latex for thesis

Template for a Masters or Doctoral Thesis

This LaTeX template is used by many universities as the basis for thesis and dissertation submissions, and is a great way to get started if you haven't been provided with a specific version from your department.

This version of the template is provided by Vel at LaTeXTemplates.com , and is already loaded in Overleaf so you can start writing immediately.

Checkout this short video to see how to easily create and edit new chapters as your thesis develops.

Please read the unofficial quick guide to the template; it contains some tips and suggestions on how to modify certain things.

(Updated 27/08/17)

Template for a Masters or Doctoral Thesis

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because LaTeX matters

Writing a thesis in latex.

Writing a thesis is a time-intensive endeavor. Fortunately, using LaTeX, you can focus on the content rather than the formatting of your thesis. The following article summarizes the most important aspects of writing a thesis in LaTeX, providing you with a document skeleton (at the end) and lots of additional tips and tricks.

Document class

The first choice in most cases will be the report document class:

See here for a complete list of options. Personally, I use draft a lot. It replaces figures with a box of the size of the figure. It saves you time generating the document. Furthermore, it will highlight justification and hyphenation errors ( Overfull \hbox ).

Check with your college or university. They may have an official or unofficial template/class-file to be used for writing a thesis.

Again, follow the instructions of your institution if there are any. Otherwise, LaTeX provides a few basic command for the creation of a title page.

Use \today as \date argument to automatically generate the current date. Leave it empty in case you don’t want the date to be printed. As shown in the example, the author command can be extended to print several lines.

For a more sophisticated title page, the titlespages package has a nice collection of pre-formatted front pages. For different affiliations use the authblk package, see here for some examples.

Contents (toc/lof/lot)

Nothing special here.

The tocloft package offers great flexibility in formatting contents. See here for a selection of possibilities.

Often, the page numbers are changed to roman for this introductory part of the document and only later, for the actual content, arabic page numbering is used. This can be done by placing the following commands before and after the contents commands respectively.

LaTeX provides the abstract environment which will print “Abstract” centered as a title.

The actual content

The most important and extensive part is the content. I strongly suggest to split up every chapter into an individual file and load them in the main tex-file.

In thesis.tex:

In chapter1.tex:

This way, you can typeset single chapters or parts of the whole thesis only, by commenting out what you want to exclude. Remember, the document can only be generated from the main file (thesis.tex), since the individual chapters are missing a proper LaTeX document structure.

See here for a discussion on whether to use \input or \include .

Bibliography

The most convenient way is to use a bib-tex file that contains all your references. You can download bibtex items for articles, books, etc. from Google scholar or often directly from the journal websites.

Two packages are commonly used to personalize bibliographies, the newer biblatex and the natbib package, which has been around for many years. These packages offer great flexibility in customizing the look of a bibliography, depending on the preference in the field or the author.

Other commonly used packages

graphicx : Indispensable when working with figures/graphs.
subfig : Controlling arrangement of several figures (e.g. 2×2 matrix)
minitoc : Adds mini table of contents to every chapter
nomencl : Generate and format a nomenclature
listings : Source code printer for LaTeX
babel : Multilingual package for standard document classes
fancyhdr : Controlling header and footer
hyperref : Hypertext links for LaTeX
And many more

Minimal example code

I’m aware that this short post on writing a thesis only covers the very basics of a vast topic. However, it will help you getting started and focussing on the content of your thesis rather than the formatting of the document.

How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX: A Complete Guide

$How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX: A Complete Guide$

Chapter 1: introduction to latex, 1.1 what is latex.

LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system used for creating scientific and technical documents. Unlike word processors like Microsoft Word, LaTeX allows for greater control over document structure, formatting, and layout. This makes it an ideal choice for writing academic theses, research papers, and dissertations.

LaTeX (pronounced Lay-tech or Lah-tech) is a powerful document preparation system widely used in academia, especially for writing scientific papers, theses, and technical documents. Unlike standard word processors, LaTeX separates the content of a document from its formatting. This allows users to focus on writing without worrying too much about the visual design.

LaTeX is based on TeX, a typesetting system developed by Donald Knuth in the late 1970s. It is particularly well-suited for producing documents that include:

Complex mathematical equations
References and citations
Large sections of structured text such as chapters, sections, and subsections
High-quality figures and tables

While LaTeX does have a steeper learning curve compared to traditional word processors like Microsoft Word, it provides unparalleled control over formatting, which is why it remains popular in research fields like physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering, and linguistics.

1.2 Why Use LaTeX for Thesis Writing?

LaTeX provides several benefits for writing a thesis:

Consistency in Formatting: LaTeX automatically handles most aspects of document formatting, ensuring consistency throughout your document. This is particularly helpful when writing a long and complex document like a thesis.
Automated Table of Contents and Lists: LaTeX will automatically generate and update your table of contents, list of figures, and list of tables as you add sections, figures, and tables.
Precise Control of Layout: You have full control over page layout, margins, fonts, and spacing. If your university has specific formatting guidelines, LaTeX allows you to easily comply with them.
Seamless Citations and References: With the help of BibTeX (or BibLaTeX), LaTeX manages all your citations, bibliographies, and references with ease, ensuring that they are correctly formatted.
Excellent Mathematical Typesetting: If your thesis involves complex equations or mathematics, LaTeX is unmatched in its ability to produce professional-looking mathematical content.
Scalability: LaTeX is designed for large documents, allowing you to organize your thesis into multiple files and compile them into a single, coherent document. This is much easier to manage than dealing with a single large word processor file.

1.3 Challenges of LaTeX

Learning Curve: LaTeX’s syntax can be overwhelming for beginners, especially if you are accustomed to WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors.
Customization: While LaTeX offers extensive customization, it can take time to learn how to tweak and fine-tune your document’s appearance.

However, the time invested in learning LaTeX is well worth it, as it simplifies the task of formatting and ensures a polished, professional document.

1.4 How LaTeX Works

LaTeX documents are written in plain text files with the extension .tex. Instead of directly formatting the text as you write (like in a word processor), you use a set of commands and tags to define how the document should be formatted. For example, to create a section heading, you write:

When you compile the .tex file, LaTeX processes the commands and generates a beautifully formatted document (usually in PDF format).

1.4.1 The LaTeX Workflow:

Write the content of your document in a .tex file using LaTeX commands.
Compile the .tex file using a LaTeX engine (like pdflatex) to generate a PDF or other desired output format.
View and edit the generated PDF and go back to your .tex file to make necessary adjustments.

1.5 The Structure of a Basic LaTeX Document

A LaTeX document consists of two main parts:

The Preamble : This is where you define the overall document structure, including settings for margins, fonts, and other global parameters. It’s also where you load any additional LaTeX packages.
The Document Body : This contains the actual content of your thesis, including chapters, sections, figures, tables, and equations.

Here’s an example of a simple LaTeX document:

Explanation of the Key Commands:

\documentclass{} : Specifies the document class. In this case, we are using the report class, which is ideal for theses.
\usepackage{} : Adds extra functionality to LaTeX (e.g., graphicx for images, amsmath for advanced math typesetting).
\begin{document} : Signals the start of the document body.
\title , \author , and \date : Define the title page content.
\maketitle : Generates the title page.
\tableofcontents : Creates the table of contents based on the chapters and sections in the document.
\chapter{} : Defines a new chapter.
\end{document} : Signals the end of the document.

When you compile this .tex file, LaTeX will automatically generate a well-formatted PDF containing a title page, table of contents, and the first two chapters.

1.6 How LaTeX Handles Formatting

One of LaTeX’s greatest strengths is its ability to automatically handle formatting, so you don’t need to worry about adjusting font sizes, margins, or spacing manually. For example:

Headings : LaTeX will automatically number chapters, sections, and subsections.
Equations : Mathematical equations are formatted professionally, and LaTeX ensures that they are properly aligned.
Tables and Figures : LaTeX makes it easy to position figures and tables, and automatically adjusts their layout to avoid overlapping with text.

With LaTeX, formatting is not a manual task. Instead, you define the overall structure and let LaTeX handle the rest.

1.7 Common Uses of LaTeX in Thesis Writing

Mathematical and Scientific Writing : LaTeX is widely used in academic fields that require precise typesetting of complex mathematical equations.
Long Documents : LaTeX excels at handling large, multi-chapter documents like theses and dissertations.
Figures and Tables : LaTeX provides advanced capabilities for inserting and managing figures and tables, including the ability to generate lists of figures and tables.
Bibliographies and Citations : LaTeX integrates well with bibliography management tools like BibTeX, making it easy to manage large numbers of references and citations.

1.8 Getting Started with LaTeX

Before you start writing your thesis in LaTeX, you need to install a LaTeX distribution and a text editor. The most commonly used LaTeX distributions are TeX Live and MiKTeX , while popular LaTeX editors include TeXworks , Texmaker , and Overleaf (a cloud-based LaTeX editor).

Once your LaTeX environment is set up, you can start writing your thesis by creating a .tex file and compiling it to produce a PDF.

$latex for thesis$

Chapter 2: Setting Up Your LaTeX Environment

2.1 downloading and installing latex.

Before you can start writing your thesis in LaTeX, the first step is to set up your LaTeX environment. This involves installing a LaTeX distribution and a text editor where you will write your code.

2.1.1 Choosing a LaTeX Distribution

A LaTeX distribution is a bundle of programs and files that are needed to compile LaTeX documents into readable formats like PDF. The most commonly used distributions are:

TeX Live (Recommended for all platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux)
MiKTeX (Primarily for Windows and macOS users)

2.1.2 TeX Live

TeX Live is a comprehensive distribution that works across platforms and is highly recommended for its stability and features. It includes all the tools you need to compile LaTeX documents into different formats, including PDF. You can download TeX Live from its official website:

For Windows : TeX Live for Windows
For macOS : TeX Live for macOS
For Linux : You can install TeX Live via your package manager ( sudo apt-get install texlive-full for Ubuntu).

2.1.2 MiKTeX

MiKTeX is another popular LaTeX distribution that is user-friendly and frequently updated. It allows you to install additional packages on-the-fly, making it convenient for users who might need various LaTeX features later. You can download MiKTeX from its official website:

MiKTeX for Windows/macOS : MiKTeX Download

Once downloaded, follow the installation prompts to install either distribution. After installation, your system will be ready to compile LaTeX documents.

2.2 Setting Up an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

While you can technically write LaTeX code in any plain text editor (like Notepad or TextEdit), using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) specifically designed for LaTeX will make your workflow smoother and more efficient. IDEs often include features like syntax highlighting, error checking, and one-click compilation to generate your PDF document.

2.2.1 Popular LaTeX Editors

Here are some of the most widely used LaTeX editors:

Overleaf (Online Cloud-Based Editor)

Overleaf is a popular cloud-based LaTeX editor that allows you to write and compile LaTeX documents entirely online. It is ideal for collaborative projects, as multiple users can edit the same document in real-time.
Pros : No installation needed, easy collaboration, automatic saving, large community.
Cons : Requires internet connection.

Website : Overleaf

TeXworks (Offline Editor)

TeXworks is a simple, easy-to-use LaTeX editor that comes bundled with most LaTeX distributions, including TeX Live and MiKTeX.
Pros : Lightweight, straightforward interface, good for beginners.
Cons : Limited advanced features compared to other editors.

Website : TeXworks

Texmaker is a cross-platform LaTeX editor with a wide range of features, including PDF viewing, spell-checking, and code folding. It offers an integrated LaTeX development environment.
Pros : Feature-rich, built-in PDF viewer, cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux).
Cons : Slightly more complex for beginners.

Website : Texmaker

Visual Studio Code (VSCode) with LaTeX Workshop Extension

VSCode is a highly customizable code editor, and with the LaTeX Workshop extension, it becomes a powerful LaTeX IDE.
Pros : Great for users familiar with code editors, highly customizable, built-in terminal.
Cons : Slightly steeper learning curve for beginners.

Website : Visual Studio Code

2.3 Writing Your First LaTeX Document

Now that your LaTeX environment is set up, let’s dive into writing your first LaTeX document. The basic structure of any LaTeX document consists of a preamble and a body.

2.3.1 Basic Structure of a LaTeX Document

Preamble : This section defines the overall structure and style of the document. It is where you specify the document class, load necessary packages, and define global formatting options.
Document Body : This is where the actual content (such as chapters, sections, text, and images) is written.

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating a simple LaTeX document:

Open your LaTeX editor (Overleaf, TeXworks, or another).
Create a new file and save it as thesis.tex .
Write the following basic LaTeX code :
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{report} : Defines the document class as a report with A4-sized paper and a font size of 12pt. The report class is suitable for writing a thesis.
\usepackage{graphicx} : Imports the graphicx package, which allows you to add images to your document.
\usepackage{amsmath} : Imports the amsmath package, enabling advanced mathematical typesetting.
\maketitle : Generates the title page using the information provided by \title{} , \author{} , and \date{} .
\tableofcontents : Automatically generates a table of contents based on the chapters, sections, and subsections in your document.
\chapter{} : Creates a new chapter.
\section{} : Creates a new section within a chapter.
\subsection{} : Creates a subsection within a section.
\end{document} : Marks the end of the LaTeX document.

2.3.2 Compiling the LaTeX Document

After writing your LaTeX code, the next step is to compile it and generate a PDF. The compilation process converts your .tex file into a PDF format that you can view and share.

To compile the document:

In Overleaf , simply click the “Recompile” button, and the PDF will automatically be generated and displayed on the right.
In TeXworks or Texmaker , you can click the green “Play” or “Compile” button to generate the PDF.
In VSCode with the LaTeX Workshop extension, use the command Ctrl + Alt + B to compile the document.

Once compiled, you will have a neatly formatted PDF containing a title page, table of contents, and the first two chapters of your thesis.

2.4 Packages in LaTeX

LaTeX is highly modular, and you can add extra functionality to your documents by using packages. Packages are like plugins that extend the core functionality of LaTeX, allowing you to customize your document to meet specific needs.

2.4.1 Commonly Used LaTeX Packages

Here are some of the most useful LaTeX packages for writing a thesis:

graphicx : Allows you to include images in your document.
amsmath : Enhances LaTeX’s mathematical capabilities, adding support for more complex equations.
geometry : Lets you customize page layout, margins, and paper size.
setspace : Enables you to control line spacing (e.g., single, one-and-a-half, or double spacing).
hyperref : Adds clickable links to your table of contents, references, and URLs.

To include a package in your LaTeX document, simply add the \usepackage{} command in the preamble:

2.5 Testing the Setup

Now that you’ve written and compiled your first LaTeX document, it’s time to test your setup by experimenting with different LaTeX commands and packages. Try adding new chapters, sections, and even images or equations to see how LaTeX handles them.

For example, add an image to your document using the graphicx package:

You can also explore formatting text, adding lists, or experimenting with mathematical equations using amsmath .

Chapter 3: Document Structure and Formatting in LaTeX

3.1 understanding document classes.

In LaTeX, the overall structure and formatting of your document are controlled by the document class . A document class determines how different elements—like sections, figures, tables, and references—are formatted.

When writing a thesis, you will typically use the report or book class. The choice of document class affects the layout and style of your document.

3.1.1 Common Document Classes

Pros : Simple and easy to work with.
Cons : Not designed for long documents with chapters.
Pros : Allows chapters and structured content.
Cons : Less sophisticated than the book class for very large documents.
Pros : Comprehensive support for different sections, parts, and chapters.
Cons : Slightly more complex than the report class.
thesis (Custom Classes): Some institutions provide their own LaTeX class, typically named thesis.cls , that formats your document according to specific university requirements. Always check if your institution has such a class file.

3.2 Structuring a Thesis Document

A well-organized thesis document typically consists of various chapters, sections, subsections, and appendices. LaTeX makes it easy to structure your document hierarchically.

3.2.1 Chapters, Sections, and Subsections

A thesis often contains multiple chapters, each divided into sections and subsections. Here’s how you can define chapters, sections, and subsections in LaTeX:

Hierarchy Overview:

\chapter{} : Top-level division (used in report and book classes).
\section{} : Major section of a chapter.
\subsection{} : Subdivision of a section.
\subsubsection{} : Subdivision of a subsection.

You can also add paragraphs or subparagraphs for finer divisions if necessary:

3.3 Formatting Your Thesis

LaTeX provides powerful commands to control the formatting of text, paragraphs, lists, and other elements in your thesis. This ensures that your document not only follows academic standards but also remains aesthetically appealing.

3.3.1 Fonts and Font Sizes

You can easily change the font size of specific sections or the entire document. LaTeX supports various font sizes, ranging from tiny ( \tiny ) to very large ( \Huge ).

To change the font size of the entire document, modify the \documentclass options:

To change the font size of specific text, you can use:

Other available font sizes include \tiny , \scriptsize , \footnotesize , \normalsize , \large , \Large , \LARGE , and \Huge .

3.3.2 Line Spacing

You may want to adjust the line spacing in your thesis for readability or to meet institutional requirements. The setspace package makes this easy:

You can also adjust spacing for specific parts of the document:

3.4 Page Layout

LaTeX allows you to customize the layout of your pages, including margins, headers, footers, and page numbering. The geometry package is particularly useful for adjusting page margins.

3.4.1 Setting Margins

The geometry package allows you to control the margins of your document. Here’s an example of how to set 1-inch margins on all sides:

You can also set different margins for different parts of the document:

3.4.2 Headers and Footers

The fancyhdr package enables you to customize headers and footers, including adding page numbers and section titles.

To use the package:

With this code, each page will display the current chapter in the header and the page number in the footer.

3.5 Managing Long Documents

A thesis can become a lengthy and complex document, but LaTeX helps you manage large projects effectively by allowing you to break your document into smaller files.

3.5.1 Using \input{} and \include{}

When working on a large document like a thesis, it’s a good idea to split each chapter into separate .tex files and compile them into a single document.

Here’s how to do it:

Create separate files for each chapter (e.g., chapter1.tex , chapter2.tex ).
In your main file (e.g., thesis.tex ), use the \input{} or \include{} commands to include these files:

The \include{} command is ideal for long documents because it skips the compilation of files you aren’t currently working on, speeding up the process. The \input{} command is more suited for shorter or simpler files.

3.5.2 Table of Contents

LaTeX automatically generates a table of contents based on the chapters, sections, and subsections in your document. Simply add the following command where you want the table of contents to appear:

Every time you compile the document, the table of contents will update automatically.

3.6 Including Figures and Tables

LaTeX makes it easy to include figures and tables in your thesis, with options for labeling and referencing them throughout the document.

3.6.1 Adding Figures

To include an image in your document, use the graphicx package and the \includegraphics{} command. Make sure the image file is in the same directory as your .tex file, or provide the full path to the image.

This will insert an image with a caption, and you can reference it later using the label:

3.6.2 Creating Tables

LaTeX allows you to create neat tables with the tabular environment:

Like figures, tables can also be labeled and referenced later:

Chapter 4: Advanced Document Features in LaTeX

4.1 creating cross-references.

One of the most powerful features of LaTeX is the ability to easily create cross-references for sections, figures, tables, equations, and other elements in your document. These references automatically update as you modify the document, ensuring accuracy.

4.1.1 Referencing Sections and Subsections

To reference a section or subsection, you first need to label it with the \label{} command. Then, you can refer to that section anywhere in the document using \ref{} .

4.1.2 Referencing Figures and Tables

When you add figures or tables, it’s good practice to label them and reference them later in the text:

Similarly, for tables:

4.1.3 Hyperlinks with hyperref

The hyperref package allows you to create clickable hyperlinks within your document. It’s especially useful when generating a PDF, as clicking the link will jump to the corresponding section, figure, or table.

To include it in your document:

Now, your references will automatically become clickable links in the PDF.

For external links:

4.2 Citations and Bibliography

Citing references and creating a bibliography is a crucial part of any academic thesis. LaTeX offers a wide range of citation styles, allowing you to manage references using tools like BibTeX or biblatex .

4.2.1 Using BibTeX for Managing References

BibTeX is a tool that helps you manage and format your bibliography in LaTeX. You create a .bib file, which stores all your references, and then cite these references in your LaTeX document.

Create a .bib file :
Include the .bib file in your LaTeX document :
Cite the reference in your text :

After compiling the document, LaTeX will automatically generate a formatted bibliography.

4.2.2 Using biblatex

biblatex offers more flexibility and customization for your bibliography compared to BibTeX . You can use it as follows:

Load the package :
Cite in your document :
Print the bibliography :

4.3 Mathematical Equations and Symbols

LaTeX is widely recognized for its powerful handling of mathematical equations, symbols, and notations. This makes it the preferred tool for technical and scientific writing.

4.3.1 Inline Equations

For short equations that appear within the text, you can use inline math mode by enclosing the equation in dollar signs:

4.3.2 Display Equations

For larger equations that need to be centered and stand on their own, you can use the equation environment:

4.3.3 Mathematical Symbols

LaTeX supports an extensive set of symbols, including Greek letters and operators. Here are a few common ones:

Greek Letters: $\alpha$, $\beta$, $\gamma$, $\delta$, $\lambda$
Mathematical Operators: $\sum$, $\prod$, $\int$, $\frac{a}{b}$
Set Symbols: $\in$, $\cup$, $\cap$, $\subset$

The amsmath package provides even more advanced features for handling equations:

4.4 Lists in LaTeX

Lists are an essential element in any document, helping to organize information into bullets or numbered points. LaTeX provides several list environments to meet different needs.

4.4.1 Itemized Lists

An itemized list creates a bulleted list:

This will generate:

Second item

4.4.2 Enumerated Lists

An enumerated list creates a numbered list:

4.4.3 Descriptive Lists

A descriptive list allows you to define both terms and their descriptions:

4.5 Footnotes and Endnotes

Footnotes and endnotes are helpful for providing additional information without interrupting the flow of the main text.

4.5.1 Adding Footnotes

You can add footnotes anywhere in the document using the \footnote{} command:

4.5.2 Customizing Footnotes

If you want to change the numbering style of the footnotes, you can use:

4.6 Appendices

Appendices are used to include supplementary material that is important but not part of the main body of the text. LaTeX makes it easy to add appendices.

4.6.1 Creating Appendices

To create appendices in LaTeX, you simply use the \appendix command, which modifies the chapter and section numbering:

This will create a new appendix section, and chapters within the appendix will be labeled alphabetically (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B).

Chapter 5: Customizing Your LaTeX Thesis

5.1 customizing the title page.

The title page is one of the most important parts of your thesis, as it contains essential information like your name, the thesis title, and your institution. You can easily create a custom title page in LaTeX by using the title , author , and date commands, but many institutions have specific formatting requirements, so customization is often necessary.

5.1.1 Basic Title Page

A simple title page can be created using the \maketitle command. You define the title, author, and date at the beginning of your document:

This will generate a basic title page with the title, author name, and date centered on the page.

5.1.2 Customizing the Title Page Layout

To fully customize the layout of the title page, you can bypass the \maketitle command and create the title page manually using various LaTeX commands for positioning, fonts, and spacing:

In this example, the title is enlarged using \Huge and \textbf{} for bold text. You can adjust the vertical spacing with brackets like [1.5cm] or [1cm] to control the appearance.

5.1.3 Adding Logos or Images

If your institution requires a logo on the title page, you can use the graphicx package to insert an image:

This inserts a logo above the thesis title and positions it using the \centering and \includegraphics[] commands. You can adjust the width of the image and the spacing around it.

5.2 Customizing Fonts and Styles

LaTeX offers a variety of font options to customize the appearance of your thesis. You can change the entire document’s font or customize specific sections to stand out.

5.2.1 Changing the Overall Font

By default, LaTeX uses the Computer Modern font, but you can switch to other popular fonts using the fontspec package (for XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX) or packages like mathptmx for traditional LaTeX.

To change the font to Times New Roman (commonly used in theses), you can add:

If you’re using XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX, you can select any system font:

This will change the main font of the entire document to Times New Roman.

5.2.2 Customizing Specific Text

You can also change the font or style of specific parts of your thesis. For instance, to make a particular section bold or italicized:

5.2.3 Changing Font Sizes

If you want to customize the font size for specific parts of your thesis, LaTeX provides several options, ranging from \tiny to \Huge . You can use these to adjust the font size of headers, titles, or text:

5.3 Headers, Footers, and Page Numbers

Customizing the headers, footers, and page numbers is a common requirement for theses. LaTeX allows you to modify these elements using the fancyhdr package.

5.3.1 Using the fancyhdr Package

The fancyhdr package gives you full control over headers and footers, allowing you to insert text, section titles, and page numbers in various formats.

This example places the chapter title in the left side of the header and the page number in the right side of the footer. You can also add custom text or change the layout to suit your needs.

5.3.2 Page Numbering Options

Page numbers are usually required in theses, and LaTeX gives you several options for customizing them. You can control the position, style (e.g., Roman or Arabic numerals), and starting number.

To start with Roman numerals (typically for the front matter like the table of contents and abstract) and then switch to Arabic numerals for the main body:

You can also choose whether to place page numbers in the header or footer and whether they should be centered or aligned to the left or right.

5.4 Customizing Sections and Chapters

LaTeX automatically numbers sections, subsections, and chapters. However, you can customize how these numbers appear and modify the spacing or formatting around section titles.

5.4.1 Changing Section Numbering

If you want to change how sections and subsections are numbered (e.g., turning off section numbering), you can use the \section*{} and \chapter*{} commands to create unnumbered sections and chapters:

5.4.2 Customizing Chapter Titles

To customize the appearance of chapter titles, you can use the titlesec package:

This example formats the chapter title to be bold, large, and preceded by the word “Chapter.” The \chaptername and \thechapter commands ensure that both the word “Chapter” and its number appear.

5.4.3 Adjusting Spacing Around Titles

To modify the spacing before and after section or chapter titles, you can use the \titlespacing command:

This changes the space before and after chapter titles. The first value controls the indentation, the second controls the space before the title, and the third controls the space after.

5.5 Customizing Tables of Contents, Figures, and Tables

LaTeX automatically generates lists for the table of contents, figures, and tables. However, you may need to customize these lists for your thesis.

5.5.1 Customizing the Table of Contents

The tocloft package allows you to customize the table of contents (TOC) by adjusting the formatting and depth of sections included.

To modify the TOC depth (i.e., which levels are shown), use:

To format the appearance of the TOC:

5.5.2 Customizing the List of Figures and Tables

Similarly, you can adjust the formatting of the List of Figures or List of Tables by modifying their commands. Here’s an example of how to modify the appearance of figure captions:

This sets the figure labels to bold and the figure text to italics.

Chapter 6: Managing Citations and References

Managing references is one of the most important aspects of thesis writing. LaTeX simplifies this process with BibTeX.

Using BibTeX for Bibliography Create a .bib file for your references. Example:

In your LaTeX document, add the following commands:

Customizing Citation Styles You can change the citation style using different bibliography styles such as plain, ieeetr, or apa

Chapter 7: Creating Figures and Tables

Inserting figures and tables is crucial for academic writing. LaTeX provides a simple way to manage them.

Inserting Figures You can insert figures using the graphicx package:

Inserting Tables Tables are created using the tabular environment.

Chapter 8: Advanced Features for Thesis Writing

Cross-referencing Sections, Equations, and Figures You can cross-reference sections, figures, and equations using \label{} and \ref{}.

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LaTeX Theses and Dissertations

LaTeX Theses and Dissertatons

Tips and tools for writing your LaTeX thesis or dissertation in Overleaf, including templates, managing references , and getting started guides.

Managing References

BibTeX is a file format used for lists of references for LaTeX documents. Many citation management tools support the ability to export and import lists of references in .bib format. Some reference management tools can generate BibTeX files of your library or folders for use in your LaTeX documents.

LaTeX on Wikibooks has a Bibliography Management page.

Find list of BibTeX styles available on Overleaf here

View a video tutorial on how to include a bibliography using BibTeX here

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Collaboration tools

Every project you create has a secret link. Just send it to your co-authors, and they can review, comment and edit. Overleaf synchronizes changes from all authors, so everyone always has the latest version. More advanced tools include protected projects and integration with Git.

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Getting Started with Your Thesis or Dissertation

How to get started writing your thesis in LaTeX

Writing a thesis or dissertation in LaTeX can be challenging, but the end result is well worth it - nothing looks as good as a LaTeX-produced pdf, and for large documents it's a lot easier than fighting with formatting and cross-referencing in MS Word. Review this video from Overleaf to help you get started writing your thesis in LaTeX, using a standard thesis template from the Overleaf Gallery .

You can upload your own thesis template to the Overleaf Gallery if your university provides a set of LaTeX template files or you may find your university's thesis template already in the Overleaf Gallery.

This video assumes you've used LaTeX before and are familiar with the standard commands (see our other tutorial videos if not), and focuses on how to work with a large project split over multiple files.

How to Write your Thesis/Dissertation in LaTeX: A Five-Part Guide

Five-Part LaTeX Thesis/Dissertation Writing Guide

Part 1: Basic Structure corresponding video

Part 2: Page Layout corresponding video

Part 3: Figures, Subfigures and Tables corresponding video

Part 4: Bibliographies with Biblatex corresponding video

Part 5: Customizing Your Title Page and Abstract corresponding video

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Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, thesis templates.

The following thesis format templates should help you get started with formatting your thesis or dissertation. Georgia Tech provides free Overleaf Professional accounts for all students, faculty, and staff who would like to use the collaborative, online LaTeX editor for their projects.

LaTeX Template (.zip) - updated May 2020
Featured LaTeX templates on Overleaf
Word Thesis Template (.docx) - updated August 2016
Georgia Tech Engineering Reference Management System (GTERMS)

LaTeX Resources

LaTeX Project
Set the Quick Build command configuration to: “PdfLaTeX + Bib(la)tex) + PdfLaTeX (x2) + View Pdf”.
Use the Quick Build command to compile and view your .pdf file.
If you decide to use a “build” subdirectory for output files, you must point BibTeX to the proper subdirectory.

LaTeX is a powerful text processing and formatting tool that produces clean, consistent results. This high-quality typesetting system is a free service provided by Georgia Tech. It is available on many platforms and can be used with the editor of your choice. LaTeX is the de facto standard for the communication and publication of scientific documents.

Although Graduate Education does not offer direct technical support, Tech does provide help via campus partners such as the Library and Overleaf (online LaTeX editor). Please check the Library events page for courses on LaTex, or contact Overleaf directly.

Many students have also found useful tips for dealing with specific problems by entering keywords such as "LaTeX formatting table captions" in their favorite search engines.

Most Common LaTeX to PDF Problem

The most common problem we see with Electronic Theses & Dissertations (ETDs) created in LaTeX is the altering of the page size, particularly an increase of the bottom margin to more than one inch, and sometimes an accompanying decrease in the top and/or right margins to less than the requisite one inch. Less frequently, there will also be problems with figures disappearing or changing appearance. The sizing error may be introduced inadvertently during the conversion from .dvi to .pdf or .ps when the program doing the converting defaults to the A4 European page size. Always check your PDF file after conversion, even if your source file looked perfect.

The following fixes have been found by your fellow Tech graduate students and passed along to the Graduate Thesis Office. We hope they help you:

First, before converting the .tex file to .dvi, make sure the class header file in your .tex file says something like "\documentclass[12pt, letter]{article}".
If you are converting the resulting .dvi file to a .ps file, be sure the dvips options specify "-P pdf -t letter".
When you are converting to .pdf from either the .dvi file directly or from a .ps file, locate the C:\texmf\dvipdfm\config\config\ or analogous folder for PDFs in your system. Replace the line "p a4" with "p letter".

Check our frequently asked questions (FAQ) to see if your question has already been answered. Else, contact [email protected] .

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Masters/Doctoral Thesis

Description

This template provides a full framework for writing a graduate level thesis. It is carefully structured and separated into multiple parts for easy editing. Included are the following pages/sections: a cover page, declaration of authorship, quotation, abstract, acknowledgements, contents page(s), list of figures, list of tables, abbreviations, physical constants, symbols, dedication, example chapter, example appendix and bibliography. An example chapter is included which explains the basics of LaTeX and this template. It contains everything you need to know to begin writing your academic thesis using this template. Important note: this template comes as a zip file with multiple files and folders within it. It is worth reading the Chapter 1 introduction to the thesis to get an idea of what they do.

This second major version of this template was made by Vel . The thesis style was originally created by Steve R. Gunn and modified into a template by Sunil Patel .

Current Version

v2.5 (August 27, 2017)

This template is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license. Click here to see what this license means for your use of the template.

Open Template for Free Editing Online

Download template, have a question.

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This page last updated on: August 27, 2017

LaTeX Templates Information

General enquiries [email protected]

Most templates licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

LaTeX Templates is developed in Boston

IMAGES

How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX (Part 2): Page Layout
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How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX (Part 1): Basic Structure
IIT Bombay Thesis Template for LaTeX (LaTeX template

COMMENTS

How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX (Part 1): Basic Structure
The preamble. In this example, the main.tex file is the root document and is the .tex file that will draw the whole document together. The first thing we need to choose is a document class. The article class isn't designed for writing long documents (such as a thesis) so we'll choose the report class, but we could also choose the book class.. We can also change the font size by adding square ...
Basic thesis template
This Thesis LaTeX template is an ideal starting point for writing your PhD thesis, masters dissertation or final year project. The style is appropriate for most universities, and can be easily customised. This LaTeX template includes a title page, a declaration, an abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, list of figures/tables, a ...
LaTeX Templates
An academic thesis, also known as a dissertation, is a substantial work produced by a graduate student to communicate their research and earn a degree. A thesis will typically include a review of the current state of research in the field of study followed by a central hypothesis to be investigated. ... LaTeX Templates Information. General ...
Template for a Masters or Doctoral Thesis
This LaTeX template is used by many universities as the basis for thesis and dissertation submissions, and is a great way to get started if you haven't been ... An online LaTeX editor that's easy to use. No installation, real-time collaboration, version control, hundreds of LaTeX templates, and more.
Writing a thesis in LaTeX
Writing a thesis is a time-intensive endeavor. Fortunately, using LaTeX, you can focus on the content rather than the formatting of your thesis. The following article summarizes the most important aspects of writing a thesis in LaTeX, providing you with a document skeleton (at the end) and lots of additional tips and tricks. Document class
How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX: A Complete Guide
1.8 Getting Started with LaTeX. Before you start writing your thesis in LaTeX, you need to install a LaTeX distribution and a text editor. The most commonly used LaTeX distributions are TeX Live and MiKTeX, while popular LaTeX editors include TeXworks, Texmaker, and Overleaf (a cloud-based LaTeX editor).. Once your LaTeX environment is set up, you can start writing your thesis by creating a ...
LaTeX Theses and Dissertations
Writing a thesis or dissertation in LaTeX can be challenging, but the end result is well worth it - nothing looks as good as a LaTeX-produced pdf, and for large documents it's a lot easier than fighting with formatting and cross-referencing in MS Word. Review this video from Overleaf to help you get started writing your thesis in LaTeX, using a ...
Thesis Templates
The following thesis format templates should help you get started with formatting your thesis or dissertation. Georgia Tech provides free Overleaf Professional accounts for all students, faculty, and staff who would like to use the collaborative, online LaTeX editor for their projects. Templates. LaTeX Template (.zip) - updated May 2020;
LaTeX Templates
Masters/Doctoral Thesis. This template provides a full framework for writing a graduate level thesis. It is carefully structured and separated into multiple parts for easy editing. ... An example chapter is included which explains the basics of LaTeX and this template. It contains everything you need to know to begin writing your academic ...
PDF Writing a Master's Thesis in LaTeX
Writing a thesis in LaTeX A LaTeX document class has been developed, which follows the guidelines described in [17]. The usage of this class is described in Chapter2. The result can be customised and adapted to the master's programme guidelines with the class options. Additional functionality is available through numerous LaTeX packages (cf ...