Public Health: Dissertation Deposit

Dissertations must be deposited electronically through CUNY Academic Works and the signed Approval Page scanned and e-mailed to the Registrar (registrar@sph.cuny.edu). A confirmation e-mail will be sent from the Library to the submitter upon successful deposit.

Dissertation deposit deadlines:

Fall 2023 - December 20

Spring 2024 – May 22

SPH Academic Calendar

Dissertations must be digitally submitted through CUNY Academic Works.

1. From the above link, click on Submit Work (found in the Author Corner section on the left-hand side).
2. Click on Sign Up to create a new account, or log in if you already have an account.
3. Read the Submission Agreement, click the checkbox to Accept, and select Continue to proceed.
4. Enter all required fields, following the onscreen instructions. Be sure to input your institution as "CUNY School of Public Health" and input the correct degree date.
5. Choose your embargo (delayed release) period. You can choose from: No Embargo (available immediately), 6 Months, 12 Months, or 24 Months. This will determine when the full-text of your work is made publicly available online. Title, author and other metadata remain viewable even if a work is embargoed. Should you embargo your dissertation?
6. Choose Dissertation for Document Type.
7. When choosing subject categories, select the discipline that best describes your work. It is okay to keep it broad and simple. Adding relevant, more specific keywords will help with discoverability, as Academic Works is searchable by keyword.
8. After you have entered your information and selected your file, double-check your entries and click Submit at the bottom of the page.
9. Once submitted, the SPH Library will review your deposit. Please be sure to e-mail the signed Approval Page to the Registrar (registrar@sph.cuny.edu) at the School of Public Health. Once all documents are submitted and reviewed, the submission will be posted and the Dissertation Deposit will be complete.

Please note that once a dissertation is submitted, there is no option for changing it or taking it down except in extenuating circumstances such as copyright infringement or subject privacy.

Please see the DPH Guide for Exams and Dissertations for general information, and the guidelines on formatting specifics below.

Please be aware that there are two different formats to choose from- the traditional "book format" dissertation model or the three article dissertation model. Your project may be better suited to one or the other. The choice of which model to work with for your dissertation should be based on a discussion between you and your Dissertation Committee members. 

Formatting specifics:

Abstracts: There is no word limit for abstracts associated with dissertations or theses. Abstracts will be published in the CUNY Academic Works repository with author, title, and descriptive information, even if the work is embargoed.

Appendix: Optional. If included, try to avoid the need for literature citations within the Appendix.

Blank Pages: If intentional, please indicate so (i.e. PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK) or delete them. 

Color: PDF and print reproductions may include color.

Disclosure Statement: Please see this link for more information on disclosure statements, and see the Page Sequence section below for its placement in your dissertation.

Exhibits: If illustrations, charts, diagrams, figures or other tables appear in the work, a list of each named element, with corresponding pagination, is required. Within the body of the work, exhibits are to appear at the end of their respective chapters.

File Formats: Adobe PDF required for text, 600 dpi minimum, and no encryption. Any audio or video files should be submitted as supplemental files rather than embedding them in the PDF.

Font: Please use a TruType font, as opposed to a scalable font. All fonts must be embedded, post script type 1. Any legible TruType type 1 font is accepted (except script, italic, or ornamental fonts) if roughly equivalent in scale to Arial (10 pt) or Times New Roman (12 pt). A uniform font must be applied to all text. For figures, tables, and captions fonts may be 1-2 pt smaller than the main body of text. Italicized font may be used for non-English words and quotations.

To avoid confusion, we suggest choosing a font from the following list: Arial, Courier New, Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, and Calibri. All should be between 10 and 12 pt.

Headings: Headings should be placed at the top of tables. While no specific rules for the format of table headings and figure captions is required, a consistent format should be used throughout the work.

Line-spacing: Double-space for the abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, and the body of the manuscript. Follow the appropriate style manual for single- or double-spacing block quotes, captions, items in tables, lists, graphs, charts. Use single-spacing for footnotes/endnotes, bibliography entries and lists in appendices.

Margins: All margins should be 1” for all text and figures, tables, headers/footers, footnotes/endnotes and images. 

Page breaks: Start a new chapter or major section on the next page, and do not break up words at the bottom of one page and carry them over to the next. Avoid having a sentence that ends a paragraph being a partial line at the top of the next page.

Page Sequence for the traditional dissertation model:

1. Title Page (Dissertation Preliminary Pages)
2. Copyright Page
3. Abstract
4. Acknowledgments and Disclosure Statement*
5. Table of Contents
6. List of Exhibits: Tables, Illustrations, Charts, Figures and Diagrams
7. Body of Text
8. Exhibits
9. Appendix (optional)
10. Bibliography

Page Sequence for the Three Article dissertation model

1. Title page
2. Copyright Page
3. Abstract (for the overall dissertation)
4. Table of contents
5. List of Tables and Figures
6. Acknowledgements and disclosure statement
7. Chapter 1: Introduction and background to the general topic area and gaps to be filled by the three articles. Include the dissertation specific aims and hypotheses
8. Chapter 2: First paper
9. Chapter 3: Second paper
10. Chapter 4: Third paper
11. Chapter 5: Summary of results, conclusions, and implications for policy and/or further research
12. Appendices

                  *Note –  In the 3 article model, references should be located at the end of each chapter.

Pagination: Pages preceding the body of the text must be numbered with lowercase Roman numerals. Do not number the title page but do count it as part of the preliminary pagination. The body of the text is numbered with Arabic numerals beginning with the first page of text and including illustrations, appendix, and bibliography. Except for the title page, all pages must be numbered. The numerals may appear in any location on the page (bottom middle, bottom right, upper right), but must be consistent throughout the work. The page numbers should be at least ¾” from the edge of the page (the automatic positioning of page numbers in Microsoft word is fine).

Quotations: Consult copyright fair use guidelines. Include permission letters for use of copyrighted materials (photographs, charts, tables, etc.). Seek permission for quotations or excerpts that constitute a significant portion of a work not in the public domain. Consult your sources, obtain, and submit copyright permission letters as supplemental files as part of your online submission. 

Style and Style Manuals: Use the ICMJE style manual except when in conflict with these instructions.

Title Page: The title page must include the full dissertation title and the complete name of the author matching the Registrar's record of depositor's name (any official name changes must be made by providing legal documentation to the Registrar). Use words to spell out titles including formulas, symbols, superscripts, subscripts, and Greek letters. While prohibited from the title, symbols may be used throughout the text.

Note regarding copyright: The Doctoral candidate is the sole copyright holder of research published via CUNY Academic Works (in the event of co-authorship, the work is co-copyrighted). If submitting for publication to an academic journal, please see the journal’s specific requirements regarding transfer of copyright or other agreements.

*Dissertations will be reviewed to ensure that they meet the above requirements. You may be asked to revise if the dissertation doesn’t follow these guidelines.

• Disclosure Statement/Conflict of Interest from American Journal of Public Health
• Disclosure Statement samples from the University of California - Irvine
• Disclosure Statement samples from the University of Texas
• University of Michigan's Guide to Using Microsoft Word for Dissertations