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Introduction

This guide describes the regulations governing the preparation of master's theses and doctoral dissertations to be submitted to Marshall University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for any doctorate or masters degree conferred by the University as issued by the Graduate College. It gives the general requirements applicable to all fields of study and provides guidance on the arrangement, format and submission of the student's manuscript.

Beginning with the Fall 2001 Semester the University requires the electronic submission of all theses and dissertations (ETDs).  ETD exemptions will only be granted in rare instances.  While this guide focuses on formats generally applicable to both paper and electronic documents, be advised that you must also consult the Marshall University ETD Web pages at http://www.marshall.edu/etd/ to learn about the new program.  Links have been provided, where applicable, to facilitate navigation to topics regarding electronic formats.

You have the responsibility to present to the major professor for final approval a well-written manuscript that is free from error.  Copies of the thesis or dissertation submitted to the Graduate College must be of professional quality. The text and any tables, figures and graphics must be sufficiently clear, sharp, and large enough to be easily readable in print and electronic formats, and suitable for microfilming, photo-duplication or other means of reproduction.

The following are some publications of general interest to all graduate students:

• Getting What You Came For:  The Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or Ph.D., by Robert L. Peters, Revised edition, Noonday Press, 1997.
  
• The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide, by Lesli Mitchell, Peterson's, 1996.

The ETD program information is currently published and made available on the World Wide Web.  Administrators, faculty and staff should make this information known to the student at the commencement of the thesis or dissertation writing.

In addition to the electronic filing of your thesis or dissertation, an ETD Submission Packet  must be presented in person or by mail to the Office of the Graduate College.  See the Submission Forms page for a list of packet items.

Packets are to be delivered to:

• Office of the Graduate College, 113 Old Main, Huntington Campus.

Questions regarding the format of your thesis or dissertation or the submission process not adequately answered in this guide may be directed to the Office of the Graduate College; questions regarding the creation of your electronic document not adequately addressed may be directed to Matthew Christian, Director of the Office for Instructional Technology in the Drinko Library, or to Sherri Ritter on the South Charleston campus