Thesis Presentation/Dissertation Defense Checklist

• Apply to Graduate (11/1 Fall, 3/1 Spring, 7/1 Summer)
• Meet all Graduate Program Deadlines for submission; complete all degree requirements before formal library submission.

Preparing the Thesis Presentation/Dissertation 

Boston University students completing a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation as a requirement for their degree must submit a PDF copy of their manuscript to Boston University Libraries so as to preserve a record of their scholarly achievement and to share the benefits of their research with other scholars. The dissertation will be deposited into both ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global™ and OpenBU Boston University’s open-access database.

• Prepare the manuscript for library submission following the guidelines in this Research Guide.
• Review the final draft of your thesis/dissertation with theses@bu.edu  as early as possible.
• Submit your thesis/dissertation electronically via the ProQuest ETD Administrator

Scheduling Thesis Presentation/Final Oral Defense
Once the committee agrees that your thesis/dissertation is ready to be defended, the following documents must be submitted and accepted by the Divisions timeline as indicated below:

3 weeks before the defense:

• Provide written copies of your thesis/dissertation to your committee.
• For any non-BU committee member, submit a Request for Special Service Appointment
• Reserve a room using the BU 25Live reservation system.

2 weeks before the defense:

• Register your defense on-line at Division Defense Registration
  • Upon receipt, an Abstract Form, Thesis Presentation/PhD Final Defense Form will be generated and circulated for signatures using AdobeSign.
  • The Division will create an event flyer to announce the defense.
  • The Division will  appoint a Final Defense Chair if not provided by the student. (PhD defense only).

1 week before the defense:

• Submit the title and signature pages to theses@bu.edu for formatting approval.vIt is extremely important that you adhere to the formatting guidelines.

After your defense: Final Format Check and Dissertation Approval

• Incorporate changes from your committee and upload the final draft of your dissertation to the ETD submission website.
• Complete the BU Doctoral Exit Survey and the NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). Upon completion of the BU Exit Survey, there will be link to redirect you to the NSF SED. You must send enggrad@bu.edu a copy of the SED completion certificate you receive. NOTE: Both surveys must be received to officially award your degree.

Helpful Links

• Thesis prep videos: Several videos cover the ETD administrator process and formatting.

• Microsoft Word template: Dissertations template or Thesis template prepared by the library.

• Sample formats: A set of samples illustrates proper submission formats.

• Open access: BU policy is that scholarship, including BU theses and dissertations, should be made openly accessible so that the benefits of research can be widely shared. This FAQ discusses factors to think about for those of you considering an embargo.