Are you a master’s student at Florida International University and don’t know how to write a thesis? What could be the FIU master’s dissertation format and referencing style in making your writing enjoyable? What would be the word count for your thesis? According to the FIU, a dissertation can range anywhere between 30 and 300 pages, based on the topic and the research method.
Writing a dissertation always remains an uphill battle for students because they must take care of multiple steps from ensuring the recommended format to adding detailed bibliographies. Failing to follow these guidelines can lead to multiple issues such as repetitive revisions and academic penalties. Florida International University considers these violations seriously and may take measures against them.
In this detailed guide, we unveil the best way you will need to follow during the formatting process of your master’s dissertation. Let’s understand it by breaking it down into multiple steps!
How to Format the FIU Master’s Dissertation in 2025? Step-by-Step Guide for 2025
Completing your theoretical work in the master’s degree is only one side of the coin, which is the easiest for most students. However, the real challenge begins when students start working on their dissertations. Usually, they face problems related to data collection and gathering authentic information. Even if they succeed in that they have issues regarding the formatting style.
Formatting can make your dissertation a success or a failure because Florida International University requires students to follow a specific style. The inability to follow these guidelines will destroy the whole structure of your writing. What to do now? Well, hiring London-based dissertation writing services can assist you during this writing process from collecting data to ensuring the recommended format. These services have professional writers with years of experience in writing dissertations for the students of Florida International University.
For knowledge and information purposes, we list all the steps that will ensure the perfect format for your dissertation helping you earn your degree without facing any hassle.
Understanding the Dissertation Structure
Do you know how important the structure of your dissertation is? Why does every educational institute pay special attention to formatting styles? According to the University of Dundee, the quality of a dissertation is heavily dependent on the structure and plan of your writing. If you don’t format your thesis according to the recommended guidelines the chances are high that your thesis will be a failure.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the dissertation structure for Florida International University:
Preliminary Pages
- Title Page: That will entail your entire title no matter how long or short it is.
- Committee Approval Page: This page will contain the signatures of the internal and external committees.
- Copyright Page: This is optional but it is best for you to add it.
- Dedication Page: It’s entirely up to you whether you want to include it or not.
- Acknowledgement: That page will not increase or decrease the impact of your dissertation, meaning it is also optional.
- Abstract: It clearly explains the main idea of your topic or dissertation.
- Table of Contents: This page helps the readers navigate your dissertation easily.
- List of Tables: You will add this page if there are multiple tables in your dissertation.
- List of Figures: Sometimes, a topic requires adding figures. You can also list all these figures on that page.
- List of Abbreviations: If there are various abbreviations you can also make a list of them.
Main Body
- Introduction: A student must explain their topic appropriately. The introduction of your dissertation covers all the points that are essential to describe a topic. As per Scribbr, the introduction leads instructors and the external committee to your dissertation, which is why it must be engaging and focused.
- Literature Review: You mention all the relevant studies in this section. These can be research articles, books, or online sources.
- Methodology: Based on the previously published studies or articles, you provide a logical reasoning for your research method. Please pay special attention to it because it is the most important part of the FIU master’s dissertation format.
- Theoretical Framework: This section or chapter can be included as per your instructor’s guidelines, as some teachers ask you to write your theoretical work in the literature review, while others prefer a separate section for it.
- Results: You will explain your results comprehensively with the help of tables, graphs, or figures.
- Discussion: A student discusses his findings and explains how they are different from previous studies, and makes some suggestions for future researchers.
- Conclusion: You will logically conclude your dissertation. Make sure that unnecessary details are trimmed.
End Matter
- References: You will mention all the sources you cited shortly throughout the text of your dissertation. It is the fundamental part of the master’s dissertation format for FIU, because without it, your dissertation will remain incomplete.
- Appendices: This is optional and you can discuss it with your supervisor before adding it to your dissertation.
Formatting Guidelines
These formatting guidelines are essential to follow when working on your dissertation. If you don’t curate your thesis according to these rules, the chances are high that you will face rejection.
Paper & Printing
- Quality: You will use a paper of 20 to 24 pound weight. It must be 25% cotton bond paper.
- Size: The standard size of a dissertation paper will be 8.5 x 11 inches.
- Printing: Don’t try to save your money and print on only one side of the paper.
Margins
- Left Margin: You will have a space of 1.5 inches from the left side.
- Right Margin: Usually, the right margin is 1 inch. However, you may ask your instructor for specific suggestions.
- Top and Bottom Margin: The margin for the top and the bottom will also be one inch.
Please make sure that all the tables and figures are incorporated within these margins.
Font Size and Spacing
- Type: You can use Times New Roman, Courier, or New Century Schoolbook.
- Size: The size of the font must be between 10 and 12.
- Spacing: The spacing will be doubled throughout the dissertation, unless your supervisor asks you otherwise.
- Consistency: Use the same font and spacing in all the sections.
Page Numbering
- Preliminary Pages: You will use Roman numerals for all the preliminary pages, including the title or dedicated page.
- Main Body and End Matter: A student will use Arabic numerals for body and end matter pages.
Preliminary Pages Formatting
The Florida International University dissertation format also contains guidelines for preliminary pages. Ignoring these guidelines can lead to multiple revisions. Therefore, always focus on following them. These guidelines are for:
Title Page
- The title will be in uppercase letters.
- You will mention your full name.
- You will also include a thesis statement, your program’s name, the month, and the year of graduation.
Please remember that you will not place a number (Roman or Arabic) on the title page.
Committee Approval Page
- You will mention the names of the members of the internal and external committees.
- There will be a short line for their signatures.
- Then, you will mention the date on which you defended your dissertation.
Abstract
- You will include the title of your dissertation.
- There will be your name.
- The year you are graduating.
- The summary of your thesis (it should be less than 350 words).
Main Body Formatting
The FIU dissertation format outlines guidelines for the body chapters of your thesis. You must follow them to avoid problems after the submission.
- Chapters: You will start every chapter on a new page.
- Headings: The size and format for the headings will remain the same throughout the dissertation.
- Tables and Figures: Use Arabic numerals to number each table and figure.
- Citations: Make sure you cite references according to the referencing style.
End Matter Formatting
End matter formatting is as important as other sections. Ignoring rules in this section can decrease the impact of your whole dissertation.
- Formatting Style: You need to follow a specific citation style, whether APA or MLA.
- Order: A student will maintain alphabetical order in the bibliography.
Does FIU Require a Thesis?
Florida International University offers thesis and non-thesis possibilities to students, enabling them to choose the option accordingly. Whether you will write a thesis or not will depend on your degree and department.
Usually, the departments of social sciences require you to submit a dissertation as the last step to obtain your master’s degree. These programs ask students to conduct original research and positively contribute to academia.
Last Words
So far, you must have an idea of how difficult it is to format a dissertation according to the guidelines of Florida International University. The whole process involves many minor details and if you ignore them, it will lead to structural flaws in your dissertation.
From preliminary pages to the end note matter, every page has different formatting rules. Students who don’t get support from dissertation writing agencies experience problems because their thesis remains full of errors, such as references and standard formatting.
However, these writing agencies know about referencing rules and formatting guidelines set by FIU. They will make your dissertation successful, paving the way to professional victory.
Author Bio
Annabel Croft has been a professional dissertation writer for over a decade. After completing her PhD from the University of Manchester in psychology, Annabel started his academic journey. Since then, she has been teaching at various institutes and writing dissertations for students to succeed in their lives.
