Dissertations & Theses  

Every depositor must schedule a meeting with the Dissertation Assistant during a deposit period and (suggested minimum) five days after the PhD defense to allow time for revisions. A preliminary review meeting prior to defense is optional. See Format for Deposit guidelines for specifications about electronic depositing in any file format, adding supplementary files, and pagination, paper stock, signatures required for the paper copy.

Prior to the final deposit meeting:

Go to UMI ETD Administrator to submit your dissertation and supplementary files. Multiple file formats can be submitted. Also find instructions, tips for converting a work to PDF, and additional information about these and other topics. Create an account to deposit, monitor, and revise your submission if there are errors. Masters' theses and capstone projects are deposited in paper format only without using the UMI ETD Administrator.

Copyright

Unlike most other traditional academic publishers, ProQuest does not demand copyright in exchange for publication or deposit of your dissertation. You retain sole ownership of and copyright to all deposited work. ProQuest is licensed to distribute your work as you specify (see below). Copyright protection is secured upon deposit, or online appearance, of your dissertation. For an additional optional $55 fee to ProQuest, authors may hire ProQuest to file a copy in the US Library of Congress. This gesture may make it easier for authors to claim violation of their own work and to obtain compensation in the unlikely event of copyright infringement. Authors may also file works in the US Library of Congress for $35 without ProQuest assistance.

Select publishing options

Traditional publishing authorizes ProQuest to post a work in its Digital Dissertations subscription database and sell the work in electronic, print, and microformats, for which the author receives a 10% net revenue royalty for no more than 25 years, payable once a $25 threshold is reached. ProQuest's Open Access publishing option offers digital distribution of a work free to any online reader from the ProQuest database, supported by a one-time $95 fee by the author at the time of deposit. See also ProQuest's Open Access Compared to Traditional Publishing. The Graduate Center expects to launch its own electronic thesis and dissertation (ETD) repository during the 2013-14 academic year. At that time, dissertations published without embargo in ProQuest will be published Open Access online, rendering the $95 Open Access ProQuest fee unnecessary. 

Search engines crawl the database and with author's permission allow citations and abstracts for works deposited 2007 and after to be discovered by Google, Google Scholar, Google Books, Yahoo, and other engines. Citations and abstracts for works distributed by traditional publishing may be discovered by search engines, but free full-text is available to online searchers through these engines only if an author selects Open Access publishing. See also ProQuest's Third Party Discovery and Access statement.

3rd party sales PHASED OUT April 2013 This option was available to authors selecting traditional publishing, but it is no longer offered. All sales generated royalties payable to authors. ProQuest is winding down extant agreements with 3rd party vendors. Authors who previously selected this option will find their dissertations no longer discoverable or sold through 3rd part retailers. 

Embargo or delay release blocks your work from ProQuest full-text distribution in any format. Authors may opt for a 6-month, 1-year, or 2-year embargo at the point of deposit. See also ProQuest's Embargoes & Restrictions. At any point after the Graduate Center Library's Dissertation Assistant has submitted the work to ProQuest, authors may alter, extend, or retract an embargo by contacting ProQuest/UMI. Alternately email disspub@proquest.com, or from North America call 800.521.0600 ext. 77020. Include your ISBN number; available only to dissertation authors, not their representatives. Delayed release allows authors extra time to obtain copyright permission, see ProQuest/UMI's Sample Permission Letter and instructions, or to negotiate with publishers objecting to a work's prior release. If an embargoed work is requested, neither ProQuest/UMI nor the library may contact the author due to ProQuest/UMI's privacy policy. The Graduate Center Library copies (in print, microfilm, and digital formats) are not subject to author embargo. These university copies of record may be displayed in the library and CUNY IP-space, copied by users in that space, and loaned by the GC library via Interlibrary Loan.

• Upload a copy of the dissertation file (s), often in PDF format. For paper and PDF format guidelines, see the Graduate Center Library's Format Guidelines and the ProQuest/UMI PDF FAQ for instruction.
• ProQuest/UMI will, for an optional $55 fee, register a dissertation with the U.S. Copyright Office and send a copy to the Library of Congress. See UMI/ProQuest's Why Copyright about the benefits of this optional service. Authors retain copyright for all works deposited in the ProQuest repository.

The final PhD dissertation deposit meeting requires:

• your approval page with two required signatures, those of the Chair of the Examining Committee and of the program's Executive Officer, plus typed names of faculty members who supervised the writing (see sample)
• one print copy of your dissertation, in specified format on specified paper, identical to the PDF file submitted prior
• Graduate School Exit Survey completed online, just prior to the deposit meeting (login with Banner ID/pwd, search under "Student Services" tab for "Graduation Center Exit Survey and Survey of Earned Doctorates")
• NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates completed online (login with Banner ID/pwd, search under "Student Services" tab for "Graduation Center Exit Survey and Survey of Earned Doctorates")
• Deposit Clearance Form print and complete 
• Obtain Registrar signature on the Deposit Clearance form on the day of, just prior to the deposit meeting. The Registrar does not have the information to issue approval until the day of deposit. Bursar, Financial Aid, and Circulation Manager signatures may be obtained shortly before the deposit. Financial Aid may require completion of an exit survey prior to signature. All CUNY bills must be paid; all CUNY library books returned & fines paid.

During the final deposit meeting, the Dissertation Assistant will assess your bill for deposit. After the meeting, take the bill to the Bursar's window (8th floor) to make payment (by cash or check only - no credit cards accepted at the window) and receive a receipt. Online payment with Electronic Funds Transfer or with American Express, Discover, or MasterCard is possible with the assessed bill using the Grad Center Banner Web portal (select “Dissertation Fee”). If you have made online payment, bring printed receipts to the Bursar's window for verification after your bill is assessed. Deliver the verified receipts, then, back to the Registrar. The Registrar supplies an Application for Degree form with your full name (as it will appear on the Diploma), address, and signature. The Registrar issues a letter with the university seal certifying your deposit and the date of award, which is the date of deposit. The Registrar also issues instructions for commencement ceremony attendance. For graduates depositing while out-of-town, the Registrar will mail the certifying letter. Graduates obtain a GC Alumni photo ID card from the Office of Public Safety (rm. 9123) upon presentation of the deposit receipt for continued Graduate Center Library privileges. Diplomas are available from the Registrar after commencement.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of deposited dissertations, theses, and capstone projects. Final copies must be free of typographical error and correct in every detail of style and format. If typos or formatting errors are present in the deposit PDF, re-submission of a corrected file is possible in consultation with the Dissertation Assistant. Print copies must be unbound, unmarked, and free of hole-punches and correcting fluid. Please submit print copies in paper boxes or in envelopes.

Recipients of Perkins or Federal Direct Student Loan must arrange for an exit interview with the Office of Financial Aid. Make an appointment with the Graduate Center's Office of Financial Aid (212-817-7460) at least five business days before deposit.

A print deposit copy of each doctoral dissertation will be bound and shelved in the Mina Rees Library. A microform copy is kept in the library for interlibrary lending.

Personal bound copies of non-embargoed deposited works may be ordered online from ProQuest/UMI. The Dissertation Assistant will provide a copy of the bindery packing slip should an author wish to purchase additional bound copies for personal use.

Recipients of certain purblic and private awards in support of doctoral degrees may be required to deposit selecting Open Access Publishing, or provide a print copy of a completed work. Consult the SHERPA-JULIET Directory for funder policies; verify with any sponsoring organization prior to deposit.

rev 4/16/13