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Graduate Thesis Submission Guide

The Libraries' requirements and advice for graduate theses.

Preparing to Submit

Once your thesis has been approved by your department, you are ready to prepare for submission to the Library through the ProQuest ETD Portal.

In preparation to submit, gather the following:

  • A PDF version of your approved thesis. This must be a single file, and the first page(s) must be the appropriate departmental title page. Do not include any authentic signatures in your thesis PDF. 

  • An abstract. An abstract is a short paragraph (approximately 150-200 words) that distills the intention of your thesis. The Purdue OWL guide provides general guidance on writing an abstract. (See examples: 1, 2, 3)

  • Supplementary files (e.g., images, data, etc.). These may be an integral part of the project, but have not been included in the main thesis PDF. Supplementary files will be bundled together as a ".zip" file with your thesis, like this example. Note: Any images embedded in the full-text PDF will appear as such in the final published version.

  • Subject categories. Choose 1 to 3 categories that best describe your thesis' subject area (here is a Subject Category list PDF file).

  • Optional: A list of keywords. This can help make your thesis more discoverable.- A note on keywords: Consider what your thesis project is about. What unique words would you use to describe it? How would you search for it if you were browsing on Google? It is preferable to use single words or phrases.

  • Optional: Any necessary copyright documents. Keep in mind Pratt's Intellectual Property Policy.

Submitting Your Thesis

1. Create an account on Pratt's ProQuest ETD site.

2. Read and accept ProQuest's Publishing agreement. 

3. Read and accept Pratt's Publishing agreement.

4. Determine if you wish to put your thesis under an embargo. For more information about embargoes, please see this guide: Discoverability, Embargo, and the Scholarly Conversation. 

5. Enter your contact information, including a non-Pratt email address.

6. Enter the title and abstract of your thesis; your degree information; relevant subject categories and keywords; and your thesis committee's information.

7. Upload your thesis PDF document. Make sure your PDF file conforms to ProQuest's standards. At this time, ProQuest will ask you to upload any additional copyright documents. Please see our guide Copyright and Your Thesis for information on obtaining copyright documents.

8. Upload any supplemental files.

9. OPTIONAL: Determine whether you want ProQuest to register copyright of your thesis on your behalf. Keep in mind Pratt's Intellectual Property Policy. This costs $75 and is optional.

10. OPTIONAL: Determine whether you want ProQuest to make your thesis Open Access. This costs $95 and is optional.

10. OPTIONAL: At this point, you may order bound copies of your thesis. This is entirely up to you.

11. Submit your thesis! If there are any errors with your submission, a library staff member will contact you to make corrections.

Congratulations!

Need Help?

  • Do you need help submitting your thesis, or have questions? 

  • Are you feeling overwhelmed by the entire process?

We're here to help!

Get support by contacting the Reference Desk:

  • Visit us in person at the Brooklyn Library (1st floor)
  • Chat virtually using LibChat—you can find this function in the bottom right corner of our website, labelled "Live Chat" or "Chat Offline"
  • Telephone: 718.636.3704
  • Email: libref@pratt.edu
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