MLA 9 Citation Generator for Theses and Dissertations
Cite master's theses and doctoral dissertations in MLA 9 format. Handles published (ProQuest, institutional repository) and unpublished versions with container hierarchy.
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MLA 9 Format for Theses and Dissertations
Published doctoral dissertation:
Master's thesis (published):
Unpublished:
MLA 9 Thesis Citation Examples
Published doctoral dissertation (repository)
Repository is the container, italicized
Published dissertation (ProQuest)
ProQuest serves as the container
Master's thesis (published)
Use "MA thesis" or "MSc thesis" for the degree
Unpublished dissertation
No container, no URL — ends with degree type
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you cite a thesis or dissertation in MLA 9?
MLA 9 template: Author Last, First. Title of the Thesis or Dissertation. Year. University Name, degree type. Container (Repository or ProQuest), URL. Example: Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Doctoral Dissertation. 2023. University Name, PhD dissertation. University Repository, repository.university.edu/example-id.
Is the thesis title italicized in MLA?
Yes. MLA 9 italicizes the title of a thesis or dissertation (treated as a standalone work). The institution and degree type ("PhD dissertation", "MA thesis") follow the year in plain text, not italicized.
What's the MLA 9 format for an unpublished thesis?
Template: Author Last, First. Title of the Thesis. Year. University Name, degree type. Example: Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Unpublished Dissertation. 2021. University Name, PhD dissertation. For unpublished works, omit the container and URL — the citation ends after the degree type.
How do I cite a ProQuest dissertation in MLA?
Template: Author Last, First. Title of the Dissertation. Year. University Name, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. MLA 9 treats ProQuest as the container; include it after the degree type. You can optionally add the ProQuest publication number at the end.
Do I need a URL for an MLA thesis citation?
Include a URL when citing an online-retrievable thesis. MLA 9 prefers a DOI if available; otherwise, use the stable repository URL. For unpublished theses (only in the institution's archives), omit the URL.
What in-text format does MLA use for a thesis?
Standard MLA author-page format: (Lastname 45) for parenthetical, or "Lastname argues that... (45)" for narrative. For unpaginated theses in electronic form, just use the author last name: (Lastname).
Does MLA require the degree type label?
Yes. MLA 9 asks for the specific degree type: "PhD dissertation", "MA thesis", "MSc thesis", "Master's thesis". This appears after the university name and indicates the work's scholarly level.
Cite Other Source Types in MLA 9
Cite a Thesis in MLA 9
Paste a ProQuest, repository, or institutional URL — your MLA 9 thesis citation is ready in seconds.
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