Submission Process

Electronic Submission Timeline

This timeline represents a typical thesis or project report submission. The process for dissertations varies slightly.

STUDENT ACTION - Delivery of signature page (On or before submission deadline date): Students will use DocuSign to create and deliver an electronic signature page. 

THESIS OFFICE ACTION - Email sent to student (Within 1 day of signature page being delivered): The email includes information about uploading PDF of manuscript to online database website.

STUDENT ACTION - Upload of PDF manuscript (Within a week of Thesis Office email being sent): The manuscript must be complete in one PDF and formatted to the best of the student's ability. A payment of $95 is required at the time of uploading the PDF.

THESIS OFFICE ACTION - Initial evaluation (Within 4 weeks of date when student uploads PDF): During most semesters, the turnaround time for the initial evaluation is 2-4 weeks. However, for manuscripts submitted during the end of the Spring semester submission period, the turnaround time can be up to 8 weeks. Evaluators read through PDFs on a first-come, first-served basis from the date the student uploads the PDF and add notes for corrections needed. Evaluators upload the annotated PDF to the online database website and email the student.

STUDENT ACTION - First correction (Within 2 weeks of receiving email about initial evaluation--flexible deadline): Students are advised, but not required, to set a 2-week turnaround time to make revisions to ensure completing the submission process within the semester deadline. Students download the annotated PDF and, based on the notes in the PDF, make corrections to a version of their manuscript that is easily changed (usually a Microsoft Word document). Then they save the corrected version as a PDF and upload it to the online database website. Students can call or email the Thesis Office at any time with questions about how to make revisions.

THESIS OFFICE ACTION - Follow-up evaluations (Each within 3 weeks of upload of corrected PDF): Evaluators compare the corrected version of the student's manuscript to the notes in the annotated PDF. The student is emailed with results. There are three possible outcomes: (a) PDF needs a second correction—a PDF with notes attached is uploaded to the online database website at the same time that the email is sent to the student; (b) PDF is "cleared pending" minor corrections—the email sent to the student will contain a list of 15 or fewer corrections still needed in the PDF; or (c) PDF is "cleared"—no further corrections are needed. Note: The follow-up evaluation step and corrections by the student are repeated until all revisions are complete.

STUDENT ACTION – Follow-up corrections (Within 2 weeks of receiving email with follow-up evaluation results - flexible deadline): Students are advised, but not required, to take action within 2 weeks of receiving email about their PDF status to ensure completing the submission process within the semester deadline. Students with follow-up corrections need to upload a new PDF with corrections based on the annotated PDF from the follow-up evaluation, and they should expect to receive an email notifying them of the next step within 2 weeks.

THESIS OFFICE ACTION – Issue clearance letter (Within 2 weeks): Once a student's PDF has cleared, meaning that no more corrections are needed, the Thesis Office releases the PDF to the ProQuest database company for publication online. An email is sent to the student (with copies to the student's Thesis Chair, the graduate advisor of the department, and Enrollment Services) to confirm that the student has fulfilled all requirements. The submission process is complete.