Oral Roberts University Style Guide Formatting
The rules Oral Roberts 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 | 1.4 inch top, 1 inch right, 1 inch bottom, 1.5 inch left. Top 2 in. on the title page, first page of text (each chapter) and first page of bibliography; 1.4 in. on following pages. Left 1.5 in. (binding) for thesis/dissertation; 1 in. for research papers. Disclaimer page top margin 4 in. |
|---|---|
| Font | Times New Roman 12 pt for text and footnotes (12 pt). No bold anywhere in the document. Italics/underline only where Turabian allows. Left-justified only, never right-justified (except Hebrew block quotes). No automatic hyphenation. |
| Spacing | Double-spaced text; 'Multiple' (1.15) spacing prohibited; 0 pt before/after paragraphs. Single spacing allowed for block quotes, multi-line headings, table titles, figure captions, tables, appendices, items in lists of tables/figures, bibliography entries and footnotes. Footnotes single-spaced within a note, double-spaced between notes. Hebrew lines exactly 24 pt; block quotes exactly 12 pt. |
| Title Page Number | Counted as i, no number shown (preceding blank fly sheet not counted) |
| Front Matter Page Numbers | Lowercase Roman, centered 0.75 in. from the bottom, shown starting at the Preface (or Acknowledgments if no Preface); earlier pages counted but unnumbered (sample: Preface = vii) |
| Body Page Numbers | Arabic, TNR 12, starting at 1 on the first page of the main text; 1 in. from the top and right edges (top right) on pages after a chapter's first page |
| Chapter First Pages | Centered 0.75 in. from the bottom (also the first page of the bibliography) |
| Citation Style | Turabian 9th ed. (officially adopted by the GSTM), supplemented by Vyhmeister 3rd ed., CMS 16 and SBL Handbook 2nd ed.; SBL Handbook 2nd ed. 4.3.6 for capitalization of biblical/theological terms. Footnotes only; no endnotes or parenthetical citation. Latin abbreviations not acceptable (no Ibid., op. cit.): use author last name + page, adding the title if the author has multiple works. |
| Copyright Page | Copyright page in the front matter after the abstract: 'Copyright ©20__ by [Your Name]' (line 39) / 'All rights reserved'; an optional rights statement may be added as a footnote-style note. |
| Abstract | 150 words maximum. Heading 'ABSTRACT' in caps + 3 blank lines; then '[Name of student], PhD in Contextual Theology' / [Title] / '[Full name of supervising professor], Ph.D.', 2 blank lines, then double-spaced text. |
| Contents Heading | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Chapter Headings | New page; 'CHAPTER 1' (caps + Arabic numeral) 2 in. from the top; chapter title in all caps double-spaced below the label; 3 blank lines between the title and the text (text begins on the 4th line); a first level-1 subhead, if any, sits on line 4. |
| Bibliography Heading | BIBLIOGRAPHY (caps, 2 in. top on first page), divided into Books, Periodicals, Other Sources |
Title Page Wording
Lines from top to bottom, as the guide shows them. Words in brackets are yours to fill in. Positioned by Word line numbers with a 2 in. top margin and 1.5 in. left margin: title line 1; 'By' line 12; name line 14; month/year line 16; 'Dissertation' line 28; 'Submitted to the Theological Faculty' line 30; 'in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements' line 32; 'for the Degree of' line 34; degree line 36; 'GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND MINISTRY' line 39; 'ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY' line 41.
Title capitalization: ALL CAPS.
Front Matter Order
- Blank fly sheet (not counted)
- Title Page (counted as i)
- Disclaimer
- Approval Sheet
- Abstract
- Copyright
- Dedication (optional)
- Preface (optional; numbering shown from here)
- Acknowledgments (numbering shown from here if no Preface)
- Table of Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Body
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Vita (no page number)
- Blank fly sheet
Programs
Ph.D. Dissertation (Contextual Theology; Ph.D. Program Research and Writing Manual)
- Described in the top-level fields.
M.A. Thesis (GBIB/GTHE 756/757; Research & Writing Manual, July 2022)
- Footnotes restart at 1 each chapter.
- Block quotes 5 or more lines (not 100 words).
- Title page lines: line 1 '[TITLE OF YOUR THESIS]' / line 12 'By' / line 14 '[STUDENT'S FULL OFFICIAL NAME]' / line 16 '[Month and Year Degree Awarded]' / line 28 'A Thesis' / line 30 'Submitted to the Theological Faculty' / line 32 'in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements' / line 34 'for the Degree of' / line 36 'MASTER OF ARTS ([BIBLICAL LITERATURE])' / line 39 'GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND MINISTRY' / line 41 'ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY'.
- Approval sheet: TITLE / 'By' (line 12) / NAME / 'APPROVED BY ... DATE' (line 29) / 4 in. signature lines with 2.5 in. left margin / '[Name of your reader], Ph.D.' / 'Thesis Reader' / '[Supervisor], Th.D.' / 'Thesis Supervisor' / 'ORU Graduate School of Theology and Ministry'.
- Abstract identification lines: '[Name of student], Master of Arts in [Degree]' / [Title] / '[Full name of reading professor], Ph.D.'; 150 words maximum, one page.
- Bibliography: 75 sources, at least 1/3 periodicals.
Research papers (GTHE 517 and course papers)
- Left margin 1 in. (not 1.5); top 2 in. on title page and first text page.
- Title page (2 in. top, 1 in. sides): line 1 '[TITLE OF YOUR / PAPER]' (caps, inverted pyramid) / line 12 'A Research Paper' / 'Presented to' / 'Dr. [Professor's Name]' / 'Graduate School of Theology and Ministry' / 'Oral Roberts University' / line 28 'In Partial Fulfillment' / 'of the Requirements for the Course' / '[GTHE 517 Seminar in Theological Research]' / line 36 'By' / '[Your Name]' / '[Month Day, 202_]'. Line positions of the sub-lines not given.
- First text page has a 2 in. top margin and no title or heading.
- Footnotes numbered sequentially (restart per chapter applies to the M.A. thesis).
D.Min.
- No public ORU D.Min. project manual found.
Rules Students Often Miss
- No bold anywhere; headings use an underline system.
- Footnotes are 12 pt (same as text), with a 2 in. separator line and double spacing between notes.
- Ibid. and other Latin abbreviations prohibited.
- Ph.D. block quotes are 100 or more words (M.A.: 5 or more lines); single-spaced, indented 0.5 in. from left only; Greek and Hebrew always blocked; Hebrew right-justified.
- Ph.D. footnotes numbered sequentially through the dissertation (restart per chapter is 'M.A. Thesis only').
- Bibliography divided into Books / Periodicals / Other Sources, each formatted like a level-1 heading (centered, underlined); 3 blank lines between 'BIBLIOGRAPHY' and 'Books'; entries single-spaced, 0.5 in. hanging, 12 pt after; a source never appears in two sections; English Bible not listed (study Bibles are).
- Disclaimer page required: 'The beliefs and conclusions presented in this thesis are not necessarily those of the administration of Oral Roberts University, the Graduate School of Theology and Ministry, or the faculty.'
- Vita at the end with no page number; blank fly sheets front and back.
What Style Guide Pro Does for You
- Builds the title page in Oral Roberts 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 Oral Roberts University require?
1.4 inch top, 1 inch right, 1 inch bottom, 1.5 inch left. Top 2 in. on the title page, first page of text (each chapter) and first page of bibliography; 1.4 in. on following pages. Left 1.5 in. (binding) for thesis/dissertation; 1 in. for research papers. Disclaimer page top margin 4 in.
Where do page numbers go in a Oral Roberts University dissertation?
Front matter: Lowercase Roman, centered 0.75 in. from the bottom, shown starting at the Preface (or Acknowledgments if no Preface); earlier pages counted but unnumbered (sample: Preface = vii). Main text: Arabic, TNR 12, starting at 1 on the first page of the main text; 1 in. from the top and right edges (top right) on pages after a chapter's first page.
What citation style does Oral Roberts University use?
Turabian 9th ed. (officially adopted by the GSTM), supplemented by Vyhmeister 3rd ed., CMS 16 and SBL Handbook 2nd ed.; SBL Handbook 2nd ed. 4.3.6 for capitalization of biblical/theological terms. Footnotes only; no endnotes or parenthetical citation. Latin abbreviations not acceptable (no Ibid., op. cit.): use author last name + page, adding the title if the author has multiple works.
Can Style Guide Pro format my Oral Roberts University dissertation?
Yes. Choose Oral Roberts 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
- Research & Writing Manual: Graduate School of Theology & Ministry (GTHE 517; GBIB/GTHE 756/757 M.A. thesis) (Rev. July 2022)
- Ph.D. Program Research and Writing Manual (PRFT 949 / GTHE 900-990) (file dated 6-17-20)
Summarized from Oral Roberts University’s official guide, which Graduate School of Theology and Ministry (GSTM), College of Theology and Ministry publishes. Checked October 2026. Programs sometimes add their own rules, so confirm with your graduate school or program before you submit.