Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Ph.D. Thesis & M.S. (by Research) Thesis Formatting Guidelines
Official layout specifications, binding margins, and document formatting requirements.
Governing Body: Academic Section (Research) (Tamil Nadu, IN)
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 200 DPI.
4. Preliminary Pages Checklist & Order
Strict graduate school ordering, title page numbering suppression, and Roman pagination
- 1Cover PageMandatoryPagination:
suppressed not countedRequirement: Fonts and locations exactly as Annexure 1A/1B. - 2Inside Cover PageMandatoryPagination:
suppressed not counted - 3QuotationsOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
unspecifiedRequirement: Not more than one page. - 4Dedication PageOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
unspecifiedRequirement: Not more than one page. - 5Thesis CertificateMandatoryPagination:
unspecifiedRequirement: Exactly as Annexure 2A. Include '© YEAR Indian Institute of Technology Madras' at the left bottom of the certificate page. Accompanied by mandatory student declaration disclosing any Generative AI tool assistance. - 6List of PublicationsMandatoryPagination:
unspecifiedRequirement: Publications arising out of the thesis work are placed at the beginning (Annexure 2B). - 7AcknowledgmentsMandatoryPagination:
roman visibleRequirement: Not more than two pages. Double-sided printing begins here. - 8AbstractMandatoryPagination:
roman visibleRequirement: Not more than two pages (about 600 words) and not more than 6 key words. - 9Table of ContentsMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 10List of TablesMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 11List of FiguresMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 12GlossaryOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible - 13AbbreviationsOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible - 14NotationOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible
6. Academic Integrity, Similarity & AI Policy
Plagiarism threshold, similarity checking software, and Generative AI disclosure rules
Certificate for check against plagiarism is on the evaluation-thesis checklist; report must be submitted at A4 thesis submission (Appendix I and II).
Mandatory student declaration regarding Generative AI tools usage in preliminary pages per UGC guidelines and Institute Senate academic integrity circulars. Uncredited AI text generation is subject to plagiarism penalties.
7. Institutional Declarations & Certificates
Signed certificates, declarations, and copyright statements named in the handbook
Signatories: Guide
Fonts and locations exactly as Annexure 2A, including IIT Madras copyright line.
Chapter Opening & Print Setup
Chapter start placement, top margin drops, single vs double-sided print, and paper weight
Chapter numbering centered at the top in large bold print, e.g. CHAPTER 1. First page of each chapter has no printed page number.
8. Institutional & Departmental Policies
Abstract must not exceed two pages (about 600 words) and not more than 6 key words.
January 2021 combined MS&PhD circular is superseded by the March 2025 Ph.D. and M.S. thesis-preparation PDFs linked from civil.iitm.ac.in/academics.php. Millimetre layout is unchanged; synopsis page-counts from the 2021 circular are not restated in the 2025 thesis PDFs and are not carried forward.
Print both sides from the acknowledgements section onward; earlier leaves follow the cover/certificate specimens.
Text is fully justified. Paragraphs are left-aligned from the first line to the last (no first-line indent is described). Quotations longer than two lines are indented on both sides.
The sentence '© YEAR Indian Institute of Technology Madras' must appear at the left bottom of the thesis certificate page.
Curriculum Vitae (≤1 page) and Doctoral/GTC committee list appear only in the approved thesis after viva-voce.
Drawings larger than A4 should be folded to A4; take care when a final A5 form of the thesis is prepared.
Notice a discrepancy in this 2025 handbook?
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- Currency check 2026-09-19: the January 2021 combined circular is superseded. Civil Engineering academics still lists 'Formats and Guidelines for Thesis preparation of Ph.D./M.S. new' pointing at March 2025 PDFs (title-page imprint March 2025; PDF created 2025-06-10). Layout millimetres, Times Roman 12, and double spacing are unchanged from the 2021 edition.
- The January 2021 file remains on civil.iitm.ac.in but is no longer the linked 'new' handbook: https://civil.iitm.ac.in/admin/coursedetailimage/Research_Circulars_Revised_Formats_and_Guidelines_for_Thesis_and_Synopsis_Preparation_for_MS&PhD-January2021.pdf
- Ph.D. Ordinances updated 01-04-2024 remain process-only (no margins/fonts).
- Style notes require double spacing between lines (not 1.5).
- October 2026 circular audit: verified against current academic circulars; updated header/footer margin parameters where centrally prescribed; added mandatory Generative AI disclosure policy in preliminary pages per UGC and Senate academic integrity regulations.
- Verified 2026-10-13 against primary sources: March 2025 handbook guidelines re-confirmed for 31.7 mm side margins, 17.0 mm bottom margin with bottom-center folio, 2.0x line spacing, all-caps Level 1 headings, and mandatory GenAI declaration.