Graduate Theses and Dissertations Submission Process

Updated: September 11, 2024

It is the responsibility of the student and/or thesis/dissertation advisor to monitor the submission and approval process. Please refer to the Guidelines for The Preparation of Thesis/Dissertation Manuscript for further reference. Please follow the steps below to submit your thesis or dissertation.

1. Submit a processing fee of $50 through Murray State University Marketplace.
2. Schedule a defense about 6 weeks before the graduation date. Share your manuscript directly with the committee members.
3. Fill out a Digital Commons form after your defense, all revisions completed and approvals on revisions have been granted by your committee members.  This should be no later than 15 business days before the graduation date. — Click on the 'Submit Research' link on the left-hand menu. You may need to create a new account. If you create a new account, you should receive an immediate email from @dc.bepress.com. The email will ask you to confirm your account registration. Once you log in, complete the form and upload an initial electronic copy of your manuscript.
4. Sign Student Work License Form. Within two business days, you should receive an email containing Digital Commons Student Work License Forms. You will need to digitally sign the Student Work License Forms by following the link on the email to Adobe Sign.
5. The Office of Graduate Education will generate and route the signature page to all signers (thesis committee members, Collegiate Graduate Coordinator, Dean, University Graduate Coordinator and the Provost).
6. Keep in mind that any signer may ask you to revise your active manuscript. If so, upload a revised manuscript on Digital Commons.

When should I start the thesis/dissertation approval process?

In order to graduate at the conclusion of a particular academic term, please consider the following factors to answer the above question.

1. Murray State University must approve your thesis/dissertation by the last day of the term.
2. The approval time begins after you have paid the processing fee and uploaded your manuscript to Digital Commons.
3. The approval time varies depending on several factors such as:
   1. Number of faculty in the thesis/dissertation committee,
   2. Your academic program,
   3. How well you write your manuscript,
   4. Unpredicted events.

Processing fee must be submitted and a manuscript must be on Digital Commons by April 15 for the spring semesters and November 15 for the fall semesters.

The Office of Graduate Education will notify you when the signature page is complete.

Manuscript Printing and Binding (Optional)

After the approval of your thesis/dissertation, you will then have the option to print and bind your manuscript from Thesis on Demand. It is an online service provided by the HF Group. Please follow the instructions on the website. Typically an “on-demand” thesis costs between $45-$55, depending on number of pages, color prints, pockets and foldouts. You may enter your credit card payment as well as appropriate shipping/billing addresses and HF Group will mail the finished product to you, directly.

For frequently asked questions, please refer to Thesis on Demand FAQ page. If you have additional questions, contact HF Group at 800.334.3628 ext. 988.