Headings

• Formatting – All headings of the same level must share the same formatting throughout the disquisition, including in appendices. For example, if a first level subheading in Chapter 1 is bold, center aligned, and uses title case, then first level subheadings in all other chapters and any appendices must use the same formatting.
• Running headers – Do not use running headers in the margins at the top of each page in the disquisition. Headings should appear only at the beginning of each section.

Major headings are used at the beginning of the main sections of the disquisition, such as on the Abstract page, the Acknowledgments page, and the first page of each chapter.

Major headings must use the following format:

• Location – At the top of the first page of a major section (prefatory section, chapter, or appendix).
• Alignment – Fully centered on the page.
• Case – Use ALL CAPS in the same type of font as the rest of the disquisition.
• Font style – Bold font is optional, but if one major heading is bolded, then all major headings in the disquisition must also be bolded.
• Font size – Use a font size no larger than four points larger than the normal text in the disquisition. For example, if your paragraph text is size 12, then the major headings can be no larger than size 16.
• Major headings must be included in the Table of Contents, including prefatory sections, chapter headings, and each appendix. Note: The Table of Contents should not include an entry for the “TABLE OF CONTENTS”.

Subheadings are used in chapters to subdivide the chapter content into subsections. If you use several levels of subheadings, the different levels of subheadings must be easily identifiable (either through numbering or formatting).

You can distinguish between different levels of subheadings using italics, bold font, underline, or alignment (centered or left). Subheadings of the same level must share the same formatting method throughout the entire disquisition, including chapters and appendices. For example, if the first level subheading of Chapter 1 is bolded and center aligned, then the first level subheadings in all other chapters and appendices must also use the same formatting.

Subheadings must meet the following requirements:

• All subheadings should be in either title case (capitalize all major words) or sentence case (capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns), but not both.
• Not begin a new page unless the heading appears at a natural page break.
• Not be orphaned from the first paragraph in the section. If a subheading appears on the bottom of a page and the first paragraph in the section appears on the next page, then move the subheading to the next page.
• Not be in ALL CAPS. Only major headings may be in ALL CAPS.
• For non-numbered headings, each level of subheading must use unique formatting for that level and this formatting must be consistent throughout the entire disquisition. For example, first level non-numbered subheadings must look different from second level non-numbered subheadings.
• All headings of the same level must share the same capitalization scheme. Sentence case capitalizes only the first word and proper nouns. Title case capitalizes all words except conjunctions, articles, and prepositions. Either method is acceptable, but it must be consistent.

Numbered headings vs. non-numbered headings

Using numbered headings is optional. When using numbered headings, the following apply:

• All subheadings in the disquisition must be numbered.
• You must number major headings for chapters, but do not number major headings outside the chapters, such as the prefatory pages or appendices. Unlike subheadings, the chapter numbers of major headings may be preceded with a label; for example, both "CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION" and "1. INTRODUCTION" are acceptable styles for a major heading.
• The heading number must be followed by a period, both in the text and in the Table of Contents. For example, the first subheading in the second chapter would be numbered “2.1. Title of Subheading”.

The first number in the section number must correspond to the chapter in which it appears. Subsequent numbers correspond to the heading level and order of appearance of the heading.

Numbered subheadings can use the same formatting method between levels, because the heading numbers indicate the heading level, though we recommend using different formatting for different heading levels to improve the readability of your document. If you use non-numbered headings, then each level of subheading must use a different formatting method to help differentiate between the superior and subordinate subheading.

No. You can have chapter headings like "Chapter 1. Introduction" or "Chapter One: Introduction" and use non-numbered subheadings. However, if you place a section number at the beginning of the major heading, such as "1. Introduction", then you should use numbered subheadings.

Note that you may also use numbered subheadings but not numbered major headings, however we strongly discourage you from doing so. First, having both major headings and subheadings numbered maintains consistency in style, and second, it is extremely difficult to maintain the correct section numbers on subheadings without having a numbered major heading in Word.

You're welcome to use bold and italics to draw attention to paragraph text, as part of your regular content (such as in a Latin name) or to emphasize something. However, it must be clear that the text is part of the paragraph text and not a heading. When using bold and italics in your paragraph text, we encourage you to think about what your intent is for your reader's experience, and whether they might be able to confuse your text for something else (such as a heading).