How to cite an honors thesis in MLA

MLA honors thesis citation

To cite an honors thesis in a reference entry in MLA style 9th edition include the following elements:

  1. Author(s) name: Give the last name and name as presented in the source (e. g. Watson, John). For two authors, reverse only the first name, followed by ‘and’ and the second name in normal order (e. g. Watson, John, and John Watson). For three or more authors, list the first name followed by et al. (e. g. Watson, John, et al.)
  2. Thesis title: Titles are italicized when independent. If part of a larger source add quotation marks and do not italize.
  3. Year of publication: Give the year of publication as presented in the source.
  4. University: Give the name of the institution.
  5. Degree: Type of degree.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of an honors thesis in MLA style 9th edition:

Author(s) name. Thesis title. Year of publication. University, Degree.

Take a look at our works cited examples that demonstrate the MLA style guidelines in action:

Examples

An undergraduate honors thesis with one author

Stevens, Indira. Iron Complexes for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation. 2019. William and Mary U, Undergraduate honors thesis.

An undergraduate honors thesis with two authors

Zhang, Irene Y., and Richard D. Goffin. Evil Geniuses at Work: Does Intelligence Interact with the Dark Triad to Predict Workplace Deviance? 2018. Western U, Undergraduate honors thesis.

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