Thesis/Dissertation Templates and Forms

Below you will find Microsoft Word templates and examples you can use for formatting your thesis/dissertation. These files are formatted to meet all the requirements of the Graduate College. Additionally, the templates contain detailed instructions for using them to ensure that your thesis/dissertation is formatted correctly. However, even when using the templates, it is possible to accidentally re-format some content.

 

For best results, turn on hidden characters by clicking the ¶ (paragraph) symbol in the Home ribbon of Microsoft Word. When pasting text into the template, right-click where you want to paste the text, and then select the “Paste text only” option to clear all formatting attributes from the source document. Use the formatting checklist to check that all of your content is formatted according to Graduate College requirements. Finally, schedule a format check with a CCE thesis/dissertation consultant to get feedback on your formatting.

Selecting the right template

  1. Traditional Thesis Dissertation Template: Select this template if you have a single study that is split into multiple chapters that may include CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION, CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW, CHAPTER X. CONCLUSION. 
    • The REFERENCES and APPENDICES are at the end of the paper.
    • No journal paper articles are included.
      • Chapters with content rewritten from previously published journal papers are allowed since they would be considered different from the original publications. Be sure to cite the published works to avoid self-plagiarism. Contact us for clarification. 
  2. Journal Article Thesis Dissertation Template: Select this template if you are including one or more published articles or if you are writing individual chapters as publishable manuscripts. Each journal article becomes a chapter complete with its own abstract, introduction, tables, figures, references, and appendices (if any). 
    • The first chapter must be CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTIONS.
    • The last chapter must be CHAPTER X. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.
    • The number of chapters in between will be determined by the POS Committee.
    • Chapters that include previously published articles should be treated as Reprints with permission from the publisher (if you signed the rights over to them).
      • The "Modified" statement in the template only addresses the changes in the formatting, not content. 
      • If you are changing content, e.g. excluding or rewriting subsections, you may be looking at the Traditional Template style. Contact us for clarification. 
    • The references and appendices must be included with the respective chapters instead of after the CHAPTER X. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.
    • Select Journal Article Thesis Template (Single Chapter Only) if there is only one manuscript or published article
  3. Fine Arts and Non-Traditional Thesis Dissertation Template: Select this template if your thesis/dissertation requires different typography to meet the discipline's guidelines. For example, a playwright may include different fonts.

Useful Tips

  • Starting with the right template instead of copying and pasting from a different document can avoid conflicts in the presets.
  • For some disciplines, it can be confusing to choose between the Traditional or Journal Article templates. Contact us for clarification. We will discuss different factors before presenting you with options.
  • For best results, turn on hidden characters by clicking the ¶ (paragraph) symbol in the Home ribbon of Microsoft Word. When pasting text into the template, right-click where you want to paste the text, and then select the “Paste text only” option to clear all formatting attributes from the source document.
  • Download and use the Thesis Dissertation Self-Check Formatting Checklist to check that all of your content is formatted according to Graduate College requirements.
  • Schedule a format check with a CCE thesis/dissertation consultant to get feedback on your formatting.
  • When using the templates, it is possible to accidently reformat some of the presets. Be sure to scan through your document and make necessary adjustments after making edits.

     

I. Microsoft Word Templates

Below you will find three Microsoft Word templates and examples you can use for formatting your thesis/dissertation. These files are formatted to meet all the requirements of the Graduate College. Additionally, the templates contain detailed instructions for using them to ensure that your thesis/dissertation is formatted correctly. 

  1. Traditional Thesis Dissertation Template MS Word | Adobe PDF
  2. Journal Article Thesis Dissertation Template MS Word | Adobe PDF
    • Journal Article Thesis Template (Single-Article Only) MS Word* | Adobe PDF 
      • Please note that this Single-Article Only template cannot be used if the thesis has other research details plus one article/manuscript. For example, if there is a literature review chapter plus a journal-style chapter, the full Journal Article Thesis Dissertation Template must be used, and the literature review chapter must be formatted like a journal-style chapter.
      • If unsure which Journal Article template to use, please check with Lily Compton, lcompton@iastate.edu.
  3. Fine Arts/Non-Traditional Thesis Dissertation Template MS Word* | Adobe PDF 

(*This is a draft template. Some instructions may not reflect the final formatting guideline. Please make an appointment for a Format Check.)

Quick access to Thesis Dissertation Self-Check Formatting Checklist

II. LaTex Templates

All Iowa State University students, faculty and staff are entitled to claim a Professional Overleaf account, using LaTex for writing and publishing their projects, presentations, and research papers. Claim your account here. If you already have an Overleaf free account, you can use your ISU e-mail to establish a Professional account.

Templates are also provided below for theses and dissertations formatted in LaTeX.

  • Visit ISU’s Overleaf website to retrieve the most current updates on the style and class files.
  • Follow the instructions and comments in the template to avoid adding conflicting lines of code.
  • Check for common issues from this FAQ page.

 

Additional LaTex Resources

Forms 

Templates for forms are also provided below.

  1. SHARED CONSENT FORM

The Shared Consent Form should be included as an Appendix if a thesis/dissertation chapter is co-authored by two or more graduate students who may also include the same chapter in their theses/dissertations. If student co-authors do not intend to include the manuscript as a chapter in their theses/dissertations, this form is not required. Students should discuss with their major professors and follow the instructions within the templates.

NOTE: If the student and major professor decide that the form is not required, be sure to indicate it under "Student Notes to Administrator" when submitting the thesis/dissertation in ProQuest.

  1. PUBLISHING AGREEMENT

The Publishing Agreement will be provided to graduate students at the time they create a new submission in ProQuest. It is important that graduate students review the publishing agreement while they are preparing their theses/dissertations because they will need to obtain all necessary permissions for third-party content.

Examples of materials created or owned by third parties include but are not limited to photographs, extensive quotations, figures, and tables. Previous publications may also require permission from the journal or book publisher if copyright has been transferred.

NOTE: No signatures are necessary for this publication agreement. Graduate students should review the document early so that they are prepared to fully accept the terms when they are ready to create a new submission in ProQuest. They must check the box in ProQuest next to the statement [I have read, understand, and agree to this University Agreement] before they can proceed to upload their submission.