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Mit thesis faq: new degree candidates.
- New Degree Candidates
- Thesis Checklist
- Creating an Accessible Thesis
- Saving Your Thesis as a PDF/A-1
- Student Frequently Asked Questions
- Access and Availability Questions

Instructions
Reminder: students - submit your thesis electronically to your department or program. .
Please pay close attention to the following sections of the Specifications for Thesis Preparation :
- Joint Thesis
- Copyright (and review the copyright and licensing section below)
- Permission to Reuse or Republish a Thesis
- Changes to a Thesis After Submission
Here are some sample title and abstract pages to assist you with formatting:
- Title page examples
- Abstract page example
What to submit to your Department/Program
Submit the following:
- A PDF/A-1 of your final thesis document (with no signatures)
- Signature page (if required by your department; your department will provide specific guidance)
- Source files (not required)
File naming
Files must be named according to this scheme: authorLastName-kerberos ID-degree-dept-year-type_other.ext
- Thesis PDF: macdonald-mssimon-mcp-dusp-2023-thesis.pdf
- Signature Page: macdonald-mssimon-mcp-dusp-2023-sig.pdf
Temporary Holds
Please review the Holds section of the Thesis Specifications . The Office of Graduate Education oversees the policies and procedures for requesting a temporary publication hold of your thesis. They offer this form for publication hold requests.
Note: Request for temporary holds must be submitted prior to graduation . To contact OGE and the Vice Chancellor's office, email [email protected] To contact the Technology and Licensing Office, email [email protected]it.edu
What to submit to the Libraries
This form must be completed by the day of graduation: https://thesis-submit.mit.edu/ .
The information you provide must match the title page and abstract of your thesis. You will be asked to confirm or provide:
- Your name as it appears on your thesis (Family Name, Given Name Middle Name)
- Thesis title
- Department or Program
- Supervisor(s)
- Copyright (see the Copyright and Licensing section below)
- ProQuest opt-in (for Graduate and Doctoral candidates only)
Copyright and Licensing
If you retain copyright you may also, optionally, apply a Creative Commons License to your thesis. The Creative Commons License allows you to grant permissions and provide guidance on how your work can be reused by others. For more information about CC: https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/
Before you apply a CC license or CC0 (public domain) to your work, please note that the licenses cannot be revoked. This means once you apply a CC license to your material, anyone who receives it may rely on that license for as long as the material is protected by copyright, even if you later stop distributing it.
- Review the policy to determine if you may retain copyright to your thesis. If you need help confirming, check with your department.
- If you believe you retain copyright, submit this form to TLO. Additional information from TLO can be found here . (not required for undergraduate degrees)
- To determine which CC license is right for you, use the CC license chooser
- Note: You do not need to apply a CC license to your work. If you choose not to, your thesis will be available in [email protected] with the following statement: In Copyright https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
Formatting Your Copyright Statement
- Following the instructions in the thesis specifications under How To Copyright a Thesis .
- If using a CC license, replace "All Rights Reserved" with your chosen CC license (CC-BY-NC 4.0).
- Remember to also include the following statement below your (c) : " The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. "
What Copyright information to submit to the Libraries
- MIT holds copyright
- I hold copyright (if you choose this option you will have the option of also choosing a CC license)
- I hold copyright and give it up to the public domain (this means that your thesis will be released openly under CC0 "No Rights Reserved" and opts out of copyright and database protection. This may not be revoked.)
- This is a work of the US government
- Another person or organization owns copyright
For more information Review the Copyright section of the Thesis Specifications .
Here is an example of a title page with one of the CC license options .
ORCID: Open Researcher & Contributor ID
What is ORCID?
ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-based effort to provide a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a method of linking research-related items, such as articles as datasets, to these identifiers.
ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher. The goal is to support the creation of a permanent, clear, and unambiguous record of scholarly communication by enabling reliable attribution of authors and contributors.
Register for an ORCID ID.
This process also associates your ORCID with your MIT profile. Once you have the ID you also have the option to build your profile through the “import works” button, associating your papers, data sets, and other research output with your ID. You can then include the ID as a link on your CV or web page. You can also create an account without linking it to your MIT profile here .
See our ORCID FAQ for more information.
ProQuest Opt-in
What is the ProQuest Opt-in?
When submitting your title page information to MIT Libraries, you may choose to opt in to the pilot program to provide additional open access to MIT theses through ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global (PQDT). The aim is to make theses more visible and discoverable. By opting in, you consent to your full thesis being available in ProQuest's database. If you are a Bachelor's candidate or do not opt in, ProQuest will only access your abstract.
There is no cost to you and your thesis will not be sent to ProQuest until it is published by MIT. See the Thesis Specificatio n and PQDT's Author Dissertations FAQs for more information about participating.
Quick links
- Thesis Specifications
- Distinctive Collections
- Scholarly [email protected]
- About [email protected]
- Dissertation/Theses
Have questions?
Contact us at [email protected] .
- Next: Thesis Checklist >>
- Last Updated: Jan 24, 2023 11:39 AM
- URL: https://libguides.mit.edu/mit-thesis-faq
About the Unofficial LaTeX thesis templates
While there are no official templates available, unofficial LaTeX templates have been created in Overleaf. While every effort is made to keep the Overleaf templates updated, thesis authors should always consult the MIT Libraries Thesis Specifications before submitting their thesis.
Access the unofficial thesis templates in Overleaf here . Learn more about Overleaf at MIT .
(The previous version of the templates file is available for download here: templates.zip . Note that this version is no longer maintained or supported.)
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Thesis Preparation
The following information is provided to assist Chemistry graduate students as they prepare their theses. If graduate students have any questions that are not answered by this guide, they should email the Chemistry Education Office (questions about department policies) or MIT Libraries (for questions about thesis formatting, etc.)
Degree candidates must fill out the Degree Application via WebSIS at the start of the term. Important dates and deadlines (including late fees) for the upcoming academic year are listed below. It is strongly advised that degree candidates apply for the degree list even if there is uncertainty about completing the thesis defense and submission by the deadline, as there are no penalties for being removed from the degree list.
Students must successfully complete the thesis defense before submitting their final, signed thesis.
**Please note that the Specifications for Thesis Preparation were updated in November 2022. Please make sure you use these new guidelines.**
Important Dates & Deadlines
September 2022 degree list.
- Degree Application Deadline: June 10, 2022 ($50 late fee if submitted after this date, $85 late fee if submitted after July 15,2022)
- Thesis Title Deadline:July 15, 2022 ($85 late fee if submitted after this date. If your thesis title is not finalized by this date, please enter your current working title and the final title can be updated later)
- Thesis Submission Deadline: August 12, 2022
- Last day of work in the lab: on or before August 31, 2022. If you plan to end your RA appointment earlier than August 31, 2022, please contact Jennifer to review your timeline.
- Your degree will officially be conferred by MIT on September 21, 2022
- Information about the MIT Health Plan and graduation will be available online here.
February 2023 Degree List
- Degree Application Deadline: September 9, 2022 ($50 late fee if submitted after this date, $85 late fee if submitted after December 16, 2022)
- Thesis Title Deadline: December 16, 2022 ($85 late fee if submitted after this date. If your thesis title is not finalized by this date, please enter your current working title and the final title can be updated later)
- Thesis Submission Deadline: January 20, 2023
- Last day of work in the lab: on or before January 15, 2023. If you plan to end your RA appointment earlier than January 15, 2023, please contact Jennifer to review your timeline.
- Your degree will officially be conferred by MIT on February 15, 2023
June 2023 Degree List
- Degree Application Deadline: February 10, 2023 ($50 late fee if submitted after this date, $85 late fee if submitted after April 14, 2023)
- Thesis Title Deadline: April 14, 2023 ($85 late fee if submitted after this date. If your thesis title is not finalized by this date, please enter your current working title and the final title can be updated later)
- Thesis Submission Deadline: May 12, 2023
- Last day of work in the lab: on or before May 31, 2023. If you plan to end your RA appointment earlier than May 31, 2023, please contact Jennifer to review your timeline.
- Your degree will officially be conferred by MIT on June 1, 2023
Scheduling your Thesis Defense
All PhD candidates must have a Thesis Defense. As soon as your defense is finalized, please email the Chemistry Education Office with the date, time, location, and thesis title . Thesis defenses are strongly encouraged to be in-person. If there are questions or concerns about an in-person defense, please reach out to Jennifer Weisman. When thesis defenses are on campus, we recommend reserving a room once the defense date is finalized, student can reserve department rooms through the online scheduling system or request a classroom via this form .
Degree candidates should provide their advisor with a copy of the thesis at least two weeks before the defense and provide their thesis committee chair and member with a copy at least one week before the defense. However, degree candidates should talk with their advisor, committee chair, and committee member to find out if they need the thesis further in advance or if there are preferred formats. Degree candidates should allow time in between their thesis defense and the submission deadline to make edits and submit the final copies.
Please note that most receiving a PhD degree are required to present a seminar as part of the thesis defense. This seminar is open to the department. The degree candidate is responsible for providing the Chemistry Education Office with information about their thesis defense at least two weeks ahead of time. Following the seminar, the candidate will meet privately with the thesis committee.
Thesis Formatting
The Institute has very specific requirements for thesis preparation, which were updated in November 2022. Specifications for Thesis Preparation is available on the library’s website and should be read very carefully. The MIT Thesis FAQ may answer additional questions and a helpful checklist is also provided. The specifications also include information about copyright and use of previously published material in a thesis . Do not rely on any templates or prior theses from your research group – they may not reflect the most current guidelines. We have highlighted some especially important points below.
Font & Spacing
Title page & committee signature page.
- The title page of the first copy will be digitally signed by the author, advisor, and Professor Adam Willard. The title page should contain the title, name of the author, previous degrees, the degree(s) to be awarded at MIT, the date the degree(s) will be conferred (May, September, or February only), copyright notice, and appropriate names and signatures. Degrees are awarded in Chemistry, regardless of your specific research area. Regardless of when you defend or submit your thesis, the date of degree conferral must be May/June, September, or February.
- As noted above, the title page will be signed by you, your advisor, and Professor Willard. You do not need to have Professor Willard digitally sign the thesis before you submit it, we will arrange to have him sign it. If your advisor has a title (ex., Firmenich Professor of Chemistry) it should also be included under their name. If you are not sure if they have a title, you can consult the Faculty Directory . Professor Willard should have the following listed under his name, on two separate lines: Associate Professor of Chemistry; Graduate Officer
- Each student should place the appropriate copyright notice on the thesis title page. Copyright notice consists of four elements: the symbol “c” with a circle around it © and/or the word “copyright; the year of publication (the year in which the degree is to be awarded); the name of the copyright owner; and the words “All rights reserved.” Please carefully review the copyright information to determine the appropriate copyright ownership.
- The date under Signature of Author should be the date the final thesis is signed and submitted to the department.
- The title page is always considered to be page 1, and every page must be included in the count regardless of whether a number would be physically printed on a page. We recommend that you do not include the page number on the title page.
- There is also a signature page that will be digitally signed by your entire thesis committee. Your advisor will digitally sign your thesis twice, on the title page and signature page. The signature page is right after the title page.
- More details about digital signatures are provided below.
Table of Contents
Final thesis submission, general submission process.
Please carefully review the details below, including the file naming format . There are two steps to the final submissions process:
1. Submit the following documents to the Department of Chemistry:
- An electronic copy of your thesis in PDF/A-1 format (with no signatures)
- A PDF of the digitally signed title page and committee signature page (using DocuSign to obtain signatures)
Please send an email to your advisor, Jennifer Weisman, and William McCoy, which includes the 2 PDFs above and the following text:
“Dear Professor/Dr X: Attached is the final version of my thesis. Please use reply-all to this message to indicate your acceptance of my thesis document and your recommendation for certification by my department.”
2. Submit your information to MIT Libraries here . Choose to opt-in or opt-out of ProQuest license and publication. Include the same copyright and license information that is on your thesis title page.
Details for Thesis Submission Process
- After the defense, the student and thesis committee reach agreement on the final thesis document.
- Students should follow the format specifications as stated in the Specifications for Thesis Preparation . Do not print or physically sign pages.
- Students will have the thesis signed electronically through DocuSign. This process is described in detail in the section below.
- The title page is always considered to be page 1, and every page must be included in the count regardless of whether a number is physically printed on a page. The entire thesis (including title page, prefatory material, illustrations, and all text and appendices) must be paginated in one consecutive numbering sequence. Your committee signature page should be page 2. Please see the Sample Title Page and committee signature page for reference.
- You will still include the title page and committee signature page in the full thesis PDF, they just won’t have any signatures.
- The digitally signed title page and committee signature pages should be in one PDF, separate from the thesis document. This avoids a DocuSign tag at the top of each page of the full thesis. Please use the following naming convention: authorLastName-kerb-degree-dept-year-sig.pdf (ex., montgomery-mssimon-phd-chemistry-2021-sig.pdf).
- Students should save their final thesis document as a PDF using the following file naming convention: authorLastName-kerb-degree-dept-year-thesis .pdf (ex., montgomery-mssimon-phd-chemistry-2021-thesis.pdf).
- Students should not deposit the PDF of their thesis via the Libraries Library’s voluntary submission portal, as may have been required previously as they may have been required to do previously.
- Please send an email to your advisor, Jennifer, and William which includes the final thesis document and file with the digitally signed title/committee signature pages with the following text:
Please also complete the MIT Doctoral Student Exit Survey and your Laboratory Safety Clearance Form .
Digital Signatures
Please see here for a full guide (with screenshots) to using DocuSign to obtain digital signatures
Required Signatures:
These should be everyone’s uploaded digital signatures in their own handwriting, not one of the pre-formatted signatures created by DocuSign.
- Your signature on the thesis title page
- Your advisor’s signature on both the title page and committee signature page
- Your thesis committee chair’s and member’s signatures on the committee signature page
- You do not need to have Adam Willard sign your title page, the Chemistry Education Office will take care of that
- Full thesis with no signatures (including unsigned title page and thesis committee signature page)
- Title page and committee signature page with signatures via DocuSign
Accessing DocuSign
Thesis Hold Requests
Details about requesting a thesis hold are available here and the requests are made to different offices based on the type of request. Please note that planned or pending submissions to scholarly journals related to thesis work will not be considered for thesis holds.
Written notification of patent holds and other restrictions must reach the MIT Libraries before the thesis in question is received by the MIT Libraries. Theses will not be available to the public prior to being published by the MIT Libraries. The Libraries may begin publishing theses in [email protected] one month and one week from the last day of classes.
Graduate Student Exit Interviews
In order to best serve the educational, scientific, and social needs of graduate students in the Chemistry Department, it is critically important that Departmental leadership be appropriately informed of issues of importance to graduate students, ideally on an ongoing basis. Graduate student exit interviews provide information that alert the Department to acute issues that affect graduate students and provide data for longitudinal assessments of graduate student experience within the program.Graduate exit interviews are administered to all graduate students departing the Chemistry Department. The exit interview applies equally to graduate students departing with completed degrees (Ph.D. and M.S.) and without degrees.
- Graduating students will be sent a list of interview questions by the Chemistry Education Office when the student joins the degree list. Instructions about scheduling a time for the in-person or virtual discussion will be included with other informational correspondence from the Chemistry Education Office regarding degree completion. Graduating students will perform their exit interview after the thesis defense so as to avoid making the interview an additional burden.
- For students departing the program without a degree, the interview questions and instructions for scheduling an in-person discussion will be sent by the Chemistry Education Office at the point in time that a date for termination of their appointment in Chemistry is determined.
- For the majority of departing students, this interview coincides with the end of the semester, but a rolling schedule of surveys is anticipated.
Postdoctoral/Research Specialist Appointments
If you plan to transition to a postdoctoral/research specialist appointment within the Department of Chemistry at MIT, please contact Jennifer Weisman and Chemistry HR as soon as possible. Your final signed thesis must be submitted before a postdoc appointment can start. If you are an international student, it is extremely important that you start this process early to allow sufficient timing for visa processing. In addition to talking with Jennifer and HR, please consult with the International Students Office .
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Your MEng thesis describes the original research that you contributed to your MEng project. Though the document itself is not due until the end of your MEng, you should be working towards your thesis each semester that you are a registered MEng student. You can read more about what comprises a thesis at the Office of Graduate Education’s website .
Getting Help with Your Thesis
Throughout your MEng, you should be in continual conversation with your thesis supervisor about your progress as well as the thesis itself. For additional support, consider some of the following resources:
- Writing and Communication Center
- EECS Communication Lab
- Phoebe Ayers , the EECS Librarian, for help with research
- Additional workshops hosted by OGE
If you are struggling to make progress on your thesis, you are also welcome to meet with someone in the EECS Undergraduate Office .
All graduate theses are required to be submitted to Institute Library where they are available to the public. Theses classified by the government as ‘Confidential’ or ‘Secret’ for reasons of national security, or ‘Company Confidential” by a company for proprietary reasons will not be accepted. Theses completed in classified sections of 6-A companies, Lincoln Laboratory or Draper Lab must be deemed unclassified by the government. If you are working with one of these companies, be sure to discuss thesis copyright with your supervisor early in your MEng.

Formatting and Submission
MIT Libraries maintains formatting guidelines for all MIT theses. It’s especially important to make sure your title page and abstract look exactly like the examples shown there. Many students start by using the Unofficial Thesis template , but remember to double-check against the official formatting guidelines. Check out the Thesis Checklist from the Libraries to help keep on track.
For EECS MEng theses
- Make sure to include your SB degree information (see the title page example ), even if you’re getting SB and MEng concurrently. Include double major, if applicable.
- The department is “the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science”
- The degree is “Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science” unless you are part of the 6-7 MEng program, in which case it’s “Master of Engineering in Computer Science and Molecular Biology” or the 6-14 program which is “Master of Engineering in Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science”. (Note, in all cases, “Master” not “Masters”)
- The degree date for this term is June 2023 , no matter what month you submit your thesis. The only possible degree date months are June, September, and February.
- If you retain copyright of your thesis, you need the “permission legend” beneath the copyright line on the title page, as the example shows. If you are unsure of whether you retain copyright, see here ; most students do not, if they have been funded by RAships or TAships during their MEng.
- The name/title for the “Accepted by” line on the title page is “Katrina LaCurts, Chair, Master of Engineering Thesis Committee”
For the electronic submission, your title page should include no signatures ; not even your own, and no lines for signatures. When you are ready to submit your thesis, you can do so here ; the deadline for submission is set by the registrar each semester (see here ). 6-A students must also submit a thesis release letter that matches this template . These letters should be sent to [email protected] .
Thesis Holds
Under certain circumstances – most commonly for issues related to patents or security clearances – you can arrange for a brief delay of the official publication of your thesis in the MIT Libraries. Please see The Office of Graduate Education’s page for more information.

Graduate Program
Thesis preparation guidelines.
All graduate students in MIT Political Science must follow these guidelines for thesis completion and submission.
Consult the MIT Specifications for Thesis Preparation for the rules governing the format of your thesis. Remember that formatting rules are strictly enforced. Be sure to have Susan Twarog or Diana Gallagher check the pagination and format of the title and abstract pages of your thesis before you print the document on archival bond and obtain the necessary signatures.
Two copies of your thesis must be printed on archival bond and contain original signatures. If you are completing a joint degree, you must submit three copies on archival bond with original signatures.
Thesis labels should include your name, the title, course 17, PhD or SM, the year and month (September, February, or June) of the degree, and the copy number (1, 2, 3). Labels should be affixed to each cover of the thesis. Obtain a cardboard cover for the front and back of each copy from Susan Twarog or the Institute Archives (14N-118).
The thesis title page should indicate the name and official title of your thesis supervisor and the chair of the Graduate Program Committee (GPC) who will be accepting the thesis on behalf of the department. Students must obtain the signatures of the thesis supervisor and the chair of the GPC, unless they have made other arrangements with Susan Twarog or Diana Gallagher.
You must submit two copies of your thesis. If you are completing joint degrees, you are required to submit three copies. Submit all copies unbound to Diana Gallagher in E53-465A. If you are a PhD candidate, you must also complete the UMI form (see the MIT Specifications for Thesis Preparation ) with photocopies of both title and abstract pages attached.
Electronic copy
In addition to submitting paper copies of your thesis, you must email a PDF copy to [email protected], and you may also submit an electronic copy to MIT's digital library DSpace. This makes it possible for those interested in reading your thesis to do so without charge. The cost of ordering a paper copy of a thesis from MIT can approach $100 for a 400-page thesis. Read the instructions for electronic submission.

Search form
Formatting, specifications, copyright and submission, bundled thesis documents.
→ Bundled Thesis Documents
Several important documents (list below) are bundled into one PDF:
- Thesis Shortlist
- Department Checklist for Thesis Submittal
- Thesis Committee Guidelines
- Examples of thesis title, committee and abstract pages
- Sample language for images
Writing and Communications Center
The WCC at MIT ( Writing and Communication Center ) offers free one-on-one professional advice from communication experts. The WCC is staffed completely by MIT lecturers. All have advanced degrees. All are experienced college classroom teachers of communication. All are published scholars and writers. Not counting the WCC’s director’s years (he started the WCC in 1982), the WCC lecturers have a combined 133 years’ worth of teaching here at MIT (ranging from 4 to 24 years).
The WCC works with students (undergraduate and graduate), post-docs, faculty, and staff — the WCC no longer meets with alumni or spouses/partners.). The WCC helps you strategize about all types of academic and professional writing as well as about all aspects of oral presentations (including practicing classroom presentations & conference talks as well as designing slides).
No matter what department or discipline you are in , the WCC helps you think your way more deeply into your topic, helps you see new implications in your data, research, and ideas. The WCC also helps with all English as Second Language issues, from writing and grammar to pronunciation and conversation practice.
Writing and Communication Center offers a number of programs to the wide community of MIT undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff, which include:
- Individual Consultations on oral, visual, and written projects
- Workshops on various aspects of academic writing
- Writing Together Online program
Formatting and Specifications
Notes: While submissions must be a single, continuous page, you may switch between portrait and landscape orientation.
There is no institute-wide style guideline, as different disciplines adhere to their own. MIT Architecture does not prescribe a specific documentation style but recommends you confer with your thesis advisor in addition to adhering to the institute-wide specifications for each style: https://libraries.mit.edu/distinctive-collections/thesis-specs/
1. Thesis Checklist
Download the Department's Thesis Checklist to review your final document for archival acceptability. Take note that there is one addition to the checklist required by the Department ; page 2 (placed between the title and the abstract pages) must list your thesis/dissertation committee . It should have the academic titles of your advisors and readers as they are listed in the MIT Bulletin — see TEMPLATE .
2. Committee Chair Information for Title Page
- Undergraduate students: Leslie K. Norford Chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
- Graduate students: Leslie K. Norford Professor of Building Technology Chair of the Department Committee on Graduate Students
3. MIT Libraries Specifications for Thesis Preparation
- Specifications
- Review for information on obtaining correct research permissions, copyright, supplemental material and research data, accessibility features, holds, and more.
- MIT Thesis FAQ
→ Note — Implementing the specifications saves a lot of time while your final thesis submission is being reviewed.
4. Pay special attention to:
- General Policies
- Copyrighting your thesis
- Permission to Reuse or Republish a Thesis
- Using previously published materials
- Thesis title — Make sure your final thesis title matches the Institute record by checking in WebSIS under "Online Degree Application".
- Proper wording on title, abstract and committee pages — see TEMPLATES (includes templates by degree, template for joint theses and template for dual degree theses).
- Margins & Spacing — Top, bottom, and both side margins must be at least an inch wide (1'') to allow for binding and trimming. All information (text headings, notes, and illustrations), excluding page numbers, must be within the text area.
- Pagination — The title page is always considered to be page 1, and every page must be included in the count regardless of whether a number is physically printed on a page. Make sure the page numbers in your Table of Contents are accurate .
- Typeface & Size — Main body of text , including appendices and front matter should be no smaller than 11-point and not be script or italic (although italics may be used for short quotations or to highlight variables in equations).
- Image captions can be no smaller than 10-point.
- It is easy to overlook the font size of text within images. This text can be no smaller than 10-point (a case can be made for images with smaller text within them if the captions are either unimportant to reader comprehension or are fully explained in the paragraph(s) immediately before or after the image.
- Check Table of Contents Links — Make sure the links in your table of contents go to the correct location in your document. It is easy to make structural changes to your document and forget to revisit your Table of Contents links for accuracy.
- Special note about full-page spreads — The Department of Architecture theses are allowed to employ full-page image spreads. Please remember that there is the potential for content to "disappear" into the fold between the page spread once the thesis is bound due to the 1" margin specification. Thus make sure no important content/text falls outside of the 1" margin. Please review MIT's information on oversized pages.
Using Copyrighted Content
Scholarly publishing's copyright for thesis page.
This page covers the following:
- Fair use for your thesis
- Determining whether content is copyrighted
- The Public Domain
- MIT license agreements that may allow reuse
- Obtaining permission for use
- Publishers that allow reuse of content without permission
MIT libraries' Using Images: Copyright & Fair Use page.
- why copyright and citation matter;
- plagiarism;
- properly citing a work;
- following fair;
- copyright infringement;
- what "Fair Use" is;
- how to make a fair use assessment.
- properly citing sources;
- special consideration for images
FINAL Thesis Submission
→ Since theses are submitted digitally, no signatures are required .
On or before department thesis deadlines:
- Upload the final document to the STOA Thesis Submission Tool for a final formatting review .
This is for the purpose of making certain the document is in compliance with MIT archive requirements. You will be contacted quickly if adjustments are needed and when the document has been approved. Before submitting your document ensure that:
- you make a final pass through your thesis document based on the formatting/specifications information;
- your advisor has seen and approved your final version that you are uploading to the STOA Thesis Submission website . No further changes can be accommodated;
- you don't forget the additional committee page required by the Department of Architecture which is placed between your title and abstract pages (this page is not necessary if you only have a thesis advisor and no readers). Consult the Department's Faculty page in the MIT catalog for proper academic titles for MIT instructors.
After submitting your document, ensure that you have submitted your Thesis Information to the Library. *This must match exactly what is listed on your (approved!) title page .
- Please complete the full form, including copyright info, thesis supervisor, and more.
- Dual degree students: list your PRIMARY department in the main fields of the form, and include the information for the secondary department and thesis supervisor in the NOTES section of this form.
- All grad students may also choose to OPT-IN to send your thesis to Pro-Quest.
MIT Thesis Template
This MIT thesis template is based on the unofficial templates available at http://web.mit.edu/thesis/tex/ .
Those templates have been created to make it easy to prepare your thesis using LaTeX while adhering to the MIT Thesis Specifications. Every effort is made to keep these up to date, but you should always consult the MIT Libraries Thesis Specifications before submitting your thesis. If you notice something in the Thesis Specifications that does not match the Overleaf templates, please email cite-write-tools AT mit DOT edu.
The thesis templates are highly customizable, and there are many options and macros available for your use. Most of these are documented in the comments in each file, especially main.tex. You are encouraged to read through the comments.

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MIT EECS Thesis Proposal Template
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Mit thesis proposal template.
This is a thesis proposal template for the MIT EECS Department. It is targeted at the S.M. Thesis but should work for the Ph.D. Thesis as well by substituting values.
Write content
- edit the main Thesis_Proposal.tex as you see fit
- edit the titlepage titlepage.tex
- create content in abstract.tex , intro.tex , procedure.tex , and references.bib , or modify as you see fit
Compile document
- compile with make main (requires latexmk to be installed), or modify to use your own build tools as you prefer
Micah Smith [email protected]
- Makefile 5.6%

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The title page is always considered to be page 1, and every page must be included in the count regardless of whether a number is physically printed on a page.
What to submit to the Libraries · Your name as it appears on your thesis (Family Name, Given Name Middle Name) · Thesis title · Department or
In form, the thesis is a lengthy experimental, design, or theoretical report, with a problem-method-results-discussion structure. This recurrent hypothetico-
About the Unofficial LaTeX thesis templates. While there are no official templates available, unofficial LaTeX templates have been created in Overleaf.
The following guidelines assist the student in determining who holds ownership of the thesis.
Each thesis must include an abstract of generally no more than 500 words single-spaced. The abstract should be thought of as a brief descriptive summary, not a
MIT Libraries maintains formatting guidelines for all MIT theses. It's especially important to make sure your title page and abstract look exactly like the
Thesis labels should include your name, the title, course 17, PhD or SM, the year and month (September, February, or June) of the degree, and the copy number (1
Examples of thesis title, committee and abstract pages; Sample language for images. Writing and Communications Center. The WCC at MIT (Writing and Communication
Those templates have been created to make it easy to prepare your thesis using LaTeX while adhering to the MIT Thesis Specifications. Every effort is made to
This is a thesis proposal template for the MIT EECS Department. It is targeted at the S.M. Thesis but should work for the Ph.D. Thesis as well by substituting