Thesis and Dissertation Requirements

Rowan students pursuing a doctoral degree or a master’s degree with a thesis requirement (or option) as part of their fulfillment for graduation are required to submit their thesis/dissertation to the Office of Graduate Research Services for final format approval. The Office of Graduate Research Services coordinates the final format review process and is responsible for ensuring that all theses/dissertations adhere to the format and style as prescribed in the Thesis & Dissertation Manual prior to final approval with the Registrar for graduation purposes.

Please note that thesis/dissertation approval is only one of the requirements for graduation. Students must also meet all requirements of the department or college in which they are enrolled as a student for graduation approval. Students should verify exit requirements as established by the department or college in which enrolled as a student. 

For a better understanding of the entire thesis/dissertation process, including when to turn in the necessary forms and what to expect during the final format review, please take a look at the step-by-step guide available here. There is also a helpful PDF of the Thesis & Dissertation Paperwork and Formatting Workshop presentation available here.

Please also find many resources and samples in the Template and Sample Documents link in the sidebar. 

Please note: These policies do not apply to students enrolled in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. GSBS students please visit: http://www.rowan.edu/som/gsbs/current/forms.php

Thesis/Dissertation Process Workshop

The Office of Graduate Research Services offers workshops for students whose graduate programs require them to produce a thesis or dissertation. The workshop explains the general thesis and dissertation process at Rowan University, and students will benefit greatly from understanding these requirements even before their thesis or dissertation work begins. Though each program has its own expectations for course work, timing, research, and writing, there are many elements (fees, paperwork, formatting, submission method, deadlines) that are the same for every thesis- or dissertation-track graduate student on the Glassboro campus. All students and faculty members enrolled or teaching in thesis-track masters or doctoral programs are welcome to attend. Come learn the process, ask questions, and find out what resources are available to you.

Please RSVP using this Google Form in order to be invited to the WebEx meeting.

Spring 2023 Dates
January 17th, 2023 (Tuesday)
February 8th, 2023 (Wednesday)
March 9th, 2023 (Thursday)
April 14th, 2023 (Friday)

Thesis & Dissertation Manual

The Thesis & Dissertation Manual is Rowan University’s official document which students must consult and adhere to regarding procedures, formatting, and submission of theses/dissertations as part of their graduation requirements. A great deal of time, thought, and effort on the part of many individuals has gone into the preparation of the manual, and students are urged to read it thoroughly as they prepare their document for submission.

In order to ensure consistency in format and style for all theses/dissertations completed by Rowan University students, documents will not receive final approval until they are properly formatted in accordance with the requirements prescribed in the manual. While every attempt has been made to cover or anticipate most issues dealing with the preparation of your thesis or dissertation, some questions or problems may arise. Should you need further clarification of any items addressed in the Thesis & Dissertation Manual, or for general inquiries, please email the Office of Graduate Research Services at graduateresearch@rowan.edu.

Thesis & Dissertation Submission Requirements

For purposes of format review and final approval of your thesis/dissertation document, please follow the submission requirements as outlined below:

1. Submit the required $75 Thesis and Dissertation Fee through the Rowan University Online Marketplace within the first two semesters of the master’s/doctoral degree program. Payments must be made online here. When prompted for an email address, please use your Rowan email.
2. Upon payment of this fee, you will be automatically enrolled in the required online Pre-Submittal Workshop administered through the Canvas learning management system, and will receive notification via email once your enrollment is complete. Please follow the instructions provided in the email to access the required workshop.
3. In consultation with your Thesis/Dissertation Advisor, you should appoint the Thesis/Dissertation Committee within the first two semesters of the master’s/doctoral degree program. The Committee must be comprised of at least three members, including the Thesis/Dissertation Advisor. Further requirements for the formation of the committee are determined by the department/college in which you are enrolled.
4. Upon the selection of the Thesis/Dissertation Committee, please complete and seek the appropriate signatures on the Thesis/Dissertation Committee Appointment Form. This form must be submitted in PDF format via the Pre-Submittal Workshop as soon as it has received all but the final signature in order to be signed and completed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. If the form is not properly filled out (lacking signatures, not enough committee members, etc.) you will be asked to reach back out to your committee, your Program Director, your Department Chair/Head, or your Dean for any missing signatures.
5. Complete your program’s course requirements.
6. Apply for graduation through the Rowan University Registrar for the term in which you anticipate the completion of all degree requirements, which includes receiving final approval of the thesis/dissertation document.
7. Following a successful defense of the thesis/dissertation (if required), you must complete and seek corresponding signatures on the Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form (Parts A, B, C and D)
8. Once all signatures have been acquired, please submit the following 2 items in PDF format to the Office of Graduate Research Services via the ProQuest ETD Administrator site, accessed through the Pre-Submittal Workshop.
   • Properly signed Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form
   • Properly formatted, advisor approved Thesis or Dissertation Document in PDF format

For more information regarding thesis/dissertation submission, please email: graduateresearch@rowan.edu

Pre-Submittal Workshop

The required online Pre-Submittal Workshop is provided to assist students in the preparation of their thesis or dissertation document for submission to the Office of Graduate Research Services for final format review and approval. The content is self-guided and organized into sections for easy accessibility, and includes sample pages as well as a video walk-through of formatting guidelines. Additionally, students are required to submit the signed Thesis/Dissertation Committee Appointment Form via the workshop.

The Goals of the online Pre-Submittal Workshop are:

• To provide information on the submission and review process, and address the format requirements for document approval.
• To provide direct communication with the Graduate Research Services Specialist through Virtual Office Hours, during which students can ask questions about the thesis/dissertation approval process or receive feedback on early versions of their thesis/dissertation document’s formatting.
• To allow students to check their document for proper formatting prior to submission for final format review, in order to minimize the number of rounds of revisions required to receive final document approval.
• To provide access to the ProQuest ETD Administrator for thesis/dissertation submission.

Students are encouraged to take full advantage of all of the materials available in the workshop as they prepare their thesis/dissertation. A clear understanding of the guidelines and requirements set forth in the Manual prior to submission to the Office of Graduate Research Services will save students considerable time and effort as they go through the final format review process.

Please note: Students must submit the Thesis/Dissertation Committee Appointment Form and complete the Pre-Submittal Agreement within the required online Pre-Submittal Workshop in order to unlock the final module and gain access to the ProQuest ETD Administrator for thesis/dissertation submission.

To enroll in the Pre-Submittal Workshop, you must submit the $75 Thesis and Dissertation Fee. Please see the Thesis and Dissertation Submission Requirements outlined above for payment instructions.

ProQuest ETD Administrator

All theses and dissertations are required to be submitted for final format review through the ProQuest ETD Administrator site. The Rowan University ProQuest ETD Administrator site is accessed within the required online Pre-Submittal Workshop once the student has completed the Pre-Submittal Agreement. Materials will not be accepted via email.

When you submit your thesis or dissertation to ProQuest ETD for your formal formatting review, you will be offered the opportunity to allow ProQuest to register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. This document provides students with information about copyright.

Publishing Options (Delayed Release/Embargo)

ProQuest ETD gives the option of delaying the release of your thesis or dissertation as part of the submission process. The “Publishing Options” sections of the submission process (“PQ publishing options” and “IR publishing options”) allow students to choose to delay the public release of their thesis or dissertation for six months, one year, two years, or until any future date. “PQ publishing” refers to publishing your work through ProQuest’s Thesis & Dissertation collection, and “IR publishing” refers to publishing your work through Rowan University’s internal repository, called Rowan Digital Works. In order to make sure that your work is not available to the public, you will have to choose to delay release for both ProQuest ETD and Rowan Digital Works (or, both PQ and IR).

There are many reasons to choose to delay the release of your thesis or dissertation. You may be planning to publish your work in another journal that does not allow previous publication, or you may want to protect the subjects involved in your research. You will have the option to choose your reason for delaying release, or you can choose “Other.”

If you are intending to publish your thesis or dissertation material with a journal or other publisher, always make sure to check if they allow for the same material to have appeared elsewhere first. If not, you will need to delay release on ProQuest Thesis & Dissertation and Rowan Digital Works in order to avoid potential rejection with that publisher.

If you have any questions about delayed release/embargo, please reach out to graduateresearch@rowan.edu.

Deadlines

There is no formal deadline for the submission of theses/dissertations, however, students should be aware of the following:

• Students must pay the $75 Thesis and Dissertation Fee to enroll in the required online Pre-Submittal Workshop within the first two semesters of the master’s/doctoral degree program. Students must then appoint the Thesis/Dissertation Committee and submit the Thesis/Dissertation Committee Appointment Form via the Pre-Submittal Workshop.
• Theses/dissertations are accepted for review by the Office of Graduate Research Services on an ongoing basis. However, students are encouraged to submit their materials for final format review as soon as their defense has taken place in order to receive approval in a timely manner. Once submitted, it takes an average of 2 weeks for documents to receive final approval. Documents needing major revisions may take longer. The following are the soft deadlines for students to submit their thesis or dissertation for formatting review in order to graduate on time for a given semester:
  • June 15th for a May 30th date on Transcript and Official Diploma (Spring Graduation)
  • January 15th for a December 30th date on Transcript and Official Diploma (Fall Graduation)
  • February 15th for a January 30th date on Transcript and Official Diploma (Winter Graduation)
  • September 15th for an August 30th date on Transcript and Official Diploma (Summer Graduation)
• Prior to submission of materials for final format review, students should apply for graduation through the Rowan University Office of the Registrar by the deadline for the term in which they anticipate the completion of all degree requirements, including receiving final approval of the thesis/dissertation document. Please be advised that a student’s official graduation date is determined by the term in which the final approval of the thesis/dissertation is received by the Registrar.
  • If a student misses the deadline to submit their graduation requirements in the semester for which they applied, they are not required to pay to re-apply, but their graduation application will be rejected, and they will have to contact the Registrar to see what their next steps are in order to graduate in the next available semester.
  • Please visit https://sites.rowan.edu/registrar/graduation-info/index.html for more information.

Thesis & Dissertation Forms

• Thesis/Dissertation Committee Appointment Form
  This form should be completed during the first two semesters of the master’s program or the first two years of a doctoral program, and must be signed by all committee members, the Program Coordinator, the Department Chair/Head, and the College Dean prior to submission to the Office of Graduate Research Services. This form must be submitted by the student in PDF format via the Pre-Submittal Workshop. Once submitted via the workshop, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies will review and sign the form. Please note, this form will not be signed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies unless it has been properly completed and submitted through the Pre-Submittal Workshop.
• Thesis Approval Form
  This form must be filled out by the student before the defense takes place and must be presented for the committee’s approval and signatures on Part A. Once all feedback is addressed, it must be presented again to the committee chair for their signature on Part B. At that point, it will be presented to the student's appropriate College Dean alongside the student's thesis document for the Dean's approval and signature on part C. Once Parts A, B, and C are signed, the student must submit the Thesis Approval Form alongside their properly formatted thesis document to ProQuest ETD for formatting review by following the instructions found in the "Submit Your Thesis/Dissertation" module on the Pre-Submittal Workshop on Canvas.
• Dissertation Approval Form
  This form must be filled out by the student before the defense takes place and must be presented for the committee’s approval and signatures on Part A. Once all feedback is addressed, it must be presented again to the committee for their signatures on Part B. At that point, it will be presented to the student's appropriate College Dean alongside the student's dissertation document for the Dean's approval and signature on part C. Once Parts A, B, and C are signed, the student must submit the Dissertation Approval Form alongside their properly formatted dissertation document to ProQuest ETD for formatting review by following the instructions found in the "Submit Your Thesis/Dissertation" module on the Pre-Submittal Workshop on Canvas.

Quick Guide: Thesis & Dissertation Format Checklist

The Thesis & Dissertation Format Checklist is to be used in conjunction with the Thesis & Dissertation Manual. The page numbers in parentheses refer to specific parts of the manual. Please make sure you have checked off all items on this list prior to submitting your document to the Office of Graduate Research Services for final document approval. Click here to download the Thesis & Dissertation Format Checklist.

Note: This checklist does not serve as a substitute for the Thesis & Dissertation Manual.

Graduate Writing Support

There are several types of writing support available to graduate students, sponsored by both the School of Graduate Studies and the Rowan University Writing Center. For information on offerings beyond what is listed below, please see the Writing Center's Graduate Writing Support webpage. 

Thesis, Dissertation, and Academic Paper Drop-Off

The Writing Center offers a drop-off service for longer pieces of graduate student writing. After uploading your document, your work will be assigned to a Graduate Tutor. Your tutor will read your uploaded document, keeping in mind any special areas of concern you have indicated, and will respond as a reader. This feedback will be sent to you in a client report form through the automated system. There is a 25-page limit to the documents uploaded to the drop-off service; if you intend to send a document that is longer than 25 pages, please know that your assigned tutor will only work on 25 pages per drop-off. If you so choose, you may schedule an appointment with your tutor, to discuss your feedback after your tutor has returned it to you.

To access this service, please visit https://rowan.mywconline.com/ and be sure to indicate your standing as a Graduate student in the form you complete as you make your appointment.