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Dissertation title page

Published on 30 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 18 October 2022.

The title page (or cover page) of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper should contain all the key information about your document. It usually includes:

• Dissertation or thesis title
• The type of document (e.g., dissertation, research paper )
• The department and institution
• The degree program (e.g., Master of Arts)
• The date of submission

It sometimes also includes your student number, your supervisor’s name, and your university’s logo.

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Table of contents

Title page format, title page templates, title page example, frequently asked questions about title pages.

Your department will usually tell you exactly what should be included on your title page and how it should be formatted. Be sure to check whether there are specific guidelines for margins, spacing, and font size.

Title pages for APA and MLA Style

The format of your title page can also depend on the citation style you’re using. There may be guidelines in regards to alignment, page numbering, and mandatory elements.

• MLA guidelines for formatting the title page
• APA guidelines for formatting the title page

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We’ve created a few templates to help you design the title page for your thesis, dissertation, or research paper. You can download them in the format of your choice by clicking on the corresponding button.

Research paper Google doc

Dissertation Google doc

Thesis Google doc

A typical example of a thesis title page looks like this:

The title page of your thesis or dissertation should include your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:

• Your instructor requires one, or
• Your paper is a group project

In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2022, October 18). Dissertation title page. Scribbr. Retrieved 21 October 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/title-page/

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The Dissertation Title Page

• By DiscoverPhDs
• August 12, 2020

The title page of your dissertation or thesis conveys all the essential details about your project, including:

• The title of your project
• Your full name (including student number if required)
• Clarification of whether this is a dissertation or thesis document
• The name of your academic department
• The name of your university
• The degree name that the dissertation or thesis has been written for (e.g. Doctor of Philosophy)
• The date (month and year) that you will submit the document
• The name of your supervisor(s)

This page can also be referred to as the dissertation cover page when your degree program is at the undergraduate or Masters level.

Format of the Title Page

Your university will provide you with the exact formatting requirements of your dissertation title page. This will include how to present the above information but also the font size to use, line spacing and the size of margins. For example, a graduate school may require the title to be in all caps, all text to be double-spaced and margins on the binding side to be 4cm. Don’t include the page number and have all text centred. You may also need to include the university logo. The APA style is commonly referred to for guidance on how to format research documents. This guide from University College London on their requirements is also an interesting read.

Example of a Dissertation Title Page

The example below is what a dissertation title page would usually look like for a Masters degree project in the UK. You can use this as a template when writing your own title page. The format presented here is also applicable for a doctoral dissertation or thesis title page.

The title page may be followed by an approval page, signed by the project chair and any other committee members. After this comes your abstract, presented on a separate page and then your table of contents. Some institutions may also require a copyright page to be included. Whilst the title page doesn’t have a page number, pages after this may use Roman numerals with the traditional page number format starting after your table of contents.

The term partial fulfillment means that this research document was one of several requirements for you to obtain your degree. For a Master’s degree, the other requirements will typically include exams and coursework.

Follow the advice in this guide to ensure your title page is in the correct format before final submission of your research project. This will be a normal part of undergraduate and graduate study.

In the UK, a dissertation, usually around 20,000 words is written by undergraduate and Master’s students, whilst a thesis, around 80,000 words, is written as part of a PhD.

The answer is simple: there is no age limit for doing a PhD; in fact, the oldest known person to have gained a PhD in the UK was 95 years old.

A well written figure legend will explain exactly what a figure means without having to refer to the main text. Our guide explains how to write one.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

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This post explains where and how to write the list of figures in your thesis or dissertation.

Learn about defining your workspace, having a list of daily tasks and using technology to stay connected, all whilst working from home as a research student.

Noelia is just two months away from submitting her PhD thesis at the University of East Anglia. Her research focuses on the application and the study of novel tissue engineering strategies for tendon repair, aiming to overcome some limitations from current therapies.

Dr Ayres completed her PhD at the University of Warwick in 2017, researching the use of diamond to make electrochemical sensors. She is now a research scientists in the water industry, developing different analytical techniques and sensors to help keep our water systems safe.

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Trapped in dissertation revisions?

Sample dissertation cover page + how to, published by steve tippins on may 26, 2020 may 26, 2020.

Last Updated on: 6th June 2024, 02:20 am

If you’re wondering about making your dissertation cover page, chances are you’re nearing the final stretch of your doctoral journey. Congratulations!

Luckily, making your title page is one of the simplest tasks you’ll have to complete. Generally speaking, there’s a template your institution will use and you just have to fill in your information.

What Should a Dissertation Cover Page Include?

The inner artist in you might want to make your dissertation cover page beautiful: printed in color, maybe with pictures, or with an interesting font or design. However, you’re going to be limited by your university. 

Pretty much every university that I’ve come across has a template and guidelines that you must follow for your dissertation cover page. You may just be filling in things like your title, name, your university’s name, maybe your committee members’ names, and not much more. You won’t have much (if any) creative license.

The advantage of this is, by the time you get to that stage, you may be tired of writing and it will be easier to follow directions than to come up with something creative. Your dissertation cover page doesn’t need to be a work of art. It just needs to convey what the dissertation is about.

Dissertation Cover Page: The Title

The aspect of your dissertation cover page that you have the most control over is the title . It’s also the most important to get right. 

The main thing to remember is, keep the title simple . It should simply tell a person what they’re going to read in the document. Don’t try to intrigue people or be too clever, just tell them directly. Having a straightforward title helps your committee approve your dissertation more quickly.

Over 50% of doctoral candidates don’t finish their dissertations.

Your title should include relevant information that gives the reader a complete picture of what your study was about. Generally speaking, you’ll want to cover a few specific areas.

Quantitative Title Requirements

• Type of relationship between variables.
• Key variables (independent and dependent).
• Population.

Qualitative Title Requirements

• Central conceptual issue investigated.
• Qualitative tradition applied.
• Participant group.

See this article for a more in-depth discussion of choosing your dissertation’s title .

Sample Dissertation Cover Page

Your dissertation cover page should look something like this:

While each university has slightly different requirements, generally speaking, a dissertation cover page looks something like this, above. The required sections are as follows:

A Dissertation

Submitted to XXXXX University

Graduate Faculty of the School of XXXXXXXX

in Partial Fulfillment of the 

Requirements for the Degree of 

DOCTOR OF XXXXXXXXXX

City, State (of the university)

Final Thoughts

While your dissertation title page doesn’t have to be fancy, it’s important that it aligns with your university’s requirements. Take a look at their rubric and, if needed, look at completed dissertations’ title pages as well. If all else fails, ask your mentor for help.

Once you’ve finished this, pat yourself on the back. You’re almost done!

PS. Need support getting through the final stages of your dissertation, or moving into the world of your career? As a dissertation coach and career coach , I’ve helped countless students achieve their dreams. Let’s achieve yours. Book a free 30-minute consultation today.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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• Sample Dissertation Title Page
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• Dissertation Copyright

Dissertation title pages must follow a specific format. Refer to the PhD Dissertation Formatting Guide  and view the examples below. Certain graduate groups follow a special format.

Standard sample title page (exceptions listed below):

Students in Francophone, Italian and Germanic Studies (FIGS) must follow the format below:

Students in Wharton must follow the format below:

Students in the Social Welfare Graduate Group must follow this format: