Thesis/Dissertation Formatting

Content/Chapters

Beginning a new chapter

• Always start a new chapter on a new page.  Use the page break function to insert a blank page; do not use the Enter key multiple times.
• Type Chapter 1: Title of Chapter at the top of the page; your chapters will be numbered sequentially starting at 1.  Be sure to label each title as a chapter title heading to format it properly; see the headings section below for instructions.
• Leave the next line blank.
• Start your chapter.
• Chapter 1 needs to start on an odd-numbered document page according to Microsoft Word (not according to your page numbers). This may or may not happen naturally. Use the page break function to insert a blank page if it does not happen naturally; do not use the Enter key multiple times.
• Insert two double-spaced blank lines after the Chapter Title.
• In addition, you will insert two double-spaced blank lines before and after the center headings within the text and before and after freestanding side headings within the text.

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Headings

• The headings will populate your table of contents.
• Follow these instructions to set up and label headings in your document. 
• There are six possible levels of headings described in the table below.
• The title level is for page titles and chapter titles.
• Level 1 headings are for main sections within a chapter, level 2 headings are subsections of level 1, level 3 headings are subsections of level 2, etc.
• Your paragraphs will "sway" throughout the paper to accommodate binding.  
• You will only use bold and italics when it's a level heading, table or figure.  You will not bold any or italicize any words within a paragraph.
• Pay close attention to word spacing in your heading and paragraphs  Review for potential spacing errors.

page title or chapter title	CENTERED, BOLD, ALL CAPS
level 1	Centered, Bold, Title Case for the Heading Next paragraph begins indented as usual....
level 2	Flush Left, Bold, Title Case for the Heading Text Next paragraph begins indented as usual....
level 3	Flush Left, Bold, Italics, Title Case for the Heading Text Next paragraph begins indented as usual....
level 4	Indented, Bold, Title Case for the Heading Text, End with a Period.  Next paragraph begins right after heading.
level 5	Indented, Bold, Italics, Title Case for the Heading Text, End with a Period.  Next paragraph begins right after heading.