The department of Bioscience have prepared recommended guidelines for the master's thesis' format and layout.
Suggestions for setting up the master's thesis
- Summary
- Acknowledgements
- Table of contents
- Main text
- Bibliography
- Appendix
Tips for format and layout
You should choose the format and font in the master's thesis with a view to the best possible readability. Select the same font in all parts of the document. The most common is Times New Roman, 12 pt. The pages should have a margin of 2.5-3 cm and one and a half line spacing.
It is a good idea to use the styles in Word for table of contents, section division, page numbers, footnotes and references. Creating a template before you start the writing process will make it easier to keep track of the amount of text.
Referencing tools such as Endnote and Zotero can be helpful for keeping your references consistent and organized.
It can also be useful to look at previous Master thesis submitted in your subject.
The University Library and the Academic Writing Center have courses and resources that can help you
- find relevant literature
- write and structure academic texts
- write more efficiently, e.g. by using reference programs and styles in Word
- Formal demands
A 60-credit master's thesis is usually between 60–100 pages. A 30-credit assignment is usually be 30-50 pages. Appendix, bibliography, etc. in addition. A default page is approx. 2300 characters without spaces. Check the subject page of your master's thesis for exact requirements for page numbers and any other subject-specific formal requirements.
Remember that it is important to be careful about listing all the sources you have used. When quoting, be sure to clearly mark where the quote begins and where it ends. All submitted assignments are run in the plagiarism control program URKUND. Here you can learn the correct use of citation and source references.
On the course page for your master's thesis, you will find information about which language (s) the thesis is to be written in. Title page, synopsis, etc. are usually written in the language in which the thesis is written.