thesis page number

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Q. How do I number pages differently in the various sections of my thesis or dissertation?

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Answered By: Jeff Beuck Last Updated: Apr 03, 2020     Views: 1445445

See Also:  How do I add page numbers in Microsoft Word?

To use different page numbering schemes in different sections of your Word document, there are two tricks: 1) you must include a "Section Break - Next page" between each section of your document where the numbering will change, and 2) you must "unlink" each section's footer from the one before it.

To start, temporarily turn on the viewing of hidden formatting symbols by clicking the "Show/Hide" symbol on the "Home" tab in the "Paragraph" box -- this will enable you to see the Section Breaks between sections of your document.

One of the required page numbering changes for your thesis or dissertation is that you need to use Roman numerals (e.g., "i, ii, iii") for your introductory sections (Abstract, Table of Contents), and then switch to Arabic numerals (e.g., "1, 2, 3") and begin the page numbering at "1" at the start of Chapter I of your main text.

If you do not already have a "Section Break" between these two sections of your document, you will need to add one.  Place your cursor at the very end of the text in the first section (after your Table of Contents and any Lists of Tables and Figures), being careful NOT to place it in the footer where the page number is (if the text above becomes grayed out, you are in the footer – try clicking higher).

Add a "Section Break – Next Page" by selecting the "Page Layout" tab on the menu, clicking the arrow next to "Breaks", and selecting "Next Page" under Section Breaks.

After doing this, you should see a "Section Break (Next Page)" code inserted into your document.  This tells Word that the next page begins a new section which may have a different header or footer.

Go down to the next page below the section break (in this example, the first page of Chapter I), and click on the page number in the Footer.  If your cursor is in the Footer, you should see "Footer -Section [#]-" to the left, and "Same as Previous" on the right.

You should also see a new tab appear on the menu, labeled "Header & Footer Tools: Design".  Select this.  (Be careful not to confuse this with another tab labeled "Design" between the "Insert" and "Page Layout" tabs.)  In the "Navigation" section of this tab, you will see a highlighted button labeled "Link to Previous" which tells Word to link the footer in this section to the previous section and to continue its page numbering scheme.  Click the "Link to Previous" button to UNSELECT it.

After clicking this, the "Link to Previous" button should no longer be highlighted.  The "Same as Previous" box to the right of your footer should also disappear.

Confirm your cursor is still next to the page number in the Footer, then go back to the Header & Footer Tools – Design tab on the menu, and in the "Header & Footer" section, select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.

The "Page Number Format" window will appear.  Select the appropriate "Number format" for this section ("1, 2, 3," or "i, ii, iii", etc.), and tell Word whether to continue the page numbering from the previous section or to start at "1" or another number.  In this example, we want Section 2 (which begins at Chapter I and contains the main text of our thesis or dissertation) to use Arabic numerals and to start numbering this section from page 1.  Click "OK" to finish.

You will notice that the page numbering for the current section has now been corrected, and if you unlinked it properly from the previous sections, the numbering in those sections should remain as it was before.

Next, you will need to change the page number format to lower-case Roman numerals (i.e., "i, ii, iii, ...") for the section with your Abstract and Table of Contents.  Click your cursor on the footer of your Abstract or Table of Contents page.

Open the "Format Page Numbers" window by going to the Header & Footer Tools – Design tab on the menu, and in the "Header & Footer" section, select Page Number > Format Page Numbers.

Next to "Number format", select the "i, ii, iii, ..." option for lower-case Roman numerals, then click "OK".

The page numbering for the section with your Abstract and Table of Contents should change to lower-case Roman numerals.  As long as you correctly unlinked the following section from this one, the page numbering in the following section, the main body of your text, should remain Arabic numerals starting with 1.

You will also need to remove page numbers completely from the title page and other preliminary pages of your thesis or dissertation.  To do this, you will use the same method as above, but delete the page numbers from the first section of your document.

Place your cursor at the very end of the last page which will not be numbered (probably your approval page, dedication, or acknowledgment), being careful NOT to place it in the footer where the page number is (if the text above becomes grayed out, you are in the footer – try clicking higher).

After doing this, you should see a "Section Break (Next Page)" code inserted into your document on the page before your Abstract.

Go down to the next page below the section break (in this example, the Abstract), and click on the page number in the Footer.  If your cursor is in the Footer, you should see "Footer -Section [#]-" to the left, and "Same as Previous" on the right. Be sure you are not in Section 1 of your document.

On the main menu, select the "Header & Footer Tools: Design" tab, then in the "Navigation" section of this tab, click the "Link to Previous" button if it is highlighted to UNSELECT it and unlink this section from the section above.  This will allow you to modify the page number in the first section without affecting this or subsequent sections.

Return to your Title Page (or any page in Section 1 which will not be numbered) and click on the page number in the footer.  Click-and-drag your cursor over the page number to select it.

Click the "Delete" key on your keyboard to delete the page number from this section.  As long as you removed the "Link to Previous" connection from the next section, you should the page number disappear from the first section, but remain in the following sections.

If your paper includes additional sections (for example, if your Approval Page was added as a separate section from your Title page), you may have to experiment with linking and unlinking sections from each other -- unlink a section if its page numbering will be different from the one before it, but link together any sections where the page numbering will continue from the one before it.  It is generally a good idea to start with the last section of your document and work your way backwards.

When you are finished, don't forget that you can hide the formatting symbols to make it easier to view your text by turning off the "Show/Hide" symbol on the "Home" tab in the "Paragraph" box.

Footer Sections and page numbering can be very complex, especially if your document has multiple sections.  If you need additional assistance getting your page numbering correct, contact Jeff Beuck at 216-523-7486 to set up an appointment.

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Comments (378)

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Related Topics

• Mardigian Library
• Subject Guides

Formatting Your Thesis or Dissertation with Microsoft Word

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

Page numbers

Microsoft Word will keep track of page numbers for you, so you can add and delete pages, move tables and figures from one page to another, etc. Then, you can create a Table of Contents, a List of Tables, a List of Figures, etc. and Word will automatically create those lists (or, you can update the lists by clicking an update button). This will save you much time compared to manually adding page numbers to your pages and manually creating your Table of Contents, List of Tables, etc. However, in order for Word to do all this automatically, page numbering needs to be set up appropriately. The video tutorial below demonstrates how to set up the page numbering.

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• Next: Tables and Figures >>
• Last Updated: Mar 21, 2024 2:35 PM
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Formatting your Thesis and Dissertation:Tools,Tips and Troubleshooting

• I am a new Graduate Student at Florida Tech!
• Thesis and Dissertation Templates
• Learn About Zotero
• Formatting Landscape Pages
• Line Spacing
• Page Numbers
• Page Break and Section Breaks
• Table of Contents or Figures
• Figures Turning Black
• Margin issues with Tables
• Page numbers not appearing
• PDF to PDF/A
• Section Breaks
• Landscape Page Numbers
• Troubleshoot LaTeX formatting issues
• Copyright and Creative Commons Licenses Primer
• Do I need to embargo my thesis or dissertation?
• I'm ready to submit my electronic copy - now what do I do?
• What is the process for obtaining print copies of my thesis or dissertation?

Formatting Page Numbers

Page Numbers (also Header & Footer)

1. On the Insert tab, in the Header & Footer group, click Header, Footer or Page Number.

2. Click the design that you want from the options.

3. The header or footer is inserted on every page of the document. You will also see the body text is now lighter.

4. You can now add/modify the text, format the text or change the position.

5. You will also notice the Ribbon bar has popped up header and footer, tools Design tab

Click on the header and footer tools Design tab to activate working in headers and footers. You also have options that can be applied to the Header & Footer bars.

Inserting page number in footers

In the header and footer design tab, select page number.

A. click on Bottom of page and select Plain number 2 (centered page number). As mentioned before, depending on the instructions.

B. This will take you back into the Design menu

C. You will notice in this menu whether Link to Previous is highlighted. Click on this to turn it off. This controls text and page numbers following through from section to section.

D. Click on Page number again and this time select Format page number.

E. Select the type of numbers you need. Select small Roman numerals (I, ii, iii etc.) for all pages from Contents to Chapter 1. Start the Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3 etc) from the first page of chapter 1. The title page has no page number. (In double-sided printing, you will need to turn off same as previous on the first odd and the first even page of each new section).

F. If you want page numbers to continue from the previous section/chapter, check ‘ continue from previous section’

G. If you want to start fresh numbering in the section or chapter, select ‘ start at’ and enter the starting number (usually 1).

Sections in the ‘Preliminaries’ file will have small Roman numerals for page numbering, while the rest of the document will have Arabic numerals. This is one of the reasons why it is important to keep the ‘same as previous’ option turned off. If it is on, all numbers or text in the header or footer will be the same throughout the entire document.

When working in headers and footers, you must have the cursor blinking in the header or footer space on the page, otherwise nothing will happen. When you click into the header or footer space, the Design menu will appear, which includes the header and footer sub-menu.

The page numbers also have to fit within the 1 - 1.2-inch margins of the page. In the Header and Footer design tab you will see options to adjust the margins of the header and footer. Adjust Footer from Bottom to your required spacing.

• << Previous: Line Spacing
• Next: Page Break and Section Breaks >>
• Last Updated: Jun 14, 2024 9:22 AM
• URL: https://libguides.lib.fit.edu/formattingyourthesisanddissertationtoolstipstroubleshooting

• University of Michigan Library
• Research Guides

Microsoft Word for Dissertations

• Chapter and Section Numbering
• 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
• Page Numbers
• Landscape Pages
• Combining Chapter Files
• Commenting and Reviewing
• Tips & Tricks
• The Two-inch Top Margin
• Troubleshooting
• Finalizing Without Styles
• Preparing Your Final Document

Page Contents

Microsoft Word can automatically keep track of your chapter, section, and sub-section numbering for you. Using these numbering schemes will also allow your figure/diagram/table/equations to be automatically numbered, as well.

In this part of the Guide, you'll learn:

• How to set Word to automatically number your Chapters and Sections
• How to customize your number style ( Section 1.1 vs. Section 1.a or Section 01.01 )
• How to automatically number Appendices

Automatic Chapter and Subsection Numbering

Important Note: Not everyone needs this type of numbering; if your discipline doesn’t require it, skip this section!

Word can automatically number sections (Chapter 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc.) of your document and include the chapter number in the captions (Figure 1.2, 2.2, etc.).

• Make sure each of your chapter titles are in the Heading 1 style, and then click on one of your chapter titles.
• Click OK when you are finished.
• If you typed in the text “Chapter #”, and now it is duplicating your efforts, delete the text you typed and leave the automatically generated chapter number.
• To follow the automatically generated chapter number with the title of your chapter on a new line, click just before the text of your title, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and then press the Enter key.

Note: If you have any problems with word automatically adding outline numbering to parts of your front matter, simply delete it.  Your chapter numbers will reset to show the correct number of chapters.

Removing the section numbering from our template

• Place your cursor in the title of your Chapter 1 (which is styled with the Heading 1 style)

In some cases, you may find that Word has added "Chapter X" before some of your Heading 1 sections that aren't chapters (like Acknowledgements or Bibliography). All you need to do is go to each of those sections, place your cursor after "Chapter X", and press Backspace to delete it.

Customizing Your Numbers

You have a lot of control over numbering. for example.

• you can change the numbering scheme from  1.1, 1.2 , etc...  to   1.a, 1.b , etc...
• you can change Arabic numbers (Chapter 1) to Ordinal (Chapter One)
• you can put a colon or a tab after the numbers ("Chapter 1: ")

"The numbering scheme lives in the Heading 1"

It's easy to inadvertently create multiple numbering schemes in a document and not realize it.  So it's always best to start by placing your cursor in one of your chapter headings (Heading 1). That ensures that you're making changes to the active scheme.

• Use the Number style for this level: pulldown menu (A) to choose from various numeral or letter styles.
• Under "Click level to modify" (B), in this screenshot we've selected level 1 (the Chapter level) and added the word “Chapter” and a space afterwards to the "Enter formatting for number" (C) field. 
• Then you can modify the other levels (Level 2 would be for a section in a chapter and Level 3 for a sub-section, and of course Level 4 for a sub-sub-section). You can, for example, change the period in between the level and sub-level numbers to a dash or anything you want by making the change in the "Enter formatting for number" (C) field.
• In the "Follow number with:" field (D), you may also see that a tab follows the number. We suggest you change that to a space. 

Formatting Theses & Dissertations using Word 2010: Numbering

• Footnotes and Endnotes
• Images, Charts, Other Objects
• Cross-References
• Applying a Style
• Modifying a Style
• Setting up a Heading 1 Example
• Setting Margins
• Creating and Using Templates
• Combining Chapters
• Finalizing Without Styles
• Adding Page Numbers
• Landscape Pages
• Automatic Table of Contents and Lists
• Commenting and Reviewing
• Quick Links

Page Contents

Learn about making subsections and appendices easier to number

• Customizing Your Numbers (different numbers in different places on the page on different pages)

Automatic Chapter and Subsection Numbering

Outline numbering in appendices, customizing your numbering, add different page numbers or number formats to different sections.

Let's say you want to use different page numbers or number formats and styles in different parts of your document. You could use page numbers such as i, ii, iii… for the introduction and table of contents and 1, 2, 3… for everything after. The trick is to divide the document into sections and to make sure those sections aren’t linked. Then, set the page numbering for  each  of those sections by following these steps.

Notes:  

If you're using Word Online, you can add page breaks but not section breaks. If you have the Word desktop application, use the  Open in Word  command to open the document. When you’re done and you save the document, it will continue to be stored where you opened it in Word Online. If you don’t have Word, you can  try  or  buy  it in the latest version of Office now.

Click at the very beginning of the first page where you want to start, stop, or change page numbering.

Choose  Layout  (or  Page Layout ) >  Breaks  >  Next Page .

Tip:  You might find it helpful to see section breaks and other formatting marks as you type. On the  Home tab, in the  Paragraph  group, choose  Show/Hide  (¶) to turn on the display of formatting marks. Choose the button again to turn off the display.

On the page after the section break, double-click in the header (top of page) or footer (bottom of page) area where you want to display page numbers. This will open the  Design  tab under  Header & Footer Tools .

Click  Link to Previous  to deselect the button and disconnect your header or footer from the header or footer in the previous section.

Note:  If  Link to Previous  is dimmed, it means there is no section break between the page you're on and the previous page. Make sure you've successfully added a section break (see step 2) and that you've opened the header for the appropriate section.

In the  Header & Footer  group, click  Page Number , pick a location, and then choose a style in the gallery.

Note:  If your change only affects the first page of your section, make sure  Different First Page  is not selected. Double-click the header or footer area of the first page of the section, and look in the  Options group on the  Design  tab.

To choose a format or to control the starting number, in the  Header & Footer  group, choose  Page Number  >  Format Page Numbers  to open the  Page Number Format  dialog box.

Do either or both of the following:

Click  Number format  to select the format for the numbering, such as a, b, c or i, ii, iii.

Under  Page numbering , choose  Start at  and type a number that you want to start the section with.

Tips:  

If you just want to change or delete the first page number of a section, double-click to open the header or footer on that page, and in the  Options  group on the  Design  tab, click  Different First Page . Then delete or format the first page number as you like.

You also can change the appearance of the page numbers. On the  Home  tab, choose  Font , and change, for example, the font style and family, and font size and color.

When you’re done, choose the  Close Header and Footer , or double-click anywhere outside the header or footer area to close it.

Format Page Number in Word 2010 and 2007 .

To Format the page numbering for different sections, follow these steps.  

• Click between two parts of your document that you want to number differently.
• on the  Page Layout Tab , Click  Breaks .
• Click  Next Page ,  Even Page , or  Odd Page , and then click  OK .
• Click in the first section of your document.
• On the  Insert  Tab Click  Header  and then Click Ed it Header
• Click in the header or footer where you want the page number
• On the  Header & Footer Tools tab  Click  Page Number
• Click The option that puts the page number where you would like
• On the  Header & Footer Tolls tab  Click  Page Number
• Click  Format Page numbers
• In the  Number Format  box, click the format that you want for the numbers in this section.
• Do one of the following:
• If you want the page numbering for the first page in this section to start at a particular number other than the first number in the format series, click  Start at  under  Page numbering , and then enter the first number that you want to appear on the first page of the section.
• If you want the page numbering to continue from the previous section, click Continue from previous section.
• Click  OK
• On the  Header and Footer  tools tab, click  Next  in the Navigation Group
• Repeat steps 1 through 3 and 9 through 11 to change the page numbering for another section
• On the  Header and Footer  tools tab, click  Close

Important Note: Not everyone needs this type of numbering; if your discipline doesn’t require it, skip this section!

Word can automatically number sections (Chapter 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc.) of your document and include the chapter number in the captions (Figure 1.2, 2.2, etc.).

• Make sure each of your chapter titles are in the Heading 1 style, and then click on one of your chapter titles.
• Click OK when you are finished.
• If you typed in the text “Chapter #”, and now it is duplicating your efforts, delete the text you typed and leave the automatically generated chapter number.
• To follow the automatically generated chapter number with the title of your chapter on a new line, click just before the text of your title, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and then press the Enter key.

Note: If you have any problems with word automatically adding outline numbering to parts of your front matter, simply delete it.  Your chapter numbers will reset to show the correct number of chapters.

Start Numbering on Page 2

How do i start page numbers on the second page of my word 2010 document.

Word 2010, by default, starts page numbers on the first page of a document. If the first page is a cover page, or a title page, then the second page of the document should be page 1.

• Insert page numbers by clicking on the Insert tab and choosing Page Number in the Header & Footer tab. Then select the position of the numbering.
• Because the new page numbers will be selected, the Design tab for Header & Footer Tools will appear. Under Options , select Different First Page . ( This will start page numbering page 2, but the second page will be labeled "2". This isn't what we wanted. There is an extra step to making this page say "1". )
• While the Design tab for Header & Footer is still up, select Page Number in the Header & Footer group. Then choose Format Page Number .
• The resulting window is shown to the right. Change the radial button at the bottom to Start at and type in 0 . Then click ok .

Follow the instructions at this link for roman numerals .

This was taken from the Just Tips webpage from the website for Mission Critical Training in Denver.

Customizing Your Numbers

If you want to change anything about the numbers – for example, you are using the 1.1, 1.2, etc. style but would like the word “Chapter” to display automatically in front of the Heading 1 number, you want to change Arabic numbers to Ordinal, or you want to change the spacing after the numbers, you can.

Click one of your headings, then go back to the Home Ribbon, and in the Paragraph Group click the Multilevel List icon (see screen shot above) and select Define New Multilevel List….   Click the More>> button, then select the relevant list level.

• You can use the Number style for this level: pulldown menu to choose from a various styles, as seen in the screenshot (below the Enter formatting for number: box).
• In the screenshot, with the Level on the left set at 1, we added the word “Chapter”. Moving to the second level, you can change the period in between the level and sublevel to a dash or anything you want in the Number format box.

You may also restart number for captions in your appendices or other separate areas of your dissertation.  You will need to change your outline numbering settings before inserting your captions.

We are going to do a variant of the steps above, but instead of defining new levels for your list, you will be editing the first level from this point forward. This should work, but sometimes Word acts up, and even though you’ve followed all the steps, it doesn’t take. If that happens, set up an appointment with the KNC and we’ll help you out.

• Apply the Heading 1 style to the title of your Appendix.
• On the Home Ribbon, go to the Paragraph Group , click the Multilevel List icon and select Define New Multilevel List….   Make sure the whole dialog box is showing by clicking on the More>> button (if it says <<Less instead, you are all set).
• Under Enter formatting for new number :, replace “Chapter” with “Appendix.”
• Choose the appropriate style, (such as A,B,C,… ) from the Number style for this level: pulldown menu.
• Set the correct letter or number in the Start at: pulldown.
• In the Apply changes to: pulldown, choose This point forward .
• Click OK to close the dialog box.
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• URL: https://research.auctr.edu/dissertation

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Office of Graduate Studies

Main navigation, page numbering.

The thesis/dissertation is comprised of several different sections which require a distinct numbering format.

All page numbers should be:

• Located on the bottom of each page that requires them
• Located between .5” and .75” inches from the bottom of the page
• The same font and size as the main body of text

Pagination for Front Matter , Table of Contents & Lists, and the Main Body should be formatted as follows:

No Page Number

• Acknowledgments

Lowercase Roman Numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.)

• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• List of Abbreviations

Arabic Numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.)

• About the Author (if used, list as "End Page" in the Table of Contents)

How do you format different pagination for different sections?

There are two options:

Section Breaks You can insert section breaks in the document where the change in style happens, and then format the page numbers of each section. Check to ensure the sections are not linked so that the changes in page numbers are limited to a given section.

Separate Documents Create 3-4 separate Word documents - one for each style of page numbering. You will then save each as a PDF and combine the PDFs using Adobe Acrobat. 

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Formatting Requirements

Page layout, margins and numbering, workday student support.

Graduate students can find "how to" guides and support information on our Workday support page .

Your scholarly approach may call for a different presentational method. These are the requirements and recommendations for text-based theses.

For a text-based thesis, or the text portions of a thesis, the page size must be 8.5" x 11", and the text must be in a single, page-wide column. Do not use two or more columns in your thesis.

The text of the thesis is written in paragraph form.

• the first line of each paragraph should be indented, OR
• there should be a larger space between paragraphs than there is between lines.

Each chapter should generally start at the top of a new page.

Left: 1.25 inches (32 mm) is recommended if you intend to bind copies of your thesis; 1 inch minimum.

Right, top, and bottom: 1 inch recommended; 0.75 inches (19 mm) minimum

Page Numbering

Preliminary pages:.

• must be numbered in lower case Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.)
• the title page is "i" but this number must not appear on the page
• numbering begins at "ii" on the committee page
• the first page of the abstract is page iii

Body of thesis:

• must be numbered in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.)
• the first page of the text is "1"
• subsequent pages are numbered continuously throughout, including pages with tables and figures, bibliographies, appendices, and index

Whole thesis:

• every page except the title page must have a number on it
• there must be no blank pages in the thesis.

Page numberS:

• must be placed at least .5 inches (12 mm) from the edge of the page
• may be either in the lower centre or on the top or lower right of the page, when the page is viewed in portrait view. Lower right is preferred.

Landscape Pages

Landscape pages must be orientated in your PDF so that they are readable without rotation. You do not need to change the location or orientation of the page number, but may if you wish.

Facing Pages

Facing pages are not acceptable; you must use one-sided layout and pagination. If the caption for a figure, table, etc., cannot appear on the same page as its accompanying illustration, place the illustration on a separate page after the caption.

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How to Avoid the Most Common Mistakes

• Get the name of your major absolutely correct (e.g., Psychology, not Clinical Psychology).
• The thesis/dissertation title must be in all CAPITAL letters and double-spaced, and the date must be the month and year of your graduation.
• Doctoral candidates: use “dissertation” instead of “thesis” throughout the document.

Front Matter (the section before the text of the thesis)

• Front matter must be numbered with lower case Roman numerals.
• In the table of contents, do not list the title page, committee page, abstract, or vita. Do include the list of tables, list of figures, acknowledgements, chapters, references or bibliography, and appendices (with titles).
• Chapter titles in the table of contents should match the actual chapter titles in the text. Number chapters consistently (e.g., Chapter I, Chapter One, or Chapter 1).
• No signatures should appear in the document (the committee page is not for signatures).
• The committee page should be an exact list of those entered on the eTD submission, but do not list any name twice even if a professor has two roles (e.g., advisor and department head).

Page Numbers

• The text must begin on page 1 and be numbered from beginning to end without breaking sequence.
• Do not use running headers, and do not embellish page numbers (e.g., -1-, Page 1, 125a).

General Advice

• There should be no blank pages in the thesis/dissertation.
• Submit the format review as early as possible, but do not submit a second format review (even if you don’t finish until the next semester, a second format review is not necessary).
• Carefully complete each step outlined in the format review.
• When naming your pdf file, do not use special characters (e.g., /, ?, &), and do not make the file name extremely lengthy by using the entire thesis title.
• Doctoral candidates: include a copy of the title page and abstract with the ProQuest/UMI Agreement.
• Remember that, after approval of the final eTD by the Office of Theses and Dissertations, no further changes can be made.
• Most importantly, carefully read and follow the Thesis and Dissertation Handbook .

Thesis and Dissertation Handbook

Requirements and guidelines for the preparation of Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations.

How to Submit a Doctoral Dissertation

• Become familiar with the requirements by reading the Thesis and Dissertation Handbook carefully.
• Apply to graduate on LionPATH during the semester in which you plan to graduate. Deadlines for submitting your dissertation can be viewed on the Thesis, Dissertation, Performance, and Oral Presentation Calendar .
• Upload a draft of your dissertation for format review (pdf only) to the eTD website by the specified deadline. Corrections and detailed instructions will be returned to you by email.
• Defend the dissertation and make any changes required by your committee. This can be done either before or after the format review, as long as deadlines are met.
• Review the dissertation one final time to be sure that no further changes are needed. It will not be possible to make corrections after final approval by the Office of Theses and Dissertations. Convert the file into a pdf for eTD submission. If you cannot do this, contact the Office of Theses and Dissertations for assistance.
• Go to the eTD website and upload the final eTD; submit supporting materials to the Office of Theses and Dissertations. (Note: It does not matter if you upload first or submit the materials first.) Supporting materials are: ProQuest/UMI Agreement, Survey of Earned Doctorates, and $95 fee. The fee can be paid at the Payment Section of the Graduate School Thesis and Dissertation Information webpage.
• Await notification of eTD approval by email. If changes are required, you will be notified. Your eTD will be accessible on the eTD website immediately after graduation, unless you have chosen restricted access.

If bound copies are needed, contact any Multimedia & Print Center on campus or you may use an off-campus source. All copies are the author’s responsibility. The Graduate School does not provide copies.

How to Submit a Master's Thesis

Apply to graduate on LionPATH during the semester in which you plan to graduate. Deadlines for submitting your thesis can be viewed on the Thesis, Dissertation, Performance, and Oral Presentation Calendar .

• Upload a draft of your thesis for format review (PDF only) to the eTD website by the specified deadline. Corrections and detailed instructions will be returned to you by email.
• Make any changes required by adviser and/or readers.
• Review the thesis one final time to be sure that no further changes are needed. It will not be possible to make corrections after final approval by the Office of Theses and Dissertations. Convert the file into a PDF for eTD submission. If you cannot do this, contact the Office of Theses and Dissertations for assistance.
• Go to the eTD website and upload the final eTD; and pay $10 thesis fee. The fee can be paid at the Payment Portal .

Format Review

What to submit and how to submit it.

The format review is a chance for Office of Theses and Dissertations staff to take a preliminary look at your thesis or dissertation to check for formatting errors. The goal is to ensure that you are following the requirements set forth in the Thesis and Dissertation Handbook .

Please submit as complete a draft as possible , including:

• front matter (title page, committee page, abstract, etc.)
• several chapters
• back matter (references, appendices)

The draft submitted for format review does not have to be the final version, but you must submit more than just a few pages in order to complete the format review requirements.

To submit your file for format review, go to eTD website .

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Congratulations on completing your doctoral degree!

We request that all research doctorate recipients participate in the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) .

Conducted annually since 1957, the SED is a census of all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year. It is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and five other federal agencies. The SED collects information on the doctorate recipient’s educational history, demographic characteristics, and post-graduation plans. Results are used to assess characteristics of the doctoral population and trends in doctoral education and degrees.

The ability of the survey to accurately describe doctorate earners depends on obtaining responses from all doctoral degree recipients. Your response affects decisions made for the future generations of doctorate recipients.

How to Participate:

• Register online to participate in the survey. After you register, you will receive a PIN and password as well as the link to the survey.
• Penn State requests verification of survey completion. You can enter up to two email addresses where you would like the notification of completion to be sent to or forward the email notification. Please send all notifications to [email protected] .

If you have questions related to the SED, please contact 877-256-8167 or email [email protected] .

In the fall of 1998, Penn State’s Graduate School, Information Technology Services , Digital Library Technologies, and University Libraries embarked upon an initiative to allow theses and dissertations to be submitted and archived electronically. What began as a pilot project is now required for all doctoral students, and masters students requiring a thesis at Penn State. Joining Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, and other universities across the nation, Penn State has enabled its students to incorporate multimedia formats into their theses/dissertations and to submit them electronically—the final product being easily accessible worldwide.

Electronic theses and dissertations (eTDs) expand the creative possibilities open to students and empower students to convey a richer message by permitting video, sound, and color images to be integrated into their work. Submitting and archiving eTDs helps students to understand electronic publishing issues and provides greater access to students’ research. People from any place on the globe can link directly to eTD collections at Penn State and other universities.

Acknowledgement of Federal Funding

As described in the Research Terms Clarification :

2 CFR § 200.328(see pp. 20-21), all federal funds used in the research and writing of a thesis or dissertation must be explicitly acknowledged in the acknowledgment section of the document, along with a disclaimer indicating that the findings and conclusions do not necessarily reflect the view of the funding agency.

Research Terms and Conditions Overlay

Legal Statements

• Non-Discrimination
• Equal Opportunity
• Accessibility
• The Pennsylvania State University © 2024

Thesis and Dissertation Guide

• « Thesis & Dissertation Resources
• The Graduate School Home

• Introduction
• Copyright Page
• Dedication, Acknowledgements, Preface (optional)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Symbols

Non-Traditional Formats

Font type and size, spacing and indentation, tables, figures, and illustrations, formatting previously published work.

• Internet Distribution
• Open Access
• Registering Copyright
• Using Copyrighted Materials
• Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials
• Submission Steps
• Submission Checklist
• Sample Pages

II. Formatting Guidelines

All copies of a thesis or dissertation must have the following uniform margins throughout the entire document:

• Left: 1″ (or 1 1/4" to ensure sufficient room for binding the work if desired)
• Right: 1″
• Bottom: 1″ (with allowances for page numbers; see section on Pagination )
• Top: 1″

Exceptions : The first page of each chapter (including the introduction, if any) begins 2″ from the top of the page. Also, the headings on the title page, abstract, first page of the dedication/ acknowledgements/preface (if any), and first page of the table of contents begin 2″ from the top of the page.

Non-traditional theses or dissertations such as whole works comprised of digital, artistic, video, or performance materials (i.e., no written text, chapters, or articles) are acceptable if approved by your committee and graduate program. A PDF document with a title page, copyright page, and abstract at minimum are required to be submitted along with any relevant supplemental files.

Fonts must be 10, 11, or 12 points in size. Superscripts and subscripts (e.g., formulas, or footnote or endnote numbers) should be no more than 2 points smaller than the font size used for the body of the text.

Space and indent your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• The text must appear in a single column on each page and be double-spaced throughout the document. Do not arrange chapter text in multiple columns.
• New paragraphs must be indicated by a consistent tab indentation throughout the entire document.
• The document text must be left-justified, not centered or right-justified.
• For blocked quotations, indent the entire text of the quotation consistently from the left margin.
• Ensure headings are not left hanging alone on the bottom of a prior page. The text following should be moved up or the heading should be moved down. This is something to check near the end of formatting, as other adjustments to text and spacing may change where headings appear on the page.

Exceptions : Blocked quotations, notes, captions, legends, and long headings must be single-spaced throughout the document and double-spaced between items.

Paginate your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Use lower case Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.) on all pages preceding the first page of chapter one. The title page counts as page i, but the number does not appear. Therefore, the first page showing a number will be the copyright page with ii at the bottom.
• Arabic numerals (beginning with 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) start at chapter one or the introduction, if applicable. Arabic numbers must be included on all pages of the text, illustrations, notes, and any other materials that follow. Thus, the first page of chapter one will show an Arabic numeral 1, and numbering of all subsequent pages will follow in order.
• Do not use page numbers accompanied by letters, hyphens, periods, or parentheses (e.g., 1., 1-2, -1-, (1), or 1a).
• Center all page numbers at the bottom of the page, 1/2″ from the bottom edge.
• Pages must not contain running headers or footers, aside from page numbers.
• If your document contains landscape pages (pages in which the top of the page is the long side of a sheet of paper), make sure that your page numbers still appear in the same position and direction as they do on pages with standard portrait orientation for consistency. This likely means the page number will be centered on the short side of the paper and the number will be sideways relative to the landscape page text. See these additional instructions for assistance with pagination on landscape pages in Microsoft Word .

Format footnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Footnotes must be placed at the bottom of the page separated from the text by a solid line one to two inches long.
• Begin at the left page margin, directly below the solid line.
• Single-space footnotes that are more than one line long.
• Include one double-spaced line between each note.
• Most software packages automatically space footnotes at the bottom of the page depending on their length. It is acceptable if the note breaks within a sentence and carries the remainder into the footnote area of the next page. Do not indicate the continuation of a footnote.
• Number all footnotes with Arabic numerals. You may number notes consecutively within each chapter starting over with number 1 for the first note in each chapter, or you may number notes consecutively throughout the entire document.
• Footnote numbers must precede the note and be placed slightly above the line (superscripted). Leave no space between the number and the note.
• While footnotes should be located at the bottom of the page, do not place footnotes in a running page footer, as they must remain within the page margins.

Endnotes are an acceptable alternative to footnotes. Format endnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Always begin endnotes on a separate page either immediately following the end of each chapter, or at the end of your entire document. If you place all endnotes at the end of the entire document, they must appear after the appendices and before the references.
• Include the heading “ENDNOTES” in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the first page of your endnotes section(s).
• Single-space endnotes that are more than one line long.
• Number all endnotes with Arabic numerals. You may number notes consecutively within each chapter starting over with number 1 for the first note in each chapter, or you may number notes consecutively throughout the entire document.
• Endnote numbers must precede the note and be placed slightly above the line (superscripted). Leave no space between the number and the note.

Tables, figures, and illustrations vary widely by discipline. Therefore, formatting of these components is largely at the discretion of the author.

For example, headings and captions may appear above or below each of these components.

These components may each be placed within the main text of the document or grouped together in a separate section.

Space permitting, headings and captions for the associated table, figure, or illustration must be on the same page.

The use of color is permitted as long as it is consistently applied as part of the finished component (e.g., a color-coded pie chart) and not extraneous or unprofessional (e.g., highlighting intended solely to draw a reader's attention to a key phrase). The use of color should be reserved primarily for tables, figures, illustrations, and active website or document links throughout your thesis or dissertation.

The format you choose for these components must be consistent throughout the thesis or dissertation.

Ensure each component complies with margin and pagination requirements.

Refer to the List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations section for additional information.

If your thesis or dissertation has appendices, they must be prepared following these guidelines:

• Appendices must appear at the end of the document (before references) and not the chapter to which they pertain.
• When there is more than one appendix, assign each appendix a number or a letter heading (e.g., “APPENDIX 1” or “APPENDIX A”) and a descriptive title. You may number consecutively throughout the entire work (e.g., 1, 2 or A, B), or you may assign a two-part Arabic numeral with the first number designating the chapter in which it appears, separated by a period, followed by a second number or letter to indicate its consecutive placement (e.g., “APPENDIX 3.2” is the second appendix referred to in Chapter Three).
• Include the chosen headings in all capital letters, and center them 1″ below the top of the page.
• All appendix headings and titles must be included in the table of contents.
• Page numbering must continue throughout your appendix or appendices. Ensure each appendix complies with margin and pagination requirements.

You are required to list all the references you consulted. For specific details on formatting your references, consult and follow a style manual or professional journal that is used for formatting publications and citations in your discipline.

Your reference pages must be prepared following these guidelines:

• If you place references after each chapter, the references for the last chapter must be placed immediately following the chapter and before the appendices.
• If you place all references at the end of the thesis or dissertation, they must appear after the appendices as the final component in the document.
• Select an appropriate heading for this section based on the style manual you are using (e.g., “REFERENCES”, “BIBLIOGRAPHY”, or “WORKS CITED”).
• Include the chosen heading in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the page.
• References must be single-spaced within each entry.
• Include one double-spaced line between each reference.
• Page numbering must continue throughout your references section. Ensure references comply with margin and pagination requirements.

In some cases, students gain approval from their academic program to include in their thesis or dissertation previously published (or submitted, in press, or under review) journal articles or similar materials that they have authored. For more information about including previously published works in your thesis or dissertation, see the section on Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials and the section on Copyrighting.

If your academic program has approved inclusion of such materials, please note that these materials must match the formatting guidelines set forth in this Guide regardless of how the material was formatted for publication.

Some specific formatting guidelines to consider include:

• Fonts, margins, chapter headings, citations, and references must all match the formatting and placement used within the rest of the thesis or dissertation.
• If appropriate, published articles can be included as separate individual chapters within the thesis or dissertation.
• A separate abstract to each chapter should not be included.
• The citation for previously published work must be included as the first footnote (or endnote) on the first page of the chapter.
• Do not include typesetting notations often used when submitting manuscripts to a publisher (i.e., insert table x here).
• The date on the title page should be the year in which your committee approves the thesis or dissertation, regardless of the date of completion or publication of individual chapters.
• If you would like to include additional details about the previously published work, this information can be included in the preface for the thesis or dissertation.

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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.

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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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!

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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 .

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