Georgia Institute of Technology Dissertation Format
The rules Georgia Institute of Technology sets for thesis or dissertation, summarized from the official guide, plus a formatter that applies them to your Word file for you.
Try It Free on Your Paper →The Rules at a Glance
| Margins | 1 inch top, 1 inch right, 1 inch bottom, 1.5 inch left. Left always 1.5 inch (for binding); master's theses that will not be bound may use 1 inch left. Pages with major headings (title page, chapter openings, front-matter headings): Option 1 = 1 inch top (heading just below margin), Option 2 = heading begins 2 inches from top; choose one and be consistent. Landscape pages keep same margins. |
|---|---|
| Font | Preferably one font throughout. Recommended: Arial 11 pt, Courier 11 or 12 pt, Century Gothic 11 or 12 pt, Geneva 11 pt, Helvetica 11 or 12 pt, Times/Times New Roman 12 pt. Text all black except figures, tables, appendices. Hyperlinks must be black, not underlined. No symbols in title (spell out). |
| Spacing | Text generally double-spaced (1.5 allowed if line distance is at least 5/16 inch, e.g. Helvetica; Arial 11 must be double). Footnotes, references (double-space between entries), quotations, and table/figure captions and legends single-spaced. TOC, lists, and references: single within entries, double between. Three blank lines before/after tables and figures. Three blank lines after major headings before text. |
| Title Page Number | Counted as i, number not shown (approval page counted as ii, not shown; epigraph and dedication counted, not shown) |
| Front Matter Page Numbers | Lowercase roman, centered at bottom within the 1-inch margin but no less than 1/2 inch from bottom; first printed number on Acknowledgments (normally iii); roman ends with Summary |
| Body Page Numbers | Arabic starting at 1 on first page of Chapter 1/Introduction, centered at bottom, continuous through appendices, references, and vita |
| Chapter First Pages | Same as body (centered bottom) |
| Citation Style | No overall requirement for footnoting or citation style other than consistency; follow discipline convention (Turabian and Chicago listed as resources). |
| Copyright Page | No separate copyright page. Optional copyright line at bottom of title page: 'Copyright © [Student's Name] [Year]'. (Manual's figure caption labels the copyright title page example 'REQUIRED' but text calls it optional.) |
| Contents Heading | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Chapter Headings | 'CHAPTER 1' (or 'INTRODUCTION' for the first chapter) and chapter title, at the major-heading top position; three blank single-spaced lines before text; each chapter starts a new page; no chapter title pages |
| Bibliography Heading | REFERENCES (or LITERATURE CITED or BIBLIOGRAPHY per discipline), centered at top, three blank lines; journal-style theses may put references at the end of each chapter as a subsection (e.g. '3.5 References') |
Title Page Wording
Lines from top to bottom, as the guide shows them. Words in brackets are yours to fill in. Centered, single-spaced. Title; 10 single-spaced blank lines; 'A Dissertation Presented to' / 'The Academic Faculty'; 3 blank lines; 'By'; 3 blank lines; name; 4 blank lines; 'In Partial Fulfillment' / 'of the Requirements for the Degree ...' / school or department; 6 blank lines; 'Georgia Institute of Technology'; 1 blank line; month, year. Optional copyright line at the bottom of the page.
Title capitalization: Title Case, bold.
Front Matter Order
- Title Page
- Approval Page
- Epigraph (optional)
- Dedication (optional)
- Preface (optional)
- Acknowledgments
- Table of Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- List of Symbols or Abbreviations / Nomenclature
- Summary
Rules Students Often Miss
- Left margin 1.5 inch for all dissertations
- Approval page required as page 2 (unsigned): title at top, ~10 blank lines, committee members with school affiliation and institution in italics (one column if fewer than four members, two columns if four or more), then 'Date Approved: [date]'
- Front matter ends with a 'SUMMARY' section instead of an abstract; the abstract is a separate document with page count and 'Directed by Dr. ...'
- Acknowledgments are required and are the first page with a printed number (iii) and first TOC entry
- Dedication and epigraph pages are counted but unnumbered and omitted from TOC
- Order: appendices BEFORE references; vita (PhD only, optional, third person, may include place of birth) last
- Top margin option of 1 inch or 2 inches for pages with major headings
- Hyperlinks must be black with no underline
What Style Guide Pro Does for You
- Builds the title page in Georgia Institute of Technology’s wording, order, and spacing.
- Sets the margins and puts page numbers where the guide asks, with roman numerals in the front matter when required.
- Builds the contents page with dot leaders and the real page numbers filled in.
- Styles every heading level, block quotation, footnote, and bibliography entry.
- Gives you a short list of what only you can fix, like signature pages.
- Formatting software only. It never writes or rewrites a word of your paper.
Format Your Dissertation in About a Minute
Pick your school, drop in your Word file or PDF, and see your own title page done to these rules before you pay. Your paper never leaves your computer.
Common Questions
What margins does Georgia Institute of Technology require?
1 inch top, 1 inch right, 1 inch bottom, 1.5 inch left. Left always 1.5 inch (for binding); master's theses that will not be bound may use 1 inch left. Pages with major headings (title page, chapter openings, front-matter headings): Option 1 = 1 inch top (heading just below margin), Option 2 = heading begins 2 inches from top; choose one and be consistent. Landscape pages keep same margins.
Where do page numbers go in a Georgia Institute of Technology dissertation?
Front matter: Lowercase roman, centered at bottom within the 1-inch margin but no less than 1/2 inch from bottom; first printed number on Acknowledgments (normally iii); roman ends with Summary. Main text: Arabic starting at 1 on first page of Chapter 1/Introduction, centered at bottom, continuous through appendices, references, and vita.
What citation style does Georgia Institute of Technology use?
No overall requirement for footnoting or citation style other than consistency; follow discipline convention (Turabian and Chicago listed as resources).
Can Style Guide Pro format my Georgia Institute of Technology dissertation?
Yes. Choose Georgia Institute of Technology when you upload your Word file or PDF. Style Guide Pro rebuilds it with the title page, margins, page numbers, contents, headings, footnotes, and bibliography laid out the way the guide asks, then lists anything only you can fix. You can preview your own title page free before you pay.
Sources
- Thesis and Dissertation Manual (April 2026 (file name; cover misprinted 'April 2027'))
- Theses & Dissertations (landing page) (accessed 2026-10-29)
Summarized from Georgia Institute of Technology’s official guide, which Office of Graduate Education, Graduate Education Thesis Office publishes. Checked October 2026. Programs sometimes add their own rules, so confirm with your graduate school or program before you submit.