Dissertation & Thesis Frequently Asked Questions
Preliminary Review
Reviews are scheduled through Microsoft Bookings following the instructions on the Preliminary Technical Review page.
All reviews should be made using your school email address ending in @baylor.edu.
All reviews take place online via Teams. You will receive a Teams meeting link in the confirmation email you receive after scheduling.
You most likely used an email other than your school email ending in @baylor.edu. The confirmation emails with the links often go to spam; please check that folder.
Use the options on your confirmation email to reschedule your review. Please do not try to reschedule via email.
Appointment slots are limited; you should only sign up for one preliminary review to ensure there is opportunity for all students to have a review. The only exception is if a Dissertation and Thesis staff member directs you to sign up for an additional appointment.
You must submit your materials to your profile in Vireo at least one hour prior to your review. If your materials are not submitted, you risk having your review cancelled.
Reviews for students who have clearly not applied the required formatting will be cancelled. Students will be notified via email.
Vireo Submission (Baylor's Submission Portal)
Students submit through Baylor’s Dissertation and Thesis submission portal, Vireo, which can be accessed at https://baylor-etd.tdl.org/. The manuscript and all accompanying documents will be uploaded there. We do not accept documents via email.
You should only use the “Shibboleth Login” following the instructions on the Preliminary Review page. Do not create an account with an email/password. It should require you to use Duo to login after clicking “Shibboleth Login.”
Yes. Students should never create a new submission, even if they are temporarily unable to upload. (See next question.) All revisions, forms, and other documents must be submitted to the same profile.
The system will only allow uploads if your status is set to “Needs Corrections.” Please email Dissertation_Thesis@baylor.edu and a consultant will change your status.
Students are not able to change basic submission information once it is submitted. Please email the changes you need made to Dissertation_Thesis@baylor.edu and we will make those changes in the system for you.
Signature Page
a) Click on the correct signature page (number of committee members = number of lines)
b)When you see the screen that says "Please Wait," click on the download button in the right-hand corner of the screen.
c) Save the document to your computer.
d) Go to the folder where you saved the signature page.
e) Right click, select "Open With" and click on "Adobe."
Click “print” and select “Microsoft Print to PDF.” This will allow you to save as a regular PDF without fillable fields.
Yes.
Yes.
No. You should turn in the signed page with signatures from all committee members and your department chair; the Graduate School will obtain the Dean’s signature.
No. The Graduate School does not accept paper copies of any forms or manuscripts. All paperwork should be uploaded directly to the student’s Vireo submission portal. Physical forms that are dropped off at the office will be shredded.
Baylor provides KIC scanners for student use in Moody Library, including in the Graduate Research Center on the 2nd floor. Students may also choose to use scanning apps on their phones, such as Scannable, etc. Photographs or sloppy scans of forms are not accepted.
No. The only forms submitted directly by the department are both online: The Announcement of Oral Exam form and the Results of Oral Examination form. Departments who assist in obtaining signatures should send the signed forms back to the student, who will then submit.
Students should submit forms (unsigned and signed signature pages, Copyright and Availability form, and Approval of Final Dissertation/Thesis Copy form) directly to Vireo. Doctoral students will need to submit the Doctoral Investment Form online.
Timelines
It is your responsibility to schedule far enough in advance to ensure that all committee members can meet prior to the defense deadline.
As long as you have all of your materials and final revisions turned in by the 10-day deadline, you may make necessary formatting changes after that deadline.
All changes should be made within 48 hours of receiving the notification email.
The Dissertation and Thesis Office works through submissions as quickly as possible. Timelines vary by individual student based on how quickly they turn in revisions, how many revisions they have, and whether we have received all of their forms.
Master's students' information is sent to our Student Records area immediately upon approval in Vireo. After receiving the Vireo approval email, please allow for a few days for that requirement to be cleared on your audit.
Doctoral students' information is sent to our Student Records area immediately upon approval in ProQuest (see section below.) After receiving the Vireo approval email, doctoral students should follow the instructions in the email in order to upload to ProQuest. They will receive an email from ProQuest alerting them when their ProQuest submission has been approved. After receiving the ProQuest approval email, please allow for a few days for that requirement to be cleared on your audit.
ProQuest Submission (Global repository; Required for doctoral students AFTER Vireo Approval)
Students should only upload to ProQuest after receiving the approval email from Vireo stating that their dissertation (or thesis) is approved and ready for submission. The Vireo approval email includes instructions on how to upload to ProQuest, including the information in the questions below.
After approval on Vireo, go to your Vireo submission and download the “primary document” on file. This will include your unsigned signature page and be the official copy of your dissertation approved by Baylor. This is the document you should upload to ProQuest. It is also the document you should use for all future printings/copies of your dissertation.
Baylor does not pay any fees associated with ProQuest submission and publication. The “Traditional Publishing” option is free through ProQuest and is what the majority of students select.
Based on US Copyright laws, your dissertation is automatically protected by copyright in your name when it assumes "fixed form." Whether or not you want to formally register that copyright with the US Copyright Office is up to you.
You should choose the embargo that matches the one indicated on your Copyright and Availability form. If you chose a 5-year embargo, you will need to use the “Note to Administrator” to let us know, and we will manually enter that embargo before approval.
Bound copies are processed only after submissions are delivered to the system on the day of commencement. This means you will need to wait several weeks after your graduation for your copies to arrive. Baylor is not involved in printing or delivering bound copies; any questions regarding printed and bound copies should be directed to ProQuest.