Theses and dissertations are structured, extended pieces of academic writing presenting an author’s research findings. They are usually submitted at the end of a course as part of the requirements of a university degree. In the UK, 'dissertations' are usually written by undergraduate and masters students, and 'theses' are produced at doctoral or research degree level. Please note that the library does not hold dissertations.
Doctoral theses are considered particularly insightful as they usually contain original research and make new contributions to scholarship. They are often made openly available on university institutional repositories or digital archives such as City Research Online.
Many institutions maintain open-access repositories of their PhD theses and dissertations. You can learn more about these in our finding open access content guide. You can also find dissertations at the links below.
Database of multi-disciplinary dissertations and theses (UK And Ireland).
Register online with Senate House for remote access.
Available for University of London students and staff with current Senate House Library or School of Advanced Study cards.