How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in MLA 9th edition

Dissertations, theses, and academic research papers.

Example in MLA 9th edition

Hawking, Stephen W. Properties of Expanding Universes. 1966, https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.11283. University of Cambridge, Doctoral dissertation.
In-text (Hawking)

What MLA 9th edition includes

These are the details of the example above that the style prints, so they are the ones to collect for your own source.

  • Thesis Title
  • Author
  • University/Institution
  • Year Completed
  • Thesis Type
  • DOI

The title page lists the institution, degree type, and year. If accessed through a repository, check for a persistent URL or DOI.

The formatting comes from the style's own file, so check the finer points against your guide. What to check by hand in MLA 9th edition.

A Thesis or Dissertation in other styles

APA 7th edition Chicago 18th edition (notes and bibliography) Harvard (Cite Them Right 12th edition) IEEE Vancouver

Other sources in MLA 9th edition

Website Book Journal Article Newspaper Article Book Chapter Report Video Podcast/Broadcast Magazine Article Software Dataset Patent Legal Case Legislation Bill Regulation Hearing Standard Treaty Conference Paper Manuscript Review Book Review Classic Work Reference Entry Dictionary Entry Encyclopedia Entry Periodical Collection Interview Speech Song Musical Score Graphic Figure Map Performance Event Pamphlet Preprint Document Post Blog Post Personal Communication Generative AI