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What’s Included: The Dissertation Template

If you’re preparing to write your dissertation, thesis or research project, our free dissertation template is the perfect starting point. In the template, we cover every section step by step, with clear, straightforward explanations and examples .

The template’s structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for formal academic research projects such as dissertations and theses. The template structure reflects the overall research process, ensuring your dissertation or thesis will have a smooth, logical flow from chapter to chapter.

The dissertation template covers the following core sections:

  • The title page/cover page
  • Abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary)
  • Table of contents
  • List of figures /list of tables
  • Chapter 1: Introduction  (also available: in-depth introduction template )
  • Chapter 2: Literature review  (also available: in-depth LR template )
  • Chapter 3: Methodology (also available: in-depth methodology template )
  • Chapter 4: Research findings /results (also available: results template )
  • Chapter 5: Discussion /analysis of findings (also available: discussion template )
  • Chapter 6: Conclusion (also available: in-depth conclusion template )
  • Reference list

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover within each section. We’ve also included practical examples to help you understand exactly what’s required in each section.

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

FAQs: Dissertation Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The dissertation template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of dissertations/theses can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research projects such as dissertations or theses, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Will this work for a research paper?

A research paper follows a similar format, but there are a few differences. You can find our research paper template here .

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level thesis?

This template can be used for a dissertation, thesis or research project at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my dissertation/thesis be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. As a general ballpark, Masters-level projects are usually 15,000 – 20,000 words in length, while Doctoral-level projects are often in excess of 60,000 words.

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this dissertation template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our dissertation and thesis coaching services .

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Thesis / dissertation formatting manual (2024).

  • Filing Fees and Student Status
  • Submission Process Overview
  • Electronic Thesis Submission
  • Paper Thesis Submission
  • Formatting Overview
  • Fonts/Typeface
  • Pagination, Margins, Spacing
  • Paper Thesis Formatting
  • Preliminary Pages Overview
  • Copyright Page
  • Dedication Page
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Figures (etc.)
  • Acknowledgements
  • Text and References Overview
  • Figures and Illustrations
  • Using Your Own Previously Published Materials
  • Using Copyrighted Materials by Another Author
  • Open Access and Embargoes
  • Copyright and Creative Commons
  • Ordering Print (Bound) Copies
  • Tutorials and Assistance
  • FAQ This link opens in a new window

UCI Libraries maintains the following  templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. If you would like to see what your manuscript should look like, PDFs have been provided. If you are formatting your manuscript using LaTex, UCI maintains a template on OverLeaf.

  • Annotated Template (Dissertation) 2024 PDF of a template with annotations of what to look out for
  • Word: Thesis Template 2024 Editable template of the Master's thesis formatting.
  • PDF Thesis Template 2024
  • Word: Dissertation Template 2024 Editable template of the PhD Dissertation formatting.
  • PDF: Dissertation Template 2024
  • Overleaf (LaTex) Template
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  • Last Updated: Feb 20, 2024 2:09 PM
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Microsoft Word for Dissertations

  • Introduction, Template, & Resources
  • Formatting for All Readers
  • Applying a Style
  • Modifying a Style
  • Setting up a Heading 1 Example
  • Images, Charts, Other Objects
  • Footnotes, Endnotes, & Citations
  • Cross-References
  • Appendix Figures & Tables
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Figures/Tables
  • Chapter and Section Numbering
  • Page Numbers
  • Landscape Pages
  • Combining Chapter Files
  • Commenting and Reviewing
  • The Two-inch Top Margin
  • Troubleshooting
  • Finalizing Without Styles
  • Preparing Your Final Document

Help with Microsoft Word

Members of the University of Michigan community can get dissertation & thesis formatting assistance from the experts at ScholarSpace:

Please  visit this link to make an appointment , or send an email to [email protected].

We're here to solve any formatting problems you've run into, and can give you guidance about captioning figures, solving numbering issues, creating a List of Tables/Figures/Appendices, and more.

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Introduction to Word for Dissertations

Formatting your dissertation (or thesis) will likely take more time than you expect. But using the special features described in this Guide will save you a great deal of work , particularly if you use our template (available in the box below). The earlier you begin to use these tools, the more time you'll save and the less stress you'll have as your submission deadline approaches. Students at the University of Michigan are also encouraged to contact the experts at the Library's ScholarSpace anytime you run into a problem or have a question.

To meet  Rackham’s Dissertation Formatting Guidelines  you will need to modify the standard settings that Microsoft Word uses. This guide will show you how to use the tools to make the necessary modifications.  While we do follow the requirements from Rackham’s formatting guidelines to demonstrate the tools, in the end, you are responsible for verifying that your document meets the requirements that Rackham sets.

To save yourself time and effort , please consider using our Dissertation Template (link available in the box below). Many of the settings discussed in this Guide are already included in that document.

Please note that, as a University of Michigan student, you have free access to the Microsoft Office suite of tools -- including Microsoft Word. Visit this link to learn more and to download Office to your own computer.

Dissertation Template and other Resources

  • ScholarSpace Template for Dissertations This Microsoft Word document comes with many of the Rackham formatting guidelines built in, and can be used for dissertations and theses. Please note that this template doesn't follow the formatting direction of any particular Style Guide. It is your responsibility to make sure you are following the Style Guide predominant in your field, and to make any relevant formatting changes to heading styles, numbering, captions, etc... How to make many of those changes is described throughout this Guide.
  • Rackham Dissertation Handbook Rackham's Dissertation Guidelines and Handbook
  • Dissertation Formatting Checklist Rackham's list of formatting issues to watch out for in your dissertation.
  • Using Microsoft Word for Large Documents (non-dissertation specific) Handout (This document was written for an older -- much older -- version of Word, but nearly all of the information is still accurate and useful)
  • Guide to Copyright for Dissertations

A word about LaTeX

LaTeX is a writing and markup language often used in science and engineering documents because it allows for great control in creating complex equations and formulas. ScholarSpace does not maintain a template for dissertations created with LaTeX, and we can only provide very limited support for it. That said, there is a community of U-M folks who actively maintain  this LaTeX template to keep it in line with Rackham's guidelines .

Here are some other very useful resources:

  • Video recording of a  UM Library Workshop on Dissertation Formatting with LaTeX
  • Documentation for LaTeX and Overleaf
  • Bibiliography Management with LaTeX
  • How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX
  • A huge collection of LaTeX resources

Can I use Google Docs for my dissertation?

No. Google Docs can get you pretty far down the road to something that looks like what Rackham requires, however, it's going to take a lot more work to get that far, and as you approach the finish line there will be obstacles that Google Docs just won't be able to get around. The issue is that Google Docs was not designed for complicated documents like a thesis or dissertation. To get it to do many of the special things that Rackham requires, you'll have to do a lot of work that Word will just do for you . A few examples:

  • Rackham requires 1" margin on all pages, but a 2" margin at the top of each new section. You'll have to manually adjust every relevant page yourself in Docs to get this, but Word will just do it automatically.
  • Docs gives you three choices for how your Table of Contents will look, none of which are suitable for Rackham. While you can adjust the format, many aspects of it (such as spacing) will revert to the original every time you update it.  With Word, you're in charge of what your ToC looks like.
  • In Docs, you'll have to manually type in your figure numbers ("Figure 3.6") and change them every time you add or move them. But Word will manage numbering and caption placement for you, it will renumber figures or tables as you add or move them, and it will create your List of Figures/Tables automatically – correct page numbers and all. 
  • With Word's figure/table numbering, you can also insert cross-references so when you refer to "(see Figure 4.2)" but then you add some new figures before that, not only will Figure 4.2 renumber itself automatically, but anywhere you've referred to it will be updated, too. No more anxiety about whether you've updated everything accurately.
  • Page numbers: Rackham wants the first two pages to have no page numbers, the rest of the frontmatter to have small roman numerals, and the body of the document to have arabic numerals.  Docs just plain can't do that. 

If you're concerned about the learning curve of using Word, please know that this Guide goes over how to do everything, AND the Word template found here has nearly everything already set up for you. We also regularly offer a workshop that serves as an introduction to the most useful features, and you can set up a meeting with a ScholarSpace expert anytime you run into something that you can't figure out. 

Writing Assistance

This Guide is all about how to properly format your dissertation -- how to make it look the way Rackham wants it to look. But what if you need help with the actual composition  of your content? Our friends at the Sweetland Writing Center offer such assistance, through their Writing Workshop program. From their website:

These are just a few quick but especially important tips to help you get started. See our more expansive Tips & Troubleshooting section for suggestions that are a little more complex.

  • Save early , save often, and create backup versions as you go along. Consider setting up Microsoft OneDrive (you have free access with your umich login credentials). With this, you can turn on "Autosave" in Word to automatically save your document at regular intervals.

bachelor thesis template word

  • Use our template (available above), it will save you lots of time. Nearly all of the difficult formatting stuff we discuss in this Guide is already built into the template. Consider doing all of your writing in it -- even if you're working in separate files for each chapter, you can use a copy of the template for each one of those chapters.
  • Set the margins including the two-inch margin for chapters titles  ( Setting Margins ) .
  • Define styles for Headings 1-3, Normal, Captions, and Quotes – these are most common; you may need others ( Working with Styles ).
  • If headings need to be numbered (for example, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, etc.), define a multi-level list ( Automatic Numbering ).
  • If captions need to include the chapter number, define a multi-level list ( Automatic Numbering ).
  • Share your file(s) with your advisors using Track Changes ( Commenting and Reviewing ) .
  • If you use EndNote to manage your citations and create your bibliography, use only one EndNote library for your entire dissertation (see our EndNote Basics guide).
  • Did we mention that you really ought to try out our template (available above)?

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Formatting Your Thesis or Dissertation with Microsoft Word

  • Tables and Figures
  • Introduction
  • Copyright Page
  • Dedication, Acknowledgements, & Preface
  • Headings and Subheadings
  • Citations and Bibliography
  • Page Numbers
  • Rotated (Landscape) Pages
  • Table of Contents
  • Lists of Tables and Figures
  • List of Abbreviations
  • Some Things to Watch For
  • PDF with Embedded Fonts

Tables and figures

Many theses include tables and figures. Most often, they are added to the thesis as images, but sometimes you might want to add some as a linked Excel file. And, the way that captions are added to figures and tables differs between APA and IEEE style. The videos below are lengthy, so they start with a table of contents so you can jump to the section that you need.

Tables and figures - IEEE style

This video demonstrates a modified IEEE style for tables and figures that most CECS students use.

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  • Last Updated: Mar 21, 2024 2:35 PM
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Submit and publish your thesis.

  • The Graduate Thesis: What is it?
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Formatting in MS Word

  • Formatting in LaTeX
  • Making Thesis Accessible
  • Thesis Embargo
  • Review and Release
  • Your Rights as an Author
  • Re-using Third Party Materials
  • Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
  • Turning Thesis into an Article
  • Turning Thesis into a Book
  • Other Venues of Publication

Thesis style template for MS Word is available on the School of Graduate Studies website . You are not required to use the template but using it will make some of the formatting requirements easier to meet.

►► Thesis template for  Microsoft Word​  (.docx)

For formatting instructions and requirements see the Formatting section of the SGS website .

MS Word formatting tips

Section breaks and page numbers.

One of the most common formatting items that causes difficulty is the page numbering, since the front section and the rest of the thesis use different characters and placement. The way to properly format these sections is to add Section Breaks in between the front matter and the Introduction or Chapter One and between each of the following chapters, including the Bibliography and Appendices sections.

Adding Section Breaks and Page Numbers in Word 2016

You will need to insert “Section Break – next page” in between all chapters and between the front matter and the first chapter as well as between the last chapter and the appendices and the references.

  • Click on the place where the break should be inserted and then go to the Layout tab.
  • Click on the arrow beside Breaks and choose Section Break Next Page from the list. This allows you to format sections individually of each other.
  • Go to the first chapter after the front matter, click in the header and footer area and in the Header & Footer tools, ensure that “Different First Page” is selected and then ensure that the “Link to Previous” option is not selected. This way, when you format the front matter with Roman numerals in the bottom centre, it won’t carry the formatting into the next section.
  • Use the Insert Page Numbers and Format Page numbers to insert the page numbers in the appropriate place with the appropriate formatting.

Using Document Styles

The template has Styles that can be used to format your entire thesis. To use a style, select the text to apply the style to, then choose the appropriate style from the Styles window.

If you don’t want to use the template (for example, if you don’t want to use the numbered headings, you can create your own styles. To do this, format the heading (or other element) the way you want, then click New Style in the style window. Insert a unique name for the style and click OK . You can then use that style for those elements going forward.

Table of Contents (TOC)

To automatically generate a TOC, apply the appropriate Styles to all headings. The template has styles created for this purpose. If you are not using the template, you can create your own heading styles to apply.

Auto-generate the TOC in Word 2016 on both Mac and Windows

  • Go to the References tab, choose Table of Contents and select Custom Table of Contents . Click OK .

       Using your own styles

  • If you have created your own styles with custom names, go to the References tab, choose Table of Contents and select Custom Table of Contents , then click Options .
  • Put numbers beside the styles you created that correspond with the level of heading they represent. Click OK , then OK again.

Manual formatting of TOC

To add right-aligned tabs with leaders:

  • From the Home tab, open the Paragraph settings and click on the Tabs button.
  • Enter the tab stop position, choose Right Tab and for Leader , choose the … option. Click Set (or the + sign on Mac), then click OK .
  • Type the TOC entry, press tab, then insert the page number.

Miscellaneous tips

  • Use page breaks instead of pressing Enter or Return
  • Use paragraph first-line indent or tab consistently throughout doc (best to use Styles)
  • Use consistent spacing around headers
  • Use Shift + Return/Enter to keep headings that run over 2 lines in the same paragraph
  • Ensure there are no Widow/Orphan headings or paragraphs
  • When inserting longer quotes, use margins to indent rather than tabbing in and inserting a hard return after each line
  • Always use tabs rather than spaces. Set tab stops so you aren’t using multiple tabs

Formatting issues and examples

When creating your own table of contents , be sure to format the space between the text and the numbers properly. Do not use multiple tabs or periods to separate them. This will result in a jagged right margin. You want to set a right-aligned tab with leaders in order to have the numbers properly aligned to the right margin. The auto-generate TOC feature does this automatically.

Table of contents incorrect and correct formatting examples. Discussion above.

When starting content on a new page, do not use the return key until you get to the next page. If you add content to that section later on, it will move everything down the page, even on the following page. Instead, use the Insert Page Break feature.

Page break formatting incorrect and correct example. Discussion above.

When formatting indented quotes, do not use tabs to indent the lines , or put a return at the end of each line. The test in the paragraph won’t flow properly if you need to add more text or change the margins. Instead use the margin controls in the Ruler to indent the paragraph on each side.

Indented quotes incorrect and correct formatting examples. Discussion above.

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  • Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 3:23 PM
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Undergraduate thesis tutorial, guides, templates and tools, style guides and templates.

MIT Libraries Thesis Preparation Styles and Requirements

Templates for NSE S.B. Thesis Cover Page and Abstract Page (PDF)

Editable theses for use as templates:

  • S. B. Thesis in Microsoft Word Format (DOC - 27MB) Professor Short’s S. B. thesis, 2005. Use this as a template if you choose to use MSWord.
  • PhD Thesis in LyX Format (ZIP - 45MB) (The ZIP file contains: 8 .aux files, 1 .bak file, 2 .bbl files, 1 .bib file, 1 .cls file, 1 .layout file, 2 .lof files, 16 .lyx files, 1 .lyx~ file, 2 .performance monitor files, 1 .sty file, 17 .tex files, 3 text document files, 2 .toc files, 2 .pdf files, 135 .jpeg files, 128 .png files.) Professor Short’s PhD thesis, from 2010. Use this as a template for LyX, and export it to LaTeX if you so desire. MIT style files are included.

Sample Work from Prior 22.THT Students

Prospectuses are courtesy of the students, used with permission; theses are © MIT.

Useful Technical Writing Tools

  • Beall’s List of “potential, possible, or probable” predatory open-access publishers 2015 Be wary of using journals on this list in your research. However, don’t assume that mere presence on this list constitutes a disreputable journal. Beall’s List is a self-maintained site, and there is some debate about its objectiveness and accuracy. See “ Beyond Beall’s List: Better understanding predatory publishers ” and “Ethics and Access 1: The Sad Case of Jeffrey Beall” (PDF)  for critiques. A case of a publisher being added and later removed after protest is described in Beall’s own blog post and the corresponding publisher’s notice . Let’s just say that you should consider your sources very carefully, and look for your own warning signs of low quality, predatory publishing practices, or something not sounding right.
  • LyX Use this graphical front-end to LaTeX as a happy compromise between Word’s ease of use and LaTeX’s robustness.
  • LaTeX Tutorial A site to easily help you learn LaTeX for scientific writing.
  • ShareLaTeX Use this collaborative, cloud-based LaTeX editor to work on your documents in real-time with your advisor.
  • JabRef A lightweight BiBTeX reference manager that integrates seamlessly with LaTeX and LyX.
  • Mendeley A tool to organize and annotate PDFs and export citations.
  • Zotero A tool to find, organize, and cite bibliographic references.

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  • Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Published on 8 June 2022 by Tegan George .

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process . It helps you to lay out and organise your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation, such as:

  • Your anticipated title
  • Your abstract
  • Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review, research methods, avenues for future research, etc.)

In the final product, you can also provide a chapter outline for your readers. This is a short paragraph at the end of your introduction to inform readers about the organisational structure of your thesis or dissertation . This chapter outline is also known as a reading guide or summary outline.

Table of contents

How to outline your thesis or dissertation, dissertation and thesis outline templates, chapter outline example, sample sentences for your chapter outline, sample verbs for variation in your chapter outline, frequently asked questions about outlines.

While there are some inter-institutional differences, many outlines proceed in a fairly similar fashion.

  • Working Title
  • ‘Elevator pitch’ of your work (often written last).
  • Introduce your area of study, sharing details about your research question, problem statement , and hypotheses . Situate your research within an existing paradigm or conceptual or theoretical framework .
  • Subdivide as you see fit into main topics and sub-topics.
  • Describe your research methods (e.g., your scope, population , and data collection ).
  • Present your research findings and share about your data analysis methods.
  • Answer the research question in a concise way.
  • Interpret your findings, discuss potential limitations of your own research and speculate about future implications or related opportunities.

To help you get started, we’ve created a full thesis or dissertation template in Word or Google Docs format. It’s easy adapt it to your own requirements.

 Download Word template    Download Google Docs template

Chapter outline example British English

It can be easy to fall into a pattern of overusing the same words or sentence constructions, which can make your work monotonous and repetitive for your readers. Consider utilising some of the alternative constructions presented below.

Example 1: Passive construction

The passive voice is a common choice for outlines and overviews because the context makes it clear who is carrying out the action (e.g., you are conducting the research ). However, overuse of the passive voice can make your text vague and imprecise.

Example 2: IS-AV construction

You can also present your information using the ‘IS-AV’ (inanimate subject with an active verb) construction.

A chapter is an inanimate object, so it is not capable of taking an action itself (e.g., presenting or discussing). However, the meaning of the sentence is still easily understandable, so the IS-AV construction can be a good way to add variety to your text.

Example 3: The I construction

Another option is to use the ‘I’ construction, which is often recommended by style manuals (e.g., APA Style and Chicago style ). However, depending on your field of study, this construction is not always considered professional or academic. Ask your supervisor if you’re not sure.

Example 4: Mix-and-match

To truly make the most of these options, consider mixing and matching the passive voice , IS-AV construction , and ‘I’ construction .This can help the flow of your argument and improve the readability of your text.

As you draft the chapter outline, you may also find yourself frequently repeating the same words, such as ‘discuss’, ‘present’, ‘prove’, or ‘show’. Consider branching out to add richness and nuance to your writing. Here are some examples of synonyms you can use.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organise your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract   in the table of contents.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

George, T. (2022, June 08). Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 15 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/outline-thesis-dissertation/

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Other students also liked, dissertation table of contents in word | instructions & examples, how to write a dissertation proposal | a step-by-step guide, thesis & dissertation acknowledgements | tips & examples.

Information Technology

Writing Your Thesis in Word

Follow these instructions and tips for successfully writing your thesis in the Word thesis template . Don't have the thesis template? Download it from our website .

CAUTION: DO NOT USE THE WORD THESIS TEMPLATE IN ANY DOCUMENT OTHER THAN WORD. (OPENOFFICE, NEOOFFICE, PAGES, GOOGLE DOCS, ETC). Make sure that you are using Word on the computer and NOT Word on a browser! Your formatting will break if you do so!!

Some of the instructions will vary depending on the version of Word you use. These instructions are for the current version, Word 2019. We've also documented exact steps for Word 2016  on Mac and Word 2016/2013  on Windows.

  • Applying Styles
  • Modifying Styles

Section Breaks

  • Table of Contents, List of Figures, List of Tables

Deleting Optional Sections

  • Formatting Thesis to be Double-Sided (with mirror margins)
  • Copying and Pasting into Word from Another Document
  • Formatting Thesis to be Single-Sided

Rotating Pages

Inserting a really long sideways excel table into word.

  • Accidentally delete the Table of Contents, List of Tables, or List of Figures?

Writing Thesis with Multiple Languages

"Styles" are used in Word to easily apply a set of formatting attributes--such as font, font size, indentation, and spacing--consistently throughout a document.  When you apply a style to a paragraph, it is formatted with the attributes defined in the style.  The Word thesis template has many pre-defined styles for things like chapter titles, sub titles, main body text, quotes, figures, etc.  See the table below to learn what styles to use and where.

Pre-defined styles in the Word thesis template

Note: Word has many default styles that can't be deleted.  To avoid confusion from thesis-specific styles and Word's default ones, look for a comma after the name of thesis styles (e.g., Heading1,h1).

How to apply styles

See specific instructions for your version of Word:

  • Word 2016 & newer (Mac)
  • Word 2013 & newer (Windows)

How to modify styles

If you don't like the way a style is defined, you can easily modify it!

  • Go to the Format menu and choose Styles .
  • Select the style you want to modify from the lefthand side.
  • Click the Modify button.
  • Change the parameters you want. More options are available from the Format drop-down menu.
  • Click OK when you're done.

Tip: Want to change the font type in the entire thesis? Modify the " Normal " style.

How to copy styles from the template to another document

If your document suddenly loses styles from the template, you can readd them without worry!

  • Go to the Styles ribbon and select the bottom-right pop-out button for the Styles Pane to appear.
  • Select the Manage Styles  icon (may appear as an "A" with a checkmark button).
  • Click the Import / Export button located on the bottom-left.
  • Click Open File (on the right-side) and select the thesis template. Select missing styles.
  • Click Copy to copy the styles over to your current document.

The thesis template is designed for double-sided printing, so you need to insert an Odd Section Break at the end of each chapter.  This will ensure the next chapter falls on the right side (or odd page) of the document.  Odd section breaks should also occur at the end of each section in the front matter.

How to insert an Odd section break (on Mac)

  • Turn on hidden components so you can see when a section break is inserted (On the Home menu, click the ¶ button.)
  • Place your cursor at the end of the chapter.
  • Go to the Layout menu > Breaks > Odd Page

Section Break

Note: Have you converted the thesis template to single-sided? If so, you need to use Next page breaks instead of Odd.  

See specific instructions for your version of Word: 2016 & newer  (Mac); 2013 & newer  (Win)

How to delete section breaks

Multiple consecutive section breaks will create extra blank pages in your thesis. Delete them this way:

  • Use the show/hide button (¶) to reveal hidden components. 
  • Place your cursor just to the left of the section break.
  • Hold down the Shift key and the right arrow key to select it.
  • Press the Delete key.

Note: If that doesn't work, go to the View menu > Outline. Click on the section break to highlight it, and delete it.

Tips and Quick Fixes:

  • Use only one section break at a time.  Multiple consecutive breaks create erroneous blank pages. (Learn how to delete sections breaks above )
  • In some cases it may be necessary to force something to the next page (eg, an image). Use a page break for this (Insert menu > Break > Page Break)
  • Click the Show/Hide (¶) button to see what section breaks you already have.
  • Format menu > Document > Layout tab 
  • Section start: Odd page 
  • Check “Different odd and even” and “Different first page” 
  • Apply to WHOLE document 
  • See instructions for your version of Word: Word 2016 & newer  (Mac); 2013 & newer  (Win)

Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables

The Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables will automatically populate based on the styles you apply to certain text like chapter titles, figure titles, and table titles. Periodically, you will need to update the Table of Contents and other tables so it will populate this information.

How to Update the Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables

  • Right-click (or control+click) on the gray shaded part of the Table of Contents (or List of Figures/Tables).
  • Choose Update Field .

Update entire ToC

  • Do NOT edit the Table of Contents manually!
  • Check that you applied the right style to the chapter title, figure title, or table title in the body of your thesis.
  • Have a long chapter title but need it to appear as a single entry in the TOC?  Press shift+return to force text to next line in the chapter title without creating a new paragraph. 

How to Add Another Table of Contents

If you want to add a new table of contents, follow these steps, which use a table of schemes as an example.

  • Select "New Style" in the styles pane
  • Basing the new style on "Figure Title" or "Figure Caption"
  • Rename the new style to something else (for instance, "Scheme Title" and "Scheme Caption")
  •  Apply these new styles to your scheme titles and captions
  • 2016 and newer (Mac)
  • 2013 and newer (Windows)
  • Select " No " if you are prompted "Do you want to replace the table of contents?". This prevents your first Table of Contents from being replaced with your table of schemes. 

There are specific pagination rules you must follow, all of which are outlined in the Senior Handbook. Some important ones to keep in mind:

  • Page 1 is the first page of the first chapter of your thesis (usually the Introduction).
  • The page number is hidden--not printed--on the first page of each chapter (including Introduction), even though those pages DO count toward the pagination.
  • Blank pages should not have a printed page number (but do count toward the pagination).

How to hide a page number on the first page of a chapter

  • Make sure the right kind of section break is inserted at the end of the previous chapter (e.g, Odd section for double-sided thesis)
  • Format menu > Document > Layout > Check ‘Different First Page’
  • Delete any page number that appears on the first page.

How to fix pagination on your own 

  • Page Layout View > double-click on the page number. Or from 'Insert', choose 'Page Numbers'.
  • If you are in your first chapter, normally your Introduction, click on 'Format..' and under 'Page Numbering' make sure that 'Start at:' is chosen, and manually enter 1. Then, click 'OK' and ensure that  'Show number on first page' is unchecked.
  • When you are not in your first chapter, normally after your Introduction, make sure the 'Show number on first page' is unchecked. Then, click on 'Format..' and under 'Page Numbering' make sure that 'Continue from previous section' is chosen. 
  • When pagination completely breaks, come to the Help Desk!

Inserting images is more than a simple copy and paste. Follow these guidelines:

  • Keep the image saved to your computer (don't copy and paste from a web page).
  • If you need to modify the image more than just a simple resize, do it in an application like Photoshop (not Word).
  • Follow the exact instructions below for inserting the image into the Word thesis template.

How to insert an image

  • Put the paragraph in the Figure style before inserting the figure
  • In Word: Insert menu > Picture > From File
  • Put the title of the figure in the "Figure Title" style (which will appear in the TOC)
  • If you have a caption, use the "Figure Caption" style.

How to leave space for a large figure

Sometimes you may need to insert a figure that takes up an entire page. To do this without causing any pagination errors, follow these instructions:

  • Insert the cursor where you want to add the figure page.
  • In the menu bar, go to Insert > Break > Page break.
  • Repeat step 2.
  • You should now have a blank page. When you print your thesis, remove this page and add the figure page you want.

There are a number of ways to insert tables into your thesis.

  • Consider creating the table within Word. Another option is to build it in Excel.
  • From Excel, you may need to it as an image or PDF and then insert it into Word.
  • Have a really long table that needs to be oriented in landscape mode? Don't rotate the page! See our guidelines below .
  • Though there is not particular style to use for the table itself, use the "Table Title,tt" and "Table Caption,tc" styles.

In order to insert a footnote in your thesis, follow these instructions: 

  • Insert the cursor where you want to add your footnote reference
  • Either, click on the "References" tab, and select "Insert Footnote" 
  • Or, click on "Insert" in the top menu bar (not the insert tab) and select "Footnote...", select footnote, and click insert again. 
  • You should now have a reference number where you placed your cursor and a footnote at the end of the page.

Footnote text should be in the "Footnote Text" style. The number within the footnote, as well as the in-paragraph reference number, should be in the "Footnote Reference" style. Footnotes should automatically be in the appropriate styles, but if you encounter any problems with your footnotes, checking the style is a good first step.

If your footnote numbering gets out of order, click on "insert" in the top menu bar, select "Footnote...", select "Convert...", and then "Convert all footnotes to endnotes" and select OK. Don't hit "Insert", instead hit "Convert..." again, and this time select "Convert all endnotes to footnotes" and select OK. Once that is done, select "close". 

Some of the sections are optional, such Acknowledgments and Preface. The trick is to delete the text and the corresponding section break or you'll end up with multiple blank pages.

  • Delete the text you don't need.
  • Delete the section break at the end of the chapter ( see instructions above ).

Double sided printing (with mirror margins)

Thesis needs to be formatted with mirror margins, here's how to do it (and see screenshots included).

  • Go to the Format menu (on top bar) > Document > Margins tab.
  • In the multiple pages drop-down box, select "Mirror Margins".
  • Make sure the margins above are 1" except "Inside" should be 1.5".
  • At the bottom, "Apply To": Whole Document.
  • "Section start": Odd Page
  • Check the boxes for "Different odd and even" and "Different first page" options.
  • Again at the bottom, "Apply To": Whole Document.
  • Click OK to save the settings when done.

margins

Copying and Pasting from Another Document

When writing a thesis in another sort of document (e.g. Google Docs, LibreOffice, etc), you'll have to eventually transfer this into the Reed-provided templates. However, the formatting on your documents might interfere with the Word template 

Here is how to copy and paste from Google Docs:  

Additional Considerations

Formatting the thesis to be single-sided (note: this is not the same as printing single-sided).

  • Uncheck Mirror Margins (Format menu > Document. Margins tab > uncheck 'Mirror magins'. Apply to: WHOLE document)
  • Format menu > Document. Layout tab > Section start: Even Page. Uncheck ‘Different Odd and Even’. Apply to: WHOLE document
  • Set page number header alignment: In the first section, like Intro, Insert > Page Number > set alignment

Though rotating a page in Word may seem like the right thing to do, DON'T DO IT.  Instead, leave these pages in a separate document; then insert them by hand after printing.  It's OK to display no page numbers on these pages, but they still must be counted in the pagination.  Insert a one blank page (using Insert > Break > Page Break) for each manually inserted page.

Here are four different methods for inserting a properly formatted, good quality version of a long excel table!

Adobe Illustrator :

  • Print the Excel table to PDF (File > Print > Save As PDF) Note: Make sure your table uses a standard font, like Times
  • Open the PDF in Adobe Illustrator (installed on the IRC computers)
  • Select all and copy (Select > All and Edit > Copy)
  • Create a new document in Illustrator (File > New)
  • Paste in the copied document and rotate (Edit > Paste and Object > Transform > Rotate)
  • File > Save as EPS
  • Insert the EPS into Word

Inkscape ( free download here! ):

Screen-Shot-2019-05-01-at-1.38.08-PM.png

  • Open Inkscape, then open the PDF. (File > Open... > Desktop > Thesis_Table.pdf) Select which page you would like to flip sideways and click Ok . Note: You can only do this one page at a time :(

hfhfhfhfhfhfhfhfhfhsshshshshshagagagagaga.png

  • Open Word and drag the SVG from our desktop onto the page. From there you can crop it, modify size and orientation. When you are satisfied, copy and paste it into your thesis.

Google Drawings:

  • Copy and paste the table into Google Drawings (from Word is best); resize in Google Drawings as needed
  • Export as an SVG (File >> Download >> Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg))
  • Insert as an image into Word, and now you can rotate the table!

If the quality of the image doesn't need to be extremely detailed, you can try this fourth method with Word :

  • Put the table in a separate word doc, using page setup to make it landscape Layout >> Orientation >> Landscape

Screenshot-2022-04-21-184051.png

  • Open in Preview (Mac)
  • Rotate pages
  • Export each page as a 150 dpi PNG
  • Insert into the thesis Word document as pictures

Whoopsie! Accidentally delete the Table of Contents, List of Tables, or List of Figures?

Here's how to add them back:

Table of Contents

  • Insert > Index and Tables
  • Select the Table of Contents tab
  • Click Options
  • Make sure 'Heading 1, h1' has a TOC level of '1'
  • Repeat for Heading 2-3, numbering their TOC level respectively.

List of Tables

  • Select the Table of Figures tab
  • Under the Caption label box, select Table
  • Check 'Style' and pick Table Title from the drop-down box

List of Figures

  • Under the Caption label box, select Figure
  • Check 'Style' and pick 'Figure Title' from the drop-down box
  • Before printing, update the Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables
  • Print to PDF (on Mac File menu > Print > Save as PDF)
  • Preview : View > Two Pages.
  • Adobe Reader : View > Page Display. Check "Two-up Continuous" and "Show Cover Page During Two-Up"

How to print a page range

  • Save as PDF first, then print the range of pages.

For seniors writing their theses using multiple languages, the line spacing may be inconsistent, especially if the body is copied and pasted from another document into the template. This can be fixed by selecting the paragraph(s) and clicking "body, b" in the Styles Pane, or by changing the font of the non-Latin characters to the ones listed below. For some languages that use non-Latin characters (e.g. Greek, Russian), simply switching the language on your computer's keyboard input (not Word) between English and the other language will generally preserve the correct line spacing.

Fonts that shouldn't mess up line spacing:

  • Chinese: PMingLiu, MingLiu, KaiTi, Kai (simplified only), BiauKai (traditional only)
  • Korean: Batang, Batangche

bachelor thesis template word

How to Write a Bachelor’s Thesis: A Step-by-Step Guide

Mimir Mentor graduated illustration

The bachelor’s degree is an important milestone in your academic life, and creating a successful bachelor’s thesis is an essential part of this process.

Although it can be a challenge, with a structured approach and a clear timetable, a well-researched, informed, and organized bachelor’s thesis can be created.

In this article, we explain how to write a bachelor’s thesis.

11 Facts About Bachelor’s Theses

  • The average length of a bachelor’s thesis is about 30-60 pages.
  • Most bachelor’s theses are written in the field of economics.
  • The average processing time for a bachelor’s thesis is 3-6 months.
  • Typically, bachelor’s theses are supervised by a professor or lecturer.
  • Most bachelor’s theses are still written and submitted on paper.
  • A bachelor’s thesis is always written within the framework of a study program and is an important part of the degree completion.
  • The topic selection for a bachelor’s thesis is usually free, as long as it falls within the field of study.
  • Adherence to citation rules and source references is an important part of a bachelor’s thesis.
  • Submission of a bachelor’s thesis is usually combined with an oral examination.
  • The bachelor’s thesis is the first longer scientific work that a student writes during their studies and therefore represents an important hurdle.
  • In 2021, approximately 260,000 students achieved their bachelor’s degree.

Scientific Formulations in Minutes Seconds

11 Tips for Academic Writing (Bachelor’s Theses)

  • Start your bachelor’s thesis early to have enough time for research, writing, and revision.
  • Choose an interesting and relevant topic that fits well with your field of study.
  • Create a detailed work plan to keep track of your steps and deadlines.
  • Use trustworthy and current sources to underpin your work.
  • Write clearly and precisely, avoid using unnecessarily complicated sentences.
  • Use a consistent citation style and pay attention to the correct source citation.
  • Logically structure your bachelor’s thesis and ensure that the common thread is recognizable.
  • Revise and polish your work multiple times to ensure that it is free from spelling and grammar errors.
  • Have your work read by others and seek feedback to recognize areas for improvement.
  • Consider publishing your bachelor’s thesis to make it accessible to others and to present your work.
  • Have your text scientifically rephrased by Mimir. Sample input : Potatoes are healthy… ➔ Result : Potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals and can contribute to a balanced diet.

The Process of Writing a Bachelor’s Thesis: Step by Step Guide

The writing process of a bachelor’s thesis is a challenge for many students. In this section, we give an overview of the most important steps and tips to successfully master the process.

  • Determine the topic of the bachelor’s thesis and discuss it with the supervisor.
  • Conduct comprehensive research and collect relevant sources.
  • Create an outline and divide the topic into individual sections.
  • Write the main part of the paper by processing and summarizing the insights gained from the research.
  • Compose the concluding part, summarizing the main findings of the work and outlining possible further steps or implications.
  • Proofread the work and check for formal requirements.
  • Submit and defend the bachelor’s thesis.

Choosing a Topic: How to Find the Perfect Topic for Your Bachelor’s Thesis

The first step in creating a bachelor’s thesis is selecting the topic. It’s important that your topic is specific and answers a clear research question. If your topic is too general, it will be harder to achieve meaningful results.

Why is the topic important?

An interesting and relevant topic not only captivates your readers but also gives you the motivation to successfully complete the work.

The topic of your bachelor’s thesis is crucial for the success of your work.

A difficult or boring topic, on the other hand, can lead to you finding the writing process frustrating and ultimately not successfully completing the work. Therefore, it’s important to think carefully about which topic you choose for your bachelor’s thesis.

If you have difficulty finding a topic, you can turn to your supervisors and present your ideas to them.

Research & Study: The Right Way to the Perfect Bachelor’s Thesis

Once the topic is set, it’s time to collect the necessary information. This can be done by searching through libraries and databases, reading specialist literature, and interviewing experts. It’s important to carefully organize and document the collected information so that it’s easily accessible when writing the work.

It’s also important that your sources are current, as research and opinions in your subject area are constantly changing.

Possible Sources

  • Academic Publications
  • Professional Journals
  • Reputable Websites (you should consult your supervisor beforehand)

Structure: Setup and Organization of the Bachelor Thesis

It is important to have a clear structure for your bachelor thesis. This should include an introduction, a main part, and a conclusion. Within the main part, you can divide your arguments into different sections. This helps you to structure your thought process and ensure a smooth and logical flow.

Introduction

  • Summary of the research thesis
  • Definition of the main terms
  • Explanation of the research question and area of interest
  • Conduct literature research
  • Develop arguments and hypotheses
  • Draw conclusions and results
  • Cite sources
  • Summary of the results
  • Comparison of hypotheses and results
  • Explanation of the implications of the results
  • Recommendations for further research

Writing: Tips and Tricks for the Writing Process

After you have completed your research and established your structure, it is time to write.

It is important that you write your work in simple, academic German/English.

Avoid using too many technical terms and ensure that each sentence conveys a clear thought.

Compose a clear introduction that explains your topic and presents your argumentation. In the main part of your work, you should provide your arguments and examples to prove your thesis. Make sure that your arguments are logical and understandable.

  • Write a simple and clear introduction
  • Compose the main part of your work
  • Ensure that each sentence conveys a clear thought
  • Provide your arguments and examples to prove your thesis
  • Ensure logical and understandable argumentation
  • Avoid too many technical terms
  • Avoid vague formulations
  • Avoid subjective opinions

Tip: Let Mimir formulate your bullet point ( Example input : Running is great ➔ Result (1/3) : Running is a healthy and effective form of physical activity that can contribute to improving cardiovascular fitness, mobility, and mental health.)

Formatting: How to Properly Format Your Bachelor Thesis

It is important that you adhere to your university’s guidelines when formatting your bachelor thesis. Check the requirements for margins, line spacing, font size, and font type prescribed by your university.

It is also important to format your work consistently to achieve a professional look.

  • Adhere to your university’s guidelines
  • Check margins, line spacing, font size, and font type
  • Consistently format your work
  • Create a professional layout

Citing and Referencing: Rules for Citing and Referencing in the Bachelor Thesis

When referring to the ideas of other authors in your work, it is important to cite and reference them correctly. There are various citation styles you can use, but most universities use the Harvard or APA style.

Make sure to properly cite and reference all sources you refer to, to avoid plagiarism.

  • Use the Harvard or APA style
  • Cite and reference all sources you refer to
  • Avoid plagiarism

Proofreading: Error Sources and Tips for a Flawless Bachelor Thesis

After you have written your bachelor thesis, it is important to thoroughly review it. Check the content for correct grammar, spelling, and structure. Also ensure that your arguments are clear and logical and that your statements are supported by your research.

It is important to proofread and edit your work several times. Make sure to correct all spelling and grammar errors so that your work looks professional.

  • Read your work aloud to detect errors in grammar, sentence structure, and pronunciation.
  • Use a dictionary or an online proofreading program to find errors in spelling and punctuation.
  • Have someone else read your work and ask for feedback to gain additional perspectives and suggestions for improvement.
  • Carefully review and revise your work to improve its quality and content. This can be done by adding examples, removing unnecessary information, or refining arguments.

Tip: Have your text checked by Mimir (Unscientific words, gender conformity, and more…)

Submission: How to Safely Submit and Defend Your Bachelor Thesis

Writing a bachelor thesis can be a challenging task, but if you follow the steps mentioned above, you will complete your work in a professional manner.

Don’t forget to adhere to the guidelines of your university.

Once you have reviewed and revised your bachelor’s thesis, it’s time to submit it. Make sure your work meets the requirements of your examiner and contains the correct information. If possible, have a friend or family member review it before you submit it.

Earning a bachelor’s degree is a great achievement, and creating a successful bachelor’s thesis is an essential part of this process. Remember, choosing a topic, conducting research, and writing a bachelor’s thesis can be a laborious process. However, if you have a clear schedule and follow the steps mentioned above, you can create a well-researched, informed, and organized bachelor’s thesis.

And last but not least: Congratulations!

Two Practical Examples of the Process

To better understand the steps and tips mentioned above, here are two examples from different academic areas:

  • A psychology student writes a bachelor’s thesis on the effects of social media on the mental health of adolescents. She chooses this topic because it combines her personal interest and her expertise in psychology. She gathers information by reading textbooks and conducting interviews with adolescents and experts. She creates an outline consisting of an introduction, three main chapters, and a conclusion, and writes her paper accordingly. She makes sure to use quotes and references and to adhere to the APA formatting requirements. Finally, she carefully corrects her work and has it read by her teacher and a fellow student for improvement suggestions.
  • A computer science student writes a bachelor’s thesis on the development of a new algorithm for machine learning. He chooses this topic because it reflects his expertise in computer science and his curiosity about new technologies. He gathers information by reading academic articles and communicating with other experts in his field. He creates an outline consisting of an introduction, three main chapters, a section on results, and a conclusion, and writes his paper accordingly. He makes sure to use citations and references and to adhere to the IEEE formatting requirements. Finally, he carefully corrects his work and has it read by his supervisor and a reviewer from a professional journal for improvement suggestions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start writing a bachelor’s thesis.

Before you start writing your bachelor’s thesis, you should first plan the topic and structure of the paper. This also includes researching relevant sources and creating an outline. Once you have an overview of the structure of the paper, you can start writing.

How quickly can you write a bachelor’s thesis?

The duration of writing a bachelor’s thesis can vary greatly and depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the topic, the size of the paper, and the time spent on research. However, you should generally plan several weeks or even months for the actual writing of a bachelor’s thesis.

How do you properly write a bachelor’s thesis?

1. Start by selecting an interesting and relevant topic for your bachelor’s thesis. 2. Create a clear and detailed research plan that outlines the goals, methods, and timeline for your work. 3. Gather comprehensive and reliable sources to support your arguments and substantiate your theses. 4. Compose a clear and structured introduction that highlights the topic and significance of your work. 5. Develop your arguments in the main chapters of your bachelor’s thesis and use examples and evidence to support your statements. 6. Conclude your findings and conclusion in a conclusive and detailed section that summarizes the significance and implications of your work. 7. Thoroughly correct and revise your bachelor’s thesis to ensure it is logical, coherent, and error-free.

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Academic writing Mimir Mentor

bachelor thesis template word

Theses: Templates

  • Finding theses @ Soton
  • Deposit - Faculty Office
  • Deposit - PGR Manager & Pure
  • Thesis Data Deposit
  • Restricting Access
  • Info. for Faculty Admin
  • Info. for Supervisors

Useful Links

Library Research Services  home page

Guidance from Quality Handbook :

  • Producing your thesis
  • Submitting your thesis
  • Permission to Deposit Thesis Form
  • Permission to Deposit Thesis - Guidance
  • Declaration of authorship form
  • Submission of a Research Paper PhD Thesis: Guidance
  • Intention to submit research thesis form

There are also examples of the thesis title and abstract pages in submission and completion section of the Quality Handbook . 

Data Management Plan for your PhD

data management plan cycle

Data Management Plans for Doctoral Students (Blackboard Course)

Data Management Plan guidance

bachelor thesis template word

For open access and institutional repository enquiries [email protected]

For research data management queries please email [email protected]

Need further help? Use our L ibrary Research Skills support service   

Thesis Templates

The University provides templates in Word and LateX which meet the requirements set out in the Regulations.  

Training : iSolutions also offer sessions on using Word to work with text, graphics and page layout in your thesis and turning your thesis into a PDF/A. The full course schedule and booking links can be found in the PGR Development Hub

Word or LaTeX?

LaTeX is extensively used by engineers and scientists because it handles maths and equations brilliantly, and by linguists because it can cope with multiple (and obscure) languages.  The University now offers Professional Accounts via Overleaf. Sign up for an account via the University of Southampton portal .

Word is the most widely used word processing software in the university. Unless you will be including lots of special character sets or equations, we would recommend using Word.

Whole thesis template

Use this to produce the whole thesis in one long Word document. It contains all of the required sections from title page to bibliography, with refreshable Tables of Contents, Table of Figures and Table of Tables.

  • Word template help
  • Always  use in conjunction with the Quality Handbook Producing your thesis guidance

Separate Chapter, Front Matter & End Matter templates for Word & Mac

If you don’t wish use the whole document template then use these to create each chapter of the thesis and the front matter. It comes ready made with usable styles that meet the University’s thesis Guidance requirements

  • Chapter template for Word 2007 /2010 /2013 /2016 (PC) or 2008 /2011 /2016 (Mac)
  • Front matter template for Word 2007 /2010 /2013 /2016 (PC) or 2008 /2011 /2016 (Mac)
  • End Matter for Word 2007 /2010 /2013 /2016 (PC) or 2008 /2011 /2016 (Mac)

Copyright Statement coversheet

All e-theses require the University thesis copyright statement  is included in front of the main title page in the final e-version submitted.  The wording of the statement should not be altered in any way. 

The Word template (PC or Mac) above has the statement included but earlier versions did not. Should the statement be missing from your file it should be:

  • added before creating the final pdf version 
  • located in front of the main title page using the document below 
  • should not be included in the numbering of the thesis.

LaTeX templates currently do not include instruction on how to add the statement so it will need it to be added individually as a single double-sided page. Alternatively, add the pdf version into your final pdf file using Adobe Acrobat Pro.

The statement is not required in the print copies submitted for examination or as a final copy.

  • Thesis Copyright Statement Thesis copyright statement cover sheet
  • Thesis Copyright Statement PDF version of the thesis copyright statement to be included in every thesis

The following guides outline how this can be done in Word documents. 

  • Adding copyright statement in Word (PC) Guide to adding the statement in Word on a PC
  • Adding copyright statement in Word (Mac) Guide to adding the statement in Word on a Mac

Visual guides are also available on YouTube:

Print & e-thesis equivalence

University Regulations do not state that e-theses must be directly equivalent to paper versions so your e-thesis could, if desired and your Faculty agrees, include 3-d models, audio or video files, or you could move commercially sensitive or third-party copyright material to a separate appendix which could be restricted.

The e-thesis should normally be submitted as a single PDF file or other format as agreed by the main supervisor. Where there are appendices containing restricted material these should be submitted a separate file.

The electronic copy must include all front material (title page, abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents etc) but should not include a scan of the signature under the declaration of authorship.

Please note: During the Covid-19 pandemic if you want to submit an enhanced ethesis PDF,  you must also provide must provide a PDF copy of your thesis which is exactly the same as the printed, examined version and is an accessible and archival PDF, PDF/A-3.. See our practical tips for deposit during Covid-19 for more information.

Using UoS Thesis Templates

Microsoft Word

iSolutions have created a training guide to introduce the Word template for theses and show you how to use a range of useful Word features to make creating and working with your thesis easier. These also direct you to relevant LinkedIn Learning.com videos on the use of features in Word.

  • Thesis guidance 

iSolutions also offer sessions on using Word to work with text, graphics and page layout in your thesis. The full course schedule and booking links can be found in the PGR Development Hub

LaTeX Templates

Support for the use of LaTeX can be found on the Overleaf website . LaTeX is  also supported by a wide online community - see LaTeX Project .

How to make sure your thesis is an archival PDF/A

Your final University e-thesis must submitted in an accessible and archival format so that it will be readible in years to come, currently this format is PDF/A-3 .

  • Mac users If you are using Word for Mac then start by using the Save As PDF facility. This produces a really good baseline file to continue working on in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. If for any reason you are not happy with the output as this process, then try converting the file by using Adobe Acrobat Pro's own 'Create a PDF from'. If you are still not happy with the result then contact serviceline to discuss other options.
  • PC users For PC users the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC facility will produce the best output. You'll find the steps below under the heading  Create the PDF for PC  below.
  • LaTeX to PDF/A-3 If you are using Overleaf, the automatic pdf conversion will be create a PDF/A file. Overleaf have created instructions on how to make sure your LaTeX PDF conforms to the archival standards . Please note we would prefer that you chose a-3b (propritising display) or a-3u (prioritising searchability) rather than a-1b. You may find the following paper helpful: Moore, R. (2014). PDF/A-3u as an Archival Format for Accessible Mathematics . In: Watt, S.M., Davenport, J.H., Sexton, A.P., Sojka, P., Urban, J. (eds) Intelligent Computer Mathematics. CICM 2014. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 8543. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08434-3_14 , also available as an ArXiv pre-print .

Checking you PDF/A accessibility: You can check how well your PDF meets the PDF/A accessibility standards using the Abode Acrobat Pro preflight checker and the accessibility checker .

How to download Abode Acrobat Pro: Details of how to access or download Adobe Acrobat Pro DC can be found at iSolutions' How to install Adobe Acrobat DC Advice page .

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Graduate Student Success Center

Thesis and dissertation template.

The Graduate College offers a thesis/dissertation template that contains all required content and formatting. You can either write your document from within the template or apply the template’s formatting to your previously created work.

Need help working in the template? Schedule an appointment today.

Before You Begin

The first time you download the template, save the template file to your computer before you begin work on your document. This is important if you are composing your thesis/dissertation within the template or if you are copying and pasting your content into the template. You may need the original template file in the future.

Please note: We offer the Google Doc template for initial drafts of your thesis/dissertation to share easily with your committee chair. We do not accept Google Documents as the final document of your thesis/dissertation. Google Docs does not have the functionality we require for our final theses/dissertations. Please use the Google Doc template while keeping in mind that you will need to convert your document to Microsoft Word later.

Download Thesis and Dissertation Template (Word Doc) Download Thesis and Dissertation Template (LATEX) Download Thesis and Dissertation Template (Google Doc)

Word Template Last Updated: February 2021

Word Document Template Information

Download instructions.

  • Download the Boise State Template from the orange callout ribbon above.
  • Show the downloaded file in the Downloads folder.
  • Right click and select Open
  • Enable Content
  • Click File > Save As and name the file, for instance, Boise_State_Template.dotm (note the extension is “.dotm”) and  Save as type:  Word Macro-Enabled Template (*.dotm) .  It is recommended locating this file on your desktop – it may come in handy if you need to reattach the template to your document in the future (see below).
  • Close this file.

Working Within the Template

To work within the template, styles are applied throughout the document. These styles can be found by clicking the arrow in the lower right hand corner of the Styles section in the Home tab. To apply a style, simply highlight the text that you wish to format and click the appropriate name from the styles list.

When entering your own work into the template, be sure to apply the following styles to the appropriate parts of your document. Failure to do so will mean that your Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables will be incorrect.

  • Format a Heading 1 in all caps, and centered
  • Format a Heading 2 in title-caps, bold, and centered
  • Format a Heading 3 in title-caps, underlined, and aligned left
  • Format a Heading 4 in title-caps, underlined, and indented once
  • Format a Heading 5 in title-caps, underlined and indented twice
  • Figure Captions are bolded and centered in the template. They may also be justified.
  • Table Captions are bolded and aligned left in the template. They may also be justified.
  • Appendix Heading 2
  • Appendix Heading 3

Formatting Landscape Pages

When setting pages of your document to landscape orientation to accommodate large figures or tables, you must reformat their page numbers so that they will still be visible after binding.

  • Open the landscape page’s header by double-clicking within the header.
  • Deselect Link to Previous, located in the Navigation section of the Design tab. Repeat this step for the page following the landscape page.
  • Delete the landscape page’s current page number.
  • Click Insert → Page Number (in the Header & Footer section)→Page Margins.
  • Select Landscape Page Numbers.

Note: If your other pages’ pagination disappears after inserting landscape page numbers, you likely did not turn off Link to Previous. Undo your changes to the page numbers and restart the instructions.

Replacing Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables

After your writing and editing is complete, you will need to replace the Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables.

  • Right click the existing TOC, LOF, or LOT.
  • Click Update Field.
  • Select Update entire table and click Ok.

Note: All other lists (such as a List of Abbreviations or List of Graphs) are not updated automatically. Instead, the template includes examples of manually-created lists that can be altered to fit your needs.

Attaching the Template to a Preexisting Document. If your document is at or near completion, it may be easier for you to attach the template to your existing file than to paste your document into a new template.

Formatting Styles and Applying Styles

Before attaching the Thesis/Dissertation template to your document, you must first apply the following styles to the appropriate sections of your work. It does not matter how these styles look – when you first apply them they will not look right – only that the names of the styles match those in the following list exactly. After you have applied all the styles and attach the template the document will be formatted correctly.

These styles can be found by clicking the arrow in the lower right hand corner of the Styles section in the Home tab. Leave this menu open while you work through the document. To apply a style, simply highlight the text that you wish to format and click the appropriate name from the styles list.

Attaching Styles

  • Access the Styles menu by clicking the lower-right corner of the Styles box on the Home tab in Windows. Keep this menu open on the side of your screen and apply the styles to your document as you work.
  • Highlight the text you wish to format (it is often only necessary to “click in” the section you wish to format)
  • Click the appropriate style from the Styles menu

Note: If the style you are looking for is not included in the list you may need to create the style (see next).

Creating Styles

Some required styles will not be listed in the premade styles, thus you will need to create them yourself.

  • Highlight the text that you wish to format
  • Right click the text and select Styles → Save Selection as a New Quick Style.
  • Enter the appropriate style name and click OK.

Note: Remember, it does not matter how these styles look at this time, only that the style names match the names listed in the table above.

Attaching the Template

After applying styles to your document, you can attach the template, which will fix most of your document’s formatting issues.

  • Download the Boise State Thesis and Dissertation Template and save it to your computer. See instructions above under “Before you Begin.”
  • Open the Word document containing your thesis/dissertation, click file, click options, click add-ins, and select templates from the Manage drop down menu at the bottom of the page. Click go.
  • In the Document Template section, click Attach.
  • Navigate to the folder in which you saved the template and select it.
  • Important: Check the box labeled “Automatically update document styles.”

Adjusting Margins

  • Click Ctrl+A to select the entire document.
  • In the Home ribbon, click layout, click margins and select the mirror margin option that contains inside margin 1.5″, top and bottom margins 1.”

Setting Page Numbers

Be careful that you set section breaks between front matter and body text and also between portrait and landscape-oriented pages (see Manually Formatting Your Document for instructions on setting page breaks). Each has a different way of formatting their pagination.

Front Matter

  •  Set a continuous section break immediately before the Heading 1 on the first page that follows your approval pages.
  • Set a continuous section break immediately before the title of Chapter 1.
  • Open the footer on the first page following your approval page by clicking the Footer button in the Header & Footer section of the Insert tab and selecting Edit Footer.
  • Deselect Link to Previous, located in the Navigation section of the Design tab. This step is only necessary for the first numbered page in the front matter.
  • Insert page numbers. Front matter page numbers should be in lowercase Roman numerals and should be centered at the bottom of each page.
  • Double-click inside the footer of the first page in Chapter 1.
  • Deselect Link to Previous, located in the Navigation section of the Design tab. This step is only necessary for the first page in the body text.
  • Delete the page numbers from the footer.
  • Open the header on the same page by double-clicking inside the header.
  • Deselect Link to Previous, located in the Navigation section of the Design tab.
  • Insert alpha-numeric page numbers, starting with 1, into the upper right-hand corner of the pages.

Landscape Pages

  • Repeat step 3 on the page following the landscape page.
  • Click Insert → Page Number (in the Header & Footer section) → Page Margins.

Inserting Table of Contents and Lists of Figures or Tables

Finally, after your document’s content is complete, you will need to create the Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables.

  • In the Home ribbon, select References , then select Table of Contents and choose the first option.
  • To build your list of tables or figures do the following: on the Home ribbon, select references, select Insert List of Table of Figures, on the options drop down select either table captions or figure captions depending on which you are creating. You will then have to manually insert the heading.

Note: The template does not include macros for automatically generating other lists such as a List of Abbreviations or List of Graphs. However, it does include example lists that can be copied, pasted, and altered to meet your needs.

Helpful Tips

  • Access the Styles menu by clicking the lower-right corner of the styles box on the Home tab in Windows. Keep this menu open on the side of your screen, or on a second screen, and apply the styles to your document as you work. To make the document styles behave, use the styles in the template. For example, for all Heading 1s, use the Heading 1 style, which will automatically insert a break and a 2 inch margin, etc. As long as the styles are used, the document should behave appropriately, and the table of contents will include the headings once updated. To modify the Table of Contents, click once to highlight the table in gray, right-click and select “Update Entire Field.”
  • Show formatting marks as you work in your document.  Click on the File tab, then Options, Display, and click on the box “Show all formatting marks” and OK.
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  • Dissertation & Thesis Template

As a resource for graduate students, sample Word templates are available to assist with the initial formatting of doctoral dissertations and master's theses. Students are expected to fully format their dissertation/thesis according to the   " Preparation and Submission Manual for Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses ".

  • This template is a starting point and students may have to add or remove sections/text to accurately reflect their document and adhere to all requirements in the manual.
  • Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) does not provide technical support for any of the templates below.
  • If using these templates, students must still refer to the formatting manual for full instructions.

The below templates are in Word. If you prefer to use LaTeX, here is a recommended unofficial template . We are not able to provide technical support for LaTeX.

Note: opening the Word template in Google Docs may cause auto-formatting features to be lost or auto-formatting features may appear differently.

A sample template of a co-author permission letter and cover letter from the committee chair can be found here . For complete information on submission of permission letters, please see this page and/or refer to the full Manual . 

Master’s Degree Thesis

Download template

Doctoral Degree Dissertation

  • Degree Completion
  • Dissertation & Thesis Submission
  • Dissertation & Thesis Manual

Using Word to Write your Thesis: Creating an Outline

Image of man witch post-it on forehead, indicating the pain of creating a thesis outline

When I started the third year of my Ph.D., and the thought of creating a thesis outline was looming, I was advised to attend a course to learn how to use Microsoft Word properly before I started writing .

I laughed! Of course, I knew how to use Word! Why on earth would I spend 3 hours at a course on something I already know how to do?

My friend was insistent that I should attend.  Since she had never steered me wrong in the lab before, I figured it couldn’t hurt to see if there was a trick or two I could pick up along the way.

Initially, I was quietly despairing that the course was a waste of an afternoon, especially after hearing questions such as “How do you insert a table?”, but I persevered and, by the second half of the session, realized that I knew nothing about the advanced functions of Word that make writing a thesis that much easier.

Finding out how little I actually knew had me feeling down at first, with that “worst Ph.D. student ever” feeling sinking in. But after talking to other students, I soon found out that I wasn’t alone! Surprisingly, few people I spoke to (including several students who had just submitted theses) had any idea of how much of the work of thesis writing Word would do automatically (or auto-magically) for you.

In the hopes that I can make at least one student’s write-up less stressful, I’ve created several posts that will show you how to use Microsoft Word ‘s advanced functions to write your thesis.  Today’s topic starts from the beginning.

Creating a Thesis Outline

The first trick that I found fantastically helpful in laying out thesis chapters is the Outlining function . Creating a thesis outline allows you to set out the headings for your chapters, sections, and subsections and provides an easy means of moving them about without having to copy and paste things all over your document. To use the outline function, click the “ View ” tab at the top of the Word menu and select “ Outline ”.

Using Word to Write your Thesis: Creating an Outline

This will give you the outlining toolbar.

Using Word to Write your Thesis: Creating an Outline

From here, you can start your thesis outline by jotting down your main headings for each chapter and building a plan for each section.

Using Word to Write your Thesis: Creating an Outline

At this stage, you will have a very rough idea of the points you want to include. Now, you can designate the level or importance of each heading. The level will decide the size and type of font used for the heading and will be useful later on when you generate the table of contents.

Give it Some Style

Before you start assigning levels to the headings, decide how you want each level to look: e.g., the Chapter heading needs to be size 20, bold and underlined, level 2 section headings need to be size 18, bold, etc.

Then set up the style for each level:

  • Close outline view
  • Return to the home tab
  • Go to the Styles gallery
  • Right-click “ Heading 1 “
  • Select “ Modify” and set up your preferred font styles

Using Word to Write your Thesis: Creating an Outline

I found it useful to set this to “ New documents based on this template ” so that in each thesis chapter that I wrote, the headings were identical. You can also use the format option to make even more changes, like adjusting the line spacing and indents, or setting text to “keep with next” so paragraphs don’t break over a page or figures and legends don’t become separated.

Once you have this set up for each of the headings (I went as far as Heading 5 and didn’t need to go any further), you can set up the levels for your chapter headings within your thesis outline.

  • Return to outline view
  • Using the tool marked “ level ” use the single arrows on either side of it to promote or demote each heading a level, the double arrows move the headings to either end, i.e. Heading 1 or body text.

Using Word to Write your Thesis: Creating an Outline

If you decide you need to move sections around, rather than copying and pasting, simply click the grey circle next to the heading and drag it to its new position.

Give Them Numbers

Next, you can add numbering to your headings. Still in outline view :

  • Highlight all the headings in your thesis outline
  • Click the Home tab and select “ multilevel list ” (located beside list numbering and bullet points)
  • Select the type of numbering you want. I opted for the 1, 1.1, 1.1.1 format, but don’t be afraid to play around with other options if that’s not what you’re looking for.

Using Word to Write your Thesis: Creating an Outline

With your thesis outline laid out for each chapter, it just becomes a matter of filling in the gaps.  This will break your thesis into much more manageable chunks.

Pick a small section to write each week, and your thesis will practically write itself!

Stay tuned for my next post on generating a table of contents, inserting captions, and cross-referencing sections.

Originally published October 15, 2014. Reviewed and updated on November 22, 2020.

**Note:  All screenshots taken from Word for Windows, 2019.

bachelor thesis template word

Thank you so much that’s just what I was hoping to find to finally finish my master’s thesis!

bachelor thesis template word

Wow. Thanks for this. Much helpful!!

bachelor thesis template word

I am just starting my Master’s Capstone paper and this is exactly what I was hoping to find! THANK YOU!

bachelor thesis template word

Thank you so much for this! I have completed almost all of my undergrad without knowing about outline and am so grateful to find your post for my dissertation!

bachelor thesis template word

Very informative

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  • Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples

Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples

Published on May 15, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

The table of contents is where you list the chapters and major sections of your thesis, dissertation , or research paper, alongside their page numbers. A clear and well-formatted table of contents is essential, as it demonstrates to your reader that a quality paper will follow.

The table of contents (TOC) should be placed between the abstract and the introduction . The maximum length should be two pages. Depending on the nature of your thesis , paper, or dissertation topic , there are a few formatting options you can choose from.

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Table of contents

What to include in your table of contents, what not to include in your table of contents, creating a table of contents in microsoft word, table of contents examples, updating a table of contents in microsoft word, other lists in your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the table of contents.

Depending on the length of your document, you can choose between a single-level, subdivided, or multi-level table of contents.

  • A single-level table of contents only includes “level 1” headings , or chapters. This is the simplest option, but it may be too broad for a long document like a dissertation.
  • A subdivided table of contents includes chapters as well as “level 2” headings, or sections. These show your reader what each chapter contains.
  • A multi-level table of contents also further divides sections into “level 3” headings. This option can get messy quickly, so proceed with caution. Remember your table of contents should not be longer than 2 pages. A multi-level table is often a good choice for a shorter document like a research paper .

Examples of level 1 headings are Introduction, Literature Review , Methodology , and Bibliography. Subsections of each of these would be level 2 headings, further describing the contents of each chapter or large section. Any further subsections would be level 3.

In these introductory sections, less is often more. As you decide which sections to include, narrow it down to only the most essential.

Including appendices and tables

You should include all appendices in your table of contents. Whether or not you include tables and figures depends largely on how many there are in your document.

If there are more than three figures and tables, you might consider listing them on a separate page. Otherwise, you can include each one in the table of contents.

  • Theses and dissertations often have a separate list of figures and tables.
  • Research papers generally don’t have a separate list of figures and tables.

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All level 1 and level 2 headings should be included in your table of contents, with level 3 headings used very sparingly.

The following things should never be included in a table of contents:

  • Your acknowledgements page
  • Your abstract
  • The table of contents itself

The acknowledgements and abstract always precede the table of contents, so there’s no need to include them. This goes for any sections that precede the table of contents.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, be sure to first apply the correct heading styles throughout the document, as shown below.

  • Choose which headings are heading 1 and which are heading 2 (or 3)!
  • For example, if all level 1 headings should be Times New Roman, 12-point font, and bold, add this formatting to the first level 1 heading.
  • Highlight the level 1 heading.
  • Right-click the style that says “Heading 1.”
  • Select “Update Heading 1 to Match Selection.”
  • Allocate the formatting for each heading throughout your document by highlighting the heading in question and clicking the style you wish to apply.

Once that’s all set, follow these steps:

  • Add a title to your table of contents. Be sure to check if your citation style or university has guidelines for this.
  • Place your cursor where you would like your table of contents to go.
  • In the “References” section at the top, locate the Table of Contents group.
  • Here, you can select which levels of headings you would like to include. You can also make manual adjustments to each level by clicking the Modify button.
  • When you are ready to insert the table of contents, click “OK” and it will be automatically generated, as shown below.

Table of contents example

The key features of a table of contents are:

  • Clear headings and subheadings
  • Corresponding page numbers

Check with your educational institution to see if they have any specific formatting or design requirements.

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bachelor thesis template word

Write yourself a reminder to update your table of contents as one of your final tasks before submitting your dissertation or paper. It’s normal for your text to shift a bit as you input your final edits, and it’s crucial that your page numbers correspond correctly.

It’s easy to update your page numbers automatically in Microsoft Word. Simply right-click the table of contents and select “Update Field.” You can choose either to update page numbers only or to update all information in your table of contents.

In addition to a table of contents, you might also want to include a list of figures and tables, a list of abbreviations, and a glossary in your thesis or dissertation. You can use the following guides to do so:

  • List of figures and tables
  • List of abbreviations

It is less common to include these lists in a research paper.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

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All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract in the table of contents.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

  • Apply heading styles throughout the document.
  • In the references section in the ribbon, locate the Table of Contents group.
  • Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select Custom Table of Contents.
  • Select which levels of headings you would like to include in the table of contents.

Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.

The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, July 18). Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/table-of-contents/

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On the following pages you can information about writing your thesis, giving a talk and important template files for download:

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Template for a bachelor or master thesis in LaTeX or Lyx

informatik-mannheim/thesis-template

Folders and files, repository files navigation, thesis template.

This repo contains templates for bachelor and master thesis for the students of computer science at the University of Applied Sciences Mannheim. Other students of the university may also benefit from this template.

It is of limited use for people outside the respective university.

Dieses Repository enthält Vorlagen für Bachelor- und Master-Arbeiten, sowohl für LaTeX als auch LyX. Sie richten sich an Studierende der Fakultät für Informatik an der Hochschule Mannheim. Das Template ist so gestaltet, dass auch andere Studiengänge die Vorlage benutzen können.

Für Personen außerhalb der Hochschule ist die Vorlage möglicherweise nur von begrenztem Wert.

Struktur des Repositories

  • latex : Ein LaTeX-Template für Abschlussarbeiten
  • lyx : Eine LyX -Version des LaTeX-Templates

Die LaTeX-Version ist die am besten gepflegte Vorlage. Die LyX-Version hinkt etwas hinterher.

Contributors 18

  • Makefile 1.1%

IMAGES

  1. Word Template For Thesis

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  2. Word Thesis Template for Word

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  3. 45 Perfect Thesis Statement Templates (+ Examples) ᐅ TemplateLab

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  5. Word Template for PhD Thesis

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VIDEO

  1. 01 How to setup FYP thesis template

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  3. How to write thesis for Bachelor/Master/M.Phil/PhD

  4. Bachelor Thesis: Lightmap Generation Tool

  5. كيفية تصميم سيرة ذاتية احترافية ببرنامج Microsoft Word من الصفر

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COMMENTS

  1. Free Dissertation & Thesis Template (Word Doc & PDF)

    The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX. Download The Dissertation Template. Download Grad Coach's comprehensive dissertation and thesis template for free. Fully editable - includes detailed instructions and examples.

  2. Dissertation & Thesis Outline

    Example 4: Mix-and-match. To truly make the most of these options, consider mixing and matching the passive voice, IS-AV construction, and "I" construction .This can help the flow of your argument and improve the readability of your text. Example: Mix of different constructions.

  3. Templates

    UCI Libraries maintains the following templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. ... Editable template of the Master's thesis formatting. PDF Thesis Template 2024. Word: Dissertation Template 2024. Editable template of the PhD ...

  4. Thesis & Dissertation Title Page

    The title page (or cover page) of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper should contain all the key information about your document. It usually includes: Dissertation or thesis title. Your name. The type of document (e.g., dissertation, research paper) The department and institution. The degree program (e.g., Master of Arts)

  5. What Is a Thesis?

    A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master's program or a capstone to a bachelor's degree. Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation, it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete.

  6. Thesis templates

    Online tutorials: Using the thesis template. The SFU Library thesis template is a Microsoft Word file designed to assist students in preparing theses, projects, and extended essays. The template and instructions are .docx files, and have been tested in Word 2011 (Mac), Word 2013 (Windows), and Word 2016/365 (Windows and Mac).

  7. Introduction, Template, & Resources

    Formatting your dissertation (or thesis) will likely take more time than you expect. But using the special features described in this Guide will save you a great deal of work, particularly if you use our template (available in the box below).The earlier you begin to use these tools, the more time you'll save and the less stress you'll have as your submission deadline approaches.

  8. Formatting Your Thesis or Dissertation with Microsoft Word

    Most often, they are added to the thesis as images, but sometimes you might want to add some as a linked Excel file. And, the way that captions are added to figures and tables differs between APA and IEEE style. The videos below are lengthy, so they start with a table of contents so you can jump to the section that you need. ...

  9. Formatting in MS Word

    Manual formatting of TOC. To add right-aligned tabs with leaders: From the Home tab, open the Paragraph settings and click on the Tabs button. Enter the tab stop position, choose Right Tab and for Leader, choose the … option. Click Set (or the + sign on Mac), then click OK. Type the TOC entry, press tab, then insert the page number.

  10. Guides, Templates and Tools

    Style Guides and Templates. MIT Libraries Thesis Preparation Styles and Requirements. Templates for NSE S.B. Thesis Cover Page and Abstract Page (PDF) Editable theses for use as templates: S. B. Thesis in Microsoft Word Format (DOC - 27MB) Professor Short's S. B. thesis, 2005. Use this as a template if you choose to use MSWord.

  11. Dissertation & Thesis Outline

    Example 1: Passive construction. The passive voice is a common choice for outlines and overviews because the context makes it clear who is carrying out the action (e.g., you are conducting the research ). However, overuse of the passive voice can make your text vague and imprecise. Example: Passive construction.

  12. Writing Your Thesis in Word

    When you apply a style to a paragraph, it is formatted with the attributes defined in the style. The Word thesis template has many pre-defined styles for things like chapter titles, sub titles, main body text, quotes, figures, etc. See the table below to learn what styles to use and where. Pre-defined styles in the Word thesis template

  13. How to Write a Bachelor's Thesis: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Determine the topic of the bachelor's thesis and discuss it with the supervisor. Conduct comprehensive research and collect relevant sources. Create an outline and divide the topic into individual sections. Write the main part of the paper by processing and summarizing the insights gained from the research.

  14. 18 Thesis Outline Templates and Examples (Word

    An thesis essay outline template is a template containing how an essay ought to be drafted, stored in a PDF version. As expected, such templates are stored in such a portal so as to enable ease of sharing among the interested parties [could be students, researchers, tutors etc]. crestmont.edu. Download.

  15. Templates

    Whole thesis template. Use this to produce the whole thesis in one long Word document. It contains all of the required sections from title page to bibliography, with refreshable Tables of Contents, Table of Figures and Table of Tables. Thesis template for Word 2007 /2010 /2013 /2016 (PC) or Word 2008 /2011 /2016 (Mac) Word template help.

  16. Thesis and Dissertation Template

    Open the Word document containing your thesis/dissertation, click file, click options, click add-ins, and select templates from the Manage drop down menu at the bottom of the page. Click go. In the Document Template section, click Attach. Navigate to the folder in which you saved the template and select it.

  17. Dissertation & Thesis Template

    Dissertation & Thesis Template. As a resource for graduate students, sample Word templates are available to assist with the initial formatting of doctoral dissertations and master's theses. Students are expected to fully format their dissertation/thesis according to the "Preparation and Submission Manual for Doctoral Dissertations and Master's ...

  18. Create a Thesis Outline in Word: Easy Steps to Get Started

    Highlight all the headings in your thesis outline. Click the Home tab and select " multilevel list " (located beside list numbering and bullet points) Select the type of numbering you want. I opted for the 1, 1.1, 1.1.1 format, but don't be afraid to play around with other options if that's not what you're looking for.

  19. MS Word-templates for research paper, thesis, phd

    A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Research Master: Master of Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion; OLD Programme: Research Master's Thesis, Master of Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion; Dissertation Doctor's Degree in Theology; Templates section breaks, margins, page numbers and automatic tables

  20. PDF Guidelines for Bachelor's/Master's Thesis

    your layout and structure corresponds to the one of the LaTeX template in the end. Note, however, that our experience shows that Latex is superior to Word when documents contain many formulas, complex tables, many graphics and the like. Please structure your thesis as follows: • Titlepage • Abstract • Contents • Introduction

  21. Dissertation Table of Contents in Word

    Right-click the style that says "Heading 1.". Select "Update Heading 1 to Match Selection.". Allocate the formatting for each heading throughout your document by highlighting the heading in question and clicking the style you wish to apply. Once that's all set, follow these steps: Add a title to your table of contents.

  22. Thesis, Presentation & Templates

    Writing your thesis; Giving your talk; Templates; To top -Chair of Communication Networks Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Kellerer. Arcisstr. 21 80333 Munich. Visitor Address: Building 9, 1. floor. Tel: +49 89 289-23500 Fax: +49 89 289-23523. News 12.04.2024 Minister Aiwanger visits 6G Future Lab Bavaria

  23. Template for a bachelor or master thesis in LaTeX or Lyx

    This repo contains templates for bachelor and master thesis for the students of computer science at the University of Applied Sciences Mannheim. Other students of the university may also benefit from this template. It is of limited use for people outside the respective university.