Addis Ababa University

College of Business and Economics

Department of Public Administration and Development
Management
Office of the Graduate Programs Coordination
Format of Thesis
1. Typing Considerations
1.1

The thesis/dissertation must be typed on A4 size paper, preferably

1.2

band, with typing on one side of the page only.

There must be a margin of 3.5 cm on the left hand side of the page to
allow for binding, and minimum margins of 1.5 cm on the right-hand

1.3

side and 2.5 cm at the top and bottom of the page.

The type must be double-spaced or 1.5 inch. and printed in high

1.4

quality of normally readable fort size.

Pages should be numbered consecutively and the number should

1.5

appear just below the center of the lower margin.

The thesis/dissertation must be a maximum of 150 pages for Masters
and 350 pages for PhD including annex, appendixes, etc.

2. Organization of a Thesis
The organization depends on the nature and material contained. However,
the following general format is suggested:
2.1

2.2

The Preliminaries
Title page
Signed approval sheet by the Board of Examiners
Acknowledgments
Table of contents
List of Tables (if any)
List of Figures ( if any)
List of appendices (if any)
Abbreviations/Acronyms (if any)
Abstract
The Text of the Thesis
1

2.3

2.4

The Reference Matter

Bibliography
Glossary ( if any)
Appendices (if any)
Signed Declaration Sheet

3. Title Page
The front (title) page must be as follows:
Title of thesis in capitals, and full name of the candidate, then A Thesis
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Addis Ababa University in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters Degree of Public
Management and Policy (insert your Stream) in the Department of Public
Administration and Development Management. The whole title page should
be symmetrically arranged.

4. Acknowledgment
Credit must be given to individuals who have made significant contributions
to the research. These many, for example, include supervisors (advisors),
technicians and organizations (e.g. providers of financial support, facilities,
etc.)

5. Abstract
The abstract bridges the gap between the title and the main body of the
thesis and thus should be brief and informative. It should broadly
summarize the overall content of the thesis, point out new information, and
may replace the need for a summary.
The abstract should be restricted to one-and-half pages (approximately 500
words) for masters.

6. Signed Declaration

The last page of thesis must contain a signed declaration by the candidate
with the following statement; the thesis my original work, has not been
presented for a degree in only other university and that all sources of
material used for the thesis have been duly acknowledged. A signature of
confirmation by advisor is also added on the same page.

7. Submission of Finalized Copy

Three copies of the thesis are submitted to the Department. At last one (but
preferably all) should be original computer printout (s).