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Finding Dissertations & Theses: Written @ UNR

This guide will help you obtain the full text of a doctoral dissertation or master's thesis.

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The University of Nevada, Reno Libraries provide help in-person, over the phone, by email, and via live chat.

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How to find UNR Dissertations and Theses

Step 1: Search ProQuest Dissertations & Theses @ UNR

Learn more about embargoes and why the full text may not be available.

Step 2: Use Library Search

Use Library Search (using any search) for all University of Nevada, Reno dissertations and Masters theses that the University Libraries own. They are available in some physical format such as in print or microfilm. You can also find some online theses in full-text through Library Search.

Some library records have a locally added subject heading (use the “LC SUBJECT” search) with the subject + “thesis" (example: Biomedical engineering -- thesis).

Note: There might be fewer LC Subject heading search results available after 2010.

Options for Searching in the Library Catalog

Search What you will find Drawbacks
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses @ University of Nevada Reno
  • Index of all UNR doctoral dissertations. Most will be full text after 1996.
  • Masters theses from 2007 onward, with earlier theses available.
  • Students can opt-out of full text
  • Some attachments and inclusions (such as maps) may not be online
  • Masters thesis coverage is incomplete
Conduct a keyword search for “thesis” in the Library Search (You can add other keywords like "Nevada" in the Advanced Search if you’re looking for something in particular).
  • Majority of University dissertations and Masters theses (plus some other things)
  • You will also get any records, non-University theses as well as other random documents, that happen to include those two words somewhere in the records

Library of Congress Subject Heading search for subject -- “thesis”

Ex: animal science--thesis
  • Some records include the word “thesis” in an LC Subject Heading field. (All University of Nevada, Reno theses and dissertations will have such a field.)
  • You will also get any records that happen to have the word “thesis” for some other reason
  • You can’t add other search terms to this search.
  • Many theses after 2010-2011 will not be included.

Step 3: ScholarWorks

ScholarWorks sometimes has dissertations and theses that are not available through ProQuest.