The Princeton University Archives in the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library is Princeton University’s central repository for senior theses submitted in fulfillment of the undergraduate degree requirements. As you may have discovered in the course of your own work, this collection of approximately 68,800 theses serves as an important resource for undergraduate research; indeed, perhaps you were one of the many students who collectively downloaded over 17,000 theses in digital form last year.
Search the Digital Thesis Archive
To enhance the reach and utility of this resource, the library created a digital archive in 2014 to enable members of the Princeton University community (our students, faculty, staff) and other authorized users of our computing network to access copies of senior theses online. Subject to the limitations of copyright law, such authorized users may also make individual digital copies for private, scholarly purposes. This digital archive is not freely available online to the general public, although the library will accommodate written requests for copies of theses from anyone who agrees to follow the limitations of copyright law and who also pays for any related costs.
As a Princeton undergraduate, we encourage you to consult the archive to explore topics, gather ideas for possible faculty advisers, find sources, gain familiarity with disciplinary writing styles, develop research methodologies for your own thesis, and understand what makes a good thesis. To access the digital archive, please visit the Thesis Archive on DataSpace.
Archive your Thesis
Upon completion (and by your departmental thesis deadline), you will be required to upload a digital copy of your senior thesis to the Thesis Central website for departmental review and archiving at Mudd Library. Although you will submit your thesis online, you will also remain responsible for following any additional requirements for your home department. Given a number of sensitivities surrounding the circulation of copyrighted materials in digital form, it is important to understand your options for depositing your work:
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Online Access: Unless you elect either or both of the options described below, your thesis will be automatically deposited in the digital archive and accessible online to authorized users of the Princeton University computing network (as described above).
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Walk-in Access Only: If you feel that your thesis should not be made accessible online via our computing network, you may elect to limit access to those who visit Mudd Library in person. These “walk-in” patrons, who may include members of the general public, will be able to access the archive at a designated computer terminal in Mudd Library and, subject to the limitations of copyright law, permitted to make copies of individual theses. Please note that a list of all theses in the University Archives is publicly available online.
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Embargo: To protect a compelling interest, you may request that your thesis be embargoed so that it remains completely inaccessible to members of the public for a specific, limited period of time. For example, embargoing your thesis may be appropriate if its disclosure would compromise intellectual property or privacy interests, or if your thesis includes data that you or your faculty adviser are planning to publish at a later time. Please be sure to consult with your adviser if you have questions about the sensitivity of the data in your thesis. The University reserves its right to review any and all theses for administrative purposes. All embargo requests will be carefully reviewed.
If you wish to embargo or limit access to your thesis to “walk-in” patrons in Mudd Library, please complete and submit the online Restricted Access Form before 11:55 p.m. on your commencement day. If you wish to publish your thesis independently upon graduation, we ask that you consult with your faculty adviser before taking that step to confirm that its publication will not compromise the interests of others.
If you have questions regarding the archiving process, please contact the Office of the Dean of the College or the University Archives.