Thesis and Dissertation Template & Formatting

We strongly recommend using the Word template. However, students may begin working in Google Docs or LaTeX under specific circumstances.

Google Docs Template

• Open the Google Docs Template
• Students may begin drafting in Google Docs for convenience or collaboration
• Important: Google Docs files cannot be submitted as final documents. You must export to Word or PDF and ensure full compliance with formatting standards before submission.
• Style elements (headings, spacing, pagination) will need to be checked and possibly corrected manually after conversion.

Plan ahead: If you begin writing in Google Docs, allow extra time to convert your file to Word and carefully review your formatting before submitting. Many students find that headings, spacing, and page numbers shift during the transfer and need to be manually corrected to meet Graduate College requirements.

LaTeX Template

• Download the LaTeX Template
• Students may use LaTeX for complex formatting (math, equations, etc.), but:
  • The Graduate College cannot review or modify LaTeX source files.
  • Important: Students must submit a PDF version for both the format check (advisor-approved version) and final submission via ProQuest.
  • Format feedback will be provided via comments on a marked-up PDF. Students are responsible for making all corrections in LaTeX and re-exporting a new PDF.

Important: LaTeX users are fully responsible for ensuring that their final PDF meets all formatting requirements outlined below. Carefully review your document against these standards, especially margins, headings, pagination, and caption placement before submission, as all corrections must be made directly in LaTeX.

Please note: You will need sufficient experience with LaTeX (or support from someone who has it) to make required formatting changes. The Graduate College cannot assist with LaTeX coding or edits. 

Start early. Formatting with LaTeX typically requires additional time for troubleshooting, and unresolved formatting issues can delay your format approval and graduation. If you’re not confident editing LaTeX files directly, we strongly recommend using the Boise State Word Template instead.

1. Title Page (Required)

Use the official format provided in the template. Include your full title, name, committee members, and submission details. Be sure to use the actual month and year in which you will graduate.

2. Copyright or Creative Commons Notice Page (Required)

Include the appropriate notice with the copyright symbol, your name, and the graduation year. You may instead use a Creative Commons license and logo, if applicable.

3. Electronic Approval Page (Required)

Follow the format exactly as shown in the Electronic Approval Page example included in the template.

4. Dedication (Optional)

A short personal dedication of one to two paragraphs.

5. Acknowledgements (Optional)

Use this section to recognize advisors, mentors, funders, or colleagues who contributed to your academic journey.

6. Abstract (Required)

A brief summary of your research question(s), methods, and findings. May be single- or double-spaced based on your discipline’s style guide. 

7. Table of Contents (Required)

Must be automatically generated using Word’s built-in TOC feature. Do not manually type or edit. The Table of Contents page itself should not appear in the TOC.

8. List of Tables (Required, if applicable)

Auto-generated using caption styles in Word. Required only if your document includes tables.

9. List of Figures (Required, if applicable)

Auto-generated using caption styles in Word. Required only if your document includes figures.

10. List of Abbreviations (Optional)

Include an alphabetical list of defined acronyms or abbreviations, if used.

11. List of Symbols (Optional)

Include a list of mathematical or scientific symbols if relevant to your field.

12. Main Text (Required)

This is the core of your thesis or dissertation. It must begin with Arabic page number 1 and include clearly formatted chapters or sections, using consistent heading styles.

13. References (Required)

Include every citation used in your work and only citations used in your work. Formatting must follow the citation style approved by your department (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).

14. Appendices (Required if applicable)

Include any supplementary materials that support your research. Each appendix must start on a new page and be labeled (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.).

Margins

• Portrait pages: 1.5” inside; 1” top, bottom, and outside (use mirror margins)
• Heading 1 pages: start 2” from top
• Landscape pages: 1.5” top; 1” left, right, bottom

Apply margins uniformly to all pages (including figures and tables)

Font

• 12-point, Times New Roman font 

Paragraph, Spacing and Text Alignment

• Double-spaced text 
• Indent the first line of each paragraph
• Start each chapter on a new page
• Block quotes may be double or single spaced, depending upon choice of writing style
• Ensure that only one space follows all periods

Page Numbers

Preliminary “front matter” pages:

• Lowercase Roman numerals (iv, v, vi…) at bottom center
• Front matter page numbers start with the dedication page, which will be numbered iv (the title page, Copyright/Creative Commons, and Electronic Approval pages are not numbered but do count as pages i, ii, & iii)

Main text pages:

• Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…) in the upper-right for odd numbered pages and in the upper-left for even numbered pages
• The first page of Chapter 1 will start with number 1

Headings

• Heading 1: Centered, ALL CAPS, starts new page 2” from top
• Heading 2: Centered, bold and title cased (the first letter of each word is capitalized, except for certain small words, such as articles and short propositions)
• Heading 3: Left aligned, title cased and underlined
• Heading 4: Underlined, title cased and indented once
• Heading 5: Underlined, title cased and indented twice

Avoid orphaned headings: Do not leave a heading (e.g., chapter titles, section headers) at the bottom of a page without at least one line of text below it. Use a section break or page break to move the heading to the top of the next page.

Tables & Figures

• Table captions: bold, left-aligned, above the table
• Figure captions: bold, centered, below the figure
• Number sequentially by chapter or document-wide
• Keep content within margins

Keep tables and figures with their titles: Titles (captions) must appear on the same page as their associated table or figure. Do not separate them across pages.

Avoid unnecessary page breaks: If a table or figure fits on a single page, it should not be split across two. Adjust spacing or page breaks to keep content together and within margins.

Citations & References

• Use a consistent citation style approved by your department (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

• References must be formatted consistently and placed at the end of the document or chapter (as per program requirement)