UCL Thesis Format: Current Requirements and Word Checklist

Check the official requirements before formatting

For doctoral theses, UCL specifies A4; margins of at least 40 mm at the binding edge and 20 mm elsewhere; and either 1.5 or double spacing. It recommends Arial or Helvetica, size 12 or larger. The title page is followed by the candidate declaration, an abstract of no more than 300 words and an impact statement of no more than 500 words. Number the pages continuously in Arabic numerals, including the title page. Viva submission is electronic through UCL’s specified OneDrive route; printed copies are needed only when requested by examiners. Departmental guidance also applies. UCL’s thesis preparation and submission instructions, checked September 6, 2026.

These are doctoral instructions. A taught dissertation can have a different course handbook. Identify the rules for your actual award before using this checklist.

A practical Word review

Work on a copy of your thesis so a layout adjustment is easy to reverse.

1. Open the page-layout settings and check paper size and margins in every section. A landscape table can introduce a section with different settings.
2. Inspect the paragraph style used for body text. Set its spacing consistently instead of adjusting individual paragraphs one by one.
3. Check headings in the navigation pane. A heading that merely looks bold may be missing from the automatic contents list.
4. Inspect page-number continuation at every section break. Different first-page settings and restarted numbering are common places to miss a page.
5. Refresh the contents list and cross-references after the final layout changes.
6. Export a PDF and inspect the exported file, including wide tables, captions and the final page. A correct Word view is not proof that the PDF is correct.

Download the Word/PDF review checklist (CSV). Mark each item only after checking the actual file.

Common problems and concrete checks

Problem	Check
A wide table is cut off	Inspect that section’s orientation and margins, then reopen the exported PDF.
Contents page numbers are stale	Update the entire table after pagination is final.
Page numbering restarts	Inspect the page-number format for the affected section.
A heading is missing from the contents	Verify its heading style rather than its visual appearance alone.
A link looks right but opens the wrong source	Click it in the final PDF and compare the destination with your reference.

Keep source work separate from format checks

Use the source-comparison workspace to organize notes and export a working document without registering first. It does not certify UCL compliance or replace a review of your final thesis. Preserve your own analysis and follow your department’s authorship and AI requirements.