6th edition 7th edition
How to cite a master's thesis in APA
If the thesis is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:
- Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
- Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
- Title of the Master's thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
- Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, if available.
- Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
- Name of Platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the thesis.
- URL: If the thesis was found on a database, omit this element.
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a master's thesis in APA style 7th edition:
. (Year of publication). Title of the Master's thesis (Publication number) [Master's thesis, Name of the degree awarding institution]. Name of Platform. URL
APA reference list examples
Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a master's thesis citation in action:
Examples
A master's thesis found in an online platform
. (2011). Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in Norway [Master's Thesis, University of Tromsø]. Semantic Scholar. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/29a9/ef96c34e577211246b83b11813a2585033c5.pdf
An unpublished master's thesis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 A comparison of water main failure prediction models in San Luis Obispo, CA [Unpublished master's thesis].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 official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition).
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