Collection inventory

Special Collections home page

Syracuse University Dissertations and Master's Theses Collection

An inventory of the collection at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Vanessa St.Oegger-Menn and Meg Mason
Date: 2021

Historical Note

Syracuse University was founded on March 24, 1870, when its Board of Trustees signed the University charter and certificate of incorporation, acting on a proposal put forth earlier that year at the Methodist State Convention. Despite its modest beginnings, the story of Syracuse University has been one of remarkable growth and progress. The University's population has expanded from a few dozen local students to over 21,000 students from all over the world. Significant eras of development in campus building and academic programs included the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries and the post-World War II years. The second half of the twentieth century saw the University transform into a modern research institution with international connections.

Submitting a thesis or dissertation was not initially a requirement for a earning a graduate degree at Syracuse University. In 1876, the first Syracuse University Post-Graduate Courses of Study mentioned that the only requirement for a graduate degree was "one year's study at the University, devoted to such subjects as may be approved by the faculty." The course of study guide continued: "No particular course or courses of study are specially required, but any who wish to devote a year to such study are requested to consult personally with the Faculty." For PhD students, two years of study were required. Despite this, some faculty members did require their graduate students to submit a thesis, with the first known thesis submitted in 1878. It was not until 1883 that the Post-Graduate Courses of Study declared that graduate students were required to "present and defend a thesis of not less than four thousand words on some subject connected with the department of study pursued by him." Submitted theses were typed and, until the 1980s, bound into book form. In 2012, dissertations and master's theses began to be submitted electronically.

Scope and Content Note

The Syracuse University Dissertations and Master's Theses Collection contains over 21,000 print and 1,600 digital dissertations and theses submitted in the course of degree completion by candidates for advanced degrees. The earliest item in the collection is the master's thesis of J. Albert Reinhart, who completed his Master of Arts degree in Latin in 1878. The collection contains dissertations and theses from all the University's schools and colleges representing the work of scholars in areas ranging from the humanities to the fine arts, architecture, nursing, and STEM fields. Many recent electronic dissertations and master's theses can be accessed through ProQuest.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Born-digital materials remain unprocessed and are therefore restricted.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Many recent electronic dissertations and master's theses can be accessed through ProQuest.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Sociology.
Advertising.
Anthropology.
Architecture.
Art.
Business.
Creative writing.
Economics.
Education.
Engineering.
Geography.
History.
Journalism.
Mathematics.
Music.
Philosophy.
Political science.
Psychology.
Public administration.
Religion.
Science.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Compact discs.
Doctoral dissertations.
Masters theses.
Microfilms.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Syracuse University Dissertations and Master's Theses Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Syracuse University Graduate School and various campus offices.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically within each year.

Supplemental Finding Aids

For a full list and description of dissertations and master's theses, including author, title, and graduating year, please refer to the Excel itemized listing.

Table of Contents

Dissertations and Master's Theses

Inventory