Seoul National University Thesis Formatting Guide

Introduction

Seoul National University (SNU), Korea’s most prestigious institution, maintains comprehensive formatting standards for Master’s theses (석사학위논문) and doctoral dissertations (박사학위논문). These guidelines ensure consistency and professionalism across all graduate programs. This guide provides detailed formatting instructions for SNU thesis submission.

Document Setup and Margins

Paper and Page Configuration

Seoul National University requires A4 paper (210mm × 297mm) with these specifications:

• Top margin: 25mm
• Bottom margin: 25mm
• Left margin: 30mm
• Right margin: 30mm

The symmetrical margins accommodate both digital display and printed binding without adjustments.

Line Spacing

Use 1.5 line spacing throughout your thesis, including body text, quotations, and footnotes. This spacing improves readability of both Korean and English text while maintaining professional appearance.

Font and Typography Standards

Korean Text Formatting

• Body text: Batang (바탕) or Noto Sans KR at 12-point
• Headings: Noto Sans KR Bold or Malgun Gothic at 14-16pt
• Footnotes: Same font at 10-point

English Text Formatting

• Body text: Times New Roman or Garamond at 12-point
• Headings: Times New Roman at 14-16pt
• Footnotes: Times New Roman at 10-point

Maintain consistent fonts within each language section. Do not mix serif and sans-serif fonts in the same section.

Preliminary Materials and Front Matter

Cover Page Requirements

The cover page (표지) should include:

1. 서울대학교 대학원 (Seoul National University Graduate School)
2. Department or college name (학과)
3. Thesis/Dissertation type (석사학위논문 or 박사학위논문)
4. Title in both Korean and English
5. Student name (이름)
6. Advisor name (지도교수)
7. Submission month and year

Center all cover page elements. Do not include a page number on the cover page, though it counts as page 1 internally.

Certification Page

Include a certification of originality (논문제출현황) confirming the work is original and has not been previously submitted. This page must be signed by the student and advisor with official dates.

Abstract and Keywords

Provide both Korean abstract (국문초록) and English abstract (Abstract), each 250-400 words. List 4-6 keywords (주요용어) in both languages, arranged alphabetically.

Acknowledgments

The acknowledgments section (감사의 말씀) is optional but recommended, typically 1-2 pages. Express gratitude to advisors, committee members, and others who contributed to your research.

Thesis Structure and Organization

Required Sections

A complete SNU thesis includes:

1. Cover page
2. Certification of originality
3. Abstract in Korean
4. Abstract in English
5. Keywords
6. Acknowledgments (선택사항)
7. Table of contents
8. List of figures (if applicable)
9. List of tables (if applicable)
10. Introduction
11. Chapter 1-N (Main research)
12. Conclusion
13. References
14. Appendices (if applicable)

Heading Hierarchy

Structure your content with clear heading levels:

• Level 1: Chapter title (14pt, bold)
• Level 2: Section heading (13pt, bold)
• Level 3: Subsection heading (12pt, bold or italic)

Citation and References

Citation Styles

SNU accepts multiple citation formats. The most common are:

Harvard Style: Author, A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Kim, S. J. (2015). Educational psychology in Korea. Seoul University Press.

Author-Date Style: (Author Year: page)

(Kim 2015: 45)

Reference List Format

Arrange all references alphabetically by author surname. Separate Korean language sources from English sources, with Korean appearing first. Include complete publication information for all sources.

Korean book example: 김성준. (2015). 한국교육심리학. 서울대학교출판부.

English book example: Smith, J., & Johnson, K. (2016). Advanced research methods. Academic Publishers.

Tables and Figures

Caption Format

Tables have captions above (표 1: …) in both Korean and English when applicable. Figures have captions below (그림 1: …) in both languages.

Number tables and figures separately throughout the thesis or reset numbering per chapter (Chapter 1, Table 1.1).

Quality Requirements

All figures must be high-resolution (minimum 300dpi). Tables should use professional formatting with appropriate borders and spacing. Ensure color figures are understandable when printed in black and white.

Lists of Illustrations

If your thesis includes more than five figures or tables, provide comprehensive lists after the main table of contents, with captions in both languages.

Page Numbering and Headers

Numbering Conventions

Front matter uses lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii). Main body content uses Arabic numerals starting from 1 at the introduction. Page numbers appear in the bottom center of the page.

Header and Footer Information

Include chapter number and title in footers. Maintain consistent footer formatting and style throughout all pages.

Submission Requirements

Printing and Binding

Submit two printed copies in professional binding with:

• Protective cover (clear or colored according to department preference)
• Spine clearly displaying surname, short thesis title, and submission year
• Secure binding using comb, spiral, or case binding methods

Digital Submission

Submit one searchable PDF file named: LastName_FirstName_Year_ThesisTitle.pdf

The PDF must contain:

• All pages with correct numbering
• Bookmarks for all chapters
• Searchable text layer (not scanned images)
• Active hyperlinks for cross-references
• File size under 50MB

Using GenText for SNU Thesis Formatting

GenText is especially valuable for managing the formatting complexities of bilingual SNU theses. This comprehensive formatting tool handles the challenges of maintaining consistent styles across Korean and English content.

GenText helps you:

• Apply separate formatting styles for Korean and English sections
• Manage character spacing and line breaks in Hangul text
• Generate bilingual tables of contents and illustration lists
• Maintain consistent heading hierarchies across both languages
• Handle citations in Harvard and Author-Date formats
• Create properly formatted bilingual abstracts and keywords
• Manage figure and table numbering with bilingual captions
• Automate page numbering between front matter and body sections
• Generate comprehensive indexes if needed

Integrating GenText early in your writing process ensures that all formatting requirements are met consistently throughout your thesis and eliminates the tedious manual adjustments typically needed for bilingual academic documents.

Frequent Formatting Errors to Avoid

1. Font inconsistency: Verify Batang for Korean, Times New Roman for English throughout
2. Spacing variations: Ensure 1.5 line spacing is applied to all text sections
3. Incomplete bilingual sections: Confirm abstracts and keywords appear in both languages
4. Citation inconsistencies: Check all references match the bibliography format exactly
5. Improper margins: Verify 30mm left/right margins for binding space

Final Verification Checklist

Before submission, verify:

• ✓ Margins are correctly set (25mm top/bottom, 30mm left/right)
• ✓ Korean text uses Batang at 12pt, English uses Times New Roman at 12pt
• ✓ Line spacing is 1.5 throughout the entire document
• ✓ Both Korean and English abstracts are included
• ✓ Keywords provided in both Korean and English
• ✓ Page numbering is sequential and properly positioned
• ✓ All chapters begin on new pages
• ✓ All figures and tables have bilingual captions
• ✓ References are complete and consistently formatted
• ✓ Certification page is signed and dated
• ✓ Two printed copies properly bound and prepared
• ✓ PDF is searchable and properly formatted

Conclusion

Proper thesis formatting at Seoul National University reflects your commitment to academic excellence and institutional standards. By carefully implementing these requirements and utilizing GenText for consistency management, your thesis will present your research in the professional manner expected at one of Korea’s premier research universities.