msu grad school dissertation submission deadline

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Electronic Theses and Dissertation Submissions

Thesis/Dissertation Office, 466 West Circle Drive, 2nd floor, Chittenden Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824

Phone: 517-353-3220; Email: [email protected] .

The links below provide instructions on what needs to be completed and approved by the Graduate School in order to graduate.

Each semester has a firm submission deadline by which students must submit their thesis/dissertation to ProQuest. The document must have been successfully defended, corrections from the committee addressed and is to be a final version. After submission it may take several days for the Graduate School to review and approve the documents, especially if formatting revisions are needed. Each semester has a final deadline (usually 2 weeks later) by which students must have all required paperwork turned in, all milestones completed and their thesis/dissertation accepted by the Graduate School. 

• Printable Formatting Guide (PDF) Note the absence of List of Tables and List of Figures in the new formatting guide. These sections are generally not necessary and leaving them out helps quicken the review process. Also note that the Table of Contents is more useful when entries are limited to chapter-level headings or chapter-level headings and first-level subheadings.
• Printable Sample Pages (PDF) This includes examples of the title page, abstract, copyright, dedication page, preface, bibliography, table of contents, etc.
• Master’s Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page with Dual Degree Template
• Fall 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (PowerPoint)
• Fall 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (Video)
• All Plan A Master’s and all Doctoral students must turn in the Approval form.
• The Approval form is taken as evidence that the document has been examined and approved by the major professor or thesis/dissertation director. It also serves to document compliance with the appropriate Institutional Review Board for the use of human and vertebrate animals for research.
• Supplemental files may be included with the electronic submission of the thesis or dissertation in the student’s ProQuest account ONLY if the files have been approved by the faculty advisor/committee on the Approval Form.
• ETD Approval Form

Human Research Protection Program

• If human subjects were used in your research, the IRB letter (on letterhead from the Human Research Protection office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
• The IRB number that is to appear your approval form is the “Approved” number on the IRB letter (e.g. STUDY00004871 or AMEND202100608), not the application number (e.g. i45603).
• Sending a screenshot from the “CLICK” site where you are listed as a researcher (CLICK photo must start at the green box that says “APPROVED” and extend so it includes information in the “Contacts” tab below the flow chart) OR
• Having your PI send an email to [email protected] stating the IRB number, the project title, and that you are an approved researcher on the project.  (If you used animal subjects, your name does not need to appear on the IACUC letter.)  

MSU Requirements

MSU IRB review and approval or an exempt determination is required for all projects that involve research or clinical investigations with human subjects conducted by faculty, staff, students, or agents of MSU before initiation of any human subject research activities.

For those projects that may qualify as exempt from IRB approval, an exempt determination must be obtained from the MSU IRB office prior to initiation of the human subject research. For those projects that do not qualify as exempt, IRB approval must be obtained prior to initiation of the human subject research.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if you did not obtain IRB approval prior to the start of your research, if your IRB request was backdated or if your review request was denied by the Human Research Protection office. For further information, please see the Human Research Protection Program website at:  https://hrpp.msu.edu/ . Phone: 517-355-2180. Email:  [email protected] .

Animal Care Program

• If vertebrate animals were used in your research, the IACUC (AUF) letter (on letterhead from the Animal Care Program office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
• The IACUC (AUF) number that is to appear on your approval form is the “IACUC ID” number on the IACUC letter (i.e.: PROTO201800030).

Activities Needing Approval

Any ownership or use of animals for research, teaching, testing, or public outreach by or for MSU must be approved by the IACUC. Some activities are exempt but check first.

Check with the IACUC before you do any of these:

• breed, buy, or conduct research involving animals
• study wild animals
• conduct farming and food production with animals
• euthanize an animal
• import or export animals
• test products, procedures, or treatments on animals
• transport animals
• initiate a new project
• add a new procedure or controlled substance
• change your protocol
• change the breed you are using
• schedule a public performance or demonstration with animals

Get approval before you begin ANY activities involving animals.

The  laws and guidelines  for using animals are numerous. Non-compliance can affect animal care. Non-compliance will be costly to the investigator and the University (such as damage to our reputation and funding). The IACUC committee and staff have up-to-date information on legislation and regulations and contacts with agencies providing guidelines for the care and use of animals.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if you did not obtain IACUC approval prior to the start of your research, if your IACUC request was backdated or if your review request was denied by the Animal Care Program office. For further information, please see the Animal Care Program/IACUC website at:  https://animalcare.msu.edu/iacuc/index.html . Phone: 517-432-8103. Email:  [email protected] .

• Please take a few moments to complete this survey the semester that you plan to graduate. Only students who have applied for graduation will have access to this online survey. Your participation is important and is greatly appreciated by the Graduate School. The survey will ask you questions about your educational experience in your graduate program. The Graduate School uses data from this survey when reviewing graduate programs and to guide decisions about services and initiatives for graduate students.
• Doctoral students:  https://www.egr.msu.edu/doctoral/survey
• Master’s students:  https://msu.12twenty.com
• Enter your MSU NetID (Login name) and password.
• Complete all items on the survey. When finished, click Submit.
• If you cannot open the survey, please contact the Graduate School by email at  [email protected]  and include your name, student ID#, degree level (PhD, MA, MS, etc), and the semester of graduation. You will then be notified when you are able to access the survey.
• The Survey of Earned Doctorates is the definitive source of information on the nation’s new research doctorates. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and five other federal agencies and conducted by RTI, the SED is critical to the understanding in what specialty areas doctorates are produced and their post-graduation employment plans.
• Results are used by government as well as academic institutions to make decisions about graduate education funding, developing new programs and supporting existing ones.
• Michigan State University REQUIRES verification of completion of the survey. When you submit your survey, a notification of completion will automatically be sent to the Graduate School office. It is recommended that at the end of the survey, you also have a copy of the “certificate of completion” emailed to your personal email for your records.
• The registration URL for the survey is:  https://sed-ncses.org . You will receive an email with a PIN and password as well as the URL to the survey upon registering.
• Confidentiality Assurance: The information provided in the survey questionnaire remains confidential and is safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the NSF Act of 1950, as amended. The survey data are reported only in aggregate form or in a manner that does not identify information about the individual.
• Questions about the survey may be directed to RTI at  [email protected]  or at 1-877-256-8167.
• You may submit your document to ProQuest once you have successfully defended your thesis or dissertation and you have made the corrections that your committee wishes you to make.  Do not submit your document prior to your defense. 
• Go to  www.etdadmin.com/grad.msu  and follow the directions for submitting your thesis/dissertation to Michigan State University via ProQuest.
• When creating your account be sure to use an email address that you use regularly. In order to continue the submission process, you will be asked to “confirm” your account using the email address you provided. This is the email address that all correspondence from the Graduate School regarding your document will go.
• Once you “confirm” your account, you are ready to begin the submission process. Please be sure you are on the Michigan State University website within ProQuest. 
• The submission steps are listed on the left side of the screen in the ProQuest website. As each step is completed, a check mark will appear in the appropriate box indicating that you have completed that step. In order to make your initial submission, you must go through each step of the process.
• Once you submit to ProQuest, your electronic submission will be reviewed by a Michigan State University Graduate School Administrator for possible formatting revisions and/or required paperwork before it is “officially” accepted and delivered to ProQuest for publishing.
• You may expect a response with necessary corrections or paperwork from the Graduate School within two business days from the time we receive your electronic submission (or resubmission). NOTE: Response times increase dramatically closer to deadline dates.
• Once all corrections have been made and all necessary paperwork has been turned in to the Graduate School, your document will be accepted and delivered to ProQuest for publishing.
• Please contact ProQuest directly at 800-521-0600 with any technical questions regarding your submission or any questions regarding an order you placed.
• If you wish to have ProQuest file a copyright on your behalf, the current fee is $75.00 and must be paid to ProQuest when you create your submission.  You must be the sole author of the entire document for ProQuest to file for a copyright on your behalf.
• For information regarding a publication hold/embargo on your thesis/dissertation please go to the Embargo link .

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College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Academics

Important msu dates.

NOTE: The deadline for graduate degree candidates to turn in theses/dissertations to the  MSU Graduate School for degree conferral is the Wednesday following finals week. See the  Academic Calendar for exact dates.

• Mid-January: UDF and UEF nominations due to College (see communication from College)
• February 1: AAGA Applications due. Instruction Sheet
• February 25: Deadline for applications for Dissertation Completion Fellowship for Summer Semester. DCF Data Sheet  |  Instruction Sheet
• March 1: Process assistantships for summer semester per Office of Financial Aid.
• March 31: Assistantship letter due for graduate students being employed as TAs  for summer semester.
• April 1: Process fellowships for summer semester per Office of Financial Aid.
• April 1: Travel Fellowship and Research Enhancement Fellowship requests due to CANR if requesting funding for current fiscal year (July 1-June 30). See the travel and research enhancement instructions .
• April 15: Assistantship letter (or non-renewal notice) due for graduate student being employed as RAs or TEs for summer and fall semesters.
• April 22: Assistantship letter (or non-renewal notice) due for graduate student being employed as TAs for fall and spring (if appropriate) semesters.
• May 15: Deadline for applications for Dissertation Completion Fellowship for Fall Semester. ( DCF Data Sheet | Instruction Sheet )

Summer (June, July, August)

• July 1: Process assistantships for fall semester per Office of Financial Aid.
• August 1: Process fellowships for fall semester per Office of Financial Aid.
• October 1: Process assistantships for spring semester per Office of Financial Aid.
• October 15: Deadline for applications for Dissertation Completion Fellowship for Spring Semester. ( DCF Data Sheet | Instruction Sheet )
• November 1: Process fellowships for spring semester per Office of Financial Aid.
• December 1: Assistantship letter (or non-renewal notice) due for graduate student being employed as TAs, RAs or TEs for spring semester.

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Category: Grad School, University-Wide ETD Submission Deadline

5:00 pm – 5:00 pm December 1, 2022

Thursday, December 1, 2022 - 5:00pm

Each semester has a deadline for the initial submission of theses and dissertations to ProQuest.  The deadline is generally two weeks prior to the final deadline.  Plan your defense accordingly. The document submitted to ProQuest is expected to be a final version, meaning it has been successfully defended, corrections the committee wants have been made, and there are no more content changes. 

Students are highly encouraged to read and follow the Thesis and Dissertation information available on the Graduate School’s website at: https://grad.msu.edu/etd. This site gives instructions on formatting, required paperwork, and how to submit to ProQuest.

The Graduate School will not accept documents for review for the current semester after 5:00PM ET on the submission deadline date.

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• Call us: (517) 353-9189
• Contact Information
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• Call MSU: (517) 355-1855
• Visit: msu.edu
• MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.
• Spartans Will.
• © Michigan State University

Academic Programs Catalog

Graduate education, doctoral programs, dissertation and abstract.

The dissertation and an abstract of the dissertation must be prepared in accordance with the specifications in the Printable Formatting Guide , a PDF that is available, along with a packet of required forms relating to the dissertation online from The Graduate School at www.grad.msu.edu/etd .

After the guidance committee chairperson—and, if required by unit bylaws, other members of the guidance committee—indicate(s) that the dissertation is acceptable for examination, and not later than the date determined by the department the semester in which graduation is anticipated, the student must submit copies of the dissertation and abstract for distribution to the guidance committee chairperson, other guidance committee members, and, if necessary, to any appointed examiner. The inclusion of a "public" abstract written in non-technical language is highly recommended. The dissertation must be in completed form, with finished diagrams, etc. It must not, however, be bound. After the guidance committee and any appointed examiner have reviewed and approved the dissertation and after the student has passed the final oral examination in its defense, the student must incorporate into the dissertation any recommended change(s) and corrections before presenting it to the chairperson of the guidance committee for final review and signature of the defense approval form. Not later than the deadline date indicated by the Graduate School for the semester in which graduation is expected , the student must submit to the Graduate School a final electronic copy of the dissertation online and the ETD approval form signed by the dissertation advisor  following the instructions online at grad.msu.edu/etd . Some departments, schools, or colleges require bound paper copies of the dissertation, and it is the student's responsibility to provide such copies to them.

Thesis Project

In the thesis project, you’ll write an 80- to 100-page thesis.

Choose a topic related to defense and security studies. Be sure you can show your mastery of the topic.

Submission deadlines

Choose the semester you want to write your thesis. Then, submit your final thesis by that deadline.

• For fall semester: End of November
• For spring semester: End of April
• For summer semester: End of July

Review the MSU thesis resource guide  for exact deadline dates each semester.

We recommend you do your thesis in the fall or spring semester.

The Graduate College grants deadline extensions only in exceptional cases.

Thesis resources: Declaration form and guidelines

Fill out and submit the thesis/non-thesis declaration form after your second semester in the program (or once you’ve completed 18 credit hours).

For specific guidelines and requirements about your thesis, read the thesis project and process guide.

• Thesis/non-thesis Declaration Form
• Thesis Project and Process Guide  
• Thesis Memo Form (submit upon selection of all Thesis Board members)

You will need Microsoft Word and Adobe Reader to view and print these documents.

Submit the declaration form to your academic advisor.

Thesis/non-thesis consultant

Advice and things to know.

• You can only take the DSS 799 Thesis course once for credit (three hours) toward your 36-hour requirement for graduation.
• It’s best to submit your thesis for reader approval during the spring and fall semesters, not the summer semester. If you choose to submit in the summer, the timeline is much shorter and requires intense effort by you to work in coordination with the readers.
• You’re responsible for knowing and following the university’s student academic integrity policies and procedures . Any student participating in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to sanctions as described in this policy.  
• In writing your thesis, you're required to follow the MSU thesis resources guide and all specific deadlines for thesis preparation and submission set by the Graduate College.
• All three readers and the university’s Graduate College must approve your thesis.
• Edit your first thesis draft for grammar and spelling. Make sure your footnotes and bibliography are complete and correct. Neither the first reader nor the thesis committee are responsible for correcting these issues. Any thesis needing such corrections will be returned to you for completion without further comment.
• If you do not finish the thesis in the semester in which you’re first enrolled in DSS 799, you must enroll in DSS 794 Active in Research each semester until you finish your thesis. You’re assigned a "Z" grade until your thesis is successfully submitted.
• Under certain circumstances, you may change the readers on your thesis committee. To do so, you must petition the department for approval in writing, explaining the reason for the requested change.
• The department may grant your thesis a " With distinction " designation if all three readers deem it exceptional. Your first reader will make a recommendation to the other two readers on your board, and all three board members will then make a final decision on an award of pass with distinction for your thesis. 
• Apply online
• Request information

Department of Sociology College of Social Science

•   Schedule your dissertation defense date by emailing the graduate office  at  [email protected]   early in the semester to reserve the conference room and publicize your defense. All defenses are public and all are welcome to attend.  You must be enrolled the semester you defend, no exceptions.
• When you know the date of your dissertation defense, please fill out the   Apply to Graduate form with the Registrar's Office . This form should be filled out regardless of the outcome of your defense.
• Review your GradPlan Progress and make sure you have taken all listed courses. Everything should be filled out except for the dissertation defense date (the Graduate Secretary will input that) and your official title for your dissertation. You are not able to fill in the dissertation title until the defense date has been put in.   This is the title that will appear on all records, so make sure it is correct and matches your dissertation!
• Once you pass your defense, you need to submit your dissertation to the Graduate School. Look at the   Instructions for Electronic Submission   (pay close attention to #2) and also look at the   deadlines for submission . Those dates are for  final  approval, if you submit your paper that day it will not be approved and you will not graduate that semester. You must submit your paper  at least 2 weeks prior  to your given semester's deadline.
• Resolve any outstanding bills that might hold up your transcript or diploma.
• For more information about commencement, go to   https://commencement.msu.edu/ . 

Any questions about graduation or dissertation defenses can be directed to the Graduate Program Director Cathy Liu [email protected]

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• Apply for graduation  the first week of your last semester
• Fill out the graduate student exit survey
• Prepare dissertation following the Graduate School's formatting guidelines and deadlines
• Submit dissertation to committee at least 2 weeks before oral defense date
• After oral defense, edit dissertation as required by your committee
• Submit approval form and AUF documentation to the Graduate School via email:  [email protected]
• Full text of the dissertation in PDF format. This must be one file. If your manuscript is in a Word or RTF format, you can convert the PDF using a PDF Conversion tool. You also must embed fonts in the PDF. After you have created your account and arrive at this section, you will find a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for the conversion tool and embedding fonts.
• 'Optional' Supplementary files. Michigan State University does allow supplemental files (audio, video, etc.). Please note that only those files approved by the major professor/committee, as denoted on the Graduate School approval form, are allowed.
• Advisor and other Committee Members' Names
• Subject Category: from ProQuest's list of subject categories
• Degree Granting Unit/Program: Neuroscience - Doctor of Philosophy. Located on Title Page, form in #3, and electronic submission)
• Type of Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy
• Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates