- Keywords: Thesis, Dissertation, Format, Defense, Committee, Style
- Policy Number: KC-ACA-3751
- Originally Issued: Prior to 2010
- Revised: Spring 2019
- Effective Catalog Cycle: AY 19-20
- Approved by: Graduate Council, SGS Dean, Provost
- Executive Sponsor: Provost
- Responsible Office: School of Graduate Studies
Policy Statement
Formatting Regulations
The School of Graduate Studies, guided by the Graduate Council, establishes the format regulations for theses and dissertations (T/Ds) at UMKC. Degree candidates must adhere to the formatting regulations outlined in the “University of Missouri-Kansas City Guide to Formatting Theses and Dissertations” which is available on the SGS website. Academic programs must have bibliographic reference format approved by, and on file with, the School of Graduate Studies. Any variances from the standards outlined in the “University of Missouri-Kansas City Guide to Formatting Theses and Dissertations” and discipline-approved bibliographic reference styles must be requested in writing and approved in advance by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The Dean’s approval must be included as an appendix to the T/D.
Supervisory Committee Review and Approval of T/Ds
Approval of the T/D begins with the degree candidate’s supervisory committee. The candidate’s supervisory committee shall ensure that the scholarly content and style of the T/D is in keeping with recognized standards of the chosen discipline(s). The T/D supervisory committee chair has the option of asking committee members to complete a Master’s Pre-Oral Defense form or Doctoral Dissertation Pre-Oral Defense form to ensure the committee members feel the work is complete and ready for final defense by the candidate.
School of Graduate Studies Review and Certification of Acceptance of T/Ds
The deadline for submitting the T/D to the School of Graduate Studies for certification of acceptance is included in the calendar section of the UMKC course schedule each term. Generally, it is approximately six weeks before the end of the fall or spring semesters and four weeks before the end of the summer session. Prior to the published deadline for the term in which the degree candidates expect to graduate, they must present the following to the School of Graduate Studies office:
- Electronic copy of the T/D emailed to sgs@umkc.edu
- The signed Preliminary Approval of T/D by Supervisory Committee form, if required by the supervisory committee chair.
T/Ds normally will not be accepted for review for graduation during the current term unless they are received in the School of Graduate Studies by the published deadline.
All T/D must be reviewed by the SGS Thesis/Dissertation Formatting Specialist for conformity to the campus formatting standards and by the School of Graduate Studies Dean for quality of content. Candidates are required to make all necessary formatting corrections and resubmit the T/D to the School of Graduate Studies by the semester deadline.
After the T/D defense, the candidate must submit a corrected final draft electronically to sgs@umkc.edu. This draft should be accompanied by the Master’s Thesis Final Evaluation forms or Doctoral Dissertation Final Evaluation forms completed by each committee member. The School of Graduate Studies Dean will review the thesis or dissertation for certification of acceptance. If the T/D has significant formatting problems, it will be returned to the candidate without further review or certification. The candidate will be required to make all necessary formatting corrections and resubmit the T/D to the School of Graduate Studies. If this happens, the candidate’s graduation may be delayed. Enrollment in an additional term of continuous-graduate enrollment may be required.
Preliminary approval forms, Master’s Thesis Preliminary and Final evaluation forms and Doctoral Dissertation Preliminary and Final evaluation forms are available from the School of Graduate Studies office and via the SGS website.
The School of Graduate Studies will hold the certificate of acceptance until all appropriate revisions are made and rechecked by the formatting specialist. Upon final approval, SGS will provide the candidate with the certificate of acceptance and instructions for submitting the final copy to ProQuest.
Deposit of T/Ds with the Library Upon submission to ProQuest, the T/D is transmitted to the University of Missouri system institutional repository, MOSpace, where the document is made available via the world wide web. ProQuest will handle the copyrighting process for theses and dissertations, if desired by the candidate. Students will pay an archival copy fee when they upload the document, plus an additional fee if they choose to have ProQuest handle the copyright registration. Submission to ProQuest must be accomplished no later than the Friday immediately preceding the first day of classes for the next term.
Reason for Policy
This policy was developed to support student academic success and to provide consistent, quality delivery of academic programs and services
