This repository provides a professionally formatted LaTeX thesis/dissertation template specifically designed for undergraduate and graduate students at the School of Engineering of the University of Buenos Aires FIUBA.
These templates are pre-configured to handle the heavy lifting of engineering documentation: complex equations, system block diagrams, code listings, and extensive bibliographies.
The thesis/dissertation templates utilize the LaTeX class mitthesis and incorporate the official covers published by FIUBA in Carátulas Institucionales de Tesis.
Tip
The examples/ directory contains samples demonstrating the visual output of the different thesis templates.
The repository provides a document template FIUBA-thesis, tailored to the specific requirements of different degree levels:
- Undergraduate "Ingeniería/Licenciatura" capstone project (TP Profesional) and thesis.
- Graduate "Especialidad/Maestría" thesis.
- Graduate "Doctorado" dissertation.
The snippets/ directory contains pre-built LaTeX code blocks for easy integration into a thesis. Available examples include:
- Text formatting
- Typesetting equations
- Professionally formatted tables
- Source code citing
- Pseudocode typesetting
- Bibliography citing
- Acronyms definition and usage
The full snippet library and visual previews are located in snippets/README-latex-snippets.md.
The templates and snippets are organized within the following directory structure:
fiuba-templates/
├── examples/ # Compiled templates as examples.
├── FIUBA-thesis/ # Capstone/Thesis/Dissertation template.
|── media/ # Multimedia to be used in the document.
├── snippets/ # Reusable LaTeX code blocks & visual previews.
Local compilation requires a:
- LaTeX distribution (the engine that compiles the code)
- LaTeX Editor (the software to write the code)
MiKTeX is recommended, as it automatically downloads missing packages on the fly.
- Download the installer from the MiKTeX website.
- Install it using the recommended default settings.
- Alternative: TeX Live may be installed for a complete, offline installation of all packages.
Install the full TeX Live distribution via the terminal to ensure all necessary engineering and math packages are present:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install texlive-fullTip
The use of latexmk is recommended for automated compilation of bibliographies and cross-references. Verify its correct installation via:
latexmk --versionAuthorship information will be displayed.
Warning
texlive-full requires approximately 5GB of space. Users with limited storage may install texlive-latex-recommended and texlive-science instead.
Install MacTeX for macOS environments.
These templates are compatible with Overleaf or Prism.
- Upload the
FIUBA-thesisfolder of this repository to the platform for online editing.
-
Download TeXstudio and install it for the relevant operating system.
-
Configure the Bibliography Engine These templates utilize
biblatexfor reference management. Thebiberbackend engine is required instead of the legacybibtex.- Open TeXstudio configuration:
- Windows/Linux: Go to Options > Configure TeXstudio....
- macOS: Go to TeXstudio > Preferences...
- In the left menu, click on Build.
- Look for the Default Bibliography Tool drop-down menu.
- Change it from
BibTeXtoBiber
- Click OK to save.
- Open TeXstudio configuration:
-
Configure the default compiler TeXstudio is configured to use
latexmkas the default compiler to automate the compilation process, including running Biber as needed.- Open TeXstudio configuration:
- Windows/Linux: Go to Options > Configure TeXstudio....
- macOS: Go to TeXstudio > Preferences...
- Select the Build tab in the left sidebar.
- Find the Default Compiler drop-down menu.
- Select Latexmk from the list
- Open TeXstudio configuration:
-
Set a Build Directory Auxiliary files are moved to a
build/subfolder to maintain a clean project directory.- In the Commands tab, modify the Latexmk command to include the output directory. Change it to:
latexmk -pdf -bibtex -shell-escape -emulate-aux-dir -output-directory=build -silent -synctex=1 % - Update the Biber command to point directly to the build folder:
biber --output-directory build % - The configuration shall look like this:
- Enable Show Advanced Options at the bottom left of the configuration window.
- In the Build tab, under Additional Search Paths, type
buildto both the Log File and PDF File fields so TeXstudio can still find them:
- Click OK to save.
- In the Commands tab, modify the Latexmk command to include the output directory. Change it to:
Caution
Perform the template compilation prior to writing the thesis/work to ensure the toolchain is correctly configured.
- Get the code repository using one of the following methods.
Direct download method:
- Open the repository on a web-browser https://github.com/ceruleo-dev/fiuba-templates
- Download and unzip the ZIP file:
Cloning the repository method (command line):
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/ceruleo-dev/fiuba-templates.git- Navigate to the thesis template:
cd fiuba-templates/FIUBA-thesisLaTeX requires a specific sequence of operations to link text, cross-references, acronyms and bibliographies. TeXstudio's "Build & View" tool automates the compilation sequence using the latexmk compiler as backend.
- Open the
FIUBA-thesis-main.texfile in TeXstudio. - Press the F5 key (or click the double green arrow icon
►►in the top toolbar). - TeXstudio will compile the document and generate a
builddirectory containing the PDF and auxiliary files. - TeXStudio will open the generated PDF in the built-in viewer on the right side of the screen. Alternatively, open the PDF file in the
builddirectory.
[!info] To recompile everything from scratch delete the generated
builddirectory.
Caution
Use the following file naming convention
FRONT-MATTER Any file related to the front matter of the thesis shall be named as front-matter-FILENAME.tex. The front matter serves as a guide for the reader. It is numbered using Roman numerals, usually containing:
- Title Page: Contains the thesis title, author name, department, university, and date.
- Abstract: A concise summary of the research questions, methods, and findings.
- Table of Contents: Lists all chapters and subheadings with page numbers.
- Lists of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations: Required if the document includes two or more of these elements.
- Optional Pages: These may include a Dedication/Epigraph, Acknowledgements, Preface, and a List of Abbreviations or Nomenclature.
MAIN BODY Any file related to the main body of the thesis shall be named as main-body-FILENAME.tex. This section contains the core research and is numbered with Arabic numerals starting at page 1.
BACK-MATTER Any file related to the back matter of the thesis shall be named as back-matter-FILENAME.tex. This section includes documentation and supplementary data that support the main text:
- Appendices: Additional materials like survey questions, raw data, or technical proofs.
- Bibliography/References: A complete list of all sources cited in the thesis (it is always defined in the
back-matter-bibliography.bibfile). - Authorship declaration: Declares the originality of the work and the usage of licensed tools, such as Artificial Intelligence ones.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): Sometimes required at the very end of doctoral dissertations.
After confirming that the base template can be correctly compiled and visualized, modify it as needed.
Note
In what follows, we take the Graduate Thesis template as the primary example.
- Open the
FIUBA-thesis-main.texfile. - Complete the PDF settings requested information:
- Select the type of thesis cover to use by commenting the two lines that do not correspond to the type of cover. In this case comment the undergraduate and PhD lines:
- Open the
front-matter-cover-graduate-thesis.texfile and complete the cover requested information. Delete the lines that do not correspond (e.g. maybe there is no co-director):
- Do the same as the previous step for the following files:
front-matter-signature.texfront-matter-abstract.texfront-matter-acknowledgements.texfront-matter-epigraph.texback-matter-authorship-declaration.tex
- In the
FIUBA-thesis-main.texfile there are some chapters and appendices as examples. They include random text and several code snippets showing how to write equations, cite references, use acronyms and managing code blocks. Take them as a baseline to write your own ones:
- As your work evolves, add the corresponding acronyms in the file
front-matter-glossary.tex. - BibTex is used to manage the bibliographic references. Modify the provided
back-matter-bibliography.bibfile using the examples as references. Read more about BibTex syntax here.
Tip
Draft watermark
To maintain version control throughout the iterative review process with supervisors and the committee, it is advisable to apply a watermark to the manuscript. This practice ensures that preliminary drafts are clearly distinguished from the definitive, press-ready version, thereby mitigating potential confusion during subsequent revisions. For example:
The templates have a watermark section in the FIUBA-thesis-main.tex file:
Comment those lines to compile the definitive version of the document.
Contributions are encouraged!
If you have templates such as TikZ diagrams, a better way to format tables, or improvements to the class files, please open a Pull Request.
- Fork the Project.
- Create a Feature Branch (
git checkout -b feature/AmazingSnippet). - Commit the Changes (
git commit -m 'Add ADCS block diagram snippet'). - Push to the Feature Branch (
git push origin feature/AmazingSnippet). - Open a Pull Request.
- Excellent tutorial to learn Latex in just 1 day.
- Excellent summary of the Latex syntax you will be using daily.
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- Professional package to manage different physical units (e.g. mechanical units, electrical units, etc.).
- The Comprehensive LaTeX Symbol List
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- Santiago Husain Cerruti - hola santiago [at] proton [dot] me
THIS WORK IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. THE AUTHOR PROVIDES NO WARRANTY WHATSOEVER, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE WORK, INCLUDING WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Copyright (c) 2026 Santiago Husain Cerruti.
Distributed under the MIT License.
See LICENSE file for full text.