Thesis & Dissertation Preparation
At the University of Kentucky, Master's degrees (Plan A) require the completion of a thesis. Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education degrees require the completion of a dissertation. The Doctor of Musical Arts degree requires the completion of a project. This work reflects the quality of the program that supervises the student and the university that awards the degree. Therefore, the Graduate School sets criteria and standards for the format of the written work which will be available not only to the immediate campus, but also to a wider scholarly community via the Web. Each program has selected the style manual(s) most consistent with scholarly practice in their specific discipline. The student should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies concerning the manual to be used . Note: the general format specifications contained in the Graduate School instructions take precedence over those in the style manuals used by individual programs.
Since Fall 2013, students no longer have had the option of submitting their thesis or dissertation in the traditional print format. The submission of the work in an electronic form has a number of potential advantages, including greater flexibility for the inclusion of multimedia components, and cost savings on paper.
UK electronic theses and dissertations are available as a stand-alone database. They can also be accessed (along with paper theses and dissertations) via the library's catalog.