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Formal MD Thesis Requirement

All students at Yale School of Medicine engage in research and are required to write an MD thesis during medical school. The only exceptions are students who have earned a PhD degree in the health sciences before matriculation and students enrolled in Yale’s MD/PhD program. The YSM MD Thesis is under the governance of the EPCC, which meets regularly to recommend rules, regulations, and deadlines.

Deadlines/Important Dates

Thesis approval process, thesis awards, required formatting and components of the md thesis, examples for reference section formatting, avoiding the risk of copyright violation and liability when submitting your md thesis, instructions for submitting a thesis to the yale medicine thesis digital library, thesis depositors declaration form, evaluations of advisor, student evaluation of thesis advisor.

• Yale School of Medicine Digital Thesis Depositor’s Declaration Form
• Thesis Deadline Extension Request Form

Thesis Deadlines for the 2023-2024 Academic Year

Md students:.

The Office of Student Research, in conjunction with the Dean’s Office, has established the following deadlines for theses submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation in May 2024. The deadlines ensure that (1) students have sufficient time to complete their theses; (2) that there is sufficient time for rigorous departmental review and subsequent revision by students before final approval. These deadlines are strictly followed. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their theses well before the Class of 2024 Thesis Deadlines provided below. This timeliness will provide students, advisors, and sponsoring departments sufficient time for useful review and revision. It should be recognized by all concerned that the integrity of the thesis requirement and effective, rigorous review requires adherence to these deadlines. OSR will hold periodic “Thesis Check-in Sessions” via zoom for the Class of 2024 and will send periodic reminder emails with more detailed instructions as these deadlines approach.

*Students missing the August 4th, January 19th, and/or March 29th deadlines will be referred to the Progress Committee to ensure they receive adequate support to make progress towards this graduation requirement. Students missing the January 19th and/or March 29th deadlines will be ineligible for thesis prizes at graduation.

Extensions beyond the above thesis deadlines will be granted only for special circumstances and must have the approval of the student’s thesis mentor/advisor, academic advisor, and the Departmental Thesis Chairperson . Students seeking an extension for the January 19, 2024, deadline must submit a Thesis Deadline Extension Request Form to their Academic Advisor, and the Departmental Thesis Chair, for approval. Students missing the August 4th, January 19th, and/or March 29th deadlines will be referred to the Progress Committee to ensure they receive adequate support to make progress towards this graduation requirement. In the event of an extension, if granted, the following ABSOLUTE Class of 2024 Thesis Extension Deadlines will apply:

*All late theses require an extension. The student must submit the Thesis Deadline Extension Request Form before January 19, 2024.

MD/MHS Students:

Consistent with degree requirements, MD/MHS students must present their thesis to their three-person committee prior to the January 19th deadline. Students are encouraged to start arranging the date of this committee meeting in the fall to avoid unanticipated delays.

MD/PhD Students:

A different process applies to students in the MD/PhD program. For students enrolled in the combined MD/PhD Program, the dissertation submitted to and approved by the Graduate School will satisfy the MD thesis requirement. Therefore, MD/PhD students who have already defended their dissertation and received their PhD should provide this information to OSR via email as soon as possible.

To ensure compliance with YSM graduation deadlines, MD/PhD students in the class of 2024 who have not defended and submitted their dissertation to the Graduate School by the October 1, 2023, deadline will need to submit a copy of their dissertation directly to OSR via the MD/PhD Box Upload Link by March 15, 2024. OSR will convene a committee to review the dissertation, obtain feedback, and provide approval for graduation. Please note that MD/PhD students must also defend and submit their dissertation to the Graduate School no later than March 15, 2024, to meet the Graduate School spring degree deadline for conferral of the PhD degree. MD/PhD students who have not yet defended their dissertation should provide this information to OSR. If there are any questions about the process, please contact the MD/PhD Office.

Financial support is not provided for writing the thesis.

Thesis Preparation and Approval

Preparation for thesis submission begins in the summer of the fourth year with the OSR leadership. At this time, timeline and practices are distributed via email and reviewed with students in class meetings. Because thesis approval is a lengthy process involving three levels of review, students are encouraged to manage their time well and start writing their first draft early in the fall semester of their final year of medical school. A suggested timeline is provided below.

July : Thesis deadlines are distributed via email to all students in the graduating class and an informational session is held. Students should be on track to complete their thesis research by mid-fall. Any student anticipating a challenge in this regard should contact the OSR as soon as possible. All students expecting to graduate in May of a given year must, provide the OSR with information regarding their thesis title and mentor/advisor. Students will receive an email from the OSR containing a Medtrics link requesting this information. The OSR will contact all thesis mentors/advisors to confirm this role and to provide information and expectations regarding the thesis process.

August – December : Students should be finalizing research and writing their thesis draft. As the semester progresses, activities should shift from the data generation/analysis to the writing of the actual thesis. Students should do their best to complete the first draft of the thesis by mid-late December. Because students are also involved in the residency application and interview process, they are discouraged from starting new projects at this time.

December – January : This period is devoted to reviewing and editing of thesis draft that is ultimately approved by their thesis mentor/advisor and submitted by the student to the Thesis Chair of their sponsoring department. The YSM thesis mentor/advisor will be asked to complete a thesis assessment that evaluates the student’s mastery of YSM’s research-related educational objectives and provides formative summative feedback to the student.

January – March : The Departmental Thesis Chair coordinates thesis review by external reviewers. An “external reviewer” is defined as an individual who is not directly involved in the project. This individual may be a Yale faculty member internal or external to YSM or may hold a faculty appointment at an outside institution. This reviewer is required to complete a thesis assessment and provide formative summative feedback, as well as recommendations for any required changes, to the thesis. Departmental Thesis Chairs review assessments, notify students of departmental approval, and transmit these approvals to the OSR.

March : Theses and their associated assessments undergo school-level review by the OSR. Students receive YSM approval of their thesis along with summative feedback obtained during the review process. Students incorporate any required changes into their thesis and upload to the Yale Medicine Digital Thesis Library/Eli Scholar via the ProQuest platform (see below).

April : The OSR confirms that theses have been deposited into the Yale Medicine Digital Thesis Library and the registrar receives the names of students who have completed the thesis requirement.

The central role of the medical student thesis is to assess student’s performance on the YSM’s research-related educational objectives. As such, all students are expected to produce an excellent piece of scholarly work. In recognition of these achievements, the OSR has worked to develop an award process that celebrates the wonderful research being done by our students without creating a competitive atmosphere surrounding the thesis. Hence, thesis awards are based on competency-based assessments submitted by thesis mentors/advisors and reviewers during the approval process, and internal review of the final thesis that was deposited into the Yale Medicine Digital Thesis Library. Consistent with all other graduation prizes, YSM MD Thesis Awards will remain confidential until they are announced in the YSM Commencement Program on May 20, 2024. While some departments may elect to confer thesis “honors” based upon their own internal review, this recognition is distinct from YSM graduation prizes and is not under OSR’s purview.

Read about the required formatting and components for the thesis .

See helpful examples for reference section formatting.

Read about avoiding the risk of copyright violation and liability when submitting your MD Thesis.

Learn more about submitting a thesis to the Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library .

Learn more about the Thesis Depositors Declaration Form.

Learn more about evaluating your experience with your thesis advisor .

Apply for a Thesis Extension

Read about the required formatting and components for the thesis.

Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

Learn more about the journal or submit a manuscript.

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Md research and thesis requirement (hst), hst md thesis guide, table of contents:, getting started, thesis commitment.

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Thesis Proposal

Thesis submission and final thesis document, harvard medical school honors in a special field.

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To fulfill the requirements of the MD degree, students must submit a thesis by the first Monday in February of their final year. The thesis should be based upon original, scholarly and creative work done either in the laboratory or the clinic. The thesis topic is to be chosen with the advice of a member of the Faculty, who agrees to act as the thesis supervisor.

Check out these resources for finding a research lab.  

The research upon which a thesis is based must involve a time commitment of at least four months full-time, or the equivalent part-time, for which appropriate credit may be requested. The actual writing of the thesis should be conservatively estimated at an additional full-time effort of at least one month for which four credits at HMS may be applied.

A copy of a PhD or MS thesis prepared by a candidate for the MD degree while in residence may be submitted in fulfillment of the HST thesis requirement.  

Dates and Procedures  

August – Students must attend the HST Research Assistantship (RA) and Thesis meeting and turn in an I-9 form to MIT.

December – Identify lab, complete RA paperwork. Includes filling out RA form, and completing online paperwork (W4, M4, direct deposit).

Beginning in January – Turn in RA form to Laurie Ward, MIT (this can be delayed, but RA funding will also be delayed).

February – Introduction to HST MD RA Spring Institute. Discussion of course objectives, and review of sample proposals from last year. Discuss structure of proposals, review sample proposals, and drafting of aims. Students will be asked to share ideas for current projects with course directors.

Early March – Draft of summer research proposal due. Drafts will be returned with feedback.

End of March – Revised summer research proposal due. We will forward final approved thesis proposals to Scholars in Medicine Office by April 1.

End of April – Oral Presentations Workshop. Dr. Jhaveri will go over the finer points of presenting your research information.

Early May – Presentations (group I and II). Each talk should take no more than 10 minutes (7 minutes presentation, 2-3 minutes questions).

Summer – Perform fulltime research and seek 50% of funding from PI.

September 1 st – Introduction for HST thesis due to [email protected] and to PI, who must approve. No more than 10 pages, double-spaced.

October 31 st – MD thesis proposal due, sent via email to [email protected] . See HST M.D. Thesis Proposal form for formatting guidelines. Length: 3 double-spaced pages, excluding references. Includes work performed over summer. Students will receive comments from the HST M.D. Thesis Committee within six weeks of submission.

December 31 st – Figures and methods for HST thesis due to [email protected] and to PI, who must approve.

February – HST M.D. thesis due by first Monday in February at 11:59pm, please submit an electronic copy for review to the Canvas site HST-THS.AY23   and refer to HST MD Thesis Guidelines for format. 

Honors – Submission through Honors Program & ETDs @ Harvard.

April – Final submission of thesis through ETDs @ Harvard and.

Roles and Responsibilities of:

Research supervisor.

The research supervisor is responsible for overseeing the student’s thesis project. The research supervisor is expected to:

• Supervise the research and mentor the student;
• Provide a supportive research environment, facilities, and financial support;
• Evaluate the student’s various submissions, including proposal and final thesis document.

The research supervisor is chosen by the student and must be a faculty member of Harvard University or MIT, and needs no further approval. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their RA Advisor and/or Dr. Mitchell prior to final selection.

HST MD THESIS COMMITTEE

The HST MD Thesis Committee is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the student’s thesis proposal. The committee is expected to:

• Review, evaluate and provide anonymous comments.
• Approve final thesis proposal.
• Approve final thesis for submission for Honors consideration.

Following submission of the HST Thesis, two readers in the student’s field of study are tapped to review and evaluate the student’s thesis. Readers are expected to:

• Review, evaluate and provide anonymous feedback.
• Provide an oral examination for students submitting for Honors consideration.  

HST MD Thesis Proposal Form (pdf) – Due October 31st  

HST MD Thesis Guidelines (pdf)

Note: Examples of acceptable theses from previous years are available for perusal in the HST office at HMS, TMEC 213.

Following receipt of readers’ feedback, you will electronically submit an updated PDF copy of your thesis based on the comments through  ProQuest ETD , an electronic thesis and dissertation submission system . Submission is simple, and a short video guide as well as helpful resources are available at this page to guide you through the process. 

HST students are encouraged to submit their theses for consideration for oral examination for Harvard Medical School Honors in a Special Field. Students must submit an intent to submit for honors by early October of their year of graduation.

Note: A PhD thesis may not be so submitted, but any spin-off work arising out of this research, which was not contained in the original PhD thesis, may be used to this end.

Students working towards a simultaneous MD/MS may submit the same thesis for honors if desired. Honors in a Special Field implies far more than just discussing one's thesis research; it includes demonstrating broad knowledge and insight in the disciplinary area(s) of that research.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What if i don’t have a lab by january.

DON'T PANIC, many students don't have a lab by January. As long as you find a lab of interest by the summer and complete full-time summer research, you can still be eligible to graduate in 4 years. Note, that it may be difficult to receive RA support in the Spring.

What if I change labs?

Even if you change labs you will still be required to submit your materials, including a proposal for approval. There is no obligation to choose from which lab you will write your work, as long as you have sufficient data for a thesis. Note however, if you change labs late without sufficient data for a thesis, you will be obligated to do a 5th year to complete your thesis and research work.

How does the schedule change if I am doing a 5th year with full-time research?

Pursuing a 5th year delays the timeline of deadlines to the following year, in which case you will participate in the process as normal. Note, if early in your decision to do a 5th year you change your mind and decide to pursue the MD degree in 4 years, you will be required to adhere to the original first set of deadlines.

Why am I being asked to submit parts of my thesis early?

The request to submit portions of your thesis early assists you in keeping track of your progress in the thesis process. Much of the thesis will be vetted and a significant portion will have already been written by the time the final draft is due in your final year of medical school.

What feedback should I expect from these submissions?

Constructive feedback is given to help address any significant issues or problems with the work. It is very important to also check-in with your advisor, who will need to read the material in detail prior to submission.

What if my advisor leaves HMS before I graduate?

If an advisor leaves prior to your graduation, she/he may still serve as the advisor to your thesis work. Note, however, that the final thesis must be signed by an HMS or MIT faculty member. Any new work can have a new PI as the advisor.

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Home > Medicine > Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Starting with the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) graduating class of 2002, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library and YSM Office of Student Research have collaborated on the Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library (YMTDL) project, publishing the digitized full text of medical student theses on the web as a valuable byproduct of Yale student research efforts. The digital thesis deposit has been a graduation requirement since 2006. Starting in 2012, alumni of the Yale School of Medicine were invited to participate in the YMTDL project by granting scanning and hosting permission to the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, which digitized the Library’s print copy of their thesis or dissertation. A grant from the Arcadia Fund in 2017 provided the means for digitizing over 1,000 additional theses. IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE YALE COMMUNITY AND NEED ACCESS TO A THESIS RESTRICTED TO THE YALE NETWORK, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR VPN (VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK) IS ON.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Radiomics: A Methodological Guide And Its Applications To Acute Ischemic Stroke , Emily Avery

Characterization Of Cutaneous Immune-Related Adverse Events Due To Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors , Annika Belzer

An Investigation Of Novel Point Of Care 1-Tesla Mri Of Infants’ Brains In The Neonatal Icu , Elisa Rachel Berson

Understanding Perceptions Of New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Education In A Pediatric Tertiary Care Center , Gabriel BetancurVelez

Effectiveness Of Acitretin For Skin Cancer Prevention In Immunosuppressed And Non-Immunosuppressed Patients , Shaman Bhullar

Adherence To Tumor Board Recommendations In Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma , Yueming Cao

Clinical Trials Related To The Spine & Shoulder/elbow: Rates, Predictors, & Reasons For Termination , Dennis Louis Caruana

Improving Delivery Of Immunomodulator Mpla With Biodegradable Nanoparticles , Jungsoo Chang

Sex Differences In Patients With Deep Vein Thrombosis , Shin Mei Chan

Incorporating Genomic Analysis In The Clinical Practice Of Hepatology , David Hun Chung

Emergency Medicine Resident Perceptions Of A Medical Wilderness Adventure Race (medwar) , Lake Crawford

Surgical Outcomes Following Posterior Spinal Fusion For Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis , Wyatt Benajmin David

Representing Cells As Sentences Enables Natural Language Processing For Single Cell Transcriptomics , Rahul M. Dhodapkar

Life Vs. Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness: Short-Term Involuntary Commitment Laws In All 50 US States , Sofia Dibich

Healthcare Disparities In Preoperative Risk Management For Total Joint Arthroplasty , Chloe Connolly Dlott

Toll-Like Receptors 2/4 Directly Co-Stimulate Arginase-1 Induction Critical For Macrophage-Mediated Renal Tubule Regeneration , Natnael Beyene Doilicho

Associations Of Atopic Dermatitis With Neuropsychiatric Comorbidities , Ryan Fan

International Academic Partnerships In Orthopaedic Surgery , Michael Jesse Flores

Young Adults With Adhd And Their Involvement In Online Communities: A Qualitative Study , Callie Marie Ginapp

Becoming A Doctor, Becoming A Monster: Medical Socialization And Desensitization In Nazi Germany And 21st Century USA , SimoneElise Stern Hasselmo

Comparative Efficacy Of Pharmacological Interventions For Borderline Personality Disorder: A Network Meta-Analysis , Olivia Dixon Herrington

An Examination Of Honor Society Membership, Mistreatment, And Discrimination By Medical Student Demographics , Katherine Ann Hill

Factors Influencing Decision For Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy Versus Unilateral Mastectomy , Julian Huang

Beta-Catenin Nuclear Transport In Wnt Signaling: Kap-Beta2/transportin Mediates Nuclear Import Of Beta-Catenin Via A Py-Nls Motif In A Ran Gtpase Dependent Manner , Woong Y. Hwang

Perspectives On Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine Among Clinical Pharmacists , Marissa Justen

Examination For Independent Predictors Of Seasonality Of Birth Across Forty-Nine Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Analyses Of The United States Agency For International Development Demographic And Health Survey Data , Jehanzeb Kayani

Pediatricians, Social Identity, And The Law In The Early-Twentieth-Century United States , Christopher R. Keys

Single Neuronal Firing Dynamics In A Mouse Model For Absence Seizures , Waleed Khan

The Impact Of Cannabidiol In Patients With Early Psychosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial , Sreeja Kodali

Renalase Agonist Therapy And The Cardiac Response To Pressure Overload In Chronic Kidney Disease , Govind Krishna Kumar Nair

Sociodemographic And Insurance Disparities In Urologic Oncology Care Access And Surgical Outcomes , Folawiyo Laditi

How Ethics Committees Deliberate Resource Allocation For Undocumented Children, A Qualitative Analysis , YuKyung Lee

Mental Health Service Use Among Immigrant And U.S. Born Asian American Pacific Islanders , Hieronimus Loho

Severity And Operative Age In Metopic Synostosis: The Association With Neurocognitive Outcomes , Aaron Samuel Long

Comparison Of The Bone Bruise Patterns In Contact And Non-Contact Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries , Jay Thomas Moran

Multi-Omic Differences Between Right And Left Sided Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases , Montana Tremaine Morris

Almajiri Health; A Scoping Review On Disease, Health Literacy And Space For Participatory Research , Muzzammil Imran Muhammad

Investigating Effects Of Glycolysis Inhibition On Metabolism And Extracellular Ph In A Mouse Model Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma , David Nam

Applying Deep Learning To Identify Imaging Biomarkers To Predict Cardiac Outcomes In Cancer Patients , Aishwarya Kishore Nene

Incarcerated Patients Have Higher Mortality After Trauma: An Unreported Healthcare Disparity , Harry NewmanPlotnick

The Association Between Social Needs Care Coordination And Social Needs Status Amongst Patients In A Federally Qualified Health Center , Autumn Nobles

Diagnosis Of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome And Non-Hispanic Black Race Are Predictive Of Hypertension In Reproductive Age Women -Analysis Of Real World Electronic Medical Record Data , Nyerovwo Okifo

Utility Of Shear Wave Elastography In Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis , Aishwarya Pillai

“I Was Reaching Out For Help And They Did Not Help Me”: Mental Healthcare In The Carceral State , Anna Grace Preston

Associations Of Frailty With Tumor Characteristics & Longitudinal Outcomes In Patients With Meningiomas , Hanya M. Qureshi

A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism In An Rgs6 Enhancer Regulates Heart Rate Variability And Parasympathetic Modulation , Namita Ravi

Firearm Injury Prevention Strategies In Children And Young Adults , Christopher Schenck

Assessing Quality Of Oral Cancer Care Across A Health System And Region: Opportunities To Improve Care , Hemali Parimal Shah

Single-Cell Transcriptomic Atlas Reveals Molecular Drivers Of Human Inner Ear Development , Amar H. Sheth

More Than Meets The Eye: Improving Recognition Of Child Abuse In Emergency Departments , May Shum

A Novel Smarcc1-Mutant Bafopathy Implicates Epigenetic Dysregulation Of Fetal Neural Progenitors In The Pathogenesis Of Congenital Hydrocephalus , Amrita K. Singh

Baseline Skin Cytokine Profiles Determined By Rna In Situ Hybridization Correlate With Response To Dupilumab In Patients With Eczematous Dermatitis , Katelyn Singh

Barriers To Identifying Learning Disabilities: A Qualitative Study Of Clinicians And Educators , Lauren Stone

"Come On. I Need An Answer." A Mixed-Methods Study Of Barriers And Disparities In Diagnostic Odysseys , Zeyu Tang

Cognitive Impairment And Long-Term Health Outcomes In Patients With Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction , Abriana Tasillo

Family Dyads, Emotional Labor, And The Theater Of The Clinical Encounter: Co-Constructive Patient Simulation As A Reflective Tool In Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Training , Isaiah Thomas

Comparative Effectiveness Of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis For Breast Cancer Screening In Older Women , Akhil Upneja

Analysis Of Prices And Outcomes For Common Hospitalized Conditions In 2021 , Lina Vadlamani

Recording Multiunit Activity Of The Locus Coeruleus In An Awake Mouse Model Of Focal Limbic Seizures , Marcus Valcarce-Aspegren

Improving Cancer Classification With Domain Adaptation Techniques , Juliana Veira

Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases And Deworming Response In School-Aged Children In Retalhuleu, Guatemala , Rebeca Esther Vergara Greeno

The Synergy Between Physiologic Dendritic Cells And Mrna-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles And Its Potential As A Cellular Immunotherapy , Brian Myles Wei

Lipid Profiles Help Explain Protection From Atherosclerosis In Ascending Aortic Aneurysm Patients , Gabe Weininger

The Impact Of Peer Interventions On Physical Activity For Individuals Living With Mental Illness , Julia Wolfe

Perioperative Outcomes In Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: An Analysis Of A Large Case Series , Luying Yan

Engineering And Evaluating Biodegradable Bioadhesive Nanoparticle-Encapsulated Sunscreens , Beverly Xi Yu

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Contested Spaces, Stigmatized Treatment: Methadone In 1970s New York, Boston, And New Orleans , Zoe Miranda Adams

Comorbid Pad And Mvd: A Retrospective Nrd Analysis Of Trends, Outcomes, And Readmissions , Miguel Algara

Epidemiology Of Domestic Violence-Related Ocular Injuries Among Adult Patients , Joana E. Andoh

Longitudinal Modeling Of Early Hiv Burden In The Central Nervous System , Victor Diego Armengol

Generating Clinical Evidence Using Real World Data And Personal Digital Devices , Victoria L. Bartlett

Incidence And Prognosis Of Cranial Neuropathies In Children With Covid-19: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis , Priyanka Bisarya

A Deep Dive In Head & Neck Cancer: Machine Learning Applications In Diagnostic And Prognostic Evaluations , Alexandra Tan Bourdillon

A Serological Survey Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Casino Employees , Julian Campillo Luna

The Real Cause Of The Broken Rib: Developments In Pediatricians' Approach To Child Abuse; 1960 - 2020 , Sofia Charania

Identification Of A Novel Link Between Adiposity And Visuospatial Ability , Herbert Alexander Chen

Predictors Of Very Late Onset Infection In Kidney Transplant Recipients At Least Ten Years Post Transplant , Harry Cheung

Deep Learning Algorithms For Predicting Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer , Rachel Choi

Testing Ictal Conscious Awareness: Responsiveness Versus Recall Of Experiences During Seizures , Violeta Contreras Ramirez

Mechanisms Of Progestin Resistance In Reproductive-Age Women With Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia , Katherine Mcmaster Cooke

Biomarkers Of Egfr Decline After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery In The Assess-Aki Cohort , Christina Anne-Josiane De Fontnouvelle

Amd3100 Administration For The Treatment Of Asherman’s Syndrome In A Murine Model , Pablo Antonio Delis

Fracture Callus Evaluation In The Setting Of Breast Cancer Metastasis And Rescue Of Healing Via Inhibition Of Erk1/2 , Christopher Dussik

Primary Care Characteristics And Medication Management Among Patients Receiving Office Based Opioid Treatment With Buprenorphine , Xinxin Du

Factors Impacting Trauma-Specific Quality Of Life Following Injury: A Multi-Center Assessment In Lebanon , Ali Elreichouni

Consciousness: Mechanisms And Neuropsychiatric Outcomes , Isaac Gilbert Freedman

Investigation Of Outcomes Following Cervical Spine Surgery In Patients With Pre-Existing Non-Spinal Neurological Conditions , Anoop Raj Galivanche

Medical Students’ Experiences, Knowledge, And Perceptions Of Patients With Substance Use Disorder , Sophia Francesca Gamez

“people Fall Through The Cracks”: Prolonged Lengths Of Stay Beyond Medical Necessity , Lucy Gao

Housing As Healthcare: The Role Of Homelessness In Patient Characteristics And Retention In Outpatient Medication For Opioid Use Disorder Treatment , Marina Gaeta Gazzola

Sleep Apnea In Veterans With Schizophrenia: Estimating Prevalence And Impact On Cognition , Stephen Edward Ghazikhanian

Self-Injurious Behavior And Problematic Video Gaming In Adolescents With Problematic Shopping , Norman Robert Greenberg

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PhD Thesis Guide

This phd thesis guide will guide you step-by-step through the thesis process, from your initial letter of intent to submission of the final document..

All associated forms are conveniently consolidated in the section at the end.

Deadlines & Requirements

Students should register for HST.ThG during any term in which they are conducting research towards their thesis. Regardless of year in program students registered for HST.ThG in a regular term (fall or spring) must meet with their research advisor and complete the  Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review Form to receive credit.

Years 1 - 2

• Students participating in lab rotations during year 1, may use the optional MEMP Rotation Registration Form , to formalize the arrangement and can earn academic credit by enrolling in HST.599. 
• A first letter of intent ( LOI-1 ) proposing a general area of thesis research and research advisor is required by April 30th of the second year of registration.
• A second letter of intent ( LOI-2 ) proposing a thesis committee membership and providing a more detailed description of the thesis research is required by April 30th of the third year of registration for approval by the HST-IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP).

Year 4 

• Beginning in year 4, (or after the LOI-2 is approved) the student must meet with their thesis committee at least once per semester.
• Students must formally defend their proposal before the approved thesis committee, and submit their committee approved proposal to HICAP  by April 30 of the forth year of registration.
• Meetings with the thesis committee must be held at least once per semester. 

HST has developed these policies to help keep students on track as they progress through their PhD program. Experience shows that students make more rapid progress towards graduation when they interact regularly with a faculty committee and complete their thesis proposal by the deadline.

Getting Started

Check out these resources  for finding a research lab.

The Thesis Committee: Roles and Responsibilities

Students perform doctoral thesis work under the guidance of a thesis committee consisting of at least three faculty members from Harvard and MIT (including a chair and a research advisor) who will help guide the research. Students are encouraged to form their thesis committee early in the course of the research and in any case by the end of the third year of registration. The HST IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP) approves the composition of the thesis committee via the letter of intent and the thesis proposal (described below). 

Research Advisor

The research advisor is responsible for overseeing the student's thesis project. The research advisor is expected to:

• oversee the research and mentor the student;
• provide a supportive research environment, facilities, and financial support;
• discuss expectations, progress, and milestones with the student and complete the  Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review Form each semester;
• assist the student to prepare for the oral qualifying exam;
• guide the student in selecting the other members of the thesis committee;
• help the student prepare for, and attend, meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• help the student prepare for, and attend, the thesis defense;
• evaluate the final thesis document.

The research advisor is chosen by the student and must be a faculty member of MIT* or Harvard University and needs no further approval.  HICAP may approve other individuals as research advisor on a student-by-student basis. Students are advised to request approval of non-faculty research advisors as soon as possible.  In order to avoid conflicts of interest, the research advisor may not also be the student's academic advisor. In the event that an academic advisor becomes the research advisor, a new academic advisor will be assigned.

The student and their research advisor must complete the Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review during each regular term in order to receive academic credit for research.  Download Semi Annual Review Form

*MIT Senior Research Staff are considered equivalent to faculty members for the purposes of research advising. No additional approval is required.

Thesis Committee Chair

Each HST PhD thesis committee is headed administratively by a chair, chosen by the student in consultation with the research advisor. The thesis committee chair is expected to:

• provide advice and guidance concerning the thesis research; 
• oversee meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• preside at the thesis defense; 
• review and evaluate the final thesis document.

The thesis committee chair must be well acquainted with the academic policies and procedures of the institution granting the student's degree and be familiar with the student's area of research. The research advisor may not simultaneously serve as thesis committee chair.

For HST PhD students earning degrees through MIT, the thesis committee chair must be an MIT faculty member. A select group of HST program faculty without primary appointments at MIT have been pre-approved by HICAP to chair PhD theses awarded by HST at MIT in cases where the MIT research advisor is an MIT faculty member.**

HST PhD students earning their degree through Harvard follow thesis committee requirements set by the unit granting their degree - either the Biophysics Program or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).

** List of non-MIT HST faculty approved to chair MIT thesis proposals when the research advisor is an MIT faculty member.

In addition to the research advisor and the thesis committee chair, the thesis committee must include one or more readers. Readers are expected to:

• attend meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• attend the thesis defense; 

Faculty members with relevant expertise from outside of Harvard/MIT may serve as readers, but they may only be counted toward the required three if approved by HICAP.

The members of the thesis committee should have complementary expertise that collectively covers the areas needed to advise a student's thesis research. The committee should also be diverse, so that members are able to offer different perspectives on the student's research. When forming a thesis committee, it is helpful to consider the following questions: 

• Do the individuals on the committee collectively have the appropriate expertise for the project?
• Does the committee include at least one individual who can offer different perspectives on the student's research?  The committee should include at least one person who is not closely affiliated with the student's primary lab. Frequent collaborators are acceptable in this capacity if their work exhibits intellectual independence from the research advisor.
• If the research has a near-term clinical application, does the committee include someone who can add a translational or clinical perspective?  
• Does the committee conform to HST policies in terms of number, academic appointments, and affiliations of the committee members, research advisor, and thesis committee chair as described elsewhere on this page?

[Friendly advice: Although there is no maximum committee size, three or four is considered optimal. Committees of five members are possible, but more than five is unwieldy.]

Thesis Committee Meetings

Students must meet with their thesis committee at least once each semester beginning in the fourth year of registration. It is the student's responsibility to schedule these meetings; students who encounter difficulties in arranging regular committee meetings can contact Julie Greenberg at jgreenbe [at] mit.edu (jgreenbe[at]mit[dot]edu) .

The format of the thesis committee meeting is at the discretion of the thesis committee chair. In some cases, the following sequence may be helpful:

• The thesis committee chair, research advisor, and readers meet briefly without the student in the room;
• The thesis committee chair and readers meet briefly with the student, without the advisor in the room;
• The student presents their research progress, answers questions, and seeks guidance from the members of the thesis committee;

Please note that thesis committee meetings provide an important opportunity for students to present their research and respond to questions. Therefore, it is in the student's best interest for the research advisor to refrain from defending the research in this setting.

Letters of Intent

Students must submit two letters of intent ( LOI-1 and LOI-2 ) with applicable signatures. 

In LOI-1, students identify a research advisor and a general area of thesis research, described in 100 words or less. It should include the area of expertise of the research advisor and indicate whether IRB approval (Institutional Review Board; for research involving human subjects) and/or IACUC approval (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; for research involving vertebrate animals) will be required and, if so, from which institutions. LOI-1 is due by April 30 of the second year of registration and and should be submitted to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518. 

In LOI-2, students provide a description of the thesis research, describing the Background and Significance of the research and making a preliminary statement of Specific Aims (up to 400 words total). In LOI-2, a student also proposes the membership of their thesis committee. In addition to the research advisor, the proposed thesis committee must include a chair and one or more readers, all selected to meet the specified criteria . LOI-2 is due by April 30th of the third year of registration and should be submitted to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518.

LOI-2 is reviewed by the HST-IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP) to determine if the proposed committee meets the specified criteria and if the committee members collectively have the complementary expertise needed to advise the student in executing the proposed research. If HICAP requests any changes to the proposed committee, the student must submit a revised LOI-2 for HICAP review by September 30th of the fourth year of registration. HICAP must approve LOI-2 before the student can proceed to presenting and submitting their thesis proposal. Any changes to the thesis committee membership following HICAP approval of LOI-2 and prior to defense of the thesis proposal must be reported by submitting a revised LOI-2 form to HICAP, c/o tanderso [at] mit.edu (Traci Anderson) . After final HICAP approval of LOI-2, which confirms the thesis committee membership, the student may proceed to present their thesis proposal to the approved thesis committee, as described in the next section.

Students are strongly encouraged to identify tentative thesis committee members and begin meeting with them as early as possible to inform the direction of their research. Following submission of LOI-2, students are required to hold at least one thesis committee meeting per semester. Students must document these meetings via the Semi- Annual PhD Student Progress Review form in order to receive a grade reflecting satisfactory progress in HST.ThG.

Thesis Proposal and Proposal Presentation

For MEMP students receiving their degrees through MIT, successful completion of the Oral Qualifying Exam is a prerequisite for the thesis proposal presentation. For MEMP students receiving their degrees through Harvard, the oral qualifying exam satisfies the proposal presentation requirement.

Proposal Document

Each student must present a thesis proposal to a thesis committee that has been approved by HICAP via the LOI-2 and then submit a full proposal package to HICAP by April 30th of the fourth year of registration. The only exception is for students who substantially change their research focus after the fall term of their third year; in those cases the thesis proposal must be submitted within three semesters of joining a new lab. Students registering for thesis research (HST.THG) who have not met this deadline may be administratively assigned a grade of "U" (unsatisfactory) and receive an academic warning.

The written proposal should be no longer than 4500 words, excluding references. This is intended to help students develop their proposal-writing skills by gaining experience composing a practical proposal; the length is comparable to that required for proposals to the NIH R03 Small Research Grant Program. The proposal should clearly define the research problem, describe the proposed research plan, and defend the significance of the work. Preliminary results are not required. If the proposal consists of multiple aims, with the accomplishment of later aims based on the success of earlier ones, then the proposal should describe a contingency plan in case the early results are not as expected.

Proposal Presentation

The student must formally defend the thesis proposal before the full thesis committee that has been approved by HICAP.

Students should schedule the meeting and reserve a conference room and any audio visual equipment they may require for their presentation. To book a conference room in E25, please contact Joseph Stein ( jrstein [at] mit.edu (jrstein[at]mit[dot]edu) ).

Following the proposal presentation, students should make any requested modifications to the proposal for the committee members to review. Once the committee approves the proposal, the student should obtain the signatures of the committee members on the forms described below as part of the proposal submission package.

[Friendly advice: As a professional courtesy, be sure your committee members have a complete version of your thesis proposal at least one week in advance of the proposal presentation.]

Submission of Proposal Package

When the thesis committee has approved the proposal, the student submits the proposal package to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518, for final approval. HICAP may reject a thesis proposal if it has been defended before a committee that was not previously approved via the LOI-2.

The proposal package includes the following: 

• the proposal document
• a brief description of the project background and significance that explains why the work is important;
• the specific aims of the proposal, including a contingency plan if needed; and
• an indication of the methods to be used to accomplish the specific aims.
• signed research advisor agreement form(s);
• signed chair agreement form (which confirms a successful proposal defense);
• signed reader agreement form(s).

Thesis Proposal Forms

• SAMPLE Title Page (doc)
• Research Advisor Agreement Form (pdf)
• Chair Agreement Form (pdf)
• Reader Agreement Form (pdf)

Thesis Defense and Final Thesis Document

When the thesis is substantially complete and fully acceptable to the thesis committee, a public thesis defense is scheduled for the student to present his/her work to the thesis committee and other members of the community. The thesis defense is the last formal examination required for receipt of a doctoral degree. To be considered "public", a defense must be announced to the community at least five working days in advance. At the defense, the thesis committee determines if the research presented is sufficient for granting a doctoral degree. Following a satisfactory thesis defense, the student submits the final thesis document, approved by the research advisor, to Traci Anderson via email (see instructions below).

[Friendly advice: Contact jrstein [at] mit.edu (Joseph Stein) at least two weeks before your scheduled date to arrange for advertising via email and posters. A defense can be canceled for insufficient public notice.]

Before the Thesis Defense 

Committee Approves Student to Defend: The thesis committee, working with the student and reviewing thesis drafts, concludes that the doctoral work is complete. The student should discuss the structure of the defense (general guidelines below) with the thesis committee chair and the research advisor. 

Schedule the Defense: The student schedules a defense at a time when all members of the thesis committee will be physical present. Any exceptions must be approved in advance by the IMES/HST Academic Office.

Reserve Room: It is the student's responsibility to reserve a room and any necessary equipment. Please contact imes-reservation [at] mit.edu (subject: E25%20Room%20Reservation) (IMES Reservation) to  reserve rooms E25-140, E25-141, E25-119/121, E25-521. 

Final Draft: A complete draft of the thesis document is due to the thesis committee two weeks prior to the thesis defense to allow time for review.  The thesis should be written as a single cohesive document; it may include content from published papers (see libraries website on " Use of Previously Published Material in a Thesis ") but it may not be a simple compilation of previously published materials.

Publicize the Defense:   The IMES/HST Academic Office invites the community to attend the defense via email and a notice on the HST website. This requires that the student email a thesis abstract and supplemental information to  jrstein [at] mit.edu (Joseph Stein)  two weeks prior to the thesis defense. The following information should be included: Date and time, Location, (Zoom invitation with password, if offering a hybrid option), Thesis Title, Names of committee members, with academic and professional titles and institutional affiliations. The abstract is limited to 250 words for the poster, but students may optionally submit a second, longer abstract for the email announcement.

Thesis Defense Guidelines

Public Defense: The student should prepare a presentation of 45-60 minutes in length, to be followed by a public question and answer period of 15–30 minutes at discretion of the chair.

Committee Discussion:  Immediately following the public thesis presentation, the student meets privately with the thesis committee and any other faculty members present to explore additional questions at the discretion of the faculty. Then the thesis committee meets in executive session and determines whether the thesis defense was satisfactory. The committee may suggest additions or editorial changes to the thesis document at this point.

Chair Confirms Pass: After the defense, the thesis committee chair should inform Traci Anderson of the outcome via email to tanderso [at] mit.edu (tanderso[at]mit[dot]edu) .

Submitting the Final Thesis Document

Please refer to the MIT libraries  thesis formatting guidelines .

Title page notes. Sample title page  from the MIT Libraries.

Program line : should read, "Submitted to the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, in partial fulfillment of the the requirements for the degree of ... "

Copyright : Starting with the June 2023 degree period and as reflected in the  MIT Thesis Specifications , all students retain the copyright of their thesis.  Please review this section for how to list on your title page Signature Page: On the "signed" version, only the student and research advisor should sign. Thesis committee members are not required to sign. On the " Accepted by " line, please list: Collin M. Stultz, MD, PhD/Director, Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology/ Nina T. and Robert H. Rubin Professor in Medical Engineering and Science/Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

The Academic Office will obtain Professor Stultz's signature.

Thesis Submission Components.  As of 4/2021, the MIT libraries have changed their thesis submissions guidelines and are no longer accepting hard copy theses submissions. For most recent guidance from the libraries:  https://libguides.mit.edu/mit-thesis-faq/instructions  

Submit to the Academic Office, via email ( tanderso [at] mit.edu (tanderso[at]mit[dot]edu) )

pdf/A-1 of the final thesis should include an UNSIGNED title page

A separate file with a SIGNED title page by the student and advisor, the Academic Office will get Dr. Collin Stultz's signature.

For the MIT Library thesis processing, fill out the "Thesis Information" here:  https://thesis-submit.mit.edu/

File Naming Information:  https://libguides.mit.edu/

Survey of Earned Doctorates.  The University Provost’s Office will contact all doctoral candidates via email with instructions for completing this survey.

Links to All Forms in This Guide

• MEMP Rotation Form (optional)
• Semi-Annual Progress Review Form
• Letter of Intent One
• Letter of Intent Two

Final Thesis

• HST Sample thesis title page  (signed and unsigned)
• Sample thesis title page  (MIT Libraries)

• Utility Menu

d46e0acb889f38121f87eef9eb9b5aab

• Harvard Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
• Harvard Medical School
• Harvard Integrated Life Sciences
• Dissertation and Defense

All DMS students should carefully follow the procedures and deadlines outlined below. If you have any questions, please contact  [email protected] .  

Writing the Dissertation

Formatting your dissertation.

Dissertations should be submitted in their final format, in accordance with the guidelines listed on the Harvard Griffin GSAS  Formatting Your Dissertation  website. The Registrar’s Office will review the document for formatting compliance.  Formatting errors may prevent the conferral of the degree and the student may need to apply for the next available degree period.  A  sample dissertation  as well as the  Top Ten Common Errors  are provided for your convenience.

LaTex Dissertation Template Harvard Griffin GSAS Sample Dissertation Dissertation Writing Tips from DMS Alumni DMS Alumni Dissertations on DASH

Writing Resources

Office for Scholarly Communication (OSC)  If your dissertation includes previously published works, it is recommended that authors consult their publishing agreements directly to determine whether and to what extent they may have transferred exclusive rights under copyright. The  Office for Scholarly Communication  (OSC) and  Copyright First Responders  are available to help you determine whether you have retained the necessary rights or requires permission. 

Harvard Griffin GSAS Fellowships and Writing Center Offers individual writing consultations and workshops. They also run the Writing Oasis which provides a space for accountability, productivity, and peer support.

Academic Resource Center ARC offers individual coaching, Dissertation Writers Accountability Groups, and many other helpful workshops.

DMS Dissertation Guidelines

The dissertation must show original treatment of a fitting subject, contain a scholarly review of the pertinent literature, give evidence of independent research, and be clearly, logically, and carefully written. Students are expected to give a public seminar on their dissertation research.  

The Ph.D. dissertation is expected to contain a substantial amount of independent research work of publishable quality. In addition to chapters of research, each dissertation must contain Introduction and Conclusion chapters that present the themes of the dissertation and summarize the accomplishments. In some cases, the student has done all of the work in the dissertation; more often portions of the dissertation result from collaborative research. In all dissertations containing collaborative results, the dissertation should indicate concisely who contributed the work.  

For example, a chapter containing multi‐authored, published work must include a complete reference and a brief description of the candidate's and colleagues' contributions. For work that is not published but which resulted from multiple researchers, the contributors must be named, and respective attributions made clearly. This policy allows stylistic flexibility; depending on the amount of collaborative work in the dissertation and the status of publication(s), the attributions can be together at the end of either the Acknowledgments or Introduction sections of the dissertation or before each relevant chapter.  

It is permissible for more than one student to include work from the same collaboration or publication as long as the required attributions are clear, justified, and complete.  

Individual chapters can be that of published articles as long as there are comprehensive Introduction and Conclusion chapters written by the student. Use of actual reprints as a chapter is not permissible. A word document of the published article must be used in place of a reprint as pages in the dissertation must be consecutively numbered. It is recommended that authors consult their publishing agreements directly to determine whether and to what extent they may have transferred exclusive rights under copyright. The Office for Scholarly Communication (OSC) is available to help the author determine whether they have retained the necessary rights or requires permission. Please note, however, OSC and the Copyright First Responders are not able to assist with the permissions process itself.

Defense Format

Logistics Overall, students should reserve 3 hours for their defense: 1 hour for the public seminar and up to 2 hours for the private examination. The title, time, date and place of the exam will be posted on the DMS website and will be announced by email to members of the DMS community.

Defenses can be held in-person, hybrid or via zoom. The student's advisor and defense chair must approve of the format.

Defenses can be held on any of the Harvard and Harvard-affiliate campuses (Broad Institute, Ragon Insitute, affiliate Hospitals etc). Students are responsible for booking their defense room(s). It is recommended that students book a separate, smaller room for the private defense if possible.

• To book a HMS room (TMEC 227, TMEC 250, Cannon Room etc) please request that [email protected] make this reservation on your behalf. To book a smaller HMS room for the private defense, submit the request online at Room Scheduling .
• We recommend making sure that you are familiar with the public seminar room's AV, especially if you plan to hold a hybrid seminar.   

If your defense committee members require parking, please contact your department/advisor or program office for parking; DMS cannot provide assistance in this matter.

Public Seminar

The public seminar lasts no longer than 1 hour, which includes time for the advisor’s introduction, the student’s oral presentation and acknowledgements, and time for audience questions and answers.  The Defense Committee is required to attend the public seminar; however, it is customary for members of the defense committee to hold their questions until the private oral exam.

Private Examination

A private examination follows the public seminar.  Dissertation advisors may be present, but they must not participate in the exam (e.g., answer questions posed by the committee). Initially, the student will be asked to leave the room for a few minutes. During this time, the committee will discuss the merits of the dissertation, any issues with the dissertation, and areas they may want to focus on during the exam.  The student is then asked back into the room for the exam. Each member of the defense committee will direct detailed technical questions as well as broader questions on the conclusions, impact, and limitations of the research to the candidate based on their review of the dissertation and presentation of the seminar. The Defense Chair will moderate the discussion between the panel and the student. 

At the end of the examination, the student is once again asked to step out of the room for several minutes.  The Committee will discuss any corrections needed for the dissertation and whether these corrections need to be reviewed and by whom.  Once the committee determines the outcomes, the student will be asked back into the room and the Committee provides the student with any [minor] changes needed to the dissertation. While it is extremely rare for the student to fail at this stage, the committee will provide recommendations to the student on their research, communication skills, and development as a scientist, as well as delineating the required changes to the dissertation.

DMS will email the Chair the Record of Final Examination Form prior.  DMS will request all committee members' signatures on the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate via adobe sign following the defense. DMS will provide the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate once all required corrections have been made and reviewed.

Defense Committee

The student and the student's dissertation advisor must select at least four examining committee members: an examination chair (who is a member of the dissertation advisory committee), and three examiners.

The student, arranges the date, time, and place of the examination and seminar after contacting the examination committee. At least four weeks before the scheduled date, the student submits the Program Approval and Proposed Examiners forms and Dissertation Information sheet to the Division of Medical Sciences, along with an abstract and title page.

The Director of Academic Administration of the Division of Medical Sciences, the student’s dissertation advisor and the Program Head will approve the members from a list submitted by the candidate and his or her advisor (the Proposed Examiners form).

The exam committee should be assembled as follows:

Exam Chair: The chair of the exam committee must be a Division of Medical Sciences faculty member and be a member of the student’s Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC). None of the members other than the chair may have served on the student’s DAC.

Examiner 1: In addition to the chair, at least one examiner must be a Division of Medical Sciences faculty member.

Examiner 2: To broaden the examination and enhance its significance, one member of the examination committee must be a faculty member from outside Harvard University.

Examiner 3: Faculty member from any academic institution.

• The dissertation advisor is not eligible to be an examiner or the chair, but usually attends the exam ex officio.
• All proposed examiners must be the rank of assistant professor or higher at an academic institution.
• At least two committee members must be Harvard faculty members. (This can be determined by searching the Harvard Directory )
• Past collaborators and co-authors are usually not appropriate to be examiners. It is the student’s responsibility to indicate any possible relationship of this kind. Faculty members who have collaborated with the student or the student’s advisor on the student’s area of research within the past five years may not serve on the exam committee. Faculty with whom the student has done a regular laboratory rotation in the process of selecting the dissertation laboratory are eligible if there are no other collaborations. Students may therefore petition DMS to approve examiners whose collaboration with the student or advisor was not directly related to the dissertation research.
• Emeritus Faculty may not serve on a student's examining committee unless that student has been under the supervision of that faculty member, e.g. the dissertation advisory committee.
• the faculty member should have served in their post-Harvard position for at least one year
• the faculty member should have not participated directly with the student in any other capacity (e.g. as a program advisor, dissertation advisory committee member, qualifying exam committee member) during her/his time at Harvard.
• An alternate examiner may be requested by the student, the dissertation advisor, the program, or the Division. If an alternate examiner is selected, the alternate must be available to attend the seminar and defense and must receive and read a copy of the dissertation.
• All exceptions to these rules must be approved by the Executive Director of Division of Medical Sciences.

Students must distribute an electronic copy of the dissertation to the members of the dissertation examination committee not less than 14 days before the examination. Should the dissertation be delivered late to the readers, the examination will be rescheduled unless other arrangements are agreed upon with the chair of the exam and examiners.

The examination committee chair does not function as a voting examiner but may participate in the questioning of the candidate. They are responsible for:

• contacting all readers not less than 72 hours before the examination to determine whether they find the dissertation generally acceptable. If one or more reader feel that there are substantive deficiencies that must be remedied to make the dissertation acceptable, the chair must contact or meet with the readers, the dissertation advisor, and the candidate to discuss the situation and decide whether to proceed with the examination. The Director of Graduate Studies of the Division of Medical Sciences and the chair of the student’s Ph.D. program should be contacted immediately and kept apprised of the committee’s decisions.
• making sure that corrections to the dissertation are clearly defined and are carried out and approved in a timely fashion. A specific deadline for completion of corrections must be given to the student.
• returning Record of Final Exam to the Division of Medical Sciences immediately following the examination. Notifying DMS whether the student has passed their dissertation defense examination and is thus eligible for the Ph.D. If the defense is not successful, the chair of the exam must provide a thorough report to DMS and the student’s program head detailing the areas of substantial deficiency of the dissertation.

Dissertation Acceptance Certificate and Record of Final Examination

The examination committee chair is provided with two forms that should be completed following the examination.

• The Dissertation Acceptance Certificate must be signed by all readers via Adobe Sign if the candidate passes the examination.  An electronic copy of the certificate is emailed to the student once they receive a clear pass. The student must then digitally attached the certificate to the first page of the final dissertation and submit it electronically to the registrar’s office online 
• The Record of Final Ph.D. Examination indicates the outcome of the examination and is completed by the examination committee chair. It should be submitted to [email protected] , where it will be filed as the official record of the examination. If there are revisions to the dissertation that require approval of the examiners before the dissertation is formally accepted, an itemized list of the corrections should be given to the student and noted in the Record of Final Examination Form. In addition, the chair should request that corrections be submitted within a reasonable period, normally one month unless corrections are extensive.

Defense Deadlines and Forms

• November 2023

November 2024 Checklist

March 2024 checklist, may 2024 checklist, stipend, registration and health insurance.

If a student defends their dissertation before the 15th of the month, the stipend will be terminated at the end of that month. If the student defends on or after the 15th, the next month’s stipend will be the final month the student is paid.

Students are encouraged to speak to their advisors directly about how they should be paid as they complete their graduate work. If an advisor wishes to pay the student for an additional month, beyond what has been explained above, the advisor must notify David Jablon via email as early as possible. David can be reached at [email protected] .   For administrative reasons, a stipend cannot be issued to a student after their graduation/degree conferral date. 

Registration & Health Insurance

Please review the HUSHP graduating students website: https://hushp.harvard.edu/graduating-students

November Degree: Health Insurance – Coverage ends on July 31 Registration – Previous spring semester. Students who are uncertain whether they will finish in time for a November degree are encouraged to register for the fall term to avoid late registration fees if they miss the degree deadlines. If they then do finish in time their registration for the term will be cancelled.

November Degree with fall term health insurance: To receive health insurance through the fall semester, you need to do the following:

• Have your advisor agree to pay for health insurance through the fall semester and contact David Jablon ( [email protected] ) to notify him. 
• Submit your dissertation online to the registrar through the registrar’s website ON September 7, 2023,  ONLY

March Degree: Health Insurance – Coverage ends on January 31 Registration – Register for the previous fall semester Students who are uncertain whether they will finish in time for a March degree are encouraged to register for the spring term to avoid late registration fees if they miss the degree deadlines. If they then do finish in time their registration for the term will be cancelled.

May Degree: Health Insurance – Coverage ends on July 31 Registration – Register for the spring semester

International Students

International students should consult with Jennifer Havlicek  from the Harvard International Office (HIO) regarding their visa status. 

Students can find information regarding OPT here:  https://hio.harvard.edu/stem-opt

For immigration purposes, a student is done once they have completed all degree requirements, so a student who has submitted their final thesis copy to the registrar cannot maintain their immigration status after that. When applying for OPT the dissertation submission date is what should be considered.

BBS Subject Area Change

Change of subject request form (bbs students only).

If you would like to switch their subject area be changed from Biological and Biomedical Sciences to one of the following areas. To do so they must fill out the Change of Subject Request Form  and return it to [email protected]   at least one month prior to their defense (The Chair signature should be the BBS Program Head - Davie Van Vactor).

• Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
• Cell Biology
• Developmental and Regenerative Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology and Immunobiology
• Human Biology and Translational Medicine
• Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Dissertation Submission

Dissertation acceptance certificate.

Following the examination, the candidate must, with the help of the dissertation advisor, make any necessary corrections to the dissertation.  If corrections require review, those revisions should be approved by the examination committee chair or by a faculty member designated by the committee chair, who will then notify the Division of Medical Sciences in writing that all revisions are complete.   

If no corrections are required or once the corrections are complete, the DMS office will email the student an electronic copy of your Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC). Please attach this DAC to your dissertation right before your title page with a blank page immediately following the DAC. No page number should be assigned to this page.  

Before submitting your dissertation, review your final copy and make sure it abides by all of the formatting requirements set by Harvard Griffin GSAS.   Students can embargo ​​ their dissertation for six months, one year, two years, or more. Embargo periods over two years require a signed approval of delayed release form .

The dissertation must be submitted electronically through ProQuest ETD to the FAS Registrar’s Office for approval in order to receive the degree. Dissertations must be received by 11:59 PM on the deadline date for the given degree period. No extensions to this deadline are provided. Any supplemental material or copyright permissions should be included in the submission. Please see the Harvard Griffin GSAS website for more information on dissertation submission or the tutorial on the homepage of the ProQuest ETD   submission tool for additional information. 

Review the instructions for submitting your dissertation .

• For Department/Program please select "Medical Sciences"
• Harvard asks students to enter their dissertation committee members as it appears on their signature page. You should enter your defense committee members and exclude your advisor.

After Submission

Once the dissertation is submitted, you will receive an initial email stating that the dissertation has been received. The Registrar’s Office will review the document for formatting compliance, and you will then receive a second email once your dissertation has been approved. Any required changes or corrections will be communicated to you and must be resolved before the degree can be conferred. You will have up to one week past the submission deadline to submit any corrections requested by the Registrar’s Office.   

Make changes to your diploma name  via the personal informaiton tab in my.harvard.  

Pick up or Mail your Diploma . If you do not add a diploma mailing address, your diploma will be mailed to your permanent address. You can edit the address as many times as needed until the deadline

Email and Online Access

Huit policies on what happens to harvard accounts and online access after leaving the university.

Immediately, you lose access to:

• Harvard Library
• Adobe Software and Creative Cloud Storage

365* days after the last day as an active student**, you lose access to:

• Office 365 email, calendar, ProPlus, Sharepoint, OneDrive
• Google Mail, Google Drive and Google Apps (for g.harvard and college.harvard accounts)
• FAS Account, including unix homedir

*365 days for Class of 2021 and 2022- this will be reviewed for subsequent years

** Students are considered to be no longer active on  their degree conferral date, so it’s the same for all degree candidates with each period Nov/March/May.

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Submission Guidelines for Morningside Dissertations and Theses

Benefits to umass chan students of archiving your thesis/dissertation in the escholarship@umasschan repository, requirements prior to submission, before you begin the online submission process, how to submit, what happens next, public access, embargoes, licenses, and subsequent publishing, digital object identifiers (dois), sharing research data publicly, publication and post-publication edits, repository citation and download metrics, removal of content.

• Immediate exposure through Google and other search engines to maximize readership and impact (citations) of your scholarship
• Download statistics are available
• Permanent link, DOI and citation for inclusion on your CV
• Students must follow the graduate school's preparation guidelines for doctoral dissertations and master's theses to ensure that formatting is correct, no required pages are missing, and their thesis/dissertation is properly converted to PDF format. Please make your document is as accessible to users with disabilities as possible. This ensures ease of use and the broadest possible readership for your work. See our accessibility guidelines for authors .
• The student should ensure that their thesis/dissertation is free of errors. Once the graduate school has posted the thesis/dissertation on eScholarship@UMassChan, corrections cannot be made unless the student submits an official request to the Dean of the graduate school.
• The Dissertation Defense Outcome (BBS08) form or the Master's Thesis Outcome (MSCI08) form must be completed and submitted before beginning the electronic submission process in eScholarship@UMassChan.
• Students and their thesis advisor should discuss and reach a mutual agreement regarding which embargo option and which license are appropriate. See Public access, embargoes, licenses, and subsequent publishing for guidelines and a full explanation of options.
• The GSBS19 eScholarship Permission Form must be filled out and signed electronically by the student and the student’s advisor(s). This form certifies that the manuscript is complete and has been approved by the student’s advisory committee, and designates the student’s selections for embargo and re-use rights. Preview GSBS19 form
• Students are required to register for an ORCID and enter their ORCID ID on the GSBS19 eScholarship Permission Form. ORCIDs are unique author identifiers for researchers that are becoming integrated into research workflows. Your ORCID iD ensures you get credit for your work throughout your career and is increasingly a requirement for publication and funding. Registration is free and takes 30 seconds.

Before you begin the online submission process, please be sure you have the following items ready:

• Full text of your final, approved thesis/dissertation in PDF format
• Name of Thesis Advisor(s)
• Your GSBS19 eScholarship Permission Form must first be completed and electronically signed by you and your thesis advisor(s)
• Supplemental files to be displayed on the web page with your thesis/dissertation (e.g. data sets, video clips, sound files), if applicable
• Log into eScholarship@UMassChan using your UMass Chan email address and password
• Click the "Submissions" link in the left sidebar under "My Account"
• Click on "start a new submission"
• Select this collection: UMass Chan Student Research and Publications > Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences > Morningside GSBS Dissertations and Theses
• Fill in submission form and submit
• NOTE: The Upload File(s) step on the submission form includes an Embargo field. Select a date based on the embargo option you and your advisor chose on your eScholarship permission form. For example, for a 1-year embargo, select a date one year from the submission date. Skip this field if you are not requesting an embargo.
• After reviewing the submission, the graduate school or the library will contact the student for any revisions necessary.
• The library will post the thesis/dissertation in eScholarship@UMassChan within 1-2 weeks of acceptance, with or without an embargo and Creative Commons license as specified on the permission form.
• The student will receive an email with a persistent link to the submission when it is posted.

Students retain ownership of the copyright for the content of their thesis or dissertation, including the right to use all or part of the content in future works. Students are free to register the copyright to their work with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Students are solely responsible for obtaining the rights to use any third-party copyrighted materials, allowing electronic distribution, prior to submission.

The full text of theses and dissertations from the graduate school are made publicly available in UMass Chan Medical School’s repository, Scholarship@UMassChan, unless the student has elected to postpone online access to the full text for a specified time (this is known as an embargo). Students may choose from the following embargo options: no embargo; 6 months; 1 year; 2 years and indicate their choice on the GSBS19 eScholarship Permission Form.

There is a record of each embargoed thesis/dissertation in eScholarship@UMassChan that displays the author name, title, abstract, publication year, GSBS program, advisor, and department affiliations. The record also shows when the embargo will expire. Only the administrators of eScholarship@UMassChan can access the full text of the thesis/dissertation before the embargo expiration date.

Possible reasons to consider an embargo:

• The student is applying for a patent on an invention or procedure documented in the thesis/dissertation and does not wish to make the contents public until the patent application has been filed
• The thesis/dissertation contains sensitive and/or classified information
• Immediate release of the thesis/dissertation may impact an existing or potential publishing agreement

Students often wonder if including unpublished data in a thesis or dissertation precludes later publication in peer-reviewed journals. As publisher policies on previous or duplicate publication vary, it is best to check with the publisher in question. Many publishers include this information on their websites. For example, Nature will consider submissions of material previously published in a thesis or dissertation. The MIT Libraries have compiled a helpful chart summarizing the policies of some publishers. UMass Chan students have the option of utilizing the embargo feature so that the full text of their dissertation is not publicly available while they are in the process of submitting manuscripts for publication in journals.

If students do not request an embargo, or following the expiration of an embargo, the thesis/dissertation will be made publicly available in eScholarship@UMassChan and marked with “All Rights Reserved” or a Creative Commons license as specified by the student.

Creative Commons (CC) licenses are popular tools to facilitate knowledge sharing and creative innovation that copyright holders can apply to their works to indicate how they would like their materials to be used. Those who want to make their work available to the public for limited kinds of uses while preserving their copyright may want to consider using CC licenses. Students have three options to choose from and should select the option that best meets their goals:

• Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) : This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.
• Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) : This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
• Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved: This phrase indicates that the student, as the copyright holder, reserves, or holds for their own use, all the rights provided by copyright law, and that nothing may be done with a copyrighted work without their explicit permission.

Students and their thesis advisors should discuss and reach a mutual agreement regarding which embargo option and which Creative Commons license are appropriate. Conflicts between the wishes of the student and the advisor should be resolved before the student completes the GSBS19 eScholarship Permission Form .

Students can direct questions about public access, copyright, embargoes, and subsequent publication to the library .

Students are required to register for an ORCID and enter their ORCID ID on the GSBS19 eScholarship Permission Form. ORCIDs are unique author identifiers for researchers that are becoming integrated into research workflows. Your ORCID iD ensures you get credit for your work throughout your career and is increasingly a requirement for publication and funding. Registration is free and takes 30 seconds.

Theses and dissertations deposited in eScholarship@UMassChan are assigned a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). DOIs are permanent unique identifiers assigned to publications, data, and other scholarly products that make it easier for them to be discovered, cited, and credited.

Students have many options for publicly sharing research data, including government-sponsored repositories such as GenBank or GEO, disciplinary repositories, third-party repositories, and established campus resources such as LabArchives and UMass Chan's institutional repository, eScholarship@UMassChan .

In thesis and dissertation manuscripts, students can include links to research data that has been permanently shared publicly, whether through deposit to a repository or published with a DOI through LabArchives. DOIs are permanent unique identifiers assigned to publications, data, and other scholarly products that make it easier for data to be discovered, cited, and credited. It is recommended that students use a DOI, if available, to link to research data from within their theses and dissertations. Both LabArchives and eScholarship@UMassChan have the ability to assign DOIs to datasets stored and shared with the software.

Students also have the option to upload research data as supplemental files when they are submitting their thesis or dissertation to eScholarship@UMassChan. Data files are displayed on the web page with the thesis or dissertation and download statistics are available.

In all cases, students should make sure that permanent, public data sharing is appropriate. Data should be documented so that it is easier to understand. Good data management practices should be followed, including using standard data and file formats, good null values, and basic quality control (see Ten Simple Rules for the Care and Feeding of Scientific Data ).

Theses and dissertations are published exactly as they are submitted. They are not edited, typeset, or retyped by the graduate school or the library. Therefore, the document’s appearance when it is accessed or printed is entirely the responsibility of the student. The student must assume responsibility for: preparing the document according to the graduate school guidelines for preparation of theses and dissertations; converting the document into Adobe PDF format; checking the document for appearance; and submitting the final, approved PDF document to eScholarship@UMassChan.

Once the graduate school has posted the thesis/dissertation on eScholarship@UMassChan, corrections or retractions cannot be made unless the student submits an official request to the Dean of the graduate school. Since this is the version of record, the full-text cannot simply be swapped out. Changes can be made to the metadata (descriptive information about the thesis/dissertation) but not to the full text. Upon graduate school approval, students will be allowed to upload another version which will display as an additional file, or to submit revised supplemental data as an additional file. The record will be amended to describe the actions/correction.

As the thesis/dissertation is the student’s intellectual property, only the student can initiate a cancellation or an extension of an approved embargo, or a change to a Creative Commons license, by submitting an official request to the Dean of the graduate school. The request should include the reason for the requested change and the desired length of time to extend the embargo.

Posting your thesis/dissertation in eScholarship@UMassChan provides a permanent link and DOI that you can include on a resume or CV. A citation can be exported from the main page of each thesis/dissertation for EndNote, RefWorks, and other formats. Theses and dissertations are available immediately in Google, Google Scholar, and other search engines to maximize readership and impact of your scholarship. The number of full text downloads is updated daily. The download count is available from the thesis/dissertation main page by clicking "Show Statistical Information".

Binding of theses or dissertations is no longer a UMass Chan requirement by the graduate school or the library. The electronic versions will be the version of record. If the student’s department/committee chair requires a print copy, or the student wants print copies, binding arrangements and fees are the sole responsibility of the student. Interested students can consult the graduate school for a recommendation for a local bindery. If you have further questions, please contact the graduate school at [email protected] .

The full text of a work will generally be removed from eScholarship@UMassChan only for reasons such as unethical/ unsound science, plagiarism, copyright infringement, IRB non-compliance and/or violation of the Licensing Agreement. Removal requests should be sent to the GSBS Dean and should include the reason for removal. If the work is removed, a record describing the original version of the paper will always remain on the site at the same URL.

Export search results

The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.

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EBSCO Open Dissertations

EBSCO Open Dissertations makes electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) more accessible to researchers worldwide. The free portal is designed to benefit universities and their students and make ETDs more discoverable. 

Increasing Discovery & Usage of ETD Research

EBSCO Open Dissertations is a collaboration between EBSCO and BiblioLabs to increase traffic and discoverability of ETD research. You can join the movement and add your theses and dissertations to the database, making them freely available to researchers everywhere while increasing traffic to your institutional repository. 

EBSCO Open Dissertations extends the work started in 2014, when EBSCO and the H.W. Wilson Foundation created American Doctoral Dissertations which contained indexing from the H.W. Wilson print publication, Doctoral Dissertations Accepted by American Universities, 1933-1955. In 2015, the H.W. Wilson Foundation agreed to support the expansion of the scope of the American Doctoral Dissertations database to include records for dissertations and theses from 1955 to the present.

How Does EBSCO Open Dissertations Work?

Your ETD metadata is harvested via OAI and integrated into EBSCO’s platform, where pointers send traffic to your IR.

EBSCO integrates this data into their current subscriber environments and makes the data available on the open web via opendissertations.org .

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Edinburgh Research Archive

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• Edinburgh Medical School

Edinburgh Medical School thesis and dissertation collection

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Edinburgh Medical School is one of two schools at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Medical School integrates research and teaching across our three Deaneries: Biomedical Sciences, Clinical Sciences and Molecular,Genetic and Population Health Sciences.

Recent Submissions

Investigating the role of microglial senescence in central nervous system injury and regeneration , characterisation of the pro-regenerative extracellular matrix in the zebrafish spinal cord , different mutations in the beta-tubulin tubb4b result in a novel spectrum of dominant-negative ciliopathies , investigating the modulators of positional identity in human neuromesodermal progenitor differentiation in vitro , role of the succinate receptor in brown adipose tissue function , phenotype of newly generated neurons following spinal cord injury in zebrafish , exploration of relationships between life course measures of socioeconomic status and structural brain changes linked with older life cognitive decline , high resolution analysis of the tumour microenvironment of high grade serous ovarian cancer (hgsoc) using single cell transcriptomics and quantitative histopathological examination , complications of portal hypertension: clinical studies , imaging of abdominal aortic aneurysm disease activity and implications for endovascular aneurysm repair , hallmarks of cotranslational protein complex assembly and its relationship with the dominant-negative effect , optimising islet transplantation therapy for the treatment of type 1 diabetes by targeting the liver niche with etanercept-loaded microparticles to promote the long term function of islets , developing a systematic, data-driven framework to identify, evaluate, and prioritise candidate drugs for clinical trials in motor neuron disease , investigating an arginase 1⁺ monocyte- macrophage population in driving fibrosis in chronic kidney disease. , in vivo investigation of component-specific functions of the hippo pathway , prevalence of female infertility in the uk armed forces , understanding colorectal cancer risk loci that alter transcriptional dynamics , behaviour change intervention for smokeless tobacco (st) cessation delivered by dentists in a dental setting: a feasibility study , dna methylation & its regulation in colorectal tumours , lesion reversibility in small vessel disease: understanding changes contributing to vascular dementia .

How to find resources by format

Why use a dissertation or a thesis.

A dissertation is the final large research paper, based on original research, for many disciplines to be able to complete a PhD degree. The thesis is the same idea but for a masters degree.

They are often considered scholarly sources since they are closely supervised by a committee, are directed at an academic audience, are extensively researched, follow research methodology, and are cited in other scholarly work. Often the research is newer or answering questions that are more recent, and can help push scholarship in new directions. 

Search for dissertations and theses

Locating dissertations and theses.

The Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global database includes doctoral dissertations and selected masters theses from major universities worldwide.

• Searchable by subject, author, advisor, title, school, date, etc.
• More information about full text access and requesting through Interlibrary Loan

NDLTD – Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations provides free online access to a over a million theses and dissertations from all over the world.

WorldCat Dissertations and Theses searches library catalogs from across the U.S. and worldwide.

Locating University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses

Use  Libraries search  and search by title or author and add the word "thesis" in the search box. Write down the library and call number and find it on the shelf. They can be checked out.

Check the  University Digital Conservancy  for online access to dissertations and theses from 2007 to present as well as historic, scanned theses from 1887-1923.

Other Sources for Dissertations and Theses

• Center for Research Libraries
• DART-Europe E-Thesis Portal
• Theses Canada
• Ethos (Great Britain)
• Australasian Digital Theses in Trove
• DiVA (Sweden)
• E-Thesis at the University of Helsinki
• DissOnline (Germany)
• List of libraries worldwide - to search for a thesis when you know the institution and cannot find in the larger collections

University of Minnesota Dissertations and Theses FAQs

What dissertations and theses are available.

With minor exceptions, all doctoral dissertations and all "Plan A" master's theses accepted by the University of Minnesota are available in the University Libraries system. In some cases (see below) only a non-circulating copy in University Archives exists, but for doctoral dissertations from 1940 to date, and for master's theses from 1925 to date, a circulating copy should almost always be available.

"Plan B" papers, accepted in the place of a thesis in many master's degree programs, are not received by the University Libraries and are generally not available. (The only real exceptions are a number of old library school Plan B papers on publishing history, which have been separately cataloged.) In a few cases individual departments may have maintained files of such papers.

In what libraries are U of M dissertations and theses located?

Circulating copies of doctoral dissertations:.

• Use Libraries Search to look for the author or title of the work desired to determine location and call number of a specific dissertation. Circulating copies of U of M doctoral dissertations can be in one of several locations in the library system, depending upon the date and the department for which the dissertation was done. The following are the general rules:
• Dissertations prior to 1940 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations prior to 1940 do not exist (with rare exceptions): for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available. Also, most dissertations prior to 1940 are not cataloged in MNCAT and can only be identified by the departmental listings described below.  
• Dissertations from 1940-1979 Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1940 to 1979 will in most cases be held within the Elmer L. Andersen Library, with three major classes of exceptions: dissertations accepted by biological, medical, and related departments are housed in the Health Science Library; science/engineering dissertations from 1970 to date will be located in the Science and Engineering Library (in Walter); and dissertations accepted by agricultural and related departments are available at the Magrath Library or one of the other libraries on the St. Paul campus (the Magrath Library maintains records of locations for such dissertations).  
• Dissertations from 1980-date Circulating copies of U of M dissertations from 1980 to date at present may be located either in Wilson Library (see below) or in storage; consult Libraries Search for location of specific items. Again, exceptions noted above apply here also; dissertations in their respective departments will instead be in Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.

Circulating copies of master's theses:

• Theses prior to 1925 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses prior to 1925 do not exist (with rare exceptions); for these, only the archival copy (see below) is available.  
• Theses from 1925-1996 Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1925 to 1996 may be held in storage; consult Libraries search in specific instances. Once again, there are exceptions and theses in their respective departments will be housed in the Health Science Library or in one of the St. Paul campus libraries.  
• Theses from 1997-date Circulating copies of U of M master's theses from 1997 to date will be located in Wilson Library (see below), except for the same exceptions for Health Science  and St. Paul theses. There is also an exception to the exception: MHA (Masters in Health Administration) theses through 1998 are in the Health Science Library, but those from 1999 on are in Wilson Library.

Archival copies (non-circulating)

Archival (non-circulating) copies of virtually all U of M doctoral dissertations from 1888-1952, and of U of M master's theses from all years up to the present, are maintained by University Archives (located in the Elmer L. Andersen Library). These copies must be consulted on the premises, and it is highly recommended for the present that users make an appointment in advance to ensure that the desired works can be retrieved for them from storage. For dissertations accepted prior to 1940 and for master's theses accepted prior to 1925, University Archives is generally the only option (e.g., there usually will be no circulating copy). Archival copies of U of M doctoral dissertations from 1953 to the present are maintained by Bell and Howell Corporation (formerly University Microfilms Inc.), which produces print or filmed copies from our originals upon request. (There are a very few post-1952 U of M dissertations not available from Bell and Howell; these include such things as music manuscripts and works with color illustrations or extremely large pages that will not photocopy well; in these few cases, our archival copy is retained in University Archives.)

Where is a specific dissertation of thesis located?

To locate a specific dissertation or thesis it is necessary to have its call number. Use Libraries Search for the author or title of the item, just as you would for any other book. Depending on date of acceptance and cataloging, a typical call number for such materials should look something like one of the following:

Dissertations: Plan"A" Theses MnU-D or 378.7M66 MnU-M or 378.7M66 78-342 ODR7617 83-67 OL6156 Libraries Search will also tell the library location (MLAC, Health Science Library, Magrath or another St. Paul campus library, Science and Engineering, Business Reference, Wilson Annex or Wilson Library). Those doctoral dissertations still in Wilson Library (which in all cases should be 1980 or later and will have "MnU-D" numbers) are located in the central section of the third floor. Those master's theses in Wilson (which in all cases will be 1997 or later and will have "MnU-M" numbers) are also located in the central section of the third floor. Both dissertations and theses circulate and can be checked out, like any other books, at the Wilson Circulation desk on the first floor.

How can dissertations and theses accepted by a specific department be located?

Wilson Library contains a series of bound and loose-leaf notebooks, arranged by department and within each department by date, listing dissertations and theses. Information given for each entry includes name of author, title, and date (but not call number, which must be looked up individually). These notebooks are no longer current, but they do cover listings by department from the nineteenth century up to approximately 1992. Many pre-1940 U of M dissertations and pre-1925 U of M master's theses are not cataloged (and exist only as archival copies). Such dissertations can be identified only with these volumes. The books and notebooks are shelved in the general collection under these call numbers: Wilson Ref LD3337 .A5 and Wilson Ref quarto LD3337 .U9x. Major departments of individual degree candidates are also listed under their names in the GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT programs of the U of M, available in University Archives and (for recent years) also in Wilson stacks (LD3361 .U55x).

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Doctoral dissertation

The doctoral dissertation may also take the form of another work that meets the appropriate scientific criteria, provided that the doctoral candidate’s independent contribution to it can be verified. All doctoral dissertations should meet the following scholarly criteria: they must a) contain new scientific knowledge, b) demonstrate critical thinking on the doctoral candidate’s part, c) demonstrate profound familiarity with the field, d) demonstrate mastery of research methods and their application, e) be scientifically convincing, f) contain justified results, and g) demonstrate scientific integrity and adhere to the ethical norms of research.

The supervisor and the doctoral candidate must limit the topic and content of the dissertation in such a way that the degree can be completed in four years of full-time study.

The doctoral dissertation must have a brief abstract of one to two pages, providing a summary of the dissertation and its key results. The abstract must outline the doctoral candidate’s objectives or research questions as well as the core research methods, results and conclusions.

When examining a dissertation or a Licentiate thesis, particular consideration should be given to the following:

• The topic and its originality
• The quality of the research material and its applicability to investigating the matter under discussion
• The research methods and their reliability. Has the work required the use of methods which examine the problem under scrutiny in a new way, or the creation of completely new methods?
• The reliability and scientific significance of the observations. Do the research results support previous observations, or does the research feature completely new observations?
• Are the conclusions reliable, and can the author contrast his or her own observations with previous research? Particular attention should be paid to the significance of the conclusions with respect to opening new perspectives in the field of the dissertation.
• Does the author display a command of the field and a familiarity with the literature?
• Are the overall composition (the relative scope and logical organisation of the literature review and the sections discussing the material, methods, etc.), presentation, style, language and layout appropriate for the dissertation?

A grade of Pass with Distinction requires that the results of the research bear international significance and that the included observations and conclusions are new and greatly change previously held notions or clinical practices. If the student conducted the research as a member of a group, indisputable proof of his or her independent contribution is required.

According to Rector’s decision (HY/498/00.00.06.00/2017), a doctoral dissertation must consist of peer-reviewed scholarly publications or manuscripts accepted for publication, as well as a summarising report on the said documents (an article-based dissertation); or it must be a scholarly work in the name of the doctoral candidate alone and based on previously unpublished research results (a monograph). The doctoral dissertation may also take the form of another work that meets the appropriate scientific criteria, provided that the doctoral candidate’s independent contribution to it can be verified. 

All doctoral dissertations should meet the following scholarly criteria: they must

• contain new scientific knowledge
• demonstrate critical thinking on the doctoral candidate’s part
• demonstrate profound familiarity with the field
• demonstrate mastery of research methods and their application
• be scientifically convincing
• contain justified results, and
• demonstrate scientific integrity and adhere to the ethical norms of research.

Monograph dissertations

A monograph dissertation is a scholarly work issued under the name of the writer alone and based on independent research. Previously published work shall not be accepted as a monograph. Before completing the dissertation proper, however, the author of a monograph may publish articles on related topics and refer to these in the dissertation. Direct quotes from the dissertation cannot be published later under a research group. The length of a monograph dissertation is normally maximum 250 pages. Supervisors of monographs must take particular care to ensure the quality of the manuscript before it is submitted for preliminary examination.

Article-based dissertations

An article-based dissertation typically comprises several peer-reviewed scholarly articles related to a single topic and a summarising report which is considered the dissertation proper. The number of articles depends on the extent, the scientific quality and significance of the articles, the publishing forum, as well as, the own contribution of the writer. If the number of original articles is small (1-2), special attention is paid to high quality of the research and the amount of work done. In addition, thesis committee (follow-up group) is to make a statement in favour of the public dissertation and the doctoral candidate is to indicate their significant contribution in the original articles of the dissertation with a report signed by the candidate and their supervisor. The report is to be more detailed than usually (with the accuracy of each individual test/experiment or analysis).

The doctoral candidate writes the summarising report, which is a synthesis of the articles in the dissertation including the literary review. The summarising report of an article-based dissertation must present the background, objectives, methods, material, results, discussion and conclusions of the research. The summarising report must be a balanced work based on both the publications included in the dissertation and the research literature.

The component articles are to have been published in well-regarded international refereed scientific publication series or journals, or to be approved for publication with the exception of one article. Common review articles are not accepted as component articles, whereas high-standard meta-analysis and systemized reviews might be accepted.  

If the summarising report of a doctoral dissertation reproduces tables, figures or graphs from the doctoral candidate’s original publications, the doctoral candidate must contact the publisher to ascertain that he or she can include them in the doctoral dissertation. Many publishers announce on their websites that they permit the reproduction of such material in theses and dissertations. The caption for each reproduced table, figure or graph must indicate that the publisher permits its reproduction and that the publisher’s permission has been sought, as follows: “Reproduced with permission from…” and a reference to the original publication. With regard to original publications attached to the end of the doctoral dissertation, it has not been customary to separately request permission to reprint them because they are presented in their original format.

The author of the dissertation may also present unpublished research results in the summarising report. Any unpublished results must be referenced accordingly (“N. N. et al., unpublished results”). To avoid duplicate publication, unpublished results cannot be included in the summarising report as a segment equivalent in scope to an article, if the results are intended to be published later as an article.

In any co-authored publications, the doctoral candidate’s independent contribution must be clearly identifiable. For this purpose, the doctoral candidate, the supervisor and the advisory committee, if any, draft a free-form report on the participation of the doctoral candidate at each stage of the research work.  If the co-authored publication has been used in another dissertation, this must be mentioned in the report. The doctoral candidate should deliver the draft of the report on his or her contribution also to the other authors of the publication.

The doctoral candidate shall deliver the report to the faculty when submitting the dissertation for preliminary examination and to the preliminary examiners, opponent and custos at a later date. The report may also be included in the summarising report or an article included in the dissertation.

As a rule, at least half of the articles in a dissertation are not to be used in other dissertations. Exceptionally high-quality articles where both writers have a central role and such publications where both writers clearly have different roles (such as laboratory work and bioinformatics), are exceptions.

 In case one or more of the articles have been previously used in some earlier dissertation, this information must be added to the end of the “List of original publications”.

Choosing the publication forum

The Faculty recommends to choose journals with a publication forum level (levels 1-3). This will most likely mean that the publication forum is scientifically and ethically approvable. Please see the list from Publication Forum  website . Another way to evaluate the level of the publication forum is to see whether it has been listed on  Medline, Web of Science, and Pubmed . The Faculty Council has decided on 16 May 2023 that If JUFO drops a journal to the zero category, the journal is considered a predator journal by the Faculty either from the beginning of the next calendar year, if the drop occurs in the middle of the calendar year, or from the beginning of the drop, if the drop occurs on January 1. After this, new articles submitted to the journal in question will not be accepted for dissertations at the Faculty of Medicine.

Brand new journals have not been evaluated by the Publication Forum, and are not always immediately indexed in Medline, Pubmed, or Web of Science. When evaluating new publication series, the prestigiousness of the publisher plays an important part. If the publisher is a prestigious and well-known scientific community or a well-known scientific publisher, it is to be assumed that the new publication forum is proper, e.g. an “open access” version of a known journal. 

NB!  Please be cautious about open access journals. More information on questionable open access publishers and journals is available on the  Scholarly Open Access webpage . Articles published in questionable forums are not accepted as part of a dissertation. Thus, it is important for doctoral candidates and their supervisors to carefully check the publication forum selection related matters described above and save all communications with the journals.

The following are to be included in a dissertation (article-based and monograph):

• Table of contents (with page numbering)
• List of original publications
• Abbreviations
• A one- or two-page abstract of the dissertation and its key results, which must mention the objectives, main methods, achieved results, and conclusions drawn from the results.
• Introduction
• An analytical literature review, examining the development of information relating to the topic under discussion as well as the current situation
• A statement of the research question
• A report on the materials and methods used, presented in writing; in addition, a table of methods may be used
• The research results and discussion
• A discussion in which the independent research results are critically contrasted with previous research
• A summary, and the conclusions
• A bibliography
• Articles in an article-based dissertation.

 The following system for the references and bibliography shall be followed when writing a dissertation. For inline citations, either numbering or the author’s name and date are used as references. The bibliography is either listed in numerical order or alphabetised by author name (following the system for the references). All authors, the title of the article and the name of the journal must be indicated for articles in the bibliography. Abbreviations from the Index Medicus shall be used for journals. After the name of the journal, the volume, the beginning and end page of the article and the publication year are given. When referencing monographs and books, the title, author or editor, publisher, publication location and year, and beginning and end pages of the reference must be included.

The cover and cover page of the dissertation must include at least the following information:

• Name of the author
• The fact that the work is a dissertation
• Name of the faculty granting the permission to print
• Research location(s)
• Doctoral programme
• Printing house
• Printing location
• Printing year
• Names of the supervisors
• Names of the assessors
• Phrase: The Faculty of Medicine uses the Urkund system (plagiarism recognition) to examine all doctoral dissertations.

ISBN codes are issued by the  Finnish National ISBN Centre : tel. 02941 44329 or 02941 44312.

Doctoral candidates publishing in DSHealth publication series  ‘Dissertationes Scholae Doctoralis Ad Sanitatem Investigandam Universitatis Helsinkiensis’  can find more information on the cover design in  instructions for students .

All dissertations must include a table of contents and a list of the component articles for article-based dissertations.  If one or more of the articles in the dissertation have been used as a part of a previously published dissertation, a notification of this must be included in the dissertation after the list of articles.

Retaining the original research material

The author must retain the original research results pertaining to the dissertation at least as long as the processing of the dissertation at the Faculty is underway. The results must be presented to the Faculty or to Faculty-appointed assessors on request.

The examination process of doctoral dissertations comprises the following:

• preliminary examination
• permission to print the dissertation and defend it at a public examination
• the public examination
• approval of the dissertation.

Pre­lim­in­ary ex­am­in­a­tion instructions in detail can be found Instructions for students' article Faculty of Medicine: submitting the doctoral thesis

When the dissertation manuscript is complete, the doctoral candidate must apply for its preliminary examination from the Faculty Council. If the dissertation comprises articles, all articles but one – or two, if there are a total of six or more articles – must be accepted for publication.

Article-based dissertations that contain incomplete article manuscripts cannot be submitted for preliminary examination, but the matter can be suspended until the manuscripts are polished or revised.

At the proposal of the supervising professor (or the supervising person), the Faculty Council will appoint two preliminary examiners, normally from Finland, who are familiar with the field of the dissertation. The preliminary examiners will issue a statement on the dissertation manuscript to the Faculty Council for the purpose of granting the permission to print and defend the dissertation.

Financial support for thesis completion .

Permission to print and defend the dissertation requires supporting statements from the preliminary examiners as well as information on the opponent, custos, and grading committee member. All but one of the articles in an article-based dissertation must be approved for publication – this also pertains to dissertations consisting of six or more articles.

Once the preliminary examiners have submitted their supporting statements, the Faculty Council will grant permission to print and defend the dissertation and will appoint the opponent and custos at the proposal of the supervising professor (or the supervising person). One of the Faculty professors will serve as custos. The opponent must be a professor or docent (or have equivalent scientific qualifications) in one of the fields of research of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Helsinki or in a neighbouring field. The opponent must be from outside the faculty and, as a rule, from outside the University of Helsinki. The same principles of disqualification apply to both preliminary examiners and opponents. The opponent must not be involved in the dissertation research or in any co-authored publications with the author of the dissertation. He or she must be from a different division, clinic or research programme than the dissertation supervisor and the doctoral candidate. He or she must not represent the division, clinic, research programme or equivalent organisation where the dissertation has been registered, and he or she must not have cooperated with the dissertation supervisor closely or recently (in the last three years). A preliminary examiner can be appointed as opponent if the reasons are justified. The dissertation supervisors or thesis committee members cannot serve as opponents.

The doctoral candidate must agree on a time for the public examination with the custos and the opponent.

Further information on publishing an electronic dissertation can be found in the article  Publishing the dissertation and communications and on E-thesis instructions . The doctoral candidate and dissertation supervisor should pay attention to the following: if the thesis submitted to E-thesis contains unpublished results to be included in an original article, the online publishing of the thesis may hamper the publication of the results. In this case, the doctoral candidate and supervisor should consider postponing the publishing of the dissertation in E-thesis until all results to be included in original articles have been published.

Rector has decided on some changes in the dissertation grading. As of 1 March 2019, the new grading practice will commence. Please note, that the practice does not apply to dissertations already submitted for preliminary examination process.

According to the Rector’s decision, one or two faculty representatives will be appointed for the public examination at the discretion of the Faculty Council. The Council will decide on the matter when granting the permission to proceed to public examination, or should this not be possible, delegate the decision making to the Dean.

At the Faculty of Medicine as a rule, with the introduction of this reformation, grade is proposed by the opponent and custos. If custos is also the supervisor, the custos will find a new faculty representative. Faculty representatives must be professors or docents of the University of Helsinki or members of the university's teaching and research staff with the academic qualifications of a docent. The faculty representative(s) must be well acquainted with the grading criteria and regulations related to the examination of doctoral theses in use at the University of Helsinki.

Opponent and the faculty representative will propose a grade for the dissertation. The statements must assess both the quality of the dissertation and the doctoral candidate’s success in defending it at the public examination, thus, the faculty representative is to be present at the public defense. The preliminary examiners’ statements will also be taken into consideration when assessing the dissertation.

At the Faculty of Medicine, the faculty representative is appointed in the preliminary examination form. Thus, in the future, doctoral candidates are to give information in the form of their preliminary examiners, opponent, custos, and faculty representative, whether it is the custos or someone else from the faculty.

The Faculty Council will decide on the approval of the dissertation and on the grade awarded. The Faculty applies a two-tier grading scale: Pass and Pass with Distinction. The latter grade is given only to dissertations of an exceptionally high standard and cannot be granted to more than ten per cent of dissertations approved by the Faculty.

Opponent's travelling

Travel reservations must be made through the Faculty's secretaries, so that in the event of cancellations, the university's travel insurance will cover the expenses incurred. The doctoral researcher, supervisor or opponent can contact the secretaries directly regarding travel bookings ( [email protected] ) .

The supervisor's unit will cover the opponent's travel and accommodation expenses as follows (if the supervisor is not employed by the university, the expenses are covered by the custos' unit):

• Flight: Finland max €300, Europe max €750, non-European country max €1250 (economy class)

• Buses, taxis, etc.: According to the universities travel guidelines. Any taxi or bus trips will be paid afterwards to the opponent with a travel expense report with relevant receipts. Opponents will be provided with the travel expense form when they are sent instructions on the public defence.

• We recommend using public transport instead of a taxi whenever possible. The easiest way to buy a public transport ticket is with the HSL application, where you can also download receipts for the travel invoice.

• We recommend ordering taxis in Helsinki by phone, using an app or through the hotel reception. In this way, we make sure that the taxis are reliable service providers, whose prices are reasonable, and you also get a receipt for the trip. On the travel invoice, you are to write the routes taken by taxi.

• Should the opponent use their own car for the journey, the costs will be reimbursed according to the cheapest public means of transport for the corresponding journey, not with kilometre allowances . A print of the fares is to be included with the travel expense form.

• The Faculty will not cover any parking costs.

• Accommodation: max 2 nights in a hotel according to the university's travel guidelines/ (reasonably priced accommodation, no suites, no the most expensive hotels). If the Faculty’s secretaries are not used to book the hotel, we will reimburse a maximum of 150 euros per night against receipts.

The doctoral researcher’s supervisor pays the remaining travel and accommodation expenses of the opponent. If the supevisor does not have funds or is not employed by the university, the selection of the opponent and the covering of expenses must be agreed with the head of the unit in advance.

To be noted:

• Flights must be booked as soon as the date of the public defence is known or no later than one month before the public defence. Additional costs arising from flights booked too late will be paid from the funds of the supervisor or the research team.

• The opponent sends a travel invoice with attachments for other possible expenses (bus, taxi) to the address [email protected] , where the invoice is checked and forwarded to financial services for payment. The travel invoice form is sent to the opponent along with other instructions by e-mail when the dissertation process begins.

DOCTOR RESEARCHER: University of Helsinki's contract hotels, travel guide and travel booking system can be found in Flamma.

Dissertation hall and dissertation ceremony

The Faculty of Medicine pays the opponent's fee and the hall rent for the dissertation. If the dissertation meeting is organized in the premises of the University of Helsinki and the adjacent lobby or the Faculty Club of BM 1 is used for the coffee meeting, the 2-hour reservation will be placed in the same room reservation and the faculty will pay for it. If the coffee event is organized elsewhere, the faculty does not cover the space rent. Please note that HUS premises are not university premises and the faculty does not reimburse the rent of these.

In principle, the public defence is to be always organized in Helsinki at the premises of the university or HUS. If you want to organize the event in another location, you must agree with the faculty in advance. Independently managed arrangements can lead to the postponement of the public defence.

The doctoral researcher pays for the coffee service held after the dissertation conference. The faculty does not pay any catering costs related to the public defence ceremony.

The opponent's coat costs are not reimbursed from the unit's funds, incl. possible own project financing.

The university does not compensate the opponent's meals or pay any daily allowance in connection with the defence.

You can ask for reference information at [email protected]

You can get more information about expense billing from Tuomas Hurri, [email protected]

The procedures and formalities related to the public defence of doctoral dissertations have evolved in the course of several centuries. Today, faculties have different views as to the degree of formality of the public examination of dissertations. Some faculties observe old traditions, while others aim to create a seminar-like atmosphere with vivid discussion. The Custos appointed by the faculty acts as the official chair of the examination, so any details regarding the examination procedure should be agreed with him or her.

Check out the proceedings and the protocol of the public dissertations

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Thesis / dissertation formatting manual (2024).

• Filing Fees and Student Status
• Submission Process Overview
• Electronic Thesis Submission
• Paper Thesis Submission
• Formatting Overview
• Fonts/Typeface
• Pagination, Margins, Spacing
• Paper Thesis Formatting
• Preliminary Pages Overview
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures (etc.)
• Acknowledgements
• Text and References Overview
• Figures and Illustrations
• Using Your Own Previously Published Materials
• Using Copyrighted Materials by Another Author
• Open Access and Embargoes
• Copyright and Creative Commons
• Ordering Print (Bound) Copies
• Tutorials and Assistance
• FAQ This link opens in a new window

UCI Libraries maintains the following  templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. If you would like to see what your manuscript should look like, PDFs have been provided. If you are formatting your manuscript using LaTex, UCI maintains a template on OverLeaf.

• Annotated Template (Dissertation) 2024 PDF of a template with annotations of what to look out for
• Word: Thesis Template 2024 Editable template of the Master's thesis formatting.
• PDF Thesis Template 2024
• Word: Dissertation Template 2024 Editable template of the PhD Dissertation formatting.
• PDF: Dissertation Template 2024
• Overleaf (LaTex) Template
• << Previous: Tutorials and Assistance
• Next: FAQ >>
• Last Updated: Feb 20, 2024 2:09 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uci.edu/gradmanual

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Leading dei official at ucla medical school plagiarized doctoral dissertation on diversity: report, natalie j. perry, ph.d., allegedly attempted to 'mask glaring academic deficiencies'.

A leading DEI official at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), reportedly plagiarized vast portions of her 2014 doctoral dissertation about diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.

Investigative journalists Christopher F. Rufo of the Manhattan Institute and The Daily Wire's Luke Rosiak partnered to uncover that Natalie J. Perry, Ph.D. — who leads the DEI program called "Cultural North Star" at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine — appears to have lifted large paragraphs nearly verbatim from 10 other academic papers without citation, according to City Journal .

UCLA Med School has been in the news recently for promoting ideology about "Indigenous womxn," "two-spirits," and "structural racism." A guest speaker praised and two residents championed "revolutionary suicide." The DEI director, who advances "anti-racism," is Natalie Perry. pic.twitter.com/NwSNbiDoBO Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe — Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) April 22, 2024

Titled "Faculty Perceptions of Diversity at a Highly Selective Research-Intensive University," Perry's dissertation at the University of Virginia "examined institutional commitment to diversity from the perspective of organizational values," according to her UCLA biography , and remains her only published work. She received her bachelor's degree in African American and African Studies at Ohio State University, and an EdM in teaching and curriculum at Harvard University.

Many of the portions Perry dissertation, apparently copied with only minor changes, were especially long, with one passage that was nearly 1,000 words and extended for pages.

Rufo and Rosiak also observed that the parts of Perry's paper that were not plagiarized are ridden with basic grammatical errors and even misspellings, prompting them to speculate that her plagiarism was intended to "mask glaring academic deficiencies."

"The positionality of the participants informed the perspective on the origins of the commission. /in response to the needs of the varios [sic] stakeholders within the university, the commission addressed issues of diversity on the faculty, undergraduate, graduate, and university level," Perry wrote in one poorly-written paragraph.

Rufo and Rosiak also noted that Perry neglected to cite even the papers she did mention in the paper, suggesting that even the citations were plagiarized from other papers.

UCLA's medical school has mandated that students learn about colonialism and liberation, which included lessons about "Indigenous womxn," "two-spirits," and "structural racism," according to The Daily Wire .

The Washington Free Beacon reported earlier this month that during one lecture by a guest speaker who praised the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, she urged students to pray to "mama Earth" and led chants of "Free, Free Palestine."

Neither Perry nor UCLA responded to The Christian Post's request for comment by publication.

"Throughout the paper, Perry copies and pastes large sections of text from other authors," Rufo tweeted. "When she has to rely on original work, she often lapses into serious errors and basic grammatical problems. The paper — of course — was about DEI at universities."

Throughout the paper, Perry copies and pastes large sections of text from other authors. When she has to rely on original work, she often lapses into serious errors and basic grammatical problems. The paper—of course—was about DEI at universities. pic.twitter.com/8nejFTlKP3 — Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) April 22, 2024

The revelation regarding Perry's plagiarism comes amid Rufo's ongoing reporting about plagiarism and academic misconduct at some of the nation's most prestigious universities.

In January, former Harvard University President Claudine Gay announced her resignation weeks after Rufo and the New York Post reported on 27 instances when Gay plagiarized or failed to properly cite other academics' work, which the leadership of Harvard allegedly attempted to cover up. The New York Post claimed the school had threatened them when they began looking into the allegations.

Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to  [email protected]

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Electronic Theses and Dissertation Submissions

Thesis/Dissertation Office, 466 West Circle Drive, 2nd floor, Chittenden Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824

Phone: 517-353-3220; Email: [email protected] .

The links below provide instructions on what needs to be completed and approved by the Graduate School in order to graduate.

Each semester has a firm submission deadline by which students must submit their thesis/dissertation to ProQuest. The document must have been successfully defended, corrections from the committee addressed and is to be a final version. After submission it may take several days for the Graduate School to review and approve the documents, especially if formatting revisions are needed. Each semester has a final deadline (usually 2 weeks later) by which students must have all required paperwork turned in, all milestones completed and their thesis/dissertation accepted by the Graduate School. 

• Printable Formatting Guide (PDF) Note the absence of List of Tables and List of Figures in the new formatting guide. These sections are generally not necessary and leaving them out helps quicken the review process. Also note that the Table of Contents is more useful when entries are limited to chapter-level headings or chapter-level headings and first-level subheadings.
• Printable Sample Pages (PDF) This includes examples of the title page, abstract, copyright, dedication page, preface, bibliography, table of contents, etc.
• Master’s Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page Template
• Dissertation Title Page with Dual Degree Template
• Spring 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (PDF)
• Spring 2024 Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Tutorial (Video)
• All Plan A Master’s and all Doctoral students must turn in the Approval form.
• The Approval form is taken as evidence that the document has been examined and approved by the major professor or thesis/dissertation director. It also serves to document compliance with the appropriate Institutional Review Board for the use of human and vertebrate animals for research.
• Supplemental files may be included with the electronic submission of the thesis or dissertation in the student’s ProQuest account ONLY if the files have been approved by the faculty advisor/committee on the Approval Form.
• ETD Approval Form

Human Research Protection Program

• If human subjects were used in your research, the IRB letter (on letterhead from the Human Research Protection office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
• The IRB number that is to appear your approval form is the “Approved” number on the IRB letter (e.g. STUDY00004871 or AMEND202100608), not the application number (e.g. i45603).
• Sending a screenshot from the “CLICK” site where you are listed as a researcher (CLICK photo must start at the green box that says “APPROVED” and extend so it includes information in the “Contacts” tab below the flow chart) OR
• Having your PI send an email to [email protected] stating the IRB number, the project title, and that you are an approved researcher on the project.  (If you used animal subjects, your name does not need to appear on the IACUC letter.)  

MSU Requirements

MSU IRB review and approval or an exempt determination is required for all projects that involve research or clinical investigations with human subjects conducted by faculty, staff, students, or agents of MSU before initiation of any human subject research activities.

For those projects that may qualify as exempt from IRB approval, an exempt determination must be obtained from the MSU IRB office prior to initiation of the human subject research. For those projects that do not qualify as exempt, IRB approval must be obtained prior to initiation of the human subject research.

Please note: your thesis or dissertation may be rejected if you did not obtain IRB approval prior to the start of your research, if your IRB request was backdated or if your review request was denied by the Human Research Protection office. For further information, please see the Human Research Protection Program website at:  https://hrpp.msu.edu/ . Phone: 517-355-2180. Email:  [email protected] .

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• If vertebrate animals were used in your research, the IACUC (AUF) letter (on letterhead from the Animal Care Program office) should be uploaded with your electronic Approval Form.
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• v.27(3); 2010

Language: English | German

Criteria for the successful completion of medical dissertations – A multicenter study

Kriterien für den erfolgreichen abschluss medizinischer dissertationen – eine multizentrische studie, olaf kuhnigk.

1 Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Hamburg, Deutschland

2 Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Prodekanat für Lehre, Hamburg, Deutschland

Volker Reissner

3 Rheinische Kliniken Essen, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie des Kindes- und Jugendalters, Essen, Deutschland

Aenne M. Böthern

Astrid biegler.

4 Integrierte Psychiatrie Winterthur, Gerontopsychiatrisches Ambulatorium, Winterthur, Schweiz

Markus Jüptner

5 Rheinische Kliniken Essen, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Essen, Deutschland

Ingo Schäfer

6 Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Hamburg, Deutschland

Sigrid Harendza

7 Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Medizinische Klinik III, Hamburg, Deutschland

Objective: In order to acquire the academic title “doctor” in Germany, it is essential to complete a dissertation. A high number of publications at German universities are based on medical dissertations. The reasons why some dissertations are successfully accomplished and why some are not completed – despite far-reaching consequences – have been barely investigated to date.

Methods: 467 students in the ninth semester at five German universities participated in this study in 2003. A questionnaire (return rate 93.5%) was used, asking details about the circumstances of a current or completed dissertation (Group A), an abandoned doctoral project (Group B), or one which was never started (Group C).

Results: Students in Group A referred significantly more often to their supervisor as being essential for choosing the topic of their dissertation project. Furthermore, students in Group A worked together with other students in self-organized support groups to debate methodological questions. They also discussed their project more frequently with a statistician. Students in Group C gave “interference with undergraduate studies” and “no time” as the most common reasons for not starting a dissertation.

Conclusions: As the supervisor seems to play an important role for the successful completion of dissertations, universities should think about professional programs that would prepare supervisors for this educational task. Courses for doctoral candidates in scientific research methodology could also be a helpful tool toward successfully accomplishing a doctoral thesis or scientific projects in general.

Zielsetzung: Zum Erlangen des Titels „Doktor“ ist in Deutschland die Durchführung einer Dissertationsarbeit erforderlich. Ein bedeutender Anteil der Publikationsleistungen deutscher Fakultäten rekrutiert sich aus Ergebnissen medizinischer Dissertationen. Die Gründe für den Abbruch einer Dissertation bzw. für ihre erfolgreiche Durchführung sind bisher trotz der weitreichenden Konsequenzen nur unzureichend untersucht.

Methode: Mit Hilfe eines Fragebogens wurden 2003 insgesamt 467 Studierende im 9. Semester an fünf deutschen Universitäten untersucht (Rücklaufquote 93.5%). Untersuchte Inhalte betrafen eine aktuelle oder bereits fertig gestellte Doktorarbeit (Gruppe A), eine abgebrochene Doktorarbeit (Gruppe B) oder den Nicht-Beginn einer Doktorarbeit (Gruppe C).

Ergebnisse: Im Gruppenvergleich gaben Studierende der Gruppe A signifikant häufiger die „Person des Betreuers“ als wesentlich für die Wahl des Themas der Doktorarbeit an. Außerdem arbeiteten Studierende der Gruppe A signifikant häufiger mit anderen Studierenden in selbst organisierten Arbeitsgruppen zusammen, um sich gegenseitig bei methodischen Fragestellungen Hilfestellung zu geben. Die Studierenden der Gruppe A besprachen ihre Arbeit signifikant häufiger mit einem Statistiker. Für den Nicht-Beginn einer Arbeit gaben Studierende der Gruppe C die „Beeinträchtigung des Studiums durch die Dissertation“ und „keine Zeit“ als häufigste Gründe an.

Schlussfolgerung: Der Betreuer scheint eine Schlüsselfunktion für den erfolgreichen Abschluss einer Dissertation darzustellen, weswegen Universitäten über professionelle Weiterbildungsprogramme nachdenken sollten, um die Betreuer auf diese Aufgabe speziell vorzubereiten. Begleitende Kurse für Doktoranden in Forschungsmethodik könnten ebenfalls eine nützliche Methode sein, um wissenschaftliche Projekte oder medizinische Doktorarbeiten erfolgreich zu beenden.

Introduction

In most countries physicians are called “doctor”. However, in Germany a physician is only allowed to put “Dr.” in front of his name if he has actually received a doctorate. In contrast to the situation in many European and overseas countries, medical students in Germany must conduct a research project and write a dissertation reviewed and graded by scientific experts in the respective field in order to obtain the title “doctor”. Contrary to other academic faculties in Germany, it is possible to start the doctoral dissertation during undergraduate medical training. After successful graduation from medical school, evaluation of the thesis, and an oral examination, the “Dr. med.” degree is awarded by the university.

Even though a dissertation is a prerequisite for acquiring the academic title “doctor”, it is not required to graduate, enter a residency, or practice medicine. The reasons why medical students want to obtain the degree “Dr. med.” are not known. However, if graduates want to pursue an academic career at a university hospital, usually only the successful accomplishment of a doctoral thesis will open up this career path. The German Council of Science and Humanities, the governmental agency responsible for nationwide research evaluation and scientific research activity, considers most medical dissertations to be merely on the level of final-degree papers in terms of complexity and scientific quality [ 1 ]. Critics of the current dissertation method call it “pseudo-scientific medical dissertation” and “publication without any effective scientific relevance” [ 2 ]. Yet studies have revealed that more than one-third of all publications from medical schools are based on dissertations [ 3 ], [ 4 ]. Two-thirds of medical faculty members consider medical research related to dissertations to be important for sustaining a qualitatively and quantitatively high output of publications. Therefore, medical students writing dissertations significantly contribute to Germany’s role as an important site within the global scientific landscape [ 5 ]. Successfully accomplished scientific research by students in other national or international programs (doctorate or post-doctorate) have a similar impact.

In the winter semester 2007/2008, 78,000 students were registered at 36 German medical schools [ 6 ]. In the same year (2007), 6108 medical students completed their dissertation successfully, which is a rate of 47% [ 7 ]. Studies performed in the 1990s revealed that 17% of medical students had no intention of conducting a dissertation project during their undergraduate training [ 8 ], [ 9 ], and studies from three individual universities showed that 10–21% of all students abandoned at least one research project [ 4 ], [ 10 ], [ 11 ].

The reasons why some dissertations are successfully completed and why some are abandoned, and why there is a specific format for a structured scientific research project in general, are varied and have not been thoroughly analyzed thus far. In cases where a dissertation was accomplished successfully, the candidates had a positive view of the process in retrospect [ 12 ]. The new German Federal Medical Licensing Regulation from 2002 [ 13 ] does not require any courses for preparing a dissertation during medical undergraduate training. One study showed that 76% of the students assessed the preparation for scientific research at medical school as poor or nonexistent, while only 3% evaluated the preparation as good [ 11 ]. The students also mentioned poor supervision, methodological problems, difficulties with the topic, personal problems, or a lack of time and finances as reasons for abandoning a dissertation. 86% of doctoral candidates held poor supervision responsible for giving up on their dissertation project [ 11 ]. At the University of Würzburg, Germany, students still working on their dissertation assessed the supervision as hardly satisfying [ 14 ].

Regarding these data, further research seems to be necessary to investigate in more detail the reasons why students abandon their medical dissertation and to develop recommendations for promoting the successful completion of scientific research projects. On the one hand, this would enable students to achieve a relevant educational goal, i.e., an advanced degree; on the other hand, scientific research activity and its quality would improve, which is one of the declared aims of the German Council of Science and Humanities. So far, data are only available from studies performed at individual universities as well as from students who are working on or have completed their dissertation [ 14 ], [ 15 ]. Whether these data are applicable to all German universities or to research projects in general is currently unknown.

The purpose of our study was to collect reliable data that would be helpful for drafting recommendations concerning good practice in the field of medical dissertations as an example for medical research projects. We included students from five representative German universities – those who abandoned their dissertation and those who were still continuing with their research project – and collected data on structure, content, and field of the respective dissertations. These data seem to be suitable for general recommendations.

We developed a questionnaire comprising one coversheet with general information about the study and 16 pages of questions from the following categories:

• General questions about the students’ attitudes toward scientific work, about the dissertation in general, and about the relevant personality traits of the supervisor and the doctoral candidate (8 questions)
• Questions about the current or finished dissertation (Group A), e.g., type of project, reasons for choosing this project, accomplishment of individual project steps, expenditure of time for the project and influence on undergraduate studies, problems with the project, questions about supervision, and publication of the dissertations (36 questions)
• This part asked about the first discontinued dissertation (Group B), the content of the questions being similar to Group A (37 questions)
• Questions addressed to students without a dissertation project (Group C), inquiring about the reasons for not starting (2 questions)
• General social background (6 questions)

We based the conceptual design of the questionnaire on research data regarding medical dissertations in Germany and on existing theoretical literature [ 12 ], [ 15 ], [ 16 ], [ 17 ]. The response options in this questionnaire included dichotomous answers, such as yes/no answers (e.g., did you start a dissertation during your undergraduate studies?), numeric answers (e.g., number of semesters), individual text (e.g., “reasons were: please specify”), and approval or refusal of a statement on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = I strongly agree, 2 = I agree, 3 = I somewhat agree, 4 = I somewhat disagree, 5 = I disagree, 6 = I strongly disagree).

Sample and Design

We handed out the questionnaires in 2003 to 467 students at the medical schools of five German universities (Berlin, Bochum, Düsseldorf, Essen, and Hamburg). The participating students were in their ninth semester (the total number for undergraduate training in Germany is twelve semesters) with one exception: in Bochum the students who participated were in their eighth semester. The testing took place during mandatory courses. Participation was anonymous and optional. The collected data were protected by the Data Protection Act. The vice deans of education and the directors of the departments agreed to this study. Return rates of questionnaires were between 85% and 99%. The data from all universities were combined, as a comparison of universities was not a focus of this study.

Statistical Analysis

For data evaluation we divided the students into three groups: Group A: students with an ongoing or completed dissertation, regardless of the fact that they may have abandoned a previous project. Group B: students with abandoned dissertation projects, regardless of the fact that they might have started a new one. Group C: students who had never started a dissertation. Data are presented as arithmetic means and frequency distributions. We used the chi-square-distribution test and the t -test as statistical tests for independent samples. We applied the non-parametric Mann-Whitney-U-Test to confirm the t-test results.

We combined all discontinued dissertations, even if a student started a new dissertation in the meantime. In this case, the students were part of both groups and were asked the respective questions. Nevertheless, we chose the t -test for independent samples because it reacts robustly to violations of its assumptions and is more conservative than the t-test for related samples. As we designed our study to collect data to generate hypotheses for further research in this field, we applied no Bonferoni correction to avoid an alpha error. We calculated the effect size when significant results appeared: 0.2 indicates small, 0.5 medium, and 0.8 large effects [ 18 ]. We used SPSS for all statistical analyses.

The return rate of the questionnaires from the 467 students at the five universities was 93.5% ( n = 437). 71% had started at least one dissertation and were still working on it (Group A), 15% had abandoned at least one dissertation (Group B), and 14% had never started a comparable project (Group C).

We found no significant group differences in how students searched for a dissertation project. In Group A, 51% of the projects included basic research (e.g., laboratory work), followed by clinical research (36%), and empirical studies (11%); 2% were literature studies only.

The two main reasons why students in Group A started a dissertation were “interest in the topic” (M = 2.18, SD = 1.17) and “advantage for job applications” (M = 2.48, SD = 1.65), followed by “scientific methods” (M = 2.71, SD = 1.33), “learning how to do scientific work independently” (M = 2.88, SD = 1.40), “gain insight into research” (M = 3.01, SD = 1.35), “prestige” (M = 3.04, SD = 1.50), and “patients’ prejudice against physicians with no doctorate” (M = 3.32, SD = 1.65), data not shown.

Irrespective of group status, the three main reasons for choosing a specific dissertation topic were: “interest in the specialty”, “interest in the topic”, and “better occupational opportunities” (all means < 3.0). The only significant difference between the groups was that students in Group A mentioned “the personality of the supervisor” as the reason for the choice of their project much more frequently (Group A: M = 2.8, Group B: M = 3.8; p < 0.001, ε = 0.67) (see Figure 1 (Fig. 1) ).

Doctoral colloquia, i.e., academic meetings at which specialists deliver addresses on a particular topic and then answer questions relating to them or give technical advice, were offered neither to Group A (57.9%) nor to Group B (67.2%). 64.9% in Group A and 70.0% in Group B who had not had such colloquia stated that they would have wanted to participate in a colloquium had they been given the opportunity. Students in Group A (46.6%) affirmed the question “do you work with other doctoral candidates in study groups in which you give each other methodological support?” significantly more often than students in Group B (24.3%; p < 0.01).

Irrespective of group status, 57.5% of all dissertations were never discussed with a statistician (see Figure 2 (Fig. 2) ). 18.6% of the students did not know whether the project had been discussed with a statistician. 20.6% of Group A discussed their work with a statistician before starting the practical phase of the project, while in Group B only 6.6% did so. In total, significantly more dissertations from Group A were discussed with a statistician (45.4%) as compared to Group B (27.9%) ( p < 0.05) (see Figure 2 (Fig. 2) ).

More than 50% of students from both groups (A = 49.7%; B = 56.5%; n.s.) had no clear work or time schedule for their project. If a schedule did exist, it was mainly the result of the supervisor’s planning for the doctoral project (A = 69.2%, Group B = 77.7%). Only in a few cases did a schedule exist due to participation in a research group (A = 10.0%, B = 7.4%) or because the students were members of a singular research project (A = 20.7%, B=14.8%). In cases where a schedule existed, it was followed by 47.2% of Group A but only by 14.7% of Group B.

With reference to self-management, only 23.7% of the students in Group B stated that they were able to manage time themselves (“could you manage the time you had for the experimental/empirical work of your dissertation by yourself?”). Significantly more students in Group A (44.9%) answered this question positively ( p < 0.001).

54.3% of Group A and 41.0% of Group B (n.s.) agreed to the question “have there been any delays that were not caused by your studies?”. In case of delays not related to their studies, students in Group B stressed “missing support” (Group A: M = 4.05, SD = 1.97, Group B: M = 2.59, SD = 1.97; p < 0.001), “flaws in the concept of the project” (Group A: M = 4.16, SD = 1.90, Group B: M = 2.95, SD = 2.05; p < 0.001) , and “non-availability of the supervisor” (Group A: M = 4.06, SD = 1.98, Group B: M = 3.21, SD = 2.78; P < 0.05) significantly more than students in Group A. We found no significant group differences for the answers “too few patients” and “lack of material” (see Figure 3 (Fig. 3) ).

45.6% of the students in Group B held their supervisors responsible for their project’s failure (M = 2.5, SD = 1.59) rather than blaming themselves (M = 3.5, SD = 1.80). The opposite was the case in only 14.0%. Another 35.1% stated that both parties were responsible, and 5.3% saw the responsibility neither in their supervisor nor in themselves. “Deficient tutoring by the supervisor” (M = 2.9, SD = 1.95) and an “oversized expenditure of time” (M = 3.7, SD = 2.01) were given as the main reasons for abandoning their dissertations.

Only 14.4% ( n = 63) of all participating students had not started a dissertation at the time of this study. 53% of all students in Group C stated they had not yet started a dissertation because of not having found an appropriate topic thus far. 37% wanted to start a dissertation after completing their undergraduate training, and 10% stated no interest at all to do so. The latter group mostly claimed “adverse effects on their studies while working on a dissertation” (M = 2.8, SD = 1.34) and “no time” (M = 2.8, SD = 1.60) as reasons. The statement “a dissertation is not an additional qualification for medical work” also received some agreement (M = 3.1, SD = 1.75).

Our study, conducted at five German universities, revealed that the most important reasons for choosing a dissertation research project are a personal interest in both the specialty related to the dissertation and the topic itself. Students with an ongoing dissertation (Group A) mentioned the supervisor significantly more frequently as a cause for not having discontinued their project. Asked for the reasons for abandoning their dissertation, 45% of the students in Group B held their supervisor responsible for the discontinuation, compared to only 14% who blamed themselves. Inadequate tutoring was also a major reason for giving up on a dissertation. Our results coincide with those of studies at individual German universities, which also found that students considered inadequate tutoring as the main reason for not finishing a dissertation [ 10 ], [ 11 ], even though some of these studies relied only on a small number of participants [ 14 ]. Furthermore, in one of these studies, doctoral candidates who had successfully completed a dissertation assessed their supervisors considerably better regarding “time” and “support” [ 11 ]. Since the scientific research topic is usually something in which the supervisor specializes or has an active interest, and as adequate tutoring seems to have an important influence on the success or failure of a research project, universities should consider – especially with regard to publication output [ 5 ] – offering specific training to support supervisors in their tutoring function. In this context, attention should be drawn to the fact that the actual supervision has to be performed by the students’ academic supervisors and not only by technical assistants [ 14 ].

Successful faculty development courses for university teachers have already been implemented at some German medical schools. Instruction courses for research supervisors of scientific projects have not been established in any German medical school thus far. Besides courses, structured dissertation contracts might also be helpful to ensure the success of doctoral candidates, since clear work schedules and timeframes were present in Group A significantly more often than in Group B. In another study, about 50% of doctoral candidates expressed a desire to have a dissertation contract [ 15 ].

More than 85% of the doctoral candidates worked in dissertation projects involving basic sciences or clinical studies. Both require in-depth knowledge of biostatistics, which is usually not acquired during undergraduate medical training [ 19 ]. Our study shows that 45.5% of students in Group A and only 27.9% in Group B discussed their project with a statistician. In total, only 57.5% of dissertations were supported by a statistician. While one reason for the group difference might be related to greater personal initiative of successful candidates, these data nevertheless seem to support the need for courses on how to properly perform scientific research [ 19 ]. Considering that biometric courses are usually very unpopular among medical students [ 20 ], medical schools need to find new means to support their students in doing scientific research if this is an educational goal of their undergraduate curriculum or other scientific research programs. It is unlikely that several weeks of problem-based EBM courses [ 21 ] or peer education workshops for preparation of medical dissertations [ 19 ] are sufficient to close this gap.

Regular working groups for the discussion of methodological questions also seem to support the successful completion of dissertations. Students in Group A participated significantly more frequently in such groups compared to students in Group B. Student feedback on a PhD program showed very good ratings for structured courses and supervision [ 22 ]. Both results suggest that methodological courses and embedding a dissertation into a structural framework support successful completion, which is relevant for any kind of scientific research program. Such courses could be integrated into the regular medical curriculum as mandatory electives for students working on a dissertation. Several German universities (e.g., Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, University of Cologne) have meanwhile taken this approach in the form of voluntary courses.

A strength of our study lies in its large sample size and its design as a multicenter study including five representative German medical schools. The questionnaire, based on the literature, covers all relevant fields of influence regarding the realization of medical dissertations as an example for scientific research projects. However, some limitations have to be taken into account. The influence of specific personal traits (e.g., motivation, IQ, etc.) on the successful completion of a dissertation was not examined with our questionnaire. Furthermore, the perspective of supervisors on the successful realization of dissertation projects was not considered.

In summary, our data suggest that the handling of statistics and colloquia for doctoral candidates provide successful support for finishing a dissertation project. To improve supervisory support and structural quality for successful dissertations at German medical schools, we suggest implementing the following aspects, which are based on both research and the literature:

Structural recommendations for dissertations at medical schools:

• Central announcement of dissertation projects, structured application procedure, acceptance of the project by the faculty before work is started
• Contract between doctoral candidate and supervisor, including a rough time schedule and structural framework and covering rights and obligations of doctoral candidate and supervisor as part of the dissertation regulations of the faculty

Advanced training programs for doctoral candidates and supervisors:

• Mandatory preparatory courses for doctoral candidates in basic knowledge of scientific research methods, statistics, and literature search
• Continuous colloquia for doctoral candidates including scientific exchange and follow-up on project’s progress
• Advanced training for supervisors of the doctoral candidates including teaching techniques for scientific research and soft skills for mentoring

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the deans of education and the directors of the participating departments of the five universities for allowing us to distribute the questionnaires during students’ courses. We wish to thank all medical students who participated in our study.

The study was not funded.

There is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The ethics committee of the University Essen-Duisburg was asked for permission. As students participated in this study voluntarily and anonymously, the ethics committee stated that no special approval needed to be given.

The authors

1. Dr. Olaf Kuhnigk is head of the office of the vice dean of education, and resident Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Hamburg University, Germany.

2. Dr. Volker Reissner is resident and lecturer, Department of Child Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty of Duisburg-Essen.

3. Dr. Aenne M. Böthern is psychologist and scientist in the office of the vice dean of education, Medical Faculty of Hamburg University, Germany.

4. Ms. Astrid Biegler is resident, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic, Winterthur, Switzerland.

5. Dr. Markus Jüptner is assistant professor and consultant, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.

6. Dr. Ingo Schäfer is resident and lecturer, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty of Hamburg University, Germany.

7. Dr. Sigrid Harendza is full professor of internal medicine and educational research, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty of Hamburg University, Germany.