Thesis & Graduation

Thesis Formatting Checklist

Verify your thesis meets formatting standards before final submission or deposit. This checklist covers the most commonly reviewed requirements across U.S. graduate programs.

Progress
0 of 0 items checked
Your graduate school's requirements are the authority

This checklist covers widely-used formatting standards, but every program differs. Always confirm your thesis format against your own graduate school's official formatting manual or template before submitting or depositing. Your committee chair or graduate office can point you to the exact requirements for your degree.

Front Matter Order

The pages before your main text must appear in the correct sequence. Check that you have included all required pages and that they are in the order your program specifies.

Typically the first page, unnumbered or numbered with a lower-case Roman numeral.
Some schools require this; others do not. Check your manual.
Usually appears early in front matter, often on its own page.
Optional; if included, comes before acknowledgements.
Appears near the end of front matter.
Lists all major sections and their page numbers; comes last in front matter.

Margins & Pagination

Consistent spacing and page numbering are critical. Many formatting rejections result from inconsistent margins or misplaced page numbers.

Some programs require an extra margin on the left for binding; verify your school's requirement.
Numerals may be centered at bottom or placed in top-right, depending on your program's style.
Choose one style and apply it throughout.

Fonts & Spacing

Consistent typography throughout your thesis signals professionalism and meets most formatting guidelines.

Common choices: Times New Roman, Cambria, Garamond, or Helvetica. Mix fonts only if your program explicitly allows it.
Check if footnotes or block quotes may use different spacing.
If submitting as PDF, embed or subset all fonts used.

Figures & Tables

Every figure and table must be properly numbered, captioned, and cited in your text before it appears.

Example: "As shown in Figure 2, …" comes before the figure.
Use the same font, spacing, and punctuation for all.

Citations & References

Consistency in citation style is a frequent area of review. Choose your citation style (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.) and apply it uniformly.

Confirm your program's required style in its formatting manual.
Remove any unused references.

Digital Submission

If submitting or depositing your thesis as a PDF (e.g., to ProQuest or your institution's repository), verify digital requirements.

This ensures the PDF displays correctly on any system.
Example: "LastName_FirstName_Thesis.pdf" or "2024_YourName_ThesisTitle.pdf"
PDF/A is a long-term archival format; required by some e-deposit systems.

Why Formatting Rejections Happen

Graduate schools' formatting review processes flag recurring issues. The most common reasons for revision requests are:

  • Inconsistent margins. Mixed left margins (especially when binding allowance is required) are the top reason for rejection. Every page must match.
  • Missing or out-of-order front matter. A misplaced table of contents or missing copyright page stops a submission immediately.
  • Uncaptioned figures and tables. If a figure lacks a caption or is unreferenced in text, it will be sent back.
  • Mixed citation styles. Switching between APA and Chicago mid-thesis, or formatting references inconsistently, triggers a full re-review.
  • Incorrect page numbering. Using Arabic numerals in front matter or Roman numerals in body text will be caught and rejected.
  • Font embedding issues in PDFs. Non-embedded fonts render differently on another system, causing the PDF to be resubmitted.

Most of these are preventable by using your program's template or checklist and running a careful final pass before submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my checklist data saved anywhere but my browser?
No. Your progress is saved only in your browser's local storage. If you clear your browser cache or use an incognito window, your checkmarks will not be restored. We recommend using the same browser and device, or printing your checklist once complete.
Does this replace my university's own formatting review?
No. This is a general-purpose checklist covering widely-used standards. Your university or program may have more specific or stricter requirements. Your graduate office or committee chair can provide the official manual or template. Always do a final review against your program's exact specifications before submitting.
What is the most common reason theses get sent back for reformatting?
Inconsistent or incorrect margins are the single most frequent issue, especially when a binding allowance is required. The second is incomplete or out-of-order front matter. A final careful pass against your program's manual before submission prevents most rejections.
Should I check my formatting before or after my defense?
Begin your checklist before your defense, so any large-scale formatting issues can be corrected before your committee sees the final version. After your defense, do a final pass to catch any comments about format and address them before submission or deposit.
My program uses LaTeX. Does this checklist still apply?
Yes, mostly. LaTeX handles fonts and spacing automatically with a well-designed template, so items 15–19 (fonts and spacing) are usually satisfied. Pay special attention to front-matter order (Section 1), margins (Section 2), figures and tables (Section 4), and digital submission (Section 6).

Sources

This checklist is based on widely-recognized thesis formatting conventions used across U.S. graduate programs, particularly those aligned with Chicago Manual of Style and Purdue OWL guidance. Specific requirements vary by institution:

Always verify against your own graduate school's formatting manual before final submission.