TEMPLATE INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

The thesis/dissertation templates are a collection of Word files that meet many of the current guidelines of the Office of Graduate Study. Whether students are beginning to write their thesis or dissertation or are finished writing and need to format the document, use of these optional templates will:

  • place page numbers and set margins and line spacing,
  • provide formats for the preliminary pages, main text and reference sections into which

the manuscript’s individual files can be inserted.

The Office of Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning provides these as a convenience to students, but use of the templates does not guarantee that theses or dissertations will be properly formatted. These templates can be used, in conjunction with this manual, as an aid to format theses and dissertations; however, students are entirely responsible for meeting the format requirements.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Open a template
  2. Click on any of the shaded areas and start typing.
  3. If you need additional section headings, etc., drag your cursor across the required heading (including the space before and after the heading), COPY, and PASTE where needed.

If the “click here” areas are not shaded and are difficult to find, turn on FIELD SHADING by clicking on TOOLS then OPTIONS then VIEW. Find the FIELD SHADING option and select ALWAYS then click OK.

LIST OF TEMPLATES:

Name of Template /

Description of Template

Cover pages / Thesis cover page (1) / For a thesis
Dissertation cover page (2) / For a dissertation
Preliminary pages / Thesis preliminary pages (1) / For use with numbered chapters and decimal numbered sections
Thesis preliminary pages (2) / For use with numbered chapters and unnumbered sections
Thesis preliminary pages (3) / For use with unnumbered chapter equivalent headings and unnumbered sections
Dissertation preliminary pages (1) / For use with numbered chapters and decimal numbered sections
Dissertation preliminary pages (2) / For use with numbered chapters and unnumbered sections
Dissertation preliminary pages (3) / Unnumbered chapter equivalent headings with unnumbered sections
Abstract for UMI® / Dissertation abstract for UMI / Effective Fall 2005 semester, this template will be used by doctoral students to create their abstracts for submission to UMI®.
Chapters / Chapter (APA style guide) / Use this template, if your department requires you to use the APA style guide. The template includes all five levels of APA style headings, an appendix cover sheet, a reference section with APA hanging indent format, and templates for a 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-column tables. Students are responsible for deciding the hierarchy of levels used in their thesis or dissertation.
Chapter (Oakland style)(with equation editor) / Use this template, if your department requires no style guide. The template includes all four levels of Oakland style headings, an appendix cover sheet, a reference section, and templates for a 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-column tables. The template also includes an equation style and an embedded equation editor icon, for building equations. Instructions for building equations using the equation style can be found below.
Chapter (Kate L. Turabian style guide) / Use this template, if your department requires use of Kate L. Turabian style guide. The template includes all five levels of Turabian style headings, an appendix cover sheet, a reference section with using the appropriate format, and templates for a 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-column tables. Students are responsible for deciding the hierarchy of levels used in their thesis or dissertation.
Chapter (Exercise Science) / This template is to be used by students completing a thesis in the Department of Exercise Science. The template includes heading levels, an appendix cover sheet, a reference section with APA hanging indent format, and templates for a 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-column tables.

USING THE EQUATION ICON AND EQUATION STYLE IN THE CHAPTER TEMPLATE

  1. At the point in your manuscript where you wish to insert an equation, position the cursor at the left margin.

  1. In the STYLE drop box, select EQUATION.
  2. Press TAB. The cursor is now centered between the left and right margins.
  3. Click twice on the Microsoft Equation 3.0 icon, to open an equation editor window. Type your equation.
  4. COPY the equation and PASTE it in your manuscript at the cursor’s location.

Your equation is centered.

  1. Press TAB.

  1. Type the equation number.
  1. If you wish to continue with text, press ENTER. The style will revert to NORMAL but with single spacing. Change the spacing to double spacing.

The Microsoft Equation 3.0 icon can be copied to other pages. Click on the icon once, then COPY and PASTE.