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Thesis and Dissertation Process

UCF encourages thesis and dissertation students to be proactive throughout the research process. Effective planning, awareness and use of resources and communication with department and university faculty and staff can greatly enhance the thesis or dissertation experience and document.

The overview below provides guidance as you build and complete your thesis or dissertation (ETD):

Initial Preparation
University Format Requirements
Preparing for the Format Review
Best Practices for Students Concerning Turnitin.com
Format Review Process
Thesis or Dissertation Defense
Final Preparation and Submission

Initial Preparation

• Review the available resources for Formatting the ETD from the Graduate Students ETD website
• Attend a workshop on the ETD process by the College of Graduate Studies (held each term)
• Attend a workshop on MS Word for ETD by the Office of Instructional Resources (held each term)
• Visit the UCF Libraries and library website to learn about free citation management software and other ETD resources
• Consult the University Writing Center to assist with global ETD planning and organization issues
• Ensure that you receive written copyright permission for any previously published items that you plan to use in your ETD. Such proprietary information includes long excerpts, tables, figures, photographs, and charts from previously published books or other print material, as well as "screen shots" or other images from copyrighted websites. If you are in doubt as to what material may need copyright permission, please contact your thesis or dissertation committee chair (adviser). You must include any copyright permission letters in an appendix of your ETD

University Format Requirements

• Your ETD should be submitted as a bookmarked Adobe PDF file. No paper copies are ever required
• Minimally, your ETD must include a properly formatted title page, abstract, table of contents (with page numbers), lists of figures and/or tables with page numbers (if used), body chapters, appendixes (if used), and a list of references
• All ETDs should be formatted according to the Thesis and Dissertation Manual and the resources availbe on the Formatting the ETD from the Graduate Students ETD website. The T&D Manual is the authoritative guide for ETD formatting at UCF, and its requirements supersede any department, college or individual style guide preferences
• Official format approval from the university is an ETD and graduation requirement

Format Review Process

• Once you have properly formatted and created your bookmarked PDF, you may submit for a university format review
• While a majority of students submit near established university initial format review deadlines, you may submit for a format review anytime throughout the year
• ETD drafts are reviewed by the Thesis and Dissertation Office on a first-come, first-served basis, and normally take 2-5 business days to complete
• Failure to submit your ETD as a bookmarked PDF or follow the requirements in the Thesis and Dissertation Manual will cause your ETD to be returned without being reviewed, and you will lose your place in the review order
• If your ETD is not accepted for an official review before the initial Format Review deadline in a given term, you will not graduate that term
• Once your ETD has been officially reviewed, you will receive formatting comments and changes via return e-mail
• Most students require an additional format review or reviews, after the initial review, to gain format approval. Regardless of the number of submissions needed, all students must receive university format approval
• As the format review does not cover content, students may submit in-progress manuscripts, with appropriate placeholders. However, it is unlikely that highly incomplete or partial drafts will receive final format approval
• You may submit your ETD for a format review in one of the following ways:
• E-mail your PDF to editor@mail.ucf.edu
  Please include "Format Review" in the subject line of the e-mail
• Save or burn your document to CD, disk, Zip disk or USB drive and deliver it to the UCF College of Graduate Studies, Millican Hall 230. If you leave it, an e-mail address should be written directly on the disk or drive
• Submit your file to an online file-sharing site, like YouSendIt, and e-mail the file location to editor@mail.ucf.edu
• Mail your CD or disk to:
  
  Thesis and Dissertation Office
  UCF College of Graduate Studies
  PO Box 160112
  Millican Hall, Suite 230
  Orlando, Florida 32816-0112

If you would like your CD, disk or drive returned, please provide return postage

Best Practices for Students Concerning Turnitin.com

The university requires all students submitting a thesis or dissertation as part of their graduate degree requirements to first submit their electronic document through Turnitin.com for advisement puposes and for review of originality. The thesis or dissertation chair is responsible for scheduling this submission to Turnitin.com and for reviewing the results with the student's advisory committee (typically during the student's final semester). Please see the Thesis and Dissertation Policies page for comprehensive information about Originality and using Turnitin.com. Use the following information to guide you through the Turnitin.com review process.

• Follow the instructions your committee chair provides regarding best practices for scholarly writing and for using and documenting sources properly for your discipline
• Familiarize yourself with what “plagiarism” is and how to avoid it in your writing. The University Writing Center offers guidance on Avoiding Plagiarism
• Complete your writing early enough in your final semester to submit it to Turnitin.com and allow ample time for your committee chair and advisory committee to review the results and provide their comments to you. Your advisory committee must agree that your writing meets university requirements before your committee chair can sign the “Review for Original Work” section on the Thesis and Dissertation Attachment form, which is required as part of your final submission to the university for graduation certification.
• If your advisory committee requires revisions, complete these revisions in a timely manner and resubmit your document to your committee chair

Thesis or Dissertation Defense

• Set a date for your defense with your adviser by the university deadline.
• Consult the Thesis and Dissertation Manual for proper preparation of the defense announcement.
• Notify your department and college staff of your defense date at least two weeks prior to the defense by emailing a copy of your defense announcement.
• Defend your thesis or dissertation by the university deadline.
• Fill out the Thesis and Dissertation Approval Form.
• Following your defense, have your adviser and committee members sign your approval form. Then take the form to your department’s graduate office. They will direct or assist you as you obtain department and college administration signatures

Final Preparation and Submission

• Once you gain format approval, you will receive a set of final instructions from the Thesis and Dissertation Office for completing the ETD process and graduation requirements, including the final upload
• Create your final PDF with all required formatting and content corrections. The final PDF and other approved files must be named according to the instructions in the Thesis and Dissertation Manual
• Show your PDF to your thesis or dissertation adviser (as necessary)
• Discuss ETD dissemination options with your adviser and indicate your choice on the Thesis and Dissertation Attachment form. You can choose to release the document immediately for access worldwide, or restrict access of the document for patent or proprietary purposes. Also indicate the same dissemination option on the ETD submission website when you upload your PDF (a username and password for this site will be included in the final insructions sent from the Thesis and Dissertation Office)
• If you choose to secure your ETD for patent purposes, you must contact the Office of Technology Transfer at 407-882-1136 and complete the appropriate paperwork
• Do not include the approval form in the final ETD. Do submit the approval form to the Thesis and Dissertation Office in Millcian Hall, room 230 by the final university deadline
• All ETD requirements must be met by 5:00 p.m. on the final university deadline for the term that you intend to graduate. If you fail to complete graduation requirements, graduation will be delayed until the next term