American University of Sharjah
Ph.D. Dissertation & Master's Thesis Formatting Guidelines
Official layout specifications, binding margins, and document formatting requirements.
Governing Body: Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) (Sharjah, AE)
1. Page Setup & Geometry
Page dimensions, binding margins, and print/digital alignments
2. Typography & Spacing Hierarchy
Font selections, heading styles, line spacing, and paragraph indentation
3. Technical & Archival Compliance
ETD ProQuest repository requirements, table spanning, and vector DPI rules
Table captions: above.
Figure captions: below. Colour photography minimum 300 DPI.
Right-aligned equation numbers (chapter.seq). Preserves native MathML and Word equation blocks.
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
- 1Title PageMandatoryPagination:
suppressed countedRequirement: Conforms strictly to OGS template: title in all caps or title case, candidate name, degree, department, college, and Sharjah, UAE location. - 2Approval Page / SignaturesMandatoryPagination:
suppressed countedRequirement: Contains formal defense verification signatures from advisor, committee members, and OGS Dean. - 3Declaration of Academic IntegrityMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 4Generative AI Disclosure StatementMandatoryPagination:
roman visibleRequirement: Mandatory statement disclosing any generative AI tools used in research or stating that none were used. - 5AbstractMandatoryPagination:
roman visibleRequirement: Maximum 350 words concisely stating research objective, methodology, key findings, and conclusions. Followed by 4–6 keywords. - 6Abstract (Arabic)Optional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visibleRequirement: Arabic translation of the abstract (الملخص) per UAE CAA graduate degree frameworks where mandated. - 7DedicationOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible - 8AcknowledgementsOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible - 9Table of ContentsMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 10List of FiguresOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible - 11List of TablesOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible - 12List of AbbreviationsOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible
6. Academic Integrity, Similarity & AI Policy
Plagiarism threshold, similarity checking software, and Generative AI disclosure rules
AUS AI Hub and Academic Integrity Code mandate disclosure of any AI assistance in postgraduate research. An acknowledgment of AI tools must appear in the front matter.
Chapter Opening & Print Setup
Chapter start placement, top margin drops, single vs double-sided print, and paper weight
8. Institutional & Departmental Policies
A mandatory preliminary format review by the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) must be cleared prior to scheduling the final oral defense.
AUS follows US higher education formatting traditions (US regional accreditation by MSCHE) adapted to UAE A4 document dimensions.
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- Verified 2026-10-13 against primary sources: American University of Sharjah Guide to Graduate Thesis Policies and Procedures; A4 paper, 38 mm left binding margin, 25 mm top/bottom/right, double spacing, English & Arabic abstract, GenAI disclosure in front matter.
- AUS combines US regional accreditation standards (MSCHE) with UAE Ministry/CAA accreditation.
- A4 paper standard. 38 mm (1.5 in) left binding clearance, 25 mm (1.0 in) top/right/bottom margins. Double spacing (2.0x) throughout body.