Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer content

Division of Graduate Studies

Dissertation/Thesis Office

Spring 2026 Thesis Submission Deadline: Friday, March 27, 2026, 5:00 p.m. 

Follow the steps below to submit your thesis:

You must indicate your intent to submit your dissertation or thesis by registering your work with the DTO. 

Register Your Intent

Only properly formatted dissertations/theses (see below for guidelines and templates) with approval of all committee members will be accepted for review. Plan ahead. Secure approval in advance of the deadline. 

Committee Member Approval

Send your thesis via email attachment to dlneufeld@csufresno.edu Only send document once you have received confirmation from Dissertation/Thesis Consultant that all committee approvals have been received (see Step 2).

 

Typewritten words: Policies & Procedures on a gridded paper background

Policies and Procedures

Find information here about the thesis process and procedures including requirements for final submission, guidelines for tables and figures, thesis committee policy, and human subjects research.Policies and Procedures Information
Typewritten word: Forms on a gridded paper background

Dissertation/Thesis Office Forms

Find a list of forms related to committee assignment, change in committee assignment, and request for including copyrighted material.Forms
Typewritten word: Templates on a gridded paper background

Templates

You must submit your thesis or dissertation in a designated template. Download the template appropriate to your program.  Find additional thesis template resource materials including how to work with styles and populating the table of contents.Templates and Resources

Guidelines for Thesis Preparation

Please be sure to download this document and refer to it often as you prepare your thesis for submission.

Thesis Guidelines
 

Using Images from Other Sources in your Thesis, Dissertaion, or Doctoral Project?

Incorporating images into academic writing can enhance clarity and strengthen the presentation of complex concepts; however, special care must be taken when reproducing images created by others. The inclusion of reproduced images requires additional steps to ensure compliance with copyright law and proper attribution. It is particularly important to follow reproduction guidelines closely because theses, dissertations, and doctoral projects are uploaded to ProQuest and ScholarWorks, both of which are considered commercial publication platforms. Through these platforms, documents are distributed online, indexed, and made publicly available. This broader distribution may affect the applicability of certain copyright exceptions, including fair use.

Infographic: Can I use this Image?

Alt-Text for Infographic

Guidelines for Using Reproduced Images

Can't make the deadline?

Read about the More Time option. Please note: Students who opt for "more time" MUST reapply to graduate for the subsequent term.

More Time Instructions

thesis submission deadlines flow chart

ALT-Text for Infographic

PDF verson of Infographic

 

Infographic of Thesis Process

ALT-Text for Infographic

PDF version of Infographic

 

Additional Information

Multi-modal Dissertations and Theses

The University Graduate Committee has approved a provision for multi-modal dissertations and theses.

Digitized Projects

It shall be understood that not every graduate project (298) will be reviewed at the university level for placement in the digitized collection. The review is voluntary, with faculty discretion determining which projects are advanced for review.

Benefits for participation include improved visibility for high-quality projects. Such exposure may be helpful to student resumes and provide recognition for faculty members guiding students through the research process. Participation also ensures uniformity in the professional presentation of projects.
Digitized Project Info

Hardbound Copies

Students completing master's theses are no longer required to provide the University Library with a hardbound copy. You may request personal use copies during the publication process.

*PDF files require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

For any thesis/dissertation questions, please contact: 

Debbie Neufeld, Coordinator-Thesis/Dissertation Office: dlneufeld@csufresno.edu