Important Deadlines
| Fall 2026 | Deadlines |
|---|---|
| Submission Deadline | November 20, 2026 by 4pm |
| Publication Deadline | December 18, 2026 by 4pm |
| Spring 2027 | Deadlines |
|---|---|
| Submission Deadline | April 30, 2027 by 4pm |
| Publication Deadline | May 21, 2027 by 4pm |
| Summer 2027 | Deadlines |
|---|---|
| Submission Deadline | July 23, 2027 by 4pm |
| Publication Deadline | August 11, 2027 by 4pm |
Submission deadline: Your final, committee-approved thesis must be uploaded to Digital Commons by this date to begin Graduate Education’s formatting review.
Publication deadline: All required formatting revisions must be completed and your thesis officially published by this date to complete your thesis requirements for the degree.
Submit early when possible! The submission deadline is the latest date to enter the formatting review process. Submitting earlier gives you more time to complete any required revisions.
Master’s Thesis Formatting Guidelines
The Master’s Thesis Formatting Guidelines outline the university-wide requirements for formatting your thesis. Review the guidelines early in the writing process and refer to them throughout the development of your thesis to help avoid formatting issues later. The guidelines address requirements for preliminary pages, the main text, tables and figures, references, appendices, and other elements of the thesis.
Master’s Thesis Template
We recommend using the Master’s Thesis Template as a starting point for formatting your thesis. For best results, download the template to your computer and open it in the desktop version of Microsoft Word, as formatting may display differently in Word for the web or SharePoint. Refer to the Master’s Thesis Formatting Guidelines for complete formatting requirements.
Thesis Editing Appointments
Schedule a one-on-one appointment with a thesis editor via our Calendly Link for help with thesis formatting. Appointments are available virtually or in person at the Graduate Education office.
Your thesis does not need to be complete to schedule an appointment. In fact, we encourage you to meet with an editor early so we can help identify formatting issues before your final submission.
Appointments become more limited as thesis deadlines approach due to increased thesis review volume, so we recommend scheduling early.
Master’s Thesis Submission Process
Final approval of your thesis involves committee approval of the content and Graduate Education approval for the formatting. If your Master’s program requires a thesis, your degree requirements are not complete until your thesis has been approved by Graduate Education and officially published.
Your final, committee-approved thesis must be uploaded to Digital Commons by the thesis submission deadline. Graduate Education will review your thesis for compliance with the Master’s Thesis Formatting Guidelines and send you any required formatting revisions.
The period between the submission and publication deadlines is an active review and revision period. Please plan to remain available and responsive during this time, as your thesis may require multiple rounds of revisions.
All required revisions must be completed and your thesis officially published by the final publication deadline. If your thesis is not published by this deadline, completion of your thesis requirement and degree will be delayed to the following term.
Step by Step Submission Process
Your final, committee-approved thesis must be submitted electronically through Cal Poly’s Digital Commons for Graduate Education review and publication (electronic thesis submission has been required since November 1, 2008). Follow the steps below to complete the submission, formatting review, and publication process.
All theses must comply with the Master’s Thesis Formatting Guidelines established by the Graduate Education Office. Review the current guidelines and thesis template in the section above before preparing your thesis for submission.
The Master’s Culminating Experience Approval (E-Form) communicates to the University that you have successfully completed your culminating experience. For thesis students, the form is routed to your thesis committee for approval following your defense. You do not need to wait until your defense is completed to initiate this form.
Initiate: Master’s Culminating Experience Approval (E-Form)
- Fall 2026 Expected Graduates: Submit by Friday, December 18, 2026.
- Spring 2027 Expected Graduates: Submit by Friday, May 21, 2027.
Once initiated, the form will be sent to the student email address provided. Complete your portion according to the instructions.
The form also asks you to select an electronic access option for your thesis. Discuss this selection with your thesis committee before completing the form. You will select your thesis access option on this form and again when submitting your thesis to Digital Commons. The access option selected in both places should match.
- Open access: This is the standard option for most theses. Once approved and published, your thesis will be publicly available through Digital Commons.
- One-year or three-year embargo: Your thesis will not be publicly accessible during the selected embargo period. After the embargo expires, your thesis will become publicly available.
- Full embargo: Full embargoes are granted only in exceptional circumstances and require advance approval from Graduate Education. Requests should be made well before the thesis submission deadline. If approved, follow the submission instructions provided by Graduate Education.
Pay the $56 Digital Archiving (Master’s Thesis) fee through My Cal Poly Portal.
- Login to My Cal Poly Portal.
- Select the Money Matters tab.
- Select Make a Payment Now.
- Once redirected to the Student Accounts Transact page, scroll down and select View all next to Available items.
- Select Senior Project & Master Thesis Fees and pay the fee.
- Email a copy of your payment to thesis@calpoly.edu.
Important: Your Master’s Culminating Experience Approval (E-Form) cannot be fully processed until Graduate Education receives your payment receipt.
Submit your final, committee-approved Master’s thesis to Digital Commons @ Cal Poly by the thesis submission deadline. Under Author Corner, select Submit Research.
You will be prompted to log in or create a Digital Commons account. Create your account using a non-Cal Poly email address so you can continue to access it after graduation. Follow the instructions in Digital Commons to complete your submission and upload your thesis as a PDF.
All content edits must be completed before you submit your thesis to Digital Commons. Once Graduate Education begins the formatting review, no further content edits should be made.
After submission, a thesis editor will review your document according to the Master’s Thesis Formatting Guidelines and email you with any required revisions.
Please remain available and responsive throughout the review period, as multiple rounds of revisions may be needed. Return your revised PDF to your thesis editor as instructed.
Once your thesis meets the formatting requirements, Graduate Education will publish the final version in Digital Commons. Your thesis must be officially published by the final publication deadline to complete your thesis requirement for the degree.
You will receive an automated confirmation email from Digital Commons once your thesis has been published. The Kennedy Library will also create a bibliographic record for your thesis in the library catalog, with a link to the Digital Commons record.
Once your thesis has been published, Graduate Education will complete and sign off on your Master’s Culminating Experience Approval (E-Form). Your degree can then move forward for evaluation.
Degree evaluation begins after the last day of the term, and typically takes several weeks. To check the status of your degree after Graduate Education has completed the form, contact the Office of Evaluations at evaluations@calpoly.edu.
Printed or bound copies of your thesis are not required by Graduate Education or the Kennedy Library. Students who would like a bound copy for personal use may arrange printing and binding independently.
Need help? Contact thesis@calpoly.edu with questions about Digital Commons or the formatting review process.