The exact steps may vary by program, but most EMU students will follow a process similar to this:
Confirm Graduate School requirements.
Review the EMU Graduate School’s thesis/dissertation guidelines for formatting, deadlines, required forms, and defense procedures.
Prepare your final PDF.
Make sure your document follows the required format, includes all final committee-approved revisions, and is saved as a single PDF file.
Create or log in to your ProQuest account.
Upload your thesis or dissertation file and complete the required forms in the ProQuest submission system, including publication options and any embargo request.
Complete Graduate School forms.
Submit any additional paperwork required by the Graduate School (for example, forms certifying committee approval or confirming your embargo choice).
Respond to any requested changes.
If the Graduate School or ProQuest flags formatting issues or missing information, make corrections and resubmit promptly.
Approval and release.
Once your submission is approved by the Graduate School, your thesis or dissertation is processed in ProQuest and scheduled for release. A copy is also sent to the library for inclusion in DigitalCommons@EMU, following any embargo or access conditions you selected.
If you are unsure about any step, contact the Graduate School or ask your advisor for guidance before submitting.
This page gives an overview of how EMU theses and dissertations move from your final draft to official submission, Graduate School approval, and online access in ProQuest and DigitalCommons@EMU.
Always follow the most current instructions from the EMU Graduate School. Their requirements are the official rules; the information here is meant to help you understand how the library and DigitalCommons@EMU fit into the process.
An embargo is a temporary delay on public access to the full text of your thesis or dissertation. You may choose an embargo for reasons such as planning to publish articles or a book, protecting sensitive data, or meeting funder or publisher requirements.
How to request an embargo.
Embargoes are selected during the ProQuest submission process and may also require a Graduate School form.
Your advisor and the Graduate School can help you choose the best option.
Where the embargo applies.
In most cases, the same embargo period applies to both ProQuest and DigitalCommons@EMU,
so your full text will not be publicly available in either system until the embargo ends.
After the embargo expires.
When the embargo period ends, your thesis or dissertation is made publicly available online,
unless you have arranged a different plan with the Graduate School.
For more detail on specific embargo lengths and options, see the Embargoes & Copyright page in this guide and the EMU Graduate School’s thesis/dissertation policies.
As the author of your thesis or dissertation, you generally retain copyright in your work. When you submit to ProQuest and DigitalCommons@EMU, you grant them non-exclusive rights to store and share your work, but you do not give up your ownership.
Third-party content.
If your thesis or dissertation includes substantial copyrighted material created by others
(such as images, long text excerpts, or proprietary instruments), you may need permission
from the copyright holder to include those items in a public online version.
Published or planned articles.
If parts of your thesis or dissertation are already published, or you plan to publish them,
check journal or publisher policies and talk with your advisor about how that may affect embargo choices.
Getting help.
For help thinking through copyright or permissions questions, contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian
or consult the library’s copyright resources.
After you complete your ProQuest submission and the Graduate School approves your thesis or dissertation, several things happen behind the scenes:
ProQuest processing.
ProQuest reviews your submission, applies any embargo or access settings you selected,
and adds your record to its dissertations and theses database.
Graduate School verification.
The Graduate School confirms that your thesis or dissertation meets EMU requirements.
If something is missing, they will contact you to make corrections.
DigitalCommons@EMU deposit.
A copy of your approved thesis or dissertation is sent to the library for inclusion in DigitalCommons@EMU.
Library staff add or check metadata and ensure that your embargo and access choices are correctly applied.
The timeline for all of this can vary by term and by volume of submissions. If you are waiting for your work to appear in DigitalCommons@EMU and have questions, contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian.