2. Formatting your thesis

Your thesis must comply with the formatting requirements outlined in section 3.4 of the Higher Degree by Research Thesis Examination Procedures.

The most appropriate referencing style will depend on your discipline and your advisory team will be able to provide advice on disciplinary norms.

Word limit

It's important to adhere to the word limit when writing your thesis. Your thesis must not exceed:

  • 80,000 words for a PhD
  • 40,000 words for an MPhil.

The word limit:

  • includes the preliminary pages
  • includes all footnotes and appendices
  • includes all in-text referencing, but
  • does not include your bibliography/reference list.

Permission to exceed the word limit

If your thesis is more than 10% over the word limit, you can request special consideration by emailing the Dean of the Graduate School at graduateschool@uq.edu.au.

In your email, explain why you need to exceed the maximum word limit. You should also ask your principal advisor and Director of Higher Degree Research (DHDR) to write a letter supporting your request. Attach their letters to your email.

Need assistance?

Chat to the Graduate School Team