Your dissertation or thesis is a scholarly publication reflecting the results of your research and academic pursuits at the University of Oregon (UO). As such, your document makes a statement about you and the quality of your research, your department, and the standards of excellence upheld by the UO.

At the UO, the term “thesis” refers to the research paper required for a master’s degree and “dissertation” refers to the doctoral degree research paper. Master's students completing a terminal project or paper, rather than a formal thesis, should refer to their departments for guidelines and need not adhere to the Graduate School's requirements for submission and format.

Your thesis or dissertation will be made available to the international academic community and the public through the UO Libraries and microfilmed for the University of Oregon archives. All dissertations also are published by ProQuest/UMI.

Overview of the Process

Writing your dissertation or thesis, of course, includes settling on a topic and research question, researching your topic, preparing drafts for your advisor and/or committee, rewriting and editing, and preparing your final document for publication. The submission process, which follows, includes several key steps:

1. Formatting your thesis or dissertation

2. The dissertation or thesis oral defense

3. Submitting your dissertation or thesis, which includes:
   

• Uploading your document

• Submitting the required supporting forms

• Revising your uploaded document as requested by the Thesis Editor