PhD Thesis LaTeX Template

How to Use It

Option A — Overleaf (recommended)

1. Download the ZIP
2. In Overleaf: New Project → Upload Project → select the ZIP
3. Overleaf compiles automatically. Start editing chapters/01-introduction.tex

Option B — Local Compilation

# Requires: TeX Live with biblatex and biber
pdflatex main
biber main
pdflatex main
pdflatex main

Or use latexmk for one-command compilation:

latexmk -pdf main

Customising the Title Page

Edit the variables at the top of main.tex:

\title{Your Thesis Title}
\author{Your Name}
\university{University Name}
\department{Department of Your Field}
\degree{Doctor of Philosophy}
\submissiondate{Month Year}

The title page automatically formats itself around these fields.

Overview

A LaTeX thesis template that compiles on day one and scales to day one thousand: chapter-per-file structure, front matter (title, declaration, abstract, acknowledgements) pre-built, bibliography via BibLaTeX, and a build that runs on latexmk locally or in Overleaf without modification.

Why use it

Thesis formatting eats weeks precisely when you can least afford them. The template front-loads every structural decision — margins, heading hierarchy, figure and table conventions, citation style — so the remaining work is writing. The chapter-per-file layout also keeps Git diffs readable and compilation fast.

How to use it

1. Download, unzip, and compile main.tex once with latexmk (or upload the folder to Overleaf).
2. Replace the metadata in thesis-config.tex — title, name, institution, supervisor.
3. Write chapters in chapters/, one file each; include or exclude them in main.tex while drafting.
4. Check your university’s formatting regulations against thesis-config.tex’s margin and spacing settings before the final build.