Submissions

Author Guidelines

Postgraduate Guidelines for Preparation of Thesis/Dissertation  Submission for Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST)

Overview

These guidelines are designed to assist postgraduate students in preparing and submitting their theses according to the international standards and the regulations of Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST).

General Requirements

1. Thesis Submission

   • Submit four (4) hard copies of the thesis to the Director, BPS.
   • Submit a soft copy in the form of a flash disk or email.

2. Thesis Format

   • Use Times New Roman Font 12 on A4 size (210x297mm) paper, double-spaced.
   • Leave a 50 mm margin on the left and a 25 mm margin on the right.
   • Begin typing 40 mm from the top of the page and end no later than 25 mm from the bottom.

3. Binding

   • Doctorate: Maroon cover.
   • Master’s: Jungle green cover.
   • Postgraduate Diploma: Black cover.

Structure of the Thesis

1. Cover Page

   • Title: Uppercase, centered, bold, font 16, Times New Roman, gold-colored.
   • Name: Full name, uppercase, centered, bold, font 14, Times New Roman, gold-colored.
   • Submission Statement: “A Thesis/Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for Award of the Degree of [Name of Degree] in the Meru University of Science and Technology,” centered, font 12, Times New Roman.
   • Year: Centered, bold, font 16, Times New Roman, gold-colored.
   • Spine: Surname, other names as initials, degree name, year of completion, bold, font 18, Times New Roman, gold-colored.

2. Front (Title) Page

   • Title: Uppercase, centered, bold, font 14, Times New Roman.
   • Name: Full name, uppercase, bold, font 12, Times New Roman.
   • Degree: Full name of the degree, uppercase, bold, centered, font 12, Times New Roman.
   • Submission Statement: “A Thesis/Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for Award of the Degree of [Name of Degree] in the Meru University of Science and Technology,” centered, font 12, Times New Roman.
   • Year: Year of completion, centered, bold, font 14, Times New Roman.

3. Declaration Page

   • Candidate’s Declaration: “This thesis/project is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other institution,” signed by the candidate.
   • Supervisors’ Declaration: “This thesis/project has been submitted for examination with my (our) approval as University Supervisor(s),” signed by each supervisor.

4. Dedication Page (Optional)

   • Dedication statement not exceeding one-third of a page.

5. Acknowledgments

   • Acknowledgments of individuals, groups, organizations, or institutions, not exceeding one page.

6. Table of Contents

   • Organized to match headings and subheadings, up to a maximum of three levels.

7. List of Tables and Figures

   • Separate pages for tables and figures, numbered sequentially according to chapters.

8. Abbreviations, Symbols, and Acronyms

   • Listed alphabetically on a fresh page.

9. Abstract

   • Summary of the thesis, including problem statement, objectives, research design and methodology, findings, recommendations, and conclusion, not exceeding one page, font 12, single-spaced.

10. Main Body

    • Chapter One: Introduction and literature review.
    • Chapter Two: Research methodology.
    • Chapter Three: Data analysis and findings.
    • Chapter Four: Results and discussions.
    • Chapter Five: Conclusion, recommendations, and publications.

11. Citation and References

    • Follow APA citation style unless otherwise specified by the school.
    • References listed alphabetically at the end of the thesis.

12. Appendices

    • Include detailed or supplementary material, grouped by type (e.g., Appendix A: Questionnaire, Appendix B: Original Data).
    • Paginated consecutively with the main text.

Submission Process

1. Plagiarism Check

   • Ensure the thesis has been checked for plagiarism before submission.

2. Final Submission

   • Submit the final electronic thesis identical in content (except for examiner-required corrections) to the thesis previously submitted for examination.
   • Ensure the thesis is free of typographical errors and has been professionally proofread for grammatical and spelling errors.

3. Copyright

   • Ensure all third-party materials used are free of copyright restrictions or have obtained the necessary permissions.

4. Examination Process

   • Master's and Doctoral degrees involve preliminary assessment by internal and external examiners and an oral examination.
   • Candidates must have published at least one paper (Master's) or two papers (PhD) in refereed journals before the award of the degree.

By following these guidelines, postgraduate students will ensure their theses meet the high standards required for submission and examination at MUST.