How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date)

This guide explains how to format a thesis or dissertation citation in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a thesis or dissertation in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date):

Template

Author Last, First M. Year. "Title of Thesis." PhD diss./master's thesis, University.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Williams 2021, 45)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Williams, Tara R. 2021. "Machine Learning Approaches to Early Detection of Neurodegenerative Diseases." PhD diss., Stanford University.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Format the author name
List the author as Last Name, First Name Middle Initial.
2
Add the year
Place the year immediately after the author, followed by a period.
3
Write the thesis title
Place the title in quotation marks (not italics) with headline-style capitalization. Chicago treats theses as unpublished works.
4
Add the degree type and university
Write the degree abbreviation ("PhD diss." or "master's thesis"), followed by a comma and the university name. End with a period.
5
Include database or URL if applicable
If you accessed the thesis through a database (e.g., ProQuest), you may include the database name and accession number. If available online, include the URL.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the thesis title instead of placing it in quotation marks (Chicago treats theses as unpublished works).
Placing the year at the end of the entry instead of after the author.
Using "dissertation" instead of the abbreviation "diss." after "PhD."
Omitting the university name.
Including a comma between the author and year in the in-text citation (write (Williams 2021), not (Williams, 2021)).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chicago Author-Date italicize thesis titles?

No. Both Chicago systems (Author-Date and Notes-Bibliography) treat theses as unpublished works, which are placed in quotation marks rather than italicized.

What abbreviation does Chicago use for doctoral dissertations?

Use "PhD diss." (not "doctoral dissertation" or "Doctoral Dissertation"). For master's theses, use "master's thesis" (lowercase m).

How does the Author-Date thesis citation differ from Notes-Bibliography?

The main difference is the position of the year (immediately after the author in Author-Date) and the citation method (parenthetical in-text vs. footnotes). The reference list entry format is otherwise very similar.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your thesis or dissertation:

Author
Year
Title
Type (doctoral dissertation or master's thesis)
University name
Database or repository (if applicable)
URL (if available online)

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Step-by-Step Guide

Format the author name

List the author as Last Name, First Name Middle Initial.

Add the year

Place the year immediately after the author, followed by a period.

Write the thesis title

Place the title in quotation marks (not italics) with headline-style capitalization. Chicago treats theses as unpublished works.

Add the degree type and university

Write the degree abbreviation ("PhD diss." or "master's thesis"), followed by a comma and the university name. End with a period.

Include database or URL if applicable

If you accessed the thesis through a database (e.g., ProQuest), you may include the database name and accession number. If available online, include the URL.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the thesis title instead of placing it in quotation marks (Chicago treats theses as unpublished works).

Placing the year at the end of the entry instead of after the author.

Using "dissertation" instead of the abbreviation "diss." after "PhD."

Omitting the university name.

Including a comma between the author and year in the in-text citation (write (Williams 2021), not (Williams, 2021)).