The Graduate School has entered into an agreement with
ProQuest Information and Learning Services to accept theses
and dissertations electronically. Degree candidates will
submit their documents directly to ProQuest, and the
Graduate School will evaluate them online for formatting and
legibility. If corrections are necessary, the candidate will
receive an email from the Graduate School detailing what
needs to be done. After this process is complete, the
Graduate School will officially deliver the documents to
ProQuest. ProQuest will log, index, and publish the final
documents on Digital Dissertations, a nationwide
clearinghouse of Theses and Dissertations, to which the vast
majority of theses and dissertations produced in the United
States are submitted. After delivery, if the candidate needs
to make corrections or changes, he or she will work directly
with ProQuest, as administration of the documents shifts to
them.
Candidates who have successfully defended the final thesis
or dissertation will upload a PDF version to ProQuest no
later than ten workings days after the final defense.
Beginning this fall semester 2007, graduate students have
the option of submitting their theses and dissertations
electronically. Beginning in 2008-2009, submission of
electronic dissertations will be a requirement. The
guidelines for submission of an electronic dissertation will
soon be included in an updated version of the Thesis and
Dissertations Manual, located on the Graduate School's Web
site here.
Mod Mekkawi, Director of Howard University Libraries, who
will be instrumental in the electronic process, says
electronic
dissertations improve and speed the dissertation publishing
process for graduate students, faculty, and graduate
schools. This form of publication, adopted by hundreds of
universities, substantially facilitates communication among
the graduate students, faculty, and scholars, and provides a
consistent medium and process.
For more information, call the Office of Educational and
Research Affairs, 202-806-5804/7636.
