Thesis Information

Thesis Application

The thesis application form, the registration for thesis credits form and the procedure for completing both forms is available on the Academic Affairs Web site.

Thesis Guidelines

The Northern Michigan University guide to the preparation of theses is available in Adobe pdf format. If you don't have a pdf reader you can download one here.

Thesis Guidelines

Thesis Submission

All Northern Michigan University MA and MS theses will be submitted electronically. We have chosen UMI Dissertations Publishing as the company that will publish theses. This company has been publishing graduate theses since 1938.

Many graduate schools have chosen to submit theses electronically. There are many benefits to students who use this mode of thesis submission. Paper theses by definition represent a storage problem, due to the fragile nature of the printed page. Paper theses may be difficult to access, both within and outside of the university. The paper thesis is often kept only in the library. Theses distributed with UMI Dissertations Publishing will result in Northern Michigan University works that are available to an international audience. A published thesis will provide the student with a curriculum vita entry that can be cited by others, and it permits wide recognition of student work. Newly published Northern Michigan University theses will appear in Amazon.com searches.

Theses should be submitted in two parts; both parts are due 30 calendar days prior to graduation:

1. Two paper copies of the completed signature approval page must be delivered to the Graduate Studies Office. The reason for the paper submission of these two pages is that since the thesis will be published, the distribution of electronic signatures on the signature approval page could compromise the personal security of the thesis director and readers.
2. The completed thesis, which has been approved by the thesis director, thesis readers and the department head, should be submitted at the thesis submission site.

Once the student has submitted his or her thesis, the dean of Graduate Studies will receive notification of that submission. The dean will NOT review any thesis until the signed signature approval forms have been received in the graduate studies office.

The Dean will review the thesis, noting any changes that must be made prior to thesis acceptance. After the student has made the necessary changes, the thesis will be approved and publicly available shortly thereafter.

Students are required to pay the standard fee of $55; they are not required to pay the copyright fee.