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Research Guides

Dissertations and Theses: Deposit Procedure

ATTENTION: To ease the burden of obtaining and processing physical signatures for students, the library’s Dissertation Office has modified the procedure for verifying departmental approval of a student’s deposit.

As of March 13, 2020 and until further notice: in lieu of the signed approval page, the library will accept an email from the program executive officer confirming that the dissertation/thesis/capstone project has been approved and is ready to deposit. This single email, sent from a CUNY email address, will suffice for both signatures on the approval page; no library verification from the advisor is necessary at this time.

Please send emails to Roxanne Shirazi and cc: deposit@gc.cuny.edu.

Please Note:

  • Proof of graduation will be withheld until all holds with University offices are cleared. 

  • Embargo (delayed release) options determine when a dissertation, thesis, or capstone project will be made publicly available online. Graduates should review these options with a trusted advisor prior to deposit. The initial embargo selection (0-2 years) may be changed at any time after submission, with the option to renew as the embargo nears expiration.

  • If you are submitting digital components beyond a PDF (e.g., a website), please review the guidelines for depositing digital work and fill out the digital component submission form.

  • Authors retain copyright for all work submitted to CUNY Academic Works and ProQuest. Graduates may elect to assign a Creative Commons license to their work.

Steps to Deposit

  1. Apply for graduation in CUNYFirst. See deadlines. View screenshots and detailed instructions for this action in CUNYfirst. Login to CUNYfirst and select Student Center from the main menu. Under Academics, click on My Academics and select "Apply for Graduation.” Click on the “Apply for Graduation” link located next to your current Graduate Center degree program. You will be prompted to select a graduation term. Students filing for the February degree date should select the preceding Fall term; students filing for the May/June degree should select the current Spring term; students filing for the September degree should select the Summer term. This will notify various offices at the Graduate Center, including the Library, that you plan to deposit a dissertation, thesis, or capstone project for the next degree date. Students can “View Graduation Status” to see when each program has been applied, approved (all degree requirements met), or awarded (degree has been conferred).
     
  2. Complete exit surveys (voluntary). Doctoral graduates: NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates. Master’s students complete only the CUNY Graduate Center Exit Questionnaire for Graduating MA Students. These surveys are voluntary; however the information for the NSF Survey is of particular importance to establishing statistical data which assists The Graduate Center with funding and grants. All information collected will be aggregated and kept confidential.
     
  3. Check your manuscript against the library format guidelines. The Dissertation Office reviews uploaded documents for compliance with the library's format guidelines and either approves the deposit or requests format corrections. Corrections must be completed in order for the submission to be accepted by the library. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of deposited work. Final version must be free of typographical errors and correct in every detail of style and format.
     
  4. Upload files. Submit the final approved version of the dissertation, thesis, or capstone project to CUNY Academic Works as a PDF or MS Word document. Doctoral dissertations must also be submitted to ProQuest (see the step-by-step instructions). You will need to create an author account; the library will communicate using the email address you use to create your author account.
     
  5. Submit the signed original approval page to the library. SEE REVISED PROCEDURE FOR SPRING 2020 AT TOP OF THIS PAGE. The printed and signed approval page must be delivered to the library for authentication and safekeeping. The approval page may be printed on standard paper. Please ensure that the approval page includes the title and author of the manuscript; if necessary, a separate title page may be attached. Email deposit@gc.cuny.edu to notify the Dissertation Office (room 2304) that the signed original approval page is en route. Students are strongly encouraged to keep a scanned copy for their records. The Dissertation Office will confirm receipt within 1-2 business days. The deposit is not considered complete unless the signed original approval page has been received and processed by the library. Submit the signed original approval page to the Dissertation Office (room 2304) on the library's 2nd floor. NOTE: For Psychology, the EO’s Office delivers the approval page to the Dissertation Librarian after processing. Students may send it via post (include delivery confirmation) to:

    Attn: Dissertation Office
    Library 2nd floor, Room 2304
    The Graduate Center, CUNY
    365 Fifth Avenue
    New York, NY 10016

 

Congratulations! Your deposit is complete and has been accepted by the library. Notification that the library deposit has been completed will be sent via email to the graduating student and the Registrar’s office will be notified.

Online/Digital Components

Does your dissertation/thesis include a significant digital component that the library should archive?

If so, please read the Digital Projects page well in advance of your deposit and consult the library's Digital Project Documentation Guidelines. The library can provide guidance in determining what to submit to the library; please contact the Dissertation Office to set up a consultation.