Formatting your thesis: Overall

layout and specifications

On this page

• Formatting requirements
• Parts of a thesis
• File format, file size, and page size
• Font
• Line spacing
• Margins
• Pagination
• Citation style
• Cumulative theses
• Language
• Personal information
• Blank pages

Formatting requirements
The Library's Theses Office assists with formatting theses, projects and extended essays for
submission to the Library. You are encouraged to use the Library's thesis template to help format
your thesis. The requirements stated on this page are default settings for the thesis template

Parts of a thesis
Section Page Required/Optional; notes

1: Title page Title page - no page number Required

2: Preliminary pages Approval page – always page ii Required

(Roman page numbers)
Ethics Statement Required if the research was sub
approval

Abstract Required

Dedication Optional

Acknowledgements Optional

Table of Contents Required

List of Tables Required if the document contai

List of Figures Required if the document contai

Other lists Optional

List of Acronyms Optional

Glossary Optional

Preface/Executive Summary/Image Optional

3: Main body Chapters—always beginning with page 1 Chapters and subsections may b
unnumbered
(Arabic page numbers)
References You may use a single reference
end of the document or include
end of each chapter

Appendix(es) Optional

Optional pages in the thesis template may be removed if not used.

File format, file size, and page size

The final copy of the thesis must be converted to .pdf for submission to the Library (maximum
256mb).

Theses must be formatted for US Letter (8.5X11) pages. Landscape 8.5X11 and 11X17 pages are
permitted. Legal, A4, or other paper sizes are not permitted.

Font
Arial 11 point Word template default

Times New Roman 12 Recommended serif font for Word

point

Computer Modern LaTeX template default

Arial is the preferred font for SFU thesis submissions. You may use other fonts with the approval
of your committee. See the Thesis Template Instructions for directions to change the default
template font.

Line spacing
The default template line spacing is 1.5 for text, with single-spaced block quotations.

Margins
Margins should be set to:
• 1.25" left/right
• 1" top/bottom

Pagination
All pages must be numbered, with the exception of the title page. Page numbers should appear at
the bottom centre of each page, at a minimum of 0.5” from the edge of the page.

Preliminary pages of the thesis must be numbered with Roman numerals. On the first page of the
main body, page numbers must restart with 1. The thesis template is preset with this numbering
style.

Citation style
SFU Library does not require a specific citation style. Consult your supervisor, your
department’s graduate handbook, or a liaison librarian for help determining which style is
appropriate for your research.

The default formatting in the library’s thesis template may differ from some requirements of
your citation style, but it is acceptable for SFU library submission.

Cumulative theses
Cumulative, or paper-based, theses must use the same general format as other submissions.
Consult your supervisor or your department's graduate handbook for more information. If
including published papers in a thesis, please consult the Copyright and your thesis FAQ.

Language
For theses written in a language other than English, the Library requires a second complete
English title page. Supporting documentation must be in English.

Personal information
Individual personal information must be removed from the thesis before publication, including
signatures, email addresses, and phone numbers. For example, if you are including a survey
instrument or consent form, your own contact information must be removed.

Blank pages
Blank pages in the thesis must be removed before publication.

Owned by: David Chokroun

Last Modified: September 26, 2017