SCU Thesis Submission Guidelines

Requirements and Steps for Graduate Thesis Deposition

• University Policy
• Format Requirements
• Catalog Entry
• Steps for Submitting a Thesis
• Thesis Submission Price List

Questions concerning these guidelines should be submitted to the University Library Administrative Offices (408-554-6830).

University Policy

Two copies of all theses submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Master's or Doctor of Philosophy degree at Santa Clara University must be deposited in the University Library, one for archival purposes and one for circulation. At their option, individual Programs may require students to submit a third copy, to be retained in the Program Office. Students may choose to have additional personal copies of the thesis bound at the same time.

Ph.D. candidates must also provide an additional copy of their thesis for submission to ProQuest Information and Learning (formerly UMI) for inclusion in Dissertation Abstracts International, with a completed ProQuest Doctoral Dissertation Agreement Form.

Students must submit all copies to the appropriate Program Office for format check and billing, with a completed Thesis Submission Form. Four times a year (at the end of each quarter), Program Offices will deposit copies of all theses submitted that quarter in the University Librarian's Office.

The University Library will catalog the thesis and send all copies out for binding. For Ph.D. theses, an unbound copy will be forwarded to ProQuest. On return, University copies will be intershelved with other materials, Program copies will be returned to the appropriate Program Office, and personal copies will be mailed to the student.

Students will be billed for all charges, including binding of required and personal copies, and ProQuest charges. The University Librarian's Office will annually distribute a price sheet to the Program Offices, reflecting the current costs for binding and ProQuest services.

Format Requirements

Individual programs may establish their own style guidelines for theses, except that left margins shall not be less than 1.5 inches (to ensure readability when bound), all theses must include an abstract, and deposited copies must be printed or copied onto 25 pound or heavier paper.

Catalog Entry

All graduate programs which require or allow students the option of completing a thesis will include the following paragraph in their graduate bulletin, modified as appropriate to the program requirements (optional entries are in square brackets). Current charges for thesis binding should be included in the paragraph, as well as in the list of fees.

[Statement here about a thesis being required or being an option for the program.] Guidelines for the preparation of theses are available from [name of school or department]. At least XX month(s) prior to the date the degree is to be conferred, the candidate must submit two copies of the final version of the thesis, including original approval pages, to [name of school or department]. These copies will be bound and deposited in the University Library. [A third copy to be bound and retained by the department must also be submitted.] The candidate will be billed a nominal amount for binding charges (currently $15 per copy). Additional copies of the thesis for the candidate's personal use may be submitted for binding at the same time and will be bound at the same rate, plus charges for shipping and handling for mail return to the candidate. [Candidates for the Ph.D. must submit an additional copy of the thesis, to be forwarded to ProQuest Information and Learning and published in Dissertation Abstracts International. There is an additional charge of $55 for this service. At their option, Ph.D. candidates may have ProQuest register their copyright for the thesis with the Library of Congress Copyright Office. There is a fee of $65 for this service.]

Steps for Submitting a Thesis:

1. The student completes his/her thesis and obtains the required signatures, as determined by the Graduate Program Office.

2. The student downloads a Thesis Submission Form. (A Ph.D. dissertation also requires the ProQuest form, available from the Program Office.)

3. The student submits the completed Thesis Submission Form and the corresponding number of original copies to the Program Office.

4. The student pays the total fees listed on the form at Student Accounts, on the 1st floor of Walsh Administration Building. Student Accounts no longer needs to receive a copy of the form.

5. The Program Office sends the copies of the thesis and a copy of the Thesis Submission Form to the University Library Administrative Assistant in the University Library.

6. When the University Library Administrative Assistant receives the form and the copies, the process of having the copies bound will be initiated, and will take 8-12 weeks. The Assistant will authorize Student Accounts to charge the student’s account, matching the fees paid.

7. When the University Library Administrative Assistant receives the copies of the thesis back from the bindery, the archival and circulating copies are deposited, and the other copies are distributed to the Graduate Program Office and the student, per the Thesis Submission Form.

Thesis Submission Price List

Effective October 2006

Updated October 17, 2006