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School of Graduate Studies


Thesis/Dissertation Submission Process

Hello Masters and Doctoral Candidates. Congratulations on your near completion of the manuscript and defense for your thesis or dissertation! Now it is time for you to start working with the School of Graduate Studies to submit your manuscript for final approval, copyright, and publication. This is a multi-step process in which you will need to review and submit five forms to the School of Graduate Studies. Those forms, in order, are as follows:

  1. Satisfactory Completion & Submission Checklist (Learn about the gradETD process).
  2. SGS List of Common Errors (This list serves as a guide for making corrections before you submit your thesis or dissertation). 
  3. Intent to Defend (Tell us when you are defending your work). 
  4. Request for Deposit (This is where you will show us the approvals of your defense and your manuscript. You will also need to upload a copy of your Turnitin plagiarism report and confirm that you have paid the $110 publication fee). 
  5. ETD Process Instructions (Get instructions to upload your work to our official ProQuest ETD site).

To get started with the process, you will need to send an email to gradETD@morgan.edu. In your initial email, please tell us the names of your Committee Chairperson and the Graduate Coordinator for your program. You will then receive, via email, DocuSign Forms #1 and #2. After you confirm that you have reviewed the first two forms, you will be sent DocuSign Form #3 which provides the School of Graduate Studies with the date that you will defend your work. Upon a successful defense, you will then be sent DocuSign Form #4 to complete and submit. The ETD submission process is concluded when you receive DocuSign Form #5 which will provide you with the instructions on how to upload your publication-ready manuscript. Your manuscript will then be reviewed by the School of Graduate Studies and must be edited, as prescribed, until final approval. No official transcripts can be released until this process is completed

The entire gradETD process is electronic. Please do not hand-deliver or mail any thesis or dissertation manuscript content to the School of Graduate Studies.  If you have any questions, please email gradETD@morgan.edu for assistance.


NOTE: The ETD process for the Spring 2024 semester will begin on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. At that time, you can begin the ETD process by emailing gradETD@morgan.edu.

To be considered for Spring 2024 graduation, your thesis or dissertation defense date should be scheduled at least two weeks before the submission deadline to the School of Graduate Studies. The recommended defense deadline date for the Spring 2024 semester is Monday, March 11, 2024. This timeframe is imperative for appropriate planning and manuscript review before the School of Graduate Studies approval and eventual graduation. Please note that theses or dissertations that are defended after the recommended defense deadline date may not be reviewed and approved by the School of Graduate Studies in time for Spring 2024 graduation. This will cause your manuscript to be reviewed during the Fall 2024 semester. 

The Spring 2024 deadline for submission of theses and dissertations to the School of Graduate Studies is Monday, March 25, 2024, at 3:30 pm EDT. No exceptions!

Thank you and we look forward to reviewing your brilliant work!