Organizing and Formatting Your Thesis and Dissertation

Learn about overall organization of your thesis or dissertation. Then, find details for formatting your preliminaries, text, and supplementaries.

Overall Organization

A typical thesis consists of three main parts – preliminaries, text, and supplementaries. Each part is to be organized as explained below and in the order indicated below:

1. Preliminaries:

• Title page (required)
• Copyright page (required)
• Abstract (required) only one abstract allowed
• Acknowledgments (optional) located in the Preliminary Section only
• Preface (optional)
• Autobiography (optional)
• Dedication (optional)
• Table of Contents (required)
• List of Tables (optional)
• List of Figures (optional)
• List of Plates (optional)
• List of Symbols (optional)
• List of Keywords (optional)
• Other Preliminaries (optional) such as Definition of Terms

3. Supplementaries:

• References or bibliography (optional)
• Appendices (optional)
• Glossary (optional)
• List of Abbreviations (optional)

Preliminaries

These are the general requirements for all preliminary pages.

• Preliminary pages are numbered with lower case Roman numerals.
• Page numbers are ½” from the bottom of the page and centered.
• The copyright page is included in the manuscript immediately after the title page and is not assigned a page number nor counted.
• The abstract page is numbered with the Roman numeral “ii”.
• The remaining preliminary pages are arranged as listed under “Organizing and Formatting the Thesis/Dissertation” and numbered consecutively.
• Headings for all preliminary pages must be centered in all capital letters 1” from the top of the page.
• Do not bold the headings of the preliminary pages.

Title Page

Refer to the sample page as you read through the format requirements for the title page.

• Do not use bold.
• Center all text except the advisor and committee information.

Heading

The heading “ Thesis ” or “ Dissertation ” is in all capital letters, centered one inch from the top of the page.

Title

• Your title must be in all capital letters, double spaced and centered.
• Your title on the title page must match the title on your GS30 – Thesis/Dissertation Submission Form

Submitted by block

Divide this section exactly as shown on the sample page. One blank line must separate each line of text.

1. Submitted by
2. Your name
3. Type the official name of your department. If you are in an interdisciplinary studies program, list as:
   1. School of Advanced Materials Discovery
   2. School of Biomedical Engineering
   3. Graduate Degree Program in Cell and Molecular Biology
   4. Graduate Degree Program in Ecology

   If your department name begins with “School of”, list as:

   1. School of Education
   2. School of Music, Theatre and Dance
   3. School of Social Work

   If you have questions about the correct name of your department or degree, consult your department. Areas of Study or specializations within a program are not listed on the Title Page.

   Degree and Graduating Term block

   Divide this section exactly as shown on the sample page. One blank line must separate each line of text.

   1. In partial fulfillment of the requirements
   2. For the Degree of
   3. Colorado State University
   4. Fort Collins, Colorado (do not abbreviate Colorado)

   Committee block

   • Master’s students will use the heading Master’s Committee:
   • Doctoral students will use the heading Doctoral Committee:
   • The Master’s Committee and Doctoral Committee headings begin at the left margin.
   • One blank line separates the committee heading and the advisor section.
   • One blank line separates the advisor and committee section.
   • Advisor and committee member names are indented approximately half an inch from the left margin.
   • Titles before or after the names of your advisor and your members are not permitted (Examples – Dr., Professor, Ph.D.).