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Step 1: Months In Advance of Filing

  1. Check with your department to ensure you have met all of the other (non-thesis/dissertation/DMA document) requirements for your degree.
  2. Check the UCSB GradPost for upcoming Filing Workshops, Dissertation Writer’s Room hours, and Dissertation Writing Retreats.
  3. Start formatting your document to fit with the University formatting guidelines
            Templates
  4. Figure out your copyright requirement(s).
    Review these copyright guides:
       ProQuest
       UCSB Library
    • If you have previously published all or parts of your Thesis/Dissertation in a journal, check with the journal to find out if you need permission (in the form of a letter or inclusion of a specific citation) to reprint the material in your document. This is a common question, so you should be able to get the answer easily by contacting the journal.
    • If you are including material that was created by someone else (images, photos, poems, lyrics) you probably need to request permission in writing (email or hard copy) if the work is not open access or in the public domain.
  5. Figure out if you need to embargo your dissertation and for how long.
    Identify the filing deadline you intend to meet:
       Filing deadlines
  6. Figure out what your status will be when you file
    • Registration or filing leave of absence is required during the quarter you file
    • Spring quarter registration or filing leave covers you to file over the summer
    • International students please consult OISS as Filing Leave status no longer serves as a mechanism for maintaining visa status

Step 2: Weeks in Advance of Filing

  1. Print out the Filing Checklist and start checking things off!
  2. Ensure that your committee members will be available to sign the required documentation and prepare the documents.
    • Committee Form III (doctoral students only, ideally routed on DocuSign, but scanned/faxed signatures ok on this document)
    • Dissertation Signature page (the second page of your dissertation); DocuSign signatures are required.
    • Embargo Request Form (only if you want to embargo your dissertation/thesis for more than two years; Scanned/faxed signatures ok on this document)
    • Committee Change Workflow on GradPoint Students (if your committee has changed since you first nominated them and you haven't submitted the change for formal approval)
    • Committee Nomination Workflow on GradPoint Students (if you are filing a master's thesis and haven't formally nominated your committee yet)
  3. Schedule an appointment with the Graduate Division to have a Pre-Check with an advisor
       Prepare your preliminary pages and a chapter for the advisor to review.

Step 3: When you are ready to file

  1. Electronically file your dissertation or thesis with ProQuest.
  2. Watch this screen-capture video to familiarize yourself with the process
    • If you are on a filing leave of absence, the filing fee (half the Student Services Fee) will be charged to your BARC account.
    • If you are filing a Master’s Thesis, the thesis submission fee ($25) will be charged to your BARC account.
      1. Email your electronically signed signature page to academics@graddiv.ucsb.edu
      2. Submit your ETD on ProQUEST Complete the Exit Surveys (doctoral students only)
        • Survey of Earned Doctorates (optional to include last 4 digits of SSN)
        • UCSB Doctoral Exit Survey
  3. You need to both E-File with ProQuest and email your signature page to the Graduate Division in order to be considered “filed.”

Frequently Asked Questions

That is ok. An advisor will review the document and let you know if any changes need to be made, and then you just correct the formatting and re-upload the document via ProQuest. This won’t affect your original filing date.

Contact a member of the Graduate Division Academic Services staff in advance of the deadline. We do require DocuSign signatures on the thesis/dissertation signature page in order to award your degree, but we can work with you to ensure you meet the deadline.

That is ok. You can completed the surveys shortly after the deadline as well.

Just let us know when you email your signature page to the Graduate Division and we can let you know the documentation options and timeline. If you know that you have to provide verification immediately after you file, please email Graduate Division and ask for a "Rush Process" for you degree file. Please note that we need a minimum of 7 business days to complete a rush request.

 Call, email, or visit us at the Graduate Division!