Should a thesis use the report or book document class?

Use report for most theses and dissertations: it provides \chapter, single-sided layout by default, and starts each chapter on a new page without the book class's blank-verso pages. Use book only if your university requires two-sided printing with chapters opening on right-hand pages. Many institutions also provide a custom class (for example, a university .cls file) that you should use instead, since it encodes the official margins, title page, and spacing rules.

How do I split a long thesis across multiple files?

Keep one main file with the preamble and use \include{chapters/intro} for each chapter, which starts the chapter on a new page and lets you compile selected chapters with \includeonly{}. Use \input{} for smaller fragments like the title page. This keeps each chapter editable on its own and speeds up compilation while you draft, which matters for a document that can run hundreds of pages.

How do I get roman page numbers for front matter and arabic for the body?

Switch the page numbering style with \pagenumbering{roman} just after \begin{document} for the title page, abstract, and table of contents, then \pagenumbering{arabic} right before your first chapter resets the counter to 1. This produces the standard thesis convention of i, ii, iii for front matter and 1, 2, 3 for the main text, which most graduate schools require.

LaTeX Thesis Template: Format Your Dissertation Fast

A LaTeX thesis uses the report or book document class, with front matter, numbered chapters, and a bibliography. The structure is always the same: a title page, abstract, table of contents, chapters split across files, and references. Below is a complete skeleton you can adapt to your university's rules in about half an hour — and most universities publish their own .cls class you should drop in.

1. The thesis skeleton

\documentclass[12pt, a4paper, oneside]{report}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage[style=numeric]{biblatex}
\usepackage{setspace}     % line spacing
\usepackage{hyperref}     % load last
\addbibresource{refs.bib}

\onehalfspacing           % many schools require 1.5 spacing

\begin{document}

% ---- Front matter (roman numerals) ----
\pagenumbering{roman}
\input{frontmatter/titlepage}
\input{frontmatter/abstract}
\tableofcontents
\listoffigures
\listoftables

% ---- Main matter (arabic numerals) ----
\pagenumbering{arabic}
\include{chapters/introduction}
\include{chapters/literature}
\include{chapters/method}
\include{chapters/results}
\include{chapters/conclusion}

% ---- Back matter ----
\printbibliography
\appendix
\include{chapters/appendix}

\end{document}

2. Front matter the registrar checks

Graduate schools are strict about front matter order and page numbering. The standard sequence:

| Element | Numbering | |---|---| | Title page | unnumbered | | Abstract | roman (i, ii) | | Acknowledgements | roman | | Table of contents | roman | | List of figures / tables | roman | | Chapter 1 onward | arabic (1, 2) |

Switch styles with \pagenumbering{roman} then \pagenumbering{arabic} — see the full table of contents guide.

3. One file per chapter

For a 200-page document, keep each chapter in its own file and pull it in with \include{chapters/method}. This lets you compile one chapter at a time with \includeonly{chapters/method} while drafting — full workflow in Multi-File LaTeX Projects: \input vs \include.

4. Spacing, margins, and the title page

Most schools mandate 1.5 or double spacing and a wide binding margin. Set spacing with the setspace package (\onehalfspacing) — see Line Spacing in LaTeX — and margins with geometry — see LaTeX Page Layout: Margins.

5. Don't start from scratch

Your university almost certainly has an official template; use it so your margins and title page pass the formatting check on the first submission. If not, start from a ready dissertation template and customize.

→ Browse ready-to-edit LaTeX thesis templates and compile your dissertation collaboratively in LetX — ideal for live supervisor feedback. New to LaTeX? Start with LaTeX for Beginners.

Written by Shihab Shahriar Antor — AI Engineer & Founder of Shahriar Labs, maker of LetX.