In an outline, each new idea is preceded by a Roman numeral. A subdivision of the main idea follows a capital letter; further subdivisions, if necessary, follow Arabic numerals and lower-case letters.

You may find it easier to begin the writing process with a topic outline, and then write a sentence outline to accompany your first draft.

Examples:

Topic outline:

Thesis statement:

Women have made many advances in the business world in recent years; however, they are still a minority in a male-dominated profession.

I. Women in business education

 

A. Business schools

B. Graduate programs

C. Job opportunities after graduation

D. Women as teachers in business schools

 

II. The business world

 

A. Entry-level positions

B. Women as executives

C. Companies headed by women

D. The survival of traditional careers

 

III. The "glass ceiling": male domination in business

 

A. Differences in salary

B. Gender inequality in the business world

C. Affirmative action

D. Encouragement of female business students

 

IV. The future of businesswomen

 

A. Improvements in gender equality

B. Scholarships to business schools

C. Recruitment programs by corporations

D. Further possibilities

Sentence outline:

Thesis statement:

Women have made many advances in the business world in recent years; however, they are still a minority in a male-dominated profession.

I. The path to the professional world begins in business education, which has seen an increase in the number of female students and teachers.

 

A. Once largely made up of male students, business schools are now accepting more female students than ever before.

B. At the graduate level, it is becoming common to see classes made up mostly or entirely of female students.

C. Female business-school graduates now have more job opportunities than before; many do enter the professional world immediately after graduation.

D. Along with the increase in female business students has come an increase in female business-school instructors.

 

II. Businesswomen are an ever-increasing and formidable presence in the corporate world.

 

A. Many entry-level positions are now occupied by women.

B. The last few years have seen an ever-growing number of women in executive positions.

C. Women have even risen to the top of the professions, becoming heads of their own companies.

D. However, the traditional positions of women in the corporate world, such as secretaries and personal assistants, have not entirely gone away.

 

III. Businesswomen still face the obstacle of "the glass ceiling" because the corporate world is largely male-dominated.

 

A. The most obvious example of gender difference is in salary: a woman often earns less money than a man with the same job.

B. As one progresses through the business hierarchy, one finds fewer overall numbers of women in higher-level positions.

C. Affirmative-action programs have helped to close the gender gap by hiring more women for businesses.

D. Corporations have also encouraged women to enroll in business schools.

 

IV. Businesswomen face a bright though still somewhat uncertain future.

 

A. Though the "glass ceiling" is still a concern, gender equality has, on the whole, improved.

B. Scholarships and other incentive programs continue to attract women to business schools.

C. New businesswomen enter the professional world every year thanks to corporate recruitment programs.

D. It is possible that someday we may see a female-dominated corporation.