Written by: Mirjam de Winter
Last updated on: February 9, 2026

Make a thesis cover page in Word

A thesis cover page is the reader’s first impression of your work. When it looks calm and well structured, it signals professionalism and makes it easy for assessors to find the key details. The good news is that you do not need design skills to build a strong cover page. With Microsoft Word, you can create a clean thesis title page quickly, either by starting from a template or by building a layout yourself.

Before you begin, always check your university or programme guidelines. Some schools require a specific template, a particular order of information, or rules about logos and confidentiality. If no strict template is provided, you have more freedom, and the structure below will work well for most bachelor and master theses.

What your thesis cover page should include

In most cases, a thesis cover page includes:

your thesis title

your full name

your degree programme

the institution and faculty

the thesis module or course name

supervisor and second assessor

the submission date.

Sometimes a student number is required, but in some programmes it is discouraged for privacy reasons, so only add it if it is requested. If your thesis is connected to a company or client, it is common to include the organisation name and possibly the department. When confidentiality applies, include a short statement that makes clear the thesis is intended for assessment only.

Option 1: Use Word’s built in cover page templates

If you want a fast and neat result, Word’s built in cover pages are a good starting point. In Word for Windows or Mac, you can go to Insert and select Cover Page, then choose a simple design. After that, replace the placeholder text with your thesis details and spend one or two minutes cleaning up spacing and alignment. Templates often look better if you reduce decorative elements and keep typography consistent. When you are done, save your document and export a PDF for submission so the layout cannot shift on another device.

Word Online offers fewer ready made cover pages, but you can still build a similar structure by starting with a blank document and creating a layout using alignment settings, text boxes, or a table with borders turned off. The goal is the same: a stable layout that looks professional and prints well.

Option 2: Build your cover page from scratch in Word

If you want full control, building your cover page from scratch is often the best option. Start by setting up your page correctly. In Word, go to Layout and confirm your paper size is A4 and your margins match the guidelines. Then choose a single font family that fits an academic document, and keep it consistent across the page.

Next, decide on the layout style you want. A classic approach is to place the title in the upper half and the details in a structured block beneath it, usually centred. This works well for most universities because it looks formal and calm. Another approach is to place the title near the top and the details lower on the page, which creates more whitespace and feels modern while still looking academic. Whichever style you choose, your title should be the most prominent element, typically in a larger font and bold, but not in a decorative typeface.

After the title, add a neatly spaced information block. Keep the ordering logical: author details first, then programme and institution, then supervision details, then the submission date. Consistent spacing matters more than fancy design. A simple trick in Word is to use a table with invisible borders so everything lines up perfectly without drifting. Another method is to use text boxes, but if you do that, make sure you set them up so they do not move when you later edit your thesis document.

If you want to include a university logo, only do so when it is allowed and when it adds clarity rather than clutter. Use a high quality file and keep it small and subtle. A logo that is pixelated or stretched makes a cover page look less professional, not more.

Once your cover page looks good, export it to PDF and open the PDF on another device to confirm nothing shifted. This step prevents last minute surprises.

Ready to copy examples of a thesis cover page

Below are two examples you can copy and adapt. They are written in a neutral, professional style and cover the most common situations.