Dissertation Submission Standards

A Ph.D. dissertation or D.Min. thesis represents the successful completion of a program of advanced graduate study, and a significant contribution to a field of academic and practical scholarship.

The JKM Library collects and stores completed Ph.D. dissertations and D.Min. theses produced by students at McCormick Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

We are not responsible for content, style, or formatting standards. Please consult your advisor and program director for the details relevant to your specific project and program of studies.

However, generally, the dissertation or thesis should conform to the scholarly conventions set forth in either:

  • Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 9th ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2018), or
  • The SBL Handbook of Style for Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies, 2nd ed. (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2014).

See JKM's e-resources page for access to electronic versions of these style guides. Questions that go beyond the limits of Turabian can be answered by reference to the Chicago Manual of Style.

LSTC Ph.D.  |  McCormick, ACTS, Interschool D.Min.

 

Ph.D. Dissertations (LSTC)

The LSTC Advanced Studies Office requires the submission of a completed Ph.D. dissertation manuscript, in PDF form, incorporating:

  • your signed signature page, representing the approval of your defended thesis, and
  • all editorial and formatting suggestions made by the dissertation editor.

One copy of this completed manuscript PDF must be submitted to ProQuest ETD for digital storage, and one copy must be submitted to the JKM Library for printing, binding, and incorporation into our print collection.

See instructions below for:

As you prepare to submit your dissertation, please consult LSTC's Th.M. and Ph.D. program manual for the current academic year, especially "Section 8: PhD Dissertation Policies and Procedures."

The deadlines for submission each year are set by the LSTC Advanced Studies Office. You are responsible for completing the process to their satisfaction.

Once you have submitted the finished PDF copy of your dissertation to the JKM Library, as well as through ProQuest ETD, the interim director of JKM will sign and date your "Form K."

This signature notifies the Advanced Studies Office that your dissertation has been received by the JKM Library, and that the electronic copy has been submitted to ProQuest.

It is your responsibility to see that your submitted dissertation is complete and in correct order. It is not the responsibility of the JKM Library, the Advanced Studies Office, or your advisor to ensure that the copy you submit as a permanent record of your achievement is correct.

 

Submitting a PDF Copy to ProQuest ETD

ProQuest ETD provides the comprehensive service for publishing, archiving, and disseminating graduate research, not to mention allowing you to receive royalties for your published work.

The ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator allows Ph.D. candidates to upload their approved dissertations to ProQuest electronically. Participating in the program:

  • significantly reduces publication turnaround time
  • eliminates the basic publishing fee for authors.

Participation in the ProQuest UMI ETD program is mandatory for all graduating Ph.D. candidates.

The ProQuest UMI ETD website answers many of the questions that you may have in submitting your dissertation to ProQuest.

If you have any questions for which you cannot find the answer, you have the option of either contacting ProQuest using an online form (under the Training & Support tab) or calling 1-800-521-0600 (toll-free in the U.S. and Canada).

The interim director of the JKM Library, Stephanie Holding, can also answer some questions.

Important: The electronic copy submitted to ProQuest must incorporate all editorial and formatting suggestions made by the dissertation editor, as well as your signed signature page.

Before submitting your dissertation electronically to the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website you should:

When you begin the process of submitting your dissertation (using the Submitting Your Dissertation/Thesis page), you will create a password-protected account. As you submit your dissertation, the ProQuest UMI ETD will guide you through a step-by-step process to completion. Anytime during the submission process you can save your work and exit.

After you've completed the process, contact the interim director of the JKM Library, Stephanie Holding, who will review your submission and submit it to ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing. 

 

Submitting a PDF Copy to the JKM Library

As part of its collection development policy and to advance scholarship, the JKM Library collects one copy of the dissertation written by each Ph.D. degree candidate at LSTC. Your dissertation will be printed, bound, and made available as part of our print collection.

A PDF copy of your finished dissertation—including your signed signature page, and incorporating all editorial and formatting suggestions made by the dissertation editor—must be submitted to the JKM Library as part of your compliance with the requirements set forth by LSTC's Advanced Studies Office.

JKM Library uses Wallaceburg Bookbinding to bind dissertations. They print dissertations double-sided, which changes some traditional guidelines. Make sure your manuscript has:

  • US Letter page size (not A4)
  • standard 1-inch margins (not 1.25")
  • centered page numbers in the footer (not left/right).

The JKM Library will cover the cost of having one copy of your dissertation printed, bound, cataloged, and added to JKM's print collection.

If you want a personal copy of your bound dissertation, there are two ways you can get one:

  • You may purchase bound copies of your dissertation through ProQuest, or
  • You may ask the JKM Library to have two printed copies of your dissertation produced, one for JKM and one for yourself.

If you choose to have JKM print and bind your personal copy, you will need to pay us for the cost of its printing, binding, and shipping. Please contact the interim director of the JKM Library, Stephanie Holding, to determine the current cost and receive payment instructions.

If you have additional questions, please contact the interim director of the JKM Library, Stephanie Holding.

 

D.Min. Theses (McCormick, ACTS, Interschool, LSTC)

Historically, the Doctor of Ministry programs have not incorporated the JKM Library as a mandatory step in completion of your program of studies. There are, as such, no rules demanding the submission of your D.Min. thesis to JKM as a condition of your graduation.

However, equally historically, the JKM Library has been pleased to receive and store print copies of D.Min. project theses as part of our service to the seminaries and the larger academic and church community. Today, we do this electronically.

Since there is no equivalent to the ProQuest ETD service for D.Min. project theses, since 2005 the JKM Library has developed and maintained its own digital repository: Learn@JKM

In cooperation with your advisor and program administrator, please submit a PDF copy of your completed D.Min. thesis, preferably with signature documentation of its successful defense and approval, and we will host a copy in our thesis repository.

Please contact the interim director of the JKM Library, Stephanie Holding, to arrange your submission, and to ensure that all relevant data about the submitted thesis is available to us for cataloging.