This guide contains tips and tricks for finding dissertations and theses. Most new dissertations are available online; however, some older dissertations are only available in print. You can discover both through USearch, our online catalog. We only have pre-2008 dissertations and theses from Garrett and its precursor institutions, as well as Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.
To access most dissertations, you will need to access to a database like ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. This database contains millions of dissertations and theses and can be searched by author, subject, advisor, institution, etc. To learn how to use ProQuest, check out the ProQuest tab on this guide.
Research in Ministry (RIM) is an indexing database that has information about Doctor of Ministry theses and other similar degrees (e.g. Doctor of Missiology, Doctor of Education, etc.). This database may or may not include a direct link to an online version of the thesis. You will likely have to consult another database, like ProQuest, or contact the institution or author for access. Consult the Research in Ministry tab to learn more about using this invaluable resource.
Some dissertations and theses are available online through open access databases or other databases. To use these additional databases, select the Other Options tab on this guide. These resources can be particularly helpful in locating international dissertations and theses.
Finally, for dissertations and theses from other institutions, you may need to contact their libraries (or the author) directly to obtain access to them. The institution may also have an institutional repository online when you can access their dissertations and theses.
If you have any questions or would like our help locating or gaining access to a dissertation or thesis, please contact us.
Librarians are available
Monday through Friday,
8:30am to 4:30pm CST.