How many pages does the title page take?

One page only, always. The title page is the first page of the thesis and must never exceed a single A4 sheet. If you have too much information (e.g. two supervisors + co-supervisor + external tutor) you can adjust font size and line spacing to fit it, but two pages are never accepted.

Should I print the title page double-sided or single-sided?

Single-sided. The back of the title page stays blank, always. In hardcover-bound theses, the back of the title page is the "inner" cover page and is not printed.

Can I use a background image on the title page?

No. The thesis title page is a formal academic document: no background photos, no graphic decorations, no borders. The only exception is the university logo or coat of arms at the top. Typographic restraint is what makes it recognizable.

What font should I use on the title page?

The most common, always-accepted fonts: Times New Roman, Garamond, Palatino (classic serifs) or Calibri, Arial, Helvetica (modern sans-serifs). Thesis title size: 18-22 points. Rest of the title page: 14-16 points. NEVER use novelty fonts (Comic Sans, Lobster, etc.).

Is the bachelor's title page the same as the master's?

Structure yes, content slightly different. For a master's you often add the co-supervisor (common in experimental work) and the program wording changes ("Corso di Laurea Magistrale in..."). For single-cycle programs (Medicine, Law, EU Architecture), the wording is "Corso di Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico in...".

Should I add a "Confidential" mark if the thesis covers company data?

If the thesis contains sensitive data under an NDA with a company (internships, applied research), the title page can include wording such as "Confidential document — not for distribution" or "Redacted version for publication". Check with the company AND the registrar: often two versions are filed, a full one (archive) and a "redacted" one (public consultation).

How do I find out the exact format my university requires?

The thesis regulations are published on the university website (search "regolamento prova finale" or "thesis guidelines" + university name). Some universities provide official Word/LaTeX templates. Sapienza, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi, LUISS and Cattolica all have downloadable templates. If you find nothing, ask the academic office: they always have a reference model.

Can I use the university logo in color or must it be black and white?

In color, always, if the university provides an official color version. Printing the logo in grayscale is accepted only for cost reasons (e.g. a bachelor's thesis printed in B/W), but for the official hardcover copy ALWAYS use the color version of the logo.

◆ Thesis guides

Thesis Title Page: What to Write, With Examples 2026

What the thesis title page (frontespizio) is and what to write: the 8 required elements, examples by faculty, a model, common mistakes. Updated 2026.

GUUG · June 2026

◆ In short

The title page (frontespizio) is the first page of the thesis and contains, from top to bottom (centered, plain, without a page number): the university logo and official name, the department or faculty, the degree program (bachelor's/master's/single-cycle), the thesis title identical to the one filed with the registrar, the supervisor and any co-supervisor, the candidate's name with student ID, and the academic year. The university coat of arms is optional. One page only, always.

What the thesis title page is

The title page is the first page of a thesis: it identifies who you are, what you wrote, under whose guidance, and for which degree program. It is not decoration — it is an official document, and every element on it must match exactly what you filed with the registrar.

Conventions aside, the title page is also the page the examiner opens first during the defense. A well-made page — orderly, well spaced, with consistent typography — signals seriousness before the candidate even speaks. It's a half-hour investment that stays with you for the rest of your life: the copy filed in the library, the copy you give to your family, the one that sits on your shelves. It's worth getting right.

In the sections below we look at the eight elements that cannot be missing, four concrete examples drawn from real theses (Sapienza, Politecnico di Milano, Cattolica and LUISS), and the mistakes that recur most often among the thousands of theses that pass through our print shop every year.

The 8 required elements of the title page

Every Italian university has its own variations, but the canonical structure has been the same for decades. These are the elements that must appear, in the order you find them on the page from top to bottom.

University logo and official name

Element 1 · Top, centered

At the top, centered. Get the logo from the university's official website in vector format (PDF, SVG) or high resolution (PNG ≥ 300 dpi). NEVER use logos found on Google: they are often low quality or out of date. Below the logo, the exact name: "Università degli Studi di [city]" or "Università [full name]" — check your student booklet.

Department or faculty

Element 2

Right below the university name. The wording changes from one university to another: some say "Dipartimento di...", others "Facoltà di...", others "Scuola di...". Use the exact wording from your student booklet or the department website. Getting this wrong is one of the most frequent mistakes.

Degree program

Element 3

The exact, full name of the program, specifying the type: "Corso di Laurea Triennale in..." (bachelor's) / "Corso di Laurea Magistrale in..." (master's) / "Corso di Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico in..." (single-cycle master's). For international programs, use the official English name (e.g. "Master's Degree in Global Management").

Thesis title

Element 4 · The centerpiece

The centerpiece of the title page. It goes in a larger typeface than the rest, ideally in bold. If you have a subtitle, it goes on a second line in a smaller size. WARNING: the title shown here must be identical (letter for letter, commas included) to the one filed with the registrar and the one that will be read during the graduation ceremony.

Supervisor (and co-supervisor)

Element 5 · Bottom left

Bottom left, with the full academic title: "Chiar.mo Prof. [Name]", or "Prof. [Name]" / "Prof.ssa [Name]". If you have a co-supervisor, it goes below the supervisor labeled "Correlatore". For master's theses with an external tutor or company supervisor, add a line "Tutor: [Name]".

Candidate (your name)

Element 6 · Bottom right

Bottom right, in a column aligned with the supervisor. First name, surname and student ID: "Candidato: [Name] - Matr. [number]". Write your name exactly as on your ID document: no nicknames, no abbreviations. If you have two given names, use both.

Academic year

Element 7 · Bottom, centered

Bottom, centered. Canonical format: "Anno Accademico [year] / [year+1]" — e.g. "Anno Accademico 2025 / 2026". It is the academic year of your GRADUATION SESSION, not of enrollment: so if you graduate in July 2026, the academic year is 2025/2026, not 2026/2027.

Coat of arms or emblem (optional)

Element 8 · Optional

Some universities use a heraldic coat of arms instead of the modern logo (e.g. Sapienza uses both: a contemporary graphic logo or the classic coat of arms). Check your university's guidelines: some require it on the printed title page, others leave it optional.

Four real examples, one per faculty

Seeing how the elements actually lay out helps more than a thousand explanations. These four examples are reconstructed from real, anonymized theses printed in our shop. Copy the structure, swap in your own details. (The examples are real Italian title pages: the university names and the text stay in Italian, because that is how they appear on the page.)

Bachelor's, humanities

UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA "LA SAPIENZA"
Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Corso di Laurea Triennale in Lettere Moderne

LA RAPPRESENTAZIONE DELLA CITTÀ NELLA NARRATIVA ITALIANA DEL DOPOGUERRA
Tra realismo e memoria

Relatore Candidato
Chiar.mo Prof. Mario Rossi Anna Bianchi
                                            Matr. 1234567

Anno Accademico 2025 / 2026

Master's, science and engineering

POLITECNICO DI MILANO
Scuola di Ingegneria Industriale e dell'Informazione
Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Ingegneria Informatica

OTTIMIZZAZIONE DEI MODELLI DI MACHINE LEARNING SU DISPOSITIVI EDGE
Un approccio basato su pruning strutturato

Relatore Candidato
Prof.ssa Laura Verdi Marco Neri
Correlatore Matr. 987654
Ing. Giovanni Blu (Politecnico di Milano)

Anno Accademico 2025 / 2026

Single-cycle master's, medicine

UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE
Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia
Corso di Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico in Medicina e Chirurgia

EFFICACIA DELLA TERAPIA IMMUNOLOGICA NEL MELANOMA AVANZATO
Studio retrospettivo su una coorte di 200 pazienti (2018-2024)

Relatore Candidato
Chiar.mo Prof. Paolo Ferrari Sara Romano
Correlatore Matr. 1122334
Dott.ssa Elena Galli

Anno Accademico 2025 / 2026

Bachelor's, economics

UNIVERSITÀ LUISS GUIDO CARLI
Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza
Corso di Laurea Triennale in Economia e Management

L'IMPATTO DELL'ESG SULLE STRATEGIE DI INVESTIMENTO DEI FONDI PENSIONE EUROPEI

Relatore Candidato
Prof. Andrea Conti Luca Marini
                                            Matr. 234567

Anno Accademico 2025 / 2026

Fonts, sizes, margins: the typography of the title page

Margins

Left: 3.5 cm (binding side)
Right: 2.5 cm
Top: 3 cm
Bottom: 2.5 cm

Recommended fonts

Times New Roman (classic serif)
Garamond (elegant serif)
Palatino (readable serif)
Calibri / Arial (modern sans-serif)

Text sizes

University: 16-18 pt
Faculty/Program: 14-16 pt
Thesis title: 18-22 pt bold
Supervisor/Candidate: 12-14 pt
Academic year: 12-14 pt

Alignment

University, faculty, program: centered
Thesis title: centered
Supervisor: left
Candidate: right
Academic year: centered

A golden rule: the typography of the title page must be consistent with the rest of the thesis. If the body uses Garamond 12pt with 1.5 line spacing, the title page uses the same font family. Switching typeface between the first page and the table of contents is a sign of carelessness that jumps out to anyone who reads thousands of theses professionally.

Common mistakes to avoid

These are the mistakes we see recur most often: small for whoever writes them, obvious to anyone who reads thousands of theses a year. A quick checklist before going to print saves you a last-minute reprint.

⚠︎ Title different from the one filed

The most serious mistake: the title on the page differs from the one submitted to the registrar. Even a misplaced comma can cause problems at the graduation ceremony. Copy the title directly from the submission form, not from memory.

⚠︎ Low-resolution university logo

Printed on paper, a 72 dpi logo looks blurry and pixelated. Always download the high-resolution version from the university's official site or its brand identity portal (many universities have one). Minimum resolution: 300 dpi at the final print size.

⚠︎ Wrong academic year

Confusing the calendar year with the academic year is a classic. The academic year runs September to September, and the year of the thesis is the one of the SESSION in which you graduate: if the session is February 2026, the academic year is still 2025/2026.

⚠︎ Inconsistent fonts between title page and thesis

The title page must use the same font (or font family) as the body of the thesis. Mixing Times New Roman on the title page with Arial in the text looks careless. Keep the same typographic family throughout the document.

⚠︎ Unbalanced alignment between supervisor and candidate

Supervisor goes on the left, candidate on the right: same height, same line spacing, same font size. Often the candidate block ends up 2-3 lines below the supervisor: poor form. Use a table with no visible borders to guarantee perfect alignment.

⚠︎ Wrong academic titles

"Dott." is used for bachelor's and master's graduates, NOT for professors. University teaching staff are "Prof." or "Chiar.mo Prof." (a formal honorific). For researchers without a chair, use "Dr." or "Dott.". Check on the department website.

⚠︎ Title page included in the page numbering

The title page is page 1, but the number usually is NOT printed. Visible numbering starts from the table of contents or the introduction. In Word: enable "Different first page" in the header/footer, or use separate sections.

How to print the title page (paper, cover, finishing)

The title page is printed on the same stock as the rest of the thesis: ivory or white uncoated paper, 80-100 g/m². For a hardcover thesis — the "official" version filed in the library — the title page is the first inner page of the bound volume.

A note on a detail many overlook: the title on the frontespizio is NOT the same as the one on the hardcover. On the cover (in gold or silver foil) the title is usually abbreviated, in capitals, without a subtitle. On the inner title page the title is complete, with subtitle, exactly as filed with the registrar. It is the same title twice, but in two different graphic formats.

For theses bound in hardcover with gold or silver foil printing, GUUG guarantees a 2-hour turnaround. If your thesis is ready by mid-morning, you can hold it in your hands that afternoon. For drafts and informal copies (for your supervisor, or for friends and family), thermal binding takes just 5 minutes in the shop if you bring us the PDF.

Frequently asked questions

How many pages does the title page take?: One page only, always. The title page is the first page of the thesis and must never exceed a single A4 sheet. If you have too much information (e.g. two supervisors + co-supervisor + external tutor) you can adjust font size and line spacing to fit it, but two pages are never accepted.
Should I print the title page double-sided or single-sided?: Single-sided. The back of the title page stays blank, always. In hardcover-bound theses, the back of the title page is the "inner" cover page and is not printed.
Can I use a background image on the title page?: No. The thesis title page is a formal academic document: no background photos, no graphic decorations, no borders. The only exception is the university logo or coat of arms at the top. Typographic restraint is what makes it recognizable.
What font should I use on the title page?: The most common, always-accepted fonts: Times New Roman, Garamond, Palatino (classic serifs) or Calibri, Arial, Helvetica (modern sans-serifs). Thesis title size: 18-22 points. Rest of the title page: 14-16 points. NEVER use novelty fonts (Comic Sans, Lobster, etc.).
Is the bachelor's title page the same as the master's?: Structure yes, content slightly different. For a master's you often add the co-supervisor (common in experimental work) and the program wording changes ("Corso di Laurea Magistrale in..."). For single-cycle programs (Medicine, Law, EU Architecture), the wording is "Corso di Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico in...".
Should I add a "Confidential" mark if the thesis covers company data?: If the thesis contains sensitive data under an NDA with a company (internships, applied research), the title page can include wording such as "Confidential document — not for distribution" or "Redacted version for publication". Check with the company AND the registrar: often two versions are filed, a full one (archive) and a "redacted" one (public consultation).
How do I find out the exact format my university requires?: The thesis regulations are published on the university website (search "regolamento prova finale" or "thesis guidelines" + university name). Some universities provide official Word/LaTeX templates. Sapienza, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi, LUISS and Cattolica all have downloadable templates. If you find nothing, ask the academic office: they always have a reference model.
Can I use the university logo in color or must it be black and white?: In color, always, if the university provides an official color version. Printing the logo in grayscale is accepted only for cost reasons (e.g. a bachelor's thesis printed in B/W), but for the official hardcover copy ALWAYS use the color version of the logo.

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