THESIS FORMAT

Follow these guidelines from the beginning of your first draft. Please understand that you are responsible for the accuracy of your title page and margin formatting and should be confirming that you are adhering to these guidelines throughout the writing process.

Title page:

You may download a copy

Margins: 

All type (page#, footnotes, photos) must be within these margins.*Do not use your word program's default settings.

• Left: 1.5 inch
• Right: 1.25 inch
• Top: 1 inch
• Bottom: 1 inch
• Page #s: At least 1/2 inch from the bottom of the page or in the upper right-hand corner (1/2 inch from top, inch from right edge of paper).

Double space throughout (except poetry, quotations, footnotes).

Note:  The PDF version of your thesis should be submitted as a single-sided manuscript.  Check with your department/program to see if your readers prefer a one-sided or two-sided manuscript.  

12 pt or larger (except footnotes, use your judgment). You choose style.

These standards are set by the bindery to insure a good appearance of the final bound thesis. The manuscript will be trimmed in the binding process and each bound page will be slightly smaller than the original 8 1/2 x 11 size.

Note:

Word processing programs handle the commands to embed page numbers differently. Print a sample sheet early on to check margin and page number placement. Please refer to GUIDELINES FOR CREATING A PDF FILE for information about converting a file to a PDF and printing from it.  When you convert your file, be sure to preserve margins. Remember that computer problems are not an acceptable excuse for late submission of a thesis. Create your PDF version and print your reader copies early! 

Saving:

Be sure to save your thesis frequently. It is a good idea to save your work on both disk and hard drive.

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