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McGill University

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

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

Governing Body: Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) (QC, CA)

Degree Scope:🎓 Ph.D. / Doctoral📚 Master's / M.Tech. (central handbook)
Official Handbook:
McGill GPS Preparation of a Thesis Guidelines
View Official Handbook ↗
Paper Dimensions
Letter (8.5 in × 11.0 in)
Binding Margins
1 in Left / 1 in 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

Letter
Top: 1 in
Binding: 1 in
[Header]Page 1
[Front matter]
Right: 1 in
Bottom: 1 in
Left (Binding Gutter)
1in(2.54 cm)
Right Margin
1in(2.54 cm)
Top Margin
1in(2.54 cm)
Bottom Margin
1in(2.54 cm)
Margin Specification: At least 1.0 in (2.54 cm) on all sides.

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 RomanArialCalibri
Spacing Exceptions: Single-space block quotes, footnotes, tables, and bibliography items.

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
  2. 2
    AbstractMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory in English (text only, max 4000 characters)
  3. 3
    RésuméMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory in French (text only, max 4000 characters)
  4. 4
    AcknowledgementsOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  5. 5
    Contribution of AuthorsOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory for manuscript-based theses
  6. 6
    Contribution to Original KnowledgeMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory for doctoral dissertations
  7. 7
    Statement on Generative AIOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory if GenAI tools were utilized in research or preparation
  8. 8
    Table of ContentsMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  9. 9
    List of TablesOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  10. 10
    List of FiguresOptional / 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

McGill GPS Use of Generative AI for Research (https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/thesis/thesis-guidelines/use-generative-ai-research).

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

Title Page:
  • Thesis title
  • Student name and Unit followed by 'McGill University, Montreal'
  • Month and year of submission
  • Statement: 'A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of....'
  • Universal copyright notice: © [Student Name] [Year]
Abstract:
  • Mandatory in both English and French
  • Text only (no images, special characters, formulas, or formatting)
  • Maximum 4000 characters
  • Third abstract in thesis language required if not English/French
Acknowledgements:
  • Declare extent of assistance (paid/unpaid) from staff, students, technicians, etc.
  • Recognize supervision and advice
Manuscript-Based Thesis:
  • Doctoral: Minimum two manuscripts (published, submitted, or to be submitted)
  • Master's: One or more manuscripts
  • Bridging text of 1-3 pages between manuscripts
Discussion:
  • Minimum 10 pages double-spaced (Doctoral)
  • Minimum 5 pages double-spaced (Master's)
  • Includes figures, images, tables
Length:
  • Master's: Normally max 100 pages, GPS considers 150 pages max
  • Doctoral: No page limit, but concision is expected
Institutional Policy: Font must be conventional, size 12-point, 12 characters per inch.
Institutional Policy: Line spacing must be double or 1.5.
Institutional Policy: Pagination positioning is optional but must be consistent.
Institutional Policy: Pages with full-page figures may be numbered or unnumbered.

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  • Verified 2026-10-13 against primary sources: McGill GPS Preparation of a Thesis Guidelines and docx template; bilingual English/French abstract mandatory (max 4000 characters); 1-inch margins.
  • Bilingual abstract (English Abstract and French Résumé) is strictly mandatory at McGill.
  • A designated GenAI research statement and disclosure framework must be included in front matter when AI tools are utilized.