Master's Thesis Submission Form
Master’s Theses | Montezuma Publishing YouTube Channel | Universal Formatting Requirements for All Departments | Master’s Thesis, EdD and DrPh Dissertation Formatting Templates | Thesis Q&A Sessions and Companion Guide | Optional Professional Support | Master’s Student Milestones and Typical Timeline | Review and Publishing Fees | Thesis Deadlines for Upcoming Terms | Master’s Thesis Submission Procedure | Review Procedures | EdD and DrPh Dissertations | PhD Dissertations | Publishing | Policies | Frequently Asked Questions | Optional Formatting Services vs. Editing Services | Optional Montezuma Formatting | Optional Thesis/Dissertation Editing | Contact | Thesis Links
THESIS AND DISSERTATION SERVICES
Our business hours and virtual help desk's hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Our register is open to process payments Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. For SDSU Fall 2025's Publication Deadline and Avoid Reenrollment Deadline, our office and register will operate between 9:00-3:45 pm. Hours of operation are subject to change.
Montezuma Publishing (MP) is a non-profit department on campus at SDSU. One of our principal areas of service is graduate publishing. For graduate students, MP is responsible for:
Montezuma Publishing is part of Aztec Shops, which is an auxiliary of SDSU. We provide these services on behalf of the College of Graduate Studies, and partner with them to verify that each document meets the requirements adopted by the SDSU Graduate Council. These criteria establish uniformity in style and presentation for all published documents.
If you are in a Plan A Master’s program, your submitted thesis needs to be well written, stylistically appropriate, and edited. Your thesis committee is unlikely to approve your thesis (by signing the cover sheet) until it meets those standards. If you require writing assistance, reach out to the Graduate Student Writing Center for free support.
Montezuma Publishing YouTube Channel
Montezuma Publishing’s YouTube Channel provides additional guidance for SDSU Master’s and Ed.D. students that must publish a thesis or dissertation as part of their graduation requirement. There you can find detailed information about formatting and department requirements, SDSU deadlines, and more. We have a growing list of tutorials such as how to apply text styles in a template, how to generate a Table of Contents, and how to perform a subdocument import. These are all designed to help you prepare your document for review and provide you with the knowledge you will need to complete the publication process. We continue to create new content for our channel, so make sure to subscribe today!
Master’s Theses
If you are in a Plan A Master’s program, your submitted thesis needs to be well written, stylistically appropriate, and edited. Your thesis committee is unlikely to approve your thesis (by signing the cover sheet) until it meets those standards.
After your submission is approved for formatting consistency by the MP Reviewer, thesis publication is the final graduation requirement. Even if all your coursework is completed, your Plan A Master’s program requires thesis publication prior to awarding the degree. The thesis is considered to be “published” after your thesis document formatting has been reviewed and approved, and all publishing fees have been paid.
Here are the formatting guidelines that apply to all Master’s degrees University-wide, which will be reviewed by Montezuma Publishing.
Universal Formatting Requirements for All Departments
After thesis or dissertation committee approval, most students complete the remaining stylistic and formatting adjustments themselves. The remainder choose to hire a professional formatter for these services. The style and formatting requirements are presented here so that you will have the best chance of passing format review with minimal mistakes.
Your Thesis Style
Theses need to be submitted in a consistent and predictable style. Your Master’s program has pre-approved one or more specific styles that can be verified in this style list. If your thesis chair and advisor believe a different style should be approved for you as an exception, then your graduate advisor can notify Montezuma Publishing (MP) via email to thesis@aztecmail.com, stating what reference style you are to use. If the style does not appear on our existing style list, the graduate advisor will also need to provide a sample article and/or author formatting instructions for us to refer to during your review.
Your Thesis Formatting
In addition to adhering to your program’s chosen style, all Master’s theses need to follow some simple universal formatting guidelines. See the SDSU Thesis template for instructions, samples, and formatting assistance. There are 13 rules:
Download a copy of these SDSU Formatting Guidelines here.
Download a copy of the style guide for the Chicago Author-Number System here.
The Master’s Thesis Formatting Review Checklist
Before submitting your thesis to our office for review, refer to this review checklist to verify that you have addressed the most common formatting errors, and applied the correct format to your document. If you have followed all 13 rules and passed the checklist, then your thesis should pass MP review.
Master’s Thesis, EdD and DrPh Dissertation Formatting Templates
Nearly all students find it easiest to meet the universal formatting requirements by using the SDSU Thesis Template. The template contains all of the correct formatting for preliminary pages, a page to auto-generate the table of contents and lists of figures or tables, and all of the necessary styles for headings, text, images, and references.
Here are links to download the appropriate template for your discipline:
1a. SDSU Thesis Template
This main template is an MS Word file. It contains styles that will assist you with formatting according to the University guidelines. It contains all the required preliminary page formatting necessary to prepare your thesis. Here are a few extra notes:
1b. SDSU LaTeX Template (for the entire thesis)
Some graduate programs have been approved to use LaTeX rather than MS Word to write the thesis. (See the style list and discuss with your thesis chair if you are unsure.) For those programs, this LaTeX template complies with the SDSU formatting requirements. The template can be found on the Math Department Resources web page, if you follow this link. Downloads are available for Windows or Linux/Unix. If you need guidance beyond the documents on that web page, a good third-party resource on using LaTeX is the LaTeX Wikibook.
1c. Hybrid MS Word - LaTeX Thesis
Some graduate programs require their students to write their thesis using the MS Word SDSU Thesis Template, but format the in-text citations and references pages according to the LaTex requirements. If your program has this “hybrid” requirement, then after writing your thesis in the MS Word template, download the “PDF - sdsu thesis latex” from this web site. Manually edit each citation and each reference so that they all meet the LaTeX requirements.
2a. SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 3 Committee Members
If you have a 3-member committee, use this signature page template to fill in your committee information. Print it out to get your committee signatures.
2b. SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 4 Committee Members
If you have a 4-member committee, use this signature page template to fill in your committee information. Print it out to get your committee signatures.
2c. SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 5 Committee Members
If you have a 5-member committee, replace the main template's signature page with this one. You may use the copy and paste function to do this.
EdD Dissertation Formatting Template
EdD students should use the SDSU APA EdD Dissertation Template, which was developed in partnership with the EdD directors. Here are some additional notes:
DrPh Dissertation Formatting Template
DrPh students should use the SDSU APA DrPh Dissertation Template, which was developed in partnership with the DrPh program director and coordinator. Here are some additional notes:
I Started Without the Template, But Now I Changed My Mind
If you are writing your thesis without the SDSU template and now want to switch, you will not need to start over from the beginning. Follow these instructions or video tutorial for “subdocument import” to safely copy your existing documents into the SDSU template (screenshots are taken from MS Word in Windows). Follow these instructions for “subdocument import” and/or Video Tutorial will ensure that the thesis template styles are not corrupted by conflicting formatting that you could accidentally bring over with a simple copy/paste. on our website to be amended to say the following
Thesis Q&A Sessions and Companion Guide
Montezuma Publishing hosts multiple Zoom Q&A sessions each February for the spring semester and September for the fall semester. We now host a session during June for summer semesters. Here are the summer session dates and Zoom links:
Register for the Zoom session
September 18, 2025 - 2:00 pm
https://SDSU.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Sjb2g6DQSfSZlXuUwNEP5w
September 22, 2025 - 12:00 pm
https://SDSU.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wHOSLKr6RAGzACVCgHOFxA
September 23, 2025 - 12:00 pm
https://SDSU.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DT8OZvTNRoORGKaR3JNx7g
This session will cover everything you will need to know from submission to publication. A copy of the material discussed in each session can be found in our Thesis Companion Guide.
Dissertation Q&A Session and Companion Guide
September 18, 2025 - 12:00 pm
https://SDSU.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9SkuXrKVT4inzDNgNb__0g
September 22, 2025 - 2:00 pm
https://SDSU.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xbnL9i4kSjuLSoJI2F00rQ
This session will cover everything you will need to know from submission to publication. A copy of the material discussed in each session can be found in our Dissertation Companion Guide.
Optional Professional Support
Although thesis/dissertation content and writing are the sole responsibility of the student, some students do not believe that final formatting is an effective use of their personal time. If the thesis has met all of your committee’s expectations, you are permitted to hire another individual for final formatting. If a formatter is hired, please note that you are still responsible for assuring that the thesis does not violate academic standards.
Optional formatting services are available from freelance professionals or from Montezuma. Montezuma Formatting are on-campus, fee-based services and are separate departments from Montezuma Publishing (the unit that conducts required thesis review and publication). Montezuma Formatting, and Montezuma Publishing have separate staff. However, a supervisor from Montezuma Publishing does train Montezuma Formatting staff to assure that their services are aligned with campus requirements.
If you elect to use Montezuma Formatting services, MP will ensure that the document passes MP internal review, and you will not be charged a separate review fee to validate the formatting. When you hire a freelance formatter (not MP), you will be working with them directly for turnaround time and associated costs. When the freelance formatter provides you with a final draft, you will submit your document to MP for review.
Contact information for freelance formatters (who are not employees of Aztec Shops or SDSU) can be found here: Optional Professional Support. While we do not guarantee the work of any freelance formatter, the professionals on this list have been vetted by MP. Exercise caution when hiring a formatter not included on this list, as doing so may result in your document failing review, since they have not gone through the process of having their work verified by our office.
To hire formatters from the Montezuma Formatting department, see this section of our web page. Their current prices are $3 per page. A 50% deposit is required at the time of submission.
Master’s Student Milestones and Typical Timeline
Graduate Studies posts graduation deadline fliers for each term here: https://grad.sdsu.edu/announcements-and-deadlines
This flowchart shows a typical sequence for review: Flowchart - Review. Each round of formatting review takes 2-4 weeks, and the average student passes review on their first or second attempt. Overall, a typical timeline for two reviews might be:
Submission → 1st Review: 4 weeks
Review → Resubmission: <2 weeks
Resubmission → 2nd Review → MP approval: 4 weeks
First submission → MP approval ≈ 10 weeks total
Review and Publishing Fees
Master's Thesis Deadlines for Upcoming Terms
Disclaimer: You must be enrolled in 799 A or B at the time of your initial document submission to MP, see The College of Graduate Studies for more information.
Are you ready to submit?
If your committee-approved thesis does not yet meet the 13 Rules of the SDSU Thesis Universal Formatting Requirements described above, then do not submit it to Montezuma Publishing for formatting Review. For example, we cannot accept the thesis if any mandatory preliminary pages are missing (Title page, Signature page, Copyright page, Abstract, Table of Contents, List of Figures/Tables if applicable), or if it has been written in a style your department does not approve of. We also cannot accept your submission if it is not organized into a single Word document or PDF.
Some students are unable to complete all formatting requirements themselves due to competing time constraints. If you fall into this category, please register for Montezuma Formatting. See the Optional Montezuma Formatting section below.
Fall 2025 Deadlines
Submission Deadline: October 24, 2025, by 3:45 pm
Publication Deadline: December 12, 2025, by 3:45 pm
Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B: December 19, 2025, at 3:45 pm
Spring 2026 Deadlines
Submission Deadline: March 27, 2026, by 2:45 pm
Publication Deadline: May 15, 2026, by 2:45 pm
Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B: May 21, 2026, at 2:45 pm
Summer 2026 Deadlines
Submission Deadline: June 26, 2026, by 2:45 pm
Publication Deadline: August 14, 2026, by 2:45 pm
Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B: August 18, 2025, at 2:45 pm
Submission Deadlines
If you submit your well-written and properly formatted thesis and complete Review payment ($60) to Montezuma Publishing (MP) by the Submission Deadline, MP will Review your thesis within 2-4 weeks. If you need to make formatting corrections and you make those corrections and resubmit within 2 weeks, your next round of formatting Review will be given priority status.
To have the best possibility of graduation during the current semester, work with your thesis chair and committee to meet the Submission Deadline. Thesis submission is not received until payment is made, and our register is open to process payments Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 3:45 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am - 2:45 pm.
Form responses are not considered to be submissions until payment is made.
Publication Deadlines
If your thesis receives final formatting approval from MP (passes Review) and you pay the $75 ProQuest publishing fee by the deadline, you are eligible for the master’s degree in the current semester. If your department requires you to purchase a thesis copy for the department library, this payment must be made at the same time as the ProQuest fee. Students who miss the Publication Deadline (even by one day) are eligible for the master’s degree in a future semester.
Thesis publication is not approved until payment is made, and our register is open to process payments Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m, and Friday from 9:00 am to 2:45 pm. For SDSU Fall 2025's Publication Deadline and Avoid Reenrollment Deadline, our office and register will operate between 9:00-3:45 pm.
Forms sent overnight are not considered for publication until payment is made the following day.
Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B Deadline (Last Day of Term)
The last day of the term is the “Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B” deadline. If you submit your thesis on any day prior to the “Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B” deadline, you will not have to register for 799B in the following term. Note that your thesis cannot be accepted for Review if it does not meet the requirements listed above. Pay special attention to the “Are you ready to submit?” section before attempting submission.
Thesis submission is not received until payment is made, and our register is open to process payments Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am to 2:45 pm. For SDSU Fall 2025's Publication Deadline and Avoid Reenrollment Deadline, our office and register will operate between 9:00-3:45 pm.
Forms sent overnight are not considered to be submissions until payment is made the following day.
For more information, visit our YouTube channel for our "San Diego State University Thesis Deadlines Explained" video.
Master’s Thesis Submission Procedure
To submit for review, please fill out the SDSU Master's Thesis Submission Form. If supplementary materials are needed (such as audio, video, oversized tables/figures), then these must be submitted at the same time as the thesis. Upon receipt of these documents, we will verify your enrollment in 799 and create a record for you in our system. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to make payments by phone.
Please review the Submission Deadline information above. Our business hours and virtual help desk's hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Our register is open to process payments Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. For SDSU Fall 2025's Publication Deadline and Avoid Reenrollment Deadline, our office and register will operate between 9:00-3:45 pm. Hours of operation are subject to change.
The Committee Signature Page
The thesis committee signature page is one of the most important parts of the thesis. The signed committee page is confirmation that all committee members approve of your scholarly work. Montezuma Publishing can accept electronic or physical signatures for the thesis signature page.
Download a signature page template from the Templates section above. Fill in your personal and thesis information. When your committee members are ready to approve, here are the options:
Regardless of which approach you choose, submit all signatures to MP by pdf attachment in the Master's Thesis Submission Form. If you submit multiple documents, our staff will combine them into a single committee signature page for publication.
Review Procedures
The Review Process
Note: You must be enrolled in Thesis 799A or 799B, or Dissertation 899 at SDSU at the time of your initial document submission before MP will accept your manuscript for format review.
You can download a copy of the Review Flowchart here: Flowchart - Review
What is Checked During Formatting Review?
Your submitted thesis needs to be well written, stylistically appropriate, and edited. Your thesis committee is unlikely to approve your thesis (by signing the cover sheet) until it meets those standards. However, even with careful preparation, most students have minor formatting errors due to the complexity of the document. Your thesis will be a globally published document through ProQuest, and the MP reviewers are tasked with assuring formatting consistency for these publications. They will ensure that both your department style requirements and the SDSU Master’s formatting guidelines (or EdD and DrPh Dissertation formatting guidelines) are met.
A comment will be placed in your thesis file where each correction is needed. For repetitions of the same mistake, you can expect to receive comments only the first two times. After that, you will need to personally review the entire document to ensure that the error does not appear again. As a reminder, you can refer to this review checklist for the most common formatting errors.
If your thesis has more than 20 errors, the reviewer will stop prior to the end of your thesis. In these cases, the student must complete all corrections and thoroughly review the thesis to its end, in order to minimize additional rounds of review.
After the Thesis or EdD Dissertation is Approved for Publication
Master’s thesis or EdD dissertation publication is the final graduation requirement. Even if all your coursework is completed and your thesis/dissertation committee has signed the cover page, thesis publication is necessary to award the degree. The thesis or dissertation is considered to be “published” after document formatting has been reviewed and approved, and all publishing fees have been paid.
All fees must be paid by the Publication Deadline in order to graduate during the current semester. After formatting review is approved, you will be emailed a quote for the ProQuest publishing fee and payment instructions. Once all fees are paid, MP will notify the College of Graduate Studies that you have completed publication.
Please visit the Thesis Publishing section below for costs associated with print copies, if you choose to purchase these.
EdD and DrPh Dissertations
Doctor of Education (EdD) and Doctor of Public Health (DrPh) students should follow the graduation and dissertation steps posted on the College of Graduate Studies website under the "Independent Doctoral Programs (IDP) Dissertation Publication Steps" page.
After successfully defending their dissertation and obtaining committee approval, EdD and DrPh students submit their dissertation packet through the SDSU Doctoral Dissertation Submission Form. Pat Walls (doctoralprograms@sdsu.edu) in Graduate Studies will evaluate the packet and transcripts, and then send the dissertation and associated documents to Montezuma Publishing. You will be emailed submission confirmation.
EdD and DrPh Dissertation Formatting and Review
If you format the dissertation yourself, MP will review it for consistency with APA formatting and your program’s preliminary page requirements. Each IDP has a MS Word template to help you format your dissertation. These requirements are described in the SDSU APA EdD Dissertation Template and the SDSU APA DrPH Dissertation Template. You can use the APA 7th manual checklist or the SDSU EdD and DrPh Dissertation Review Checklist to find potential errors before submission. For information on how to use the template, generate the table of contents (TOC), and other formatting tutorials and resources, please visit our YouTube channel.
Your Dissertation Formatting
In addition to adhering to your program’s chosen style, all dissertations need to follow some simple universal formatting guidelines. See the SDSU APA EdD Dissertation Template or the SDSU APA DrPH Dissertation Template for instructions, samples, and formatting assistance. There are 13 rules:
Title page: Mandatory; no page number
Signature page: Mandatory; no page number
Copyright page : Mandatory; numbered iii
Dedication: Optional; must have page number
Abstract: Mandatory; up to 350 words, single-spaced; must have page number
Table of Contents: Mandatory; must have page number
List of Tables, List of Figures, etc.: Mandatory when the document includes more than one table, figure, etc. (e.g., if you have 2 tables, include a List of Tables; 2 figures, include a List of Figures); must have page number
Acknowledgements: Optional; must have page number
Download a copy of these SDSU EdD and DrPh Dissertation Formatting Guidelines here.
If you choose not to format the approved dissertation yourself, please see the Optional Montezuma Formatting section below. You can also find contact information for freelance formatters (who are not Aztec Shops or SDSU employees) here: Optional Professional Support
For publishing information, please visit the Publishing section on this page.
PhD Dissertations
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students should follow the graduation and dissertation steps posted on the Graduate Studies website on the "Ph.D. Dissertation Publication Steps" page.
After publication at the partner campus, PhD students must complete the SDSU Doctoral Dissertation Submission Form. As of May 2020, all official SDSU communications must use official SDSU emails. The form requires being logged into your SDSU email account. Within five business days of submitting the form, Pat Walls (doctoralprograms@sdsu.edu) in Graduate Studies will evaluate the packet and transcripts, and then send the dissertation and associated documents to Montezuma Publishing. You will be emailed submission confirmation.
PhD Dissertation Formatting and Review
Students in joint PhD programs must follow their partner campus dissertation defense deadlines, formatting requirements, and submission procedures. Please visit the College of Graduate Studies website for more information.
Publishing
University Requirements
A $75.00 processing fee includes ProQuest submission, an electronic file, metadata file, and abstract for SDSU Library.
ProQuest
As of Fall 2013, SDSU has partnered with ProQuest, an online archival database. It provides full text dissertations and theses from over 700 academic institutions, allowing students and researchers to access and share relevant material quickly and conveniently.
Visit ProQuest or the SDSU Library website to access currently published dissertations and theses.
Embargo
An “embargo” is a restriction of access to the use of a thesis, dissertation, or project. Embargoed theses and dissertations will only feature the author’s abstract and the document title.
If you and/or your committee chair would like to request protection for potential copyrights or patents of the thesis or dissertation, a memorandum must be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies for the Associate Dean’s approval. If the Associate Dean approves the delay of publication, a signed copy of the request must be submitted to MP at the time of thesis submission. The embargo must be supplied to MP before the thesis formatting is approved and publication fees are paid.
Department Requirements/Personal Copies
Some departments require a hard-bound copy for their own department libraries. Check with your department for specific requirements. For your personal copy, you have a choice of binding, cover color,* and paper type for your thesis. SDSU alumni can receive a quote for purchasing personal copies by filling out our printed copies request form or calling our office directly.
*Due to variances among color monitors, the colors on your computer monitor may appear differently than the actual products. If color is important to you, please stop by the Montezuma Publishing office to make your selection.
Hard Bound $45.00
Cherry Burgundy Brown Blue Black
Soft (vinyl) Bound $15.00
Black Red Blue Green
Paper Options
Cotton bond: $0.12 per page Regular paper: $0.08 per page Color copies: $1.00 per page
Pages are printed single sided unless double sided printing is requested.
MP can bind original copies. Binding charges apply.
Pricing Example:
This example includes the University Requirements and 1 personal hardbound cotton copy for a 130-page thesis.
Item
Cost
Hard Bind
$45.00
Cotton Copy Fees (130 pg. x $0.12 per page)
$15.60
Processing Fee
$75.00
Subtotal
$135.60
Tax (7.75%)
$4.70
Total
$140.30
Timeline
Hard-bound copies take 6-8 weeks.
Soft-bound copies take 2-4 weeks.
Students purchasing their thesis closer to deadlines or the winter holiday season may experience a longer waiting period. MP will email you when your copies are ready. If printed copies are required by your department, then the publishing requirement is dependent only on the final publishing payment; you do not have to wait for copies to arrive in order to be cleared for graduation.
Shipping
Department copies will be delivered to the designated department, free of charge. Personal copies will be shipped to your address. We use USPS flat-rate shipping. As such, the shipping fee is determined by the length of your document and subsequent size of your book. MP will email you with the tracking information once the copies are shipped.
Policies
*Policies are established by the College of Graduate Studies. If you have questions, call (619) 594-5213.
If a student submits for review before the "Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B" deadline but does not pass, the student can resubmit at any point until the "Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B" deadline or within 45 days of receiving a corrections email, whichever comes later. If the student does not pass or resubmit within this time frame, the thesis will be rejected and the student will have to register in 799B the following semester and re-apply for graduation.
A student must pay for publication within 90 days of the notification that they have passed review. If a student fails to pay for publishing within this timeframe, the thesis will be rejected and the student will have to register in 799B the following semester and re-apply for graduation.
Copyright Policy
Copyright law is highly complex and what follows is offered as only a general guide. This information is not a substitute for a legal opinion.
Ownership of a dissertation, thesis or project begins at the moment the manuscript or "object" is created. Although no further act of the author is required, the law does provide some advantages in giving formal notice and registration of a copyright.
Formal notice of copyright is given by including a copyright page in the manuscript. This notice does not establish any copyright privileges, but it does signal acknowledgment of a legal right and copyright ownership. Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is optional, but it provides a record of the work, the fact of copyright, and the author's name and address. Registration would probably be most important if the author wished to file in the future a lawsuit over copyright infringement.
The University assumes that a dissertation, thesis or project approved by a faculty committee is primarily the product of the student's efforts. Thus, the student will usually be considered the owner of the copyrights associated with the manuscript. Students should be aware, however, that the dissertation, thesis, or project is the actual product submitted in satisfaction of one of the requirements for an advanced degree rather than the basic research or the results of which it reports. In some instances, therefore, individual faculty members may retain some copyright or patent interest in the data or other jointly developed work included in the thesis or dissertation. Students are, therefore, strongly advised to resolve any questions about ownership rights to data or other elements of the thesis/dissertation in which the faculty committee chair may have an interest. Agreement over such issues should be obtained in writing before beginning research on the dissertation, thesis, or project.
In order to foster broad dissemination of the results of scholarly research, the student, upon submission of the dissertation, thesis, or project to the SDSU Graduate Division, agrees to convey to the University a license for the following uses of the product:
Students wanting more information should access a copy of the U.S. Copyright Office Circular 1, "Copyright Basics" on campus via the SDSU library web site.
The federal government has a very good website - Copyright.gov with complete copyright information including application forms. To speak with an information specialist, call (202) 707-3000. Lastly, students or faculty requiring additional information about copyrights may contact the SDSU Foundation Technology Transfer Office at (619) 594-0516.
Thesis in Foriegn Languages
As presentations of original research to the academic community, theses are ordinarily prepared for the University in the English language. In certain cases, however, for a foreign language degree, a student's thesis in the history and literary analysis of non-English languages and literatures may be presented in the subject’s language. When the departmental graduate adviser and the prospective thesis committee deem this academically appropriate for the specific research topic, the appointment of the student's thesis committee and authorization of the thesis research by the graduate dean shall be based on the provisions that:
To obtain approval by the Graduate Dean:
Rejection of Theses/Dissertations
Your submitted thesis needs to be well written, stylistically appropriate, and edited. Your thesis committee is unlikely to approve your thesis (by signing the cover sheet) until it meets those standards. Dissertations and theses should be fully formatted as described above prior to their submission for review. As stated in the Bulletin of the Graduate Division under "Thesis Submission," manuscripts deemed unready for submission (those with "gross deficiencies of format or presentation") will be rejected at the time of submission for review, and returned to the student. The Rejection Form lists the criteria for rejection. When a thesis is rejected, the names of the thesis chair and graduate adviser will be listed at the bottom of the form and both will receive copies; a copy will also be placed in your file with MP.
If, because of rejection, you cannot meet the original semester's deadline for the Avoid Re-enrollment in 799B, you will be required to re-enroll in Dissertation/Thesis 899/799.
Restricted Use of Thesis Request - Embargo
On rare occasions, and to protect potential copyrights or patents, thesis accessibility can be restricted on a short-term basis.
Library & Information Access will restrict the use of a thesis or project if the author and the chair of the thesis committee request such action and the Graduate Dean approves. The purpose of the restriction is to protect the author's right to publish or otherwise exploit the new knowledge before making it available to others.
The display of a thesis, dissertation, or project may be embargoed for a period of up to two years upon written request of the student and consent of the Dean of the Graduate Division. In the case of Joint Doctoral degrees, students must notify both schools and comply with each school's policies.
To designate restricted use of a thesis, the author and the thesis committee chair should send a memorandum requesting restricted use to the Dean of the Graduate Division. If the dean approves, a signed copy of the request with approval is provided to Montezuma Publishing at the time of thesis submission. The embargo must be supplied to Montezuma Publishing before the thesis formatting is approved and publication fees are paid. The request is then sent to the Monograph Cataloging Unit, who in turn will withhold from use all copies of the restricted thesis when they are received in the Library & Information Access.
The author's memorandum to the Dean of the Graduate Division requesting restricted use of a thesis should state the following:
Authors may request a renewal of the restriction period for a second year by sending a memorandum to the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate Division specifying the reason for the renewal.
FAQ
Can I make payment for my submission online?
At this time, MP does not have an online payment system. Payments can be made by visiting our virtual help desk between Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am - 3:45 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am to 2:45 pm. For SDSU Fall 2025's Publication Deadline and Avoid Reenrollment Deadline, our office will operate between 9:00-3:45 pm. Hours of operation are subject to change.
I just submitted my Master's Thesis Submission Form, can I pay for my submission now?
Our office must verify your enrollment in 799 before we can take your payment. You will be notified via email of when our office can take your payment.
I just submitted my Dissertation Submission Form, can I pay for my submission now?
Within five (5) business days of submitting the form, the doctoral program specialist <doctoralprograms@sdsu.edu> in the CGS will evaluate your academic record and submitted documents then will send the dissertation and associated documents to Montezuma Publishing (MP). An email will be sent to you, your doctoral program director, doctoral program coordinator, and MP informing everyone that your documents have been approved and moved forward.
How hard is it to format my thesis myself?
That depends on the complexity of your work. You must be familiar with your department reference style, the SDSU formatting rules, and be an adept Microsoft Word user with regard to the Thesis Template (i.e., you must know how to import your document into the template, apply/remove template styles, change page orientation without losing proper pagination placement, generate a table of contents, work with different types of page breaks, etc.).
I am going to format my thesis myself. How much time should I set aside for this process?
In general, you should plan to spend a minimum of two weeks formatting your thesis. You will need time to:
What are the top mistakes people make when formatting their theses?
Do you have any information on the Chicago Author-Number System?
Yes. Information can be found here:Chicago Author-Number System.
Whose name should I put on my copyright page: My name or my professor's name?
You need to have your name on the copyright page in the same manner as it is on the title and signature pages. For more information on publication rights, please see the Copyright Policy.
What are the deadlines this semester and can you explain what they are?
See the Thesis Deadlines page; it contains a list of deadlines for this semester with explanations of each of deadline.
Do we need to take the Submission Deadline seriously?
YES! Never count on graduating if you submit after that deadline.
What are my chances for having my thesis reviewed in time to graduate this semester if I submit it after the submission deadline?
Your chances of having your thesis reviewed after the submission deadline depend on how many theses have been submitted ahead of yours. Additionally, if your thesis is reviewed and returned to you with needed corrections, this will decrease your chances of graduating on-time as your work will need to be revised and reviewed again.
You can increase your chances of getting your thesis approved by using the thesis template and following the SDSU formatting rules precisely or by using Montezuma Publishing.
Do you have any idea how many people will be submitting their theses this semester?
On average, between 100 and 200 students submit their thesis EACH semester. Using the Spring 2022 semester as an example, please note the following statistics:
Does the signature page need to be on special paper (100% cotton or other acid-free paper)?
No. Although an original signature page is required at the time of submission, a scanned and re-printed copy will be bound with your manuscript.
Ink Color: One of my professors signed in blue ink. Will I have to get a new signature page signed?
Black ink is strongly recommended, but blue ink is acceptable as long as the signature is dark enough to be clearly read.
If I use the signature page provided in the Thesis Template, will everything be automatically formatted correctly?
No. The page is formatted for you, but you must type in your name and thesis title correctly as well as your faculty member's names and their department names correctly. Also, the order in which the faculty names appear must be correct and in the same order as on the Thesis Committee Form.
What if my professors sign different signature pages? Do all the signatures need to be on one page?
No. Once your thesis has been approved through Montezuma Publishing, the reviewer will transfer signatures onto one page and create a digital copy. Each signature can be on a separate page if it's easier for you to get it signed that way.
What happens after I submit my thesis?
After your thesis is submitted, it will be put in line to be reviewed in order of submission. If the thesis passes review, it will proceed to the publishing phase. If it does not pass, the thesis will be returned to you with comments regarding revisions that are necessary to bring the work into compliance with the University's formatting rules. You will then need to resubmit your thesis once you complete your revisions, beginning the review process again. See the Review Procedures section for more information.
I am using Montezuma Formatting to format my thesis. What can I do to speed up the process to make sure I graduate on time?
Optional Formatting Services vs. Editing Services
Document formatting pertains to how the document appears on the page as well as in-text citations and reference department requirements. This includes things like margins, font size, line spacing, etc. Formatting does not involve making changes to the content of the document or correcting typos. Editing involves reading the thesis to correct improper spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and readability. Editing needs to be completed prior to formatting.
Optional Montezuma Formatting
Montezuma Formatting offers an optional thesis and dissertation formatting service. We are here to assist you if you do not want to complete the formatting yourself or a freelance formatter is not available. This service is in demand so we do implement a cut-off date for accepting orders to be completed during the current semester. This cut-off date is typically near the Submission Deadline. Our formatting turnaround time depends on the length and complexity of your document, your response time when a correction email is necessary, and the time of the semester that you hire us. Formatting orders placed near the Submission Deadline may take more time to complete as we receive an influx of orders at that time. If we accept your order for the current semester, we will have it formatted and approved in time for you to make your final payments on or before the Publication Deadline. Be sure to respond to any correspondence emails that are sent to you as quickly as possible so we can approve your document formatting in time for you to make the required publishing payments on or before the Publication Deadline.
How to Begin
Note: You must be enrolled in Thesis 799A or 799B, or Dissertation 899 at SDSU at the time of your initial document submission before Montezuma Formatting will accept your manuscript for formatting.
To submit your thesis for formatting, please fill out the SDSU Master's Thesis Submission Form. Upon receipt of these documents, we will verify your enrollment in 799 and create a record for you in our system. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to make payments through our virtual help desk.
To submit your EdD dissertation for formatting, please fill out the SDSU Doctoral Dissertation Submission Form. Within five (5) business days of submitting the form, the doctoral program specialist <doctoralprograms@sdsu.edu> in the CGS will evaluate your academic record and submitted documents then will send the dissertation and associated documents to MP on your behalf. You will then receive an email from MP with instructions on how to make payments by phone.
*If you have already submitted for review to MP and would like to submit for formatting, contact MP via email at <thesis@aztecmail.com> directly.
We cannot format your document from a PDF, Google Doc, or LaTex template file. We are only able to use Microsoft Word.
A 50% formatting deposit is due at the time of submission. The remaining balance is due after the formatting is approved and the final page count is determined.
Format Pricing
$3.00 per page*
We do not offer partial formatting. We charge for the entire document from the first page to the last. This includes appendices.
$60.00 non-refundable fee will be subtracted from deposit if formatting is canceled.
*Price includes a PDF file of your formatted thesis.
When you hire us to format your thesis or dissertation, we will ensure your document meets the San Diego State University Formatting Guidelines. In addition to meeting the SDSU Formatting Guidelines, we will exceed these standards at no additional charge, providing you with a consistent and professional document.
It is important to note that unless you specifically request an exception before you make your formatting deposit Montezuma Formatting will use:
Let us know upfront if there are any special considerations (e.g., oversized pages, maps, landscape pages needed, etc.).
While Montezuma Formatting does work with your document beyond the SDSU formatting requirements, we do not edit for content or grammar unless you have paid for this additional service. Furthermore, once the formatting process has begun/the deposit has been paid, we will not make any grammatical or content changes to your document or accept a new document from you with grammatical or content changes. If you need assistance editing your document, be sure to consult an editor before submitting your file to us.
We format theses and dissertations in the order received; however, the length of time it takes to format your document will depend primarily on its length, complexity, and your response time when a correction email is necessary. If we accept your document for formatting for the current semester, it will be completed in time to meet the Publication Deadline (provided you respond to all correspondence in a timely manner). The average order is completed within 2 months. In some cases it may take longer but will not exceed the Publication Deadline for the semester that you hire us for. If questions arise during the formatting of your document, the formatter assigned to you will send you an email requesting assistance. It is important that you respond as quickly as possible to maintain priority status. Failure to respond may put your graduation at risk.
You can download a copy of the Formatting Flowchart here: Flowchart - Formatting
Completed Formatting
Once we are done formatting your document, it will be placed in line for internal review. Once the formatting is approved, we will contact you to arrange for payment of the formatting balance ($3 per page) and publishing costs ($75 + any required department copies). See the Publishing section for more details.
Optional Thesis/Dissertation Editing
Editing Pricing
*$3.00 per page (250 words = 1 page)
50% deposit is required at the time of initial order
Editing/Formatting Pricing: $6 per page**
*Editing page count only includes the body of your thesis/dissertation. This does not include preliminary pages, references, figures, or tables.
**Price includes a PDF file of your formatted thesis/dissertation.
Editing Standards
The editor will check for the following:
The time it takes to complete the editing of your file will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Variables such as document length, the number of edits required, response rate, and your date of submission will affect this timeline. If your defense is after the Submission Deadline, it may impact your ability to graduate during the current semester.
If you hire MP for editing and formatting after your defense, you must agree to our editing policy agreement: all committee members must provide re-approval (via email reply) to each draft of edits. Response rate by your committee will affect this timeline. The next step of formatting cannot begin until the committee sends their approval.
To submit your thesis for editing and formatting before your thesis defense, please fill out the SDSU Master's Thesis Submission Form. Upon receipt of these documents, we will verify your enrollment in 799 and create a record for you in our system. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to make payment for the editing and formatting deposits with our virtual help desk.
To submit your thesis for editing and formatting after your thesis defense, please fill out the SDSU Master's Thesis Submission Form and agree to the editing policy agreement. Upon receipt of these documents, we will verify your enrollment in 799 and create a record for you in our system. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to make payment for the editing and formatting deposits with our virtual help desk.
To submit your dissertation for editing and formatting before your dissertation defense, please email a MS Word file of your dissertation to <thesis@aztecmail.com>. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to make payment for the editing deposit with our virtual help desk. Once the editing process is complete and you have your committee signature page signed, submit your dissertation to the SDSU College of Graduate Studies through the SDSU Doctoral Dissertation Submission Form. Within five (5) business days of submitting the form, the doctoral program specialist <doctoralprograms@sdsu.edu> in the CGS will evaluate your academic record and submitted documents then will send the dissertation and associated documents to MP on your behalf. You will then receive an email from MP with instructions on how to make payment for the formatting deposit with our virtual help desk.
To submit your dissertation for editing and formatting after your dissertation defense, please submit your dissertation to the SDSU College of Graduate Studies through the SDSU Doctoral Dissertation Submission Form. Within five (5) business days of submitting the form, the doctoral program specialist <doctoralprograms@sdsu.edu> in the CGS will evaluate your academic record and submitted documents then will send the dissertation and associated documents to MP on your behalf. You will then receive an email from MP with instructions on how to make payment for the editing and formatting deposits with our virtual help desk. By making payment for your editing and formatting deposits, you agree to MP's editing policy agreement: all committee members must provide re-approval (via email reply) to each draft of edits. Response rate by your committee will affect this timeline. The next step of formatting cannot begin until the committee sends their approval.
Contact
Michael Cook
SJSU Graduate Publishing Lead
Em Teaze
SDSU Graduate Publishing Lead
Karalyne Porter
Assistant Manager
Steve Murawka
Production Manager
Lia Dearborn
General Manager
Kathy Brown
Division of Campus Stores Director
Email: thesis@aztecmail.com
Virtual Help Desk: Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Register closes 15 minutes before closing.
Mail: Montezuma Publishing San Diego State University San Diego, CA 92182-1701
In person: Second Floor of SDSU Bookstore
Thesis orders are accepted Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:45pm. For SDSU Fall 2025's Publication Deadline and Avoid Reenrollment Deadline, our office and register will operate between 9:00-3:45 pm.
Thesis Links
Other Websites
SDSU College of Graduate Studies
SDSU College of Graduate Studies - Doctoral Programs
LaTeX website
LaTeX Wikibook
Guides
Thesis Companion Guide
Review Checklist
Department Guidelines
Learn how to insert an existing thesis into the template
Learn how to generate a TOC automatically
Chicago Author-Number system
Templates
SDSU Thesis Template
SDSU Thesis Template for Landscape Pages
SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 3 Committee Members
SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 4 Committee Members
SDSU Thesis Signature Page Template with 5 Committee Members
Note: When using the SDSU Thesis Template with Word 2013 or later, you must save your file in the Word 97-2003 Document file type. Failure to do so will create errors in your document.
Documents in Word format (DOC) require Microsoft Viewer. Download Word.