Thesis & Dissertation Services
Your thesis, dissertation or record of study marks the apex of your graduate career and showcases the knowledge and skills you have developed throughout. The Graduate and Professional School provides the resources you need to create a final product that meets Texas A&M University’s high scholarly standards.
Working with You from Conception to Submission
The Graduate and Professional School does more than review submissions. We help you navigate the process, from before you start writing through graduation clearance. While your chair and committee ensure that you produce work that meets academic standards, we can give you the tools and guidance to meet formatting and documentation standards set by Texas A&M, freeing you up to focus on your document’s content.
Further, our services include reviewing each electronic thesis, dissertation and record of study (ETD) for uniformity, consistency and adherence to university guidelines and coordinating the ETD’s timely release for public access.
Getting Started
Once you complete your proposal, you will soon begin thinking about writing your thesis, dissertation, or record of study. Here are a few resources to help you begin your process.
VIRTUAL DOCUMENT PREPARATION CONFERENCE
The Virtual Document Preparation Conference provides an overview of the process for submitting your thesis, dissertation, or record of study as well as the university's formatting and graduation clearance requirements. Following early and specific guidance as you craft your manuscript will help ensure the process goes smoothly. Watch the video below or on our YouTube channel.
For any questions or to receive a copy of the slides, reach out to us at thesis@tamu.edu.
WRITING, EDITING AND DOCUMENTATION TOOLS
The Graduate and Professional School publishes a thorough Guidelines for Theses, Dissertations and Records of Study, partners with campus offices and initiatives, and subscribes to useful software programs that you may find helpful as you research and write.
Guidance for Artificial Intelligence in Relation to Theses and Dissertations
The Graduate and Professional School recognizes the ever-changing dynamics of artificial intelligence (AI) in academia. As graduate students are integrated into Texas A&M’s research and teaching enterprises, we will refer to the best practices/guidance put forth by the Vice President for Research (VPR) in Resources on Generative AI in Research and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) in AI Initiatives.
Guidelines for Theses, Dissertations and Records of Study
The Guidelines for Theses, Dissertations and Records of Study provides in-depth guidance for both students and faculty about how to prepare electronic theses, dissertations, and records of study, including sample pages.
Editing Software
Texas A&M offers free Overleaf Professional accounts for all students, faculty, and staff who would like to use the collaborative, online Overleaf editor for their projects. Overleaf is designed to make the process of writing, editing, and producing your research papers, project reports, and ETDs more efficient for both you and your collaborators. Students can use Overleaf to receive real-time feedback from their committee chairs on their final thesis, dissertation or record of study.
Document Templates
Microsoft Word and Overleaf sample templates are available. Although these don’t eliminate the need for you to manually apply some formatting, they do come with most of our formatting requirements imbedded, particularly for the preliminary pages. We highly recommend you use a template to save time and avoid confusion. Be sure to follow the accompanying instructions closely.
Find basic, section, chapter, and journal templates, as well as an Overleaf dissertation template here.
University writing center
The University Writing Center offers graduate students assistance with writing and public speaking, including class assignments, CVs, journal articles, research posters, oral presentations, theses or dissertations, and the oral defense.
Power writing support services
POWER (Promoting Outstanding Writing for Excellence in Research) provides motivational and instrumental support for graduate students’ academic writing through services such as individual writing consultations, writing and practicing in writing studios and graduate-level writing productivity classes.
Resources for degree completion
The Graduate and Professional School works to ensure a smooth process from matriculation to graduation. Here, you’ll find links and information for everything you need to know to successfully complete your degree.
Nearing Completion
Congratulations! You are nearing the end of your doctoral or master’s journey. Here’s what you need to do before you can submit your thesis, dissertation, or record of study and be cleared for graduation.
1. Apply for graduation through the Howdy portal.
2. Pass your final examination/oral defense.
The next three steps are completed in the Academic Requirements Completion System (ARCS)
3. (Doctoral Only) Complete the SED/AAUDE Survey and submit proof of completion.
4. Turn in your Copyright and Availability form.
5. Turn in your thesis or dissertation written approval form.
The next three steps are completed in the Vireo system.
6. Submit your Thesis, Dissertation, or Record of Study to etd.tamu.edu.
7. Submit (if necessary) copyright permission for previously published work.
8. Submit (if necessary) permission for figures and tables, or indicate that a Fair Use Analysis was done.
9. Pay Thesis and Dissertation Review fee through the Howdy portal.
Completion of steps 1 - 8 are necessary for the Graduate and Professional School to clear you for graduation.
Submit your thesis, dissertation, or record of study to Vireo!
All theses, dissertations, records of study and copyright permissions (if needed) must be submitted electronically to Vireo in final PDF form. Vireo is also where you will retrieve a list of corrections once a review has been completed.
Vireo Thesis and Dissertation Submission System