Prior to inclusion on a degree list, each accepted thesis shall be submitted to the headquarters of the department or program in which the candidate is registered. Master’s and doctoral theses must be submitted electronically. The process for electronic thesis submission is described on the website for the MIT Libraries.
In order to permit evaluation and grading of theses, due dates for their receipt in department headquarters are published each term by the Registrar. Departmental graduate officers are responsible for ensuring that each candidate for an advanced degree has submitted an acceptable thesis document to their department before the final degree list is reviewed and approved by the Graduate Academic Performance Group, acting under the authority of the Committee on Graduate Programs, at its end-of-term meeting.
The academic department delivers a digital copy no later than one month after the end of the term in which the thesis was accepted to the MIT Libraries, which preserves and makes the thesis publicly available. The Institute is committed to the preservation of each student’s thesis because it is both a requirement for the MIT degree and a record of original research that contains information of continuing value.
Guidance on the digital preparation of theses is described in the Specifications for Thesis Preparation, published annually by the Director of Libraries as prescribed by the Committee on Graduate Programs for graduate theses. The document specifies the submission procedure for the thesis document and information, and explains the policies concerning copyright, temporary restrictions, and changes after publication.
The technical requirements for the thesis are also explained. Each thesis submitted for an advanced MIT degree must conform to these specifications. Individual departments may dictate more stringent requirements. Individual departments, not the MIT Libraries, are responsible for the digital quality of the thesis document provided to the Institute Archives. Additional advice and assistance in thesis preparation are available from the MIT Libraries.
