Graduate Students Guide

Graduate students must submit an electronic version of their thesis to the Mount Saint Vincent University Library, which will be made accessible online via the Mount E-Commons. 

Thesis submissions require two PDF documents: a final version of your thesis, and a signed Non-exclusive License, which grants permission to the Mount Library to display and preserve your thesis, while allowing you to retain copyright over your work. Please see below for more details on the submission process. 

• Ensure you're working with the final corrected version of your thesis (the same file you submitted to your defense committee, with any revisions suggested by the committee implemented).
• Ensure that you have cleared any copyrighted work within your thesis, including (but not limited to): graphs, charts, images, etc. For more information on copyright, see our Copyright Guide. If you are unsure of how copyright applies to your ability to use other authors' work in your thesis, please talk to your thesis advisor and/or contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian, Lindsey MacCallum, at 902-457-6402 or archives@msvu.ca.
• Ensure that you have not included any personal information of yourself or another person in the thesis or appendices. Personal information could include, but is not limited to: home phone numbers, personal email addresses, home mailing addresses, and signatures. This rule doesn't apply to name, business addresses, or business phone numbers and email addresses; you may leave business information in the documents. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact archives@msvu.ca.
• Ensure that your title page, numbering, and appendices are properly formatted in a single PDF document. Also, you should ensure that copyright is noted on the bottom of your title page (e.g., Copyright 2017 Jane Doe or © John Doe 2018).

For graduate theses, convert your thesis from Word to PDF. The name of the PDF file should be your first name, last name, your degree, the word "Thesis", and the year, with no spaces in-between each word. Examples of the file naming convention include:

• Education: JaneDoeMAEdThesis2017 (Master of Arts in Education)
• Child and Youth Study: JohnDoeMACYSThesis2018
• Women and Gender Studies: JaneDoeMAWGSThesis2017
• Communication Studies: JohnDoeMACThesis2017 (Master of Arts in Communication)
• Applied Human Nutrition: JaneDoeMScAHNThesis2019
• Family Studies and Gerontology: JohnDoeMAFSGNThesis2020 (Master of Arts in Family Studies and Gerontology)

For doctoral dissertations, convert your thesis from Word to PDF. The name of the PDF file should be your first name, last name, your degree, the word "Dissertation", and the year, with no spaces in-between each word. Examples of the file naming convention include:

• JaneDoePhDESDissertation2023

• Save your finalised thesis as a single PDF file and name your thesis according to the file naming conventions detailed above.
• Complete the Thesis Non-Exclusive License Form (PDF). 
• Email the finalised copy of your thesis (PDF) and the Thesis Non-Exclusive License Form(PDF) to archives@msvu.ca.

For further information, please call 902-457-6402 or email archives@msvu.ca. If you experience technical difficulties, please contact the IT&S Help Desk by phone at 902-457-6538 or by email at helpdesk@msvu.ca. 

Optional thesis binding:

The Mount Library does not offer binding services. If you would like to have bound copies of your thesis, we have provided a sample list below of companies who provide binding services (note that this is not an endorsement of the companies or their services):

Scotia Bookbinding (Halifax, NS): scotiabookbinding.com or 902-229-1576
Lehmann Bookbinding (Kitchener, ON): pageforpage.com

Completed thesis submissions will be available on the MSVU e-Commons within 14 business days after submission.