Thesis & Dissertation Citation Generator
Cite a thesis or dissertation in seconds — enter the author, title, degree type, university, and year, and get a complete, formatted reference. Works with APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and 10,832 styles. Free, no sign-up.
Language
Thesis & Dissertation Citation Examples
APA 7th editionReference list
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the dissertation [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Database/Repository. https://example.com/thesis
In-text: (Author, Year)
MLA 9th editionWorks Cited
Author, First. Title of the Thesis. Year. University Name, PhD dissertation. ProQuest, example.com/thesis.
In-text: (Author)
Chicago (author-date)Reference list
Author, First. Year. "Title of the Dissertation." PhD diss., University Name. https://example.com/thesis.
In-text: (Author Year)
How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation
- 1. Gather the details. Note the author, the title, the degree type (Master's thesis or Doctoral dissertation), the awarding university, the year, and the repository or database URL if there is one.
- 2. Enter them & pick a style. The generator above opens on the Thesis / dissertation source type — fill the fields in and choose APA, MLA, Chicago, or any of the 10,832 styles.
- 3. Cite. We build a full reference with the degree type and university in the right place for your style. Edit any field, then copy or export it to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I generate a citation for a thesis or dissertation?
- The generator above opens on the Thesis / dissertation source type. Enter the author, the title, the degree type (e.g. Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis), the awarding university, and the year — add the repository URL if it has one. Pick your citation style and click Generate Citation. CitationEasy formats the reference and you can edit any field before copying or exporting it.
- What do I include when citing a dissertation?
- A thesis or dissertation reference includes the author, the year, the italicized title, the degree type and awarding institution, and the database or repository (or URL) where you found it. APA puts the degree type and university in square brackets after the title — [Doctoral dissertation, University Name] — while MLA describes the work and degree and lists ProQuest or the repository as the container.
- How do I cite a thesis in APA vs MLA?
- APA 7th: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Database/Repository. URL. MLA 9th: Author. Title. Year. University, PhD dissertation. Database, URL. Pick the style above and the generator applies the correct format, including the bracketed degree label in APA and the descriptive degree in MLA.
- What is the difference between a thesis and a dissertation?
- In US usage a thesis is usually written for a master's degree and a dissertation for a doctoral (Ph.D.) degree; in much of the UK the terms are reversed. For citing, both use the same CSL thesis type — just enter the correct degree type (e.g. Master's thesis or Doctoral dissertation) in the Degree Type field and the generator formats it accordingly.
- Which citation styles does the thesis generator support?
- All 10,832 styles in our library, including APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, Vancouver, and AMA. Choose your style before or after entering the details and the reference reformats instantly.
- Is the thesis citation generator free?
- Yes. It is 100% free with no sign-up, no ads, and no limits. Your citations are saved locally in your browser and can be exported to BibTeX, RIS, CSV, or Word.