The library requests that you submit your thesis or dissertation document electronically through the JMU Scholarly Commons. Here is what to expect in the submission process. The more you have prepared properly before entering the submission site, the easier your submission will be.

• You will need to establish an account with the JMU Scholarly Commons. Use your JMU email address for this account.
• Go to https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/grad/
• Select either Dissertations, Educational Specialist, or Masters Theses. 
• You will login using your Scholarly Commons account. 
• REVIEW the Policies and Submission Guidelines as linked on the left navigation. 
• Enter the title of your document exactly as it appears on your title page. 
• The "suffix" field is reserved for "Jr., Sr., III., IV., etc. This field should NOT have a degree entered. 
• Enter institutional affiliation as "James Madison University" only. 
• Under the "Date of Award", although winter is shown as an option, JMU does not award degrees in winter. Choose only Fall, Spring, or Summer. Do not choose Winter!
• Your embargo selection must match the selection as indicated on the embargo agreement form submitted to The Graduate School. 
• Know what degree you are earning. 
• Enter the name of your department exactly as it appears on your title page.
• Where asked to enter your advisor's name, enter only their name, no designation (e.g. Ph.D., Dr., or Prof.). Do not enter any designation. 
• Have up to six (6) keywords prepared ahead of time. Enter them per the instructions. 
• Drill down under the "Subject Categories" in order to find the most appropriate subject category of your document. You may have to drill down through a few layers.
• It is easiest to copy and paste your abstract into the form. Have your document ready to be able to do this easily. 
• Your document will be archived as a pdf. It is best that you upload your document in this form from your computer. You do have the option of uploading a document from a remote location, and is best that these documents be preserved in pdf form before upload. 

Before you submit your document(s) to the library, The Graduate School should have received copies of your approval page. The approval pages should be signed in original, in black ink.

Refer to the following checklist before beginning your submission.

□ I have turned in signed copies of my approval page to The Graduate School.

□ I have turned in a signed copy of the Document Agreement/Embargo Form to The Graduate School.

□ I have all documents that I plan to upload ready.

□ I have the title of my document exactly as it appears on the title page.

□ I know in which college my program is housed.

□ I have selected key words for my document.

□ I have my abstract available to be inserted into the submission form.

Ready to submit? 

JMU Scholarly Commons