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Finding Dissertations @ Pitt

This guide will help you locate dissertations and theses from the University of Pittsburgh, national, and international institutions.

PittCat

PittCat PittCat is the main searching tool for all of the materials owned by the University Library System (ULS), including articles, books, ebooks, journal articles, ejournals, audio and video, digital images, government documents, microfilm and movies.

Pitt Dissertations 2004 - Present

The institutional repository for the University of Pittsburgh, called D-Scholarship, contains the Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) produced by our graduates. This system provides text-based PDF files of thesis and dissertations published through the university from 2004 forward. ETDs can contain non-text elements such as multimedia, sound, video, and hypertext links. At Pitt, ETDs are also available on PittCat, the university's online catalog. This enables scholars worldwide to locate, search, and download Pitt's ETDs. As of 2020, over 10,000 ETDs have been deposited.

D-Scholarship Search Tips

  • You have the option of searching by the Full Text (Keyword), Title, Creators, Email, Author ID, Committee Member, Abstract, Date, Degree, Schools and Programs, Centers, Item Type, Department, Editors, Format, Language, and others.
  • Use Full Text Keyword searching, which searches for dissertations or theses that include your selected keyword.
  • If you need help during the process, click the Question Marks on the search page.
  • You can also limit your search to only University of Pittsburgh ETDs but selecting the item type of University of Pittsburgh Electronic Thesis or Dissertation.

Pitt Dissertations Before 2004

If you are trying to locate theses and dissertations published before 2004 by the university, search PittCat. Some Pitt theses and dissertations may also be full-text in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (1997-Present).

Dissertations are held in various ULS locations and are available in a variety of formats. The ULS Microforms collection has Pitt Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations dating back to the 1930s. Archives & Special Collections does have some materials dating back to the late 1800s. Note, however, that the ULS does not have a comprehensive collection of every Pitt Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation. In general, the older the work, the less likely we are to have it.