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Theses, Dissertations and Projects

A librarian going through a collection of bound theses.

NEW Changes as of Spring Quarter 2018 (effective April 7, 2018)

The Libraries, Graduate College and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies (GSBSPS) have implemented an electronic-only submission process for graduate theses and dissertations. This new process went into effect April 7, 2018 for the Spring Term 2018, for those graduate students completing their degrees by the June 29, 2018 deadline (or the May 4, 2018 deadline for graduates of the GSBSPS).

As of April 7, 2018, students no longer submit a print archival copy of their graduate thesis or dissertation and the accompanying Thesis Approval Form.

The changes to submission are:

  • In addition to the thesis/dissertation, the completed Thesis Approval Form will be submitted electronically by the graduate student to the ProQuest database, by adding the form as the first page of the thesis/dissertation.
  • The graduate student submits proof of submission to the Graduate College via a print copy of the ProQuest ETD Admin submission verification notice.(This replaces the Libraries’ signature on the Completion Form that used to be obtained when the graduate student submitted the print archival copy of the thesis/dissertation and Thesis Approval Form to the Libraries.)
  • Graduate student advisors who desire a delay in public access to a thesis/dissertation must email their request for an embargo to the University Archivist at archives@drexel.edu. Embargos may be requested to hold a thesis or dissertation from public access for a period six months, one year or two years. (This replaces the embargo request section on the Completion Form.)
  • The Libraries will ensure the management and preservation of the digital versions of theses and dissertations and the accompanying Approval Forms as the “archival copy” of these University records.

Submission Instructions

Master's as well as doctoral students are required to submit an electronic copy of their thesis or dissertation using ProQuest ETD Administrator, which will be made available via the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database as well as iDEA, Drexel's digital repository.

The submission process includes an option to request an embargo, holding a thesis or dissertation from public online access for a period of time (6 months, 1 year or 2 years). An embargo in the ProQuest database must be requested as part of the online submission process. An embargo in iDEA must be requested by the graduate student’s advisor by emailing archives@drexel.edu before the dissertation or thesis is submitted.

Submission instructions for graduate theses and dissertations are different from those for master’s and doctoral projects. Please click the link below that best describes your situation:

Additional information

  • The format of any thesis or dissertation is reviewed by one's advisor and must follow the standards found in the Thesis Manual [PDF].
  • Download this Drexel University logo to use in your thesis or dissertation.
  • The Graduate College has required forms and other useful information.
  • Remember to apply for your degree online via Drexel One at the beginning of the term in which you plan to earn your degree.
  • The Writing Center offers in-person as well as online appointments, workshops and other helpful resources.
  • Helpful information about copyright is available from the U.S. Copyright Office.
  • To see the answers to other questions you may have, check out our FAQ listed below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about submitting theses and dissertations.

Is your question not answered below? Contact us at:
libthesis@drexel.edu.

All theses and dissertations

Q: Who checks the format of my thesis/dissertation?
A: Your advisor is responsible for checking both content and formatting of your thesis/dissertation; their signature on the Thesis Approval Form indicates their approval.

Q: Where can I get personal copies printed and bound?
A: The Libraries does not offer printing or binding services for dissertations or theses. You may order bound copies via the following services:

Q: What is ORCID?
A: Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) is an initiative to disambiguate authors of scholarly works through unique, persistent identifiers. It is optional for you to add your ORCID iD when you submit your dissertation to ProQuest. For more information about ORCID, see
http://libguides.library.drexel.edu/orcid.

Q: Why do I need to submit an electronic copy of my thesis or dissertation to iDEA and ProQuest?
A: Drexel wishes to make its research available to the international scholarly community as widely as possible. The Faculty Senate approved this requirement in 2002. The Libraries maintains an open access digital repository,
iDEA, where Drexel scholarship, including our dissertations and theses, are made available to the international scholarly community.

Q: I plan to patent my research or go into business with it. How do I delay release of my dissertation via iDEA and ProQuest?
A: As noted above, Drexel wishes to make its research available to the international scholarly community as widely as possible. If there are reasons not to make your research made freely available on the Internet immediately, you may, with your advisor's permission, delay the release of your thesis or dissertation for 6 months, 1 year or 2 years. To do this, graduate student advisors who desire a delay in public access to a thesis/dissertation must email their request for an embargo to the University Archivist at archives@drexel.edu.

For additional information, see ProQuest's guide on delayed release [PDF] or contact the University Archivist at archives@drexel.edu.

At the end of the embargo period, your thesis or dissertation will become publicly accessible on iDEA unless you request an extension of the embargo by emailing archives@drexel.edu. To extend an embargo on the ProQuest database, contact ProQuest at disspub@proquest.com.

Q: What kinds of file formats can I link to from the electronic copy of my dissertation (PDF)? Are there any other specifications?

  • Only the following formats will be accepted for linked files: .gif, .jpeg, .png, .tif (for images); .mov, .avi, .mpg (for video); .midi, .snd, .wav (for audio); .html, .doc, and .docx are also acceptable.
  • No compression or password protection should be employed.
  • You may include internal or external hyperlinks.
  • If you are linking to a specific file (as opposed to a website), you must include that file(s) along with your dissertation on your electronic submission.
  • The appearance of your thesis or dissertation online is your responsibility. Be sure to examine the PDF version of your thesis or dissertation and check it for completeness and fidelity to the print version.

Q: Is my work covered by copyright?
A: You retain copyright of your work regardless of whether or not you register copyright with ProQuest. You may register copyright directly with the
Library of Congress. Drexel University does have the right to reproduce and publicly distribute copies of your thesis for limited and noncommercial purposes, per the Drexel University copyright policy. For more information, please see ProQuest's guide to copyright and your dissertation/thesis [PDF].

Q: Can my dissertation be found in Google Books?
A: Graduate works published through ProQuest are indexed and searched by Google, Google Scholar, and Google Books. Searches will retrieve basic metadata for each thesis or dissertation (title, author, abstract, keywords, etc.), and provide links to ProQuest for purchase or access. Searches will also retrieve a preview of the graduate work's full text in Google Books. For more information see
Third party discovery and access of your thesis or dissertation. You may opt out of this additional dissemination stream when you submit your dissertation online via ProQuest.

Contacts for Thesis and Dissertation Submission

Phone: 215.895.6845 or 215.895.2766
Email:
libthesis@drexel.edu
https://www.library.drexel.edu/services/thesis-and-dissertation/
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