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Dissertation and Doctoral Essay Submission

Students submit their dissertations and doctoral essays online only via PDF. The library does not accept or print copies for binding.

Step One

(Students receiving Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in composition do not upload to ProQuest and may proceed to Step Two.)

Well before their submission dates, doctoral students should run tests for converting their dissertations, or essays to PDF, to resolve any issues with formatting and fonts.

In addition, doctoral students should

  1. review the ProQuest Electronic Submission Process to ensure they understand the process;
  2. set up their upload account via the Proquest ETD Administrator website; and
  3. review the author agreement (found in the links above)

Questions may be directed to Gwen Pond (gpond@hartford.edu, 860.768.5950).

Step Two

If there are specific reasons why PDF submission or ProQuest upload will not be suitable for a particular student, the student’s dissertation/essay advisor or Graduate Program Director should contact Gwen Pond (gpond@hartford.edu) with reasons for the exception. For Hartt dissertations/essays, please also reach out to Allen Library Head Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu). Alternative arrangements will be further discussed.

Step Three

Following successful dissertation defense (if applicable), completion of any needed edits, and preparation of the final copy, students must obtain the necessary final approval signatures in writing or electronically from advisors/readers, in consultation with their department/program, signifying that the doctoral dissertation or essay is complete and in its final form. Each school/program should outline its practices regarding acceptable methods for collecting signatures or approvals.

  1. Students need to include an unsigned approval form for the final Dissertation / DMA Essay / DNP Project which should include:
    1. the student's name
    2. dissertation / essay / project title
    3. all other information found on the title page
    4. the names and titles of each advisor / reader / chairs / etc. (unsigned).
  2. Save or scan this unsigned approval form and embed with your electronic submission. 
  3. Gather and complete the signatures for the Final Approval Signature Form for program fulfillment.  Save or scan this fully signed approval form as a separate file. 

Step Four

Doctoral students then will

  1. Upload a final PDF copy of their dissertation or doctoral essay into ProQuest following the instructions at the URL above. Do not upload the signed approval page. (Again, DMA Composition students are not required to submit their work to ProQuest.)
  2. Send Gwen Pond (gpond@hartford.edu):
    1. an additional PDF copy of the complete dissertation/essay (including the unsigned approval form listing advisors/readers/chairs/etc., as part of the document), along with
    2. the signed approval form as a separate attachment.
  3. Note that, though it is not current practice, students may be asked to fill out an additional form.

Step Five

Gwen Pond will email the school’s Graduate Program Director and the Assistant Provost for Graduate Studies and Research to confirm the upload of dissertations/essays to ProQuest and receipt of the student’s emailed PDF.

A copy of the email may be placed in the student’s digital or physical file by the school. Others in the program may be cc’d as needed.