College of Graduate Studies
Thesis/Dissertation Information
Students required to submit a thesis or dissertation as part of their program requirements must follow the guidelines listed here. See the Graduate Student Calendar for important dates including deadlines to submit your defense results, submit your thesis/dissertation, and complete requested revisions.
The sections on this page are:
Formatting your Thesis/Dissertation
All graduate students submitting a thesis or dissertation must follow the formatting guidelines under each menu item on the left (starting with General Formatting) unless the student is using LaTeX or is authorized to use American Chemical Society (ACS) style, MLA, manuscript style, or another formatting style.
The formatting instructions listed on our website primarily follow APA 7 guidelines from the 7th edition of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Publication Manual. For consistency across the university, all students should use the formatting instructions listed on this website for the page numbers, margins, title page, Certificate of Approval, and vita regardless of the style guide used.
Formatting Checklist
Thesis/Dissertation formatting checklist (PDF) - UPDATE COMING SOON
LaTeX
Some students in math and engineering may be using LaTeX to format their dissertation or thesis. If you are using LaTeX, please download Tennessee Tech's LaTeX manual and required files at https://www.tntech.edu/cas/files/math/TNThesis.zip (right-click on this link to select your download destination).
LaTeX will format most of your document for you, but you need to review the Title, Certificate of Approval, and Vita sections on the left. When you submit your work to Graduate Studies in ProQuest, put a note in the comment box that you used LaTeX.
Manuscript Format (EVS and some ChemE papers)
Some programs at Tennessee Tech conduct research best presented as discrete journal articles rather than a continuous document. Manuscript chapters may better showcase individual projects and streamline publication, aligning with the program requirement for students to submit a manuscript for publication before graduation.
For students approved to use a manuscript formatting style, refer to the Manuscript Formatting Guidelines. When you submit your manuscript paper in ProQuest, include a note in the comment box that you are approved to use the manuscript format.
Other Formatting
If your advisor and committee require you to use another style, such as ACS style, add a note in the comment box listing the style you used when you submit your work to Graduate Studies in ProQuest.
Submitting Your Thesis/Dissertation
Your thesis or dissertation must be submitted and all revision requests completed no later than the dates listed in the Graduate Student Calendar.
All students submit their ETD (electronic thesis or dissertation) to the ProQuest ETD Administrator system for publication. Please refer to:
Go to www.etdadmin.com/tntech/ to create an account and submit your paper.
If you are using any style other than APA, please put a note in the Comment section specifying the style you used.
Visit the ProQuest Thesis/Dissertation Virtual "Bootcamp" for additional resources.
Thesis/Dissertation Review Process
After you submit your thesis or dissertation to ProQuest, the College of Graduate Studies will assign a reviewer from our office. Our reviewers primarily check for correct and consistent formatting. This includes verifying that the page numbers, margins, title page, Certificate of Approval, and vita are formatted as requested on this website. They may also ask for changes to other elements of your paper if anything questionable is noticed (e.g., a misspelling, incorrect tense, etc.). Depending on the length of your paper, time constraints for review, etc., the reviewer may request several rounds of changes. Our goal is to help you submit the most polished paper possible.
Please monitor your email frequently for questions and requests for revisions.
Requested revisions must be submitted no later than the date published in the Graduate Student Calendar.
Please reach out to your reviewer or gradstudies@tntech.edu if you have any questions.
Publication Timeline
The College of Graduate Studies submits all papers for the semester to ProQuest at the same time. This usually occurs approximately one week after commencement in Fall and Spring semesters or one week after the last day of classes in Summer semesters. This timeframe allows all degree requirements to be verified and degrees to be awarded before the papers are released.
ProQuest will review your paper and contact you at the email associated with your ProQuest account if they have any questions or if any revisions are required. ProQuest's review process may take up to two weeks, and you'll receive a notification once your paper has been published.
Delayed Publishing
If you need to delay publishing (also referred to as an embargo), you can select a publishing delay option when you submit your paper to ProQuest. Your abstract and citation will be available in the ProQuest database after your accepted paper is delivered to ProQuest, but your paper will not be publicly available until the embargo has ended. If you need to change your embargo dates after your paper is delivered to ProQuest, you can email ProQuest at disspub@proquest.com with the request.
For additional information, please refer to:
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ProQuest article: https://support.proquest.com/s/article/What-is-an-embargo-and-why-would-I-want-to-place-one-on-my-paper?language=en_US&sfdcIFrameOrigin=null
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ProQuest's Emgargoes & Restrictions guide at https://pq-static-content.proquest.com/collateral/media2/documents/umi_embargoesrestrictions_guide.pdf or contact ProQuest at disspub@proquest.com.
Ordering a Printed Copy of Your Thesis/Dissertation
You can order printed and bound copies for a fee during the submission process. ProQuest handles this for you. Be sure to ask if your department requires a bound copy. Additional information about ordering printed copies from ProQuest is at https://about.proquest.com/en/dissertations/dissertation-copy-options/.
Getting Help
General Questions
For general questions about the thesis/dissertation process, contact the College of Graduate Studies at gradstudies@tntech.edu.
Writing
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Contact an advisory committee member(s).
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The Writing Excellence Studio (WEST) offers free one-on-one writing consultation by appointment. They will not proofread or make edits to your paper, but they can help with grammar, language usage, citation, and other issues. Please visit their website (https://www.tntech.edu/cas/english/west.php#) to learn more or schedule a writing consultation.
APA Style
This webpage lists basic APA style information. Additional APA information can be found in the publications and websites listed below.
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The 7th edition of the American Psychological Association's Publication Manual and the Concise Guide to APA Style (7th ed.) are excellent resources if you have access to them.
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Two excellent online APA style and formatting resources are:
The APA manual, OWL Purdue, and APA Style guidelines may recommend different formatting and style choices than those provided on this website. However, to maintain historical consistency, please follow the formatting instructions for page numbers, margin, title page, Certificate of Approval, and vita as outlined here. Additionally, adhere to the page order specified on this site and do not use a running head.
General Research Help
The Volpe Library has several research tools, including EagleSearch, InterLibrary Loan, and Get It Now.
Accessing Tennessee Tech's theses/dissertations in EagleSearch
Some theses and dissertations are in print in the library, and some are available online by following the directions below.
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Go to the Library's databases
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Click on All Databases by Name (A-Z), then click on D
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Click on "Dissertations & Theses Global"
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In the search box, type Tennessee Technological University and search to see all or enter the title to search for a specific thesis or dissertation
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Note: You need to sign in to EagleSearch with your Tennessee Tech username and password (sign in is in the top, right corner) to access all resources.
RefWorks
RefWorks is a citation and research manager available to all Tennessee Tech students. The Volpe Library has information about creating a RefWorks account and more at https://www.tntech.edu/library/refworks.php.
ProQuest Resources
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Submitting Your Thesis/Dissertation section (see above)
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ProQuest article: https://support.proquest.com/s/article/Submitting-your-ETD?language=en_US
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ETD Administrator: Frequently Asked Questions: https://support.proquest.com/s/article/ETD-Administrator-Frequently-Asked-Questions?language=en_US
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ProQuest support: https://support.proquest.com/s/submit-a-case?language=en_US
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Graduate Student Master's Thesis/Final Project Award
Every November the Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools (TCGS) recognizes the exceptional work of Tennessee graduate students. To apply for this award, contact the College of Graduate Studies. Applications are due to TCGS by December 1 each year.
