APA style (7th Edition) is one of the most widely used citation styles, especially in social sciences. When citing a published dissertation in APA, here's the format you'll follow:
APA format Author's Last Name, Initials. (Year). Title of dissertation (Publication No. [if available]) [Doctoral dissertation, Name of University]. Database Name.
APA reference entry Johnson, M. L. (2020). Exploring the role of mindfulness in reducing stress among college students (Publication No. 2345678) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
APA in-text citation (Johnson, 2020)
Different Sources
  • ProQuest: If the dissertation is from ProQuest, the database name will be included.
  • Dissertation published online: If available online, provide the URL or the DOI at the end of the citation.