Writing Your Paper - CECS and Mathematics

Thesis or Dissertation Writing can seem like a very daunting task but we are here to help.

Your instructors and research committee will help you with the content and the process but we in the library are here to help you with the formatting and submission of your final product. 

The differences between theses and dissertations.

While the content and intent of theses and dissertations are obviously different, the required formatting guidelines are only slightly different from each other. In fact, following the thesis format will allow you to fully meet the dissertation guidelines. This will also work to a lesser degree in the other direction. The dissertation regulations are more broad and by following them you will be well on your way to meeting the thesis requirements.

There is only one point where the guidelines are incompatible. The order of the committee members, as listed on the title page, is to be done differently for dissertations vs the way it is done for theses so please pay attention to that specific requirement for your work. 

Please make use of the following resources to work on your formatting and please feel free to reach out to your departmental librarian for any further assistance you may need.

For help with each step of your formatting visit this page created specifically for UM-Dearborn students by our format coordinator, Joel Seewald.

The Master's Thesis Page from CECS - contains the policies, procedures, and formatting guidelines you will need to refer to based on your specific degree.

Before submitting your thesis for your format check you will need to have created your ORCID account. You will need to include this ID number on the copyright page of your work as well as on the submission form so that it can populate the metadata in our institutional repository Deep Blue, where your final approved document will be stored. 

If you would like to request an embargo to delay the release of your thesis to public searching, you will need to indicate that on your submission form and also complete and attach the proper form. The form and other information can be found on the Thesis Release and Embargo Procedures page.

This link is for the Thesis Formatting Guidelines last updated in 2016. Check the Graduate Studies webpage to ensure you are using the most current guidelines.   

This is the checklist we will use to review your thesis to ensure proper formatting before it is accepted for deposit in Deep Blue.

The Doctorial Dissertations Page from CECS - contains the policies, procedures, and formatting guidelines you will need to refer to based on your specific degree.

Before submitting your thesis for your format check you will need to have created your ORCID account. You will need to include this ID number on the copyright page of your work as well as on the submission form so that it can populate the metadata in our institutional repository Deep Blue, where your final approved document will be stored. 

If you would like to request an embargo to delay the release of your thesis to public searching, you will need to indicate that on your submission form and also complete and attach the proper form. The form and other information can be found on the Thesis Release and Embargo Procedures page.

This is the link to the Dissertation Handbook. It includes a list of all the guidelines for formatting your dissertation near the end.

This is the checklist we will use to review your dissertation to ensure proper formatting before it is accepted for deposit in Deep Blue.

Deadlines for defense and submission of the written final draft can be found HERE.