A thesis, commonly required to obtain a master's degree, is supposed to test a student's understanding of his or her field of study. A dissertation is written by a doctorate student and focuses on original research.
Dissertations and theses are scholarly sources and examples of grey literature (or gray literature).
Grey literature is material that has not been published through traditional means and generally does not go through a peer‐review process.
1. How do I write a thesis at CSUF? (Deadlines, awards, etc.)
2. CSUF Thesis/Dissertation Manual
3. How do I find a CSUF thesis?
4. More on dissertations, theses, and projects (ARCHIVED CATALOG)
5. Developing strong thesis statements
6. Attend a thesis retreat at CSUF
Searching for a Dissertation/Thesis,
1. Look in our catalog if its from CSUF
2. Look in resources (right side)
3. Look in open access repositories at university libraries websites where the dissertation/thesis was written - may provide full access
4. Try contacting author or advisor of dissertation/thesis for a copy
5. If you cannot find the dissertation/thesis, try requesting it (free of charge) from interlibrary loan