Dissertation Formatting Guide: APA, MLA & Chicago Styles Compared

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Dissertation formatting isn’t just about margins and fonts — it’s about matching your discipline, following institutional rules, and citing sources the way your reviewers expect. Pick the wrong style and your entire document could need a complete reformat.

Here’s what to know before you start:

* **APA** is standard for psychology, education, nursing, and all social sciences. It uses author-date citations and a dedicated title page with a running head (unless you’re a student).
* **MLA** dominates humanities — literature, languages, philosophy, cultural studies. It uses author-page citations, no title page, and treats your first page like a header.
* **Chicago** (18th edition, Sep 2024) is the default for history, arts, and many sciences. It offers two systems: notes-bibliography (footnotes) and author-date.

Most students skip the hardest part of formatting — realizing that their university’s graduate handbook **overrides** the style manual on things like title pages, pagination, and abstract requirements. We’ll cover what the style guide says, what your university actually requires, and how to reconcile the two.

## Which Style Fits Your Discipline? (Comparison Table)

Before you write a single page, you need to know which style guide your department expects. Here’s the breakdown:

This table captures the core differences at a glance. If you’re in psychology, you’ll use APA. If you’re studying Shakespeare, MLA is your default. If you’re writing about World War II, Chicago Notes-Bib is your standard. But before you assume your department follows discipline convention, check your graduate school handbook — institutional overrides matter more than discipline defaults.

## The Institutional Override Rule (Most Important for Dissertations)

Here’s the single most important thing most dissertation formatting guides get wrong: **your university’s rules supersede the style manual.**

A dissertation is a **two-layer document**. Layer one is the citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago) — it governs how you cite sources, format your bibliography, and structure your reference list. Layer two is your institution’s graduate school handbook — it governs your title page layout, abstract length, approval page format, pagination system, binding margins, and front-matter structure.

If your university requires a separate approval page with department chair signatures, that requirement trumps any style guide. If your graduate school specifies Roman numeral pagination for front matter and Arabic numerals starting Chapter 1, that trumps whatever the style manual says. The style manual is a **baseline** — institutional rules are the **actual submission requirements**.

Every dissertation I’ve seen formatted by students who ignored institutional overrides ended up needing revisions. Never assume the style guide is the whole picture. Your graduate school handbook is the final authority.

### Common Institutional Overrides

* **Title pages:** APA requires a specific format, but many universities add a declaration of originality, approval page, or copyright page.
* **Pagination:** The style guides say one thing; your university’s submission checklist says another. Roman + Arabic hybrid pagination is common in dissertations.
* **Abstract:** APA requires an abstract of 100-250 words. Many universities require longer (300-500 words) or specific formatting.
* **Binding margins:** APA specifies 1-inch margins, but dissertations with binding often need a 1.5-inch left margin (or a wider gutter margin).
* **Font size:** Most universities require 12-point font for body text. APA 7 allows 11-13 point for most fonts, but universities often lock the size.

## APA 7th Edition (The Social Sciences Standard)

APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition is the default for most social science dissertations. It became the dominant format for theses and dissertations in fields like psychology, education, sociology, and nursing.

### APA Formatting Basics

* **Margins:** 1-inch on all sides (top, bottom, right). Left margin may be wider (1.5 inches) for binding.
* **Font:** 12-point Times New Roman (or 11-point Arial, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Georgia, 11-point Computer Modern, 11-point Lucida Grande, 11-point Verdana). APA 7 is the first edition to allow alternatives beyond Times New Roman.
* **Spacing:** Double-spaced throughout the body text, including block quotes and the reference list.
* **Paragraph indentation:** First line of every paragraph indented 0.5 inches.
* **Page numbers:** Flush right, one inch from the top, on every page.

### The Student vs. Professional Distinction (Critical for Students)

APA 7 introduced a major change that trips up most students: **running heads are no longer required for student papers and theses.** If you’re submitting a dissertation as a student (not for publication), you do not need a running head. The running head is only required for professional or published work. This is the single most-ruled-by change from APA 6 to APA 7.

### APA Citation Style

* **In-text citations:** Use author-date format. Example: (Smith, 2021) or “According to Smith (2021)…”
* **Parenthetical vs. narrative:** Both are acceptable. Parenthetical: (Smith, 2021). Narrative: Smith (2021) found…
* **Multiple citations:** Group them with semicolons: (Smith, 2021; Jones, 2019)

### APA Reference List

* Headed “References” (not “Works Cited” or “Bibliography”)
* Hanging indent of 0.5 inches on every entry
* Alphabetical order by first author’s last name
* Double-spaced throughout

A reference list entry for a journal article in APA 7 looks like this:

> Smith, J. (2021). The title of the article. *Journal Name, 15*(2), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/yyyy

Notice: the journal title uses title case (only the first letter of the main word capitalized), the volume number is italicized, but the issue number is not. That’s APA 7.

## MLA 9th Edition (The Humanities Standard)

MLA (Modern Language Association) 9th edition is the default format for humanities dissertations — literature, language, philosophy, cultural studies, and related fields. MLA’s approach is fundamentally different from APA: it’s simpler, more flexible, and less prescriptive about structural elements.

### MLA Formatting Basics

* **Margins:** 1 inch on all sides.
* **Font:** 12-point Times New Roman (the conventional standard). MLA allows other readable fonts but requires them to be clearly legible.
* **Spacing:** Double-spaced throughout, including the Works Cited page.
* **Paragraph indentation:** First line of every paragraph indented 0.5 inches.
* **Page numbers:** Include your last name and page number in the header, flush right.

### MLA First Page Formatting

MLA doesn’t use a separate title page. Instead, the first page of your document doubles as the title page. You include a heading block in the upper left corner, centered title, and your name follows the heading:

> Last Name
> Professor’s Name
> Course
> Date (DD Month YYYY)
>
> Dissertation Title
>
> Your Name
> Department
> University
> Date

MLA does **not** use a running head, **does not** require a title page, and **does not** require an abstract — unless your department specifies these. If your department requires an abstract or title page, those are institutional overrides layered on top of MLA formatting.

### MLA Citation Style

* **In-text citations:** Use author-page format (no comma between author and page number). Example: (Smith 45) or (Smith 45-47) for a range.
* **No comma:** Unlike APA’s author-date format, MLA has no comma: it’s (Smith 45), not (Smith, 2021).
* **Multiple citations:** Separate with semicolons: (Smith 45; Jones 112)

MLA uses page numbers because humanities scholars typically quote or paraphrase from specific locations in primary sources. You need to show the exact page — that’s why the format is author-page.

### MLA Works Cited

* Headed “Works Cited” (not “References” or “Bibliography”)
* Hanging indent of 0.5 inches on every entry
* Alphabetical order by first author’s last name
* Double-spaced throughout

A Works Cited entry for a book in MLA 9 looks like this:

> Smith, John. *The Title of the Book*. Publisher, 2021.

Notice: MLA italicizes the book title but not the journal article title. The container (the journal or database it’s in) comes after. MLA’s citation structure is designed to show the chain of sources from the main text outward.

## Chicago Manual of Style 18th Edition (The History and Arts Standard)

Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition, September 2024) is the standard for history, arts, fine arts, and some sciences. Chicago offers two distinct citation systems: Notes-Bibliography (footnotes) and Author-Date. Your department will specify which one you need.

### Chicago 18th Edition Changes (Released September 2024)

The Chicago Manual of Style recently moved from the 17th to the 18th edition. Here’s what changed and why it matters for your dissertation:

1. **City of publication omitted.** Bibliographic entries no longer include the city of publication. This is a simplification — the publisher’s location is no longer required.
2. **Word-by-word alphabetizing.** Bibliographies now use word-by-word alphabetizing (not stick-and-slide), meaning entries are sorted exactly as they appear, word by word.
3. **3-em dashes removed.** The style no longer uses 3-em dashes to indicate identical authors (like the old system did). Entries are now fully rewritten.
4. **Simplified chapter page ranges.** Chapter references now use simplified page ranges (e.g., “ch. 3” instead of “chap. 3”).
5. **AI and Indigenous source guidance.** New formal guidance for citing AI-generated content and Indigenous oral traditions.

These changes mean any guide still citing Chicago 17th edition is outdated. If your department uses Chicago style, update your citations to reflect the 18th edition rules.

### Chicago Notes-Bibliography System (Footnotes)

* **In-text notes:** Use superscript numbers in the text, with full citations as footnotes or endnotes.
* **First citation:** Full bibliographic entry with all details.
* **Subsequent citations:** Shortened form: (Smith, *Title*, 55) — author, italicized title, page number.
* **Bibliography:** Comprehensive list at the end of the document.

Chicago Notes-Bib is the most traditional citation system and is preferred in history, the humanities, and the arts. It allows for extended commentary alongside citations, which is valuable when you’re analyzing sources in detail.

### Chicago Author-Date System

* **In-text citations:** Same author-date format as APA: (Smith 2021) or (Smith, 2021)
* **Bibliography or References:** Comprehensive list at the end of the document
* **Footnotes:** Used sparingly, primarily for explanatory notes (not citations)

Chicago Author-Date is increasingly common in the sciences and is preferred when the text-heavy notes system feels cumbersome. Many departments accept either system.

## Margins, Spacing & Font (Universal Rules Across All Three Styles)

Before we dive into the differences, here’s what all three styles share:

* **1-inch margins** on all sides (top, bottom, right, left) — this is the near-universal rule. If binding requires extra space on the left, add 0.5 inches there.
* **Double-spaced body text** — this is the standard across APA 7, MLA 9, and Chicago 18. No single-spaced paragraphs in the main body.
* **12-point Times New Roman** — this is the conventional default. APA 7 allows 11-point alternatives (Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Computer Modern, Lucida Grande, Verdana) but most universities still lock Times New Roman as mandatory.
* **Hanging indent (0.5 inches)** on all reference lists, works cited, and bibliographies — this is standard across all three styles.
* **Page numbers** — flush right or flush left, depending on the style.

## How to Choose the Right Style (Decision Guide)

Still unsure which format to use? Here’s a quick decision tree:

1. **Check your department.** Ask your dissertation chair or department guidelines. They will tell you the required style — don’t guess.
2. **Check your graduate school.** The graduate handbook usually specifies the formatting requirements independently of the department’s citation style.
3. **Check the style guide.** If your department hasn’t decided, use discipline convention: APA for social sciences, MLA for humanities, Chicago for history/arts.
4. **Verify before committing.** Formatting your entire dissertation in the wrong style is the most common and most costly mistake students make. Double-check everything before you start writing.

## Template Recommendations for Your Formatting

Many students look for downloadable Word templates to streamline the process. Here are reliable sources:

* **Typetex:** Offers free APA, MLA, and Chicago thesis templates for Word. The templates include pre-formatted title pages, headings, and reference lists.
* **GenText AI:** Provides AI-generated Word templates with built-in formatting rules for all three citation styles.
* **University resources:** Many graduate schools host their own template downloads — always check first before downloading a generic template.

Building a custom Word template is often the safest option. Set your styles for headings (APA’s heading levels vs. MLA’s simple structure vs. Chicago’s flexible hierarchy), configure your hanging indents, and save as a template (.dotx file). This way, every new section follows the correct formatting automatically.

## Common Formatting Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Here are the most frequent formatting errors I see students make across all three styles:

1. **Using the wrong citation system for Chicago.** Students often default to footnotes (Notes-Bib) when their department requires Author-Date — or vice versa.
2. **Including a running head when you’re a student.** APA 7 removes the running head requirement for student work. Don’t add one.
3. **Putting a title page when MLA expects a heading block.** MLA doesn’t use a title page unless your department requires it.
4. **Citing Chicago with the 17th edition rules.** The 18th edition changes are real — update your bibliography alphabetizing and chapter page ranges.
5. **Ignoring your graduate school’s pagination rules.** Many departments require Roman numerals for front matter and Arabic numerals for Chapter 1 onward. Style guides don’t specify this — your graduate school does.

## The Bottom Line

Pick your style based on discipline, verify it with your department, and then check your graduate school’s specific formatting requirements. The style guide gives you the citation and reference formatting — the graduate handbook gives you the submission structure. Together, they make a dissertation that looks professional, reads correctly, and doesn’t require a single revision for formatting errors.

If you’re unsure about which style to use, start with the discipline convention table above, then verify with your department. The few minutes you spend confirming the right format upfront save hours of reformatting later.

## Related Guides

* [Research Hypothesis Writing Guide: Examples for Every Study Type](https://topdissertations.com/research-hypothesis-writing-guide/) — Covers hypothesis development across study types
* [Dissertation Peer Review Process: How to Give and Receive Constructive Feedback](https://topdissertations.com/dissertation-peer-review-process-give-receive-constructive-feedback/) — Learn how to get and give useful feedback before submission
* [How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement for PhD Dissertation](https://topdissertations.com/how-to-write-strong-thesis-statement-phd-dissertation/) — Thesis statement quality checklist and examples

## FAQ

### Can I mix citation styles in one dissertation?

No. Pick one citation style and stick with it throughout the entire document. Mixing APA in-text citations with Chicago footnotes will confuse reviewers and reviewers will mark it down. If your department allows mixed systems, use them consistently across all chapters.

### What if my department doesn’t specify a citation style?

Use discipline convention. APA for social sciences and education. MLA for humanities and literature. Chicago for history and the arts. When in doubt, ask your dissertation chair — don’t assume.

### Does every dissertation need an abstract?

APA requires one. MLA doesn’t require one unless your department specifies it. Chicago treats it as optional and discipline-dependent. Check your graduate school handbook before including one.

### How long should an abstract be?

APA requires 100-250 words. Many universities require longer (300-500 words). Your graduate school’s submission checklist will specify the exact word count.

### What font size is required for a dissertation?

Most universities require 12-point Times New Roman. APA 7 allows 11-point alternatives (Arial, Calibri, Georgia, etc.) but many institutions lock the font and size. Always verify with your graduate school first.