Expand the section navigation mobile menu

Thesis And Dissertation

Master’s and Doctoral students must comply with all policies, procedures and requirements of the Graduate School and of their academic programs. 

Master’s students doing a thesis, and Doctoral students doing a dissertation, are encouraged to reach out to their academic program as early as possible to ensure they have ample time to learn about and to meet their academic program’s requirements for theses/dissertations. 

Additionally, Master’s students doing a thesis, and Doctoral students doing a dissertation, must work by email with the Graduate School regarding format approval and submission to ProQuest of their thesis/dissertation.

Several weeks, or more, before their expected Defense date, they must email gradformatting@oakland.edu with as much of the following as available. 

  • Graduation semester
  • Committee Chair
  • Defense Date

Note: For Doctoral students doing a dissertation, the student’s email to gradformatting@oakland.edu does not replace the Defense Committee Chair’s requirement to use the Chair’s email account to submit a dissertation defense announcement request form at least two weeks before the defense date.

Defense Announcements
Format approval process

The Graduate School Format Team works with thesis and dissertation students by email and is charged with fully documenting students’ Defense details, giving final Format Approval to Defense Committee Chair approved theses/dissertations, and the timing and finalization of thesis/dissertation uploads to ProQuest.

Guidelines & helpful resources
  • Guide to formatting your Thesis or Dissertation
    • Thesis and Dissertations must meet all formatting requirements listed within this document. 
  • Blank checklist - for students and Defense Committee Chairs to use as an aid to ensure that students are meeting the OU Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guidelines.
  • Thesis - Title Page (Template)
    • You must download this as Microsoft Word file to be able to see the full template. Your Title Page must look exactly like this. Type your information directly into the template. 
  • Dissertation - Title Page (Template) 
    • You must download this as Microsoft Word file to be able to see the full template. Your Title Page must look exactly like this. Type your information directly into the template.
  • Thesis preliminary pages (Template) - optional
    • You must download this as Microsoft Word file to be able to see the full template.
  • Dissertation preliminary pages (Template) - optional
    • You must download this as Microsoft Word file to be able to see the full template. 
  • OU Technology Center - (248) 370-4357 (HELP), support.oakland.edu can assist if you are having technology related problems with formatting
Dissertation defense

There are three phases to a dissertation defense:

  1. Public presentation of the dissertation and defense
  2. The dissertation committee's meeting with the candidate
  3. Evaluation of the Candidate's Performance

To learn more about each phase and see an example, visit the defense announcements page. 

Publishing with ProQuest

Oakland University requires all theses/dissertations to be published through ProQuest.

Students must not upload their theses/dissertations to ProQuest until after they receive an email from the Graduate School Format Team stating that their dissertation has received Format Approval. That email will contain instructions and a link to OU’s ProQuest portal.

If you have patents pending or other reasons for wishing to delay the release of your work, you may indicate to ProQuest that you wish to delay it for up to one year.

OU faculty, staff and students can access theses and dissertations online through ProQuest and the Kresge Library’s Dissertations and Theses @ OU database. 

OU Printing Services

Oakland University Printing Services is OU's provider for all campus printed material. They strive to provide the campus community with the highest level of service. Job quotes and estimates are free.

Students are not required to print any copies of their thesis/dissertation, but we highly recommend OU Printing Services to students that wish to order printed bound copies.

Survey of Earned Doctorates

The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is a federal agency survey conducted by NORC for the National Science Foundation which gathers information annually from new U.S. research doctorate graduates.

Responses to the Survey become part of the database that began in 1920. Information gathered by SED is used for policy information and research funding at national and state levels.

After PhD students receive an email from the Graduate School Format Team stating that their dissertation has received Format Approval, they are required to participate in the Survey by following the instructions and link in that email. Upon completion of the Survey, students will receive a Certificate of Completion, a copy of which must be emailed to gradformatting@oakland.edu.

Graduate School

O'Dowd Hall, Room 520
586 Pioneer Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2700

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
✎