Instructions for Completing a Thesis or Dissertation
Last updated August, 2007

1. The general style manual for the College is The Chicago Manual of Style. A copy is available on reserve in Moon Library and at the Reference Desk of Bird Library. A Department may opt to use a style manual that is more discipline oriented, and in doing so, accepts the responsibility of communicating this preference along with any other special requirements to the graduate students concerned. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of the style manual and any special requirements of the Department. The manual to be used should be indicated as part of the research proposal, i.e., the student in consultation with the Department and/or major professor should identify in the proposal which style manual will be followed in preparation of the thesis or dissertation.
2. The College participates in the Dissertation Information Service provided by ProQuest Learning Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan. All master's theses and doctoral dissertations are submitted for inclusion in this database, which is a computerized index containing bibliographic citations to more than one million doctoral dissertations and master's theses dating back to 1861. This is a valuable resource because it makes available through a variety of products the results of students' work. Concurrent with submitting unbound copies of the documents to the Office of Instruction & Graduate Studies (OI&GS), students are required to convert the documents to PDF format using Adobe Acrobat. Students then upload the digital copy (and associated files), complete information forms, and pay the processing fee directly to ProQuest via the web-based process. The url for the submission of theses and dissertations is: http://dissertations.umi.com/esf/. The cost of this service is paid for by each student. Copyright information is available from ProQuest and is an additional fee paid directly to ProQuest. OI&GS will verify that the version submitted online exactly matches the signed hard copies delivered to the OI&GS office and approve the on-line submission.  If the on-line submission differs from the signed hard copies, it will be rejected by OI&GS and the student must resubmit the appropriate version.
3. To ensure the uniform physical quality of theses and dissertations, all will conform to the guidance provided in a booklet provided by ProQuest entitled, Publishing Your Master's Thesis or Publishing your Dissertation. Copies of these documents are available on-line at the ProQuest site.
4. Copies of theses or dissertations must be clear, neat, and legible. Paper must be of good quality, 16# or 20# bond. Margins should be 1.00 inch.Text is typically double-spaced for the defense, but single-spaced is allowed, with font no smaller than 10 point, and page numbering in the bottom right corner. Students should verify preferences with their committee members. Remember, if you begin with double-space and convert to single-spaced, references within the text will require a universal upgrade (references to page numbers or tables).
5. The title page (see format) must be signed by the Major Professor (or co-Major Professors - where applicable), the Department Chairperson, and the Chair of the Examining Committee. The names of the individuals should be typed below the signature line for easy identification and future reference. Students in the Division of Engineering must also obtain the signature of the Director of the Division of Environmental and Resource Engineering. The signed copies of the title page should be submitted, separate from the main text. The Dean of Instruction and Graduate Studies will sign the title page after the copies are submitted to the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies.
6. Signed copies of the final, approved thesis, or dissertation must be submitted [in a paper box, typically a copy center box] to the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies in a quantity specified by the student’s Department:
   

   Faculty	Required Number of Unbound Copies (boxed) to OI&GS, 227 Bray Hall
   Environmental & Forest Biology	2
   Forest & Natural Resources Management	4
   Chemistry	4 (fees paid by Department of Chemistry)
   Landscape Architecture	2 [see disclaimer]
   Forest Engineering	4
   Paper & Bioprocess Engineering	2
   Construction Management & Wood Products Engineering	2
   Graduate Program in Environmental Science	4

   [The Department of Landscape Architecture requires students to include the following disclaimer in all MS theses:
          The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and should not be interpreted as those of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.]
   
   Bound copies of theses and dissertations are distributed by the staff of the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies. Students may have additional copies bound as requested for personal use. Binding fees are charged. One copy of the document will be bound in green hard cover with gold lettering.  Both paper copies will be deposited at Moon Library.  The bound copy will be cataloged for circulation and the second will be archived unbound in an archival box.
   
   Note: The date listed on the title page should be the month and year in which the document was successfully defended.  For example, if the defense is 15 May 1998, the date on the title page should be May 1998. The year of degree conferral will be the year listed on the binding.
7. The abstract page (see format) is required and will contain key words listed at the end of the abstract. Abstracts are bound with the document and will not exceed 150 words for a master's thesis, or 350 words for a doctoral dissertation. The abstract page must be signed by the major professor(s).
   Generally, theses and dissertations follow this format:

   Title Page Copyright (optional) Acknowledgments Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Abstract with Key Words Introduction Literature Review Methods and Materials Results Discussion Conclusions Bibliography Appendices Vita

8. Theses and dissertations will be acceptable as determined by individual Departments. The student's selection of this format must be in keeping with guidelines established by participating Department and have the prior approval of the student's major professor and steering committee.  The student is considered the senior author of any thesis or dissertation and as such only the student's name shall appear on the title page. Other authors shall be cited under the acknowledgment section, but not on each manuscript. The abstract should be inclusive of all manuscripts included in the document. Likewise, the conclusion section should be a synthesis of all-inclusive manuscripts.
9. Students using the manuscript format or completing an internship report (as approved by individual Faculties) should use the following format:

   Title page Acknowledgments Table of Contents Abstract with Key Words Introduction Manuscripts Conclusions Literature Cited Appendices Vita

10. Non-print thesis or dissertation formats will be handled on an individual basis and the student selecting such a format, along with the supervising major professor and/or steering committee, should consult with the Library Faculty early in the planning process so that all parts of the document can be accessed from the Library. Students shall submit a vita (see suggested format) as the last page of the thesis or dissertation.
11. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all submitted documents are in the correct order, with all pages included, and that title and abstract pages are signed prior to being submitted for binding. Changes made after the document is sent to the binder will be charged to the student.
12. Students who wish to register the copyright of their theses or dissertation may pay an additional fee to ProQuest to process the copyright application. A copyright page should be included within the manuscript (see sample page) and inserted after the title page. The student is required to authorize the microfilm form and submit an additional fee payable directly to ProQuest. Detailed instructions are included in the documents Publishing Your Master's Thesis or Publishing your Dissertation.

Before you submit your thesis or dissertation manuscript to OI&GS, check to make sure you:

• Have no font size smaller than 10 point;
• Print no more condense than single-spaced with pages numbered in lower right corner;
• Have the abstract page signed by your major professor(s);
• Have the title page signed by your major professor(s), chair of the exam committee, department chair, and Director of the Division of Engineering (ERE degrees only);
• Include your resume/vita as the last page of the thesis or dissertation;
• Spell check all pages - especially the acknowledgment page;
• Make sure all pages are included and in correct order;
• Make sure you have not passed your delimitation date (If so, you must petition an extension.);
• Have converted the document to pdf format and submitted it to ProQuest via instructions on the associated website: http://dissertations.umi.com/esf/; and
• Submit the unbound copies in a box (usually the copy store provides a box to transport the papers.

Candidates for the PhD degree are required to submit the Survey of Earned Doctorates. A pdf form is available from “NORC”.

References

University of Chicago. (1993). A Manual of Style: For Authors, Editors and Copywriters. (14th ed., rev.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [Z253.U69 1993.]

University Microfilms, Inc. Publishing Your Dissertation: How to Prepare Your Manuscript for Publication. [D-559D 35M 1993].

Boyd, Jane & Etherington, Don. (1986). Preparation of Archival Copies of Theses and Dissertations. Chicago: American Library Association. [Reserve Z701 B79 1986.]