Theses and Dissertations Published at NC State
The Libraries collects and retains all theses and dissertations published at the university, with few exceptions. Over 30,000 theses and dissertations are available through the Libraries. (Master's papers and projects that are not considered theses by the University (i.e., not submitted to the Graduate School) are not generally included in our collection.)
Finding a specific thesis or dissertation
All of the theses and dissertations collected by the Libraries can be found in a catalog search for theses and dissertations. This link goes to a search of the Libraries' online catalog that is already narrowed to NC State theses and dissertations; from here, enter the author's name or the paper's title in the search box to search for a specific paper.
You can also search by navigating to the catalog, entering your search terms, then selecting the "Theses and Dissertations" filter under "Resource Type" in the left column.
If you want to browse theses and dissertations more broadly, view "Exploring theses and dissertations by department or topic" below.
Accessing theses and dissertations
Many NC State theses and dissertations are available online, but some are only available in print. Whether the paper you want is available online or in print depends on its publication date.
- 2002-present: Generally available online in the Libraries' Digital Repository. There will be a link in the catalog record that will take you to a page where you can download the PDF.
- 1997-2002: May be available online or in print; check the catalog record.
- Before 1997: Generally available in print only; view "Accessing theses and dissertations in print", below.
Accessing theses and dissertations in print
You can find the majority of the theses and dissertations available in print on the 6th floor of D. H. Hill Jr. Library. Papers are shelved in the LD 3921 call number range and arranged by call number. You'll find a paper's call number on its detail page in the online catalog; it will have the format LD 3921. Dept. Name .Letter/# (e.g. LD 3921. Adult Educ. .B271).
If you're a member of the NC State community, you can also request a thesis or dissertation in print from the catalog, and we'll pull it from the shelf for you and hold it at the library of your choice.
Whether you're affiliated with NC State or not, if you can't make it to the library and the document you want is not available online, you can request a scan of it by emailing library_ils@ncsu.edu with the request. Explain that you're requesting a scan of a print thesis or dissertation, and include the title, author, and year of the document. We'll then scan the document and make it available electronically through the digital repository.
If you need help finding a printed dissertation or navigating the stacks, contact the librarian listed below, or Ask Us for immediate assistance.
Exploring theses and dissertations by department or topic
Browsing theses and dissertations submitted to a particular department
In the online catalog, select "Subject" in the drop-down to the left of the search box. Then search for a subject heading using this format: North Carolina State University – Theses – [name of department].
Example: North Carolina State University – Theses – History
You can also browse the print theses on the 6th floor of Hill Library by finding the call number that corresponds to a given department, which have the format LD 3921.Department Name.
Example: find the call numbers beginning with LD 3921.History to browse History theses.
Finding theses and dissertations on a particular topic
To find theses or dissertations on a particular topic, start by searching the catalog for all NC State theses and dissertations. You can then enter search terms in the search box at the top of the catalog page to refine this search.
Example: theses and dissertations related to hip hop
You can also search by navigating to the catalog, entering your search terms, then selecting the "Theses and Dissertations" filter under "Resource Type" in the left column.