What are the abstract length requirements for a Tsinghua University master's thesis?

Chinese and English abstracts are usually on separate pages; exact word limits follow the current *Guide to Writing Graduate Theses* (研究生学位论文写作指南) issued by the Graduate School and any departmental addenda. In practice, the Chinese abstract often fits roughly one A4 page at the prescribed font size (e.g. xiǎo sì hào 小四号); the English Abstract should mirror the Chinese in content, not be a shallow word-for-word translation. Before final submission, confirm against your department’s Word sample and academic office instructions.

What citation style does Tsinghua University use for theses?

Degree theses typically follow **GB/T 7714-2005** in **numeric (sequential) form**: in-text citations use bracketed numbers in order of appearance, and the reference list matches those numbers one-to-one. Pay attention to punctuation and required fields for journals, chapters in books, online sources, etc., and do not mix this with author–year styles.

What information must appear on the Tsinghua thesis cover?

Covers and title pages usually include: Chinese title, English title, author name, department (or training unit), discipline or field, degree type (master’s), supervisor (often with title), and completion/submission date (year/month). Some schools also require student ID, research direction, or joint-training information. Use the university’s official cover template and annual instructions—do not delete or rearrange fixed layout fields.

Tsinghua University Master's Thesis Template Formatting Guide

Overview of formatting requirements

Tsinghua University master’s theses follow the Graduate School’s writing norms plus departmental supplements. Disciplines may differ on figure/table numbering, symbol lists, or appendices. Overall, the thesis should show consistent text area (版心), clear heading hierarchy, and correct front-matter and pagination, aligned with the official Word/DOCX layout guide. If your department issues an updated template, prefer its built-in styles (Heading 1/2/3, body, captions) over manual formatting so the title page, table of contents, and body stay consistent.

A practical workflow: set paper size and margins first, unify body and heading fonts, then handle abstract, TOC, references, and acknowledgments—this reduces pagination errors from repeated tweaks. Tsinghua often relies on a DOCX template with locked styles so updating fields and the TOC does not scramble heading levels.

Page setup

Paper: A4 portrait; print and electronic copies should use the same paper settings—avoid mixing in other sizes for landscape tables only.
Margins: 3 cm on all sides (top, bottom, left, right) for binding and archival scanning.
Page numbers: A common pattern is Roman numerals for front matter and Arabic numerals for the main text—front matter may include cover, declarations, Chinese/English abstracts, and directory. Check carefully:

- Whether the cover is a separate section and whether it is counted;

- Whether Chinese and English abstracts are numbered continuously;

- Whether TOC page numbers match the body (refresh TOC fields).

Headers and footers: Odd/even headers (e.g. chapter title vs. thesis title) follow departmental templates; after inserting a “next page” section break, unlink from previous before editing that section’s header to avoid text bleeding across chapters.

Binding is usually on the left; for duplex printing, confirm whether inside/outside margin mirroring matches the template (this guide uses 3 cm all around unless your school specifies extra gutter).

Fonts and typography

Chinese body: Songti (宋体), 12 pt (some documents say xiǎo sì hào 小四号—pick one and apply it consistently in Word).
English body: Times New Roman, 12 pt; watch spacing between Chinese and English, and distinguish em dash, hyphen, etc.
Chapter titles (level 1): Chinese often Heiti (黑体); English often Arial, 16 pt; lower levels step down in size—use styles, not manual formatting.
Figures and formulas: Captions are often below figures and above tables (confirm with your department); formula numbering by chapter (e.g. (2-3)) should be explained where first used.

Paragraphs and line spacing: If the template specifies fixed or minimum line spacing, do not mix with “multiple” line spacing; pasted text often brings single spacing—reapply styles or use Format Painter.

Cover and front matter

Cover fields should match your student record and proposal. Typical items:

| Category | Typical fields |

|----------|----------------|

| Title | Chinese title; English title (same meaning; consistent proper nouns) |

| Author | Student name |

| Unit | School/department; discipline or major |

| Degree | Master’s degree (or professional category if separate) |

| Supervision | Supervisor name (and title if required) |

| Date | Submission or completion (year, month) |

For originality and authorization pages with fixed legal text, do not rewrite clauses—only sign and date as required. Chinese and English abstracts should list keywords (关键词); English keywords should align with Chinese, with acronyms defined on first use.

Typical front-matter order: cover → half-title (if any) → declarations → Chinese abstract → English Abstract → table of contents → list of figures/tables (if required) → main text. Follow the current year’s template.

Chapter structure

A master’s thesis commonly includes (exact titles vary by department):

Abstract (Chinese)
Abstract (English)
Introduction (or 绪论)
Main chapters (methods, experiments, discussion, etc.)
References
Acknowledgments

Use one numbering scheme throughout—either “Chapter X” or “1, 1.1, 1.1.1”—and decide early whether figures/equations are numbered per chapter or continuously. The introduction should state background, problem, contributions, and structure; acknowledgments should stay professional.

If there is an appendix (code, questionnaires, long proofs), numbering and in-text references must be consistent; symbol or abbreviation lists should appear in the TOC if they are separate pages.

Reference list format

Under GB/T 7714-2005 numeric order:

In-text numbers must match the list exactly—no “[5] in text but no item 5” or duplicate numbers.
Entry types differ (journal, book, conference, thesis, online)—do not omit title, place, publisher, year, volume(issue), pages, etc.
Keep English author names, journal abbreviations, and conference capitalization consistent; Chinese punctuation follows your sample.
For indirect citations, note “转引自” and original sources if required; for web sources, add access date and URL per GB/T 7714 and school rules.

If you use Zotero or EndNote, choose a 7714 numeric style and still manually verify volumes, issues, and page ranges—software often splits fields wrong.

Common formatting mistakes

Section breaks and page numbers: After “next page” breaks, front matter in Roman numerals and body in Arabic numerals can desync; recheck each section’s “continue from previous” vs. “start at”.
Font mixing: Pasting from web/PDF brings non-Songti fonts—use style checks or clear formatting before reapplying styles.
Hanging indent in references: Two- vs. three-digit numbers misalign second lines—use paragraph hanging indent or a reference style, not spaces.
English title line breaks: Long titles on the cover can get odd line spacing—adjust table cell alignment and spacing so cover and half-title match.
Figures split across pages: Caption on one page, figure on another—use “keep with next” or adjust floats; consider landscape pages or smaller figures.

Pre-defense and submission checklist

Match cover fields to the graduate portal and library system (title punctuation, supervisor’s name characters).
Search the document for placeholders like “TODO”, “待补”, “?页”.
Update entire TOC and check right-aligned page numbers and leader dots.
Ensure the last reference has no stray blank lines; first citations match list order.
In exported PDF, check bookmarks/outline against heading levels for review and archiving.

Figures, tables, formulas, and appendices

Figures: Resolution suitable for print; preview in grayscale if figures may be printed in black and white. Captions include number and title; citations match text.
Tables: Three-line tables are common in STEM; if too wide, reduce font (not below the minimum) or use a landscape page; table notes and symbols (a, b, …) go below the table.
Formulas: Align multi-line equations; numbering and references (e.g. Eq. (3-2)) should be consistent; when pasting from MathType or LaTeX, match body font.
Appendices: Cite sources for third-party code or data; if very long, include only key excerpts.

Electronic vs. print

Libraries often require PDF/A or a specified PDF version; embed fonts so formulas display on other machines. For duplex printing, check inside margins and color plates if any.

Questions to confirm with your advisor or office

Whether you must use the latest official template (filename/year).
Whether abstracts need a supervisor signature page.
Whether preprints (e.g. arXiv) are allowed and how to cite them.
Joint programs: partner units on the cover.
Whether post-defense versions need a new cover date or a committee page.

Word details that are easy to miss

Widows/orphans: Keep headings with the following paragraph—e.g. “keep with next” in heading styles.
Footnotes vs. endnotes: If footnotes are required, unify separator line, number format, and font size—do not mix with endnotes.
Hyperlinks: Keeping TOC links in PDF aids reading; if a “print-only” PDF is required, follow departmental instructions.

Timeline milestones (planning)

| Phase | Suggested actions |

|------|-------------------|

| After proposal | Fix chapter numbering, reference tool, GB/T 7714 style |

| First full draft | Apply school template; add captions and cross-references |

| Before pre-defense | Freeze margins; check abstract, TOC, references |

| Final | Update all fields; spot-check PDF; match cover to systems |

| After submission | Upload per library rules; keep Word and PDF versions |

Name final files with name and version date (e.g. ZhangSan_MA_Thesis_202503_v3.pdf) to avoid confusion with peers.

How to generate Tsinghua thesis format with AutoSCI

Upload your thesis — PDF or Word
Choose a template — Select “Tsinghua University Master’s Thesis” (清华大学硕士学位论文)
Fill in cover fields — Title, author, supervisor, department, etc.
Export — Download Word or PDF aligned with Tsinghua norms

AutoSCI follows Tsinghua’s current degree thesis guidelines, handling cover layout, pagination, fonts, references, and related details automatically.

Tsinghua University Master's Thesis Template Formatting Guide

Format Overview