Borrowing or Purchasing Dissertations and Theses

Different institutions have different policies regarding loans and sales of their master's and doctoral theses. Commonly, universities will supply interlibrary loans of those which are not deposited with UMI (now UMI ProQuest, a ProQuest Information and Learning Company). Many libraries will lend any thesis when a second copy is held; some will only sell copies; a very few will neither lend nor copy. The Interlibrary Loan Service at Vanderbilt has developed reciprocal lending agreements with many institutions, and successfully borrows most dissertations requested. We rarely have a choice of which format the lending library supplies.

You may request to borrow any thesis, but if you want to own a copy, or if we have told you that one you need is not available through interlibrary loan, you can probably order directly from one of the following sources. (Log in to your ILL account and use the "Thesis/Dissertation" form to ask us to borrow for you, or if you don't see a direct source for purchasing here.)

UMI: Dissertation Abstracts

ProQuest Digital Dissertations, the online equivalent of Dissertation Abstracts International, indexes doctoral dissertations and some master's theses, including abstracts. (Full access is restricted to use from the Vanderbilt Campus network and dial-up services.) Most of the titles listed are available for purchase from UMI ProQuest, in a variety of formats (including bound and unbound paper, microfilm, microfiche, and electronic PDF files) and prices.

Ordering from UMI ProQuest:
You can purchase online as you search ProQuest Digital Dissertations, by following the instructions which UMI ProQuest provides. Or, you can refer to ProQuest Information and Learning: Ordering Dissertations and Theses for current pricing and order information.

Ordering through ILL:
UMI ProQuest gives a slightly lower price, currently $29.00, to ILL offices for "Dissertation Express" (unbound paper) copies only -- contact us if you would like us to order for you. Advance payment is required unless a VU requisition form 1180 will be used.

MIT Document Services

The MIT Libraries provide copies of MIT theses (including dissertations) through Document Services. This page gives information and links for ordering.

Theologicial Research Exchange Network (TREN)

The Theologicial Research Exchange Network (TREN) sells dissertations and theses of a number of theological schools, along with selected conference publications of several academic societies. Online searching and ordering is available at this site.

Foreign Theses and Dissertations

There is no single source for purchasing foreign dissertations, but they usually can be borrowed through ILL instead. The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) collects dissertations at the doctoral level and higher from countries other than the U.S. and Canada. CRL will attempt to acquire foreign dissertations which it doesn't already own, for interlibrary loan at no charge to you.

Canadian master's and doctoral theses usually can be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Beginning in 1990, most are also available for purchase from UMI ProQuest (these are listed with an order number in Dissertation Abstracts).

If you need to purchase a thesis for which you see no direct source here, we will be happy to try to get a copy through interlibrary loan. Be sure to specifically request purchase in your "comments" on the interlibrary loan form. You will be responsible for the cost of the copy, so you may want to indicate the maximum amount you would be willing to pay. Prepayment may be required, depending on the policy of the supplying library.

[Interlibrary Loan Service ] [ About Interlibrary Loan]