University of California, Los Angeles Dissertation Format
The rules University of California, Los Angeles 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 on all sides. Minimums. Page number footer 0.75 inch from bottom of page. All material except page numbers (tables, figures) must fit within margins. No binding margin specified. |
|---|---|
| Font | Embedded fonts required; non-italic font for body text. Recommended minimums: Times/Times New Roman 12 pt, Garamond 12 pt, CMR 12 pt; Arial, Helvetica, Century, Courier New, Georgia, Lucida Bright, Microsoft Sans Serif, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS, Verdana 11 pt. Body text may not be 10 pt or smaller (except sub/superscripts and reprints). Footnotes, captions, equations, figure/table text may be smaller (no more than 3 pt smaller recommended). Italics allowed for headings, labels, foreign words, titles, emphasis; bold/underline at committee discretion. |
| Spacing | Double-spaced throughout unless noted. Footnotes, bibliographic entries, long quotations, figure and table captions, list items and tables may be single-spaced; if footnotes or bibliography entries are single-spaced, put one blank line between entries. Preliminary pages follow sample-page spacing exactly. Dedication double-spaced. |
| Title Page Number | Counted (as i) but not numbered |
| Front Matter Page Numbers | Lowercase roman, centered at bottom, at least 0.75 inch from bottom edge; first number shown is ii on the Abstract. Copyright page (or blank page) is neither counted nor numbered. |
| Body Page Numbers | Arabic starting at 1 on first page of Chapter 1, centered at bottom, at least 0.75 inch from bottom edge, consecutive through appendices and bibliography; same position on landscape pages |
| Chapter First Pages | Same as body (centered bottom) |
| Citation Style | Determined by the student's committee/committee chair (footnote style and placement, reference citation and listing format). The manual supersedes any style manual on format (arrangement, preliminary pages, spacing, typeface, margins, pagination). |
| Copyright Page | Required page: either a copyright page or a blank page (not counted, not numbered). Copyright page strongly recommended, centered at the bottom text margin: '© Copyright by' / '[Full Name]' / '[Year]'. |
Title Page Wording
Lines from top to bottom, as the guide shows them. Words in brackets are yours to fill in. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA / Los Angeles at top (double-spaced); large gap; title (may run several lines, double-spaced); gap; 3-line degree statement (double-spaced); gap; 'by'; gap; name; large gap; year at bottom. All centered. Balance gaps; groups double-spaced within.
Title capitalization: Title Case (as written; italics acceptable). UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA in all caps, 'Los Angeles' in title case..
Front Matter Order
- Title Page
- Copyright Page (or blank page)
- Abstract
- Committee Page
- Dedication (optional)
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures / List of Tables / List of Symbols / List of Acronyms / Supplementary Materials / Glossary (if applicable)
- Acknowledgments or Preface (optional; required if reprinted/co-authored material or funding)
- Vita/Biographical Sketch (required for doctoral; max 2 pages; not for master's)
Rules Students Often Miss
- Copyright page (or a blank page in its place) is required but neither counted nor numbered
- Abstract comes before the committee page and table of contents (page ii)
- Committee page required: 'The dissertation of [Full Name] is approved.' then member names (no titles), chair listed LAST as '[Name], Committee Chair', then 'University of California, Los Angeles' and year at bottom
- On the abstract page the chair is styled 'Professor [Name], Chair' regardless of actual title (different from committee page style)
- Acknowledgments come after the TOC and lists, not before
- Vita required for doctoral dissertations (max 2 pages), placed last in front matter; no personal info (birth date/place, address, marital status)
- Bibliography must be the last section; appendices come BEFORE the bibliography (or bibliography at end of each chapter)
- Title page wording is 'partial satisfaction' (not 'fulfillment')
What Style Guide Pro Does for You
- Builds the title page in University of California, Los Angeles’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 University of California, Los Angeles require?
1 inch on all sides. Minimums. Page number footer 0.75 inch from bottom of page. All material except page numbers (tables, figures) must fit within margins. No binding margin specified.
Where do page numbers go in a University of California, Los Angeles dissertation?
Front matter: Lowercase roman, centered at bottom, at least 0.75 inch from bottom edge; first number shown is ii on the Abstract. Copyright page (or blank page) is neither counted nor numbered.. Main text: Arabic starting at 1 on first page of Chapter 1, centered at bottom, at least 0.75 inch from bottom edge, consecutive through appendices and bibliography; same position on landscape pages.
What citation style does University of California, Los Angeles use?
Determined by the student's committee/committee chair (footnote style and placement, reference citation and listing format). The manual supersedes any style manual on format (arrangement, preliminary pages, spacing, typeface, margins, pagination).
Can Style Guide Pro format my University of California, Los Angeles dissertation?
Yes. Choose University of California, Los Angeles 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
- UCLA Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Manual (official manuscript preparation guide, on UCLA Box) (Effective March 13, 2012; Updated April 2026)
- Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements (accessed 2026-10-29)
Summarized from University of California, Los Angeles’s official guide, which Division of Graduate Education publishes. Checked October 2026. Programs sometimes add their own rules, so confirm with your graduate school or program before you submit.