How to Cite a Dissertation or Thesis

To cite a dissertation or thesis, give the author, year, title, degree type, awarding institution and, if you found it online, the database or repository. The degree and institution are what make a thesis citation different from other sources.

This page uses one running example and shows the reference-list and in-text formats in six styles, then covers unpublished theses, where to find details and common mistakes.

APA 7

APA italicizes the title and gives the degree type and institution in square brackets. For a thesis from a database, add the publication number if the database gives one, then the database name.

Okafor, N. (2020). Motivation in part-time adult learners
    (Publication No. 12345678) [Doctoral dissertation,
    University of Manchester]. ProQuest Dissertations
    and Theses Global.

For a thesis in a university repository, name the repository and add the URL.

Okafor, N. (2020). Motivation in part-time adult learners
    [Doctoral dissertation, University of Manchester].
    Repository Name. https://...

In-text: (Okafor, 2020) or Okafor (2020).

MLA 9

MLA italicizes the title, then gives the year, the institution and a description of the work, followed by the database or website.

Okafor, Ngozi. Motivation in Part-Time Adult Learners.
    2020. University of Manchester, PhD dissertation.
    ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

In-text: (Okafor 88) for page 88, or (Okafor) when no page is needed.

Harvard

Harvard as taught in many UK universities (Cite Them Right style) italicizes the title and names the award and institution, with access details for online theses.

Okafor, N. (2020) Motivation in part-time adult
    learners. PhD thesis. University of Manchester.
    Available at: https://... (Accessed: 4 May 2026).

In-text: (Okafor, 2020) or (Okafor, 2020, p. 88) for a quotation. Harvard versions differ, so follow your university's guide.

Chicago (Notes and Bibliography)

Chicago puts the thesis title in quotation marks and the degree, institution and year in brackets in the note.

1. Ngozi Okafor, "Motivation in Part-Time Adult Learners"
   (PhD diss., University of Manchester, 2020), 88.

Okafor, Ngozi. "Motivation in Part-Time Adult Learners."
   PhD diss., University of Manchester, 2020.

Add the database name or URL at the end if you consulted the thesis online. Later notes can be shortened: 2. Okafor, "Motivation," 91.

Vancouver

Vancouver numbers sources in order of citation and labels a doctoral thesis "[dissertation]".

1. Okafor N. Motivation in part-time adult learners
   [dissertation]. Manchester: University of Manchester; 2020.

For a thesis you read online, add the date you cited it and the URL: [cited 2026 May 4]. Available from: https://...

In-text: a number in brackets or superscript, such as (1) or ¹, following your department's preference.

IEEE

IEEE uses a bracketed number and describes the work as "Ph.D. dissertation" or "M.S. thesis".

[1] N. Okafor, "Motivation in part-time adult learners,"
    Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Manchester, Manchester,
    U.K., 2020.

In-text: [1].

Thesis Citations Compared

Published and Unpublished Theses

A thesis in a database or open repository is treated as available, with the database or URL. A thesis you consulted only in print at one library is unpublished.

For a master's thesis, change the label: [Master's thesis, University of Manchester] in APA, or "MA thesis" or "MSc dissertation" in Harvard, matching the degree named on the title page.

Where to Find the Details

Take citation details from the thesis title page and the official database or repository record, not from a second-hand mention. The record usually lists the author, year, title, degree and institution in one place.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global covers many North American and international theses.
• Most universities keep their own open repository of student theses.
• National libraries and research councils in some countries run thesis indexes.

Should You Cite a Thesis?

Theses are legitimate sources. Doctoral theses are examined by experts and often contain original data or cover niche topics.

They sit a step below peer-reviewed articles, because a small panel examines them rather than a journal's reviewers. If the research was later published as an article, cite the article for central claims, and use the thesis for extra detail.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving out the degree type and level.
• Omitting the awarding institution.
• Treating an online repository thesis as unpublished, or the reverse.
• Forgetting the database or URL for an online thesis.
• Citing an undergraduate dissertation as if it carried doctoral authority.
• Quoting a thesis without a page number.

How EssayDonkey Helps with Citing Dissertations and Theses

Send your paper, your list of sources (including any theses, reports and gray literature) and your required style and edition.

A writer formats every reference correctly, checks each in-text citation against the reference list and fixes missing details where the source record allows. Free revisions within the scope of your original request are included.