BLDE University


A Master's Thesis Format: Basic Style Tips For Dummies


When you are tasked with writing a master’s thesis, one of the biggest problems faced after the bulk of the work has been completed is finding the proper format. When you are working to align all of your pages, structure your chapter layout, and include citations, you should follow these basic style tips for dummies below:

  • Tip 1: Check with your advisor. Your advisor should be able to give you, at the very least, instructions that indicate exactly how the content should be laid out. This will prove very important to you as you go through to format each detail especially because formatting properly is one of the major grading components associated with this project and no matter how well written your content might be, not ensuring everything is placed and indented where it ought to be can bring down your final marks.

  • Tip 2: Find an example. One of the best things you can do in addition to meticulously reviewing the instructions for your project is to find an example of something that was already written, submitted, and approved by your institution, and if possible, by your review committee. Your goal in locating an example completed by a previous student is to afford yourself a visual representation of what your typed instructions require of you. You might read about the proper spacing and indentation for a reference page or for the appendix, but seeing it in print can help to put all the pieces together mentally, helping you to recognize things that you might have otherwise missed.

  • Tip 3: Find an editor. If you can, find someone who works at your school or who has completed the same task through your institution to edit your work. This can help you out a great deal by offering insight into smaller aspects of the formatting that you might have otherwise missed. You also get the expertise of someone who has gone through everything you are currently going through, which, for many students, offers some modicum of relief.

Your institution is not the only source for these forms of help, but it is the best source. If your institution does not meet your needs you can turn to outside sources for the expert help you require. If you are still struggling, use this company to get information and templates on various formats for your project.