theses and dissertations are generally required to be written in English.
- Additional Language Options:
- Students are encouraged to use a language that is meaningful to them for the Dedication and Acknowledgments of their thesis or dissertation.
- Students planning to make their English language thesis or dissertation searchable in another language may provide a title and abstract both in English and the additional language.
- Students are encouraged to complete all or parts of their thesis or dissertation in another language when this enhances scholarship. In these cases, students must:
- Obtain approval from their committee and the program Chair/Head.
- Provide an English translation of the title and abstract.
Submission Process
- Students must submit the following to the Graduate School:
- Thesis/Dissertation Submission Form (GS30)
- Electronic submission of the award of the thesis/dissertation
- Survey of Earned Doctorates
- Preparation Guidelines: Detailed formatting requirements are available in the Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guide.
- Modified requirements for Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing:
- Due to publishing conflicts, MFA students in these areas may submit a modified thesis.
- MFA theses must include the standard Preliminaries and Supplementaries sections.
- Instead of the full creative product, students may submit a synopsis (500-1,000 words) and/or a text sample (10-30 pages). The full creative product must be reviewed and approved by the committee as part of the defense. The synopsis and/or text sample must be reviewed and approved by the committee as representative of the full text via the Thesis/Dissertation Submission Form.
- Deadline Compliance:
- Theses and dissertations must be submitted by the Graduate School’s published deadline on the Graduate School website. Students are responsible for checking these deadlines regularly to ensure timely progress.
- Theses and dissertations must be submitted by the Graduate School’s published deadline on the Graduate School website. Students are responsible for checking these deadlines regularly to ensure timely progress.
Archiving and Copyright
- Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations are archived electronically by the University Libraries and ProQuest/UMI.
- Information on copyrights, publication, and embargo options are available in the Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guide.
- As a public institution, CSU:
- Makes bibliographic information about theses and dissertations publicly accessible online.
- Archives theses and dissertations to support the fundamental purpose of these works contributing knowledge and culture for the public good.
Publication and Dissemination
- Students retain the right to disseminate their thesis/dissertation findings beyond university archiving.
- Students are encouraged to submit manuscripts for publication within one year of degree completion to benefit the academic community and society.