Is Your Dissertation Table of Contents Formatted Correctly?

The dissertation table of contents is one of the most technically demanding formatting elements in a doctoral dissertation. Here is exactly how to get it right the first time.

The dissertation table of contents is one of those elements that doctoral students often leave until the very end — and then rush through in the final days before submission. That is a mistake. A poorly formatted table of contents is one of the most common reasons graduate school reviewers send dissertations back before they ever reach the committee.

The table of contents is not just a navigation tool. It is a formal document element that must meet your institution's specific formatting requirements, accurately reflect every heading and page number in your dissertation, and be consistent with the heading hierarchy used throughout your document.

This guide will walk you through exactly what your dissertation table of contents needs to contain, how to format it correctly in Turabian and Chicago style, how to generate it automatically in Microsoft Word, and the most common mistakes to avoid before submission.

What Is a Dissertation Table of Contents and Why Does It Matter?

The dissertation table of contents is a structured list of every chapter, section heading, and front matter element in your dissertation along with the page number where each one begins. It appears in the preliminary pages of your dissertation — typically after the abstract and before the list of tables or list of figures if those are required.

Your table of contents matters for three reasons:

First it gives your committee and graduate school reviewers an immediate overview of your dissertation's structure and argument. A well-organized table of contents signals that your dissertation is logically structured and professionally prepared.

Second it must be perfectly accurate. Every heading listed in the table of contents must match the corresponding heading in the body of your dissertation exactly — same wording, same capitalization, same punctuation. A single discrepancy between the table of contents and the body text is a formatting error that will be flagged.

Third it must have accurate page numbers. Every page number listed in the table of contents must correspond exactly to the page where that heading appears in the document. Even a single incorrect page number is a formatting error.

What Should Be Listed in a Dissertation Table of Contents?

Most universities require the following elements to be listed in the dissertation table of contents:

Front matter:

Abstract
Dedication (if included)
Acknowledgements (if included)
List of tables (if included)
List of figures (if included)

Note: The title page, approval page, and the table of contents itself are typically not listed in the table of contents.

Body of the dissertation:

All chapter titles with their chapter numbers
All first level section headings within each chapter
All second level section headings within each chapter (whether second level headings are included depends on your institution's requirements — check your graduate school guidelines)

Back matter:

Bibliography or reference list
Appendices (if included)

How to Format a Dissertation Table of Contents in Turabian and Chicago Style

Turabian and Chicago style both provide guidance for dissertation table of contents formatting. Here are the key requirements:

Heading: The table of contents page begins with the heading CONTENTS or TABLE OF CONTENTS centered at the top of the page. Check your institution's guidelines to confirm which heading your university requires and how it should be formatted — most institutions require it in ALL CAPS centered and bold.

Chapter titles: Chapter titles are listed in ALL CAPS if your institution requires ALL CAPS for chapter headings — which most universities do. Each chapter title is followed by a row of dot leaders connecting it to the page number on the right margin.

Section headings: First level section headings are listed beneath their chapter title and indented. Second level headings are indented further beneath their first level heading. The level of indentation creates a visual hierarchy that mirrors the heading structure of your dissertation.

Page numbers: Page numbers appear flush right on the same line as the heading they reference, connected by dot leaders. Preliminary page numbers appear in lowercase Roman numerals. Chapter and body page numbers appear in Arabic numerals.

Spacing: Most institutions require single spacing within each entry and double spacing between entries or between chapter groupings. Check your graduate school guidelines for the exact spacing requirement.

How to Create an Automatic Table of Contents in Microsoft Word

Creating your dissertation table of contents manually is time-consuming and error-prone. Microsoft Word can generate an automatic table of contents that updates whenever your content changes — which means page numbers stay accurate as you make edits.

Here is how to set it up correctly:

Step 1 — Apply heading styles throughout your dissertation: Before generating a table of contents every heading in your dissertation must be formatted using Word's built-in heading styles — Heading 1 for chapter titles, Heading 2 for first level section headings, Heading 3 for second level headings.

To apply a heading style click on the heading text, then click the appropriate heading style in the Styles group on the Home tab. Do this for every heading throughout the entire dissertation.

Step 2 — Position your cursor where the table of contents should appear: Click at the beginning of the page where your table of contents will go — typically after the abstract page.

Step 3 — Insert the automatic table of contents:

Go to the References tab
Click Table of Contents
Select Custom Table of Contents at the bottom of the dropdown
Set Show levels to 2 or 3 depending on how many heading levels your institution requires
Make sure Show page numbers and Right align page numbers are both checked
Make sure Tab leader is set to the dot leader option
Click OK

Word will generate the table of contents automatically based on the heading styles applied throughout your dissertation.

Step 4 — Update the table of contents before final submission: Every time you make changes to your dissertation that affect page numbers or headings you must update the table of contents. Right click anywhere in the table of contents and select Update Field, then select Update entire table and click OK.

Always update your table of contents as the very last step before saving your final document for submission.

How to Format the Automatic Table of Contents to Match Your Institution's Requirements

The automatic table of contents Word generates may not match your institution's formatting requirements exactly. Here is how to adjust it:

To change the font and size: Select all the text in the table of contents and change the font to Times New Roman 12pt to match the rest of your dissertation.

To adjust capitalization: If your chapter titles need to appear in ALL CAPS in the table of contents select each chapter title entry and apply ALL CAPS formatting through the Font settings.

To adjust spacing: Select the table of contents text and adjust the paragraph spacing to match your institution's requirements.

To adjust indentation: Right click in the table of contents, select Edit Field, then click Table of Contents and adjust the indent levels for each heading level.

Common Dissertation Table of Contents Mistakes to Avoid

Headings in the table of contents do not match the body:

Every heading listed in the table of contents must match the corresponding heading in the body of your dissertation exactly. If a heading reads "The Impact of Welfare Policy on Black Families" in the body it must read exactly the same way in the table of contents — same wording, same capitalization, same punctuation. Any discrepancy will be flagged.

Incorrect page numbers: Page numbers in the table of contents must be accurate at the time of submission. Always update your table of contents as the very last step before saving your final document. Even one incorrect page number is a formatting error.

Including the table of contents in itself: The table of contents page should not list itself. It also typically does not list the title page or approval page. Check your institution's guidelines to confirm exactly which front matter elements should and should not be listed.

Wrong heading levels included: Some institutions require only chapter titles and first level headings in the table of contents. Others require second level headings as well. Check your graduate school guidelines to confirm how many heading levels should be listed.

Manual table of contents not updated after edits: If you created your table of contents manually and then made edits to your dissertation the page numbers will no longer be accurate. This is one of the strongest arguments for using Word's automatic table of contents feature — it updates with a single click rather than requiring you to manually check and correct every page number.

Getting Your Dissertation Table of Contents Right

A correctly formatted dissertation table of contents tells your committee and your graduate school reviewer that your dissertation is organized, professional, and carefully prepared. An incorrect one raises doubts before they have read a single word of your research.

At Two Dissertation Moms we review and format dissertation tables of contents as part of our comprehensive dissertation editing and formatting service. We check heading accuracy, page number accuracy, formatting consistency, and compliance with your institution's specific requirements. We also set up automatic tables of contents in Microsoft Word so they update correctly as final edits are made before submission.

FAQ Section:

Q: What should be included in a dissertation table of contents?

A: A dissertation table of contents typically includes all front matter elements except the title page and approval page, all chapter titles, all first and second level section headings, and all back matter elements including the bibliography and appendices. Check your institution's graduate school guidelines for the exact requirements.

Q: Should I create my dissertation table of contents manually or automatically in Word? A: Using Word's automatic table of contents feature is strongly recommended over creating it manually. An automatic table of contents updates page numbers with a single click whenever changes are made to the document, eliminating the risk of inaccurate page numbers at submission.

Q: How do I update my dissertation table of contents in Word?

A: Right click anywhere in the table of contents, select Update Field, then select Update entire table and click OK. Always update your table of contents as the very last step before saving your final document for submission.

Q: Do dissertation chapter titles appear in ALL CAPS in the table of contents?

A: If your institution requires chapter titles to appear in ALL CAPS throughout the dissertation they should also appear in ALL CAPS in the table of contents. The capitalization in the table of contents must match the capitalization used in the body of the dissertation exactly.

Q: What happens if the page numbers in my table of contents are wrong?

A: Incorrect page numbers in the dissertation table of contents are a formatting error that graduate school reviewers will flag before approving your submission. Always update your table of contents immediately before saving your final document to ensure all page numbers are accurate.

Is Your Dissertation Table of Contents Formatted Correctly? Here Is What Graduate Schools Actually Require