How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in MLA 9
Complete guide with examples for citing published and unpublished theses and dissertations in MLA 9th edition.
Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation
For an unpublished thesis or dissertation, include the author, title (in quotation marks), and the degree-granting institution with the year.
Works Cited Entry
Author's Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Thesis/Dissertation." Year. Institution, PhD dissertation.
Example: Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation
Citation
Tremblay, Sophie. "Social Media Use and Adolescent Identity Formation in Rural Quebec." 2025. McGill U, PhD dissertation.
In‑Text Citation
(Tremblay 112)
Published Dissertation (Database or Repository)
If the dissertation is available in a database like ProQuest, include the database name and the publication number or URL.
Example: ProQuest
Chen, Yi. "Machine Learning Approaches to Climate Migration Prediction." 2024. U of Toronto, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, search.proquest.com/docview/31234567.
Thesis from an Institutional Repository
Example
Nguyen, Linh. "Urban Heat Islands and Equity: A Case Study of Vancouver Neighbourhoods." 2023. U of British Columbia, Master's thesis. cIRcle, doi.org/10.14288/1.0123456.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I include "Master's thesis" or "PhD dissertation"?
Yes. MLA 9 requires you to identify the type of work: "Master's thesis" or "PhD dissertation."
Do I need to include the university's location?
No. MLA 9 omits the city of the institution unless the name of the city is part of the official university name (e.g., University of Toronto).