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Writing the Thesis

Professor Martha C. Pennington

Elizabethtown college.

GENERAL ADVICE

The 5 most important things for all phd students.

AVOID ISOLATION.

INTERACT WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

COMMUNICATE � TALK AND WRITE � AS A MAJOR PART OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS.  

10 WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS

BE CONNECTED ELECTRONICALLY.

Get on the internet and use the internet. There are vast resources of helpful advice for writing the thesis there, in addition to information resources specific to your field.

GET INVOLVED IN THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY OF YOUR FIELD.

Read other theses. Take all opportunities to go to lectures and conferences.

MAKE A COMMUNITY WHERE YOU ARE.

Build thesis support relationships with one or more other students and meet regularly (at least monthly) to discuss ideas and problems, and to give mutual feedback on writing.

KNOW YOURSELF.

Make a list of own writing problems; work on these, and keep an eye out for them in drafts.

FOCUS YOUR SUPERVISOR�S ATTENTION ON YOUR NEEDS.

Ask your supervisor for specific feedback in the areas you want and need input on.

DEVELOP A DISCIPLINED APPROACH TO YOUR WORK.

Get into a routine pattern, with designated place, time of day, and minimum period of time for work on the thesis. Make sure people around you know not to disturb you during this work.

KEEP YOUR MOMENTUM; DON�T WASTE TIME.

Do not let a week pass without doing something on the thesis. Write regularly (at least weekly), to help develop ideas and create draft material for the thesis -  e.g. written summaries of sources, diary of problems and how they were handled. It is not a good idea to do research work for long periods without writing. Keep in mind that the whole point is to get a written work completed, so you might as well write through the whole process of your PhD study.

CREATE AN ONGOING DIALOGUE.

Ask questions as soon as they arise, and keep asking a question till you feel satisfied that you have a full answer which you understand. Students are often reluctant to pursue things they do not understand. Sometimes this is a matter of not feeling confident to approach the supervisor. Try out questions first on a thesis support �buddy� or other student. Discuss your question in detail, so you will have thought the question through in depth before meeting your supervisor.

ADOPT A SCHOLARLY ATTITUDE AND APPROACH TO YOUR WORK.

Work to a high standard. Be meticulous, avoiding the temptation to take shortcuts. Spend the time and effort needed to do a thorough and careful job of designing, researching and writing your thesis.

BE AWARE THAT YOU ARE A NOVICE AND AN APPRENTICE.

Avoid the common tendency of postgraduate students to think you are an expert in some aspect of research or writing a thesis. Never proceed with research before consulting your supervisor. PhD students always make mistakes when they carry out research without first clearing procedures with a knowledgeable researcher. Common problems are �fatal flaws� in questionnaire design (e.g. wrong type of scale), invalid interview procedure, wrong data type (not appropriate to theory or planned statistical procedures or method of analysis), inadequate sample size or composition.

SPECIFIC ADVICE FOR WRITING THE PhD THESIS

BE CONVENTIONAL IN ORGANISATION AND STYLE.

Follow the conventions of thesis research and writing in your field.

BE ORIGINAL IN WORDS AND CONTENT.

Originality is a key criterion on which a thesis is judged.

LEARN TECHNICAL TERMS AND USE THEM CORRECTLY.

A major part of learning a field is becoming proficient at its terminology.

BE EXPLICIT.

Leave nothing unsaid or implicit, and leave out no words. Bring ideas to the surface and put them into words. Introduce all abbreviations, terms, and new ideas clearly.

GIVE CLEAR INDICATIONS OF STRUCTURE AND RELATIONSHIPS.

Link ideas using markers (e.g. conjunctions) of their logical relationships. Use punctuation (especially comma) to show the structure of sentences and their component parts.

BE PRECISE.

Develop a precise idea and then write exactly what you intend. Avoid overgenerality, vagueness, ambiguity, or informality.

UNDERSTATE; NEVER OVERSTATE.

Avoid sweeping generalisations; generalise modestly and carefully. Never exaggerate.

BE CONSERVATIVE.

Do not propose anything without good evidence. Do not go �out on a limb� or make rash statements. Avoid definitive conclusions. Hedge your bets by considering multiple factors.

ARGUE YOUR POINT OF VIEW; DO NOT MERELY STATE IT.

It is not adequate to simply state a point of view. Nor is it adequate to simply make a claim prefaced by �As it is widely believed,�  �As it is well-known,� or simply �Clearly,��.

FAIRLY EVALUATE OTHER WORK AND POINTS OF VIEW.

Discuss other people�s work and points of view, and evaluate them differentially, i.e. assess them as more or less reasonable, more or less similar to your own. Avoid any tendency to �strike down the opposition� or dismiss other work or viewpoints as entirely wrong or unjustified. Remember, you are a novice with only an initial understanding of your field and the work which has preceded yours.

BE CONSISTENT.

Follow a specific convention of style or methodology consistently. Use words with consistent meanings.

BE UP-TO-DATE.

Make your work new and relevant to the present state of your field. Bring your references up to within one year of what you are writing. Do not rely on old notions or methodologies, unless you are explicitly arguing that they need to be revisited and reconsidered.

BE SCRUPULOUSLY HONEST.

Reference all ideas in a way which makes clear exactly where they came from and how you obtained all information from other sources. Avoid referencing sources you have not actually read yourself. State limitations and problems in the research.

USE WRITING AS A THINKING PROCESS.

Keep notes; write ideas as they come to you when reading or thinking.

WRITE CHAPTER DRAFTS IN STAGES.

Do not wait to the end of your research process to write any thesis chapter. Draft thesis chapters as the stages of the research are completed, e.g. 1-Lit Review and Bibliography, 2-Methodology, 3-Results, 4-Discussion, 5-Conclusion, 6-Introduction, Abstract, Contents. Write 3 drafts at a minimum. Draft 1 is a rough draft, for your eyes only; its purpose is to develop and organise your ideas. Draft 2 is to show others, including the supervisor, for comment. Draft 3 is to rewrite and polish the work, based on input from others and your own close and careful reading after at least a two-week gap, so that you will see it with �fresh� eyes and mind.

NEVER WORRY ABOUT LENGTH IN A FIRST DRAFT.

Worrying about length as you are writing will restrict the free flow and development of ideas in an early stage. Once ideas are fully developed, they can be written in a more compact form.

THE STRUCTURE OF A THESIS

A student working towards a higher degree has to function in an academic community as well as in a discipline community made up of those who work in and have knowledge of a particular field or discipline. Each community has its own rules, many of which are implicit not explicit, and ways of functioning which members need to learn and use if they are to be successful. Only by learning and following these community-specific rules and practices can the student become a successful member of an academic or discipline community.

Members of the general academic community have certain expectations about written work. A thesis or dissertation must conform to these to a certain extent, in order to be accepted as a work of the proper type, such as an academic essay. In addition, each academic discipline has certain expectations about written work, based on its own practices, beliefs, and written traditions.

A PhD thesis or dissertation is a longer, deeper, and more detailed work than one written at  Master�s level. More importantly, it is held up to much higher standards of originality and scholarship. Following the advice below will help you to succeed in the thesis writing process.

Below a common or �standard� thesis format is first provided, followed by variations found in recently completed theses from three different fields, none of which follow this format exactly.

COMMON (STANDARD) THESIS STRUCTURE

Title Page Abstract Acknowledgements Contents  Chapter 1:     Introduction to Thesis (usually a short chapter) Chapter 2:     Literature Review Chapter 3:     Methodology  Chapter 4:     Results  Chapter 5:     Discussion / Interpretation Chapter 6:     Recommendations / Future Research (sometimes included in Discussion / Interpretation or Conclusion) Chapter 7:     Conclusion References / Bibliography Appendices

COMPARISONS OF STRUCTURE OF 3 PhD THESES

Computing (A topic in the modeling and processing of a particular type of data)

Chapter Title                                                                         Type

Abstract                                                                                 Abstract

Ch 1    Introduction                                                                Thesis overview

Ch 2    Background and Lit Review                                       Conceptual background, Lit. review

Ch 3    Three Real Problems and Their Models                    Technical content, Problem posing

Ch 4    Theoretical Analysis and Algorithms                        Results

Ch 5    Applications and Experimental Design                     Results

Ch 7    Conclusions and Future Work                                   Conclusions, Summary, Prospect

Linguistics (A study of bilingualism in a particular country)

Abstract                                                                                  Abstract

Ch 1    Introduction                                                                Thesis overview

Ch 2    Background                                                                Historical, etc. background

Ch 3    Overview of conceptual frameworks                     Conceptual background, Lit. review

Ch 4    Language attitudes: Matched guise                           Results

Ch 5    Language diary study                                                 Results

Ch 6    Questionnaire study                                                   Results

Ch 7    Field experiment: Actual language                            Results

Ch 8    Concluding remarks                                                   Conclusions, summary, future research

Tourism (A study on a particular city [X] as portrayed through tourism literature)

Introduction                                                                            Conceptual etc. background, overview

Ch 1    Tourists, Travellers, Sightseers                                 Conceptual and historical background

Ch 2    The Tourist Destination                                             Conceptual background

Ch 3    Sound and Vision                                                       Conceptual background

Ch 4    As Seen On Television                                              Conceptual background, Case studies

Ch 5    Recognising the Recognisable                                   Conceptual background, Case studies

Ch 6    Views of [X]                                                              Results

Ch 7    [X] as The Vanishing Lady                                         Results

Ch 8    The Travel Show                                                        Results

Ch 9    Holiday                                                                       Results

Ch 10 Home Truths From Abroad                                         Conclusions, Summary

Academic Writing: Building a Construction of Ideas

Academic thinking and reasoning involve building a construction of related ideas . Thus, it is only to be expected that the expression of academic thinking and reasoning through language (whether spoken or written) will also involve building a construction of related ideas. The utility of written language for expressing complex thoughts and constructions of ideas resides in its resources for building logical relations , meaning relations , and abstraction .

A clause is the minimal component of a written sentence, said to express one complete idea. Frequently, two clauses or more will be joined together or merged in order to express relationships between ideas.

E.g., The point can be debated; it is not universally agreed.

The point is not universally agreed and thus can be debated.

Not all writers share that point of view; nevertheless, it is a common position.

Not all writers share that point of view, although it is a common position. 

         The rebels were infiltrating the government; this occurred before fighting began

          Long before the fighting had begun, the rebels were infiltrating the government. 

Most commonly, the relationships between ideas are shown with the aid of punctuation and specific markers of the meaning and type of relationship intended. The first type of example below is uncommon in a thesis because there are no explicit connections made between the ideas. This makes possible several somewhat different interpretations as to what the writer wishes to emphasise or to argue. In the second of the two examples, the writer makes explicit connections between ideas.

E.g.      The news spread quickly. It was disseminated in a series of pamphlets. These received a wide audience. The public responded by calling for the overthrow of the government.

The news spread quickly , disseminated in a series of widely read pamphlets, which resulted in a call from the public for the overthrow of the government.  

Meaning relations and logical relations can be shown by specific words and order of information.

E.g.      The news spread quickly through a series of widely read pamphlets, which resulted in a call from the public for the overthrow of the government.  

A complex chain of reasoning or cause-and-effect can also be built with the aid of abstraction.

E.g.   The rapid dissemination of the news in a series of widely read pamphlets resulted in a call from the public for the overthrow of the government.

A key aspect of academic writing is the use of complex noun phrases to express complex ideas, discipline-specific concepts and constructs, and technical terms. The latter often consist of complex combinations of three or more words.

Computing         the network node frequency list algorithm

Education          computer-managed learning environments

Nursing              nursing home emergency service personnel

Sociology          regional survey sampling methodology

Some of the types of problems students have in English academic writing are reviewed in the next sections, with reference to published sources. Many of these make references to students coming from certain language backgrounds, and this information is included here though only a few languages are included.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Student writers tend to overuse coordinating conjunctions compared to experienced native writers.

Coordinating Conjunctions - Frequency (% of words) (after Ringbom, 1998, pp. 45-46)

__________________________________________________________________________

                        Native         French             Spanish           Finish              Swedish              Dutch              German

but                     .36                   .66                   .70                   .57                   .58                   .64                     .67     

so                       .16                   .27                   .33                   .30                   .26                   .31                     .31

Alternatives to but : [same clause] yet , however , nevertheless , in contrast ;

[preceding clause] although, even though

Alternatives to so : [same clause] therefore , thus , hence , consequently , as a consequence , as a result ; [preceding clause] since , because

Adverbial Connectors � Overuse and Underuse by Swedish and French Learners of English (as contrasted with native English speakers) (after Altenberg and Tapper, 1998, p. 91)

OVERUSE                                                                             UNDERUSE

Additive                                 moreover                                           

                                                                                                          Resultative                  hence  

                                                                     therefore

                                                                                                                                                            thus

Appositive                              for instance

                                                namely

Contrastive                on the contrary                                   Contrastive                however

                                                                     though

                                                                                                                                                            yet

Corroborative                        of course        

NOTES: 1- Student writers often use moreover as equivalent to simple and . Moreover is properly used to add one reason or step in an argument to another, with the most important reason or step coming last and preceded by moreover . E.g. The method was chosen as that most commonly used in other investigations of similar type. It was, moreover , considered the most effective means of achieving the desired result. The correct meaning would not be given by and or in addition .

    2-      For instance and namely are less commonly used in academic writing than other alternatives. Instead of for instance , use for example and e.g. (which is the Latin abbreviation for �for example�). Instead of namely , use that is or i.e. (which is the Latin abbreviation for �that is�.)

    3-Student writers often use on the contrary as a simple marker of contrast equivalent to but or however . On the contrary has a more specific usage, however, that makes it rare in a thesis. It is to mark a contradiction, i.e., a statement of a  difference of opinion or belief. This usage has been stereotyped in the old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films, as the bumbling Dr. Watson would often make a statement which the much cleverer Holmes would contradict and set right beginning with, �On the contrary, my dear Watson, ��. E.g. Watson: The thief obviously escaped through the window. Holmes: On the contrary, my dear Watson. Clearly, he could not have escaped that way, as the window has obviously not been opened for quite some time, �

    4- Of course suggests obviousness and thus that there is no need to argue one�s case. It is therefore not a very useful word for a thesis.

Pilot Study of Four Fields

In a pilot study on the current project, our project partner, Dr Ylva Berglund (University of Oxford) carried out lexical analysis on theses from four fields (Computing, Film Studies, Linguistics, and Tourism) as well as PhD student writing samples from each of them. One of the things she looked at was conjunctive adverbs:

additionally, also, consequently, conversely, finally, furthermore, hence, however, indeed, likewise, moreover, nevertheless, nonetheless, otherwise, similarly, then, therefore, thus

The following charts summarise her findings:

Frequency in Different Texts

TTII � Tourism thesis II (Canadian)

TT    � Tourism thesis (British)

TSD � Tourism student draft chapters

TS    � Tourism student samples1+2

LT    � Linguistics Thesis

LS    � Linguistics student samples 1+2

FT    � Film thesis

FS     � Film student sample 1

CT    � Computing thesis (with formulas removed)

CS    � Computing student samples 1+ 2

Proportions in Different Texts 

Evaluation/precision.

Non-expert writers often attempt to win readers to their point of view by strengthening their statements through use of intensifiers such as completely or very :

E.g.      The voyage of the Bounty was a completely misguided adventure.

This is a very difficult question to answer.

Given the conservatism of academic writing, intensifiers should be used sparingly, to avoid overstatement or imprecision.

SCALAR INTENSIFIER CATEGORIES              German learner overuse (%)

( after Lorenz, 1998)

Amplifiers:                 Maximizers ( completely , absolutely , etc.)                28.7

               Boosters ( very , highly , immensely , etc.)                                48.0

Downtoners:   Approximators ( nearly , virtually etc.)                                  20.8

                                    Compromisers ( fairly , pretty , rather etc.)                             35.6

                                    Diminishers ( slightly , a little etc.)                                        64.1

                                    Minimizers ( hardly , scarcely etc.)                                        21.3

___________________________________________________________________

PERSONAL REFERENCE 

Academic style is often impersonal, in the attempt to achieve objectivity and a focus on ideas and information rather than on the writer. Inexperienced writers are prone to overuse first and second person pronouns ( I , we , and you ). In some fields, it is normal for the writer of the thesis to refer to him/herself as I , though it is more common to refer to the writer of the thesis as the researcher and s/he . In disciplines where I may be used to refer to the writer of the thesis, you may also be acceptable to refer to the reader of the thesis. In disciplines where third person reference is the norm, there might be occasions to refer to the reader or the audience for this thesis . However, it is common in the formal style of academic writing for the reader to remain implicit and unmentioned.

The use of plural first person reference we can have many meanings:

E.g.      We can see that �                  we = �the writer and anyone else�, i.e. we = �everyone�

We will see that�                     we = �the writer and the reader�

            We have a tradition of�        we = �the writer and others in the same field�

We showed in this work..          we = �the writer together with other researchers�

We will show that�                  we = �the writer alone�

In the last case, the researcher him/herself is euphemistically referred to as we ; this usage is called the �royal we �, as it is commonly used by royalty to refer to themselves (�We are not amused�). In sum, we can be considered to introduce a degree of ambiguity or imprecision in the thesis and should generally be avoided.

Third person reference ( it , s/he and they ) is by far the most common type in the thesis.

Pronouns - Frequency (% of words)          (after Ringbom, 1998, pp. 45-47)

                        Native             French             Spanish           Finish              Swedish          Dutch              German

1                        .25                   .45                   .36                   .52                   .88                   .41                   1.36

we                      .34                   .81                   .98                   .65                 1.20                   .34                     .41

you                    .08                   .33                   .34                   .34                   .31                   .46                     .72

he                      .26                   .20                   .24                   .24                   .14                   .42                     .38

they                    .66                   .77                   .86                   .63                   .65                 1.07                   .75

it                      . 97                 1.16                 1.26                 1.42                 1.22                 1.14                 1.15

Altenberg, B., and Tapper, M. (1998). The use of adverbial connectors in advanced Swedish learners� written English. In S. Granger (ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 80-93). London: Longman.

Lorenz, G. (1998). Overstatement in advanced learners� writing: stylistic aspects of adjective intensification. In S. Granger (ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 53-66). London: Longman.

Ringbom, H. (1998). Vocabulary frequencies in advanced learner English: a cross-linguistic approach. In S. Granger (ed.), Learner English on computer (pp. 41-52). London: Longman.

4.8.1 Doctoral Degrees, Dissertations & Dissertation Reading Committees: Policy

Main navigation.

• 1. Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee
• 2. Dissertation Preparation and Submission
• 3. Certificate of Final Reading
• 4. Deadlines

Related Content

Last updated on: Monday, March 7, 2022

Completion of a satisfactory dissertation is a university requirement for conferral of a doctoral degree. Policy and procedures for presentation, review and approval of the dissertation are included here.

Submission of an approved doctoral dissertation to the degree program and the Committee on Graduate Studies is required for the PhD and JSD degrees. The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community. Every doctoral dissertation is read and approved by members of the Stanford faculty to ensure that standards for programmtic and university quality are met. Standards for professional presentation of doctoral work have been established by the Committee on Graduate Studies.

An approved doctoral dissertation is required for the PhD and JSD degrees. Every doctoral dissertation is read and approved by the three members of the student’s doctoral dissertation reading committee.

Authority: 

• Committee on Graduate Studies (policy)
• Office of the Registrar  via Stanford Services & Support (implementation)
• Degree Program Office (implementation)
• Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education  (exceptions)

Applicability: 

PhD & JSD students and programs.

Related Pages: 

4.8.2 Doctoral Degrees, Dissertations & Dissertation Reading Committees: Implementation

1. Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee

The doctoral dissertation reading committee consists of the principal dissertation advisor and, typically, two other readers. The doctoral dissertation reading committee must have three members and may not have more than five members. At least one member must be from the student’s degree program. Normally, all committee members are members of the Stanford University Academic Council or are emeritus Academic Council members; the principal dissertation advisor must be an Academic Council member. Professors who have recently become emeritus and have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisors, though they are no longer current members of the Academic Council.

A non-Academic Council member (including former Academic Council members) may replace only one of three required members of dissertation reading committees. However, emeritus faculty, whether recalled to active duty or not, count as an Academic Council member on dissertation reading and oral defense committees (clarified by the Committee on Graduate Studies in 2011; see SenD#6535).

The reading committee, as proposed by the student and agreed to by the prospective members, is endorsed by the chair of the major department on the  Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form . This form must be submitted before approval of Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status or before scheduling a university oral examination that is a defense of the dissertation. The reading committee may be appointed earlier, according to the degree program timetable for doctoral programs. All subsequent changes to the reading committee must be approved by the chair of the major department. The reading committee must conform to university requirements at the time of degree conferral.

Principal Dissertation Advisors and Co-Advisors

Any member of the Academic Council may serve as the principal dissertation advisor. A non-Academic Council member, former Academic Council member, or emeritus Academic Council member may serve as co-advisor with the appointment of a principal dissertation advisor who is currently on the Academic Council. This is to ensure representation for the student in the degree program by someone playing a major advisor role in completion of the dissertation. Professors who became emeritus within two years of the student’s anticipated degree completion and who have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisors, though they are no longer current members of the Academic Council. The reading committee must conform to university requirements at the time of degree conferral.

Requests for further exceptions to the requirement that the principal dissertation advisor be a current member of the Academic Council, for example for recently retired emeritus professors who are still actively engaged on campus, but not recalled to active duty, will be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

At their discretion, students may request the appointment of co-advisors who are both members of the Academic Council.

Non-Academic Council Dissertation Reading Committee Membership

The student's department chair or faculty director of graduate studies may, in some cases, approve the appointment of a reader who is not a current or emeritus member of the Academic Council, if that person is particularly well qualified to consult on the dissertation topic and holds a PhD or equivalent foreign degree, via the  Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members . Former Stanford Academic Council members and non-Academic Council members may thus, on occasion, serve on a reading committee. However, the majority of the examiners must be current or emeritus Academic Council members. More specifically: 

• If the dissertation reading committee has three or four members, only one non-Academic Council member (including former Academic Council members) may be appointed to the dissertation reading committee. 
• If the reading committee has five members, up to two non-Academic Council members may be appointed to the dissertation reading committee.

Emeritus Stanford faculty, though no longer current members of the Academic Council, count as Academic Council members on dissertation reading committees (see SenD#6535, 2011).

Prospective committee members in the following categories may be approved without submission of a curriculum vitae: former Academic Council member, visiting professor, visiting associate professor, visiting assistant professor, and senior Stanford University officer who holds a PhD but does not have an academic appointment. 

A curriculum vita is required for prospective committee members in the following categories: senior research associate, senior lecturer, consulting professor, consulting associate professor, consulting assistant professor, acting professor, acting associate professor, acting assistant professor, senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, members of the professoriate at other universities, and distinguished scholars who may currently hold no academic title. The curriculum vita should include a summary of education, professional experience, publications, and academic or other honors.

Exceptions for individuals whose terminal degree is not the PhD or equivalent foreign degree may be granted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE). Requests for this exception must be approved and submitted to VPGE by the student’s department chair or faculty director of graduate studies. The prospective committee member’s curriculum vitae and a brief description of their contributions to the student's research should be submitted  via email  to the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

Changing Membership

Students may petition to add or remove members of the reading committee or change principal dissertation advisors. The resulting committee must conform to university requirements at the time of degree conferral.

In the rare case where a student’s dissertation research on an approved project is in an advanced stage and the principal dissertation advisor is no longer available, every reasonable effort must be made to appoint a new advisor, usually from the student’s reading committee. This may also require that a new member be added to the reading committee before the draft dissertation is evaluated, to keep the reconstituted committee in compliance with the university requirements for its composition. Advisor changes are made with the  Change of Dissertation Adviser or Reading Committee Member form  (see  GAP 3.3 Academic Advising ).

In the event that a student’s principal dissertation advisor leaves Stanford University or becomes emeritus and has not been recalled to active duty, that advisor may continue to work with the graduate student as a co-advisor and serve on the oral and dissertation reading committees, with the appointment of a principal dissertation advisor who is currently a member of the Academic Council. Professors who have recently become emeritus and have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisor, though they are no longer members of the Academic Council. Requests for further exceptions to the requirement that the principal dissertation advisor be a current member of the Academic Council (for example for recently retired emeritus professors who are still actively engaged on campus) will be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

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2. Dissertation Preparation and Submission

The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge and must exemplify the highest standards of the discipline. If it is judged to meet this standard, the dissertation is approved for the degree program by the doctoral dissertation reading committee. Information about dissertation format, references, use of published and co-authored work, as well as copyright is on the Registrar's Office website on Format Requirements for eDissertation .

Approvals should be obtained through the electronic signature process (students may submit email confirmations of dissertation approvals from each member of their committee).

Dissertations should be submitted electronically, following the guidelines in:

• Directions for Preparing Doctoral Dissertations for Electronic Submission
• Directions for Preparing Engineer Theses for Electronic Submission

Previously published dissertations should not be used as a guide for preparation of the manuscript. The signed dissertation copies and accompanying documents must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar on or before the quarterly deadline indicated in the university’s academic calendar. A fee is charged for the microfilming and binding of the dissertation copies. 

Students are required to either be enrolled full-time or on Graduation Quarter in the term they submit the dissertation (see  GAP 3.1 Registration, Enrollment, and Academic Progress ). The period between the last day of final exams of one term and the first day of the subsequent term is considered an extension of the earlier term. At the time the dissertation is submitted, an Application to Graduate must be on file (filed in Axess), all of the degree program requirements must be complete, and candidacy must be valid through the term of degree conferral.

Dissertations in a Language Other than English 

Dissertations must be in English. Exceptions to permit dissertations in a language other than English are granted by the school dean upon a written request from the chair of the student’s major department.  The student is required to submit directly to the Student Services Center a paper copy of the approval letter (or email message chain) from the school dean.  Approval for writing a dissertation in another language is normally granted only in cases where the other language or literature in that language is also the subject of the discipline. Approval is routinely granted for dissertations in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, within degree program specifications. Dissertations written in another language must include an extended summary in English (usually 15-20 pages in length). 

When submitting electronically a dissertation in a language other than English, the student should upload the English summary as a supplemental file.  When submitting such a dissertation on paper, the student is required to submit the abstract for ProQuest in English.

3. Certificate of Final Reading

One reading committee member, who must be a current member of the Academic Council, reads the dissertation in its final form and certifies on the  Certificate of Final Reading  that degree program and university specifications, described below, have been met. Typically, the principal dissertation advisor serves as final reader though another member of the committee who is a current Academic Council member may provide the final signature.

• All suggested changes have been taken into account and incorporated into the manuscript where appropriate. 
• If the manuscript includes joint group research, the student's contribution is clearly explained in an introduction.
• Format complies with university requirements.
• If previously published materials are included in the dissertation, publication sources are indicated, written permission has been obtained for copyrighted materials, and all of the dissertation format requirements have been met.
• The dissertation is ready-for-publication in appearance and ready for microfilming and binding.

4. Deadlines

The deadline for submission of dissertations for degree conferral in each term is specified by the  university academic calendar . The final dissertation must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar on or before the quarterly deadlines if degree conferral is desired. 

Some degree programs may set earlier deadlines for the submission of dissertations.

Dissertation deadlines are strictly enforced and no exceptions are made. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their dissertations at least two weeks prior to the deadline to ensure that all requirements can be met in time for the conferral of the degree.

Related Policies

• GAP 3.1 Registration, Enrollment, and Academic Progress
• GAP 3.3 Academic Advising
• GAP 4.7 Doctoral Degrees, University Oral Examinations & Committees

Related Student Services Sections

• Doctor of Philosophy: Dissertation

Related Information and Forms

• Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form
• Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members
• General Information on Dissertation and Thesis Submission
• Directions for Preparing Engineer Theses for Electronic Submission
• Certificate of Final Reading of Dissertation
• Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form - UMI/ProQuest
• Change of Dissertation Adviser or Reading Committee Member
• Application to Graduate  (in  Axess )
• Request for Statement of Completion
• Format Requirements for eDissertation

Master's Thesis

An M.S. thesis should demonstrate, through a substantial original project, the student’s proficient use of methods associated with academic area(s) in which the Primary Advisor is able to provide supervision. The thesis must be of sufficient quality that it merits the degree of Master of Science in the judgment of the student’s Primary Advisor and Second Reader. The final thesis is subject to the approval of the Symbolic Systems Program Office. The thesis must be written in English, to ensure that the faculty and staff of the Program’s Directorate can read and understand it.

• Master's theses are  due at Noon on the day of the  University Dissertation/Thesis Deadline  for the quarter in which you are graduating. You must be a registered Stanford student during the quarter in which you graduate.
• Your thesis must be signed by two readers: your primary advisor and a second reader. Review eligibility requirements
• Your thesis must contain signatures for each reader in the following format (with parenthetical and bracketed text filled in as appropriate)

"To the Directors of the Program on Symbolic Systems: I certify that I have read the thesis of (Printed Name of Student) in its final form for submission and have found it to be satisfactory for the degree of  [Master of Science/Bachelor of Science with Honors]. Signature  Date (Printed Name of Reader) (Printed Name of Reader's Department )"

• If signatures cannot be obtained hand-written, then your reader(s) may sign by email sent to symsys-directors [at] lists.stanford.edu (symsys-directors[at]lists[dot]stanford[dot]edu) prior to the deadline for thesis submission, using the wording above. Any electronic signature must be sent from the reader's officially listed university email account. The signature page should read "Signed electronically" on the signature line of your turned-in thesis, with all other information present as above.
• In hard copy, bound, two-sided, on 8 1/2 x 11" paper, delivered to: Associate Director, Symbolic Systems Program, Mail Code 2150, Margaret Jacks Hall, Stanford, CA 94305-2150
• In a PDF version through Stanford Digital Repository .

Master's Theses Examples

• Recent master's theses in our program are available in the Stanford Digital Repository .
• M.S. theses are also kept in hard copy in the Symbolic Systems Program office (460-040) and may be viewed by arrangement with the Associate Director or an Advising Fellow. They may not be checked out.

Submitting the Dissertation

After successfully completing the revisions recommended during the oral exam and obtaining the signatures of all reading committee members, which are not necessarily the same people from the oral exam committee, the dissertation is ready for submission to the Office of the University Registrar.

The American Psychological Association (APA) publication guidelines normally apply to GSE doctoral dissertations, but is not required if the advisor and relevant committees determine that an alternative, and academically acceptable, protocol is more appropriate.

General formatting, submission directions and deadlines are published by the Stanford University Registrar. All doctoral students should read these instructions thoroughly and contact the appropriate Registrar’s Office staff or the GSE Doctoral Programs Officer with any questions. Students should read the supplemental materials required for submission closely as it can be confusing. Dissertation submission information is available at:  https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/dissertation-and-thesis-submission .

The Registrar's Office offers students the option to submit their dissertation/thesis in electronic format. This electronic submission process is free of charge and allows students 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 to proceed and upload a soft copy of their dissertation/thesis.

Prior to online submission:

• “Application to Graduate” filed online through Axess by the appropriate deadline
• Confirm the names of all reading committee members in Axess, and designate a Final Reader
• Confirm candidacy as valid through your degree conferral date
• Collect email signatures from Reading Committee
• Review Steps for Submission of the Dissertation
• Confirm completion of all required University Milestones

All dissertation submissions must be completed in their entirety before 12  noon on the deadline day for the applicable quarter. When a student misses the submission deadline, she or he must register and submit their dissertation the following quarter, or take an approved leave of absence and register upon her or his return. Students must be registered for the quarter in which they submit their dissertation and graduate.

Students in their final quarter who have completed all milestones aside from the oral exam and/or dissertation submission can apply for a one-time, $150, Graduation Quarter. This is a special registration status in the final quarter at Stanford with the same status as TGR but with a tuition charge of $150, instead of the full TGR rate. See the Graduation Quarter section for more details.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Policy statement, degree-specific requirements.

Admission to a doctoral degree program is preliminary to, and distinct from, admission to candidacy.  Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty in the degree program of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are expected to complete degree program qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy by the end of their second year in the doctoral program. Honors Cooperative students are required to apply by the end of their fourth year. Candidacy is valid for five calendar years (through the end of the quarter in which candidacy expires), unless terminated by the degree program (for example, for unsatisfactory academic progress). A Pregnancy or Parental Leave of Absence automatically extends the pre-candidacy or candidacy period (see GAP 5.9,  Pregnancy, Childbirth and Adoption , for details). 

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is granted by the degree program following a student's successful completion of qualifying procedures as determined by the degree program. Programmatic policy determines procedures for subsequent attempts to advance to candidacy in the event that the student does not successfully complete the procedures. Failure to advance to candidacy results in the dismissal of the student from the doctoral program (see GAP 5.6,  Dismissal for Academic and Professional Reasons ).

Candidacy is confirmed on the  Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree  (or a departmental version of this form). This form also specifies a departmentally approved program of study to fulfill degree requirements, including required course work, language requirements, teaching requirements, dissertation (final project and public lecture-demonstration for D.M.A.), and university oral examination (for other doctoral degrees). The department should confirm at this point that the student’s program will meet all university and degree program requirements.

Prior to candidacy, at least 3 units of course work must be taken with each of four Stanford faculty members. To reiterate, however, a student will only be admitted to candidacy if, in addition to the student fulfilling programmatic prerequisites, the faculty makes the judgment that the student has the potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program.

If the doctoral student is pursuing a minor, approval by the degree program awarding the minor is also required on the Application for Candidacy.

Extension of the Pre-Candidacy Period

The degree program may determine that extension of the pre-candidacy period is necessary to provide a student with additional time to complete qualifying procedures or to provide faculty with necessary evidence on which to base a candidacy decision. Decisions to extend the pre-candidacy period and thus delay the candidacy decision should be made on an individual student basis and should not be applied to entire cohorts or students absent exceptional circumstances. Degree programs are not obligated to extend the pre-candidacy period.

 When providing an extension of the pre-candidacy period, the degree program should communicate in writing the reason for the extension, expectations for the academic work to be completed by the student, the duration of the extension, and the timeline for the candidacy review. Extensions of the pre-candidacy period should generally not extend beyond two academic quarters.

Time Limit for Completion of a Degree with Candidacy

Students are required to maintain active candidacy through conferral of the doctoral degree. All requirements for the degree must be completed before candidacy expires. Candidacy is valid for five calendar years (through the end of the quarter in which candidacy expires), unless terminated by the degree program (for example, for academic unsatisfactory progress). The candidacy time limit is not automatically extended by a student’s leave of absence.

Failure to make minimum academic progress or complete university, department, and program requirements in a timely or satisfactory manner may lead to dismissal of the student (see GAP 5.6,  Dismissal for Academic Reasons ).

Extension of Candidacy

All requests for candidacy extension, whether prompted by a leave or some other circumstance, must be filed by the student before the conclusion of the program’s time limit, using the  Application for Extension of Candidacy or Master's Program  form. Departments are not obligated to grant an extension. Students may receive a maximum of one additional year of candidacy per extension. Extensions require review by the department of a dissertation progress report, a timetable for completion of the dissertation, any other factors regarded as relevant by the department, and approval by the department; such approval is at the department’s discretion.

 A Pregnancy or Parental Leave of Absence will also result in an extension of candidacy (or of the pre-candidacy period). See GAP 5.9,   Pregnancy, Childbirth and Adoption , for details.

Teaching and Research Requirements

A number of departments/schools require their students to teach (serving as a Teaching Assistant) or assist a faculty member in research (serving as a Research Assistant) for one or more quarters as part of their doctoral programs. 

Foreign Language Requirement

Some departments require a reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages. Fulfillment of language requirements must be endorsed by the chair of the major department.

University Oral Examination

Passing a university oral examination is a requirement of the Ph.D., J.S.D. and Ed.D. degrees. The purpose of the examination is to test the candidate’s command of the field of study and to confirm fitness for scholarly pursuits. Degree programs determine which of the following three types of oral examinations is to be required in their doctoral programs:

A test of knowledge of the student’s field; this type of examination is intended to assess the student’s overall mastery of a specific field of knowledge 

A review of the dissertation proposal covering content relevant to the area of study, rationale for the proposed investigation, and strategy to be used in the research; this type of examination is intended to assist the student in refining a dissertation topic and to ensure mastery of theoretical and methodological issues as well as the materials needed to conduct the research effectively

A defense of the dissertation presented either upon completion of a substantial portion of the dissertation or upon completion of a pre-final draft (in either case, a draft of the work completed should be available for the examining committee well in advance of the examination); this type of examination is intended to verify that the research represents the candidate’s own contribution to knowledge, and to test his or her understanding of the research. General questions pertaining to the field as a whole, but beyond the scope of the dissertation itself, may be included.

Applicability:  All Ph.D., J.S.D., and Ed.D. degree candidates and programs.

Timing and Process

Students must be registered in the term in which the University oral examination is taken. The period between the last day of final exams of one term and the day prior to the first day of the following term is considered an extension of the earlier term. Candidacy must also be valid.

The  University Oral Examination  form must be submitted to the department graduate studies administrator at least two weeks prior to the proposed examination date. The examination is conducted according to the major department's adopted practice, but it should not exceed three hours in length, and it must include a period of private questioning by the examining committee.

Committee Membership

The University oral examination committee consists of at least five Stanford faculty members: four examiners and the committee chair from another department. All committee members are normally members of the Stanford University Academic Council, and the chair must be a member of the Stanford University Academic Council. Emeritus faculty are also eligible to serve as examiners or as chair of the committee. Emeritus Stanford faculty, though no longer current members of the Academic Council, count as Academic Council members on dissertation oral committees.

Out-of-Department Chair

The chair of a Stanford oral examination is appointed for this examination only, to represent the interests of the University for a fair and rigorous process. The chair of the examining committee may not have a full or joint appointment in the principal dissertation adviser's, co-advisers or student's department, but may have a courtesy appointment in the department. The chair can be from the same department as any other member(s) of the examination committee and can be from the student's minor department provided that the student's adviser does not have a full or joint appointment in the minor department.

The department of Electrical Engineering has been granted an exception to this policy, whereby “out-of-department” may include a faculty member from another division of the department. The Graduate School of Education has been granted an exception to this policy, whereby “out-of-department” may include a faculty member from another program area of the school.

For Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (IDPs), the chair of the examining committee may not have a full or joint appointment in the primary adviser's major department and must have independence from the student and adviser. The faculty director of the IDP is not allowed to chair an examining committee for students in that IDP.

Responsibility for monitoring appointment of the oral examination chair rests with the candidate's major department. The department cannot require the candidate to approach faculty members to serve as chair; many departments, however, invite students and their advisers to participate in the process of selecting and contacting potential chairs.

A  Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Commitment Members  to appoint an examining committee member who is neither a current or emeritus member of the Academic Council may be approved by the chair of the department or faculty director of graduate studies, according to local policy, if that person contributes an area of expertise that is not readily available from the faculty and holds a Ph.D. or equivalent foreign degree.

Exceptions for individuals whose terminal degree is not the Ph.D. or equivalent foreign degree may be granted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, upon the request of the student’s department chair or faculty director of graduate studies. The prospective committee member’s curriculum vitae and a brief description of their contributions to the student's research should be submitted  via email  to the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

The majority of the examiners must be current or emeritus Academic Council members; more specifically, one of four or five examiners or two of six or seven examiners who are not current or emeritus members of the Academic Council may be appointed to the oral examination committee by means of this petition and approval by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, as required for members who do not have a PhD degree.

The candidate passes the examination if the examining committee casts four favorable votes out of five or six, five favorable votes out of seven, or six favorable votes out of eight. Five members present and voting constitute a quorum. If the committee votes to fail a student, the committee chair sends within five days a written evaluation of the candidate's performance to the major department and the student. Within 30 days and after review of the examining committee's evaluation and recommendation, the chair of the student's major department must send the student a written statement indicating the final action of the department.

Dissertation

An approved doctoral dissertation is required for the Ph.D. and J.S.D. degrees. The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge and must exemplify the highest standards of the discipline. If it is judged to meet this standard, the dissertation is approved for the school or department by the doctoral dissertation reading committee (see  GAP 4.8 Doctoral Degrees: Dissertations and Dissertation Reading Committees  for more explanation).

One reading committee member, who must be a current member of the Academic Council, reads the dissertation in its final form and certifies on the  Certificate of Final Reading  that degree program and university specifications, described below, have been met. Typically, the principal dissertation advisor serves as final reader though another member of the committee who is a current Academic Council member may provide the final signature.

All suggested changes have been taken into account and incorporated into the manuscript where appropriate. 

If the manuscript includes joint group research, the student's contribution is clearly explained in an introduction.

Format complies with university requirements.

If previously published materials are included in the dissertation, publication sources are indicated, written permission has been obtained for copyrighted materials, and all of the dissertation format requirements have been met.

The dissertation is ready-for-publication in appearance and ready for microfilming and binding.

Dissertations must be in English. Exceptions to permit dissertations in a language other than English are granted by the school dean upon a written request from the chair of the student’s major department.  The student is required to submit directly to the Student Services Center a paper copy of the approval letter (or email message chain) from the school dean.  Approval for writing a dissertation in another language is normally granted only in cases where the other language or literature in that language is also the subject of the discipline. Approval is routinely granted for dissertations in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, within degree program specifications. Dissertations written in another language must include an extended summary in English (usually 15-20 pages in length). 

When submitting electronically a dissertation in a language other than English, the student should upload the English summary as a supplemental file.  When submitting such a dissertation on paper, the student is required to submit the abstract for ProQuest in English.

Students have the option of submitting the dissertation electronically or via the paper process. Directions for preparation of the dissertation for electronic or paper submission are available at the  Office of the University Registrar dissertation  website. If submitting via the paper process, the signed dissertation copies and accompanying documents must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar on or before the quarterly deadline indicated in the  university's academic calendar . A fee is charged for the microfilming and binding of the paper dissertation copies. If submitting via the electronic process the signed dissertation signature page and title page must be submitted to the  Student Services Center  and one final copy of the dissertation must be uploaded, and approved by the Final Reader, on or before the quarterly deadline indicated in the  university's academic calendar . There is no fee charged for the electronic submission process.

Students must either be registered or on Graduation Quarter in the term they submit the dissertation. At the time the dissertation is submitted, an Application to Graduate must be on file, all department requirements must be complete, and candidacy must be valid through the term of degree conferral.

Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee

The doctoral dissertation reading committee consists of the principal dissertation advisor and, typically, two other readers. The doctoral dissertation reading committee must have at least three members and may not have more than five members. All members of the reading committee approve the dissertation. At least one member must be from the student's major department. Normally, all committee members are members of the Stanford University Academic Council or are emeritus Academic Council members.

The student's department chair or faculty director of graduate studies, according to local policy, may, in some cases, approve the appointment of a reader who is not a current or emeritus member of the Academic Council, if that person is particularly well qualified to consult on the dissertation topic and holds a Ph.D. or equivalent foreign degree, via the  Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members . Former Stanford Academic Council members and non-Academic Council members may thus, on occasion, serve on a reading committee. A non-Academic Council member (including former Academic Council members) may replace only one of three required members of dissertation reading committees. If the reading committee has four or five members, at least three members (comprising the majority) must be current or emeritus members of the Academic Council. Emeritus Stanford faculty, though no longer current members of the Academic Council, count as Academic Council members on dissertation reading committees.

Any member of the Academic Council may serve as the principal dissertation advisor. A former Academic Council member, emeritus Academic Council member or non-Academic Council member may serve as co-advisor with the appointment of a principal dissertation advisor who is currently on the Academic Council. This is to ensure representation for the student in the department by someone playing a major advisor role in completion of the dissertation. Professors who have recently become emeritus and have been recalled to active duty may serve as principal dissertation advisors, though they are no longer members of the Academic Council. Requests for further exceptions to the requirement that the principal dissertation advisor be a current member of the Academic Council, for example for recently retired emeritus professors who are still actively engaged on campus but not recalled to active duty, will be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education.

The reading committee, as proposed by the student and agreed to by the prospective members, is endorsed by the chair of the major department on the  Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee  form. This form must be submitted before approval of Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status or before scheduling a university oral examination that is a defense of the dissertation. The reading committee may be appointed earlier, according to the department timetable for doctoral programs. All subsequent changes to the reading committee must be approved by the chair or faculty director of graduate studies of the major department. The reading committee must conform to university regulations at the time of degree conferral.

Contact Information

Office of the University Registrar

Dissertation Defense

The following steps are meant to help you begin thinking about your defense, dissertation, and eventually graduation. Please contact the Student Services Office if you have any questions about the process or requirements.

Planning Your Dissertation Defense

Steps for planning your defense.

Meet with your committee and determine a date and time. Some faculty travel extensively, so it is a good idea to start this process early.

Once you have a confirmed time, contact the Student Services Office. They will help in booking rooms for both the public and closed door sessions.

Tip : Some faculty travel extensively, so it's a good idea to start this process early. Room reservations can also be tricky depending on the time selected. The more notice you can provide, the more likely one of your top choices for rooms will be available.

Your chair must be someone outside of the department who is an Academic Council member. Your Oral Examination Committee must have a total 5 members including the University Chair. If you need help finding one, your advisor and other committee members should be able to help. University policy regarding chairs and your committee can be found in the  Stanford Bulletin .

Deliver a draft of your dissertation to each of your committee members 30 days prior to your defense. Some committee members may prefer just an emailed draft, however others may prefer a paper copy so be sure to check on preferences of each of your committee members!

Bring your University  Oral Examination Form  to the Student Services office (Gilbert 118 or via email) at least 2 weeks before your defense. The Student Services Office will bring this back to you or your advisor at your defense.

If you’d like the Student Services Office to create and post flyers for your defense, please send them a picture to use and your title 2 weeks before your defense.

Following your defense, please turn in the University Oral Examination Form to the Student Services Office as soon as possible.

Dissertation Submission

Submit your dissertation.

The following needs to be done, in order, to complete the dissertation submission process:

Visit the e-dissertation/thesis center in Axess  

This is often your advisor, but can be any Academic Council member on your committee. They will need to log in to Axess and approve your dissertation before the deadline once you’ve uploaded your dissertation.

Turn in your signed signature page and title page to the Student Services Center at Tresidder (see the guidelines PDF for formatting instructions).

Signatures must be actual ink signatures on acid-free paper.  Only your reading committee should be included on your signature page. Do NOT include your defense chair or any committee members only present for the defense.

Upload and submit your dissertation.

This  video  that will walk you through the upload process.

Guidelines for formatting, etc.

Registrar’s Office site for all dissertation information

Submission Deadlines

The entire process must be complete and dissertation approved by the Registrar’s Office by the following deadlines: Autumn Quarter 2021 – Friday, December 7, 2021 at 12:00pm Winter Quarter 2022 – Friday, March 19, 2022 at 12:00pm Spring Quarter 2022 – Wednesday, June 4, 2022 at 12:00pm Summer Quarter 2022 – Friday, August 27, 2022 at 12:00pm

Be sure that you also apply to graduate in the quarter you’re submitting! To file your application through Axess: Select "Apply to Graduate" from the drop down menu on the Student Center Academics tab and complete the entire application to graduate process.

Checklist: Submitting My Dissertation or Thesis

Main navigation.

The following checklist includes all items that should be prepared in order to complete the submission of your dissertation or thesis, using the Axess Dissertation and Thesis Center  

We recommend that you take all necessary steps in order to upload your dissertation or thesis in time to meet all of the applicable posted deadlines and give your Final Reader plenty of time to approve the dissertation or thesis once it has been uploaded.

Prior to Online Submission

• Enroll in the quarter for which you intend to submit
• File online “Application to Graduate” through Axess by the appropriate deadline.
• Submit Reading Committee Signature Page requirement online.
• If a committee member is missing, or has been assigned an incorrect role, meet with your department who maintains reading committees and changes permitted within policy.
• For thesis: The name of your Thesis Advisor and designate them as your Final Reader.
• Confirm with your department that your candidacy is valid through your degree conferral date.
• Confirm with your department that you have completed all required university Milestones .
• Review Copyright Considerations for Authors of Electronic Theses and Dissertations . Discuss embargo and other release options with your co-authors and advisor before preparing the submission online.
• For students submitting a dissertation: Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates .

During Online Submission 

Ensure your electronic dissertation or thesis is formatted following these guidelines:

• One electronic copy of the dissertation or thesis in PDF format.
• For D.M.A Composition students, score page size is 11" x 17".
• Type size 10, 11, or 12 point. Smaller fonts are acceptable for tables, captions, etc. 
• Font style is New Times Roman. If applicable, mathematic/scientific notation fonts are embedded in the PDF file.
• Line spacing of dissertation or thesis text is 1.5 or 2.
• Margins are 1.5 inches on the binding edge and 1 inch on all other sides.
• Text is divided correctly.
• Title page is formatted correctly.
• No signature page or copyright page is included.
• Pagination begins with the first page of the Abstract (page “iv” or if formatted for double-sided printing with the Abstract to appear on the right page, then pagination begins with a blank page as page "iv"). Pagination is continuous and placement of numbers is consistent throughout the manuscript.
• Dissertation contains no multimedia or large images embedded into the PDF file.
• The dissertation or thesis is ready-for-publication in appearance. All pages and sections are in order.
• The dissertation or thesis contains no unnumbered pages, except for the title page which is unpaginated, but is assumed page 'i'.
• PDF file size does not exceed 1 GB.
• PDF file has no encryption or other security measures applied.
• One version of the abstract, containing no special text formatting or HTML, entered into an online submission form.
• File size(s) do not exceed 1 GB. 
• Short description or label is applied to each file after upload. 
• Maximum 20 supplemental files.
• Agree to Stanford University publication license.
• Optional: Limit amount of dissertation or thesis content available via third-party distributors.
• Optional: Creative Commons license selected and applied.
• Optional: Delayed release (embargo) of the dissertation or thesis.
• Written permission from the appropriate copyright holder(s) to reproduce any copyrighted material in the dissertation or thesis. Each letter is formatted and uploaded as a single PDF file. Maximum 10 permission files.

After Online Submission

• Confirm via Axess that your designated Final Reader certifies the submission by noon of the final submission deadline date .
• For students submitting a dissertation, if you haven't done so already: Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates .

Stanford Law School's Theses and Dissertations Collection

• Early Thesis and Dissertation of Stanford Law School, 1929 to 1956
• Theses and Dissertations of Stanford Law School,1970-1995
• Stanford Program in International Legal Studies’ Theses, 1996 to 2010
• Stanford Law School’s Dissertations, 1996 to 2010
• Stanford Program in International Legal Studies Theses, 2011 to 2025

Collection Description

This collection contains Stanford Law School Students’ theses and dissertations written to fulfill the academic requirements for advanced degrees.   Historically, the collection of Theses and Dissertations were produced as part of the requirement coursework for receiving a Master of Laws (1933-1969), a Juris Doctor (1906-1932), or a Doctor of Jurisprudence.  

Currently, works received from students are produced under two different graduate programs.  Thesis are works were produced as part of the requirement for the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies (SPILS). SPILS was established in 1995 by Professors Lawrence Friedman and Thomas C. Heller, to educate international students, lawyers, judges, public officials, and other professionals trained in the study of law outside the United States.  Students in the SPILS Program are required to do interdisciplinary research that affects the global community.  The culmination of this program is a research project that each individual student develops over the course of the year under a faculty advisor, after which the earns a Master of the Science of Law degree.  The research project must demonstrate the student's ability to employ empirical methods of investigation and must addresses issues in the international community or within a specific country.  These can cover a large range of topics that analyze legal cultures, legal reforms, or public policy.  

Dissertations are produced under Doctor of Science of Law program or JSD.  The JSD program as we know it was revised for the Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1969 is designed for students who are interested in pursuing an academic career. Doctor of Science of Law Students are selected from the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies and those who have a postgraduate degree in Legal Studies.

All materials in this collection were donated by individual authors to the Stanford Law Library's Special Collections.

Collection Identity Number: LAW-3781

Finding Aid prepared by

Robert Crown Law Library Stanford, CA 94305-8610 Phone: 650.723-2477

• Last Updated: Dec 18, 2023 9:02 AM
• URL: https://guides.law.stanford.edu/c.php?g=1087208

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