Theses and Dissertations
Quick links ———————————————————————— FORMATTING YOUR THESIS Overview Choosing a word processor or typesetting package Creating single or multiple files Formatting your thesis or dissertation Formatting in WordPerfect Formatting in Word Formatting in LaTeX Obtaining LaTeX "Click Here and Type " Templates Converting your thesis or dissertation to PDF Choosing the right PDF software for you Using Adobe Acrobat List of labs with installed versions of Acrobat Using pdf995 Using Ghostscript: Windows Using Ghostscript: Mac Installing Ghostscript Installing a PostScript Printer Driver Downloading Acrobat Reader for Windows Downloading Acrobat Reader for Mac Embedding fonts Help ———————————————————————— SUBMITTING YOUR DOCUMENTS Format Check Submission Requirements The ETD Format Check Submission Page The ETD Final Submission Page Proquest (UMI) Web site Survey of Earned Doctorates Purpose and use of the Survey of Earned Doctorates Printing & Binding Help ———————————————————————— REFERENCES The Graduate School Style Manual Human Subjects Guidelines Policies and Procedures for Electronic Theses and Dissertations The ETD Library

Thesis and Dissertations Guidelines

SUMMER 2009 DEADLINES
Format Check: July 6, 2009 5pm
Final Submission: July 20, 2009 5pm

GUIDING PRINCIPLES: THE GRADUATE SCHOOL STYLE MANUAL
This PDF manual establishes a set of standards designed to ensure consistency, legibility, and professional appearance of theses and dissertations. These standards are not intended to comprehensively address all the minutiae of style and formatting. Students should refer to their academic department’s choice of style manuals for such specifics.

Please note: You must follow these guidelines to format your thesis/dissertation for the first format check.  If it is apparent that you have not made a reasonable attempt to do so, your document will not be checked and your graduation may be delayed until a future semester.

Preparation for Electronic Submission:

• Overview
• Choosing a word processor or typesetting package
• Creating single or multiple files
• Formatting your thesis or dissertation : WordPerfect | Word | LaTeX
• Obtaining LaTeX
• "Click Here and Type " Templates
  for abstract, title, copyright, approval, dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents
• Converting your thesis or dissertation to PDF
• Choosing the right PDF software for you
• Using Adobe Acrobat
• List of labs with installed versions of Acrobat
  
• Using pdf995
• Using Ghostscript: Windows | Mac
• Installing Ghostscript
• Installing a PostScript Printer Driver
• Downloading Acrobat Reader for Windows | Mac
• Embedding fonts

Submitting your documents:

• Format Check Submission Requirements
  
  The submitted file must be named according to the following convention:
  
  lastname_firstname_middleInitial_yearMonthOfGraduation_degreeAcronym.pdf
  
  For example: doe_john_b_200908_phd.pdf
  
  DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR DOCUMENT FOR FORMAT CHECK OR FINAL APPROVAL WITHOUT NAMING IT IN THE APPROPRIATE MANNER OUTLINED ABOVE.
• The ETD Format Check Submission Page
  You must have a format check done before you can submit your official copy.
• The ETD Final Submission Page
  Submit only your corrected (Format Checked) thesis or dissertation.
  
  Doctoral only:
  
  Dissertation Abstracts (UMI): Doctoral students may elect to submit the abstract of their dissertation or the entire dissertation to Dissertation Abstracts for processing and distribution. Students should discuss this option with their major professor prior to making a decision to utilize this service. Students choosing this option may access the Proquest (UMI) Web site for more information or to obtain the appropriate agreement form. The Graduate School is no longer involved in this process.
  
  Survey of Earned Doctorates: The Survey of Earned Doctorates gathers data from all doctorate graduates each year.  The responses become part of the Doctorate Records File, a virtually complete data bank on doctorate recipients from 1920 to the present.    These data serve policymakers at the federal, state, local and university levels.
  Privacy: Information you provide is kept confidential and is safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. The survey data are reported only in aggregate form or in a manner that does not identify information about any individual.  Your information is vital to future program development and funding. Please register for the survey at http://survey.norc.uchicago.edu/doctorate.  You will receive a pin and password to take the secure survey.

QUESTIONS ABOUT FORMATTING YOUR THESIS OR DISSERTATION?

References

The Graduate School Style Manual: All ETDs must conform to the Graduate School style requirements. Note: A new and improved version of the Style Manual was released in September 2003, and it includes simplified requirements.

Human Subjects Guidelines: The Human Subjects Office at the Office of the Vice-President for Research

Policies and Procedures for Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ETD Library: Theses and Dissertations that have been submitted to the Graduate School. Please note that this link takes you out of the Graduate School and into the University Library system. Any inquiries regarding the ETD Library site and its contents should be directed to the Library. Also note that it may take some time for the Library system to process theses or dissertations after they have been accepted by the Graduate School.

After you have finished

Printing and binding of your ETD: If you want paper copies, Print and Copy Services at the Tate Student Center will print and bind your thesis or dissertation in the traditional black hard cover with gold lettering. Please do not make copies or pay for binding before contacting the Tate Center Print and Copy Services.