Thesis & Dissertation

7th Edition6th Edition

Unpublished Master's Thesis

Elements: Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials. (Year submitted). Title of thesis italicized [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Name of College/University.

Blount, C. (1992). Genre Envy: The threat of theory and the promise of creative writing [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of South Dakota.

Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation

Elements: Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials. (Year submitted). Title of dissertation italicized [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of College/University.

Baume, D. (1994). Cracking up the south: Irony in Eudora Welty [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of North Carolina.

Published Thesis or Dissertation

NOTE: Published theses and dissertations are available in databases, such as Pro-Quest Dissertations and Theses Global database, a university archive, or a personal website.

Elements: Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials. (Year submitted). Title of dissertation or thesis italicized [Doctoral dissertation or Master’s thesis, Name of University]. Name of Database or Archive. URL if published online

Finnian, R. C. (1996). Development and depression in southern teenagers [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. ProQuest Dissertations.

Click on the sections below to see the elements and examples of each type of reference for a thesis and dissertation.

Unpublished Master's Thesis

Elements: Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials. (Year submitted). Title of thesis italicized (Unpublished master’s thesis). Name of College/University, Place of College/University.

Blount, C. (1992). Genre Envy: The threat of theory and the promise of creative writing (Unpublished master's thesis). University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD.

Unpublished Dissertation

Elements: Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials. (Year submitted). Title of Dissertation italicized (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Name of College/University, Place of College/University.

Baume, D. (1994). Cracking up the south: Irony in Eudora Welty (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.

Dissertation / Thesis from a Subscription Database

Elements: Author’s Last name, Author’s First and Middle initials. (Year submitted). Title of Dissertation or thesis italicized (Doctoral dissertation or Master’s thesis). Available from Name of database. (Number identifier xxxxxxx)

Finnian, R. C. (1996). Development and depression in southern teenagers (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. AAG9840667)

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Thesis & Dissertation