If you are completing a thesis or dissertation at the University of Ghana, Legon, the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) sets precise formatting rules — and they are enforced. Getting the formatting wrong is one of the most common (and most avoidable) reasons work gets sent back. This guide summarises the key SGS requirements so you can format correctly from the start.
Always verify against the live SGS guidelines. The School of Graduate Studies updates its handbook periodically, and your department may add its own requirements. Download the current official UG/SGS thesis manual and treat it as authoritative — this article is an orientation, not a replacement for the official document.
The core formatting rules
The University of Ghana is specific about presentation. Based on the SGS format requirements, expect rules along these lines:
- Font: Times New Roman, size 12 for body text.
- Chapter headings: Times New Roman, size 14, bold.
- Citations, graphs, figures, tables: font size no smaller than 10.
- Margins: all margins 2.54 cm (1 inch) when bound.
- Page numbering: numbers centred at the bottom of the page throughout; preliminary pages in Roman numerals, main text in Arabic.
- Notes: use footnotes, not endnotes, throughout.
- Printing: typed on one side of the paper only.
Because these specifics can change, confirm each against the current SGS manual before final formatting — but this gives you the shape of what Legon expects.
The "university style wins" rule
A principle to internalise: theses must follow both the University of Ghana format and your School/departmental reference format — but where the two conflict, the University style must be satisfied. If your department's citation convention and the SGS rules disagree, default to SGS. This single rule resolves most formatting confusion.
Structure of the thesis
The Legon thesis follows the standard research structure, generally across five chapters — Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results/Findings, and Discussion & Conclusion — surrounded by the preliminary pages and followed by references and appendices.
The preliminary pages (title page, declaration, abstract, dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents, lists of tables and figures) carry their own formatting rules and Roman-numeral pagination. The abstract is typically kept short. Follow the SGS layout precisely here, as the front matter is heavily scrutinised.
Submission requirements
For examination, the SGS has historically required two typed or printed copies of the dissertation or thesis on standard A4 paper, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies through the Head of Department. Submission logistics (number of copies, binding, and any electronic submission via UGSpace) are exactly the kind of detail that gets updated, so confirm the current process with SGS and your department before you submit.
Format with confidence, write with less friction
Knowing the rules is half the battle; the other half is producing a long, coherent, properly-cited document that satisfies them. PaceResearcher helps with the part that takes the most time — the writing — by drafting with you section by section and inserting real, verifiable inline citations as you type from a 200M+ paper corpus, never fabricated references. You keep full control of formatting to match SGS rules, while the drafting and citation work moves faster and stays accurate.
For the wider context, see our thesis and research resources for Ghanaian students, and if you are at KNUST, our KNUST thesis format and research proposal guide. When you are ready to write your Legon thesis, start with PaceResearcher free.