OmniDocAPA 7 Thesis Formatting: Margins, Headings and Citations
Set up an APA 7 thesis with the right margins, title page, heading levels and reference list, then check the result before you submit.
Formatting a thesis in APA 7 is tedious because the rules touch almost every part of the document: margins, line spacing, the title page, five levels of headings, page numbers and a reference list with hanging indents. A single missed setting can repeat through a 120-page manuscript, and advisors often return drafts for formatting alone. This guide is for graduate students and undergraduate honors writers who need a thesis that follows APA 7 from the title page to the last reference.
The fastest route is to set the page and paragraph rules once, build the title page and heading structure as styles, and then check each section against the rules below. The short answer and the steps that follow show how to do that in the UniDoc web editor, which supports Word-compatible editing, and how to check the result before you submit.
APA 7 is the style manual's general standard, but your department or graduate school may add requirements. Treat this guide as the baseline and your program handbook as the final authority.
How do you format a thesis in APA 7? The short answer
Apply the APA 7 page and text settings to the whole document first, then build the title page, headings and reference list from those settings. Check the program handbook for anything that differs from APA defaults.
| Your situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a new thesis file | Set 1-inch margins, 12-point font and double spacing before you write | Changing these later can shift every page and break your heading layout |
| Your program requires a specific font | Use that font in the body, headings, captions and references | APA allows several fonts, but a program rule overrides the default |
| You have several chapters with headings | Apply heading levels 1 to 5 as styles | Consistent styles make the table of contents and outline match your text |
| Your reference list is long | Use a hanging indent and alphabetical order | APA requires it, and advisors check it closely |
| Your handbook says something different | Follow the handbook and note the difference | Institutional rules are what the graduate office reviews |
Before you start
Gather these items so you do not have to reformat the document later.
- Your program handbook or thesis guide. Many programs change APA defaults for running heads, chapter page breaks, abstract placement and font choice. Read it before you format anything, because it decides where APA defaults stop applying.
- The official title, author name, affiliation and course or degree details. The title page uses these exact strings, and a typo there is easy to miss once the layout is done.
- Your current draft as a Word-compatible file. Work on a copy so the original stays intact if a setting goes wrong.
- A list of your headings in outline form. Sorting headings into levels 1 to 5 first makes the heading styles quicker to apply and prevents inconsistent levels across chapters.
- Your citation list in one place. Reference formatting is easier to fix when you can see every entry together, including how each one handles italics, capitals and DOIs.
Formatting your APA 7 thesis in the UniDoc web editor, step by step
Open your draft in the UniDoc web editor at app.unidoc.top. It supports Word-compatible editing, so your settings carry over to the Word file you submit. Set the document-wide rules first, then work through the sections in order.
- Set the page margins to 1 inch on all four sides. APA uses the same margin on every edge, so check the page setup before you adjust anything else, since margins affect line breaks everywhere.
- Set the body font and size. Use Times New Roman 12 pt unless your program names another APA-approved font. Apply it to the whole document, including headings, captions and references, so the text is uniform.
- Set double spacing and remove extra space between paragraphs. APA double-spaces the entire thesis, including the title page, block quotes and references. Add no extra space before or after paragraphs.
- Set a 0.5-inch first-line indent for body paragraphs. Apply the indent to paragraphs of running text. Do not indent headings, the abstract label, table titles or the first line of a block quote.
- Build the title page. Put the full title in bold, centered, in the upper half of the page, with the author name, affiliation and any course or degree details below it, following your program's order. Use the same line spacing as the body.
- Apply the five heading levels as styles. Level 1 is centered, bold and in Title Case. Level 2 is flush left, bold and in Title Case. Level 3 is flush left, bold and italic. Level 4 is indented, bold, in sentence case and ends with a period. Level 5 is indented, bold and italic, also ending with a period. Applying styles keeps numbering and outline views consistent.
- Format the abstract and the reference list on their own pages. Start the abstract on a new page with the label "Abstract" centered and bold. Start the references on a new page, center the heading "References" in bold, apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent to each entry, and arrange entries alphabetically by the first author's surname.
- Add page numbers in the top right corner. Put the page number in the header, aligned right, starting from the title page as your program specifies. Do not add a running head unless your handbook requires one.
Save a copy in the format your graduate school asks for, typically a Word file or a PDF, and keep the original editable file for revisions.
Check the result
Review the finished thesis against the rules rather than skimming it. The table below covers the checks that most often trigger revisions.
| Check | How to see it | If it's wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Margins | Open the page setup and confirm 1 inch on all sides; scroll to a page edge to confirm text sits inside the margin | Reset the margins and recheck line breaks, since shifted text can push headings onto new pages |
| Font and spacing | Select a paragraph of body text and check the font, size and line spacing, then scroll through a few pages | Reapply the body style to the whole document rather than fixing paragraphs one at a time |
| Heading levels | Open the document outline or navigation view and confirm each heading sits at the right level | Change the style of the misplaced heading, then check that its subheadings still follow in order |
| Title page | Compare the title page to your handbook's example, checking bold, centering and element order | Correct the layout and confirm the title matches the approved title exactly |
| Hanging indents | Look at several reference entries and confirm the second and later lines are indented 0.5 inch | Reapply the hanging indent to the full reference list, not one entry at a time |
| Page numbers | Look at the header on the title page, abstract and a body page | Adjust the header settings and check whether the title page should show a number |
Machine-assisted formatting and any automated checks can miss context, such as a heading that should be level 3 under a level 2 section. Read the headings and references yourself, and have your advisor confirm the final version when your program requires it.
❓ FAQ
1. Does a thesis need a running head in APA 7?
APA 7 drops the running head for student papers, but many graduate programs still require one on thesis pages. Check your handbook first, and if it asks for a running head, follow its exact wording and placement.
2. Can I use a font other than Times New Roman?
APA 7 allows several fonts, including Calibri, Arial and Georgia at sizes set by the style guide. Many programs choose one font for all theses, so your handbook decides the final choice.
3. Do block quotes follow the same formatting as body text?
Long quotes of 40 or more words appear as a block indented 0.5 inch from the left margin, without quotation marks and with double spacing. Shorter quotes stay inline with quotation marks.
4. Should each chapter start on a new page?
Many programs ask for this, but APA itself does not require it for every heading level. Confirm the rule in your thesis guide, since the answer changes the page count and the layout of the table of contents.
📝 Summary
Most APA 7 thesis problems come from settings applied inconsistently, so set the page, font and spacing first, then build headings and references as styles. Use your program handbook to settle any place where it differs from APA defaults, and review the finished file against the checks above before you submit.
