An ETD is an electronic version of your thesis or dissertation. In general, it is the same product as a paper thesis or dissertation, simply in electronic form. The ETD provides a technologically advanced medium for expressing your ideas.

The Graduate Council approved the implementation of electronic submission of theses and dissertations beginning with Fall 2005 for all graduate programs. With the exception of theses written in the MFA program in Creative Writing, paper copies are no longer  accepted by the Graduate College.

Advantages of ETDs:

• Accessibility of research. More researchers will read them - up until Fall 2005, BGSU theses were only available as one bound paper copy on the library shelves. It can take six months for a thesis to reach the library shelves after approval. While that one copy is checked out, no one else can use it.
• Expanding the horizon of research possibilities through use of video, audio and other multi-media tools.
• Development of electronic publishing skills.
• Recognition for authors, departments, faculty members and the university as works are made widely available.
• Reduction of cost to the student, the Graduate College, the Library and the researcher.
• Decrease in academic dishonesty based upon the ease of detection through electronic term and phrase search capability.

This web site contains a resource for master's and doctoral students who are preparing electronic theses and dissertations for submission to the BGSU Graduate College and OhioLINK.