How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA 7
Complete guide with examples for citing published and unpublished theses and dissertations in APA 7th edition.
Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation
For a work that is not available in a database or repository, cite it as an unpublished manuscript. Include the university name.
Reference List Entry
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis [Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master's thesis]. Name of Institution.
Example: Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation
Citation
Tremblay, S. (2025). Social media use and adolescent identity formation in rural Quebec [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. McGill University.
In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)
(Tremblay, 2025)
Published Dissertation or Thesis (Database or Repository)
If the work is available in a database like ProQuest Dissertations and Theses or an institutional repository, include the name of the database and the publication number (if available).
Example: ProQuest
Chen, Y. (2024). Machine learning approaches to climate migration prediction (Publication No. 31234567) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Thesis from an Institutional Repository
Example
Nguyen, L. (2023). Urban heat islands and equity: A case study of Vancouver neighbourhoods [Master's thesis, University of British Columbia]. cIRcle. https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0123456
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I include "Doctoral dissertation" or "Master's thesis" in brackets?
Yes, specify the type of work in square brackets after the title. Use "Doctoral dissertation" or "Master's thesis."
Do I need to include the location of the university?
No, APA 7 omits the location (city, state/province) for the institution. Only the name of the university is needed.