Submission Guidelines for Writing Theses

Below you will find all the information you need to submit your Writing Thesis to DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence.

Who Can Submit Here?

Only Writing Graduate Program students with approved written theses may submit here.

Deadlines for Submission to Digital Commons:

  • December 1st for December graduation
  • May 1st for May graduation
  • August 1st for August graduation

What You Will Need:

  • Submission Agreement
    • Must be saved as PDF using the correct filename format with your first and last names: Lastname_Firstname_CopyrightForm_Month_Year. For example, Ferguson_Kim_CopyrightForm_Month_Year.
    • Must be digitally signed by both you and your advisor(s).
  • Full Written Work
    • Must be saved as a PDF
    • Must be the final approved version of your thesis
    • Must include the SLC Thesis Cover Page
    • Can optionally be created using the SLC Thesis Template
    • Must be saved using the correct filename format with your first and last names: Lastname_Firstname_Thesis_Month_Year. For example, Ferguson_Kim_Thesis_Month_Year.
  • Formal thesis title

  • Additional files
    • Includes release and consent forms that are integral to your work but not part of the PDF document or additional image and sound files.
  • Abstract for your submission (up to 250 words) --optional

  • Keywords
    • A list of up to 6 keywords to classify your work. For more information on keywords, see here.

Necessary Forms and Templates

  • Submission Agreement Form
  • SLC Thesis Cover Page
  • SLC Thesis Template
  • How to Submit:


    Submitting your thesis is a quick and simple process. Follow the instructions below for submitting your documents to DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence.

    NOTE: For a visual description of the submission process, click here.

    Step 1: Download and complete the submission agreement. Be sure the agreement is signed by you and all necessary faculty advisors. You will need a digital copy of the completed agreement in order to complete your submission in Digital Commons.
    Note: See the FAQ page for information on how to fill out and digitally sign a PDF.

    Step 2: Create or login to your DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence Account (you must use your Sarah Lawrence email address). If you are creating an account, you will need to activate it. Digital Commons will send you an email with a link that you will need to click to activate your account.

    Step 3: You will be asked to confirm you have a digital copy of your completed submission agreement. Check the box and click “Continue.”

    Step 4: Complete the submission form. Required fields will be marked in red. You will be asked to select a subject category, list keywords, and submit an abstract, all of which enhance the indexing and retrieval of your thesis for future researchers.
    Note: See Author FAQs for more information.

    Step 5: You will be prompted to upload the digital file of your thesis, as well as the signed and completed digital submission agreement.

    Step 6: Click submit. The information you provide will be reviewed for accuracy by Library staff and published according to your selected, and faculty approved, access level. You will receive an email confirming that your submission has been received.

    Information on Access to your Thesis: See here for more information on access options.

    All MFA Writing Theses are, by default, closed access, meaning that the full-text of your thesis will not be available online. You do have an option, however, to make your thesis available to either the SLC community or open access to the world. If your thesis is closed, a digital preservation copy will be maintained by the College Archives. Access will not be allowed to your thesis without first requiring written permission from you, the author. Please note, however, that your thesis will still have a metadata record in Digital Commons indicating that a thesis exists for you, but with only your name, year, and title of thesis. Lastly, a catalog record, with the same information, will appear in WorldCat.

    When will my thesis be available on Digital Commons?

    Once you have completed the submission process, please allow up to 6 weeks for SLC library staff to review and post your submission. If you selected the Open Access option, it will be available to view and download from the DigitalCommons@SarahLawrence site. If you did not select the open access option, your name and the title of your work will appear in searches, but the document itself will not be available until the terms of your access selection are met.

    Please note: Submission agreements must be in PDF format before uploading to Digital Commons.

    CLICK HERE TO PROCEED WITH SUBMISSION