Dissertations and theses in Harvard referencing are classified by whether they are published (available through a database or as a book) or unpublished (held only by the awarding institution). The reference list entry identifies the author, the year, the title in italics, the degree level (e.g., PhD thesis, Master's dissertation), and the institution that awarded it. For theses accessed online — through a repository or database — include the URL or database name and an access date.
Unpublished PhD Thesis
An unpublished thesis is one that has not been commercially published and is held only by the awarding university's library. Use the label Unpublished PhD thesis after the title.
Reference list:
Harrison, T. (2022) The role of parental involvement in secondary school mathematics achievement. Unpublished PhD thesis. University of Manchester.
In-text citations:
Parenthetical:(Harrison, 2022)
Narrative:Harrison (2022) found a statistically significant relationship between parental engagement and GCSE mathematics outcomes…
Unpublished Master's Dissertation
The format is the same as for a PhD thesis, but the degree label changes:
Reference list:
Williams, K. (2023) Social media use and body image perception among UK adolescents. Unpublished Master's dissertation. University of Bristol.
In-text citations:
Parenthetical:(Williams, 2023)
Narrative:Williams (2023) surveyed 480 adolescents across three secondary schools…
Other Degree Types
Use the label that matches the actual degree awarded:
| Degree | Label |
|---|---|
| Doctor of Philosophy | PhD thesis |
| Master of Arts | MA dissertation |
| Master of Science | MSc dissertation |
| Master of Philosophy | MPhil thesis |
| Doctor of Education | EdD thesis |
| Doctor of Business Administration | DBA thesis |
Thesis Accessed From an Institutional Repository
Many universities make theses available through their institutional repository (e.g., UCL Discovery, Edinburgh Research Archive, ORCA at Cardiff). These are freely accessible online.
Reference list:
Torres, M. (2021) Climate adaptation strategies in coastal communities: a comparative case study. PhD thesis. University of Edinburgh. Available at: https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/12345 (Accessed: 14 March 2025).
In-text citations:
Parenthetical:(Torres, 2021)
Narrative:Torres (2021) compared adaptation strategies across six coastal communities in Scotland and Norway…
Note that a thesis in a repository is not labelled "Unpublished" — it is publicly accessible, even though it was not commercially published. Simply use "PhD thesis" (or the appropriate degree label) without the "Unpublished" prefix.
Thesis Accessed From a Database
Theses accessed through specialist databases like EThOS (Electronic Theses Online Service) or ProQuest Dissertations & Theses are referenced with the database name:
EThOS
Reference list:
Okafor, D. (2020) Language policy and bilingual education in Nigerian secondary schools. PhD thesis. University of Leeds. Available at: EThOS (Accessed: 22 January 2025).
In-text:
(Okafor, 2020)
ProQuest
Reference list:
Nguyen, H. (2019) Urban heat island effects on energy consumption in Southeast Asian cities. PhD thesis. National University of Singapore. Available at: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (Accessed: 5 February 2025).
In-text:
(Nguyen, 2019)
With a Database Accession Number
Some Harvard guides recommend including the database accession number or order number:
Nguyen, H. (2019) Urban heat island effects on energy consumption in Southeast Asian cities. PhD thesis. National University of Singapore. Available at: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (Order No. 28123456) (Accessed: 5 February 2025).
Check your institution's guide to see if an accession number is expected.
Published Thesis (as a Book)
When a thesis has been revised and published by a commercial publisher, it is no longer a thesis — it is a book. Reference it using the standard book format:
Reference list:
Patel, N. (2022) Rethinking public space: urban design for wellbeing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
In-text:
(Patel, 2022)
Do not include "PhD thesis" or the awarding institution when the work has been commercially published. If you want to note its origin as a thesis, mention it in your text:
Patel's (2022) study, originally submitted as a doctoral thesis at UCL, argues that…
In-Text Citation Examples
All thesis in-text citations follow the standard Harvard author-date format:
| Scenario | In-Text Citation |
|---|---|
| Single author | (Harrison, 2022) |
| Specific page | (Harrison, 2022, p. 87) |
| Page range | (Harrison, 2022, pp. 87–92) |
| Narrative | Harrison (2022) found that… |
| Narrative with page | Harrison (2022, p. 87) argues that… |
Theses are substantial works — always include a page number when referring to a specific finding, argument, or passage.
Summary: Dissertation and Thesis Reference Formats at a Glance
| Source Type | Reference List Format |
|---|---|
| Unpublished PhD thesis | Author (Year) Title. Unpublished PhD thesis. Institution. |
| Unpublished Master's dissertation | Author (Year) Title. Unpublished Master's dissertation. Institution. |
| Thesis from a repository | Author (Year) Title. PhD thesis. Institution. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date). |
| Thesis from a database | Author (Year) Title. PhD thesis. Institution. Available at: Database Name (Accessed: Date). |
| Published as a book | Author (Year) Title. Place: Publisher. |
Common Mistakes With Dissertation and Thesis Citations
| Mistake | Why It's Wrong | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Omitting the degree level | The reader needs to know the type of academic work | Always include PhD thesis, Master's dissertation, etc. |
| Omitting the institution | The awarding university is a key identifier for unpublished theses | Always include the institution name |
| Labelling a repository thesis as "Unpublished" | If it's publicly accessible in a repository, it's not truly unpublished | Use "PhD thesis" without the "Unpublished" prefix for repository theses |
| Referencing a published book as a thesis | Once commercially published, it follows the book format | Use the standard book reference format |
| Using quotation marks for the title | Theses are standalone works — they use italics, not quotation marks | Italicise the title |
| Forgetting the access date for online theses | The reader needs to know when the digital version was available | Include (Accessed: Day Month Year) |
What's Next?
Now that you know how to reference dissertations and theses, explore these related guides:
- How to Reference a Book in Harvard Style — formats for books, which apply when a thesis is commercially published
- How to Reference a Conference Paper in Harvard Style — formats for published proceedings and presented papers
- Harvard Reference List — the complete guide to formatting your reference list
Writing your own thesis or dissertation? See our Thesis Writing Guide for help with structure, proposals, and defense preparation.
