For dissertations and theses, primarily UCLA’s, search the UCLA Library Catalog. The full-text of UC dissertations (1996+ ) are available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, formerly ProQuest Digital Dissertations

Index to doctoral dissertations from 1861 to the present, with abstracts since 1980. A number of master's theses are also indexed, with abstracts since 1988. Complete text of dissertations and theses from University of California campuses since 1997 is available at no charge to download in PDF format. The first 24 pages of all items since 1997 are available to preview at no charge. UCLA students, faculty, and staff may request non-UCLA dissertations on interlibrary loan rather than purchase dissertations. The Dissertation Abstracts and Digital Dissertations databases are produced by the Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company (formerly University Microfilms, UMI).

January 2007 update: There are now direct PDF links to UC dissertations from 1996 to present available in the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. For UC dissertations, users are no longer sent to the ProQuest Digital Dissertations interface to obtain the PDF version, and no longer have to wait for an e-mail alerting them to the availability of the file. However, if a user clicks on the "Order a copy" icon: The option for free PDF no longer appears for UC dissertations from 1996 forward, because the PDF is now available through a direct link. This change may cause some confusion at first. The user is taken to the "old" ProQuest Digital Dissertations interface. For dissertations not completed at UC, users can view the 24 page preview of the dissertation and can choose to order and pay for a copy. Search Note: UCLA students, faculty, and staff may request non-UCLA dissertations on interlibrary loan rather than purchase dissertations.) However, if a user clicks on the "Order a copy" icon: The user is taken to the "old" ProQuest Digital Dissertations interface. Also, the old "Current Research @" interface is still in place and will redirect to the new interface for at least a year.

WorldCat dissertations and theses

Provides access to over 5,000,000 dissertations and theses available in OCLC member libraries; UCLA Library is an OCLC member library. Many theses are available electronically, at no charge, directly from the publishing institution. UCLA students, faculty, and staff may request non-UCLA dissertations on interlibrary loan.

Most UCLA PhD dissertations are available for purchase through ProQuest UMI. The UCLA Library does not interlibrary loan materials to individuals unaffiliated with UCLA. However, dissertations are lent to institutions (Information For Borrowing Institutions).

For UCLA dissertations search the UCLA Library Catalog:

• Click Advanced search
• Type in dissertations "department name" UCLA for example: physics UCLA
• Keep the middle box set at "all of these words"
• Change the right box to "subject"
• Then, sort the results by date.