How to put the front pages of a thesis in order in Word
What the rule sets in the TypesetOS checker apply for order of the front pages. Front pages in this order: abstract, then acknowledgements, dedication, preface, table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, list of symbols and other lists (in any order): MIT Thesis and UC Berkeley Dissertation. Front pages in this order: abstract, then preface, acknowledgements and dedication (in any order), then table of contents, then list of tables, then list of figures: Stanford Dissertation. Front pages in this order: abstract, then table of contents, then acknowledgements, dedication, preface, list of tables, list of figures, list of symbols and other lists (in any order): Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD Dissertation. Front pages in this order: dedication, then acknowledgements, then preface, then table of contents, then list of tables, list of figures and other lists (in any order), then list of symbols, then abstract: University of Michigan Rackham Dissertation. Front pages in this order: abstract, then dedication, then table of contents, then list of figures, then list of tables, then list of symbols, then preface and acknowledgements (in any order): Generic US Graduate School Thesis. Front pages in this order: table of contents, then list of tables and list of figures (in any order): Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition.
Checked on our server and deleted right after the check. No AI, no sign-up.
What this rule means
The front pages are the pages before chapter 1: abstract, acknowledgements, dedication, preface, the table of contents and the lists of tables, figures and symbols.
The order they must come in depends on the rule set, so read the table for yours.
What each rule set asks for
Each row is the rule set the TypesetOS checker applies, taken from the guide linked in its last column. Open the school’s own page for the full list of rules.
| School or style | What the checker applies | How it is handled | Guide it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIT ThesisMIT Thesis format requirements | Front pages in this order: abstract, then acknowledgements, dedication, preface, table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, list of symbols and other lists (in any order) | Shown for reviewThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | MIT Libraries: Specifications for Thesis Preparation |
| Stanford DissertationStanford Dissertation format requirements | Front pages in this order: abstract, then preface, acknowledgements and dedication (in any order), then table of contents, then list of tables, then list of figures | Checked automaticallyThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | Stanford Student Services: Format Requirements for Your Dissertation or Thesis |
| UC Berkeley DissertationUC Berkeley Dissertation format requirements | Front pages in this order: abstract, then acknowledgements, dedication, preface, table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, list of symbols and other lists (in any order) | Checked automaticallyThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | UC Berkeley Graduate Division: Dissertation Writing and Filing |
| Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD DissertationHarvard Griffin GSAS PhD Dissertation format requirements | Front pages in this order: abstract, then table of contents, then acknowledgements, dedication, preface, list of tables, list of figures, list of symbols and other lists (in any order) | Checked automaticallyThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Dissertation Formatting Guidance |
| University of Michigan Rackham DissertationUniversity of Michigan Rackham Dissertation format requirements | Front pages in this order: dedication, then acknowledgements, then preface, then table of contents, then list of tables, list of figures and other lists (in any order), then list of symbols, then abstract | Checked automaticallyThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School: Formatting Guidelines |
| Generic US Graduate School ThesisGeneric US Graduate School Thesis format requirements | Front pages in this order: abstract, then dedication, then table of contents, then list of figures, then list of tables, then list of symbols, then preface and acknowledgements (in any order)Working reading: source being re-checked. | Shown for reviewThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | University of Notre Dame Graduate School: Style Guide for Formatting Dissertations and Theses |
| Chicago Manual of Style, 17th EditionChicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition format requirements | Front pages in this order: table of contents, then list of tables and list of figures (in any order)Working reading: source being re-checked. | Shown for reviewThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed.: CMOS Shop Talk (official CMOS editorial guidance on margins and page numbers for Turabian/Chicago-style papers) |
Generic US Graduate School Thesis and Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition are working readings, because the source for each is being re-checked.
The checker does not apply this rule for Columbia GSAS Dissertation, ProQuest / UMI Dissertation Submission, APA 7th Edition: Student Paper.
TypesetOS is not affiliated with the schools and organisations named on this page. Compare the values with the current guide that applies to your submission.
Fix it in Word
Steps in Word (Windows and Mac)
- Turn on paragraph marks: on the Home tab click the ¶ button (Ctrl+Shift+8, or Command+8 on a Mac).
- Select the page that is out of order, from its first line to the end of its page break or section break, so the break moves with it.
- Cut it (Ctrl+X, or Command+X on a Mac) and paste it (Ctrl+V, or Command+V) at the start of the page that should come after it.
- Update the contents: click inside it, press F9 (Fn+F9 on some Mac keyboards) and choose Update entire table.
- If every front page title has a Heading style, you can drag the headings in the Navigation Pane instead (View tab, Navigation Pane).
- A moved page keeps the page numbering of the section it lands in. If the front matter uses Roman numerals, check the numbers afterwards.
Microsoft’s own instructions:
More on this: Fix Roman and Arabic page numbers in Word
Then check the file
Run the free format checker on the saved file to see whether this rule now passes. It names what it checked and what it could not check. It does not decide whether your school will accept the file.
Other fixes in Word
- How to fix thesis margins in Word
- How to set the page size of a thesis in Word
- How to fix the body font and size in Word
- How to fix thesis line spacing in Word
- How to fix skipped heading levels in Word
- How to start every chapter on a new page in Word
- How to number tables and figures in Word
- How to fix the reference list layout and hanging indent in Word
- How to add page numbers to a thesis in Word
- How to fix the position of page numbers in Word
- How to fix Roman and Arabic page number formats in Word
Word steps last reviewed: 2026-10-17.