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University of Toronto

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

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

Governing Body: School of Graduate Studies (SGS) (ON, CA)

Degree Scope:🎓 Ph.D. / Doctoral📚 Master's / M.Tech. (central handbook)
Official Handbook:
U of T School of Graduate Studies Formatting Guide
View Official Handbook ↗
Paper Dimensions
Letter (8.5 in × 11.0 in)
Binding Margins
1.25 in Left / 0.75 in Right
Standard Typography
Times New Roman (12pt)
Line Spacing
1.5x

1. Page Setup & Geometry

Page dimensions, binding margins, and print/digital alignments

Letter
Top: 0.75 in
Binding: 1.25 in
[Header]Page 1
[Front matter]
Right: 0.75 in
Bottom: 0.75 in
Left (Binding Gutter)
1.25in(3.17 cm)
Right Margin
0.75in(1.91 cm)
Top Margin
0.75in(1.91 cm)
Bottom Margin
0.75in(1.91 cm)
Margin Specification: Left margin must be at least 1 1/4" (32 mm) for binding; other margins at least 3/4" (20 mm). Digital formats have less critical margin requirements.

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: Abstract must be double-spaced. Single spacing may be used for long quoted passages and footnotes.

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
  3. 3
    AcknowledgmentsOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  4. 4
    Table of ContentsMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  5. 5
    List of TablesOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  6. 6
    List of PlatesOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  7. 7
    List of FiguresOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  8. 8
    List of AppendicesOptional / 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

U of T SGS Guidance on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/about/guidance-on-the-use-of-generative-artificial-intelligence/).

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 must include specific phrasing: 'A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of (state full name of degree), Graduate Department of (state name of graduate department), in the University of Toronto'.
Title Page must include universal copyright notice on one line: '© Copyright by [Student Name] [Year]'.
Abstract page must display thesis title, degree, year of convocation, full name, graduate department, and university name at the top (not included in word count).
File naming convention: lastname_firstname_middleinitial(s)_graduationyearmonth_degreedesignator_thesis.pdf (e.g., Smith_Lorie_L_201711_PhD_thesis.pdf).
Institutional Policy: Division I (Humanities) theses may be written in languages other than English/French with permission and a supervised English essay examination.
Institutional Policy: Non-English theses require a 5,000-word supplementary abstract in English or French.
Institutional Policy: Font size must be minimum 10 points; smaller fonts allowed for graphs, formulas, footnotes, and appendices.
Institutional Policy: Main text file must be PDF format.

Notice a discrepancy in this 2026 handbook?

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  • Verified 2026-10-13 against primary sources: U of T School of Graduate Studies Thesis Formatting and Submission Guide; left margin 1.25 in, others 0.75 in; abstract double-spaced with 350-word PhD / 150-word Master's limits.
  • Left margin must be at least 1 1/4" (32 mm) for binding; top, bottom, and right margins at least 3/4" (20 mm).
  • Abstract must be double-spaced.
  • File naming convention: lastname_firstname_middleinitial(s)_graduationyearmonth_degreedesignator_thesis.pdf.