Librarian for Finding Doctoral Dissertations

Please ask at any Reference Desk (1st, 6th and 9th floors) for assistance.

Finding NYU Dissertations

What do we have?

Bobst Library has dissertations written for most schools at New York University.
The library does not keep copies of dissertations from the following programs:

• The Medical School and the Dental School keep their own dissertations
• The School of Engineering (now defunct) donated their dissertations to Polytechnic University in Brooklyn.
• Master's theses are not kept by Bobst Library. Check with the corresponding department or school to see if they have copies.

Where is it?

Most NYU dissertations at Bobst are available in two formats -- a bound copy which circulates and a non-circulating archival copy in a microformat.

Recent bound copies are located in the general collection on the 7th floor at the call locations:

• LD 3907 .E3 - School of Education
• LD 3907 .G5 - Wagner School of Public Administration
• LD 3907 .G6 - Stern School of Business
• LD 3907 .G7 - Graduate School of Arts and Science
• LD 3907 .S3 - School of Social Work
  (Bound copies which are more than five years old are stored offsite. They can be requested at the circulation desk or through BobCat for delivery to the library.)

Dissertations are arranged in the stacks by year and then alphabetically by the author's last name. The following example describes the classification of a dissertation with the call number:

LD3907.G7 1983 .G34

Microform copies are located in the Microforms Center on LL2 of Bobst Library. These are generally arranged in the same order as the bound volumes. Some of the older rolls of film contain more than one dissertation. These copies are each given a thesis number in chronological, alphabetical order. The thesis numbers are listed on each roll, corresponding to the cataloged location in BobCat.

Using BobCat to Find NYU Dissertations

If you already know the author or the title of the dissertation, you will need the exact call number to locate our copy. Check BobCat for the desired dissertation. The following examples should help patrons to structure their searches. Further help on using BobCat can be found on the library homepage by following the tutorials link.
[BobCat Tutorial URL: http://www.library.nyu.edu/research/tutorials/book.html]

Examples:

(Search For) = Effect of maternal depression in relation to dimensions of parenting

in low-income mothers

(Search For) In Author/Creator field= John Oscar Creager

Dissertations can be also be found in BobCat by searching on terms in their subject fields. Generally, the query will take the following form:
Subject = Subject -- Dissertations, Academic -- Year

Examples:

(Search For) In Subject = Social service -- Dissertations, Academic -- 2005 or

(Search For) In Subject = 1995 Sociology Dissertations

Furthermore, users can limit their search to Dissertations in the catalog by simply providing the term "dissertations" in a keyword search.

Example:

(Search For) In Subject = New York City Dissertations 

Using Dissertation Abstracts to Find NYU Dissertations

Dissertation Abstracts
[Dissertation Abstracts URL: http://library.nyu.edu/collections/databases.html]

An increasing number of doctoral dissertations submitted by NYU to an electronic database called Dissertation Abstracts are available to NYU affiliates for free as Portable Document Files (PDFs) in addition to the availability described above. Furthermore, searching in Dissertation Abstracts can help patrons obtain useful information for locating NYU dissertations in BobCat.

In this database, you can limit your search to New York University by searching with the NYU School Code: SC(0146) or sc(new york university). For example, the search:

SC(0146) and (KEY)art therapy
will look for the keywords "art" and "therapy" only in dissertations written at NYU.

Finding Dissertations from Other Universities in North America

There are three common methods for acquiring a dissertation completed at an instiution other than New York University.

1. Dissertation Abstracts
   [Dissertation Abstracts URL: http://library.nyu.edu/collections/databases.html]

   This database indexes doctoral dissertations in all disciplines which were completed at participating, accredited North American colleges and universities. Some institutions outside of North America, mostly in Europe, are included but coverage is not exhaustive. Dissertations added to the database after 1980 contain abstracts. Most dissertations included since 1997 include 24-page previews. An increasing number of dissertations from NYU and from other institutions are available for download at no added cost.

2. Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
   [Interlibrary Loan URL: http://library.nyu.edu/services/ill.html]

   Many universities will lend their dissertations via interlibrary loan (ILL). This service is available only to eligible borrowers. Find information about interlibrary loan policies and availability at the ILL webpage or at a reference center.

3. University Microfilms International (UMI)
   [UMI URL: http://www.umi.com/products_umi/dissertations/]

   You can purchase copies of many North American dissertations (including NYU dissertations) from University Microfilms International:

   UMI Dissertation Services
   300 North Zeeb Road
   Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346
   (800) 521-3042

Finding Dissertations from Universities Abroad

The rest of this guide provides information on finding dissertations from institutions outside of North America. Holdings from Columbia University Libraries and New York Public Research Libraries (NYPL) are listed to supplement Bobst Library's holdings. For information on access to these libraries, please see:
Access to Columbia University Libraries
Access to the New York Public Library Research Libraries

To find catalogs of foreign dissertations in BobCat, use the following subject search:

(Phrase Search) Subject Heading (LCSH) = Dissertations, Academic--COUNTRY NAME or REGION NAME--Bibliography

International Resources

• Center for Research Libraries (CRL).
  Internet: Foreign Doctoral Dissertations Database
  Approximately 20,000 foreign dissertations are cataloged in this database. However, CRL has more than 750,000 foreign dissertations. Users may need to search the CRL Catalog or contact CRL to inquire about a specific thesis.
  [CRL URL: http://www.crl.edu]
• Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)
  Internet: http://www.ndltd.org/
• Database of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD)
  Internet http://www.aau.org/datad/
  This resource is a project of the Association of African Universities. Abstracts are provided for dissertations completed at universities in Cameroon, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. Registration is required.
• Reynolds, Michael M.: Guide to Theses and Dissertations: An International Bibliography of Bibliographies
  NYU Bobst REF1: Z5053.A1 R49 1985

Australia

• Australian Digital Theses Program (Some Full-Text Availability)
  Internet: http://adt.caul.edu.au/
• Union List of Higher Degree Theses in Australian University Libraries. Cumulative Edition to 1965.
  NYU Bobst: Z5055.A79 U5
• Union List of Higher Degree Theses in Australian University Libraries. Supplement
  NYPL:1966-1968
  Columbia:1966-1989

Austria

• Austrian Dissertations Database (1990-Present)
  Internet: http://www.arcs.ac.at/
• Gesamtverzeichnis örreichischer Dissertationen.1966-
  NYPL: 1966-1984
  Columbia: 1966-1984
• Öterreichische Bibliographie. 1945-Present
  NYPL: 1945-Present

Belgium

• Répertoire des thèses de doctorat/Repertorium van doctorale proefschriften.
  NYPL: 1971-1980
  Organized by three major disciplines: humanities, medicine and science, and then by author name. Includes an author and keyword index. The foreword is in English.

Canada

• Dissertation Abstracts (Some Full-Text Availability)
  Internet: Dissertation Abstracts
• Canadian Graduate Theses in the Humanities and Social Sciences, 1921-1946/Thèses des graduées canadiens dans les humanités et les sciences sociales, 1921-1946.
  NYU Bobst: Z5055.C2 O88
  Organized by subject and then by university. Indexes both Master's and Doctorate degrees. Entries include short note on the contents of the thesis. Includes an author and subject index.
• Canadian graduate theses 1919-1967; an annotated bibliography (covering economics, business and industrial relations)
  NYU Bobst: Z5055.C2 W6
• Canadian Theses/Thèses canadiennes, 1952-
  NYU Bobst Z5055.C2O883: 1963-1966
  NYPL: 1952-1965, 1970-72
  Columbia: 1947-1980, 1985-86

China

• Chinese Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
  Internet: China Doctor/Master Dissertations Full-text (NYU subscription)
  

Denmark

• The Royal Library
  Internet: http://www.kb.dk/en/
• Dansk Bogfortegnelse, 1851-. (national bibliography)
  NYPL: 1933-1990 (incomplete)
  Columbia: 1841-1983, 1987-1988, 1990-2002, 2004(incomplete)
  Lists current Danish publications in book form and in microform. Organized in two sections: 1) alphabetically by author and title, 2) by subject heading. The preface is in English.

Finland

• Suomen kirjallisuus. Finlands litteratur. (Finnish National Bibliography)
  NYPL: 1944-1993
  Covers all books published in Finland. Organized in two sections: 1) alphabetically by title, 2) by subject heading. There is an index to the subject section. The preface is in English.

France

• Systeme Universitaire de Documentation
  Internet: http://cuivre.sudoc.abes.fr/LNG=EN/
  This is a comprehensive catalog which searches the collections of French institutions of higher education. It contains records for doctoral dissertations in the sciences from 1972 to the present. The humanities, social sciences, law and the health sciences are covered from 1983. Coverage of veterinary medicine begins in 1990.
• Inventaire des thèses de doctorat soutenues devant les universités françaises. Droit, sciences économiques, sciences de gestion, lettres, sciences humaines, théologies
  NYU Bobst: Ref1 Z5055.F69 I59 1989-1992
  Organized by subject. Indexes "doctorat d'Etat, nouveau doctorat (reg. Jan. 1984), doctorat de 3e cycle, doctorat d'université, docteur-ingénieur". Includes author and university indices.
• Catalogue des thèses de doctorat soutenues devant les universités françaises, 1884-1971.
  NYPL: 1884-1960, 1962-1968, 1970-1972 (lacks issues)
  Columbia: 1884-1969
• Catalogue des thèses de doctorat soutenues devant les universités françaises. Nouv. sér. 1972-1980.
  NYPL: 1973-1978
• Maire, Albert: Répertoire alphabétique des thèses de doctorat ès lettres de universités françaises 1810-1900.
  NYU Bobst: Ref1 Z5055.F79 M22 1903
• Mourier, Athénaïs Notice sur le doctorat és lettres, suivie du Catalogue et l'analyse des thées françaises et latines admises par les facultés des lettres depuis 1810, avec index et table alphabétique des docteurs'
  NYU Bobst: REF1 Z5055.F79 M8 (1810-1880)
  NYU Bobst: REF1 Z5055.F79 M9 (1880-1902, 3 vols.)
• Annuaire des docteurs (lettres) de l'Université Paris et des autres universités françaises. Bibliographie analytique des thèses (1899-1965)
  NYU Bobst: REF1 Z5055.F79 A7
• Bibliographie analytique des thèses de doctorat des universités de France, 1966-1974.
  NYPL: 1977
  Organized in three sections: 1) by university and then alphabetically by author name; 2) by author; 3) by subject and then subdivided into three subcategories: author name, repérage and geographical terms.
  Organized by subject. Indexes "doctorat d'Etat, nouveau doctorat (reg. Jan. 1984), doctorat de 3e cycle, doctorat d'université, docteur-ingénieur". Includes author and university indices.

Germany

• Die Deutsche Bibliothek
  Internet: http://www.ddb.de/sammlungen/
  Die Deutsche Bibliothek is Germany's national library and collects German theses in a comprehensive manner.
• Gesamtverzeichnis deutschsprachiger Hochschulschriften 1966-1980.
  NYU Bobst REF1 Z5055.G4G47 1984 (40 vols.)
  Covers German language dissertations from Germany (Bundesrepublik and DDR), Austria, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Hungary, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the USA. Organized alphabetically by author. Also includes a 20 volume Register that indexes each title keyword, which allows for a certain degree of subject retrieval.
• Gesamtverzeichnis des deutschsprachigen Schrifttums. 1911-1965
  NYU Bobst REF1 Z2221.G47 (150 vols.)
  This catalog focuses on the totality of German language publications, including German dissertations (Bundesrepublik & DDR), the dissertations listed in Jahresverzeichnis der deutschen Hochschulschriften, the dissertations from Basel, Bern, Freiburg/Fribourg, St. Gallen and Zhrich (taken from Jahresverzeichnis der schweizerischen Hochschulschriften ) and the dissertations from the Öterreichische Bibliographie . The dissertations are interfiled alphabetically by author with the other works: without the author name it is impossible to locate particular dissertations. There is no subject access: for the period up to 1969 the Jahresverzeichnis der deutschen Hochschulschriften should be consulted.
• Gesamtverzeichnis des deutschsprachigen Schriftums. 1700-1910.
  NYU Bobst Microform MF 13 (791 fiches)
  This catalog focuses on the totality of German language publications, including dissertations. The dissertations are interfiled alphabetically with the other works. Without the author name it is impossible to locate a particular dissertation. For the period from 1885 onward, subject access is possible by using Jahresverzeichnis der deutschen Hochschulschriften .
• Jahresverzeichnis der Hochschulschriften
  Columbia: 1968-1987
  Divided by DDR and BRD, then by school, then by dissertation A & B, then alphabetically by author. Includes subject and author indices.
• Jahresverzeichnis der an den deutschen Universitäten und Hochschulen erschienen Schriften. Jahresverzeichnis der deutschen Hochschulschriften. [1885-1969]
  NYU Bobst: Z5055.G39B5 1885-1935
  Columbia: 1905-1968
  Organized by university, then alphabetically by author. Indexed by author and subject.
• Mundt, Hermann: Bio-bibliographisches Verzeichnis von Universitäts- u. Hochschuldrucken (Dissertationen) : vom Ausgang des 16. bis Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts
  NYU Bobsts: Z5053 .M89 1965
• Deutsche Nationalbibliographie und Bibliographie der im Ausland erschienenen deutschsprachigen Veröffentlichungen. Reihe H: Hochschulschriften. 1991-
  NYPL: 1991-
  Columbia: 1991-1994
  Organized by both subject and then by author. Indexed by name, title and keyword.
• Deutsche Bibliographie. Hochschulschriften-Verzeichnis. 1972-1990. (Deutsche Bibliothek)
  NYPL: 1972-1990
  Columbia: 1972-1990
  Organized by subject heading and then by author. Indexed by name, title and keyword.
• Deutsche Nationalbibliographie und Bibliographie des im Ausland erschienen Schrifttums. Reihe C: Dissertations und Habilitationsschriften. 1968-1990. (Deutsche Bhcherei)
  NYPL: 1969-1990
  Columbia: 1977-1990
  Organized by both subject and author. Contains a name, title and keyword index.

Great Britain and Ireland

• Index to Theses with Abstracts Accepted for the Higher Degrees by the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland and the Council for National Academic Awards. 1986-
  NYU - Bobst: Z5055.G69A84 1986- Present
  Organized by subject. Indexes Master's and Doctorate degrees. Entries include abstracts. Includes an author and subject index.
• Index to theses accepted for higher degrees by the universities of Great Britain and Ireland and the Council for National Academic Awards. 1967-1985
  NYU - Bobst: Z5055.G69A84 1967-1985
  Organized by subject. Indexes Master's and Doctorate degrees. Includes an author and subject index.
• Index to Theses Accepted for the Higher Degrees by the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland. 1950-1967
  NYU - Bobst: Z5055.G69A84 1950-1967
  Organized by subject: indexes Master's and Doctorate degrees. Indexed by author and subject.
• Historical research for higher degrees in the United Kingdom. Part I, Theses completed. 1986- Present
  NYU Bobst: Z5055 .G62 1986- Present (Current Year in REF1)
• Historical research for higher degrees in the United Kingdom. Part II, Theses in progress. 1986- Present
  NYU Bobst: Z6201 .G625 1986- Present (Current Year in REF1)
• Historical research for university degrees in the United Kingdom. Part I, Theses completed. 1966-1985
  NYU Bobst: Z5055 .G62
• Historical research for university degrees in the United Kingdom. Part II, Theses in progress. 1968-1985
  NYU Bobst: Z5055 .G62
• Bulletin of the Institute of historical research. Theses supplement. 1933-1966
  NYU Bobst: Z5055 .G62
• An Index to Classical Dissertations and Theses in Progress or Recently Completed in North America and Great Britain
  Internet: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/url/colls/classics/cldis00.htm

India

• Indian dissertation abstracts 1971-1989
  NYPL SIBL: 1973-1989

Italy

• BNI, Bibliografia nazionale italiana: tesi di dottorato. 1995-
  NYU Bobst REF1: Z2341.B53 1995- Present
• Tesionline
  Internet: http://www.tesionline.it/ricerca/ricerca.asp

Kenya

• The union list of theses and dissertations held by universities and research institutions in Kenya.
  NYPL Schomburg: 2003-Present

The Netherlands

• Bibliografie van nederlandse proefschriften/Dutch Theses, 1977-
  NYPL: 1977-1986
  Organized by broad subject area and then alphabetically by author name. Contains an author index.
• Catalogus van academische geschriften in Nederland verschenen, 1924-1976.
  NYPL: 1946-1976
  Organized by university, then by subject and then by author. Contains an author index.
• Catalogus van academische geschriften in Nederland en Nederlandsch Indie verschenen, 1924-1945
  NYPL: 1924-1945
  Organized by university and then alphabetically by author name. Has author index.

Norway

• Norsk Bokfortegnelse. Arskatalog. (national bibliography)
  Columbia: 1975-2002
  Organized by author and by subject. Contains a subject and an ISBN index.
• Norwegian National Bibliography
  Internet: http://www.nb.no/baser/norbok2/norbok.php
  

South Africa

• Gesamentlike katalogus van proefskrifte en verhandelinge van die Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite. Union Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations of South African Universities. [1959-1993]
  NYU Bobst: Z5055.S45M32 1959-1964, 1966-1970
  Organized by subject, university and author. Includes Master's and Doctorate degrees. Includes author index.

Spain

• Bases de Datos de Tesis Doctorales (TESEO)
  Internet: http://teseo.mec.es/teseo/jsp/teseo.jsp
• Tesis Doctorales
  NYPL:Volume 1 (1971/1972)-
  Columbia:Volume 1 (1971/1972)-

Sweden

• Svensk Bok-katalog.(national bibliography)
  NYPL: 1866-1965
  Organized alphabetically by author and title, as well as by subject heading and then title.
• Svensk Bokforteckning. (national bibliography)
  NYPL: 1948-1997
  Lists all Swedish publications. Organized in two sections: 1) alphabetically by author and title, 2) by subject heading and then by title, with a subject index.

Switzerland

• Jahresverzeichnis der schweizerischen Hochschulschriften = Catalogue des Écrits académiques suisses. 1897-1991
  NYPL: 1897-1980
  Organized by university and then by faculty and then by author name. Contains title and author indices.