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Electronic Dissertation & Thesis Basics

The Master’s Degree Student

When required for a master’s program, a thesis must be written on a subject approved by the student’s thesis committee. It must be the student’s own work and must demonstrate a capacity for research and independent thought.

In addition to these guidelines, master’s students should also consult:

The Doctoral Degree Candidate

A dissertation is required for most doctoral programs and must be written on a subject approved by the candidate’s program committee. The dissertation must include the results of original and significant investigation, and must be the candidate’s own work, and it cannot be coauthored.

In addition to these guidelines, doctoral degree candidates should also consult:

Research Must be Open to Public Disclosure

Students are prohibited from using research (data, results, methods or other content) in their theses or dissertations that could restrict subsequent publication or public disclosure of these documents.

Examples of restricted information include classified or proprietary materials.

It is important to note that these restrictions do not apply to non-thesis or non-dissertation research that is approved by the student’s advisor and allowed by University of Missouri policies. Questions regarding the applicability of this policy to thesis or dissertation content should be referred to the Graduate School.

Review by the Graduate School

Before manuscripts can be accepted for publication in scholarly journals, they must be examined by editorial board members for compliance with specific format style guidelines in addition to content validity.

Acting as the Graduate School’ editorial board, the professional staff of Graduate School reviews each submitted thesis and dissertation for compliance with University guidelines. Works that fail to meet the appropriate standards will be returned to the student with required revisions.

Methods of Submission

All materials should be submitted electronically via Canvas:

To access the thesis/dissertation submission organization:

  1. Login to https://missouri.instructure.com/.
  2. Select Courses from the sidebar on the left-hand side of the page.
  3. Click on the All Courses link.
  4. In the All Courses menu, click Browse More Courses and search for “graduate“.
  5. Find the correct course, either “Doctoral (PhD, EdD) Dissertation Submissions” or “Master’s Thesis Submissions.”
  6. Click on the “Join this Course” button.

Note: You might need to log out of Canvas and log back in to see the course listed.

Timelines & Deadlines for Submission

Style Manuals

Students are to follow the style manual recommended by their academic program.

Errors

Once your final submission has been accepted by the Graduate School, it cannot be corrected.

After your manuscript has been submitted to the Graduate School, it becomes a matter of record for the University of Missouri. This includes any errors that might be in your document. Therefore, check your manuscript carefully.

Specific Questions

Specific questions should be directed to the academic advisor for master’s students at 573-882-2232 or the academic advisor for doctoral students at 573-882-9580. You may call toll-free at 800-877-6312 or contact the Graduate School by mail or in person at 210 Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO 65211.