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.
Conclusion
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.
