A&S Departmental Thesis Format Guidelines
Please check with your department for specific discipline-related formatting requirements.
Style: You must determine the appropriate style with your adviser. You may use APA, MSA, MLA, Chicago, or any style traditionally used by your discipline. Font: It is suggested that you use Times, 12 pt.
Spacing: Your thesis must be double spaced, with the exception of extended quotations which must be single spaced and indented. Double spacing does not apply to captions.
Margins: Your thesis must have a 1.5" margin on the left side and a 1.2" margin on the remaining sides.
Pagination: Page numbers should be included and located on the page in accordance with the style guide used. No running headers.
Bibliography: Every thesis must include a bibliography listing works consulted during the course of its creation. Consult the style guide recommended by your thesis adviser for proper formatting.
Citation: Every thesis must also utilize proper citations. Consult the style guide recommended by your thesis adviser for proper formatting.
Approval Page: A sample approval page is attached to these guidelines.
Title Page: The format for this page is as follows (do not number this page):
- Thesis title
- The formulaic statement: "A Thesis Presented to the College of Arts and Sciences, Ohio University"
- Another formulaic statement: "In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation with Honors from the College of Arts and Sciences with the degree of ...
- Author attribution: Your name, as you wish others to see it in perpetuity
- Title Page: For your convenience, a template for the title page is attached to the guidelines. A hard copy that specifies spacing instructions is available in the materials provided by Randy Price in the College of Arts & Sciences Office of Undergraduate Advising & Student Affairs.
Blank Sheet: Place a clean, blank "guard sheet" both in front of and at the end of the thesis.
Table of Contents: Traditional, multi-chapter theses must include a table of contents. Scholarly, substantive essays to be submitted with a creative thesis do not need to include a table of contents.
DVDS, Videos, Slides, etc.: All thesis material must be labeled with the same information included on the label attached to the front of the thesis binder.
Number of copies of thesis submitted: You must submit the Thesis/Project Submission Form signed by your thesis advisor and departmental honors coordinator. Please note: You will submit your thesis electronically, as well. See information about electronic theses in this manual.
WARNING: Be sure to back up your work on disk and hard copy at every stage of the writing process.