A bachelor's thesis, master's thesis or engineering thesis may require different settings depending on the faculty and type of work. There is no single set of parameters that automatically meets the requirements of every university. This also applies to the title page, page numbering and the way sources are recorded.
This guide will help you translate the editorial instructions into specific actions. It contains a formatting plan, ways to solve common problems in Word, and a checklist before submitting your thesis. The names and availability of commands may vary between the desktop version, the web version and operating systems.
Which guidelines should you collect before formatting your thesis?
Prepare the current instructions for your field of study or faculty, a title page template, and requirements related to file submission. Include your supervisor's notes, especially if they refer to citation style, chapter layout or the presentation of results.
Check the date and scope of the document. Instructions for a different field, an older cohort or a different type of thesis may be a useful example, but they do not automatically form the correct basis. Similarly, a finished thesis from a colleague is not a reliable model: it may contain exceptions or errors.
Record the requirements in a short list, grouped by area:
- Pages: format, margins, possible binding, single-sided or double-sided printing.
- Text: font type and size, line spacing, alignment, indentation and paragraph spacing.
- Headings: levels, numbering, appearance and rules for starting chapters.
- Sources: citation style, footnotes and bibliography format.
- Figures and tables: captions, numbering, sources and required lists.
- Additional elements: abstracts, keywords, appendices and declarations, if required.
- Final file: format, name, size limit and other submission system requirements.
If two sets of instructions conflict, highlight the specific discrepancy and agree on the correct format with your supervisor or the unit handling thesis submissions. Do not assume on your own that an older template is more important than the current instructions, or vice versa.
In what order should you format your thesis?
It is most convenient to set the basic styles at the beginning of writing and perform the final check after the content is stabilised. If the document is already finished, do not start by manually correcting every heading. Global changes may later shift pages and invalidate some previous corrections.
A practical order is:
- saving a copy and choosing one current version of the document;
- checking the completeness of the thesis parts and their order;
- setting page format, margins and necessary sections;
- organising text styles and headings;
- setting page and chapter numbering;
- correcting footnotes, bibliography, tables and figures;
- updating captions, cross-references and lists;
- checking editorial changes, comments and blank pages;
- exporting and checking the final file.
Keep a separate copy before major restructuring. A simple name containing the date and stage, for example "thesis-formatting-2026-09-25", is clearer than several files named "final", "final2" and "really final". This is an example of work organisation, not a required naming pattern for document submission.
If chapters are repetitive or the conclusion does not address the aim, formatting alone will not solve the problem. First use the guide on organising the structure of your thesis, and only then refine the page layout details.
Margins, font and line spacing – how to set them consistently?
Copy the values from the guidelines into your checklist. Do not assume that Times New Roman 12 points, 1.5 line spacing or a specific margin is mandatory. Such parameters are often used, but they are not a common standard for all theses.
Margins and page preparation
Check whether the requirements concern equal margins, extra space for binding or mirrored margins. For double-sided layout, the distinction between inner and outer margins may be important. Do not add binding space a second time if it is already included in the given dimensions.
After changing margins, review the document again. Table width, the number of lines per page and caption positions may change. Also check sections with different orientation: a correct setting in the main part does not necessarily cover all pages.
Font and paragraphs
Define the main text style with the correct font, line spacing, indentation and spacing. Separate styles may be needed for headings, block quotes, footnotes, captions and the bibliography. Consistency means applying the correct style to a given function, not making all elements look identical.
Do not create indentation with a series of spaces. Do not separate paragraphs with several empty lines. Set spacing in the paragraph parameters. This makes the document easier to control after changing the font or page width.
Why does the text have uneven spacing?
Enable non-printing characters and check for manual line breaks, tabs or multiple spaces within paragraphs. Text copied from a PDF may have a line break after every line. You must distinguish these characters from actual paragraph ends, rather than deleting them in bulk without checking.
When justifying, pay attention to very large spaces between words. Investigate the cause before tightening the text. It may be a manual line break, a long address or a column that is too narrow. Do not change the meaning of the text just to make it fit the page better.
How to correctly set page numbering and section breaks?
Numbering from a selected page in Word
- At the end of the page preceding the new numbering, select Layout > Breaks > Next Page in the section breaks area.
- Open the header or footer of the new section and turn off Link to Previous where you insert the number.
- Select Page Number, insert the number and open Format Page Numbers. Choose to continue the numbering or select Start at according to the university guidelines.
- Check the numbers before and after the break. If the previous section should have no numbers, remove them from it after unlinking the headers or footers.
The Different First Page option hides the number on the first page of the section. A simple page break does not create independent numbering.
Headings, chapter numbering and automatic table of contents
Chapter numbering
For chapters, apply the style Heading 1, for subchapters Heading 2, and for lower levels Heading 3. Go to Home > Multilevel List and select a list design linked to these styles, for example 1, 1.1, 1.1.1. Remove manually typed numbers so that they do not appear twice.
Updating the table of contents
Click the automatic table of contents and select References > Update Table > Update entire table. Check titles, levels and page numbers. If entries are missing, correct the heading style in the text. After exporting, also check the PDF.
Command names refer to Microsoft 365 Word for Windows. They may differ in other versions. Include the introduction, conclusion and bibliography according to the university guidelines.
Footnotes and bibliography – what to check during formatting?
1. First, determine the citation style
First, determine the citation style and its edition, then check the formatting of books, articles, reports and other sources. Do not only change the font of footnotes while ignoring missing data or incorrect references.
2. Explanatory footnotes vs source documentation
A thesis using APA may contain footnotes for explanatory purposes. The error is unjustified mixing of source documentation methods, not the coexistence of parentheses and footnotes. Similarly, the absence of an access date or place of publication does not always indicate an error: it depends on the style and document type.
3. Check references and data completeness
Verify that citations include the required locators, paraphrases indicate their sources, and bibliography entries correspond to in-text references, taking into account the exceptions of the adopted system. Detailed examples can be found in the guide on bibliography and footnotes in a thesis.
4. Use editor functions
For the technical setup, use the footnote function rather than manually typing a superscript reference marker and a note at the bottom of the page. In the bibliography, set the appropriate paragraph indents if required, rather than aligning successive lines with spaces.
5. Keep citation fields active
If you use a reference manager, keep the active citation fields in your working copy. Do not accidentally convert them to plain text when transferring content between files. Formatting does not replace checking whether a publication actually supports the information attributed to it.
How to organise tables, charts, figures and their lists?
Each element should have a clear function. Refer to the table or illustration in the text and explain what is significant in it. There is no single rule stating that the commentary must always appear after the object: you can introduce it first and then discuss it, following the logic of the section and editorial requirements.
Check numbering, titles, units, legends and data sources. Determine where the table title, figure caption and source information should be placed. Do not copy caption placement rules from a random thesis if your instructions specify them differently.
What to do with a table that does not fit on the page?
First, remove unnecessary columns and simplify the description while retaining the necessary information. Consider splitting the table into two logically organised tables or moving extensive material to an appendix. Use landscape orientation when it is needed and permitted. Do not reduce the font size so far that the data become difficult to read.
If a table spans several pages, check the repetition of the header row and how rows are split. Do not prohibit splitting for every row without analysis: a very tall row may require a different solution. For charts, verify the readability of the legend and labels in the final PDF as well.
How to avoid errors in numbering and lists?
In Word, use captions and appropriate labels, such as Table and Figure. These can be used to generate lists. After moving or adding elements, update the captions, cross-references and lists, and then check the result. Manually typing a new number under an illustration does not automatically update the references in the text.
Do not present the entire analysis as a series of images from a spreadsheet. The table should remain readable, and the commentary should highlight the main findings. For advice on describing them, see the guide to presenting the results of your own research.
Title page, abstract and appendices – what not to miss?
1. The correct title page template
Prepare the title page using the appropriate template. Check the name of the academic unit, field of study, type of thesis, title, author and supervisor details, and the place and year. Remove leftover template content, such as instructions in brackets or details of an example person.
2. Title consistency
Compare the title with the entry in the thesis submission system and the version approved in the graduation procedure. A difference between two similar titles may require an explanation, even if it results only from later editing.
3. Abstracts and required documents
Prepare abstracts and keywords in the required languages and length. Check that they describe the final version of the thesis, not an earlier plan. Do not add declarations or signatures based on a template from another university: use the current documents specified in your procedure.
4. Complete and organised appendices
Name and label appendices consistently. The text should make it clear why you refer to them. If you include a questionnaire used in the research, attach the correct version, not a draft form from before changes. Conversely, materials containing participant data require verification before being included in the final document.
How to combine several files and remove layout issues?
Combining chapters often transfers various styles, sections and numbering settings to the document. Therefore, keep the source files and work on a copy. After adding each chapter, check its headings, footnotes, and the start and end of page numbering.
Do not use paste text only for the entire material without thought. It may remove elements you want to keep, such as formula formatting, fields or table structure. Choose the transfer method according to the type of content, and then apply the correct styles in the target document.
For common issues, follow the symptom:
Blank page
check page breaks, section breaks, empty paragraphs and forcing the start on an even or odd page.
Heading left at the bottom of the page
check its link to the next paragraph.
A large section jumps to the next page
check settings for keeping paragraphs together, objects and tables.
Changed font in one chapter
compare the style and direct formatting of the fragment.
Numbering starts again
check the settings of the relevant section, not just the visible number.
Avoid deleting all special characters throughout the document. A section break may be needed for a landscape page, and a non-breaking space may keep a number and unit together. The aim is a correct layout, not a document stripped of every formatting control.
How to check the PDF before submitting the thesis?
1. Open and check the exported file
Saving the file does not end the check. Open the exported PDF and review the beginning, the end, and the areas most prone to changes: transitions between sections, tables, formulas, footnotes and illustrations. Search for a characteristic sentence to verify that the text is searchable and not converted into page images.
2. Compare the table of contents, characters, and objects
Compare the table of contents with the actual page numbers. Check Polish characters, symbols, hyphenation, and cropped objects. If a diagram looks sharp in the editor, do not assume it will retain the same readability after compression during export.
3. Resolve changes and comments
Before preparing the final version, review tracked changes and comments. Hiding markup does not remove recorded changes. Resolve changes after checking them, and handle comments according to the stage of the work. Keep a working version with notes if it is needed for further collaboration.
4. Check export requirements
Check the export settings so that review markup does not accidentally appear in the final PDF. If the university system requires a particular PDF variant, file size or name, follow those requirements. Do not assume that every university requires PDF/A or that any ordinary PDF will be accepted.
5. Send the last checked version
After the final correction, generate the PDF again and check that specific version. Do not send an earlier file just because it has a similar name. Keep an editable document corresponding to the sent version.
Formatting checklist for a thesis before submission
- I am using the current guidelines of the relevant faculty or programme.
- Conflicting requirements have been clarified and the correct title page template has been applied.
- The document contains all required parts in the correct order.
- Margins, format, and orientation are correct in every section.
- Main text, headings, footnotes, and captions have consistent styles.
- Indentation and spacing are not built using multiple spaces and empty lines.
- Page numbering is correct, including after landscape sections and before appendices.
- The table of contents matches the headings and has been updated in full.
- Quotes, paraphrases, and the bibliography have proper references.
- Tables and illustrations are legible, captioned, and cited in the text.
- Data sources are distinguished from information about the author's own graphic work.
- Captions, lists, and cross-references point to the correct elements.
- Abstracts and appendices correspond to the final content.
- Changes and comments have been reviewed, and the final version is appropriate for the recipient.
- The exported PDF has been checked and meets submission requirements.
Frequently asked questions about thesis formatting
What font and line spacing are required for a master's thesis?
The values are defined by the guidelines for your thesis. Popular settings are not a universal requirement. Separate rules may apply to the main text, footnotes, tables, and block quotes.
Should the page number be visible on the title page?
It depends on the instructions. Distinguish between counting the page and displaying the number. Hiding the number on the first page and starting the count from the next page are two different settings.
Why did the table of contents shift after changing margins?
The document layout changed, so chapters may have moved to different pages. Update the automatic table of contents and check the result. If the table of contents is entered manually, consider replacing it with one based on headings.
Is it enough to select the entire document and set one font?
No. This process does not organise styles, sections, numbering or captions. It may also remove necessary variation between elements. First, define the functions and styles, and then correct specific groups of text.
Does formatting include language proofreading?
This service concerns the technical and formal aspects of the document. If you also need language, style, or sentence structure improvement, check the service “Bachelor’s and master’s thesis proofreading and editing”
Do I have to print the thesis?
Check the current submission procedure at your university. Do not order binding and printing based on habits from previous years. Requirements regarding the number of copies and the form of submission may vary.
The text is ready, but the document layout is falling apart?
Send the editable file and the current university guidelines. I will help determine the scope of changes to numbering, styles, the table of contents and other lists, tables, and the remaining document elements.
Bachelor’s and master’s thesis formatting covers the document's technical and formal presentation. If you also need changes to sentence wording, punctuation or repetition, we will agree on the scope of the service “Bachelor’s and master’s thesis proofreading and editing”.
- Attach the current file, guidelines, and title page template.
- Indicate any problems with numbering, the table of contents or other lists, tables or footnotes.
- Provide the deadline and the required format for the final document.
Sources and literature
- Pytlak, M. (2024). Jak (na)pisać pracę dyplomową. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Akademii Nauk Stosowanych im. Haliny Konopackiej.
- Skimina, E., Harasimczuk, J., Cieciuch, J. (2022). Podstawowe standardy edytorskie naukowych tekstów psychologicznych w języku polskim na podstawie reguł APA 7. Wydawnictwo Liberi Libri. https://doi.org/10.47943/lib.9788363487560
- Sydor, M. (2014). Wskazówki dla piszących prace dyplomowe. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Poznaniu. https://doi.org/10.17306/978-83-7160-725-7
- Wolański, A. (2008). Edycja tekstów. Praktyczny poradnik. Książka, prasa, WWW. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
