Archiving Master Thesis
Final Steps After Successful Defense
After successfully defending your thesis, the steps below will guide you through the format approval process required to release your final grade and archive your master's thesis. Effective September 2016, thesis submission has moved to electronic deposit in Deep Blue.
It is the student's responsibility to be aware of all relevant deadlines and to plan accordingly.
Summer 2023 Final Submission Deadline for Review: August 9, 2023
Fall 2023 Final Submission Deadline for Review: December 4, 2023
Winter 2024 Final Submission Deadline for Review: April 14, 2024
Be sure to check with your department for internal deadlines.
Once a recommendation from the thesis committee has been granted, please submit a copy of your thesis to be reviewed by Subject Librarians from the Mardigian Library. Be sure to follow the format guidelines provided.
Though the initial version submitted for format review may be a .doc or .docx file, the final approved version for archiving must be in PDF format.
This form requires your ORCID number and Library Category for archiving. You will be asked to provide bibliographic keywords that describe the content of your thesis, including subject, concepts, theory, and methods. These will help others to find and retrieve your thesis.
Note: The format check process does take time and may require multiple iterations prior to approval. Be sure to submit your thesis for format check with adequate time before your department's deadline for a final grade. We recommend allowing at least one week for edits.
Once your format check has been approved, the final PDF digital copy (with fonts embedded) will be the copy of record and will be submitted to Deep Blue, a digital repository that is part of the University of Michigan Library.
To maintain the usability and appearance of your work, please review Best Practices for Producing High Quality PDF Files and Preparing Your Manuscript Guide.
Deep Blue allows for a maximum of three files no larger than 50 MB each to be uploaded. Students might opt to include supplementary digital materials with their thesis such as an audio file or spreadsheet or even a software program written as part of the thesis. Depositing not just the finished work but related materials (data, images, audio and video files, etc.) can create a "director's cut" that gives context to your work and promotes further scholarship.
Once the final version has been approved and all materials required for Deep Blue deposit are received, you and your department will receive an email notification from your designated librarian that you have completed the thesis format check/archiving process. This will allow the department to proceed with release of your final grade. If you plan to graduate the same term as your defense, your final grade must be released before your department's deadline to submit a final list of degree candidates to the Office of the Registrar.
In the weeks following the format check process, your master's thesis will be deposited into Deep Blue by library staff. Once the deposit is complete, you will receive your Deep Blue Handle, a direct URL to your work.
Master’s theses and abstracts are normally made publicly available upon degree conferral when they are deposited electronically in Deep Blue. This allows scholars and researchers to access your work and broadens the dissemination of your scholarship.
If a student wishes to postpone public release of the final thesis, also called an embargo, the student should discuss embargo options with their faculty advisor. It is the student's responsibility to request an embargo of the thesis and submit the appropriate accompanying form.
Be sure to consider the benefits of open access availability to your work before making a final decision.