Formatting a thesis in Word comes down to one rule above all others: follow your university or department formatting guidelines, because they decide the binding values. Where the guidelines are silent, you fall back on common academic conventions. In most cases that means Times New Roman size 12, 1.5 line spacing, justified text, margins around 2.5 cm, and a wider left margin for binding. This guide walks you through the Word settings step by step, but always check your department's template or style sheet first, since it takes precedence over any general advice.
Who decides how your thesis looks
There is no single international standard for thesis layout. Instead, each university (and often each faculty or department) issues its own formatting guidelines, a style sheet, or a ready-made Word template. These documents tell you the exact margins, fonts, spacing, and numbering you must use.
It helps to separate two layers of rules:
- Typography and the way characters are written. Spacing around punctuation, how you write abbreviations, numbers, units, dates, and quotation marks. This layer follows the conventions of the language you write in and is broadly the same across institutions.
- Page layout and document formatting. Specific margin values, font type and size, and the numbering scheme. This is the layer your university guidelines define, and it can vary noticeably from one school to another.
Citations are governed separately by whichever referencing style your programme requires, such as Harvard, APA, or MLA. We cover the mechanics of one common standard in our guide on how to cite using ISO 690.
The order of priority is clear. Your department's guidelines come first. Where they say nothing, use the norms and common conventions described below.
What margins and page format to set
A thesis is written on A4 (or Letter, depending on your country) and usually printed single-sided, though some departments allow double-sided printing. Because the left edge is bound, the left margin is typically wider.
Common margin values in Word are:
| Margin | Common value |
|---|---|
| Top | 2.5 cm |
| Bottom | 2.5 cm |
| Left (binding side) | 3 to 3.5 cm |
| Right | 2 to 2.5 cm |
A wider left margin makes sure the text is not swallowed by the spine once the work is bound. In Word you set margins from the Layout tab and the Margins button, where you choose Custom Margins and enter the values. Treat these numbers as a starting point. The binding values live in your department's guidelines, and those always win.
What font and size to use
For body text, a serif font such as Times New Roman at 12 points is the most common recommendation. Some departments accept sans-serif fonts like Calibri or Arial, or a mix of a serif font in the body and a sans-serif font in headings. The key is to stick to one font family throughout the whole thesis and not mix several at random.
Typical font sizes follow these conventions:
- Body text: 12 points
- Chapter headings: larger, usually 14 to 16 points depending on level
- Footnotes: smaller, usually 10 points
- Table and figure captions: smaller, usually 10 to 11 points
These values are recommendations, not universal rules. Always compare them with your department's guidelines, which may require a different font type and size.
What line spacing and alignment to choose
Body text is usually set with 1.5 line spacing, which makes the text easier to read and leaves room for notes during the defense. Footnotes, figure captions, and the contents of long tables can use tighter spacing, for example single spacing.
Text is normally justified, meaning it lines up against both the left and right margins. Justified text looks tidy in academic work. To avoid large gaps between words, it helps to turn on automatic hyphenation (Word: Layout tab, Hyphenation, Automatic).
In Word you set line spacing from the Home tab, the line spacing icon, or more precisely through Paragraph, where you also set the space before and after each paragraph. Consistent paragraph spacing looks more professional than inserting blank lines with the Enter key.
How to number pages and chapters
Numbering is one of the places where students make the most mistakes, because they do it by hand instead of using Word's automatic features. It is also tied to the overall length and word count of your thesis, which is counted separately from the physical pages of the document.
Page numbering
Pages are numbered continuously, usually from the introduction through to the conclusion, including the reference list and appendices. The title page and other front matter are counted, but the number is usually hidden on them. The page number sits in the footer, most often centered or against the outer edge.
In Word you insert page numbers from the Insert tab and the Page Number option. If you want different numbering on the title page and the rest of the work, split the document with section breaks (Layout tab, Breaks, Section Break) and turn off "Link to Previous" in the footer.
Multilevel chapter numbering
Chapters are numbered with Arabic numerals in a multilevel scheme, for example 1, 1.1, 1.1.1. The introduction and conclusion are usually not numbered as chapters. No period is written after the final number in the sequence, so the correct form is "2.3 Data collection methods", not "2.3. Data collection methods".
The most reliable approach is to link multilevel numbering to heading styles. In Word, select the heading text, apply a style (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3), then use the Home tab and the Multilevel List icon to choose a scheme linked to the heading styles. Word then numbers the chapters automatically, and the numbers recalculate themselves when you move a chapter. Which parts of the work are numbered and the order they follow comes from the structure of a thesis.
How to work with headings and styles
Heading styles are the single most important tool in Word for formatting a long document. A style is a named set of formatting (font, size, spacing) that you apply to a whole group of headings at once.
The benefits of working with styles:
- a consistent look for all headings of the same level
- automatic generation of the table of contents
- automatic multilevel numbering
- easy navigation through the Navigation pane (View tab, tick Navigation Pane)
The practical workflow is as follows. First set the font, size, and spacing in the styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3) according to your department's guidelines. Then apply those styles to every heading in the work. Make any change to the look by editing the style, not by clicking through individual headings by hand. That keeps the whole document consistent.
How to generate an automatic table of contents
Never type the table of contents by hand. If you apply Heading 1 to Heading 3 styles to your headings, Word generates the contents automatically, complete with page numbers.
The steps in Word:
- Place the cursor where the contents should go (usually after the front matter).
- Open the References tab and click Table of Contents.
- Choose an automatic table.
- After any major change to the text, right-click the contents and choose Update Field, or Update entire table.
Always update the contents before you submit so the page numbers and heading wording match the real text. Examiners spot inconsistencies in the contents quickly, and they read as a sign of carelessness.
How to label and number tables and figures
Every table and every figure in the work must have a caption and a sequence number, and you must refer to it in the text. The common convention is:
- Tables: the caption goes above the table, for example "Table 1 Respondent profile".
- Figures and charts: the caption goes below the figure, for example "Figure 1 Diagram of the research process".
Below a table or figure you state the source if it is not your own work (for example "Source: own work" or a reference to the origin of the data). In Word, use the Insert Caption feature (References tab, Insert Caption), which numbers objects automatically and lets you build a list of tables and figures from them. If the work contains many tables and figures, add a separate list of tables and list of figures after the contents.
The exact caption placement, caption font size, and source format should be checked against your department's guidelines, since they differ slightly from one school to another.
How to handle citations and footnotes
In-text citations and the reference list follow whatever referencing style your programme requires, such as Harvard, APA, or MLA. Most styles use an author-date system (name and year in brackets directly in the text). Some fields, especially in the humanities, prefer footnotes.
For footnotes, the rules are:
- insert them through the References tab and the Insert Footnote button, never by hand
- Word numbers them automatically and renumbers when you move text
- they are written in a smaller font, usually size 10, with single spacing
The important thing is to choose one referencing method and stick to it throughout the work. Mixing systems looks unprofessional and undermines credibility. You will find a detailed walkthrough in our guide on how to cite using ISO 690.
How to add and label appendices
Appendices hold material that would interrupt the flow of the main text but is important for verifying your results: questionnaires, large tables, raw data, interview transcripts, or source code. Appendices go right at the end of the work, after the reference list.
Label and number each appendix, for example Appendix A, Appendix B or Appendix 1, Appendix 2. You must refer to every appendix at least once in the text, otherwise it reads like a forgotten file. If there are several appendices, you can add a list of them after the contents.
How to prepare the work for binding and printing
Before printing and binding, check a few things that are hard to fix afterward:
- Binding. Bachelor's and master's theses are usually submitted in hard (book) binding. The exact type and cover color are set by the department.
- Left margin. Confirm it is wide enough for binding and that the text is not lost in the spine.
- Printing. Check whether the work prints single-sided or double-sided according to department instructions.
- Number of copies. Find out how many physical copies, and in what form, you need to submit alongside the electronic version.
- Electronic version. You usually upload the work to an academic system and it goes through an originality check, often with software such as Turnitin.
The specific requirements for binding, the number of copies, and the format of the electronic version vary from school to school, so always check them in advance, ideally a few weeks before the deadline.
Practical tips for formatting in Word
A few habits will save you hours of last-minute fixes:
- Write first, format later. Focus on the content first and handle the formatting in one pass at the end.
- Use styles, not manual formatting. Heading styles are the basis of the automatic table of contents and numbering.
- Turn on hidden characters. The ¶ button on the Home tab shows spaces, tabs, and breaks, so you spot errors more easily.
- Set indentation with a style, not the space bar. Indent the first line of a paragraph through the paragraph settings, not by pressing space repeatedly.
- Save and back up as you go. Save dated versions and keep a copy off your computer (cloud, USB).
- Export to PDF before submitting. A PDF preserves the formatting on every computer and at the print shop.
If you are unsure about formatting or simply run out of time to fine-tune the layout, our writers can help you prepare the work on both the formal and the substantive side. Take a look at our services or place a no-obligation order and we will get back to you with a concrete solution.
Frequently asked questions
What margins should a thesis have?
Common margins are roughly 2.5 cm at the top and bottom, a wider left margin of 3 to 3.5 cm for binding, and a right margin of 2 to 2.5 cm. These values are recommendations. The binding dimensions are set by your department's guidelines, which always take precedence over general advice.
What font and size are used in a thesis?
Times New Roman at 12 points for body text with 1.5 line spacing is the most common choice. Some departments also accept Calibri or Arial. Footnotes and figure captions are usually smaller, around 10 to 11 points. Always check the exact font type and size in your department's guidelines.
How do I create an automatic table of contents in Word?
Apply Heading 1 to Heading 3 styles to your headings, then on the References tab click Table of Contents and choose an automatic table. Word generates the contents complete with page numbers. After any major edit, update the contents by right-clicking and choosing Update Field.
Where does the caption go for a table and where for a figure?
A table caption goes above the table, a figure or chart caption goes below the figure. Both carry a sequence number, and you must refer to them in the text. If the data is not your own, add the source. Check the exact caption format in your department's guidelines.
Are the introduction and conclusion numbered?
The pages of the introduction and conclusion are numbered continuously along with the rest of the work. As chapters, however, the introduction and conclusion are usually not numbered. Multilevel chapter numbering starts with the first content chapter, typically the theoretical part.
Is formatting governed by a standard or only by department guidelines?
For most international students there is no single binding standard, so your department's guidelines or template decide the layout: margins, fonts, spacing, and numbering. A separate referencing style (Harvard, APA, or MLA) governs citations. Where the guidelines are silent, fall back on the common conventions described above.