PhD Thesis Formatting APA 7th Edition: Complete Checklist

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PhD Thesis Formatting in APA 7th Edition: Your Pre-Submission Checklist

Your PhD thesis is the culmination of years of research. But formatting errors alone can trigger revisions that delay your defense — even when your content is solid. According to university graduate school guidelines, improper formatting is among the top reasons doctoral candidates face multiple revision rounds.

This checklist walks through every thesis-specific element in APA 7th edition, from the professional title page to the signature page, so you can verify compliance before submission. Think of it as a final quality gate.

APA 7th edition requires 1-inch margins, 12pt Times New Roman (or 11pt Arial/Georgia), and double-spacing throughout
PhD theses use the professional title page format, not the student version
Preliminary pages are numbered with Roman numerals (i, ii, iii); the main body starts at Arabic numeral 1
APA’s Publication Manual has no official stance on Table of Contents formatting — universities set the convention
Signature pages are widely required for PhD dissertation submission but rarely mentioned in APA guidelines

Run through this checklist methodically, item by item, and you’ll catch the errors most PhD students miss on the last pass.

Table of Contents: What APA Doesn’t Cover (and What Universities Do)

Here’s a detail most formatting guides won’t tell you: the APA Publication Manual has no official position on how a thesis table of contents should be formatted. It’s not mentioned in the manual. Yet every doctoral program requires one.

Regis College’s dissertation formatting guide explicitly confirms this, noting that students must rely on institutional guidelines or departmental convention for Table of Contents layout.

That creates a real information gap. This is where university requirements meet the absence of a published standard.

What a standard thesis Table of Contents includes

Title: “Table of Contents” centered, bold, on its own page
Entries: List all sections and subsections in hierarchical order
Formatting: Page numbers right-aligned; use dotted leaders between heading and number
Level 1 sections: Flush left, bold
Level 2 subsections: Indented (typically 0.5 inches), flush left, non-bold
Level 3 subsections: Indented further (typically 1 inch), flush left, non-bold

Pagination: the Roman numeral sequence

Preliminary pages use Roman numeral pagination, counting from the title page onward:

Title page: i
Abstract: ii
Table of Contents: iii
List of Figures (if applicable): iv
List of Tables (if applicable): v
Preface/Acknowledgments: vi (optional)

The main body then switches to Arabic numerals, starting at page 1 with Chapter 1.

Decision point: Some universities require the title page to be unnumbered (the number appears only on the second page). Always verify your graduate school’s specific guidelines before finalizing.

Tip: In Microsoft Word, use Page Numbers → Bottom of Page → Page Number → Format Page Numbers → choose “Roman” for the preliminary section, then break the section and switch to “Arabic” for the main body. This avoids manual numbering, which breaks when chapters shift.

Pro tip: Our comprehensive APA formatting guide for dissertations covers all core formatting fundamentals — margins, fonts, spacing, headings, and citations — but this checklist goes deeper on thesis-specific structural elements that most students overlook.

Title Page: The Professional Format PhD Students Need

Most PhD candidates don’t realize their thesis requires a professional title page format — not the student version used for class papers. This distinction matters because the two formats serve completely different purposes.

The student format was built for coursework (instructor reads, known audience, course number, due date). The professional format was built for manuscripts headed past the committee toward publication — journal submission, institutional repository, and beyond.

A PhD thesis lives in that second category. Even though it’s an academic assignment rather than a journal submission, it follows the professional format because the audience, distribution scope, and institutional requirements all mirror publication standards.

Professional title page: line by line

Every element on a professional title page is centered and double-spaced:

Running head: Shortened title (≤50 characters), ALL CAPS, flush left in the header. Under APA 7, the label “Running head:” was eliminated — only the shortened title appears in the header. (Note: Some universities still require “Running head:” — verify.)
Page number: Flush right in the header (same line as running head)
Title: Bold, title case, centered 3-4 lines down from the top of the page
Author name: Your full name, centered, below the title
Author note: Includes institutional affiliation, department, degree goal
Collaborator acknowledgments (optional): Acknowledge committee members, funding sources
Correspondence note (optional): Email or contact information

Example title page layout:

Running head: SHORTENED TITLE

                                               1

                    The Effects of Social Media on 
                  Academic Performance Among 
                    College Students

                       Jordan Lee

              Department of Psychology, 
                   State University

                    Acknowledgments: This research
                   was supported by Grant #XYZ from
                   the National Science Foundation.

                            j.lee@stateuniversity.edu

Student vs professional: the three critical differences

Element	Student format	Professional format (your thesis)
Running head	Not required	Required (≤50 characters, ALL CAPS)
Author note	Not included	Required (affiliation, acknowledgments)
Course/instructor/date	Required	Not included

If you use the student format for your thesis, your committee will flag it on the first pass. If you use the professional format, they’ll expect the running head and author note.

Word processor tip: In Word, go to Insert → Header. Type the running head flush left, then add the page number flush right. Don’t use the built-in “Running head” field — that’s an APA 6 artifact. Under APA 7, the header contains only the shortened title and page number.

Abstract Formatting: Rules Beyond the Basics

The abstract is often the first — and sometimes the only — section committee members read carefully before your full defense. It deserves precise formatting.

Abstract page specifications

Heading: “Abstract” centered, bold, on its own line above the abstract text (no italics, no underline)
Placement: New page immediately after the title page
Length: 150–250 words (verify your department’s specific requirement)
Formatting: Double-spaced, 1-inch margins, no paragraph indentation
Content: Summarize research problem, methods, results, and conclusions in a single paragraph

Abstract keywords

APA 7 requires keywords following the abstract. The keyword heading reads “Keywords:” (italicized, flush left), followed by each keyword separated by a comma.

No numbering: Keywords are not listed with bullets or numbers
First keyword: Capitalized (first word of the sentence-style heading)
Subsequent keywords: Lowercase unless they’re proper nouns

Example:

Keywords: social media, academic performance, college students, longitudinal study

Critical abstract rules

Do not cite references in the abstract unless absolutely necessary
Do not include figures, tables, footnotes, or equations
Never copy and paste from your introduction — write a concise, standalone summary
Check APA Style’s abstract keywords guide for detailed formatting: apastyle.apa.org/abstract-keywords-guide

The Five-Level Heading System: Complete Formatting Guide

APA 7th edition uses a five-level heading hierarchy to structure your thesis. Unlike numbered outlines, APA headings use formatting variations to show hierarchy — no numbers, no letters.

This section is the most mechanically detailed part of any APA formatting guide. If you get even one level wrong, the whole document looks uneven to a committee member.

The five heading levels, formatted

Level	Alignment	Weight	Capitalization	Punctuation	Text location
Level 1	Centered	Bold	Title case	None (no period)	New paragraph, next line
Level 2	Flush left	Bold	Title case	None (no period)	New paragraph, next line
Level 3	Flush left	Bold Italic	Title case	None (no period)	New paragraph, next line
Level 4	Indented 0.5″	Bold	Title case	Period at end	Same line, runs in
Level 5	Indented 0.5″	Bold Italic	Title case	Period at end	Same line, runs in

Important rule: ALL five heading levels use title case capitalization. A common mistake is using sentence case for Levels 2-5 — that’s incorrect under APA 7. Every heading level uses title case.

Real example structure

Method (Level 1, centered, bold)

Participant Characteristics (Level 2, flush left, bold)

Online Surveys (Level 3, flush left, bold italic)

Interview Protocol (Level 3, flush left, bold italic)

Phase 1. (Level 4, indented, bold, period) Description of phase one procedures follows…

Phase 2. (Level 4, indented, bold, period) Description of phase two procedures follows…

Critical heading rules

Never skip a level: You cannot go from Level 1 directly to Level 3. If you use Level 3, you must have at least two Level 2 headings in that section.
Introduction doesn’t need a heading: The paper’s title serves as the implicit introduction. Your first actual heading should be whatever follows.
At least two headings per level: Don’t use a Level 2 heading for a single subsection. If you have only one subsection, bump it to Level 1.
Consistent spacing: Double-space before and after headings. Never add extra blank lines above or below.
Same font throughout: Headings use the same font as body text — never switch to a display or larger font.

Decision point: Most PhD thesis chapters use Level 1 and Level 2 headings primarily. Level 3 appears in methodology or results sections. Levels 4 and 5 are rare in doctoral work — if you need them, consider whether your structure reflects over-structuring rather than genuine organizational clarity.

Word processor tip: Build each level as a Word style (Heading 1 through Heading 5) rather than formatting headings manually. This prevents format drift as you draft — the formatting lives in one place, and you apply it with a single click.

List of Figures and List of Tables: Formatting Requirements

PhD theses with multiple figures and tables need dedicated preliminary pages. These are not optional extras — they’re required structural elements.

List of Figures (LOF)

Heading: “List of Figures” centered, bold, on its own page
Entries: Figure number (bold) + figure title (regular, same line)
Format: Figure 1. Title of figure. Page number right-aligned
Order: Figures listed in sequential numerical order
Formatting: Dotted leaders between figure number/title and page number

List of Tables (LOT)

Heading: “List of Tables” centered, bold, on its own page
Entries: Table number (bold) + table title (regular, same line)
Format: Table 1. Title of table. Page number right-aligned
Order: Tables listed in sequential numerical order
Formatting: Dotted leaders between table number/title and page number

Numbering rules

Tables and figures use independent numbering: Tables get their own sequential sequence (Table 1, Table 2, Table 3…) and figures get their own (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3…). They do not share combined numbering.
Number by chapter: Many doctoral programs number figures and tables by chapter (e.g., Figure 1.1, Figure 1.2 for Chapter 1; Figure 2.1, Figure 2.2 for Chapter 2). Verify your department’s convention.
Referencing: Always reference figures and tables by number in text (“see Figure 3”), never by position (“see the figure above”).

Pagination: Roman Numerals and Arabic Numerals Explained

Understanding the pagination sequence is one of the most common areas of confusion for PhD candidates. Let’s map it out clearly.

Preliminary pages (Roman numerals)

Page	Content	Number
1	Title page	i
2	Abstract	ii
3	Table of Contents	iii
4	List of Figures	iv
5	List of Tables	v
6	Acknowledgments (if included)	vi

Main body (Arabic numerals)

Page	Content	Number
1	Chapter 1: Introduction	1
2	Chapter 2: Literature Review	2
3	Chapter 3: Methodology	3
…	…	…

References (Arabic numerals continue)

Page	Content	Number
1	References	(continues from main body)

Appendices (Arabic numerals continue)

Page	Content	Number
1	Appendix A: Survey Instrument	(continues)
2	Appendix B: Interview Transcripts	(continues)

Critical: Some universities require the title page to be unnumbered (the number appears only on the abstract page). Others count the title page as page i with the number not displayed. Always verify your graduate school’s guidelines.

Word processor tip: Use Word’s Section Break feature to separate preliminary pages from the main body. Set one section to Roman numerals (start at i) and another section to Arabic numerals (start at 1). This prevents numbering conflicts when chapters shift.

Signature Page: The Element Most Guides Forget

The signature page is required by most PhD programs for dissertation defense, yet it’s rarely covered by APA formatting guides. This section exists to document official committee approval.

Standard signature page format

Heading: “Signature Page” centered, bold, at the top of the page
Content: Spaces for signatures of each committee member (chairperson, co-chairs, committee members)
Format: Include name, title/role, and signature line for each member
Dates: Each signature should include the date of approval
Placement: New page before the main body

Typical structure

SIGNATURE PAGE

Chairperson: Dr. Jane Smith
Signature: _________________________
Date: _____________________________

Co-Chair: Dr. Robert Johnson
Signature: _________________________
Date: _____________________________

Committee Member: Dr. Maria Torres
Signature: _________________________
Date: _____________________________

Committee Member: Dr. David Chen
Signature: _________________________
Date: _____________________________

Important notes

Format varies by institution: Signature page layouts differ significantly across universities. Your graduate school’s template takes precedence over any APA convention.
Check your department template: Most PhD programs provide an official signature page template. Use it exactly.
Don’t omit it: Failing to include a properly formatted signature page can delay your defense or trigger a revision requirement.

Margin, Font, and Spacing: Quick Verification

Before you get lost in structural details, verify these baseline formatting requirements:

Margins

Standard: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides
Exception: Many universities require a 1.5-inch left margin for binding. This is one of the most frequently missed requirements.
Action: Check your graduate school’s template. If they require 1.5 inches left, that overrides APA’s 1-inch standard.

Font

Primary: 12-point Times New Roman (preferred)
Acceptable alternatives: 11-point Arial, 11-point Georgia, 10-point Computer Modern (LaTeX)
Rule: Use the same font throughout the entire document — including headings, tables, and captions

Spacing

Requirement: Double-spacing throughout (abstract, body text, headings, references, table notes)
No extra spacing: No blank lines before/after paragraphs, no extra space before/after headings
Left-align only: Text is left-justified with a “ragged” right margin — never use full justification

Paragraph indents

Standard: 0.5-inch first-line indent for each paragraph
Implementation: Use Word’s paragraph formatting (not manual tabs or spaces)
Block quotes: Indented 0.5 inches from the left margin on all sides (no quotation marks needed for 40+ word quotes)

Tables and Figures: PhD-Level Formatting

Tables and figures in a PhD thesis follow the same APA 7 rules as in shorter papers, but the volume of content makes consistency harder to maintain.

Tables

Number: Bold, left-aligned (Table 1, Table 2…)
Title: Italicized, title case, on same line as number
Lines: Horizontal lines only (no vertical lines). Minimal horizontal lines for headers and borders.
Font: 12-point Times New Roman for header; 10–14 point for table body
Notes: Below table, double-spaced, for explanations/abbreviations/attributions
Capitalization: Title uses sentence case (only first word and proper nouns capitalized)

Figures

Label: “Figure X” in bold, left-aligned above the figure
Title: Italicized, title case, on title line below figure (or on same line as label)
Axes: Clearly labeled with units of measurement
Resolution: Minimum 300 dpi for print quality
Attribution: Include copyright attribution for any reprinted or converted figures

Word Processor Tips: Word and Google Docs

Here’s what most formatting guides don’t mention: the tools themselves matter. Getting APA formatting right in Word or Google Docs is mostly a matter of using the right settings, not manual formatting.

Microsoft Word

Heading styles: Build APA heading levels as custom Word styles (Heading 1–5). This prevents format drift.
Hanging indents: Paragraph settings → Special → Hanging → 0.5 inches. Never use Tab or spacebar.
Section breaks: Use Section Break (Next Page) to switch Roman numeral pagination to Arabic.
Page numbers: Insert → Page Number → Top of Page → Align right. Use Page Number Format to switch between Roman and Arabic.
Margins: Layout → Margins → Custom → 1 inch all sides (or 1.5 left if required).
Double-spacing: Home → Paragraph → Line and Paragraph Spacing → 2.0. Set Before/After to 0pt.

Google Docs

Heading styles: Similar to Word — apply Heading 1 through Heading 5 styles, then modify formatting via Format → Styles.
Hanging indents: Use the ruler to drag the left indent marker. No built-in hanging indent option.
Page numbers: Insert → Page numbers → choose top-right alignment.
Margins: File → Page setup → custom margins.
Double-spacing: Format → Line & paragraph spacing → Double.

Key tip: If you start from a university template, verify that the template hasn’t silently changed margins, fonts, or spacing. This is how errors survive from the beginning.

University Override Warnings

A note that every PhD student needs to hear: your university’s formatting requirements supersede APA guidelines.

Every doctoral program has its own graduate school template. Many override APA conventions on:

Title page structure
Running head requirements
Signature page layout
TOC and LOF/LOT formatting
Margin exceptions (1.5″ left for binding)
Font preferences
Heading style conventions

Always check first. Read your graduate school’s formatting guidelines before applying any APA rule. The APA Publication Manual is a style guide — your university’s requirements are submission requirements. They win.

Final Pre-Submission Checklist

Use this as your final quality gate. Go through every item systematically.

Document setup

[ ] All margins are exactly 1 inch (unless university requires 1.5″ left for binding)
[ ] Font is consistent throughout (12pt Times New Roman or approved alternative)
[ ] Entire document is double-spaced (including headings, references, table notes)
[ ] No extra spaces before/after paragraphs or headings
[ ] Text is left-aligned (ragged right), never fully justified
[ ] Paragraph indents are 0.5 inches using paragraph formatting, not Tab

Title page (professional format)

[ ] Running head: shortened title ≤50 characters, ALL CAPS, flush left
[ ] Running head label “Running head:” absent (APA 7 eliminated it)
[ ] Page number flush right in header (same line as running head)
[ ] Title bold, centered, title case, 3-4 lines down from top
[ ] Author name centered below title
[ ] Institutional affiliation included
[ ] No course number, instructor name, or due date (professional format, not student)

Preliminary pages

[ ] Abstract heading centered and bold
[ ] Abstract is 150-250 words (verify department requirement)
[ ] Keywords listed after abstract, italicized heading, comma-separated
[ ] Table of Contents: hierarchical entries with dotted leaders
[ ] List of Figures and List of Tables: sequential, bold number, dotted leaders
[ ] Pagination sequence correct: Roman numerals (i, ii, iii…) for preliminary, Arabic (1, 2, 3…) for main body
[ ] Title page number convention verified (unnumbered vs. counted as i)

Headings

[ ] All five levels use title case capitalization
[ ] No heading levels are skipped
[ ] At least two headings at each level used
[ ] No numbering on headings (APA doesn’t use 1, 2, 3)
[ ] Introduction does not have a heading

Main body

[ ] Tables and figures numbered independently (separate sequences)
[ ] All tables/figures referenced by number in text
[ ] Tables use horizontal lines only, no vertical lines
[ ] Figures have minimum 300 dpi resolution
[ ] Signature page included with committee member signatures

References

[ ] “References” heading centered and bold on new page
[ ] Entries alphabetized by first author’s last name
[ ] Hanging indents (0.5 inches) applied via paragraph settings
[ ] DOIs included for all digital sources (https://doi.org/ format)
[ ] Journal titles use title case; article titles use sentence case
[ ] No “Retrieved from” before URLs

Final checks

[ ] University formatting guidelines verified and followed
[ ] No widows or orphans on any page
[ ] Font embedding verified in final PDF
[ ] Backup copy saved

Next Steps: When Formatting Feels Overwhelming

A 150+ page thesis with dozens of formatting rules to track is a lot to manage alone — especially alongside writing, committee feedback, and defense preparation. Small formatting errors can cascade into significant delays.

If you need support, our professional dissertation formatting services handle complete APA 7th edition compliance, from title page to appendices. We include reference list validation, heading hierarchy verification, table/figure optimization, and university-specific customization.

You can get a quote for formatting services or place an order directly. Our team includes 500+ qualified writers with PhD degrees, and we offer 24/7 support if you have questions.

Conclusion: Formatting Is a Professional Practice

APA 7th edition formatting isn’t about arbitrary rules. It’s about scholarly communication — making your research navigable, credible, and professional. Consistent formatting helps committee members focus on your ideas rather than troubleshooting your document structure.

This checklist covers the thesis-specific elements most formatting guides leave out: the professional title page, TOC conventions, List of Figures, List of Tables, and the Signature Page. Run through it methodically before submission, verify your university’s template requirements, and don’t hesitate to seek professional assistance when formatting complexity threatens your timeline.

Your doctoral research deserves a polished, compliant presentation. Make formatting work for you, not against you.

Related resources

APA formatting for dissertations: the complete 7th edition guide — comprehensive coverage of margins, fonts, headings, citations, and references
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