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HKU

University of Hong Kong

Ph.D. Thesis & M.Phil. Thesis Formatting Guidelines

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

Governing Body: Graduate School & HKU Libraries (Hong Kong, HK)

Degree Scope:🎓 Ph.D. / Doctoralℹī¸ Master's / M.Tech. format requires departmental / DPGC confirmation unless a central handbook is cited
Official Handbook:
HKU Regulations for the Format of Theses for Higher Degrees
View Official Handbook ↗
Paper Dimensions
A4 (210 mm × 297 mm)
Binding Margins
35 mm Left / 35 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: 25 mm
Binding: 35 mm
[Header]Page 1
[Front matter]
Right: 35 mm
Bottom: 25 mm
Left (Binding Gutter)
35mm
Right Margin
35mm
Top Margin
25mm
Bottom Margin
25mm
Margin Specification: Margin of not less than 35 mm on BOTH right- and left-hand edges of each page (Calendar Regulation 1); 38 mm binding edge recommended.

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 spacing for block quotes, footnotes, tables, and bibliography items.

3. Technical & Archival Compliance

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

Institute ETD / library deposit
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
  2. 2
    AbstractMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  3. 3
    DeclarationMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  4. 4
    Table of ContentsMandatory
    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

Senate-approved Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research require postgraduate students to sign a mandatory declaration on AI usage upon thesis submission.

Chapter Opening & Print Setup

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

Layout
Printing Format
Single or Double-Sided

8. Institutional & Departmental Policies

Abstract Precedes Title:

Abstract (200-500 words) must PRECEDE the title page with statutory opening phrasing: 'Abstract of thesis entitled...' (Regulation 2).

Binding Colors:

Green cloth boards with title, author name, degree, and date stamped in gold on front cover and spine (Regulation 4).

Repository Deposit:

Soft copy submission for open access in HKU Scholars Hub.

Institutional Policy: University Calendar Higher Degrees Regulations govern both Ph.D. and M.Phil. theses.

Notice a discrepancy in this 2026 handbook?

Help keep University of Hong Kong formatting standards 100% verified for researchers.

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.
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  • Downgraded to partial 2026-10-13: the verification block cites a landing page without a page-level formatting source. Re-verify margins, typography, and pagination against the institution's thesis handbook before marking verified.