The BU libraries recently upgraded to full text access of the Dissertation Abstracts (Proquest Dissertations & Theses) database. You are now able to access the full text of dissertations and theses written at colleges and universities around the country and published since 1997. This is an exciting development for library users who want to easily obtain these materials! Previously, BU’s full text access was limited to participating BU authors, but now it has been expanded to include all participating authors.

Dissertation Abstracts is the world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. It is the database of record for graduate research, with over 2.3 million dissertations and theses included from around the world.

Dissertations published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts. Bibliographic citations are available for dissertations dating from 1861, and more than 60,000 new citations are added to the database every year.

Over 1.9 million dissertations and theses are available on microfilm or in hardcopy, and researchers can preview many recent titles electronically. Where available, the database provides 24 page previews of dissertations and theses. In addition, more than 925,000 are available for download in PDF format.

Additional dissertation and thesis information is available on our Ask a Librarian page, or please feel free to contact a Reference Librarian if you have questions.