1. Current Students
  2. Thesis and Dissertation
  3. Manuals and Templates

Manuals and Templates

Manuals and Other Essential Information

Please familiarize yourself with the Manual of General Formatting Requirements and make use of these helpful Sample Pages that are referenced in the Manual. 

For those composing an article-style dissertation, the Three Article Dissertation Guidelines should be consulted in conjunction with the traditional Manual. (Note: article-style master's theses are not permitted.)

Please read about ETD preparation prior to submitting your work to ProQuest.

More tips and help with writing style is available from J. Murrey Atkins Library.  

Use of Previously Published Material (including your own)

  • Students using reprints of previously published, copyrighted material may need to obtain permission from the publisher to use that material in the thesis or dissertation. You are responsible for securing permission even if you are using your own previously published material.
  • The necessary permission letter may be included in the thesis or dissertation appendices. Less ideally, it can be sent directly to ProQuest via email.
  • A sample reprint permission letter can be found on the Graduate School's website - Refer to Guide #4.
  • MIT Libraries provides a list of publisher policies regarding students' reuse of their previously published articles in their theses and dissertations, as well as policies on accepting journal submissions that first appeared in an author's previously released thesis or dissertation. 

For additional formatting information, please see our ETD Preparation page and our FAQs.

Templates

LaTeX (or LyX):  Thesis and Dissertation Templates created by Dr. Andrew Willis.  To download or copy the template visit overleaf.com.  You can also check the calendar at the Center for Graduate Life and Learning to find LaTex workshops each semester. 

Microsoft Word users may download and use these templates for the required front matter pages:

Accessibility and ADA Compliance


In accordance with UNC Charlotte's efforts to make educational and scholarly content available to everyone, the Graduate School asks that you do your best to make your Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) Accessible.  This means your document will be compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies which will widen the scope of who can access your ETD.

Checking Your ETD for Accessibility

Word: In the more recent versions of Word, click the "File" tab. Then click the "Check for Issues" button, and choose "Accessibility Check."   Please do your best to address any errors or warnings that arise. If you have trouble, visit Microsoft's Accessibility Training.

Adobe Acrobat: Choose "Tools" > "Accessibility." Then in the secondary toolbar, click "Full Check." Choose "Start Checking."  Please do your best to fix any failed items. You can right click each item and choose "Explain" for more information, or you can visit Adobe's Accessibility Tutorial.

Making Math Formulas Accessible to Screen Readers: Try this advice from Accessible Website Services or these instructions for making math accessible using MathType.