Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines
Many Master’s students at N.C. A&T complete a thesis and all Ph.D. students must complete a dissertation. The main purpose of writing a thesis or dissertation is to develop original research and scholarship into a well-crafted document that can be shared with peers and colleagues. The Graduate College is responsible for ensuring that theses and dissertations written by our graduates adhere to consistent formatting and quality guidelines. Following graduation, the final thesis/dissertation document will be published electronically to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Database.
Below, you will find official Thesis/Dissertation deadlines, the submission process, and numerous resources to help you successfully write and format your document, including the Thesis/Dissertation Handbook, Word Template, and additional online resources.
NOTE: The student must have applied for graduation before the thesis/dissertation can be reviewed.
- Friday, October 25: DEFENSE DEADLINE. Last day to defend Thesis/Dissertation in preparation for Fall 2024 graduation. Note that Proposal Defenses or Preliminary Exams can be scheduled past this date.
- Friday, November 1: SUBMISSION DEADLINE. Last day for Major Professor to send the submission documents by email to Dr. Shea Bigsby. The submission email will initiate the Graduate College review process.
- Final Signature Page: Once the final version of the thesis/dissertation document is approved, the Graduate College will initiate an electronic signature workflow for the committee members, Department Chair, and Graduate Dean.
NOTE: The student must have applied for graduation before the thesis/dissertation can be reviewed.
- Friday, March 28: DEFENSE DEADLINE. Last day to defend Thesis/Dissertation in preparation for Spring 2025 graduation. Note that Proposal Defenses or Preliminary Exams can be scheduled past this date.
- Friday, April 4: SUBMISSION DEADLINE. Last day for Major Professor to send the submission documents by email to Dr. Shea Bigsby. The submission email will initiate the Graduate College review process.
- Final Signature Page: Once the final version of the thesis/dissertation document is approved, the Graduate College will initiate an electronic signature workflow for the committee members, Department Chair, and Graduate Dean.
How to Submit Thesis/Dissertation to the Graduate College
Please follow the steps in the Process Checklist documents below.
START HERE: Dissertation Process Checklist
START HERE: Thesis Process Checklist
Note: Forms & Graduate Faculty List
Thesis/dissertation committee and defense forms can be found on the Graduate College Forms page. The list of graduate faculty (note: this page requires student/faculty login) should be used to determine committee member eligibility.
Note: Research Clearance Letter
As indicated in the Overview documents, thesis and dissertation research must receive formal clearance from the Office of Research Compliance & Ethics. To obtain the research clearance letter, the student should go to the Graduate Student Research Clearance Page (note: this page requires student/faculty login), read the instructions, and submit the form as directed. Please allow several days for a response. The Office of Research Compliance & Ethics will send the Research Clearance Letter to the student’s email.
Resources
- Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Handbook
- Thesis/Dissertation Template (Microsoft Word version) -- updated August 2022
- Alternative Version of Word Template (use this if you want chapter-based figure/table numbering): Available Here
- Sample Signature Page (4 total entries, including the Graduate Dean)
- Sample Signature Page (5 total entries)
- Sample Signature Page (6 total entries)
- Sample Signature Page (7 total entries)
- Alternative Version of Word Template (use this if you want chapter-based figure/table numbering): Available Here
- Thesis and Dissertation Submission Checklist
Additional Writing Resources
- NC A&T THESIS/DISSERTATION FORMATTING HELP
- NC A&T University Writing Center (309 General Classroom Building; 336-334-7764; schedule appointments at https://ncat.mywconline.com/)
- NC A&T - How to Submit Your Electronic Thesis/Dissertation to ProQuest
- NC A&T Thesis/Dissertation Writing Process Workshop (Video -- and associated Slides)
If you have additional questions, please contact the Director of Graduate Writing Services, Dr. Shea Bigsby (email).
