Dissertation Formatting Guidelines Every Graduate Student Should Know

Writing and submitting a dissertation can be overwhelming, but following the right formatting standards ensures your work is professional, accessible, and meets institutional requirements. Below are the essential guidelines on language, length, structure, formatting, and submission standards you need to keep in mind.

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The default language for dissertations is English.
However, departments focused on foreign languages may allow dissertations to be written in that language.

Length of the Dissertation

Most dissertations are between 100 and 300 pages.
Divide the work into clear sections; longer dissertations may require chapters, divisions, and subdivisions for readability.

📄 Page and Text Requirements

Page Size

Standard: 8.5 x 11 inches (unless including musical scores).

Margins

At least 1 inch on all sides.

Spacing

Body text: Double-spaced
Block quotations, footnotes, and bibliographies: Single spacing within entries, double spacing between entries
TOC, list of tables/figures, lengthy tables: Single spacing allowed

Fonts & Sizes

Use 10–12 point font.
Fonts must be embedded in the PDF to display correctly (important for non-English characters).

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Recommended Fonts

Font	Point Size
Times New Roman	12 pt
Garamond	12 pt
Georgia	11 pt
Century	11 pt
Arial	10 pt
Courier New	10 pt
Tahoma	10 pt
Trebuchet MS	10 pt
Lucida Bright	10 pt
Microsoft Sans Serif	10 pt
Verdana	10 pt

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How to Embed Fonts in Word

Word (Recent Versions)

Click File → Options.
Select Save.
Under Preserve fidelity when sharing, check Embed fonts in the file.
Uncheck Do not embed common system fonts.

Word 2010

File → Options → Save → Check Embed fonts in the file → OK → Save.

Word 2007

Click the Office Button → Word Options → Save → Check Embed fonts → OK → Save.

Word (Mac 2008)

Fonts embed automatically when saving as PDF.

Using Acrobat Professional

Open Word file → Adobe PDF tab → Change Conversion Settings → Advanced → Fonts → remove fonts in Never Embed → Save as “Embed All Fonts.”
Convert to PDF → Check Document Properties → Fonts. Fonts should display as (Embedded Subset).

Tables, Figures & Captions

Place tables/figures as close as possible to where they’re first mentioned.
If on a separate page, center them between margins.
Number tables/figures continuously or by chapter (e.g., Figure 1.1, 1.2, 2.1).
Capti bottom of the figures
- At top of tables
- Use a consistent style throughout.
Large tables may span multiple pages. Use “(Continued)” in captions if necessary.
Landscape orientation must be bound at the top. Page numbers remain in portrait style.

Pagination

Every page must be numbered (except Thesis Acceptance Certificate).
Preliminary pages: use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii).
Main body: use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…).
Title page is counted as page i, but number not printed.
No duplicate numbers (e.g., 10a, 10b not allowed).
Typically, no page number on chapter-opening pages.

Required Sections

Thesis Acceptance Certificate (TAC)
- First page, unnumbered.
- Author’s name and date must match title page.
Title Page
- Concise, descriptive title.
- Author’s name and date (matching TAC).
- No page number (counts as page i).
Copyright Statement
- Appears on a separate page.
- Example:
  
  © 2025 John Doe All rights reserved.
- Alternatively, you may use a Creative Commons License.
Abstract
- Numbered as page iii.
- Includes: problem statement, methods, results, and conclusions.
- Format: double-spaced, left justified, first-line indent.
Table of Contents
- Must list major headings in this order:
  - Title Page
  - Copyright
  - Abstract
  - TOC
  - Front Matter
  - Body of Text
  - Back Matter
Front Matter (Optional)
- Dedication, acknowledgments, glossary, list of figures/tables, etc.
Back Matter (Optional)
- Appendices, bibliography, supplemental material, index.

Supplemental Materials

Must be placed in an appendix at the end.
May include images, datasets, audio/video files.
A maximum of 10 supplemental files can be submitted to ProQuest ETD.
Larger sets must be compressed into a single .zip file.

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Final Tips

Use consistent formatting throughout the dissertation.
Double-check pagination, font embedding, and margins.
Ensure all tables, figures, and references follow your department’s style manual.
Submit PDF/A compliant files for long-term archiving.