What Is Approval Sheet?

What Is Approval Sheet?

Without it, your thesis submission is basically incomplete. Think of it as the academic equivalent of getting your permission slip signed—except this one can make or break your degree. Most universities require this page to appear right after the title page. If you're using Microsoft Word 2024 or later, here's how to add it properly.

What's Happening

Here's the thing: this isn't some optional formality. Your registrar literally won't process your degree until they see this page. It needs signatures from your advisor, panel members, and dean, plus your final grade and defense date. Miss this step, and you're looking at a delayed graduation. That's why most students treat it as their top priority in the final weeks of their program.

Step-by-Step Solution

1. Open your thesis document. Fire up Microsoft Word 2024 or later and open your thesis file. If you haven't saved it recently, do that first—trust me, you don't want to lose hours of work.
2. Insert a new blank page after the title page. Put your cursor at the very end of your title page. Then go to Insert → Blank Page (or just hit Ctrl + Enter for the keyboard shortcut).
3. Add the title "APPROVAL SHEET" centered and bold. Type it at the top of the new page, center-align it, and make it bold. This isn't the time to get creative with fonts.

4. Insert the standard approval text below. Use this template, left-aligned:

   This thesis entitled [THESIS TITLE] prepared and submitted by [YOUR NAME] in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of [DEGREE NAME] has been examined and approved by the following members of the thesis committee:

   Adviser: [Name], [Title]
   Panel Member 1: [Name], [Title]
   Panel Member 2: [Name], [Title]
   Dean: [Name], [Title]

   __________________________________
   Signature

   Date: _______________________

   Final Grade: _______________

5. Save the document. Hit File → Save (or Ctrl + S) to lock in your changes. This page isn't going anywhere now.

If This Didn't Work

Not all universities play by the same rules. If Word's standard approach isn't cutting it for you, here are your backup options:

• Use the University Template. Grab your school's official thesis template from the graduate school website (like this one: Graduate School Template (2026)). These templates usually come with pre-formatted approval pages that already meet your institution's standards.
• Check for PDF/A compliance. Some top-tier schools (Harvard and MIT, for example) now demand approval sheets embedded as PDF/A-2b documents. In Word, go to File → Export → Create PDF/XPS, then pick PDF/A-2b under Options.
• Digitally sign the page. If your university accepts electronic thesis submissions (ETD), skip the printing step entirely. Use Adobe Acrobat's Fill & Sign tool to add digital signatures before uploading to your school's repository.

Prevention Tips

According to the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), over 89% of U.S. universities now require electronic thesis and dissertation (ETD) submission, with the approval sheet embedded as the second page in the PDF. Requirements can shift yearly, so always check your institution’s current policy before finalizing anything.