Thesis and Dissertation
Thesis and Dissertation
Thesis and Dissertation Requirements
The College of Graduate Studies coordinates the review and final submission process for ETDs (Electronic Theses and Dissertations), establishes the university’s thesis and dissertation deadlines, administers thesis and dissertation related policies, and provides support for all students, faculty, and staff.
Thesis and dissertation students planning to graduate within a semester must meet the following deadlines on the UCF Academic Calendar each semester:
- Format Review Deadline
- Defense Deadline
- Final Submission Deadline
Resources
We’re here to help you complete your thesis or dissertation! Graduating soon? Log into our Thesis and Dissertation Webcourse below. Need document help? See Formatting Help below. Have a question? Email editor@ucf.edu.
Thesis and Dissertation Webcourse
All thesis and dissertation students planning to complete their thesis or dissertation in the next three semesters (fall 2024, spring 2025, or summer 2025) must access the Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2024-2025 Webcourse for:
- UCF’s Microsoft Word Template and other formatting resources
- The Format Review Assignment (required to meet format review deadline)
- Instructions for defending and the Thesis and Dissertation Approval Form
- Information on digital accessibility, IRB, copyright, dissemination, and other policies
- Review for Original Work (iThenticate) instructions
- Instructions for the final submission process to UCF’s institutional repository, STARS
Formatting Help
During formatting help hours, students can meet with the ETD Graduate Ambassador in the Graduate Student Center (TCH 213) or online to receive assistance with the Microsoft Word Template and address any structural or formatting concerns they have with their thesis or dissertation document. Formatting questions can also be sent to ETDHelp@ucf.edu.
Spring 2025 Formatting Help Hours
Spring 2025 hours will be posted soon. Please make your formatting help appointment through Calendly: https://calendly.com/etdhelp/drop_in
IRB Support
The Office of Research and the College of Graduate Studies offer office hours to students with an IRB Ambassador for help navigating UCF’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) application process.
The IRB Ambassador can offer assistance to students in the following ways:
- Provide guiding information to students who are ready to apply for IRB approval to conduct research
- Answer questions relating to the IRB application and approval process
- Offer help navigating the Huron IRB platform
- Meet one-on-one with UCF student researchers virtually or in-person
Students should have their research proposal and study design complete and reviewed by their faculty advisor and thesis/dissertation committee members prior to meeting with the IRB ambassador for study application assistance.
Students can email IRB application questions to Zachary.Miller@ucf.edu or Schedule a Meeting.
Thesis and Dissertation Workshops
Thesis and Dissertation 101: Your Final Semester. This workshop is intended for thesis and dissertation students in their final semester. Attendees will learn how to meet all deadline requirements including submitting for format review, holding the defense, and submitting their final thesis/dissertation to STARS.
| Thesis and Dissertation 101: Your Final Semester | Thursday, February 6 | 12 – 1 p.m. | Click for Zoom registration |
Thesis and Dissertation 101: Formatting Demo. Finishing your thesis or dissertation soon? Join us to learn how to compile your work into UCF’s official Microsoft Word Template so your electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD) is formatted to be compliant with UCF’s requirements and policies, including digital accessibility.
| Thesis and Dissertation 101: Formatting Demo | Wednesday, January 29 | 12 – 1p.m. | Click for Zoom registration |
| Thesis and Dissertation 101: Formatting Demo | Wednesday, February 12 | 12 – 1 p.m. | Click for Zoom registration |
Lunch and Learn: Beginning Your Research Journey. Whether you’re just starting your research journey or in the final stages, this event will provide valuable insights into what it takes to become a better scholar. Learn about good document composition, choosing a research or thesis/dissertation mentor, how to read critically and choose credible sources, setting benchmarks, where to find and use academic sources, publishing, and more!
Join us in a casual, supportive environment while enjoying lunch and gaining practical advice. Bring your questions and leave empowered to tackle your research project or thesis/dissertation with confidence! Please note: This is an in person event located in Trevor Colbourn Hall, room 208.
| Lunch and Learn: Beginning Your Research Journey | Thursday, February 20 | 1 – 2 p.m. | TCH 208 |
Additional Helpful Workshops
The following workshops are intended to help students learn more about the academic research and publishing processes especially for a thesis or dissertation:
Finding & Using Academic Sources. This session highlights time-saving steps to locate academic sources for upcoming course assignments and literature reviews. Learn how to locate peer-reviewed articles and related sources for topics, identify relevant subject-databases and background information, develop a plan for reviewing sources, and tips to maximize Google Scholar.
| Finding & Using Academic Sources | Thursday, January 30 | 12 – 1 p.m. | Click for Zoom registration |
| Finding & Using Academic Sources | Friday, March 7 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Click for Zoom registration |
Can I Use That Image? How to Legally Use Images, Graphics, and other Copyrighted Materials. Can you use any image you find online in your presentation? Do you need to get permission to use a chart or graphic for your thesis or dissertation? These are just a few of the questions that we will explore in this session focused on the ethical and legal use of copyrighted images, graphics, and other visual materials. Attendees will learn about copyright basics with a specific focus on visual works and how to be good stewards of copyrighted content created by others.
| Can I Use That Image?: How to Legally Use Images, Graphics, and other Copyrighted Materials | Thursday, February 27 | 12 – 1 p.m. | Click for Zoom registration |
Optimizing Your Online Presence. This session covers evaluating your publishing impacts and managing your online researcher profile. Learn about methods and tools to obtain citation counts and impact data, metrics to assist in identifying key journals and notable researchers, and why it’s important to develop an online profile using sites, such as ORCID, Research Gate, Academia.edu, PIVOT, Plum Analytics, and Google Scholar.
| Optimizing Your Online Presence | Thursday, February 4 | 1 – 2 p.m. | Click for Zoom registration |
Graduate Writing Groups
Are you getting stuck whenever you sit down to write your thesis or dissertation? Do you just need someone to help keep you accountable on your writing goals? Consider forming or joining a writing group!
The College of Graduate Studies and the University Writing Center are partnering to offer graduate student writing groups. We believe that community and accountability, along with setting achievable goals, play a significant role in completing major writing projects. Past participants have finished proposals, chapters, articles, and have even defended their dissertations!
Read to join a group?
- Click on the Writing Group Interest Form or go to the Writing Center in person (TCH 109) or call (407-823-2197) and leave your contact information.
- If you already know a few classmates who are interested in forming a writing group, you can join as a group (5-8 members max preferred).
For additional details, please see https://uwc.cah.ucf.edu/grad
Faculty and Staff Resources
Faculty and staff can join the free, self-paced webcourse, How to Help Grad Students: Thesis and Dissertation, to learn more about the thesis/dissertation process in order to better help graduate students. See our Training page for additional information.
Upcoming Thesis and Dissertation Defenses
Thesis and Dissertations Download Map
All UCF ETDs are displayed in the Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship (STARS). See UCF Graduate Theses and Dissertations in STARS for additional information. The following map displays downloads of ETDs from STARS.