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✓ Verified 2026
ADU

Abu Dhabi University

Ph.D. Dissertation & Master's Thesis Formatting Guidelines

Official layout specifications, binding margins, and document formatting requirements.

Governing Body: Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) & College of Graduate Studies (Abu Dhabi, AE)

Degree Scope:🎓 Ph.D. / Doctoral📚 Master's / M.Tech. (central handbook)
Official Handbook:
ADU Postgraduate Dissertation and Thesis Preparation Handbook
View Official Handbook ↗
Paper Dimensions
A4 (210 mm × 297 mm)
Binding Margins
38 mm Left / 25 mm Right
Standard Typography
Times New Roman (12pt)
Line Spacing
Double Spaced (2.0x)

1. Page Setup & Geometry

Page dimensions, binding margins, and print/digital alignments

A4
Top: 25 mm
Binding: 38 mm
[Header]Page 1
[Front matter]
Right: 25 mm
Bottom: 25 mm
Left (Binding Gutter)
38mm
Right Margin
25mm
Top Margin
25mm
Bottom Margin
25mm
Margin Specification: 38 mm (1.5 in) left binding margin; 25 mm (1.0 in) for top, bottom, and right margins.

2. Typography & Spacing Hierarchy

Font selections, heading styles, line spacing, and paragraph indentation

Times New Roman
Body Font
Times New Roman
Font Size
12pt
Line Spacing
Double Spaced (2.0x)
Paragraph Indent
0.5 in
Approved Typefaces:Times New RomanCalibriArial
Spacing Exceptions: Single-space block quotations, table entries, footnotes, and references.

3. Technical & Archival Compliance

ETD ProQuest repository requirements, table spanning, and vector DPI rules

ETD / ProQuest Ready
Tables Layout

Table captions: above.

Figures & Graphics

Figure captions: below. Colour photography minimum 300 DPI.

Math & Formulae

Right-aligned equation numbers (chapter.seq). Preserves native MathML and Word equation blocks.

Archival Preservation

Library ETD guideline: PDF/A-1b (Note: ScholarSpec formats submission-ready Word .docx documents; export to PDF/A upon final committee approval).

4. Preliminary Pages Checklist & Order

Strict graduate school ordering, title page numbering suppression, and Roman pagination

Mandatory Sequence
  1. 1
    Title PageMandatory
    Pagination: suppressed counted
    Requirement: Contains ADU logo, exact thesis title, student name, student ID, degree program, and graduation semester/year.
  2. 2
    Examination Committee Approval PageMandatory
    Pagination: suppressed counted
  3. 3
    Declaration of Originality & Non-PlagiarismMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  4. 4
    Generative AI DeclarationMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Signed declaration disclosing any assistive AI tools utilized in research or confirming no generative AI was used.
  5. 5
    Abstract (English)Mandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Structured or narrative abstract (max 350 words) with 4–6 keywords.
  6. 6
    Abstract (Arabic)Mandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Arabic translation of the abstract (الملخص) mandated by UAE CAA graduate standards.
  7. 7
    Dedication & AcknowledgementsOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  8. 8
    Table of ContentsMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  9. 9
    List of FiguresOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  10. 10
    List of TablesOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  11. 11
    List of AbbreviationsOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible

6. Academic Integrity, Similarity & AI Policy

Plagiarism threshold, similarity checking software, and Generative AI disclosure rules

Policy & Disclosure
Generative AI Policy
Disclosure Statement Required

Abu Dhabi University Office of Academic Integrity (OAI) mandates full transparency. A formal Generative AI Declaration must be included in the preliminary front matter.

Chapter Opening & Print Setup

Chapter start placement, top margin drops, single vs double-sided print, and paper weight

Layout
Printing Format
Single-Sided

8. Institutional & Departmental Policies

Scopus Q1/Q2 Alignment Guidelines:

Abu Dhabi University strongly encourages doctoral research candidates to submit and publish articles in high-impact Scopus-indexed journals prior to degree completion.

Bilingual Abstract Mandate Guidelines:

English and Arabic abstracts (الملخص) are required for all graduate dissertations submitted at ADU.

Institutional Policy: A4 paper size is strictly enforced for electronic and archival print submissions.
Institutional Policy: Margins must maintain 38 mm (1.5 in) left binding clearance.

Notice a discrepancy in this 2026 handbook?

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  • Verified 2026-10-13 against primary sources: Abu Dhabi University Postgraduate Dissertation and Thesis Preparation Handbook; A4 paper, 38 mm left binding margin, 25 mm top/bottom/right, double spacing, bilingual English and Arabic abstract (الملخص), GenAI declaration in front matter.
  • A4 paper size strictly enforced. Margins: 38 mm (1.5 in) left binding clearance, 25 mm (1.0 in) top, bottom, and right margins.
  • Times New Roman 12pt, double spacing (2.0x). Arabic abstract (الملخص) is required alongside English abstract per UAE CAA graduate degree requirements.