WPI is a member of the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. This organization is dedicated to “unlocking access to graduate education” by making the full text of theses and dissertations available online.
Students are required to submit an electronic version of their thesis or dissertation entirely through the web. Submission deadlines throughout the year are published in the Registrar’s calendar, https://www.wpi.edu/offices/registrar/calendar. Students should consult with their department/program for any defense scheduling deadlines and policies, but at a minimum should plan to hold their defense no later than 3 weeks before an ETD submission deadline to allow adequate time for any ETD revisions before final submission.
Most submitted theses and dissertations will be made available to the general public via the web, but individual authors and their advisors may choose to temporarily restrict access to their works based on factors that include confidentiality and intellectual property. Students should discuss these issues thoroughly with their advisors and committee members as early in the process as possible.
The following are required for proper submission of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs):
- Approval Form (Signatures). This can be a scanned copy of your signed thesis signature page, or it can be a digitally signed form that includes your thesis title, degree, date, and committee members. A form for collecting digital signatures is available on the ETD submission information page. You will submit the signed Approval Form to the Registrar’s Office through the eProjects submission system as you submit your thesis.
- Your thesis or dissertation, converted to a single PDF file and uploaded via eProjects. If you have additional files or appendices, these should be added as separate supplementary files rather than submitting your thesis as a PDF portfolio. Students will receive a confirmation from the eProjects ETD submission system once it has been accepted. The Registrar’s Office will be notified simultaneously of the ETD confirmation.
Extensive information about creating and submitting ETDs is available on the web at: http://www.wpi.edu/+etd
Thesis Binding
Students and departments may wish to retain a bound paper copy of theses and dissertations. Information on thesis binding can be found online at http://www.wpi.edu/+etd