harvard phd dissertations

• Publishing Options
• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

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• Dissertation Advisory Committee
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• Submitting Your Dissertation
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• PhD Program Requirements
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• Distribution of Dissertation

Making Your Dissertation Publicly Available

Licensing agreements, distribution of the dissertation.

Students are given a variety of options regarding the distribution of their work. Upon final approval, the dissertation is distributed based on the permissions and publishing options students select during the ProQuest ETD  submission process.

PhD dissertations are made openly available as proof of the candidate’s achievement, echoing a traditional European idea that the candidate for a doctorate must make a contribution to knowledge and cannot have a degree for making a discovery that is kept secret. Because of this, restricting access to dissertations or delaying the release of the work (i.e. “embargoed”) only occurs in very exceptional cases.

Embargoes (Delaying Open Release)

If necessary, students may request to embargo their work for six months, one year, two years, or more. Up to a two-year embargo can be chosen during submission with no additional permissions; embargo periods over two years require additional support from the student’s director of graduate studies (DGS). An embargo period can be selected in the "PQ Publishing Options" and "IR Publishing Options" sections of ProQuest ETD . If students would like to request a delayed release of their dissertation of  longer than two years , they will be prompted to upload a signed document  to the “Administrative Documents” section showing the director of graduate study's approval of this request. If students do not have a document when submitting their dissertation, they will be asked to have the DGS email the Registrar's Office , acknowledging approval of the delayed-release request.

Regardless of the length of the embargo, the full text of the dissertation is not openly accessible, however, the metadata associated with the work (general information about the dissertation recorded at the time of online submission) and the abstract will remain publicly available. Please note:

• It is  not  necessary to embargo a dissertation for patenting purposes once a patent application has been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. At that point, any invention may be disclosed publicly without a loss of patent rights. (See the  Patents  page for more information).

When submitting work through ProQuest ETD , students are asked to agree to two distribution licenses: the Harvard Author Agreement, which grants the University a non-exclusive license to preserve, reproduce, and display the work in DASH, and the ProQuest distribution license, which grants ProQuest a non-exclusive license to preserve, reproduce, display, collect royalties against, collect data on use, and repurpose your work in text-similarity software. 

Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard

The Harvard Author Agreement, which is similar to licensing under the FAS faculty open-access policies, does not constrain your rights to subsequently publish your work. Through ProQuest ETD , dissertations are made available online through the  Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard  (DASH) portal, a central, open-access repository of research by members of the Harvard community. DASH makes your dissertation available to anyone at no cost. In the Publishing Information section of ProQuest ETD, students must review and accept the Harvard License Agreement to acknowledge distribution of their dissertation through DASH, pursuant to any  embargo  placed on the work in the submission tool.

Deposit to the Harvard Library

In addition to your work being made available in DASH, dissertations are added to the collections of the Harvard University Archives, digitally preserved within the Harvard Library and discoverable through the Harvard Library catalog. 

Students are also required to consent to the ProQuest license agreement, and dissertations are automatically added to  ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global . As part of the  license agreement , ProQuest may sell student dissertations; if authors do not want  any  sales of their dissertation, they may permanently embargo it with ProQuest either with approval from their program or by contacting ProQuest after submission. The agreement further allows ProQuest to distribute copies of the dissertation in microfilm, paper, and digital forms by way of thesis subscription, sales, and indexing services pursuant to any embargo . Finally, the ProQuest publishing agreement is non-exclusive and in no way prohibits the author from making any disposition of other manuscript copies, nor does it prohibit the author from publishing the dissertation at any time. (Please see  ProQuest license and copyright considerations .)

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HLS Dissertations, Theses, and JD Papers

S.j.d. dissertations, ll.m. papers, ll.m. theses, j.d. papers, submitting your paper to an online collection, other sources for student papers beyond harvard, getting help, introduction.

This is a guide to finding Harvard Law School (“HLS”) student-authored works held by the Library and in online collections. This guide covers HLS S.J.D Dissertations, LL.M. papers, J.D. third-year papers, seminar papers, and prize papers.

There have been changes in the HLS degree requirements for written work. The library’s collection practices and catalog descriptions for these works has varied. Please note that there are gaps in the library’s collection and for J.D. papers, few of these works are being collected any longer.

If we have an S.J.D. dissertation or LL.M. thesis, we have two copies. One is kept in the general collection and one in the Red Set, an archival collection of works authored by HLS affiliates. If we have a J.D. paper, we have only one copy, kept in the Red Set. Red Set copies are last resort copies available only by advance appointment in Historical and Special Collections .

Some papers have not been processed by library staff. If HOLLIS indicates a paper is “ordered-received” please use this form to have library processing completed.

The HLS Doctor of Juridical Science (“S.J.D.”) program began in 1910.  The library collection of these works is not comprehensive. Exceptions are usually due to scholars’ requests to withhold Library deposit. 

• HLS S.J.D. Dissertations in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic or faculty advisor, or limit by date, click Add a New Line.
• Hein’s Legal Theses and Dissertations Microfiche Mic K556.H45x Drawers 947-949 This microfiche set includes legal theses and dissertations from HLS and other premier law schools. It currently includes about 300 HLS dissertations and theses.
• Hein's Legal Theses and Dissertations Contents List This content list is in order by school only, not by date, subject or author. It references microfiche numbers within the set housed in the Microforms room on the entry level of the library, drawers 947-949. The fiche are a different color for each institution.
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses @ Harvard University (Harvard login) Copy this search syntax: dg(S.J.D.) You will find about 130 SJD Dissertations dated from 1972 to 2004. They are not available in full text.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, DASH is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. There are currently about 600 HLS student papers included. Unfortunately it is not possible to search by type of paper or degree awarded.

The Master of Laws (“LL.M.”) degree has been awarded since 1923. Originally, the degree required completion of a major research paper, akin to a thesis. Since 1993, most students have the option of writing the LL.M. "short paper."  This is a 25-page (or longer) paper advised by a faculty supervisor or completed in conjunction with a seminar.  Fewer LL.M. candidates continue to write the more extensive "long-paper." LL.M. candidates holding J.D.s from the U.S. must write the long paper.

• HLS Written Work Requirements for LL.M. Degree The current explanation of the LL.M. written work requirement for the master of laws.

The library generally holds HLS LL.M. long papers and short papers. In recent years, we require author release in order to do so. In HOLLIS, no distinction is made between types of written work created in satisfaction of the LL.M. degree; all are described as LL.M. thesis. Though we describe them as thesis, the law school refers to them solely as papers or in earlier years, essays. HOLLIS records indicate the number of pages, so at the record level, it is possible to distinguish long papers.

• HLS LL.M. Papers in HOLLIS To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

Note that beginning with papers from the 2023-24 academic year, papers will be available in digital format only. The workflow for this new process is underway.

HLS LL.M. Papers are sometimes available in DASH and Hein's Legal Dissertations and Theses. See descriptions above .

The HLS J.D. written work requirement has changed over time. The degree formerly required a substantial research paper comparable in scope to a law review article written under faculty supervision, the "third year paper." Since 2008, J.D. students have the option of using two shorter works instead.

Of all those written, the library holds relatively few third-year papers. They were not actively collected but accepted by submission from faculty advisors who deemed a paper worthy of institutional retention. The papers are described in HOLLIS as third year papers, seminar papers, and student papers. Sometimes this distinction was valid, but not always. The faculty deposit tradition more or less ended in 2006, though the possibility of deposit still exists. 

• J.D. Written Work Requirement
• Faculty Deposit of Student Papers with the Library

HLS Third Year Papers in HOLLIS

To refine these search results by topic, faculty advisor, seminar or date, click Add a New Line.

• HLS Student Papers Some third-year papers and LL.M. papers were described in HOLLIS simply as student papers. To refine these search results, click "Add a New Line" and add topic, faculty advisor, or course title.
• HLS Seminar Papers Note that these include legal research pathfinders produced for the Advanced Legal Research course when taught by Virginia Wise.

Prize Papers

HLS has many endowed prizes for student papers and essays. There are currently 16 different writing prizes. See this complete descriptive list with links to lists of winners from 2009 to present. Note that there is not always a winner each year for each award. Prize winners are announced each year in the commencement pamphlet.

The Library has not specifically collected prize papers over the years but has added copies when possible. The HOLLIS record for the paper will usually indicate its status as a prize paper. The most recent prize paper was added to the collection in 2006.

Addison Brown Prize Animal Law & Policy Program Writing Prize Victor Brudney Prize Davis Polk Legal Profession Paper Prize Roger Fisher and Frank E.A. Sander Prize Yong K. Kim ’95 Memorial Prize Islamic Legal Studies Program Prize on Islamic Law Laylin Prize LGBTQ Writing Prize Mancini Prize Irving Oberman Memorial Awards John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics Project on the Foundations of Private Law Prize Sidney I. Roberts Prize Fund Klemens von Klemperer Prize Stephen L. Werner Prize

• Harvard Law School Prize Essays (1850-1868) A historical collection of handwritten prize essays covering the range of topics covered at that time. See this finding aid for a collection description.

The following information about online repositories is not a recommendation or endorsement to participate.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses HLS is not an institutional participant to this collection. If you are interested in submitting your work, refer to these instructions and note that there is a fee required, which varies depending on the format of submission.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Relatively new, this is an open repository of metadata for dissertations. It is an outgrowth of the index American Doctoral Dissertations. The aim is to cover 1933 to present and, for modern works, to link to full text available in institutional repositories. Harvard is not one of the institutional participants.
• DASH Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard

Sponsored by Harvard University’s Office for Scholarly Communication, this is an open repository for research papers by members of the Harvard community. See more information about the project. 

Some HLS students have submitted their degree paper to DASH.  If you would like to submit your paper, you may use this authorization form  or contact June Casey , Librarian for Open Access Initiatives and Scholarly Communication at Harvard Law School.

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (Harvard Login) Covers dissertations and masters' theses from North American graduate schools and many worldwide. Provides full text for many since the 1990s and has descriptive data for older works.
• NDLTD Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Union Catalog Worldwide in scope, NDLTD contains millions of records of electronic theses and dissertations from the early 1900s to the present.
• Law Commons of the Digital Commons Network The Law Commons has dissertations and theses, as well as many other types of scholarly research such as book chapters and conference proceedings. They aim to collect free, full-text scholarly work from hundreds of academic institutions worldwide.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations Doctoral dissertations from many institutions. Free, open repository.
• Dissertations from Center for Research Libraries Dissertations found in this resource are available to the Harvard University Community through Interlibrary Loan.
• British Library EThOS Dissertation source from the British Library listing doctoral theses awarded in the UK. Some available for immediate download and some others may be requested for scanning.
• BASE from Bielefeld University Library Index of the open repositoris of most academic institutions. Includes many types of documents including doctoral and masters theses.

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For Harvard theses, dissertations, and prize winning essays, see our How can I find a Harvard thesis or dissertation ? FAQ entry.

Beyond Harvard, ProQuest  Dissertations and Theses G lobal database (this link requires HarvardKey login) i s a good place to start:

• lists dissertations and theses from most North American graduate schools (including Harvard) and many from universities in Great Britain and Ireland, 1716-present
•  You can get full text from Proquest Dissertations and Theses through your own institutional library or you can often purchase directly from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Express.  

Other sources:

Databases beyond ProQuest Dissertations & Theses:

Some out of copyright works (pre-1924) are available via large digital libraries. Search online for the title.

Networked Digital Library of Electronic Theses and Dissertations ' Global Search scans participating international libraries

The Center for Research Libraries ' Dissertations database includes many non-US theses.

WorldCat  describes many masters' & PhD theses. Use "Advanced Search" and limit to subtype "thesis/dissertation." No full text; it just tells you what libraries have reported having copies.

There are several excellent guides out there with international search recommendations like  University College London's Institute of Education Theses and Dissertations LibGuide .

Institutions:

At the institution where the work originated or the national library of the country (if outside the US):

Online institutional repositories (like Harvard's DASH ): If the work was produced after the  school's repository was established, it may well be found here in full text. 

Libraries: Check the library catalog. There's often a reproductions service ($) for material that hasn't been digitized, but each school has its own policies. Most schools have some kind of "ask a librarian" service where you can ask what to do next.

At your own institution (where applicable) or public library: While many institutions will not lend theses and dissertations or send copies through Interlibrary loan, your Interlibrary Loan department may be able to help you acquire or pay for reproductions. 

• Current Harvard faculty, staff and students: Once you identify a reproduction source you can place a request with Harvard Library ILL  (in the notes field, ask for help with funding).

For Harvard theses and dissertations, see " How can I find a Harvard thesis or dissertation? "

If you're having trouble locating or acquiring a copy of/access to a dissertation, try " Why can't I find this thesis or dissertation?" 

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Dissertations

The following is a complete listing of successful PHS PhD dissertations to-date, including:

• Field of Study
• Cohort Year
• Last/First Names of Doctoral Degree Recipients
• Dissertation Titles
• Faculty Advisor/Doctoral Committee Chairs

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See here for a full list of dissertations since 1904 .

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Q. How do I find and request dissertations?

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Answered By: Archives Reference Staff Last Updated: Nov 10, 2021     Views: 16189

All dissertations held by the Harvard University Archives are cataloged in the Harvard Library On-Line Information System (HOLLIS). To search for dissertations from 1873 to 2012, start with HOLLIS :

• Search by author, title, and/or keyword
• To improve your search results, limit the repository location to Harvard University Archives

Please note: to find dissertations submitted since 2012 please use DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard).

How to request reading room access or digital scans to dissertations:

You will need to create an online account in the HOLLIS Special Request system to submit requests for reading room use or digital scanning. After you create an account, you may submit your request as either a Reading Room Request or a Copy Request.

As you complete the HOLLIS SPECIAL REQUEST/online order form, please be sure to include the following information in the following fields to expedite the request.

• Library: Harvard University Archives
• Call number: (e.g. HU 90.5459.2 )

Please be sure to complete an individual request form for each unique title and call number.

Please note that retrievals of dissertations from off-site storage can take up to two business days. For reading room or scan requests, check your HOLLIS Special Request account to monitor the status of your request.

Imaging Services currently charges a flat rate of $135 to scan and deliver copies of Harvard theses and dissertations for reference use. If a digital version of the thesis or dissertation already exists (and scanning is not necessary to produce a copy), Imaging Services charges a $30 fee to download a copy.

When you submit the online order form, Imaging Services staff will reply with cost and delivery information.

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• House of Commons/Lords paper
• Legislation from UK devolved assemblies
• Statutory instrument
• Military record
• Film/Television script
• Musical score
• Play (live performance)
• Play script
• Song lyrics
• Conference paper
• Conference proceedings
• Discussion paper
• Minutes of meeting
• Personal communication
• PowerPoint presentation
• Published report
• Student's own work
• Tutor materials for academic course
• Unpublished report
• Working paper
• Generative AI
• Referencing glossary

To be made up of:

• Year of submission (in round brackets).
• Title of thesis (in italics).
• Degree statement.
• Degree-awarding body.
• Available at: URL.
• (Accessed: date).

In-text citation: 

(Smith, 2019)

Reference List:  

Smith, E. R. C. (2019). Conduits of invasive species into the UK: the angling route? Ph. D. Thesis. University College London. Available at: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10072700 (Accessed: 20 May 2021).

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Theses from Previous Years

We have collected some theses from previous years to help guide you. Please use them as examples of how to structure your own thesis. 

Theory  .

Theory Thesis 1  

Theory Thesis 2  

Theory Thesis 3  

Theory Thesis 4  

Theory Thesis 5  

Comparative   

Comparative Thesis 1  

Comparative Thesis 2  

Comparative Thesis 3  

Comparative Thesis 4  

Comparative Thesis 5  

Comparative Thesis 7  

Comparative Thesis 8  

American  

American Thesis 1  

American Thesis 2  

American Thesis 3  

American Thesis 4  

American Thesis 5  

American Thesis 6  

American Thesis 7  

American Thesis 8  

International Relations  

IR Thesis 1  

IR Thesis 2  

IR Thesis 3  

IR Thesis 4  

IR Thesis 5  

IR Thesis 6