If you have concerns about how to start writing the thesis or dissertation so that it complies with the Graduate College policies or if you have concerns about what forms need to be submitted prior to and after your master’s and/ or doctoral defense, this section should help alleviate these concerns. The “Things to Think About Before Writing the Thesis or Dissertation” provides helpful suggestions about how to start the formatting before you start writing. Presetting your formatting will ease formatting-induced frustrations in the long-term. The “Paperwork to Complete Your Master’s Defense and Degree Program” and “Paperwork to Complete Your Master’s Defense and Degree Program” help with concerns about making sure all paperwork has been turned in when it should be. Finally, check the graduation and submission deadlines for the semester you wish to graduate. Make sure you submit your graduation application, defend, submit, and upload your thesis or dissertation on or before the listed deadline.

• Things to Think About Before Writing the Thesis or Dissertation
• Graduation & Submission Deadlines

This section just provides some general guidelines for the theses and dissertations. Reading it will help to answer questions about whether the theses or dissertation is collaborative (it is not), how to choose a style guide, who is responsible for judging the acceptability of the thesis or dissertation, and so forth.

• General Guidelines for Theses and Dissertations
• Thesis/Dissertation Document Order
• Most Common Formatting Issues
• Announcing your Thesis or Dissertation Defense
• Novice Webex Users Simple Tips for Virtual Defense
• Advanced Webex Users: Preparing for Oral Thesis/Dissertation Defenses using Webex

This section discusses the nature of using previously published material. Please read if you are planning on incorporating such material into your theses or dissertation.

• Use of Previously Published Material

This section includes guidelines, tips and examples for each section of the thesis or dissertation. Simply click on the hyperlink and it will lead to a pdf. The sections are presented in the order of how the material must be presented in your document.

1. Cover Page
   • YouTube Instructional Video - Graduate College TD Series: Cover Page.
2. Copyright Page
   • YouTube Instructional Video - Graduate College TD Series: Copyright Page
3. Abstract
   • YouTube Instructional Video - Graduate College TD Series: Abstract
4. Acknowledgments
5. Dedication (optional)
6. Preface (optional)
7. Table of Contents
8. Tables and List of Tables
9. Figures and List of Figures
10. Any other lists, including: List of Definitions, List of Algorithms, List of Equations
11. Headings and Subheadings Manual
12. Manual for Formatting Requirements for Font Size, Style, and Type and Spacing: Changing the Default Paragraph Styles
13. Manual for Format Requirements for Margins and Page Numbers
14. Appendix or appendices
15. Bibliography/ References
16. Curriculum Vitae

All theses, dissertations, and doctoral projects are checked by reviewers using this checklist. We recommend that students compare their document to this checklist prior to Graduate College format review.

• Thesis and Dissertation Format Review Checklist

Thesis or dissertation authors automatically own the copyright to their documents since it represents the author’s original work, fixed in any tangible medium.

Registering a copyright on a thesis or dissertation is optional. Students may consider it because they want the public record to show they own the work’s copyright; they want a certificate of registration; or because in successful litigation, works that are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office may be eligible for attorney’s fees and statutory damage.

Students can register a copyright on their thesis or dissertation with the U.S. Copyright Office by:

• Working through ProQuest, which collects a fee for its service
• Filing a registration of copyright themselves by sending an application form, a nonrefundable filing fee, and a non-returnable copy of their thesis or dissertation to the U.S. Copyright Office

More information on copyright is available on the U.S. Copyright Office’s website. Answers to frequently asked copyright questions on the FAQs page.

If students choose to register a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, they must indicate it with a copyright page in their thesis or dissertation. This page is optional, but encouraged, for students who do not register a copyright.

Please follow the guidelines below if including a copyright page:

• The copyright page is inserted after the title page
• This page is not numbered 
• This page does not have headers or footers in the margins 
• The most common copyright page consists of two lines, centered on the page and double-spaced: 
  • First line: Copyright by Name (First then Last), YEAR
  • Second line: All Rights Reserved
• If submitting in December, date for January of the following year. 

This document discusses how to create a pdf. This is the format required for when you submit your document (thesis or dissertation) to the Graduate College for review.

• Creating a PDF

All theses and dissertations must be submitted to iThenticate for a similarity check prior to submission of the final document to the Graduate College. A copy of the similarity report must be submitted to the student’s advisory committee at the time of the final defense, and it will be taken into account when determining the outcome of the defense. If the student passes their defense, the report shall be attached to the Culminating Experience Results form before submission to the Graduate College.

• More information on iThenticate
• Generating a Similarity Report

Please submit your committee-approved thesis, dissertation or doctoral project through our submission website. Note: You can only submit your document using your Rebelmail account. If you are simultaneously logged into other Gmail accounts, you will need to sign out of them and log in to your Rebelmail account only.

Please note that Professional Papers should not be submitted for Graduate College format review. Please work with your respective department if you have any format-related questions.

Theses, dissertations, and doctoral projects must be submitted to the Graduate College for format check through the online submission form. If you have any difficulty with your online submission process please email grad.td@unlv.edu so we can assist you as soon as possible.

Once the formatting of your thesis, dissertation, or doctoral project is approved by the Graduate College, you will receive your final document and instructions on how to submit it to ProQuest and Digital Scholarship@UNLV. Students must submit their final document electronically to ProQuest and Digital Scholarship@UNLV by the appropriate deadline each semester as part of their graduation requirements.