Finding a thesis
Recent theses are often openly available online. If the thesis you want is not available online, we may be able to borrow it on your behalf through interlibrary loan.
You'll need to fill in an interlibrary loan request. Some theses can only be read at a Massey University campus library.
If a thesis is particularly expensive to get, we may ask you to contribute towards the cost.
Massey University theses
The Library holds a print or digital copy of every master's and doctoral thesis completed at Massey University
You can find most theses at Massey Research Online, an archive of the university’s research that anyone can read and download.
Look for theses at Massey Research Online
Search for theses in Discover
You can also search Discover for Massey theses. Either:
- add the words Massey thesis as keywords in the Search box, or
- search for keywords as usual, and on the Results page, limit your results by Source: Dissertations/Thesis.
Go to Discover to look for theses
Find exceptional theses
Search the Dean’s list of exceptional theses for Massey theses that show outstanding research, analytical content, communication and presentation.
See the Dean’s list of exceptional theses
Search for Māori theses
Use these saved Discover searches to see Māori theses:
Get Pacific theses
Pacific theses are in Massey Research Online, in the Pacific policy and research centre community.
Find Pacific theses in the Pacific Research and Policy Centre community
Theses from other New Zealand universities and wānanga
Visit NZ Research to find theses and other resources produced at New Zealand universities, polytechnics and research institutions (excluding wānanga).
You can also search for theses in the New Zealand libraries’ catalogue, Te Puna. Just add thesis as a keyword.
Go to Te Puna to look for theses
If you’re looking for a specific thesis, search in the library of the university it was written at. Many masters and doctoral theses are open access – this means they’re available for anyone to read online.
Find theses produced by wānanga
To find theses produced by wānanga, search each catalogue individually. Not all theses may be online. Contact the wānanga to ask about access.
Te Wānanga o Raukawa library catalogue
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa library catalogue
Overseas theses
There are many online databases where you can find theses to read online or download. The one that’s most useful for you will depend on:
- the subject you want to find theses on
- whether you’re looking for theses from a particular institution or place.
Global databases
Search these sites for theses from all over the world.
Australia
Trove contains almost a million theses, including some New Zealand ones. Search for keywords, then refine your results to 'thesis'.
South Pacific
Search the University of the South Pacific (USP) library catalogue to find digitised theses on the Pacific islands and peoples by Pacific and non-Pacific researchers.
See a list of theses from the USP library catalogue
The University of Hawai'i's Center for Pacific Islands Studies publishes its masters theses online.
Read masters theses at Pacific Islands Studies student research
Europe
Use DART-Europe to find theses written at European universities. All the theses on DART are full-text, so you can read them online or download them.
Canada
Get theses from Canadian universities at Theses Canada. You can:
- read most theses written after 1998 online
- get citation and abstract information for theses written between 1965 and 1998.
Massey research reports
Research reports are short pieces of original research into a topic, usually written by postgraduate students. The Library has some (but not all) research reports written by Massey University students. You can find these:
- at Massey Research Online
- in Discover, by adding 'Massey research report' to the keywords you search for.
Contact a subject or Māori services librarian
We're here to help you find the resources you need for your research. Ask a librarian by email, over the phone, or at a service point in any campus library.