How to cite a master's thesis in Harvard
To cite a master's thesis in a reference entry in Harvard style include the following elements:
- Author(s) of the master's thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J.) of up to three authors with the last name preceded by 'and'. For four authors or more include the first name followed by et al., unless your institution requires referencing of all named authors.
- Year of submission: Give the year in round brackets.
- Title of the master's thesis: Give the title as presented in the source. Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
- Degree description: Type of degree.
- Degree-awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in Harvard style:
. (Year of submission) Title of the master's thesis. Degree description. Degree-awarding institution.
Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the Harvard style guidelines in action:
Examples
A master's thesis by one author
. (2011) Personality, Passion, Self-esteem and Psychological Well-being among Junior Elite Athletes in Norway. Master's Thesis. University of Tromsø.
An unpublished master's thesis
. (2019) A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA. Unpublished master's thesis. Cal Poly.
This citation style guide is based on the Cite Them Right (10th edition) Harvard referencing guide.