School/College formats shall apply to:

• Chapter Structure Design
• Chapter Headings
• Reference Style
• Figures and Tables
• Chapter Content Design
• List of Abbreviations

There are four submission windows (periods) in each academic year. These are:

-          Middle of June to July ending

-          The last two weeks in October

-          The first two weeks in December

-          The last two weeks in March.

The current open window is August 15 - October 31, 2023. for softbound submission and it is via the new UG Tracking System.

• Student Guideline to UG Thesis Tracking

University Format Requirements shall consist of the following sections:

• Preliminary Information
• Substantive Section
• Bibliography and Appendices

The result of the thesis/dissertation and course work (where applicable) is published after the School of Graduate Studies has received the final copy of the thesis/dissertation.

The final (hard-bound) copy of thesis/dissertation is bound using the following colour scheme: 

Click here for more information.

Three hard copies and a soft copy (on CD) are submitted to the department/institute/centre. The unit then submits one hard copy and the soft copy together with a cover letter to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). Upon receipt, SGS checks whether the student has passed all courses and met the required number of credits for graduation. When the student is cleared the result is published. That is, a written communication is sent to the department and all stakeholders that the student has met all the requirement for graduation.

Preliminary Information

i)         Title Page

The title page shall consist of the following which should be centered.

• College
• School
• Title of the Thesis
• Statement of Submission
• Name of Candidate (No Titles or Qualifications)
• Student Number (in brackets below the name)
• In partial fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of Doctor of Philosophy (not abbreviated).
• Department/Centre/Institute
• The date of submission (Month and Year)

ii)         Declaration

A candidate submitting a thesis for a Doctoral degree shall make a declaration to the effect that the thesis is his/her own work produced from research under supervision.

Signature Page: 

The declaration page shall be signed by the following:

• The Candidate
• Supervisors

iv.        Abstract: Every candidate shall present a short abstract of his/her dissertation or thesis of a maximum of four (4) pages (double-spaced).

v.         Dedication (Optional)

vi.        Acknowledgement: (1-page maximum)

• The candidate may briefly acknowledge those who made important contributions to the success of his/her research and presentation of the thesis.
• Where the thesis has benefited from a collaborative project done in conjunction with the candidate’s Supervisor(s), this should be duly acknowledged.

vi.        Table of Contents: A well-aligned presentation of preliminary information, chapters with subsections, bibliography, and appendices of the thesis with relevant page numbers indicated.

vii.       List of Figures/Maps: A list of figures and maps with their relevant designated numbering and relevant pages at which they are located.

viii.      List of Tables: A list of tables with their relevant designated numbering and relevant pages at which they are located.

ix.        List of Abbreviations: A list of relevant abbreviations and their full rendering occurring in the thesis.

Substantive Section

i.          Chapter Structure: A thesis must consist of substantive Chapters including an introduction, intervening chapters, and a concluding chapter as determined by the Faculty format which has been deposited with the School of Graduate Studies.

ii.         Reference Style: The reference style shall follow the School/College format.

iii.        Thesis Size: A thesis submitted for a Ph.D. degree shall normally be between 50,000 to 60,000 words excluding bibliography, figures, tables, photographs, and appendices.

Bibliography and Appendices

i.          The bibliography should be placed at the end of the thesis and not after each chapter.

ii.         The order of arrangement of the bibliography and appendices should follow the prescribed departmental format.

iii.        The candidate may submit, as a subsidiary matter in support of his or her candidature, any printed contributions to the advancement of his/her subject, which he or she may have published independently or jointly, or any other supporting material. In the event of a candidate presenting material from joint work, he or she shall be required to state fully his or her own contribution.

Presentation Format

i.          Four typed or printed copies of the dissertation or thesis, using standard A4 paper, shall be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies through the Head of Department for examination.

ii.        Typed thesis should be on only one side of the paper.

iii.        Margins: When bound all margins of the thesis should be 2.54 cm (1 inch).

iv.        Font Type & Size: Theses should be typed in New Times Roman Font Size 12.

v.         Chapter headings should be in New Times Roman Font Size 14 Bold.

vi.        Font sizes for indented citations, graphs, figures, and tables should not be lower than New Times Roman font size 10.

vii.       Page Numbers: Page numbers should be centred at the bottom of the page throughout the thesis.

viii.      The preliminary pages should be numbered with Roman numerals.

ix.        Page numbering in Arabic numerals should run through the entire thesis.

Examination Copy

A thesis submitted for examination should be bound in soft manila card cover (green or light blue).

Final Copy

After the thesis has been approved, it must be bound in standard form Art vellum or cloth; overcast; edges uncut. The four (4) final copies of a thesis that has been accepted for the award of a Doctoral degree shall be distributed as follows:

Two (2) copies shall be sent to the School of Graduate Studies, one of which shall be deposited in the Balme Library and the other kept by the School;

The remaining two (2) copies shall be retained by the candidate’s Head of Department, one of which shall be kept in the Departmental Library and the other given to the candidate.

Labeling of Final Copy

         Front Cover: The front cover of the final copy should be lettered boldly in gold (0.5.-1.25cm) with the Title, Author, and Date (Month and Year).

        Spine: The spine of the thesis should be lettered boldly up back in gold (0.5 to 1.25cm) with the degree, year, and name, before the award of the Degree is published by the Registrar.

Binding Colour

       The colour scheme for a Ph.D. thesis shall be Dark Blue.

PDF Version

     A PDF version of the final thesis should be submitted with the hard copies to the School of Graduate Studies.