Dissertation Submission Steps

  1. Early/Mid-August: Attend a required format workshop with the CTW and the Library.


  2. Acquire an editor no later than October 1st (optional). Requests made after this date may not be fulfilled.


  3. December 15th: Submit one copy of your completed dissertation to your advisor. Send a PDF to support@wts.edu, so our support team can log your completion. Your advisor will review and approve the dissertation for final submission.


  4. January 30th: Submit a PDF copy of your dissertation to support@wts.edu. When you submit the PDF, please affirm in your email that your dissertation does not exceed the 100,000 word limit.


    Please also submit one hard copy bound in a three-ring binder and printed on one side only for the format review team. Mail to or drop off at:


    c/o Leslie Altena

    CTW Office, 4th Floor, Andreas Center

    Westminster Theological Seminary

    2960 Church Road

    Glenside, PA, 19038

    ​

    ​If Dr. Altena is not in her office, you may instead leave your dissertation in her mailbox on the main floor of the Andreas Center.


    After submitting or mailing the hard copy, send an email to both support@wts.edu and ctw@wts.edu letting us know.

    ​

  5. Pay the dissertation fee (due upon submission, January 30th).


  6. We will distribute a PDF of your dissertation to the following reviewers: (a) the format review team (Dr. Leslie Altena and CTW Staff), (b) your advisor, (c) your second reader (WTS faculty member in your field), and (d) your external reader.

  1. The format review team will complete an initial format check-in. If you pass this initial check-in, they will continue on to do a full format review. If you fail this initial check-in, you will be required to make changes and resubmit a new hard copy by March 1st.

  1. Schedule and complete your oral defense (typically end of March through mid-April). The faculty strongly encourages students to bring a hard copy of the dissertation with them to the defense, but this is not required.

  1. Review feedback from reviewers and the format team and edit your dissertation. You will receive written feedback from your readers within one business day after the defense. You will receive a full report from the format review team by April 15th.

  1. Submit two final hard copies by May 1st

    - One copy on 20-24 lb, 100% cotton, 8.5in x 11in white paper

    - One copy on regular printer paper

    - No hole punches on either copy


Mail to or drop off at:

c/o Myranda Scherschligt

Academic Support Office, 2nd floor, Machen Hall

Westminster Theological Seminary

2960 Church Road

Glenside, PA, 19038


  1. Upload your final PDF and sign the plagiarism pledge with Proquest for online publishing no later than May 1st.

  1. Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED).

Note: When submission deadlines fall on a weekend, the deadline will be moved to the following Monday.


For more comprehensive details, please review the PhD Student Handbook.