Guide to Dissertations and Theses

Browse Masters Theses by Major
Browse theses completed by Cal State San Marcos graduate students.

If the dissertation you are looking for was submitted at UCSD, SDSU, or USD, it is faster to order it through the Circuit. For dissertations submitted at a University of California campus, you can search Melvyl and order the item through interlibrary loan.

Circuit
Use "word" search with "dissertation" and your topic terms.

Melvyl -- University of California
Under format select "dissertation."

In order to search for dissertations held at other universities, you need to use a research database. None of these databases provide the full-text of the dissertation. Rather, once you have all the information for a specific item (author, title, institution, etc.), you can request it through interlibrary loan.

Multi-disciplinary Collections

Dissertation and Theses
Dissertations and Theses Database includes digitized dissertations in a variety of subject areas including Art, Communications, Education, History, Linguistics, Literature, and Social Sciences.

WorldCat
Go to Advanced search, and under "Subtype limits" select "Thesis / Dissertation." This database does not provide abstracts.

Subject-specific Collections

America History and Life
US and Canadian history. Choose Advanced search. Under "Document Type" select "dissertations."

Art Abstracts
Limit the SUBTYPE field to thesis/dissertations -- this will retrieve dissertations and books published from dissertations.

Chicano Database
Try using the term "dissertation" with your topic keywords.

Child Abuse, Child Welfare and Adoption Database
Use "Change Search" button to access advanced search features. In the "Publication Type" field type "Dissertation."

Contemporary Women's Issues (CWI)
Password Required. Contact your subject specialist librarian for aid in searching.

Historical Abstracts
World history except US and Canada. Choose Advanced search. In "Document Type" type "dissertations."

Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA)
Literature, humanities

MLA
Literature. Go to advanced search. Under Limit to: Document Type Phrase, choose "Dissertation Abstract."

PsycInfo
Psychology. Under "Publication Type" choose "Dissertation Abstract."

RILM
Music. Go to advanced search. Under Limit to: Document Type, choose "Dissertation."

Social Services Abstracts
Indexes Dissertation Abstracts International: A. Try using the term "dissertation" with your topic keywords.

Sociological Abstracts
Indexes Dissertation Abstracts International: A Try using the term "dissertation" with your topic keywords.

Women's Studies International
Indexes both Dissertation Abstracts International A and B. Try using the term "dissertation" with your topic keywords.

Many graduate students look for examples of dissertations for their own research. Although the vast majority of dissertations are only available in print, some dissertations (in whole or in part) are available online.

Multi-University Collections

Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)
A union catalog search of participating universities. A keyword search is most effective.

Electronic Dissertations and Theses in the Humanities
Limited list, but samples a broad range of humanities

ETD Center (through OhioLink)
A group of Midwestern universities including Ohio State, Case Western, and more.

Individual University Collections

• Cal Tech Electronic Theses

• University of Florida

• University of North Texas

• Virginia Tech Electronic Theses and Dissertations

• West Virginia University Electronic Theses and Dissertations ( Browse collection )

Information on Dissertations

Guide to Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Maintained by UNESCO

How to Read an Electronic Dissertation
Useful information from Virginia Tech on browsing and navigating online dissertations.

Request to borrow dissertations through Interlibrary Loan, or if a local university (i.e., SDSU, UCSD, USD) owns the dissertation, use the Circuit. As a last resort, you can usually purchase a copy through UMI.

Interlibrary Loan
We can ask a university that owns a dissertation to lend us a copy. Note that not all universities lend copies of dissertations, while some lend only microfilm copies.

Circuit
If you find the dissertation in the Circuit, you can request it online, and pick it up at our Library, sometimes within 24 hours. Excludes weekends and holidays.

UMI Dissertations Express
Order your own unbound copy from UMI's collection of over one million titles. You need to know the author and keywords from a specific title to locate the desired item.