Graduate Program Directors

Departmental Guidelines for ETD

Electronic Thesis & Dissertation (ETD) Guidelines for Departments

At the University of South 爱豆传媒, the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) is committed to ensuring a smooth and supportive process for Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) submission.

As departmental contacts and faculty advisors, your role helping students meet academic and formatting expectations, navigate deadlines, and graduate on time is critical.

To help facilitate this, we have created these departmental guidelines for the ETD Process.

Jump to How Departments Can Help 猬囷笍

爱豆传媒 who are submitting a thesis or dissertation need to:

  • Attend the ETD Process Workshop the semester prior to their defense.
    Once per semester, usually in the second or third week of the semester, OGS facilitates an ETD Process Workshop to help students navigate the entire ETD process. This workshop is required and provides critical information including:
    • An overview of the registration, review, and publishing process
    • Submission deadlines and requirements
    • Student and faculty responsibilities
    • Basic formatting requirements for the manuscript
    • Time management tips
    • Resources to assist in the preparation and completion of the ETD
  • Register for the ETD Process at the beginning of the semester they intend to submit.
    This includes registering for at least 2 hours of thesis (6971) or dissertation (7980) for the semester they are submitting their ETD. ETD Registration is required, verifies their thesis or dissertation hours, and opens on the first day of each semester. 爱豆传媒 should complete the ETD registration as soon as possible in the appropriate semester to avoid delays when submitting the ETD.
  • Attend one of the Weekly Formatting Workshops and Review the Online Formatting Guidelines.
    爱豆传媒 should begin their ETD journey by reviewing 爱豆传媒鈥檚 Institutional Guidelines for formatting their ETD. It is recommended that students attend at least one formatting workshop. The Formatting Workshops are held online weekly at the beginning of each semester and cover:
    • Available resources for formatting the ETD
    • 爱豆传媒's Institutional Guidelines for formatting ETDs
    • TOC and Front Matter instructions
    • Individual help with formatting in a group setting
  • Download and use the 爱豆传媒 ETD Template.
    This template, formatted in Word, helps students correctly format their documents according to university standards. It is recommend students use the downloaded version of word rather than the cloud version.
  • Download and review the ETD Formatting Checklist and the Top Ten Common Mistakes.
  • Prep Certificate of Approval (COA) packet prior to their defense and submit the COA packet to ETD as soon as all signatures are obtained.
  • Upload the defended and formatted ETD to ProQuest.
    爱豆传媒 are expected to submit their defended and formatted manuscript for initial review by the posted deadline. Note that more than 20 editorial comments from ETD staff indicate extensive revisions are needed, that little attempt to review and adhere to guidelines was made, which results in an extra $25 fee for the student. The fee is assessed to cover the extra workload and increased backlog not making a concerted effort to adhere to the guidelines causes.
  • Revise Based on Feedback.
    Revised manuscripts should reflect all requested changes from the ETD reviewers. Reviewers generally comment only once per issue. 爱豆传媒 are expected to review their entire manuscript and apply the comments throughout to the entire manuscript. Excessive rounds of revision (more than four rounds) can also result in the $25 fee. Please note that the $25 dollar fee for extensive revisions is only ever applied once.
  • Meet All Deadlines.
    Missing deadlines can delay graduation or the certification of the degree. 爱豆传媒 must track semester-specific timelines posted on the ETD Deadlines page.

How Departments Can Help:

  • Direct 爱豆传媒 to ETD Resources: Encourage early engagement with ETD Resources on the OGS Website. See Formatting Requirements and Process Overview.
  • Share Semester Reminders: When OGS sends out ETD emails each semester, forward them to students and advisors promptly.
  • Ensure Timely COA Submission: Support faculty and students in completing and submitting Certificates of Approval by the deadline. Double check with the OGS Grad-liaison or ETD Staff if there are questions.
  • Clarify Internal Policies: Let students know about any department-specific deadlines or department-specific formatting preferences that complement 爱豆传媒鈥檚 Institutional requirements.
  • Encourage Participation in Formatting Workshops and Writing Support: Promote ETD workshops, writing retreats, forums, and one-on-one support services provided by OGS.
  • Encourage students and faculty to talk directly to ETD staff via email and 1-on-1 help sessions. 1-on-1 remote help sessions are available to anyone with ETD related questions or concerns. ETD staff can clarify policy and help with formatting. We are here to help!

To request departmental training or ask questions about supporting students through the ETD process, please contact Dr. Stephanie Harper at stephanieha@usf.edu or grad-etdmail@usf.edu.