Submission deadlines and checklists:
May 2021 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist
Preliminary dissertation deadline: March 26, 2021
Final dissertation deadline: May 7, 2021
September 2021 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist
Preliminary dissertation deadline: August 6, 2021
Final dissertation deadline: September 10, 2021
January 2022 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist
Preliminary dissertation deadline: December 3, 2021
Final dissertation deadline: January 10, 2022
Note: GSAS submission deadlines are earlier than University Graduation Deadlines.
Dissertation Formatting Requirements and Guides:
- Doctoral Dissertation Formatting Requirements
- A Formatting Guide for Successful Completion of the Doctoral Dissertation
- Proquest's Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission
- Sample PhD Dissertation Template
Dissertation Submission In Seven Steps:
The following guide presents the necessary steps involved in a doctoral candidate's dissertation submission as required by the Graduate School of Arts and Science. All candidates should check with their dissertation advisor and department administrator regarding additional departmental requirements.
- The candidate must meet with his or her dissertation advisor to discuss research goals, timeframes, and scheduling of an oral defense. If an outside reader is being considered as part of the dissertation committee, the candidate's department must complete and sign the Outside Dissertation Reader Approval Form to include in the candidate's graduation file.
- Prior to scheduling the doctoral dissertation defense, three dissertation readers, one who is the candidate's advisor, must approve the dissertation for defense. Approval to defend is indicated by the signing of the Doctoral Thesis Reader Sheet .
- The candidate is required to register for graduation on Albert at least 3 months prior to the expected date of graduation. Application deadlines may be found here.
Preliminary Dissertation Filing Steps - The candidate must submit the Preliminary Dissertation Paperwork to the GSAS Office of Academic and Student Affairs by the preliminary dissertation deadline. The Preliminary Submission Paperwork consists of the following:
- One copy of the Title Page, unsigned. If you will need to have this electronically signed, please also submit to us the name and official University email address of your advisor and we will have this done. If you are gathering a physical signature, then only the unsigned Title Page is needed.
- Doctoral Thesis Reader Sheet to your department. You may fill out names and dates, but may not handle this form once your committee begins to sign. Your department will assist you in completing this form.
- Survey of Earned Doctorates, submit the completion certificate
- Dissertation Publishing Agreement submitted on the ProQuest site when you submit your preliminary dissertation. We do not need to receive a separate copy.
- Dissertation Abstract submitted on the ProQuest site when you submit your preliminary dissertation. We do not need to receive a separate copy.
- A candidate must upload his or her dissertation to ProQuest by the preliminary dissertation submission deadline. The preliminary dissertation submission will be reviewed for adherence to the formatting requirements, not content. (The dissertation advisor oversees content review.) Once the preliminary dissertation is reviewed, the candidate will receive an email notification that details formatting changes that need to be made before final submission.
Final Dissertation Filing Steps - The candidate is advised to take the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form to the oral defense. The dissertation committee Chair and members sign the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form according to the result of the oral defense in the spaces provided and return it to the department administrator, by the final dissertation deadline. You may not handle this form once committee members begin to sign. If gathering some or all physical signatures is not possible, the department administrator will help gather the remaining digital signature(s). The department administrator will then forward the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form to
Office of the Registrar. If revisions to the dissertation are required by dissertation committee member(s), the Chair will retain the form until the revisions are made. - After editing the text and format to ensure it is consistent with the comments made during the defense and review of the preliminary dissertation, the candidate must upload a final dissertation to ProQuest by the final dissertation deadline, using the link provided after the preliminary dissertation review. If you elected to get a physical signature on your Title Page, you must also submit a signed copy at this time.
Steps beyond dissertation submission
- The candidate should check with his/her department to ensure all degree requirements have been met, and the department have submitted the signed Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form and signed Doctoral Thesis Reader Sheet to the Office of the Registrar by the graduation deadline.
- The candidate should contact the Office of the Bursar to confirm that his/her account is not in arrears.
- The candidate should review his/her permanent address on Albert. Diplomas will be mailed to this address, unless the candidate indicated a specific diploma address. You may also elect to have your official or preferred name on your diploma at this time.
Note: Completion of these steps, does not guarantee
Additional Resources:
Contact Us:
The Office of Academic and Student Affairs is located at 6 Washington Square North, 2nd Floor. Questions regarding the dissertation submission procedure should be directed to Academic Affairs at gsas.academicaffairs@nyu.edu or by phone at 212-998-8060.