Thesis Review
All formal theses and creative projects require review by the Office of Graduate Studies and will be made publicly available online via ScholarWorks by the SSU Library.
Please see Deadlines & Checklists for thesis submission deadlines. Theses are due at the same time as the Completion of Requirements (GSO2) form each semester.
Thesis Submission and Review
After a student's thesis has been reviewed and signed off on by a student's committee the theses should be submitted digitally, in PDF format, to the Office of Graduate Studies. Four graduation documents are required for Master's students completing a thesis or creative project:
- Completion of Requirements Form (GSO2) - submitted via Adobe Sign
- PDF of Thesis or Creative Project
- Thesis Signature form (Adobe Sign)
- Master's Thesis Submission Agreement form (Adobe Sign)
These four documents must be submitted by the published deadline for thesis and GSO2 submission.
The Office of Graduate Studies will review each thesis to ensure that it complies with the formatting and style required for digital publishing via ScholarWorks. See the Master's Thesis and Project Formatting Guidelines for a detailed description and examples of the required formatting.
Master's Thesis and Project Formatting Guidelines (PDF) - updated February 2023
Once your thesis is submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, it will be reviewed by staff in the Office of Graduate Studies and a list of required revisions will be sent to you. This review may take up to one week (five business days). You will then have at least one week (five business days) to complete the required revisions and resubmit your thesis.
The Office of Graduate Studies holds Master's Thesis Formatting Workshops each semester to break down the formatting that is required and give tips and tricks for how to create the format. Master's Thesis Formatting Office Hours are also available each semester for drop-in assistance. Check out the Events page for upcoming workshops and office hours!
Digital Thesis Repository - SSU Scholarworks
To access SSU's digital repository of theses, navigate to Master's Theses on the SSU ScholarWorks webpage.
It can take up to a few months for new theses to be added to ScholarWorks. Please direct any questions to graduate.studies@sonoma.edu.
Copyright and Fair Use
To use or reproduce work that has been copyrighted, it is necessary either to obtain the permission of the copyright holder, or come within the "Fair Use" exception as defined in U.S. copyright law.
Since the law does not provide clear direction in this area, the CSU Office of General Counsel has created a document to help determine whether a proposed use of copyrighted material falls within the category of Fair Use.