Please review these frequently asked questions about the thesis and dissertation submission process. 

How do I submit my thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School?

The Graduate School accepts theses electronically only, uploaded as a pdf document, through the ProQuest website. This site contains information on converting word documents to pdf documents, and has a helpful section of frequently asked questions. The Thesis Approval Form must be attached as a supplemental file. Before submitting electronically, students can call the Graduate School to discuss options for a pre-check of thesis/dissertation format. Please check submission deadlines on the Graduate School calendar.

What is the deadline to submit my thesis or dissertation?

In order to have your degree awarded in any given semester, the thesis or dissertation, with the Thesis Approval Form attached as a supplemental file, must be submitted by the published deadline.

What happens after I submit my document?

Your thesis will be reviewed by the Graduate School.  Keep a close eye on your e-mail, as you'll receive confirmation that the thesis has been accepted or a request to make revisions.

If asked to make formatting revisions, when must they be complete?

Any revisions to your thesis must be complete by the posted deadline; please allow time to make revisions as necessary.  Should you have any concerns, Graduate School staff members will work with you directly to plan a path forward.

What is the Thesis Approval Form and how do I submit it?

The Thesis Approval Form (TAF) shows that your committee has approved the final version of your thesis.  In advance of submission, fill out the form and enter contact informatiion; the form will then be routed to your committee chair and one other member.  The form will be returned to you with signatures.  Download the form and attach it to your thesis as a supplemental file when you submit the pdf.  Full instructions are available to assist you.

How do I convert my document to PDF?

ProQuest provides a number of resources to assist with preparation of your submission, including information on converting documents to pdf.

Can I include my thesis data or other supplemental files (video, audio, CSVs, code, etc.)?

If you have data or other supplemental files (video, audio, CSVs, code, etc.) you would like to make available along with your thesis or dissertation you have two options. 

  • Upload your files directly to CU Scholar. CU Scholar is an open access institutional repository maintained by the University Libraries that preserves and provides perpetual public access to the research activities of members of the CU Boulder community. Data librarians will help guide you through the process of making your data available and accessible and will create a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) that will link to your data. Once your thesis or dissertation is published in CU Scholar it will be associated with your dataset.  
  • Upload your files as supplemental files along with your thesis when submitting to ProQuest. You are limited to ten supplemental files (including the single page TAF) and each supplemental file can be up to 4GB. You can find more details on ProQuest’s FAQ: How can I include related files (sound clips, data sets, etc.) that are a critical part of my dissertation or thesis? If you select to have your work included in the institutional repository (CU Scholar) during the thesis submission process, any supplemental files will be associated with your thesis in CU Scholar after publication. 
How should I handle graphics?

You can import graphics files into your word processing application prior to creating the final PDF version. Generally, we have found that .gif files translate to PDF better than to .jpg (JPEG) files.

Can I put links inside my dissertation or thesis?

Yes. However, links should only be to other parts of the dissertation. That is, they should not link to external web sites that might change after the document is submitted.