• 1. Overview
• 2. Key Features
• 3. Who Is This For?
• 4. Installation Options
  • 4.1. Local LaTeX Installation
  • 4.2. Cloud Services (Overleaf)
• 5. Project Structure
• 6. Getting Help
• 7. Contributing
• 8. Supported Schools
• 9. Showcase
• 10. Disclaimer
• 11. Deprecated Word Templates
• 12. Please give this repository a ⭐️

NOVAthesis is a complete LaTeX template for academic theses and dissertations. It provides:

• Ready‑to‑use cover pages compliant with each institution's rules
• A structured, extensible LaTeX codebase
• Automated bibliography management via biblatex + biber
• Professional typographic standards

The template is open‑source and actively maintained.

• Minimal setup
• Clear configuration files
• Works with any major LaTeX distribution

• Uses the powerful memoir class
• Supports extensive customization
• Well‑organized and modular

• 20+ schools supported
• Automatic generation of covers, spine, and formatting rules

• latexmk support
• biber for bibliographies
• Overleaf‑ready

• MSc and PhD students
• Supervisors preparing guidelines or templates
• Institutions wanting a high‑quality standard
• Anyone writing a large LaTeX document that needs structure

This is the preferred option, especially for large projects.

• Windows: TeX Live or MikTeX
• macOS: MacTeX or MikTeX
• Linux: TeX Live or MikTeX

If listed, download the tailored version for your school.

Otherwise, download the default/main repository.

• 📦 => Download ZIP archive;
• => Clone the git repository.

Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
FCT	FCT CBBI	FCT DI-ADC	ENSP	ITQB
📦	📦	📦	📦	📦

Universidade de Lisboa			Universidade do Porto	Universidade do Minho
FCUL	IST	ISEG	FCUL	(all / todas)
📦	📦	📦	📦	📦

NOVAthesis
main repo
📦

If you have make installed in your computer, simply run

make

otherwise run

latexmk -shell-escape -file-line-error -luapdf template

Important: The template uses biber by default, not bibtex. However, bibtex can be also be used.

Carefully edit the files inside the 0-Config/ directory to set your document metadata, e.g.:

• Document type;
• School;
• Language(s) used;
• Cover metadata;
• Bibliography settings;
• …

NOVAthesis is available as an official Overleaf template. Despite the regular updates, the version in Overleaf, although fully operational, may be slightly outdated.

1. Follow the instructions above and download the ZIP;
2. Upload the ZIP to Overleaf;
3. Set template.tex as the root document;
4. Compile;
5. Follow the steps above (4.1.4. Configure & Recompile) to customize you document.

Warning: You will need a paid Overleaf account. The template will not compile under Overleaf Free Plan, which has a 20‑second compilation limit.

template.tex            # Document main file (do not change this file)
0-Config/               # Document configuration and customization
  ├── 0_memoir.tex      #   low level customization (for advanced users only)
  ├── 1_novathesis.tex  #   main document customization file
  ├── 2_biblatex.tex    #   biliography customization
  ├── 3_cover.tex       #   cover contents/metadata
  ├── 4_files.tex       #   files to include in the document
  ├── 5_packages.tex    #   user customization (pckages and commands)
  ├── 6_list_of.tex     #   ordering for the lists (for advanced users only)
  └── 9_*.tex           #   School‑specific configs
1-FrontMatter/          # Abstract, Dedicatory, …
2-MainMatter/           # Document main content (main chapters)
3-BackMatter/           # Appendices and Annexes
4-Bibliography          # Bibliography databse (your .bib files)
5-Figures/              # All the figures uaed in the document

Each configuration file has a single, well‑defined purpose to keep the project modular.

• Complete wiki: https://github.com/joaomlourenco/novathesis/wiki

• GitHub Discussions: https://github.com/joaomlourenco/novathesis/discussions
• Reddit: r/novathesis

Please don’t contact the author directly. Support is community‑based.

Contributions are welcome:

• Bug reports → GitHub Issues
• New features → Issues or PRs
• Suggestions → Wiki or Discussions
• School support → Issues + cover specification

A large and growing list including:

• NOVA University Lisbon (FCT, IMS, FCSH, ITQB, ENSP)
• University of Lisbon (ISEG, IST, FC, FMV)
• University of Minho (EAD, EC, ED, EEG, EENG, ELACH, EMED, EPSI, ESE, I3BS, ICS, IE)
• Universidade Lusófona
• Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (ISEL)
• Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal (ESTS)
• Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto

(For the full list with cover examples, check the Wiki.)

Sample covers from the supported schools are available in the Wiki's Showcase page.

This is not an official template from any school.
Compliance has been ensured to the best extent possible using public documentation.

The Word templates (unmaintained) can be found in
https://github.com/joaomlourenco/novathesis_word

1. Star this repository by clicking the (⭐️) at the top right of the project's page.
2. Make a small donation (pay me a beer!)
3. Cite the NOVAthesis manual in your thesis/dissertation (e.g., in the acknowledgments) with \cite{novathesis-manual} (the correct bibliographic reference will be added automatically).