Harvard Griffin GSAS — Dissertation formatting guidance

• Dissertations are ordinarily written in English. In some departments where non-English materials are central, a dissertation in another language may be allowed with departmental approval.
• Most dissertations range from 100 to 300 pages. All dissertations must be divided into appropriate sections; longer works may require chapters, main divisions, and subdivisions.

• Use U.S. Letter paper measuring 8.5 × 11 inches (unless a musical score is included).
• Maintain at least 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Double-space the body text.
• Use single spacing within block quotations, footnotes, and bibliography entries, with double spacing between entries.
• The table of contents, lists of tables/figures/illustrations, and lengthy tables may be single-spaced.

• Use a font size between 10 and 12 points.
• Ensure that fonts are embedded in the final PDF so that all characters display correctly; this is the student’s responsibility.
• Recommended fonts include: Arial (10 pt), Century (11 pt), Courier New (10 pt), Garamond (12 pt), Georgia (11 pt), Lucida Bright (10 pt), Microsoft Sans Serif (10 pt), Tahoma (10 pt), Times New Roman (12 pt), Trebuchet MS (10 pt), and Verdana (10 pt).
• The same font used for body text should also be used for headers, page numbers, and footnotes, except where figures or tables generated by external software require different lettering.

• Place tables and figures as close as possible to their first mention in the text.
• Tables and figures may stand alone on a page or appear within the text. When a table or figure occupies an entire page, center it within the margins.
• Tables may span multiple pages as long as margin requirements are followed.
• Number tables and figures sequentially throughout the dissertation or by chapter (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2); do not reuse numbers.
• Place table headings at the top of tables and figure captions below figures. If a caption cannot fit on the same page as the figure, place the caption on the preceding page, centered within the margins.
• For multi-page figures or tables, label subsequent pages with “Figure X (Continued)” or similar, and ensure that the list of figures or tables points to the page on which the title appears.
• The figure or table and its caption are treated as a single entity; all pages associated with a multi-page figure or table must maintain consistent numbering and headers.
• Landscape-oriented tables and figures must be oriented and bound so that the top of the figure or table aligns with the left margin; when captions/headings are on a separate page, they are presented in portrait orientation regardless of the figure’s orientation.

• Assign a page number to every page except the Thesis Acceptance Certificate (TAC); some pages are counted but do not print the number.
• Use lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, …) for preliminary pages, such as the abstract, table of contents, lists of tables/figures/illustrations, and the preface.
• Count the title page as page i and the copyright page as page ii but do not print the numbers on these pages.
• Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, …) for the main text, starting with page 1 on the first page of the body.
• Place page numbers centered at the top or bottom, and keep numbering consecutive throughout, including tables, figures, and bibliography/index.
• Letter suffixes (e.g., 10a, 10b) are not permitted.
• Pages that display chapter headings customarily do not show the printed page number, though they are included in the page count.

• The Thesis Acceptance Certificate (TAC) is the first page of the dissertation; it is neither counted nor numbered but is included in the online version.
• The title page follows the TAC and should contain a concise, accurate title; the author’s name and date must match those on the TAC.
• Do not print a page number on the title page; it is understood to be page i.
• The copyright page appears immediately after the title page and includes:

- The © symbol.

- The year of first publication (degree conferral year).

- The author’s name.

- A rights statement such as “All rights reserved.” or a statement referencing a chosen Creative Commons license.

• Do not print a page number on the copyright page; it is understood to be page ii.

• Organize the dissertation into chapters and sections appropriate to the discipline; chapter headings typically start on new pages.
• Use a consistent heading hierarchy (font, size, and placement) for chapters and major sections.
• Ensure that every page contains text or images; avoid blank pages.

• Original illustrations, photographs, and fine arts prints may be scanned and inserted, centered within the margins.
• Figures created with software must be clear and legible. Legends and titles should be printed in the same font used for the text or in a comparable size (generally at least 10–12 characters per inch).

• Some formatting elements are strictly enforced by the FAS Registrar’s Office, while others are strong recommendations. Students must verify that their final PDF adheres to all GSAS requirements before submission.
• Because improperly embedded fonts or margin violations can affect the published dissertation, students should test their PDFs and consult GSAS resources when in doubt.