Tsinghua University Thesis Formatting Requirements

Introduction

Tsinghua University, as China’s leading research institution, maintains rigorous standards for thesis and dissertation formatting. With requirements spanning both Chinese and English content, Tsinghua theses present unique formatting challenges. This comprehensive guide walks you through all requirements for Master’s theses (学位论文) and doctoral dissertations (博士学位论文).

Page Setup and Margins

Paper Specifications

Tsinghua requires A4 paper (210mm × 297mm) with the following margins:

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

These symmetrical margins create balanced pages suitable for both electronic and printed submission.

Line Spacing

Use single spacing (1.0) for the body text within paragraphs, but include 1.5 line spacing between paragraphs to improve readability. The bilingual nature of Tsinghua documents sometimes requires adjustments for character rendering.

Font and Typography Standards

Font Selection for Chinese Content

• Body text: SimSun (宋体) or Kai (楷书) at 12-point
• Headings: SimHei (黑体) or Kai at 14-16pt depending on hierarchy
• Footnotes: Same font family, 10-point

Font Selection for English Content

• 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 consistency within each language section. Do not mix SimSun and Kai within the same paragraph.

Preliminary Materials

Cover Page and Title Page

The cover page should display:

1. 清华大学研究生学位论文 (Tsinghua University Graduate Thesis)
2. Thesis title in both Chinese and English
3. Category: 学位论文 (Master’s thesis) or 博士学位论文 (Doctoral dissertation)
4. Department name in both languages
5. Student name (in both simplified characters and romanization)
6. Advisor name and title
7. Submission date

Ensure the cover page is visually clean and centered, with no page number displayed.

Abstract and Keywords

Provide abstracts in both Chinese and English, each 300-500 words. The Chinese abstract (摘要) should appear first, followed by the English abstract (Abstract).

Include 3-5 keywords (关键词/Keywords) in both languages, arranged alphabetically by first keyword.

Table of Contents

Generate a comprehensive table of contents (目录) listing all chapters, sections, and subsections with corresponding page numbers. Create separate versions in both Chinese and English if content headings differ between languages.

Thesis Structure and Organization

Required Sections

A complete Tsinghua thesis includes:

1. Cover page
2. Certification of originality
3. Acknowledgments (致谢, optional)
4. Table of contents
5. List of figures (if applicable)
6. List of tables (if applicable)
7. Introduction (绪论)
8. Chapter 1-N: Research content
9. Conclusion (结论)
10. References
11. Appendices (if applicable)

Chapter Organization

Each chapter must have a clear number and title in both Chinese and English. Use hierarchical heading levels:

• First level: Chapter title (黑体14pt or Times 14pt)
• Second level: Section heading (黑体13pt or Times 13pt)
• Third level: Subsection heading (黑体12pt or Times 12pt)

Citation and References

Citation Methods

Tsinghua accepts two primary citation styles:

GB/T 7714-2015 (Chinese Standard): Author(s). Title[M/J]. Publisher/Journal, Year, volume(issue):pages.

Example: 余华. 活着[M]. 北京: 北京十月文艺出版社, 2012: 45-67.

Harvard Style (for international references): Author, A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher.

Example: Wang, X. (2019). Research methods in Chinese education. Academic Press.

Bilingual References

Arrange all references in one bibliography, separating Chinese references from English references. Within each section, list alphabetically by author surname.

Tables and Figures

Formatting Requirements

Tables must have captions above the table (表1：…), displayed in both Chinese and English. Figures have captions below (图1：…) in both languages.

Number figures and tables separately: 图1, 图2, … and 表1, 表2, …

Quality Standards

All figures must be high-resolution (minimum 300dpi) and suitable for black-and-white printing if required. Ensure tables use professional formatting with clear borders and aligned text.

List of Illustrations

If your thesis contains more than five figures or tables, include separate lists of figures (图表目录) and tables after the main table of contents.

Page Numbering and Headers

Numbering System

Front matter uses lowercase Roman numerals in Chinese (一, 二, 三) or standard Roman numerals (i, ii, iii). Main body uses Arabic numerals starting from 1 with Chapter 1 as the first numbered page.

Page numbers appear in the bottom center of the page or bottom right corner consistently throughout.

Headers and Footers

Include chapter number and title in the header or footer consistently. Maintain separate header styles for front matter and main body content.

Submission Requirements

Printing and Binding

Submit two printed copies in professional binding with:

• Clear spine displaying surname, short title, and year
• Protective cover (usually clear plastic or board)
• Professional binding (comb, spiral, or case binding)

Digital Submission

Submit one searchable PDF file following naming convention: FirstName_LastName_YearSubmitted_ThesisTitle.pdf

The PDF should include:

• All pages with correct numbering
• Bookmarks for main chapters
• Searchable text layer
• File size under 50MB

Using GenText for Tsinghua Thesis Formatting

GenText is particularly valuable for managing the complexity of bilingual Tsinghua theses. This sophisticated formatting tool handles the dual-language requirements that make Tsinghua documents challenging.

GenText enables you to:

• Maintain separate formatting styles for Chinese and English text
• Automatically manage character spacing and line breaks in CJK text
• Generate bilingual tables of contents and figure lists
• Apply consistent heading hierarchies across both languages
• Handle complex citations in both GB/T 7714 and Harvard formats
• Create properly formatted bilingual abstracts and keywords
• Track figure and table numbering across sections
• Manage page numbering transitions between front matter and body text

By integrating GenText early in your writing process, you’ll eliminate the formatting challenges inherent in bilingual academic documents and ensure complete compliance with Tsinghua standards.

Common Formatting Mistakes

1. Inconsistent font families: Verify you use SimSun for Chinese and Times New Roman for English consistently
2. Mixed character sets: Ensure simplified Chinese characters throughout (not traditional)
3. Incomplete bilingual content: Confirm all sections have both Chinese and English versions
4. Incorrect citation formats: Check citations match your chosen style exactly
5. Poor table alignment: Verify tables display correctly with proper cell alignment

Pre-Submission Checklist

Before finalizing your submission:

• ✓ All margins are correctly set (25mm top/bottom, 30mm left/right)
• ✓ Chinese text uses SimSun at 12pt, English uses Times New Roman at 12pt
• ✓ Bilingual abstracts included (Chinese first, then English)
• ✓ Keywords provided in both languages
• ✓ Page numbering is consistent and properly positioned
• ✓ All figures and tables have bilingual captions
• ✓ References list separates Chinese and English sources
• ✓ Certification of originality is signed and dated
• ✓ Two printed copies properly bound
• ✓ One searchable PDF prepared and properly named

Conclusion

Successfully formatting a Tsinghua thesis requires attention to the unique demands of bilingual academic writing combined with China’s specific institutional standards. By carefully implementing these guidelines and leveraging tools like GenText, your thesis will demonstrate the professionalism expected at one of China’s most prestigious universities.