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AJM

Ajman University

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

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

Governing Body: Deanship of Graduate Studies and Research (DGSR) (Ajman, AE)

Degree Scope:🎓 Ph.D. / Doctoral📚 Master's / M.Tech. (central handbook)
Official Handbook:
Ajman University Guidelines for Writing and Formatting Theses and Dissertations
View Official Handbook ↗
Paper Dimensions
A4 (210 mm × 297 mm)
Binding Margins
40 mm Left / 20 mm Right
Standard Typography
Times New Roman (12pt)*
Line Spacing
1.5x

1. Page Setup & Geometry

Page dimensions, binding margins, and print/digital alignments

A4
Top: 20 mm
Binding: 40 mm
[Header]Page 1
[Front matter]
Right: 20 mm
Bottom: 20 mm
Left (Binding Gutter)
40mm
Right Margin
20mm
Top Margin
20mm
Bottom Margin
20mm
Margin Specification: Left 40 mm is essential for binding; other margins recommended minimum 20 mm. The official Word template is US Letter with about 1 in margins, which contradicts the A4 guide text.

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
1.5x
Paragraph Indent
0.5 in
Approved Typefaces:Times New RomanArialCalibri
Spacing Exceptions: Single-space table text, footnotes, long block quotations, and reference entries.

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: Features Ajman University emblem, exact research title, student name, degree sought, college, and date.
  2. 2
    Thesis Approval CertificateMandatory
    Pagination: suppressed counted
  3. 3
    Declaration of OriginalityMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  4. 4
    Generative AI Declaration StatementMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory declaration under AU Policy EP-18 disclosing any authorized AI tools or affirming no generative AI was used.
  5. 5
    Abstract (English)Mandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Summary not exceeding 350 words, accompanied by 4–6 keywords.
  6. 6
    Abstract (Arabic)Mandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Arabic translation of the abstract (الملخص).
  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

EP-18 requires disclosure in the methodology or acknowledgments section. No signed front-matter AI declaration for theses is stated.

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

DGSR Pre-Defense Review Guidelines:

Manuscripts must be submitted to the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Research for formatting and plagiarism compliance review before defense scheduling.

Bilingual Abstract Standard Guidelines:

English and Arabic abstract pages (الملخص) are required for all graduate dissertations.

Institutional Policy: A4 standard dimensions (210 x 297 mm) apply.
Institutional Policy: Bilingual abstract pages (English and Arabic) are required for all graduate dissertations.

Notice a discrepancy in this 2026 handbook?

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Pre-Submission Baseline Assistant

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✓High-Confidence A4 Margin & Gutter Setup
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*ScholarSpec is a pre-submission formatting assistant. Output is calibrated to official university graduate handbooks.
Editorial Tutorials & Standards

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* Provisional ScholarSpec layout used where the cited handbook does not specify this value. Confirm with your thesis office before submission.

  • A4 standard dimensions (210 x 297 mm). Left binding margin 35 mm (3.5 cm), right/top/bottom margins 25 mm (2.5 cm). Line spacing 1.5x.
  • Mandatory bilingual abstract (English and Arabic الملخص) per UAE CAA standards.
  • Corrected 2026-10-13 against primary sources: Official guide (docx, subject '2022') is the first AU source that states numbers; AU Graduate Studies Procedures PDF only says 'adhere to AU guidelines for formatting and presentation'. Official AU Doctorate/Master thesis template docx files (https://www.ajman.ac.ae/upload/docs/Doctorate_Degree_Thesis_Template.docx, verified 200) are US Letter with ~1 in margins, which contradicts the guide's A4/40 mm text; the written guide was treated as authoritative but the inconsistency should be flagged to users. Guide lists preliminary pages: Title, Abstract, Acknowledgments, Final Submission Cover (AGS8A/8B), Dedication, Author's Declaration (hand-signed), TOC/lists. Arabic abstract requirement is not in the guide (an Arabic guide/template exists on the landing page; not read). Brief's 'AU Policy EP-18' exists (May 2025) and is cited in the Policies M
  • Corrected 2026-10-13: left margin 40 mm and 20 mm minimum elsewhere per the Graduate Studies guide.