Submitting your thesis

You’ve completed your thesis.  Congratulations!  We want to make sure there’s a record of your hard work.  Follow the guidelines here to format your thesis, submit it to the Archives using our submission form, and obtain a personal copy.

    • Fall: consult your advisor
    • Spring : submit your thesis by 5pm on the last day of final exams (to be part of your transcript for Commencement)
  • Please follow the following formatting guidelines:

    • Include a title page that follows this Microsoft Word or pdf template.
    • Margins of the text are a minimum of 1″ on all sides.
    • Your department may specify additional guidelines.
  • Submit your thesis using the following file-naming practices based on digital preservation standards and special collections' file naming tutorial.

    YYYY_Last_First_Department(s)_Thesis

    Examples:

    1856_Garfield_James_History_Thesis

    2020_Smith_Jane_Chemistry_ComputerScience_Thesis

  • Submit your thesis electronically as a pdf using our form.  If you created a poster as part of your thesis, also submit it as a pdf. If your thesis includes audiovisual files, data sets, or other formats, contact [email protected] regarding submission of these formats.

    Theses received by 5pm on the last day of final exams will be uploaded into Williams Digital Collections before graduation, so you can show it off to your family and friends. The library will produce printed copies of theses in the sciences and Psychology and make them available at Schow Science Library.

  • If your thesis contains data or other information integral to your advisor's ongoing research, if it contains sensitive personally identifiable information, or sensitive cultural information you may need to restrict access to the thesis. Your thesis will be made openly available on Williams Digital Collections if not restricted. If you need to restrict access, choose the shortest appropriate period on the submission form.

    The thesis submission form asks students to check all those conditions that apply:

    • Faculty advisor is a co-author of my thesis.
    • My thesis contains data or other information integral to my advisor's ongoing research and scholarship.
    • Open access to my thesis may compromise my advisor's ability to publish research in the future.
    • My thesis contains sensitive personally identifiable information that cannot be published.
    • My thesis contains culturally sensitive information that requires an embargo, release form, or redaction.

    The submission form will also ask students to identify whether the thesis contains copyrighted information beyond the limits of fair use.

    If access to the thesis needs to be embargoed, options are:

    • Release in 5 years
    • Release in 10 years
    • Release in 75 years
    • Release never
  • The library will provide one personal copy free of charge. Indicate on your submission form whether you wish to receive or waive this copy. Students may order additional personal copies at their own expense from Acme Binding, Williams Print Services, or elsewhere. Financial assistance is available.

  • Communicate with your advisor and department to determine how many Department Copies are needed, and indicate this on the submission form. Cost of these copies is covered by the department.

  • If you have questions concerning thesis submission deadlines, please contact your thesis advisor or the Dean's Office.

    If you have questions about the submission process or form, contact [email protected].

See also: