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Saybrook Dissertation Services

A guide for doctoral students and dissertation faculty.

Dissertation Finalization

Dissertation Services supports students as they finalize their dissertations and prepare them for publication in the ProQuest Dissertation Database as required for degree conferral.  Students work with an internal editor to ensure that all Saybrook dissertations meet APA and Saybrook standards for format and style. 

Requesting an Editor 

All students must formally request an editor by:

  1. Filing a Schedule Defense and Editor Report in Mentor Petitions at least 14 days before their dissertation defense.
  2. Successfully completing their dissertation defense and filing the Dissertation Defense Milestone report in Mentor Petitions.
  3. Completing all dissertation chair and committee required edits to the dissertation following the dissertation defense.
  4. Submitting the Finalization Form in ALL 9000 to alert the dissertation editor that you are ready to begin.

Saybrook Dissertation Style Guides

The two style guides used in the finalization process are:

  1. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2019) 7th Edition, available for purchase from outside vendors, and
  2. The Saybrook Handbook of Format and Style, 6th Edition. ​

ALL 9000 Dissertation Finalization Course

ALL 9000 Dissertation Finalization is a 0-credit course reserved for students who have completed all coursework and are ready for dissertation editing. Students are enrolled in the course when they submit their Schedule the Defense and Editor Report in Mentor Petitions.  This course is designed to facilitate student degree completion by supporting their dissertation finalization and preparing their dissertation for publication to ProQuest. Students will be registered in this course until they complete their finalization requirements. This course may be repeated. 

FAQs about cost, submission, and timeline are described below.

 

FAQs

The cost for dissertation finalization is covered by student fees. If a student is enrolled in other courses, no additional fees will be incurred. If the student is only enrolled in ALL9000, the relevant fees for course enrollment will apply.​

Once you have completed the process with the dissertation editor in the ALL9000 course, the editor submits approval forms and documents to the Registrar. Approval forms and documents will only be accepted by the Registrar directly from the assigned editor, NOT the student, committee chair, or committee member.

Questions? Contact Dissertation Services at dissertationservices@saybrook.edu.

Students should allow sufficient time to complete the dissertation finalization process to meet the graduation deadline.

Students submit the Finalization Form in ALL9000, attaching their committee-approved dissertation. After the editor receives the dissertation, it is assessed, and if it is determined prepared for final edits, the editor schedules an initial meeting with the student. The editor then begins the first round of edits. Editors aim to complete and send the first round of dissertation edits in no more than two weeks.  Students then review, edit, and return the draft to the editor for a second round of edits. The overall timeline depends on how prepared the document is and how quickly the student responds to the editor's feedback.