Dissertations | Theses | Projects
Formatting Your Final Graduate Document
Formatting your thesis, dissertation, or project is a step-by-step process. First, choose the document style and template that best fits your graduate work and program requirements. Next, use the formatting resources and guidance provided throughout this page. Finally, complete the submission, revision, and approval process outlined below. Once these steps are complete, you'll be ready to graduate!
Graduate School Formatting Handbook
This essential guide outlines the entire execution process: choosing document styles and templates (Phase 1), getting writing support (Phase 2), and the final approval, submittal, and revision procedures (Phase 3).
Document Templates
Monograph Style
For Theses & Dissertations: Best for continuous narratives that read like a single cohesive book. Chapters build sequentially with one single, comprehensive Reference List compiled at the absolute end of the document.
Manuscript Style
For Theses & Dissertations: The "Chapter-as-an-Article" style. Compiles your first-authored papers into separate standalone chapters, framed by an overarching introduction and conclusion.
Creative MA & MFA
For Creative Tracks: Rigid scientific decimal headers are omitted, offering layout freedom for prose, poetry collections, or artistic portfolios matched with a critical scholarly preface.
Master's Project
Currently Unavailable will be posted soon! For Non-Thesis Tracks: Body content layouts are completely flexible and determined directly by yourself and/or your committee. You can use any of the template styles provided on this page and you must incorporate the official front material formatting.
*Note: Overleaf (LaTeX) styles are community-maintained. Dedicated technical support is not provided by the Graduate School.
Writing Support
Students are completely responsible for managing and correcting their own layout settings. Use these three essential support tracks on campus to resolve technical drafting questions early:
Formatting Workshops
Offered every semester. Covers baseline layout operations, style mechanics, managing structural section breaks, and tracking milestones.
UAF Writing Center
Work with writing specialists to refine text flow, clarify narrative structures, catch grammar problems, etc.
1-on-1 Formatting Sessions
Reserved for students graduating in the current term. Get a preliminary layout compliance check once you have a nearly complete draft.
Review & Submit
No matter which document style you use, every student must complete the following structural steps to achieve official graduation clearance:
Step 1 Route the Committee Approval Form via NextGen
Before uploading anything to the Graduate School, you must send your completed draft to your entire advisory committee for review. Once they read and approve your work, you must spin up the official Approval Form inside NextGen to compile digital signatures:
- Master's Projects: Requires signatures from your complete Advisory Committee and your Department Chair.
- Theses & Dissertations: Requires signatures from your complete Advisory Committee, Department Chair, and College Dean.
Step 2 Submit to the Correct Archival Pipeline
Once your Approval Form has successfully routed and collected all signatures through NextGen, submit a single PDF file through your specific degree channel below. Deadlines are strictly enforced; late arrivals automatically defer graduation to the following semester.
Master's Projects Track
Submit your committee-approved project PDF directly via the Graduate School JotForm portal.
Theses & Dissertations Track
Upload your committee-approved thesis or dissertation manuscript file directly into the ProQuest ETD platform.
Step 3 The Formatting Revision Loop & Final Publication
After upload into Jotform (projects) or Proquest (theses/dissertations), the Graduate School formatting editors will download your manuscript to perform an institutional compliance check. Your graduation clearance path proceeds through the following feedback loop: