Liberty University Style Guide Formatting
The rules Liberty University sets for papers, theses, and dissertations, 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 on all sides. 1 in. on all sides on letter paper; no binding margin. Template header/footer distance 0.5 in. |
|---|---|
| Font | Times New Roman 12 pt; footnotes Times New Roman 10 pt. Headings all TNR 12. |
| Spacing | Double-spaced throughout; paragraph indent 0.5 in.; template Normal style 0 pt after. Single-spaced, with a blank line before and after: block quotes (5 or more lines), footnotes, bibliography entries, table titles, figure captions, appendix lists. |
| Title Page Number | Counted as page 1 (i) but no number shown |
| Front Matter Page Numbers | Lowercase Roman, centered at bottom, starting at ii (includes Contents) |
| Body Page Numbers | Arabic starting at 1, top right (header); also bibliography and appendices |
| Chapter First Pages | Same as body: top right (dissertation template first-page header is right-aligned; no bottom-center exception) |
| Citation Style | Turabian 9th ed. notes-bibliography required; footnotes only, no endnotes (author-date allowed only for book reviews). Note numbers superscript with no period. Short notes in author-title form only. Ibid. required for consecutive citations of the same source on the same page; it restarts on each new page (first note on a page uses author plus short title); only the History Department may carry ibid. across pages; ibid. not italic. Liberty has not adopted CMOS 18. |
| Contents Heading | Contents |
| Bibliography Heading | Bibliography (centered, bold, new page) |
Title Page Wording
Lines from top to bottom, as the guide shows them. Words in brackets are yours to fill in. Double-spaced and centered (template; blank lines approximate): 'Liberty University'; 3 blank; title; 3 blank; 4-line degree statement; 3 blank; 'by' / name; 1 blank; 'Lynchburg, Virginia' / month and year.
Title capitalization: Title Case.
Front Matter Order
- Title Page
- Contents
- Body (begins with 'Introduction' as Heading 1)
- Bibliography
Programs
Graduate theses and dissertations (university-wide, CASAS Turabian guide and dissertation template)
- Described in the top-level fields.
Doctor of Ministry Thesis Project (D.Min. Program and Candidacy Handbook, 7 April 2022)
- Citation: Turabian 9 NB only; superscript note numbers; footnotes restart at 1 in each chapter (section break at end of each chapter).
- Footnotes TNR 10, single-spaced, 6 pt after, first line indented 0.5 in. (indent before the superscript number); a blank line between entries in the formatting aid.
- Ibid. for the immediately preceding source, but it cannot be the first footnote on a page nor the only footnote on a page; 'Ibid., #.' when the page differs; add ibid. in the final draft, not drafts.
- Block quote if any amount of the quote is over four lines (a 4-line quote stays in the text).
- Page numbers: title page not numbered; front matter lowercase Roman in the footer; body, bibliography and appendices Arabic in the header.
- Chapter opening: first line of chapter heading 1 in. below the 1 in. top margin (2 in. from top); one line, all caps: 'CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION'. Later pages start at top margin.
Ph.D. (Divinity)
- No public program manual found; use the university dissertation template and the top-level rules.
Graduate course papers (CASAS Turabian guide)
- Turabian student title page: '[Title]' (centered, headline case) / [space] / '[Name]' / '[Course code]: [Course title]' / '[Date]' (exact line counts set by the template).
- Contents and headings required at 20+ body pages, recommended at 10-19.
- Otherwise same as the top-level rules.
Rules Students Often Miss
- Ibid. is required (consecutive citations, same page) and restarts on each new page; only the History Department may carry it across pages.
- Superscript footnote numbers with no period in the notes, unlike standard Turabian.
- Chapter-opening pages keep the page number top right (no bottom-center exception).
- Contents (with headings) required for graduate papers of 20+ body pages, recommended at 10-19.
- Bibliography entries single-spaced with one blank line between, 0.5 in. hanging indent, alphabetized by first word; invert only the first author's name; omit the Bible, classical works and personal communications. Template bibliography paragraphs: spacing before 5 pt / after 12 pt.
- Bible cited parenthetically only; do not use 'unless otherwise noted'; name the version at first use, then abbreviate (NASB, ESV, KJV); book abbreviations only in parentheses or notes.
- Third person, active voice.
- Superseded 2018 Divinity Writing Guide differed: body page numbers in the footer, first line of text 2 in. from top, bibliography repeated author shown as eight underscores plus period, L5 heading bold, two blank lines above headings and one below, bibliography entries 12 pt after.
What Style Guide Pro Does for You
- Builds the title page in Liberty University’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 Paper 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 Liberty University require?
1 inch on all sides. 1 in. on all sides on letter paper; no binding margin. Template header/footer distance 0.5 in.
Where do page numbers go in a Liberty University dissertation?
Front matter: Lowercase Roman, centered at bottom, starting at ii (includes Contents). Main text: Arabic starting at 1, top right (header); also bibliography and appendices.
What citation style does Liberty University use?
Turabian 9th ed. notes-bibliography required; footnotes only, no endnotes (author-date allowed only for book reviews). Note numbers superscript with no period. Short notes in author-title form only. Ibid. required for consecutive citations of the same source on the same page; it restarts on each new page (first note on a page uses author plus short title); only the History Department may carry ibid. across pages; ibid. not italic. Liberty has not adopted CMOS 18.
Can Style Guide Pro format my Liberty University dissertation?
Yes. Choose Liberty University 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
- Doctor of Ministry Program and Candidacy Handbook (Appendix D order of elements and sample pages; Appendix E LU-RSOD Turabian Quick Guide; Appendix F bibliography) (2022-04-07)
- Divinity Writing Guide page (published 2024-05-20, modified 2024-05-29)
- Liberty University Turabian Format Quick Guide (Academic Success Center/CASAS) (modified 2026-10-05)
- Turabian NB sample paper (2022-08)
- Turabian dissertation template (.dotm) (2022-04-20)
Summarized from Liberty University’s official guide. Checked October 2026. Programs sometimes add their own rules, so confirm with your graduate school or program before you submit.