Correctly Formatting the Final Thesis or Project
Approval/Signature Page

You have the responsibility to make sure that your thesis or project signature page is correctly formatted. Your committee members cannot sign it until it is formatted according to all of the instructions below. If you send in an incorrectly-formatted signature page, we will have to require you to redo it, and this could hold up the approval process.

As you read the instructions below, refer to the sample signature page. If you have Microsoft Word, download the Word sample signature page document and the faculty names document. If you do not have Word, you can download a free Word viewer from Microsoft. Go to their Download search page, then type Word viewer in the search window. If you cannot open these documents, try downloading these RTF (rich text file) versions of the RTF sample signature page and the RTF faculty names page. These files should open in any word processing program, but the sample signature page may not format correctly.

If you are unable to download or open these documents even though you have Word or Word viewer, email Nicole Ballard (nballard@csudh.edu) and she will email them to you.

General Instructions

Signature pages must be printed on the same bond paper you'll be using for the final (library submission) copy of your thesis manuscript. You will be providing two copies of this page with your manuscript. Do not bold your font. The choice and size of the font should match that used in the rest of your manuscript.

Everything must be spelled correctly--absolutely no mistakes. All degrees must be correct as well as correctly formatted and punctuated. To avoid mistakes be sure that as you fill in the committee member's names and degrees, you copy and paste them from the faculty names document rather than typing them in.

The page is counted but not numbered on the page itself. The number will appear only on your Table of Contents page.

Margins

  • Left hand margin is 1 1/2 inches.
  • Right hand margin is 1 1/4 inches.
  • Top margin is 1 3/4 inches.
  • Bottom margin is 1 1/4 inches.
  • See below for APPROVED column margin.

Title/Author section

1. The word THESIS or PROJECT is in all capitals and followed by a colon. Tab once (make sure this equals five spaces) and begin the title, which is also all capitals. The title on the signature page should be exactly as you've used it on your Title Page.

Single-space your title and line it up under the first word in the title if it goes over one line.
Double space (single space twice) between THESIS and AUTHOR.

2. The word AUTHOR is all capitals and followed by a colon. Tab once (make sure this equals five spaces) and begin your name, which is also all capitals. Your name on the signature page should be exactly as you've used it on your Title Page.

Faculty Committee Approval section

1. The APPROVED column is spaced down 5 1/2 inches from the top of the page and
4 1/2 inches over from the left edge of the paper (Tab over six times; this will equal 30 spaces until you have changed the default tab settings in Word). All required information below is also spaced 4 1/2 inches from the left hand side of the paper.

2. The word APPROVED should appear in all capitals, followed by a colon.

3. Committee Chair signature block

  • Quadruple space down (single space four times), then underscore 30 strokes or to 1 1/4 inches from the right edge of the paper.
  • Below the line, copy and paste your mentor's name and degree from the faculty list. The examples are in Times New Roman font. If you are using a different font, you will have to change the font to match the rest of your manuscript. Please use the copy and paste function to avoid inadvertent misspellings and incorrect degree designations.
  • Below the name, type "Thesis Committee Chair" (without the quotes) if you've done a thesis. Type "Project Committee Chair" (without the quotes) if you've done a project.

4. Second Committee member signature block

  • Quadruple space down (single space four times), then underscore 30 strokes or to 1 1/4 inches from the right edge of the paper.
  • Below the line, copy and paste your second Reader's name and degree from the faculty committee list. Please use the copy and paste function to avoid inadvertent misspellings and incorrect degree designations.
  • Below the name, type "Committee Member" without the quotes.

5. Third Committee member signature block

  • Quadruple space down (single space four times), then underscore 30 strokes or to 1 1/4 inches from the right edge of the paper.
  • Below the line, copy and paste your third Reader's name and degree from the faculty committee list. Please use the copy and paste function to avoid inadvertent misspellings and incorrect degree designations.
  • Below the name, type "Committee Member" without the quotes.

Final Comments

One original copy of your signature page will be used for the Graduate Studies approved final manuscript, which is submitted to the library as part of the depository process. The HUX office will retain one original copy of your signature page for your file. We will provide the library with copies of the signature page for any personal copies that you choose to order.

Please note: The Graduate Studies Office reserves the right to reject your manuscript based on an improperly formatted signature page and/or one which is not signed in black ink by all three of your faculty committee members. Rejected manuscripts may be held over to the following trimester's review cycle.