Dissertation acknowledgements thank those who supported your research, kept under one page and placed between the title page and abstract, typically starting with your supervisor before funders and colleagues.
The conventional order moves from professional to personal: supervisor or chair first, then funders, colleagues, editors, research assistants, and librarians, before closing with family, friends, and pets.
Keep the tone warm but professional, naming specific contributions where relevant, such as funding, data access, or proofreading, rather than offering only generic thanks to each person.
Some universities discourage overly personal or humorous acknowledgements in formal submissions, so it’s worth checking your department’s guidelines before finalising tone, especially for a bound final copy.
Our dissertation guide covers this section alongside other front-matter pages, including how acknowledgements fit against the abstract and table of contents in your final document.
If you’re further along and need help with the dissertation itself, PhD thesis support can assist with structure and formatting well beyond just the acknowledgements page.


