Thesis and Dissertation Format Review, Certification, and Submission Approval Process

All graduate students are required to submit electronic Microsoft Word* copies of their thesis or dissertation (T/D) to the School of Graduate Studies for format review by the posted deadlines shown below. The following Kuali forms should be submitted online before the T/D is submitted to SGS:

• Preliminary Approval (Kuali Form)
• MOspace License Agreement (Kuali Form)
• Thesis-Dissertation Delayed Release (Embargo) Form (Kuali Form) (optional) 

*If using LaTeX or a similar program and a PDF is the output, then students can mention that and submit a PDF instead of a Word document.

SGS will complete an initial review of the T/D document, providing the student with requested revisions.

Immediately following the T/D defense, the supervisory committee chair/primary advisor should initiate the online Kuali forms:

1. T/D Defense Results (to be completed by all committee members within 48 hours of the defense) and
2. T/D Final Approvals of the final written document (due before the student can submit to ProQuest).

Note: Any additional assessment/evaluation forms needed by an individual program/department are not included in this SGS process.

After the SGS receives the required online Kuali committee forms and a student submits their final T/D via email, the SGS completes a final format check. After the T/D is finalized by the student, SGS staff will issue a certificate of acceptance of the T/D and provide the student instructions to submit their T/D as a PDF to UMKC’s Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Administrator ProQuest. After acceptance in, and delivery to, ProQuest, full-text versions will be available through ProQuest and MOspace--a digital institutional repository of the University of Missouri System.

UMKC Formatting Guidelines

The “University of Missouri-Kansas City Guide to Formatting Theses and Dissertations” is the main document resource for formatting guidance. The formatting guide was revised in Fall 2025.

UMKC Formatting Resources

• T-D Format Guide (Revised September 2025)
• T-D Format Checklist (Revised September 2025)
• T-D Citation Styles (Revised August 2025)
• T-D Degree Program List (Revised September 2025)
• T-D Template (Revised August 2025) available - email Sarah Beach for a copy

Formatting Guidance Workshops

Formatting guidance workshops are typically held each Fall and Spring semester for students who are ready to start, or are already, working on their T/D. Attendance at a workshop is highly encouraged.

Spring 2026 workshop dates and times:

1. Monday, February 16, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Administrative Center Brookside Room, 5115 Oak ST, and via Zoom
   • Please register with your UMKC email address whether attending in person or via Zoom: Formatting Guidance Workshop Registration
2. Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Administrative Center Brookside Room, 5115 Oak ST, and via Zoom
   • Please register with your UMKC email address whether attending in person or via Zoom: Formatting Guidance Workshop (Repeat) Registration

Fall 2025 workshops: September 10th, 18th, Administrative Center and via Zoom

Format Guidance Workshop Presentation from September 2025

UMKC Digital Accessibility Guidelines

• UMKC Digital Accessibility
  • Accessible Content Best Practices
  • CAFE Creating Accessible Documents: 7 Simple Steps

Thesis and Dissertation Deadlines

Thesis and dissertation deadlines downloadable PDF

1. All SGS T/D deadlines are by 5:00 pm Central Time
2. Preference is for students to submit initial T/D Word file 2-3 weeks before defense or by the date listed in the table - whichever comes first
3. Preference is for students to submit final T/D Word file within 2-3 weeks after defense or by the date listed in the table - whichever comes first
4. UMKC is closed for Winter Break December 25, 2025 - January 1, 2026
5. UMKC is closed for Winter Break December 25, 2026 - January 3, 2027

Thesis/Dissertation Forms

• Preliminary Approval (see above)
• MOspace license agreement (see above)
• Embargo request (see above)
• Thesis or Dissertation Defense Results (see above)
• Thesis or Dissertation Final Approvals (of the written document) (see above)

• Interdisciplinary Ph.D. students: Forms for the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program
• Natural Sciences Ph.D. students: Forms for the Natural Sciences Ph.D. Program
• Graduate students outside of Interdisciplinary and Natural Sciences programs: Forms for Graduate Students

Additional Resources

• UMKC Digital Accessibility
  • Accessible Content Best Practices
  • CAFE Creating Accessible Documents: 7 Simple Steps
• UMKC Office of Research Services
  • Research Compliance Office (IACUC, IBC, IRB, RSC, HIPAA)
• UMKC Libraries
  • Graduate Writing Resources
  • Copyright Quick Guide
    • Email questions to a team of UMKC librarians: copyright@umkc.edu 
  • Citation Rules & Tools
• UMKC Graduate Writing Initiative (Consultations, Events, Groups, Resources)
• MOspace Institutional Repository
  • View Recent UMKC Theses and Dissertations on MOSpace
• Digital library of UMKC theses and dissertations
• Information from ProQuest on publishing your T/D
• UMKC ETD Administrator (ProQuest Submission Link) – Warning! Papers submitted to ProQuest before SGS format review and approval will be deleted from the system.