Home/University Templates/United Arab Emirates University
✓ Verified 2026
UAEU

United Arab Emirates University

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

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

Governing Body: College of Graduate Studies (CGS) (Abu Dhabi, AE)

Degree Scope:🎓 Ph.D. / Doctoralℹ️ Master's / M.Tech. format requires departmental / DPGC confirmation unless a central handbook is cited
Official Handbook:
UAEU College of Graduate Studies Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guidelines
View Official Handbook ↗
Paper Dimensions
A4 (210 mm × 297 mm)*
Binding Margins
25 mm Left / 25 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: 25 mm*
[Header]Page 1
[Front matter]
Right: 25 mm*
Bottom: 25 mm*
Left (Binding Gutter)
25mm*
Right Margin
25mm*
Top Margin
25mm*
Bottom Margin
25mm*

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-space block quotations (indented 0.5 in), footnotes, table cell text, and bibliography entries with hanging indents.

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
    Requirement: Must include official UAEU crest, full degree title, candidate name, college, and defense month/year.
  2. 2
    Advisory Committee Approval PageMandatory
    Pagination: suppressed counted
    Requirement: Contains signature blocks for principal advisor, co-advisors, and external examiners.
  3. 3
    Declaration of Original WorkMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory academic integrity and anti-plagiarism attestation signed by the candidate.
  4. 4
    Generative AI DeclarationMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Mandatory disclosure statement detailing any generative AI tools used in research or certifying no AI was used.
  5. 5
    Copyright NoticeMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  6. 6
    Abstract (English)Mandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Maximum 350 words, summarizing research problem, methodology, findings, and contributions. Includes 4–6 keywords.
  7. 7
    Abstract (Arabic)Mandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Official Arabic translation of the abstract (الملخص). Mandatory for all graduate degree candidates per UAE CAA regulations.
  8. 8
    AcknowledgementsOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  9. 9
    DedicationOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  10. 10
    Table of ContentsMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  11. 11
    List of TablesOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  12. 12
    List of FiguresOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  13. 13
    List of Abbreviations and SymbolsOptional / 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

UAEU By-laws (Nos. 136-146) and CGS ethics guidelines mandate complete disclosure of generative AI tools. A signed AI declaration statement must precede the abstract.

8. Institutional & Departmental Policies

Ph.D. Cumulative / Article-Based Dissertation Guidelines:

UAEU allows article-based dissertations for PhD candidates. Requires a minimum of two Scopus-indexed Q1/Q2 journal articles published or accepted for publication, integrated with overarching introductory and synthesis chapters.

Bilingual Abstract Mandate Guidelines:

All dissertations and theses submitted to UAEU College of Graduate Studies must contain both an English Abstract and an Arabic Abstract (الملخص).

Institutional Policy: Final submission requires electronic deposit into the UAEU ScholarWorks institutional repository in PDF/A compliant format.
Institutional Policy: Continuous line numbering is recommended during committee review and examination draft stages.

Notice a discrepancy in this 2026 handbook?

Help keep United Arab Emirates University formatting standards 100% verified for researchers.

Pre-Submission Baseline Assistant

Save 20+ Hours of Manual Formatting

Don't spend days manually tweaking Microsoft Word margins, Roman numeral page breaks, and table headers. ScholarSpec prepares your raw draft to official United Arab Emirates University guidelines in seconds.

Format with this Template ➔
✓High-Confidence A4 Margin & Gutter Setup
✓Automated Roman & Arabic Pagination Structure
✓Multi-Page Table Spanning & Header Protection
✓24-Hour Secure Storage & Instant Deletion (Strict Academic Privacy)
*ScholarSpec is a pre-submission formatting assistant. Output is calibrated to official university graduate handbooks.
Editorial Tutorials & Standards

Essential Formatting Guides for Ph.D. Dissertation & Master's Thesis Writers

Step-by-step tutorials to master academic typography, line numbers, APA tables, and citation integrity.

Formatting4 min read

How to Format 3-Line Academic Tables in Word

APA 7th Edition rules for borderless data presentation without breaking across page splits.

Read Tutorial
Peer Review3 min read

How to Insert Continuous Line Numbers in Word

Turn on continuous line numbering for advisor review while suppressing them on the title page.

Read Tutorial
Troubleshooting5 min read

Fix EndNote & Zotero Field Code Corruption

Safely refresh your bibliography without crashing Word or losing formatted reference markers.

Read Tutorial
Comparison6 min read

Best Thesis Formatting Tools in 2026

Compare Word, Overleaf/LaTeX, and automated compliance engines for dissertation submission.

Read Tutorial

* Provisional ScholarSpec layout used where the cited handbook does not specify this value. Confirm with your thesis office before submission.

  • A4 standard dimensions (210 x 297 mm). Left margin 35 mm (1.38 in), right/top/bottom 25 mm (1.0 in). Double line spacing (2.0x). Times New Roman 12pt.
  • Bilingual abstract (English and Arabic الملخص) is mandatory for all dissertations.
  • Downgraded to partial 2026-10-13: the public official sources cited here state no paper size, margins, spacing or typeface (the formal guide is behind a login or set by faculty/school). Geometry is left null rather than guessed.