MASTER’S THESIS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

FOR ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Department of Architectural Engineering

May 2009
 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Format 2

This document provides requirements for basic document design guidelines for

submitting a Master’s thesis or project report, in the Department of Architectural

Engineering at Cal Poly. This document conforms to the Formatting Guidelines for

Preparing Master’s Thesis and Project Reports (ed. 2008) of the Office of Research and

Graduate Department Programs (ORGP), where a conflict between this document and the

document of ORGP exists, the ORGDP document shall govern.

Refer to the current edition of Form & Style by Carole Slade and Robert Perrine

(Houghton Mifflin) for any other items.

1.0 GENERAL DOCUMENT FORMAT

Correct format is a critical piece of presenting the thesis to the committee. Be sure

to follow the format conventions below:

‰ Acid-free, UV-resistant, 20 or 24 pound bond paper, 100% cotton

‰ 1” margins, top, bottom, and right—NOTHING is written in the margins

‰ 1.5” margin left, for binding—NOTHING is written in the margin

‰ 12-point Times font for body text, captions, and labels on visuals

‰ Front matter page numbers in small Roman numerals: title page counted but
not listed as i, following numbers (ii, iii, etc.) at bottom center of pages

‰ Rest of page numbers at the top right of each page, starting with the number 1
on the first page of Chapter 1

‰ Page numbers suppressed as needed on landscape-oriented pages

‰ Text justified left, right is ragged

‰ Paragraph first lines indented 1/2"; one double space only between paragraphs

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Format 3

‰ Major sections (1.0, 2.0, 3.0) used in place of chapters. Begin each major
section on a new page.

‰ Sections identified numerically and limited to four levels. (That is, no

subsection should be deeper than #.#.#.#). Avoid single subsections.

‰ Headers, footers, or footnotes NOT in margins – NOTHING

‰ Single-sided pages, double-spaced, except the items below:

ƒ Preliminary pages (acknowledgements, single items requiring

more than one line in the table of contents, list of figures, list of
tables, or list of nomenclature).

ƒ Glossary entries

ƒ Tables within the text.

ƒ Extended (five lines or more) quotations, within text—may be off-

set and single spaced. This is typical when quoting a section of the
building code.

ƒ References, Definitions, Bulleted Items, and Footnotes (single-

spaced within, double-spaced between entries)

‰ Separation line below the header and above any footnotes (80% gray scale)

1.1 Headings
The thesis should use headings to indicate major sections. Any heading should

provide at least a full sentence of text before leading to another heading. Left justify

headings, and format them according to the following conventions:

(1.0) MAJOR SECTION HEADING

BOLD, 14-POINT FONT, ALL CAPS, 6 POINTS ABOVE THE
SUBSEQUENT TEXT

(1.1) First Subsection Heading

Bold, 14-point font, 6 points above the subsequent text (not all caps)
updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb This is a separation line.
 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Format 4

(1.1.1) Second Subsection Heading

Bold, 12-point font, italicized, 6 points above the subsequent text

(1.1.1.1) Third Subsection Heading. (Try to avoid this level.) Bold, 12-point font, not
underlined, on the same line as the subsequent text (use a period after the heading
to separate it from the text that follows)

1.2 Visuals
Place and label visuals as follows:

‰ Locate all visuals on the same page as the text that refers to them, if possible.
When not possible, instruct the reader as to the location of the visual element.
When using a visual element,

1. introduce that element and note its location (“Figure 6, below, illustrates
the circuitry”)

2. place the visual as close to the discussion as possible

3. interpret all visual elements for the reader after placement.

‰ For a full-page visual, introduce the visual element on the preceding page and
instruct the reader as to its location (“The graph indicates the amount of
displacement. See Figure 3 on page 46, following.”).

1.3 Captions
Include captions as follows:

‰ Label tables and figures separately using numbers for the tables and sequential
letters of the alphabet for the figures (Table 1, Table 2, Figure A, Figure B).
Number tables sequentially regardless of the section in which they appear.
Give visual elements a brief but specific title that meaningfully describes their
content, and cite the source for any visual aid that is not the thesis writer’s
original creation:

Figure A: Special moment connections beyond the dating service

Source: Baltimore and Dong 2008

‰ Use bold, 12-point font for the title, non-bold for the source. (You will need to
change the default settings when you use MSWord’s insert caption function).

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Format 5

1.4 Acronyms
Use the following strategy for handling acronyms:

‰ Expand each acronym at the first use in each major section unless it is
something well known such as FEMA. Expand well known acronyms after the
first use only.

‰ Place a list of acronyms after the glossary at the end of the document, leaving
the list of nomenclature in the front matter.

‰ A term that needs to be defined for your primary readers (that is, the members
of your thesis committee) goes first into the text where relevant and then into
the glossary.

1.5 Headers and Footers

Use headers and footers to guide your reader through the document:

‰ The header, flush to the outside margin of the page, consists of the major
section title, a triple space, plus a page number:

3.0 Blast Loads and Homework Strategies 10

‰ The footer, flush to the outside margin of the page, is the title of the thesis.

‰ Check to make sure your rule lines are not cutting off the descenders (g, j, p,
y) of your text (use the borders tool or the drawing tool instead of the
“underline” button).

1.6 Equations
Place equations in this manner:

‰ Center equations on the page

‰ Right-justify the label for each equation, without using leader lines or dots
between the equation and the label. Number equations sequentially, beginning
with “Eq. 1” regardless of the section in which they appear. Place either a
period or a comma at the end of the equation, depending on whether that
equation is a complete sentence or goes on afterward.

‰ Indent the first line following the equation, providing the “where” section and
listing “where” items afterward.

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Format 6

‰ Here is an example equation:

The axial load (PCR), at which a column will buckle prior to yielding, is given
by the Euler buckling equation
n 2π 2 EI
PCR = , Eq. 1
L2
where n is the number of sine waves in the deformed shape (dimensionless),
E is the modulus of elasticity (ksi),
I is the moment of inertia (in4), and
L is the unsupported length of the column (in).

1.7 Pagination
The letter of transmittal receives no page number, nor should it be counted as one

of the pages of the document, nor should it be bound with the rest of the document.

Attach the letter of transmittal to the outside of the thesis when it is ready for submission.

The transmittal is to be written in block letter style; see the sample letter at the end of this

document.

The title page is the first official page of the thesis—do NOT put a number this

page, but do count it as the first page. All of the front matter in the thesis, items 2 through

10 (see Section 2.0 on page 8), to be numbered with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii,

and so on). The page number has to be located at the bottom center (this is a different

than the rest of the document). The table of contents begins with the Lists of Tables,

followed by the List of Figures, and then the List of Nomenclature.

Begin Arabic numbering (1, 2, 3 …) with the first page of the text (the

introduction), and continue with Arabic numbering throughout the rest of the thesis,

including any appendices.

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Format 7

Place page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of the pages at the right

margin. Any additional information in the header should be left justified. Footnotes will

go above the line that separates the footer area1.

1.8 Quotations
Use curly quotation marks for quoted material (“the standards are clear”), and use

straight quotation marks to show measurements (a 12" length). Curly quotation marks are

a default setting for Microsoft Word, so you will need to use either the insert symbols

menu or the autoformat menu to provide straight marks.

1
This is an example of the location of a footnote. Microsoft Word places the footnote here and the short
line above, automatically.
updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb
 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Components 8

2.0 COMPONENTS OF THE THESIS

The thesis should contain the following items, in the order given:

1. Letter of transmittal

2. Title page (not numbered) (page i)

3. Copyright page (page ii)

These (items 2-
4. Committee page (page iii)
11) page
numbers are to
5. Abstract (MUST be fewer than 250 words) (page iv)
be written in
lower case
6. Acknowledgements (optional)
Roman
numerals,
7. Table of Contents
except as noted
in Sec. 2.1.
8. List of Tables

9. List of Figures

10. List of nomenclature, including units

11. Text – Section 1.0 is the introduction (page 1)

12. References

13. Works Consulted (as requested by advisor)

14. Appendices (including glossary, if necessary)

2.1 Introduction
The introduction announces the topic and the purpose. It may be combined with

the background.

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Components 9

2.2 Background
This section is used to give your readers information they need to understand the

rest of the document. Items to include in the background section are

‰ History

‰ Definitions

‰ State-of-practice

2.3 Literature Reviews

Discuss research completed and obsolete codes in the past tense. Report current

codes and standards in present tense. Re-cite sources each time you use them, but

without using abbreviations such as ibid and op cit.

2.4 Content Changes from the Proposal to the Thesis

Make the following changes when you turn your proposal into the thesis:

‰ Remove the proposed timeline, and adjust the verb tenses to show the work
completed.

‰ Remember the lit review includes the relevant findings of each source and
makes the connection to your new research. If a source you used in your
annotated bibliography is no longer relevant, remove it.

‰ Change the list of terms and definitions to Glossary or Nomenclature.

‰ Adjust the technical level throughout the paper for the content advisors you
now have in place.

‰ Change the tense from future (proposal) to past (completed work), where
appropriate.

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Citation Style 10

3.0 CITATION STYLE

Within the text of the thesis itself, provide in-text citations for any words, ideas,

or research of other people by using a basic parenthetical citation. Remember to discuss

literature in past tense and current codes and standards in present tense. In-text citations

should include the author’s last name and the year of the publication and should use the

following conventions:

Single author: (Schnitzel 2003)

Two authors: (Schnitzel and Strudel 2004)

Three authors: (Schnitzel, Strudel, and Stein 2006)

More than three authors: (Schnitzel et al. 2007)

If the author has more than one publication within the same year, distinguish

among publications with lower case letters (2006a, 2006b, …).

The thesis must also include a list of references at the end; these references should

follow MLA guidelines (no ibid). For each work, place the citation (Schitzel 2003) before

beginning the reference. This style allows for a one to one referencing.

In addition, the thesis may also include a list of works consulted (articles or

books, for example, that the thesis writer read and that helped to establish a general

knowledge base for the thesis, but that did not receive direct mention in the thesis itself).

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: The Proposal 11

4.0 THE PROPOSAL

For the thesis proposal, follow the guidelines contained herein, but with the

document components listed below:

‰ Letter of transmittal (a separate document, identifying the proposal and

requesting permission to proceed)

‰ Front Matter: title page, copyright page, approval page, space and title for an
abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, list of tables, table of figures,
list of nomenclature

‰ Background

‰ Statement of the problem, Identification of the Issue, or Research Question

‰ Definition of Terms (as appropriate)

‰ Literature Review

‰ Methods and Time Line

‰ Document Specifications (brief) – attempt to list the section numbers and

titles, provide a brief description of the sections, and estimate the number of
pages in each section.

‰ Conclusion (seeking permission to proceed with the project and promising

delivery thereof)

‰ Current list of references

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 ARCE Thesis Guidelines: Sample Document Pages 12

5.0 SAMPLE DOCUMENT PAGES

Attached are several sample pages to use as guides for the thesis:

‰ Letter of transmittal

‰ Copyright page

‰ Title page

‰ Approval page

‰ Sample page of text

‰ Sample page of text with a long quote and a visual

‰ Sample references and works consulted

updated April 29, 2009, by dw, mf, and cb

 [Sample letter of transmittal. Adjust spacing so that the letter fits on a single page.]

4422 Scottdale
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Thesis Advisor, Ph.D., S.E.

Architectural Engineering Department
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

June 8, 2007

Dear Dr. Advisor:

Use the first paragraph of the letter of transmittal to tell the recipient that you are
enclosing a master’s thesis, its title, and a brief (single-sentence) description of the thesis’
content.

Use the second paragraph to briefly describe your methods, findings, and results.

Use the third paragraph, if necessary, to thank anyone whose assistance was instrumental
in completing the thesis.

Finally, use the last paragraph to invite comments or questions, to set up the next step in
the review process, and to thank the letter’s recipient.

Respectfully,

Thesis Student
tstudent@calpoly.edu
(805) 555-5555
 The bottom of the first line
of the title starts 2 inches
[Sample Title page] from the top of the page. Use
an inverted pyramid.

THIS IS THE TITLE AND IT IS IN ALL CAPS AND WILL BE

THE SAME FOR THE COMMITTEE

There is a PAGE AND ABSTRACT

maximum of
3 inches (try
to get a close
to 3 inches as
possible),
from the first
line to the
author name.
There is also
a line space
between “by” A Thesis
and the name.
presented to

the Faculty of California Polytechnic State University

San Luis Obispo

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Science in Architecture with a Specialization in Architectural Engineering

by

Student’s Full Name

June 2009

1 inch from the bottom to the

bottom of the date. 12-pt font.
[Sample copyrights page]

© 2009
Writer’s Full Name
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ii
 Sample approval page]

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

TITLE: Be sure title matches title page exactly

AUTHOR: Student’s full name

DATE SUBMITTED: Month and year

COMMITTEE CHAIR: Type chair’s full name, Title

COMMITTEE MEMBER: Type member’s full name, Title

COMMITTEE MEMBER: Type member’s full name, Title

iii
 ABSTRACT
Thesis Title (Must match title page exactly)
Student’s Full Name

The abstract may be either single- or double-spaced, and may be longer than one
page, if necessary, with committee approval. Also, “keywords” may be added at the end
of the abstract.

Keywords: Select descriptive keywords and separate terms with a comma and a space.

iv
 1” margin (no writing is allowed)

Master’s Thesis Guidelines: Example of Text 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Crème fraiche1 is a wonderful cooking ingredient, for it adds the richness and

texture of crème, but holds its integrity under extreme temperatures – unlike cream.

The introduction will address the following

ƒ Purpose

ƒ The state-of-the-practice as an introduction to the topic (the more practice

oriented your project, the more likely you are to include a state-of-the-

practice)
1½” margin (no writing is allowed)

ƒ Topic

1” margin (no writing is allowed)

ƒ Overview of the paper (a break down of the paper). This also acts as a

link to the Background section.

[Sample text page]

iv Title of Thesis Here

1” margin (no writing is allowed)

 Master’s Thesis Guidelines: Example of Text 14

2.0 BACKGROUND [sample quotation and visual in text]

This section is used to bring your reader up to speed on your topic. Items to

include in the background section are

‰ History

‰ Definitions

‰ State-of-practice

Citing a large piece of text, use the phrases “quoting liberally” or “according to”.

Indent the left side of the text, and use single spaces. The indenting helps set off the

quoted material from your own writing:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis laoreet. Duis eget
neque. Pellentesque semper consequat felis. Integer feugiat lectus in metus. Nunc
dignissim lectus in dui. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et
ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Integer accumsan nisl non felis. Aliquam arcu
augue, aliquet id, ornare at, aliquet vel, est.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting

industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever
since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and
scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five
centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining
essentially unchanged. (www.lipsum.com, 2009)

When importing a picture, graph, or table, use a frame and beneath the caption,

give the source. See Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Example of Citing Imported Images

Source: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Title of Thesis Here

 Master’s Thesis Guidelines: Sample References Page 34

[Sample References page]

10.0 REFERENCES

(Abrams 1996) Abrams, Daniel P. “Rehabilitation of Masonry Buildings per the ATC-33
Guidelines.” Building an International Community of Engineers: Proceedings of
Structures Congress XIV. Vol. 2. 15-18 April, 1996, Chicago, Illinois. New York:
ASTM, 1996. 2 Vols.

(Gizzi and Masini 2006) Gizzi, Fabrizio, and Nicola Masini. “Historical Damage Pattern
and Differential Seismic Effects in a Town with Ground Cavities: A Case Study
from Southern Italy.” Engineering Geology. 88.2 (2006) 41-58. Compendex.
Engineering Village. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo,
Kennedy Library. 23 April 2007 <http://sciencedirect.com>.

(Mainstone 1993) Mainstone, R.J. “The Structural Conservation of Hagia Sophia.”

Structural Repair and Maintenance of Historical Buildings III: Proceedings of
International Conference on Structural Studies, Repairs, and Maintenance of
Historical Buildings. June 1993, Bath, UK. Eds. C.A. Brebbia and R.J.B. Frewer.
Billerica, MA: Computational Mechanics, 1993.

(Pielert, Baumert, and Green 1996) Pielert, James, Carl Baumert, and Melvyn Green.
“ASCE Standards on Structural Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation of
Buildings.” Standards for Preservation and Rehabilitation ASTM STP 1258. Ed.
Stephen J. Kelley. Pennsylvania: ASTM, 1996. 126 – 136.

(Pierce and Mieczkowski 1996) Pierce, Phillip, and Joseph Mieczkowski. Windsor
Bridge Repairs. Practice Periodical on Structural Design & Construction. 1.2
(1996) 79-81. Military and Government Collection. EBSCOhost. California
Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Kennedy Library. 23 April 2007
<http://sciencedirect.com>.

(Schokker and Brennan 2005) Schokker, A.J. and J.D. Brennan. “Monitoring of the Post-
tensioning Retrofit of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater House.” Global
Construction: Ultimate Concrete Opportunities, Application of codes, design and
regulations: Proceedings of the International Conference. 5-7 July 2005, Dundee,
Scotland, UK. Reston, VA: Thomas Telford, 2005.

(United States 1985) United States Department of the Interior. The Secretary of the
Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation Projects with Guidelines for
Applying Standards. Washington, D.C.: US Dept. of the Interior, 1985.

Title of Thesis Here