Reviewing the procedures and the “University of Missouri-Kansas City Guide to Formatting Theses and Dissertations” in advance, marking deadlines on your calendar, and being realistic about the amount of time you will need to completed your thesis or dissertation (T/D) can save you time and reduce stress.
All graduate students are required to submit electronic Microsoft Word* copies of their T/D to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) for initial and final format review. Initial submission to the SGS should coincide with the submission of the T/D to one’s supervisory committee (which should occur two weeks before one’s defense) or by the posted deadlines—whichever comes first.
Email your T/D as an attachment to UMKC School of Graduate Studies and/or directly to SGS Program Manager Sarah Beach.
*If using LaTeX or a similar program and a PDF is the output, then students can mention that in their email and submit a PDF instead of a Word document.
The following Kuali forms should be submitted online when the T/D is submitted to SGS:
After a student has submitted their T/D and required forms to the SGS, they will typically be notified within two to four weeks that the initial format review is complete. Students will be informed what formatting revisions, if any, they need to complete. They will also be offered the opportunity to schedule a meeting with Program Manager, Sarah Beach, to discuss the review and receive formatting guidance. Then students should complete formatting revisions and follow the instructions provided.
Immediately following the T/D defense, the primary advisor/committee chair should initiate the online Kuali forms for (1) the T/D defense results (to be completed by all committee members within 48 hours of the defense) and (2) the committee approvals of the final written document (due before the student can submit to ProQuest). Any additional assessment forms needed by an individual unit/program will not be included in this process.
After the SGS receives the required Kuali online committee forms and a student submits their final T/D via email, the SGS completes a final format check. The student will be notified if they need to complete formatting revisions and resubmit their T/D for review.
Once all formatting corrections have been completed, the SGS will issue the student a certificate of acceptance of the T/D and give them instructions on how to submit their T/D as a PDF to UMKC’s Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Administrator ProQuest.
Please Note: If a T/D is found to be unacceptable or incomplete, students may be asked to consult with their advisor/supervisory committee and reapply for graduation and resubmit their T/D for a future semester.
Doctor of Philosophy candidates must also complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates before submitting the final version of their dissertation to ProQuest.
Warning! Papers submitted to ProQuest before SGS format review and certification will be deleted from the system.
After a student uploads their PDF and completes their submission to ProQuest, then it is checked by SGS staff. If it is the correct file and the submission is complete, it can be accepted. Next, the SGS staff finish the certification process—to show a student completed the T/D requirement for graduation—by finalizing the certification and submitting it and the T/D report of results and final approval forms to the Office of the Registrar for processing.
After an ETD has been delivered to ProQuest, then the abstract and citation, and in most cases the full-text version, will be available through ProQuest and MOspace--a digital institutional repository for the University of Missouri System.