ThesisFormatter

United States - Dissertation and thesis

Stanford University thesis formatting guidelines

This page helps Stanford University students check Word/PDF formatting risks before submission. It summarizes what to verify and links back to the official source.

Official source

Stanford dissertation and thesis submission checklist

Rules can change. The final audit uses the official guideline uploaded by the student or the current university source.

Official-source checkpoints

Stanford Student Services lists online submission checks for the electronic dissertation or thesis PDF, including page size, fonts, spacing, margins, title page, Axess-inserted pages, pagination, PDF size, and PDF security.

  • Confirm the submitted file is a PDF on standard U.S. letter size pages, except D.M.A. composition scores.
  • Check type size is 10, 11, or 12 point and notation fonts are embedded when applicable.
  • Check line spacing is 1.5 or 2.
  • Check margins are 1.5 inches on the binding edge and 1 inch on all other sides.
  • Check the title page is unnumbered but assumed page i, no signature page ii or copyright page iii is included, and Abstract pagination begins at page iv.

Audit focus for this university

  • PDF-only submission readiness and security restrictions
  • continuous pagination and consistent page-number placement
  • Axess-specific front matter exclusions
  • abstract text limit, supplemental-file risk, and title-page formatting

Formatting points to verify

  • Source: Verify the current official guideline before final repair.
  • Font and size: Check body font, heading styles, captions, and footnote styling.
  • Spacing and margins: Compare margins, line spacing, indents, and page setup against the guide.
  • Navigation: Check TOC, list of figures, list of tables, captions, and internal links.
  • Page numbering: Check front matter, body start, appendices, footer/header placement, and PDF output.
  • Delivery: DOCX is preferred for repair; PDF is useful for audit and comparison.

Common risks before submission

  • Table of contents is empty, too deep, or not clickable.
  • List of figures or list of tables is handmade instead of generated from captions.
  • Margins, spacing, captions, or footnotes vary across sections.
  • Page numbering restarts or changes after PDF export.
  • Official guideline is missing or partial, requiring human review.

Related guides