1 Centered Heading Centered, 14-pt, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading 2 Flush Left Heading Flush Left, 11-pt, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading 3 Paragraph Heading Indented, 11-pt, bold, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. 4 Indented, 11-pt, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. 5 Indented, 11-pt, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. Pagination All pages of the thesis from the title page to the last page of the appendices are counted but not necessarily numbered. Some pages, such as the title page and approval page are counted but do not bear page numbers. Type the numerals on the 1” bottom margin, centered with the body of the text. Body of Text The body of the text explains, illustrates, argues for, and in some cases proves by organizing in a coherent manner the evidence gathered from various sources. The thesis will usually be divided into several chapters, some or all of which may be prescribed by the department. The text should be clear, accurate, and written in an academic scholarly style. The presentation of the thesis is as important as the research; take time to edit and proofread the final copy of the work carefully. When typing the body of the text, there are two important requirements: There should always be at least two lines of a paragraph on any given page. This is of concern when the paragraph begins at the bottom or ends at the top of a page. Do not divide the last word on a page. References Cited Use the MS Word tool for citations and bibliography to automatically populate references cited in the thesis template. Sequentially number the tables with Arabic numerals in the order in which references appear. References cited should to adhere to APA 6th edition format
Do you guarantee that your work will meet both the university and the departmental style guide requirements? What computer programs and which platform do you use? What type of equipment do you have? Will you provide a printed out copy as well as a disk or CD with the final formatted document for my use? Have you done work for other students in my particular discipline? Do you have the departmental style guide and the most recent edition of the Graduate Student Handbook? How long will it take to complete the formatting of my document? When must my document be to you to guarantee submission by the semester deadline? What are your rates and how are they calculated? Can you provide references for previous master’s candidates? Do you use a written contract? Once a formatter is selected, book the approximate block of time and stick to your delivery date of the approved thesis. Questions Formatters Might Ask Candidates A formatter would be wise to see a candidate’s thesis material before agreeing to type it. Asking the prospective client some or all of the following questions might help avoid taking on too difficult theses. Approximately how many pages is the thesis? What form is the material currently in (handwritten, typed, etc.)? Is the final copy, approved by all members of the Education Graduate Committee? Have you applied for graduation in the Graduate School? Have you followed the required department style guide? Do you have special typing requirements such as tables, figures, charts, foreign language, or math? When will the material be submitted for final formatting and will all of it be submitted at once? Do your expectations of the formatter include editing or checking grammar or spelling? If so, is your committee aware of this? Final Suggestions The key to success in any graduate program is organization. Taking notes of deadlines and managing one’s time within these confines results in a positive graduate experience. While some problems may not be of one’s own making, they are more often due to poor planning. The messages from previous students, faculty advisers, and the Jessup Graduate Department remain the same year after year: Plan ahead: Keep a list of all deadlines in a convenient place and review them regularly. Remember, some of the steps required to meet a deadline take time. Committee members and graduate coordinators have other commitments and will not always be available when needed. Reviewing a thesis may take two or more weeks.