Graduate Center Dissertation Formatting Rules

Page Sequence

Adhere to the following page sequence when preparing your manuscript. Note that bibliographic references should be the last section of the document, appearing after all appendices, glossaries, illustrations, or other back matter.

Title page (no pagination appears)*
Copyright page
Approval page
Abstract
Table of Contents (required)
Preface, Foreword, and/or Acknowledgments (optional)
Lists of tables, illustrations, charts, figures, diagrams (if applicable)
Digital Manifest (required for all digital projects)
A Note on Technical Specifications (required for all digital projects)
Body of Text (begins with Arabic numeral 1)
Appendix or Appendices (including Data Dictionary, if applicable)
Bibliography / References
Autobiographical Statement (optional)

use the degree year regardless of deposit date (February 2025 grads should have 2025 on their title page even if the deposit is in 2024)

Text Format Guidelines

Abstracts

There is no word limit for abstracts.
For digital projects, abstracts should describe the project scope and include relevant URLs for associated elements such as videos, websites, or code repositories (e.g., GitHub link); if applicable, describe what data has been collected.
Abstracts will be published in the CUNY Academic Works repository and ProQuest (if applicable) with author, title, and descriptive information, even if the work is embargoed.
An abstract in English is required, even if the text is in a language other than English.

Approval Page

The full title, author, manuscript statement, and month/year that the manuscript was approved are included on this page.
The approval page lists the primary advisor(s), executive officer or program director, and supervisory committee (if applicable) for the work being submitted.

Color

PDF and print reproductions may include color, and ProQuest reproductions will include any color submitted.

Data Dictionary (if applicable)

For projects that involve code or datasets, a Data Dictionary or equivalent must be included.
A Data Dictionary is typically located in the Appendix or in a separate file, and should be formatted according to your disciplinary conventions.
If it is submitted as a separate file, include the file name and format in the Digital Manifest.
Content could detail significant variables and critical functions.

Digital Manifest (Required for Digital Projects)

All dissertations, theses, and capstone projects that contain digital projects must include a “Digital Manifest” in the preliminary pages.
Formatted like a Table of Contents, this section provides a master list of all the components—print and digital—that constitute the project.
For each component, indicate its file type, a brief description, and URL, if applicable.

A Note on Technical Specifications (Required for Digital Projects)

All dissertations, theses, and capstone projects that contain digital projects must include a “Note on Technical Specifications” in the preliminary pages.
This section provides a high-level overview of the project’s components and technical specifications, analogous to a “readme” file.
Include information about components housed outside of the library deposit, such as GitHub repositories, and where to find the latest version of materials.

File Formats

ProQuest requires Adobe PDF (not Word) for text.
Rather than embedding audio and video files in the PDF body of a work, submit as supplemental files.

Font

Any legible TruType type 1 font is accepted (except script, italic, or ornamental fonts) if equivalent in scale to Arial (10 pt) or Times New Roman (12 pt).
Acceptable fonts and sizes for print and web include: Arial (10 pt), Courier New (10 pt), Georgia (11 pt), Times New Roman (12 pt), Trebuchet MS (10 pt), Verdana (10 pt).

Line-spacing

Double-space abstract, dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents, and body of the manuscript.
Follow your disciplinary style manual for single- or double-spacing block quotes, captions, items in tables, lists, graphs, charts.
Single-space footnotes/endnotes.

Lists of Contents

A table of contents is required.
If illustrations, charts, diagrams, figures or other tables appear in the work, a list of each named element, with corresponding pagination, is required.

Margins

left: 1”; right: 1″; top and bottom: 1″ for all text (except page numbers and headers/footers) and figures, footnotes/endnotes, and images

Page numbers

must appear at least ¾” from any edge of page

Pagination

Pages preliminary to the body of the text must be numbered with lowercase Roman numerals.
Do not number the title page but count it in the preliminary pagination.
The body of the text is numbered with Arabic numerals beginning with the first page of text and including illustrations, appendix, and bibliography.
Except for the title page, all pages must be numbered.
The numerals may appear in any location on the page (bottom middle, bottom right, upper right), but must be consistent throughout the work.

Quotations

Consult copyright fair use guidelines.
Include permission letters for use of copyrighted materials that exceeds fair use (photographs, charts, tables, etc.).
Submit copyright permission letters as supplemental files as part of your online submission.

References / Bibliography

In your references section, include the platforms, software libraries, and code used in your project. These can be separated from other bibliographic citations included in your manuscript if desired.

Style and Style Manuals

Use the style manual for your discipline except when in conflict with these instructions.
Consult dissertation advisors as necessary.

Title Page

The title page must include the full dissertation title, the complete name of the author, the dissertation statement, and the year of the degree.
Use words to spell out titles including formulas, symbols, superscripts, subscripts, and Greek letters.
While prohibited from the title, symbols may be used throughout the text.