PHD dissertation or thesis

These guidelines are minimum standards for professional presentation of your doctoral work. The Office of the University Registrar, which is responsible for administering dissertation and thesis submission, encourages students to ask questions about format before final preparation of the manuscript. A non-conforming submission may have to be redesigned and resubmitted, with a possible delay in degree conferral. Previously approved dissertations are not a reliable guide for preparation of a manuscript as guidelines may have changed. Stanford is committed to the preservation and dissemination of the scholarly contributions of its students. The Faculty Senate’s Committee on Graduate Studies believes that this practice is of value to library patrons, researchers, and the learned community at large, as well as to the author whose work receives wide and accessible dissemination.

Submission Deadlines for Conferral (2015-16)

Electronic Dissertation and Thesis Submission

The Registrar's Office in conjunction with the Stanford University Library offer students the option to submit their dissertation/thesis in electronic format. This electronic submission process is free of charge to students and allows them the ability to log into Axess and check their pre-submission requirements in the eDissertation/eThesis Center under the academics tab. Once these requirements have been met the "Proceed to Dissertation/Thesis Submission page" button will open up in the student eDissertation/eThesis center and this will allow the student proceed and upload a soft copy of their dissertation/thesis.

This means that Ph.D., J.S.D., D.M.A., and Engineer degree students now have the option to submit their dissertation/thesis either online in electronic pdf format OR continue to submit the hard copies via an appointment with the Registrar’s Office. The electronic submission process is not yet available for master's theses or undergraduate honors theses.

Electronic Dissertation/Thesis Open Lab Sessions

The Registrar's Office and Stanford University Libraries will hold Open Lab sessions to provide assistance to students who have additional electronic submission questions.

• Monday, April 11, 2-2:30pm
• Monday, May 2, 2:30-3pm
• Tuesday, May 17, 2:30-3pm
• Monday, May 23, 2:30-3pm
• Wednesday, May 25 10:30-11am

If you have further questions about electronic formatting, the submission process, or just general issues with submission, come to one of these lab session for assistance. Bring your laptop computer with you to these sessions.

There will be representatives from both the Stanford University Registrar's Office and the Library present to assist you. All Open Lab sessions are located at Green Library IC (Information Center) classroom, room 166.

If you are not submitting electronically, you may schedule a paper dissertation format, or paper submission appointment with the Registrar's Office.

Copyright Considerations for Authors of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Take a few minutes to review the Copyright and Publication Considerations before you submit your eDissertation/eThesis. The above slide presentation, produced by Stanford University Libraries in consultation with the Office of the General Counsel, is designed to inform students about copyright issues, in particular the choices and decisions a student faces in the process of submitting a dissertation or thesis electronically.

General Questions:

For further information on preparing and submitting doctoral dissertations, Engineer degree theses, and D.M.A. final projects, contact the Student Services Center, second floor, Tresidder Memorial Union, or submit a Student Service Center Help Ticket