Free tool · Writing & publishing
Thesis template builder
A Word file with your university’s margins, fonts, spacing and page order already set, so you write instead of fighting the layout.
Pick your university and this tool builds a Word template with its margins, font, line spacing, heading styles, page numbering and page order already set. It covers nine formats from seven universities, including Anna University, VTU and the three JNTUs, and the file is ready to type into.
Start your thesis in the template rather than reformatting at the end. Fixing margins and page numbers across 250 pages the week before submission is where formatting mistakes creep in.
Method
How this tool works
Each setting comes from our format guide for that university, and each guide cites the official regulation or thesis guidelines: Anna University, VTU, JNTUH, JNTUK and JNTUA, Bharathiar University, University of Madras, Madurai Kamaraj University and Bharathidasan University.
Where a university doesn’t specify something, the tool uses the usual Indian convention: Times New Roman 12, 1.5 line spacing, a 1.5-inch left margin for binding and 1 inch elsewhere. The summary above the download button tells you which settings were prescribed and which were filled in, and an “About this template” page at the end of the file repeats it.
The file is built in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and we only record that the tool was used.
Inside the template, page numbers run i, ii, iii through the front matter and restart at 1 from Chapter 1. Chapter and section titles use Word’s Heading 1, 2 and 3 styles, so the table of contents fills itself in when you update it. Each front-matter page carries a short note in square brackets saying what goes there. Delete the notes as you write.
Limits
What this tool can’t do
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is this the official template?
No. It’s built from each university’s published regulations, and the settings are the ones those documents prescribe. Some universities also issue their own template or specimen pages. If yours does, follow it where the two differ.
My university isn’t listed
Choose the closest format and change the margins and font to match your ordinance, or ask us. Our thesis formatting service sets up a template from your university’s own guidelines.
Does it work in Google Docs or LibreOffice?
Yes. Both open .docx files. Check the table of contents and the page numbering after opening, because the roman-to-arabic switch between sections is where the other programs most often differ from Word.
How do I update the table of contents?
In Word, click inside the table of contents and press F9, then choose “Update entire table”. It picks up every title set in the Heading 1, 2 and 3 styles. Do this once more just before you print.
Can you format my finished thesis?
Yes. If your thesis is already written, our thesis formatting service applies your university’s format, fixes numbering, captions and the contents pages, and checks it against the regulations. Your content stays exactly as you wrote it.
Evidence
Sources
- Anna University: Regulations for Doctor of Philosophy R2025, with thesis guidelines (Annexures I–V)
- VTU: Thesis format circular and template, 15 July 2025
- JNTUH: Academic Regulations and Guidelines for Ph.D. (2021-22 onwards)
- JNTUK: Academic Regulations and Guidelines for Ph.D., 2018-19 onwards (archived copy)
- JNTUA: Research Regulations for Ph.D. Programmes, 2023-24 onwards (archived copy)
- Bharathiar University: Research Regulations
- University of Madras: Research Regulations 2021, amended March 2023
- Madurai Kamaraj University: M.Phil./Ph.D. Regulations
- Bharathidasan University: Ph.D. Regulations 2026
Keep reading
Related guides and services
Thesis Formatting to University Guidelines
Your finished thesis laid out to your university’s current template, with a checklist showing what was checked.
PhD thesis structure, chapter by chapter
What each chapter must do, typical lengths, and what examiners look for in each.
Anna University PhD thesis format
Preliminary pages, chapter structure, layout and a pre-submission checklist — dated, with sources.
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