A dissertation is a hallmark of the research experiments conducted by a doctoral student at any university. Similarly, the officials also consider it a scholarly contribution to the existing knowledge in the student’s area of specialisation. That’s why, the FIU dissertation format must be on point so the work of students seems credible enough.
As you already know, writing a dissertation is a prodigious task, but formatting it properly is another. With a few key tricks and tips, you can easily meet all these requirements of your FIU dissertation format. Not only that, you will be able to create a professional, refined and polished final product.
To help you with it, the dissertation writers of The Academic Papers UK have crafted this formatting guide for you. They have a wealth of experience crafting such papers and have mastered the art of thesis formatting, so they can better assist you in fulfilling the composing requirements of your doctoral papers.
This guidance-pack article addresses all the common formatting errors in FIU students’ dissertations. Let’s explore the details further.
Does FIU Require a Thesis?
Per the FIU College of Arts, Sciences and Education, students have to complete their courses and 30 hours of coursework. After that, they must write and submit a Master’s thesis for getting their graduate degree. Such a thesis is a significant contribution towards appreciation and comprehension of some aspects of the discipline.
How to Format FIU Dissertation? 13 Tips and Tricks
A majority of students use Microsoft Word to craft their doctoral papers. It’s because the entire process is easy that way. Also, the formatting options of MS Word are diverse and one can even use templates for the purpose. So, you need to follow these guidelines to keep your FIU dissertation format on point:
- Page Formatting
You should use the standard A4 page format for your doctoral papers as per the FIU dissertation format. Also, there should be a margin of around 2.5cm from all sides of the paper. Furthermore, you should keep in mind that your thesis is going to be printed. You must keep all the margins long and large enough.
- Line Spacing and Text Size
As per the FIU dissertation format, you should use the 11 or 12-point characters of the text/font. Also, the line spacing should be at a distance of 1.5. Furthermore, the footnotes should be single-line spaced and 10 points in character. Keep the footnotes and text justified and aligned properly.
- Font
As far as the font of your FIU dissertation format is concerned, you should pick a font your university suggests. Also, you should go for something which provides an entire character set, such as the following:
- Times New Roman
- Arial
However, if you have to craft your dissertation in a language other than English, follow the concerned language rules.
- Pagination
Remember that you have to keep all the text of your papers paginated throughout bibliographies, notes, and annexes. As you will have to print the full thesis by the double sides, ensure that you add blank pages wherever necessary!
Here is a tip: if a chapter ends at an odd-numbered page, e.g., 271, insert 272 as a blank page. Also, the new chapter should start at 273. If you are adding an automatic Table of Contents, you must double-check to see if it’s correct.
Also, you will have to use Roman numbers for the Table of Contents, title and acknowledgements. However, again, you must check the instructions from your department before doing so.
- Headers and Footers
The FIU dissertation format requires students to keep the running heads and page numbers near the edges of papers. So, to insert the headers and footers, you can right-click on the bottom of the page and edit it. You can choose the Edit Footer or view the Header and Footer Design Tab for the said purpose. All you need to do is configure the position of the header and footer from the edge of the paper.
On MS Word, you will find the headers and footers portion in the Insert tab. There, you can choose what to add to your papers.
- Pictures and Tables
You must insert all the tables, pages, graphs and figures in the text directly wherever they belong. Also, don’t forget to add captions for the captions and figures. Keep all the tables on one side of the page, and never divide a table between multiple different pages. Furthermore, avoid using bright, too bold or distracting colours in graphs or tables. Instead, you should go for bold, punctuated or dashed lines for images.
- Language Correction
All formatting guidelines aside, the most important thing for the FIU dissertation format is that the language must be correct. Imagine this: you pay attention to all the formatting requirements and fulfil them as well, but ignore the language. Of course, it is going to leave a terrible impression on your readers, and ultimately, your marks will be deducted.
That’s why the language must be clear, concise and on-point. Furthermore, you should avoid using too much jargon in your work. However, if you are not too clear about it all, get dissertation help online from professional sources. You can save your time and effort that way.
- Cover Pages
The title page of your FIU dissertation format must be in accordance with the university’s guidelines. So, it will be better to review a couple of dissertation examples from the institute’s library. You can even also ask the administrative assistant to help you in this regard.
Furthermore, pay close attention to the paragraph formatting and font type of your cover page. Know that it’s the very first page a reader sees, so it must leave a good impression on their minds.
Furthermore, the title page must also fulfil the requirements of the university department.
- Thesis Abstract
The thesis abstract, as per FIU dissertation format, provides a summary of your work to readers. So, insert the thesis summary (for up to 300 words only or slightly above) after the Researcher Declaration part. However, keep in mind that it will come before the Table of Contents part. Don’t make the mistake of keeping your thesis abstract too long because it will eventually bore your readers.
- Table of Contents
Well, you can add the Table of Contents directly from the MS Word features. For adding it, use capital letters. It is necessary because such letters create the difference between the main chapters and the sub-chapters. Also, regardless of the chapter’s nature, the page numbers should all be the same size.
You should also view the instructions for the FIU dissertation format when crafting this section. Per the official sources, here is a sample way of organising your Table of Contents:
Also, we have added another sample example for the List of Tables that you can review for your work. We have taken this template from the same source, i.e., FIU University Graduate School.
- Acknowledgements
Right after the Table of Contents, there comes the Acknowledgements chapter. So, you have to keep it double-spaced, and the format will be the same as the rest of the document. The page numbers (Roman ones) should be placed at the lower centre of the page (for preliminary pages only).
Here, you have to say thanks to all the people who have helped you craft your papers. Also, you will be expected to show your gratitude to all the people who assisted you in your research here.
- Style-Sheets
As per the FIU dissertation format, you will need to prepare templates for the sample chapter. Doing so makes your work quite a lot easier for students. After that, you can insert the text into the pre-defined files. It is quite consistent and makes it easier for students to handle their work. Also, they don’t have to format each chapter individually for work.
- Referencing
In the referencing of your papers, you tell the readers about the citations you take from other sources. It is a way to give credit to the original authors of a given research paper. For the best FIU dissertation formatting, you must pay attention to the referencing of your papers. It includes cross-referencing and bibliographic citations.
- Cross-Referencing
As you are writing, you may want to refer to any other part of your papers. For that purpose, you will have to cross-reference all the captions, headings, and other content.
You can add the cross-references from the references tab of the MS Word. Also, you can add a hyperlink to your reference so that the readers can directly get access to it.
- Bibliographic Citations
In MS Word, you can also find the option of bibliographic citations. It includes a feature by which you can insert reference lists and citations in your work. However, the automatic function is quite limited, and it’ll be better if you can use a management application, such as:
- Mendeley
- EndNote
Also, you must check if your university supports these reference management systems.
FIU Dissertation Format Examples
Format examples are great, and they are more like an absolute treasure in understanding what’s required of students. So, if you follow a format example, you will be able to do your work better. Here is a template by the Florida International University dissertation format that you can use for your title page:
FIU Dissertation Format Template
Here, we have an example of the FIU dissertation format 2024 from Overleaf. However, it’s for the title page only. For the formatting guidelines of other parts, you should view the instructions we have added above with examples.
Is It Hard to Get into FIU?
FIU is a highly competitive university with over 58,000 students. As per FIU Admissions, it has an acceptance rate of 50% for first-year students. Also, the admission process is fairly selective and the admission officers look for academically prepared applicants. This university particularly welcomes the students who have the following characteristics:
- The ones taking advanced courses
- People motivated by specific passions and goals
- The ones who are active in their academic community
Is FIU a Prestigious University?
As per US News, Florida International University is a top-ranked institute, having a ranking of 124 among national universities. Also, it offers 190+ degree programs to keep the students ready for all the opportunities the future may have for them.
Furthermore, a lot of their programs are considered the best in the state for exceptional academic excellence. Not only that, it’s the first ever university in South Florida to design a Carnegie Very High Research Institution.
Conclusion
Finally, we have discussed in detail the top 10 guidelines for the perfect FIU dissertation format. You should follow these guidelines for success in your papers. However, don’t forget to check the department instructions as well. Some individual programs may need extra formatting elements to meet the standards of a discipline.
However, as understandable, it can be difficult to do all this formatting business on your own. At times, you may want to ask for help from the experts. Well, instead of tiring yourself to perfect your papers, you should acquire dissertation writing services from professional writers.
Such writers have an aptitude for crafting hundreds of academic papers, and they understand formatting rules better than you do. So, get in touch with them and rest assured that your papers will be tailored and formatted to your custom needs.
