Universidade de São Paulo Thesis Formatting Guide

Introduction

Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil’s leading research institution, maintains comprehensive thesis formatting standards for all graduate programs. These guidelines ensure consistency and professional presentation of research across all academic disciplines. This guide provides detailed formatting instructions for Master’s theses (dissertações) and doctoral dissertations (teses) at USP.

Page Setup and Margin Requirements

Paper and Page Configuration

USP requires A4 paper (210mm × 297mm) with these specific margin settings:

• Top margin: 25mm
• Bottom margin: 25mm
• Left margin: 30mm (for binding)
• Right margin: 20mm

The asymmetrical left margin accommodates binding while maintaining a professional appearance.

Line Spacing

Use 1.5 line spacing throughout your thesis, including body text, block quotations, footnotes, and references. This spacing improves readability while maintaining professional presentation.

Font and Typography Standards

Font Selection

• Body text: 12-point Times New Roman or Arial
• Headings: 12-point or larger, same font family as body text
• Footnotes: 10-point, same font as body text
• Captions: 10-point, can be single-spaced

Maintain consistent font throughout the entire document. Avoid mixing serif and sans-serif fonts within the same section.

Text Formatting

Use bold for chapter titles and major section headings. Italics are appropriate for book titles, journal names, and emphasis. Underlining is discouraged in favor of bold or italic formatting.

Preliminary Pages Structure

Title Page Format

Your thesis title page must include:

1. University name: Universidade de São Paulo
2. School or Faculty name (Faculdade/Escola)
3. Department name (Departamento)
4. Complete thesis title
5. Your full name
6. Thesis type: Dissertação (Master) or Tese (Doctorate)
7. Advisor name and title (Orientador)
8. City and year of submission

Center all title page information. Do not include a page number on the title page.

Declaration and Approval Page

Include a signed declaration and approval page confirming:

• The work is your own original research
• It has been conducted under stated supervision
• Committee approval (for doctoral dissertations)

This page must include signatures from your advisor and committee members.

Abstract in Portuguese

Provide a 150-300 word abstract (Resumo) in Portuguese containing:

• Research objectives and significance
• Methodology employed
• Key findings and results
• Conclusions and contributions

Abstract in English

Provide an equivalent 150-300 word abstract in English summarizing the same elements.

Keywords

Include 4-6 keywords in both Portuguese (Palavras-chave) and English (Keywords), arranged alphabetically.

Thesis Structure and Organization

Required Components

A complete USP thesis includes:

1. Title page
2. Declaration and approval page
3. Abstract in Portuguese (Resumo)
4. Abstract in English (Abstract)
5. Keywords in both languages
6. Acknowledgments (Agradecimentos, optional)
7. Table of contents (Sumário)
8. List of figures (Lista de Figuras)
9. List of tables (Lista de Tabelas)
10. List of abbreviations (if applicable)
11. Introduction (Introdução)
12. Chapter 1-N (Main research chapters)
13. Conclusion/Final Remarks (Conclusão)
14. References (Referências)
15. Appendices (Apêndices)
16. Attachments (Anexos)

Chapter Organization

Each chapter should contain:

• Clear chapter number
• Descriptive chapter title
• Logically organized sections

Use this heading hierarchy:

• Chapter title: 14pt, bold (Capítulo 1)
• Section heading: 13pt, bold
• Subsection heading: 12pt, bold
• Paragraph heading: 12pt, italic

Citation and References

Citation Methods

USP predominantly uses ABNT (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas) citation style:

ABNT Style: AUTHOR. Title of book. Publisher, Year.

SILVA, J. Pesquisa em educação. Editora Universitária, 2019.

Journal Article: AUTHOR, A.; AUTHOR, B. Article title. Journal Name, v. #, n. #, pp. page range, Year.

SANTOS, M.; OLIVEIRA, L. Métodos qualitativos. Revista Brasileira, v. 12, n. 3, pp. 245–260, 2020.

Reference List Format

Arrange all references alphabetically by author surname. Include complete publication information for every source. For electronic sources, include URLs and access dates (Acesso em:).

All references should be formatted consistently using ABNT style throughout the document.

Tables and Figures

Table and Figure Captions

Tables have captions above (Tabela 1 – Description). Figures have captions below (Figura 1 – Description). Number tables and figures either continuously or by chapter (Tabela 1.1, Tabela 1.2).

Quality Standards

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

Illustration Lists

Provide comprehensive lists of figures (Lista de Figuras) and tables (Lista de Tabelas) if your thesis contains more than five of each.

Page Numbering and Headers

Numbering Conventions

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

Running Headers

Include author name and/or chapter title in the header or footer. Maintain consistent header/footer formatting throughout the document.

Submission Requirements

Printed Submission

Submit the required number of bound copies (typically 2-3) in professional binding featuring:

• Professional binding (spiral or hardback)
• Clear spine with surname, short thesis title, and year
• Protective cover (color or clear plastic)

Digital Submission

Submit one or more PDF copies through USP’s online system:

• Format: Searchable PDF (not scanned images)
• File naming: SobrenomeDoAutor_AnoSubmissão.pdf
• File size: Under 50MB
• All pages with correct numbering
• Bookmarks for main chapters
• Functional cross-reference hyperlinks

Using GenText for USP Thesis Formatting

GenText is an invaluable tool for managing USP’s comprehensive thesis formatting requirements. This software ensures your document meets all institutional specifications while maintaining visual consistency throughout.

GenText provides:

• Automated style sheet application for uniform formatting
• Consistent font and size management across sections
• Hierarchical heading structure maintenance
• Automatic generation of tables of contents and illustration lists
• Page numbering system with proper front matter handling
• Citation formatting in ABNT style
• Professional table and figure caption generation
• Cross-reference linking for document navigation
• Bilingual abstract formatting

By implementing GenText from the beginning of your thesis writing, you’ll eliminate manual formatting tasks and ensure full compliance with USP requirements.

Common Formatting Mistakes

1. Inconsistent line spacing: Verify 1.5 spacing throughout including quotations
2. Font size variations: Ensure body text is 12pt and maintain heading hierarchy
3. Improper margins: Check binding margin is 30mm on the left
4. Citation inconsistencies: Verify all references match bibliography entries exactly
5. Missing page numbers: All pages except title page should be numbered

Pre-Submission Verification

Before finalizing submission:

• ✓ All margins are correctly set (30mm left, 25mm top/bottom, 20mm right)
• ✓ Body text is 12-point in consistent font
• ✓ Line spacing is 1.5 throughout entire document
• ✓ Page numbers appear in bottom right corner
• ✓ All chapters begin on new pages
• ✓ Portuguese and English abstracts are included
• ✓ Keywords provided in both languages
• ✓ Table of contents and illustration lists are accurate
• ✓ All tables and figures have descriptive captions
• ✓ References list is complete and formatted in ABNT style
• ✓ Declaration and approval page is signed
• ✓ Required number of printed copies properly bound
• ✓ Digital copy is searchable and properly named

Conclusion

Following Universidade de São Paulo’s thesis formatting guidelines demonstrates your commitment to academic professionalism and institutional standards. By carefully implementing these requirements and utilizing formatting tools like GenText, your thesis will present your research in the professional manner expected at one of South America’s premier research universities.