How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in ASA 6
Complete guide with examples for citing published and unpublished theses and dissertations in ASA 6th edition.
Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation
Titles of theses and dissertations are placed in quotation marks, not italics. Include the degree type, institution, and year.
Reference List Entry
Author Lastname, Firstname. Year. "Title of Thesis." Master's thesis or PhD dissertation, Department, University Name.
Example: Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation
Citation
Tremblay, Sophie. 2025. "Social Media Use and Adolescent Identity Formation in Rural Quebec." PhD dissertation, Department of Sociology, McGill University.
In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)
(Tremblay 2025)
Published Dissertation (Database or Repository)
If the dissertation is available in a commercial database, include the database name and the identification number.
Example: ProQuest
Chen, Yi. 2024. "Machine Learning Approaches to Climate Migration Prediction." PhD dissertation, Department of Geography, University of Toronto. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (Publication No. 31234567).
Thesis from an Institutional Repository
Example
Nguyen, Linh. 2023. "Urban Heat Islands and Equity: A Case Study of Vancouver Neighbourhoods." Master's thesis, School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia. Retrieved April 8, 2026 (https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0123456).
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the title be italicized or in quotation marks?
In ASA style, thesis and dissertation titles are placed in quotation marks, not italics.
Do I need to include the department?
Yes. Include the department name before the university name.