Thesis Content & Style
Content and Style
Thesis Word Limits
The following word limits are the maximum allowed for a thesis in the postgraduate research degree programme of the Department of Biology.
Degree Word Limit for Department of Biology
PhD 80,000
MPhil 60,000
MSc by Research 30,000
What is included in the word count?
Everything in the main body of the text is included in the word limit i.e. text in chapters (such as introduction, method, results, discussion and conclusion) including footnotes and endnotes.
What is excluded in the word count?
Tables and Figures (including legends)
Front matter: Everything before the main body of the text (ie abstract, acknowledgements, copyright notice, contents page, list of tables and figures etc).
End (or back) matter: Everything after the main body of the text (ie references, acknowledgements, appendices etc). As a guide, appendices should not typically extend beyond 20% of the word limit.
Notes: If you have special circumstances/material that you think will take your thesis beyond the stated word limits, please discuss this with your supervisor(s) as soon as possible. Exceptionally, a case may be made to the Director of Graduate Studies for agreement to exceed the thesis work limit.
The graduate school have detailed guidance about the style, formatting and sequence of material standards for your thesis.
In addition to online guidance on preparing and formatting your thesis, the University also offers courses to help you in writing your thesis, these are run by Information Services and BRIC.
