thesis

harvard phd thesis

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How can I find a Harvard thesis or dissertation?

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Start with  HOLLIS  (HarvardKey login required for some full text, including theses & dissertations)

  • Those presented for graduate degrees 
  • Bowdoin prize essays 
  • Undergraduate honors theses

How do you know if it's available online? 

  • “View Online” button links out to full text.
  • If there's no "View Online" button, the work probably has not been digitized.

What Harvard theses and dissertations can you expect to find online in full text? How do you get to them?

  • Follow the links in HOLLIS.
  • Not a Harvard affiliate? log in through the library of your academic institution OR
  • you can usually purchase directly from  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Express.  
  • undergraduates are not required to submit theses or prizewinning papers to DASH
  • Harvard Extension School ALM theses 2012-2016 were not entered into DASH. 
  • Under certain circumstances dissertations may be embargoed by the author; DASH may be the only place this information is given.

If the work hasn't been digitized:

You can order PDFs or photocopies of most Harvard theses and dissertations (unless they're available through the Proquest database linked above) from 1873 through November 2011 (and ALM theses to 2016) 

  • See our Reproduction Requests page to register
  • When you submit the online order form, Imaging Services staff will reply with cost and delivery information.
  • Questions about the online ordering process or pricing? Contact Imaging Services staff directly for additional information at 617/495-3995  or [email protected] (M-F, 9-5 Eastern) ​

For Extension School ALM theses  check out our  Library Guide for Harvard Extension School theses page

Want to view a dissertation or thesis at the library? Check with the archival collection location listed in HOLLIS.

Wondering what dissertations and theses have been submitted in the recent past?  Use DASH .

For more on undergraduate theses and dissertations, see our " How can I locate a Harvard undergraduate thesis?" FAQ.

Looking for non-Harvard theses & dissertations? See our "How can I find theses and dissertations?"  FAQ.

  • Ask a Librarian, including chat and email, will be suspended Thursday July 4 through Sunday, July 7, 2024, in observance of the holiday weekend. Any questions received during this period will be answered beginning Monday, July 8 .
  • If If you're experiencing an ongoing technical issue when you attempt to access library materials with your HarvardKey during these times, please report it to Library Technology Services.

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