Read your syllabus or assignment sheet to see what is expected of you for the paper. Even at the doctoral level, there is lots of variation in what particular teachers or professors are looking for. Just like any other college work, depending on the class and what your professor wishes you to learn, your assignment might be for a paper of two or three pages, or a thesis or dissertation that could be more than 100 pages long. Each assignment is different, so you can't write an outline until you know what the professor is looking for.
Come up with a thesis, or main idea, for your paper. This could be determined for you, if it was listed in the assignment sheet or on the syllabus. It also could be something that you come up with on your own. It might be something you talked about in class, something you came across while reading, or something you've always wanted to know about. Narrow your thesis to a sentence or two that clearly explains the idea you want to explore.
Decide on a number of sections that will fulfill the requirements for the paper. Try to have roughly one section per page for a short paper, such as 10 main sections for a 10-page paper. For a longer paper, decide on an appropriate amount of sections depending on the topic. For instance, if you are writing a doctoral dissertation on the famous works of an author, choose five or six famous works and have a section for each work. Or, if your thesis is about three main parts of Christianity, for example, choose the three main parts and have those be your sections.
Write your thesis at the top of your outline. Then, write the heading for each of your sections. Leave plenty of space between the headings so you can complete the outline.
Divide each section into its main parts. Depending on the length of your paper, and the depth of your section, each section may have a few main parts, or a lot of them. Write a statement about each part of your sections. Underneath these parts, you might add specific details.
Arrange your sections and the main parts in a way that seems to flow.