Doctoral Theses and Dissertations
Both McCormick Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago have doctoral programs, with projects culminating in the production of a thesis or dissertation.
McCormick has historically had a wide range of Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) programs, both cohort-based and individual, while LSTC's advanced studies students primarily pursue individualized Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) projects. Both seminaries also participate in the ACTS D.Min. in Preaching program and the Interschool (formerly "Ecumenical") Doctor of Ministry program.
Printed Theses and Dissertations
Historically, the theses and dissertations produced at McCormick and LSTC have been printed and bound, with submission to the JKM Library a requirement for completion. Until 2023, JKM had maintained a sizable collection of printed theses and dissertations—including from predecessor institutions—accessible to our patrons and visitors.
When we moved, during the summer of 2023, the University of Chicago Libraries acquired the majority of our bound theses and dissertations, and maintains them in offsite storage, accessible to request by searching their online catalog.
JKM continues to print and hold new dissertations from 2023 forward, as well as those from our former collections not claimed by the University, and you can search for those in our online catalog.
If you are not currently a student or member of the staff or faculty at McCormick or LSTC, email us at ihaveaquestion@jkmlibrary.org and we can advise you regarding access to printed theses and dissertations.
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
While the JKM Library continues to accept theses and dissertations, we now do so electronically, both for D.Min. and for Ph.D. projects.
The longstanding practice for Ph.D. projects has been to upload the finished and edited dissertation to ProQuest ETD. The JKM Library also sends one copy to be printed and bound for our own collections.
Current students: see our policy page on Ph.D. dissertation standards for details, as well as your advisor and the program manual for your specific degree program.
ProQuest maintains a searchable database for accessing these theses and dissertations here: Dissertations & Theses @ JKM
Since there has not been a similar practice for D.Min. project theses and professional papers, the JKM Library maintains its own full-text searchable archive here: Learn@JKM
To access these D.Min. theses, please register with your email address and institutional affiliation. Your registration will not automatically work. Email us at ihaveaquestion@jkmlibrary.org with your information and request to have your account enabled. When your account is enabled, you will be able to log in using the username and password we will send you.
In addition to a basic keyword search, the Learn@JKM archive also has an advanced search feature, using author, title, subject, year, specific degree program, or degree-granting institution. Theses can be downloaded in PDF format.
Access to electronic theses and dissertations is made possible to advance the fields of scholarship to which our graduates have contributed.
Please recognize that copyright for all electronic theses and dissertations, just like their print versions, remains fully the property of their authors, who alone have the right to distribute or publish this work further.
