A dissertation is a major part of the work for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in history. A dissertation must be based on a substantial amount of original research and submitted in acceptable form. It must represent a significant scholarly effort and make an original contribution to the scholarship of your field.

• Complete information about the requirements for a dissertation in history
• Graduate School’s Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide
• Completed dissertations
• Recent dissertations
• Dissertations in progress

For completed dissertations, the database ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I available through the University Libraries allows the viewing of citations, abstracts, and full text. You may also purchase copies in various formats from ProQuest. It appears to take several months for new dissertations to be included in the database.

Beginning with the Fall 2010 semester, dissertations at The University of Memphis must be submitted to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository (ETD). Authors may allow unrestricted access, allow access by University of Memphis authorized users only, or deny access altogether, so a particular dissertation may or may not be available through the repository.

The American Historical Association maintains a searchable Directory of History Dissertations which includes both completed dissertations and dissertations in progress. Generally, dissertation records are added as part of the annual process of history departments updating their entries in the Directory of History Departments and Organizations. Students currently working on dissertations who would like to be added to the list of dissertations in progress should contact their director of graduate studies in May to make sure their name and title will be included in their department’s annual submission.