Guidelines for Preparing Masters' Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
These rules apply to the following programs:

Architecture and Planning (Ph.D. only)
College of Engineering and Applied Science (all programs)
Graduate School of Business Adminstration (no programs)
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (all programs)
School of Education (all programs)

Contents

Layout of the Thesis/Dissertation
Master's Thesis Submission
Doctoral Dissertation Submission
Documenting Sources
Equations and Figures and Tables
Use of Copyright Material
University Microfilms International

Layout of the Thesis/Dissertations

Your thesis/dissertation must follow a standard format with a standard set of elements. For your convenience we have included the thesis guidelines handbook which you may download and read with Adobe Acrobat (Download a FREE version of Adobe Acrobat by clicking here).

Master's Thesis Submission

For those programs which require a written thesis, the following requirements must be fulfilled. The Master's Thesis must be filed in the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the date on which the degree is to be conferred. The thesis shall conform to the form requirements established by the Graduate School. At the time of filing, the student must submit:

Doctoral Dissertation Submission

The Ph.D. dissertation must be filed with the Office of the Campus Graduate Dean at least one week prior to the date on which the degree is to be conferred. The Dissertation shall conform to the form requirements established by the Campus Graduate Dean. At the time of filing, the student must submit:

The thesis/dissertation must conform precisely with the "Guidelines for Preparing Masters' and Doctoral Theses, University of Colorado at Denver" form requirements available from departments or the Graduate School. The Program Director has the primary responsibility for ensuring that these rules are satisfied. The Graduate School, however, will conduct a format review after which  the dissertation will be returned to the student to make corrections, if needed. The student's graduation will be placed on hold until the standard is met. Questions concerning matters other than format must be directed to the thesis committee chairperson.

Theses and dissertations must be reviewed by a representative in the Graduate School before final prints are copied. The address and phone number are listed below for an appointment:

Phone Number: 556-6536
Location: CU-Denver Bldg., 1250 14th Street, Suite 700

Documenting Sources

Your field may have a "style manual" that will provide examples of how to construct bibliography entries and citations in the text. If not, you can find examples in one of your journals. In any case, follow the examples carefully with special attention to order. Note, for instance, that if you are using author/date citations in the text, the year must immediately follow the author's name in the bibliography entry.

A list of conventional style manuals is given below. If you do not use such a manual, when you submit your thesis for review give the Thesis Advisor a sample of the model you have followed.

Style Manuals
The Chicago Manual of Style. 13th or 14th edition.
The MLA Style Manual.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Manual).
3rd edition or 4th edition.
Turabian's A Manual for Writers. 5th ed. (Based on Chicago, 13th ed.).

A word about note form: In the humanities and social sciences, unless your discipline or your committee requires you to use footnotes or endnotes, you might be wise to choose the parenthetical citation system typically used-with certain variations-by the American Psychological Association and the Modern Language Association. (Even if you use parenthetical citations, you are entitled to use content footnotes, so nothing is lost.) In math and the natural sciences, you will, of course, use the conventional numbering system.

Equations
Equations are usually numbered to show chapter and sequence. Equations in chapter 3, for example, would be numbered (3.1), (3.2), (3.3), and so on. Numbers are generally set flush to the right margin. Be sure your equations are legible.

Figures and Tables
Graphs, charts, photographs, drawings, and maps are considered figures.
Column lists of data are considered tables.
Numbering and Titles
Figures and tables are numbered independently. In the third chapter, for example, you might have Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.2 and also Table 3.1 and Table 3.2. Use arabic numerals.
Positioning, punctuation, and capitalization of the titles are up to you. Establish a style and stick to it.
Source Notes
All figures and tables borrowed or adapted from another source must be credited to that source. Remember that you must have permission to reproduce copyrighted material.
Placement
Figures and tables should appear as soon as reasonable after they are first mentioned in the text (but not in the middle of a sentence).
A small figure-one that will occupy half a page or less-should be set into the text page; a large figure is generally presented on a separate page.
A wide figure may be positioned with its head to the bound edge of the page. Remember to leave a 1-3/4 inch margin above the top of the figure for binding. If the figure cannot conveniently be fitted onto 8-1/2 x 11 paper within the required margins, see below for information on how to handle oversized material.
A table that needs more width than the narrow dimension of the page affords can be typed across the length of the page. Remember to leave a 1-3/4 inch margin above the top of the table for binding.
Multi-Page Tables
If a table is very long and must be carried over to a following page, the table number should be repeated and followed by the abbreviation "cont." in parentheses thus:
Table 3.7. (Cont.)
and the column headings (perhaps abbreviated) should be repeated. Omitting the horizontal line at the end of a continuing table informs the reader that there is more to come.
Oversized Material
There are two principal methods of coping with an oversized table or figure: You can reduce it or you can fold it.
When reducing tables or illustrations be sure that the scale you choose will allow the required margins, and remember to leave space for any legend you plan to add.
If reduction would make the detail of a table or figure illegible, have the material duplicated onto acid-free paper and fan-fold it. Leave a 1-3/4 inch margin on the binding edge and remember that each of the open edges will be trimmed approximately 1/8 inch by the bindery; so fold the page accordingly.

Use of Color
Writers of doctoral theses should avoid colored figures since color is not distinguishable in microfilm. For the same reason, all photographs in doctoral theses should be professional quality black and white.

Use of Copyrighted Material

If you use copyrighted material in your thesis, you must give full credit to the author and publisher of the work used and if the quotation exceeds "fair use," you must obtain permission quality from copyright owner.

According to the Association of American University Presses, permission is required for quotations that are reproduced as complete units (poems, letters, short stories, essays, journal articles, complete chapters or sections of books, maps, charts, graphs, tables, drawings, or other illustrative materials).

In determining whether other excerpts from copyrighted materials exceed the "fair use" criterion, the primary considerations are length and substantiality of the portion quoted, the nature of the copyrighted work quoted, the effect of the use on the market for or value of the quoted work, and the purpose and character of your use, including whether it is commercial in nature or for nonprofit educational use. If you are in doubt, obtain permission.

Permission to use copyrighted material is obtained from the owner of the copyright. University Microfilms International (see below) requires copies of permission letters to be attached to the publication agreement, and assumes no liability for copyright violations.


University Microfilms International

When doctoral candidates submit their theses, they sign a publishing agreement with University Microfilms International (UMI). UMI then makes each thesis available on microform, publishes the abstract in Dissertation Abstracts International, and indexes the material in Comprehensive Dissertation Index and the CDI computerized database. Thus, the thesis becomes readily available to the scholarly community.

You may instruct UMI to sell only with your permission for a period of five years; this should be stated in a separate letter attached to the agreement; a copy of the letter should accompany the boxed copy of the thesis.

At your request, and for an additional fee, UMI will arrange to have your thesis copyrighted by the U.S. Copyright Office.

Abstract reprints and extra copies of the thesis become available from UMI six to eight months after conferral of your degree. They may be ordered at the time you sign the publishing agreement (ordered later, they will cost more).