How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in Harvard
Complete guide with examples for citing published and unpublished theses and dissertations using Harvard referencing.
Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation
Include the author, year of submission, title (in single quotation marks), degree type, and university name.
Reference List Entry
Author Surname, Initials. (Year) 'Title of thesis'. Degree type. University name.
Example: Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation
Citation
Tremblay, S. (2025) 'Social media use and adolescent identity formation in rural Quebec'. PhD thesis. McGill University.
In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)
(Tremblay, 2025)
Published Dissertation (Database or Repository)
If the dissertation is available in a database or repository, include the access details.
Example
Chen, Y. (2024) 'Machine learning approaches to climate migration prediction'. PhD thesis. University of Toronto. Available at: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (Accessed: 8 April 2026).
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. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0123456 (Accessed: 8 April 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the title be italicized or in quotation marks?
In Harvard referencing, thesis and dissertation titles are placed in single quotation marks, not italics.
Do I need to include the department?
Including the department is optional but can be helpful for identification.