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WPI Theses & Dissertations: For Students

Information for Students on Submission Process

Submitting your thesis or dissertation this year?

Please review the Five Steps below to prepare to submit your ETD for approval by your advisor and committee.

STEP 1: BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR THESIS OR DISSERTATION

​STEP 2: PREPARING YOUR FILES

STEP 3: SUBMITTING YOUR FILES

STEP 4:  GETTING APPROVAL

​STEP 5: GETTING BOUND COPIES

STEP 1

STEP 1: BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR THESIS OR DISSERTATION:

  1. Be sure that you are clear on your advisor's expectations.
     
  2. Consult with your advisor or department about scheduling your defense.
     
  3. Check with your department or advisor on how and when you should get copies of your thesis or dissertation to your committee members before your defense.
     
  4. Present or defend your work. 
  5. Discuss with your advisor whether it is necessary to restrict online access to your thesis or dissertation online. You will have the following options to choose from:
    • Open to all: default option – maximizes access and impact of your work
    • Embargoed: access restricted to WPI only for 1 - 3 years (due to intellectual property, grant, or publication plans);
      or
       no access to your thesis or dissertation by anyone for 1-3 years (due to intellectual property, grant, or publication plans; or pending redaction due to classification or disclosure constraints). 
       
  6. Make any necessary changes to your document following your presentation/defense.

STEP 2

STEP 2: PREPARING YOUR FILES:

Recommended document and file formats.  At this time, WPI doesn’t have a required thesis template. Please consult with your advisor or department regarding preferred formats. Your primary documents will be submitted as PDF files. For information on creating PDF files, please see: https://web.wpi.edu/Academics/ATC/Collaboratory/HowTo/AcrobatX

Prepare your complete thesis or dissertation, with unsigned title page, converted to PDF. You will upload this file via the ETD Submission Website (eProjects 2.0).   Your primary thesis/dissertation document must be submitted as a single PDF file. Please do not break up your document into multiple files.​

Your title page will contain the following information: Title of dissertation or thesis; full name of author; degree; department/program; date; advisor's name; co-advisor's name - if applicable; names of committee members - if applicable; name of the head of department/program  - if applicable.  This information will also be used in the submission process through eProjects 2.0. 

Prepare a separate, digitally signed approval form, or a digital copy of your signed signature/title page. You will submit this online through eProjects 2.0 at the time you submit your thesis or dissertation.  You can download a digital approval form here, instructions for its use, and examples of cover pages:

  1. ​​​Blank Approval Form for Digital Signatures 

    Use this form to create a digital Approval Form and collect digital signatures from committee members.

  2. Guide to Approval Form with Digital Signatures 

    10 step process for filling out the Digital Approval Form and obtaining digital signatures from your committee members.

  3. Title_Cover_Page_examples_Dissertation 

  4. Title_Cover_page_examples_Thesis 

Supplementary files: You are welcome to attach supplementary files to your ETD when you submit it online.  Your files may be in any file format, but please consider using file formats with a higher probability for long-term preservation.    If you do include supplementary files, such as a computer program simulation, data set, image, or video, be sure your thesis adequately describes it.  For example, for a program or simulation, you might also include any source code with your PDF so that someone could recreate the work later.

STEP 3

STEP 3: SUBMITTING YOUR FILES:

  1. Review the process: You will submit your revised thesis or dissertation via the online ETD submission system. 
     
  2. Submit your ETD online by going to (login required): https://eprojects.wpi.edu/ 
  • Required: Enter identifying information about your work, including your name, department, the category of the work (e.g. thesis or dissertation), the title and abstract, and list your advisors. 
  • Recommended: Add keywords that describe the topic, methods, or other important ideas reflected in your work.
  • Optional: Choose United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supported by your work. The 17 SDGs are goals defined by the United Nations, used globally to identify information, projects, research, and other activities that address global sustainable development challenges.
  • Optional: Specify a Creative Commons or other license to specify how your work can be used by others.

If you need to modify or manage your ETD submission online before submitting (login required):

STEP 4

STEP 4:  GETTING APPROVAL:

  1. Satisfied with your ETD submission?  Once you are satisfied with your submission, you can move on to getting your ETD approved.
    • Only submit a revised final draft. Once your ETD is approved you will not be able to make further changes.
    • Once submitted, the file goes to your advisor for approval.  
       
  2. Questions?

When the Registrar has approved your ETD, you and your advisor will be notified via e-mail.

STEP 5

STEP 5: GETTING BOUND COPIES:

Check with your department to see if they require a bound copy of your thesis or dissertation.  You may wish to retain a bound paper copy of your thesis or dissertation for yourself as well.

To get a bound copy of your thesis or dissertation, contact Acme Bookbinding Company. Acme's on-demand thesis printing and binding service offers students a reasonably priced, beautiful hard cover binding service that is easy and fast. Send Acme a PDF of your thesis or dissertation, and they will print and bind it with many options for shipping and other requirements that you may have. You can do as many or as few copies as you want.