Research Guide: Thesis & Dissertation

Writing a Thesis

by Prof. Don Cowan

2017

Find print copies of theses in the library by searching the library system.

• Filter for University of Pretoria.
• Filter for Theses and Dissertations.

Search HERE for theses and dissertations by your department.

For detailed information regarding the submission process and other administrative aspects of the submission/examination of your research project, please see your faculty Postgraduate Guide:

• Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment & IT

• Faculty of Education

• Faculty of Health Sciences

• Faculty of Humanities

• Faculty of Law

• Faculty of Theology and Religion

• Faculty of Veterinary Sciences

• Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences

If your faculty Postgraduate Guide is not listed above, please contact your Postgraduate Administrator for the relevant information. 

Policy on Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The University of Pretoria supports free access to research literature for all researchers worldwide and takes responsibility for the dissemination of its own research outputs. Because theses and dissertations are not formally published it is even more important that the University itself should provide access to them.

This policy provides direction for the archiving and dissemination of theses and dissertations resulting from postgraduate work done by University of Pretoria students.

The policy aims to ensure that

• any student, researcher or member of the public with a non-commercial need for the information has access to it;
• mechanisms exist for the long-term preservation of UP theses and dissertations.

Download the full policy document here.

​UPSpace thesis submission

Have you graduated but not yet seeing your thesis or dissertation on UPSpace? 

Under normal circumstances you would have been able to self-submit online or send electronic and hardbound copies of your thesis or dissertation to your Faculty Administration.  Unfortunately, since the national lock-down, these submission processes have been deterred leading to a wave of requests for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) to be opened to public. To do this, we need your help. 

If you have self-submitted through UPSpace, please send us an electronic copy of the submission form you filed (signed by yourself and your supervisor). Once we have verification that you have graduated from your Faculty Administration, we can make your document available on UPSpace. 

If you have not yet submitted your thesis or dissertation to UPSpace or only submitted copies on CD/flash to Faculty Admin before the lock-down, please self-submit your work to UPSpace and send a copy of your submission form to Mr Tlou Mathiba (tlou.mathiba@up.ac.za) so that we may speed up the process of opening your thesis/dissertation on UPSpace. 

Please note: hardbound copies can only be submitted once the lock-down is lifted. 

After the submission, examination and revision of your dissertation/thesis, you can have it bound. The University of Pretoria (UP) offers a binding service to all UP staff, students, as well as private clients. 

Procedure:

1. Print your dissertation/thesis. This can be done in your personal capacity or at the Printers (next to the Bindery).
2. Complete the Application form.
3. Make the payment and submit the proof of payment to bindery@up.ac.za AND andre.vanrensburg@up.ac.za
4. Personally, take your copies and application form to the Bindery on the South Campus.

For more information, please visit the Bindery webpage.