Writing and filing the doctoral dissertation are the
key final steps leading to the award of the PhD.
At the University of Pennsylvania, the student presents the dissertation publicly, defends it, and, with the approval of the dissertation committee, submits the final manuscript to the Graduate Division.
The University’s publication requirement is satisfied when the Graduate Division submits the dissertation to ProQuest for unlimited distribution and to the University Library for shelving in the permanent collection.
The University’s requirements for dissertation format are documented in the doctoral dissertation manual available for immediate PDF download below. Follow the instructions carefully and, should further questions arise, consult the Graduation Coordinator of the SAS Graduate Division Office (Suite 322A, 3401 Walnut Street; phone 898-7444; email ).