Formatting Guidelines, Templates, and Forms

Your disquisition must meet the Graduate School’s requirements for formatting and construction in order to obtain final approval. These requirements are intended to maintain a consistent standard of quality among all published NDSU disquisitions and to make sure that your disquisition reflects well upon your work as a student.

Graduate School Formatting Guidelines

Our formatting guidelines are available throughout our website as well as in a downloadable PDF (below). You can access the online formatting guidelines through the navigation bar at the top under Disquisitions as well as through the site map at the bottom of every page. You can find pages that have all the guidelines in one place for the major sections of your disquisition (e.g., prefatory pages, appendix, etc.) under the dropdown menu for this page in the navigation bar the top of our website. Additionally, the site map at the bottom shows the individual pages for each type of content (e.g., headings, tables/figures, etc.); these individual pages include both formatting requirements as well as short guides for troubleshooting common issues. (There is a grey "IN THIS SECTION" button that appears on the right of the breadcrumb bar that contains the complete directory of our site, too.)

We recommend that you review the disquisition formatting guidelines before you format your disquisition.

The Graduate School does not edit, proofread, or otherwise review disquisitions for content. You should proofread your text, images, and front and back matter prior to submitting your document to the Graduate School. Your disquisition content must be complete and approved by your committee before you begin the disquisition review process--your submission to the Graduate School indicates your intent to publish your document in its current form.

NDSU Disquisition Templates

NDSU’s Disquisition templates are designed to provide assistance in completing graduate dissertations, theses, and master’s papers. There is a template for numbered headings and a template for non-numbered headings. Each template provides the basic structure, styles, and automated Table of Contents and prefatory lists (based on styles) that will help you to quickly produce a document in keeping with our formatting guidelines.

We have a downloadable manual on using our templates (below) which explains the styles, the automations, and tips for further formatting. We strongly recommend that you consult this guide along with using our templates.

You can see a video demonstration of the templates and other matters of formatting with Word in our Word Crash Course video series. If you have any questions or would like further assistance with NDSU’s templates, both the Center for Writers and the Instructional Design Center (IDC) can provide assistance.

The disquisition templates have been designed to help you format your document, but they are complex documents with settings that you may not be familiar with. Review the following guides and familiarize yourself with the settings in the template in order to save you time and effort during your format review.

Disquisition Templates

Use the disquisition templates below to get started with a document that complies with the Graduate School Format Guidelines. You are encouraged to modify the existing settings and styles according to the conventions of your discipline or to your own preference, within the constraints of the Format Guidelines.

Individual Page Templates

Forms

You'll need to submit two separate copies of the Disquisition Approval page: one for the Graduate School files (Copy 1) and one to include in your disquisition (Copy 2).

Copy 1: For Graduate School Files ONLY

This copy requires original signatures from your committee and department chairperson, along with your student ID number. Submit it to the Graduate School before your disquisition review.

  1. Initiate the Disquisition Approval Page form on DocuSign.
  2. Type in the necessary information.
  3. Collect original signatures from your committee members and department chair.
  4. After all signatures are completed, the form will route to the Graduate School to add to your file.
Copy 2: Included in Your Disquisition

This copy has the same information as Copy 1, but no signatures or student ID number. Instead, type the names of your committee members, department chairperson, and the approval date. Do not submit a scanned image of Copy 1.

The NDSU template includes this page, but you may need a different copy if you have a co-chaired committee.

  1. Download the appropriate Copy 2 version based on your degree type (Ph.D., M.S., etc.).
  2. Type in all required information, including names and the approval date.
  3. Insert this page as the second page of your disquisition, directly after the Title page. This page should not have a page number.

You may wish to delay the release of your disquisition if your work is:

  • Under a patent application review or requires protection of proprietary material
  • Sensitive information provided by a data source
  • Academic or commercial publication

NDSU allows for a delayed release period of six months, one year, or two years. This period will begin on the final day of the semester in which you graduate, and will extend for the period requested. During this time, the disquisition will not be available to the public (including employers and other researchers) for the time requested. Additionally, if you have ordered printed copies through ProQuest, they will not be delivered until the end of the requested time period.

To request a delayed release of your disquisition:

  1. submit your disquisition, then
  2. complete the Delayed Release form.

You are welcome to begin the delayed release form before you submit your disquisition, but it will not be processed until you have submitted your disquisition. The completed form must be approved and signed by your adviser, your department chair or program director, and the graduate dean. While obtaining these signatures, consult with your adviser and your department to make sure a delayed release is necessary.

You will not be contacted regarding the expiration of your delayed release, and you are solely responsible for requesting any extensions to an approved delayed release.

Extending a Delayed Release

If you have a delayed release already in place, you may request an extension by contacting filing a Delayed Release Extension Form. Delayed release extensions may only be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. You will not be contacted regarding the expiration of your delayed release, and you are solely responsible for requesting any extensions to an approved delayed release.

Center for Writers