When graduate students hear the word ‘dissertation,’ it can feel overwhelming due to the uncertainty of what is expected to complete it. A dissertation is generally a document that is submitted in support of the candidature for an academic degree or to prove professional qualification by presenting the research and findings the author has undertaken. What is a Dissertation, then specifically?
A master’s dissertation can be considered a lengthy form of work or study that is written on a unique topic that one has chosen. It is typically completed with the help and advisement of a faculty supervisor and involves undertaking comprehensive research, writing, and presenting the final results. Some U.S. programs requiring dissertation completion include masters in Chemistry, Geography, English, Education, etc.
Graduate students will have different assignments, capstones, and more as part of their coursework that can be challenging. However, one of the most significant and cumbersome parts of their graduate program will be to work on their thesis or master’s during curriculum completion. A thesis is generally a scholarly research work critically evaluated and submitted by those graduating with a master’s degree. A thesis will demonstrate the knowledge and expertise gained within their study domain. A dissertation, however, is considered lengthier and accounts for one’s research work throughout the program. It is generally based on the original research one can take up or expand on the gaps of previous existing literature in the domain of study.
Both thesis and dissertation are considered final projects submitted by graduates reflecting their deep and apt understanding of the research gaps in their respective fields. Both are scholarly pieces of writing, addressing specific research questions as well. To write both, one must acquire a certain fundamental level of academic writing skills and follow ethical practices, ensuring there is no plagiarism and the submitted work is thoroughly edited and critically proofread before submission. However, there are specific crucial differences between both pieces of work, including
Dissertation | Thesis | |
---|---|---|
What is it? | It is an academic work primarily based on one’s original research by evaluating previous research in prior dissertations and developing new methodologies or theories. | It is typically a scholarly work that provides an in-depth analysis of prior research in a particular domain. |
Who is it for? | Generally, the doctoral or Ph.D. candidate is expected to do a dissertation. | Typically, master’s students are expected to do a thesis. |
Length | Substantially lengthier than the thesis and includes all research materials used. | It is typically 100 pages in length. |
Time | Needs a relatively long time to complete. | One can complete it in less time. |
Format | Requires oral presentations like viva, wherein one showcases their findings to academics asking questions about their research work. | Requires argumentations to justify a certain point, includes viewpoints of findings, and doesn’t include oral presentations. |
Research source: | It is wholly based on original research; secondary research sources are typically unused. | Includes both primary and secondary data sources; generally, it doesn’t involve analyzing a particular domain of study. |
Submission | It is often required to be submitted as a book. | It is mainly submitted as an academic research paper. |
The direction in which you write your dissertation can often depend on your research topic. We can typically find three types of dissertations, including:
Empirical Dissertation
Non-Empirical Dissertation
Narrative Dissertation
Ph.D. dissertations are requirements that one must fulfill to obtain a doctorate. It is an academic, formal, and stylized document to argue and put across the significant and original research you did by extending the state of scientific knowledge. The work should be able to highlight its importance and needs to be an original piece of work based on scientific data and has potential lasting value in the field. Depending on the topic, one can write either Empirical, Non-empirical, or narrative research.
A Master’s dissertation, on the other hand, is referred to primarily as a thesis. ‘Dissertation’ as a word is typically referred to for doctoral programs. However, a master’s dissertation is typically undertaken with a faculty supervisor’s help and involves extended writing and research periods. The length and time it takes for one to complete will depend on their field of study; however, it is seen that those subjects that are heavily theory-based will require a longer time to complete the dissertation.
Some of the key differences between a Master’s and a Ph.D. Dissertations include
Master’s Dissertations | Ph.D. Dissertations | |
---|---|---|
Purpose | Students are required to work on their respective subject domains in-depth. | Complete individual and unique studies on a particular topic and get explicit knowledge about the subject of study. |
Expectations from students | Analyze previous research work critically and develop various theories and frameworks of methodology, narrowing down a particular area of work. | Completely original and unique research conducted independently. Work should contribute to the field of study in a new manner. |
Required Work | Requires less work than original research. | Longer and more in-depth work than masters. |
Dissertation Writing | One is expected to include some original research findings in their writing. | The writing should be completely based on own research project, original findings, and conclusions. |
The dissertation Structure | Generally contains an abstract and literature review, methodology, analysis, conclusion, bibliography, and references. | It mainly consists of a general introduction, literature review, Methodology (research design and methods), result (presentation of all research), summary, implications, findings, discussion, contacts, etc. |
Word length | One can complete it in around 10,000 to 50,000 (depending on the specifications mentioned by the college). | One can complete it in an average of 25,000 words or more. |
Duration of study | One can complete it in one year on average. | One can complete it in three to four years on average. |
Submission | Assessed and submitted before degree completion. | Assessed, raised, and both written and oral defense of the dissertation to be completed before doctoral completion. |
A master’s dissertation is one of the original pieces of scholarship written with the faculty advisor’s advisement. Its structure and formality are similar to a doctoral dissertation. However, it is more narrowly focused and can generally be shorter. It should typically be longer than an article or paper but can be publishable as a single article. It can be around 40-80 pages on average, depending on the specifications of the institutions (excluding bibliography, appendix, and more).
Some essential elements required or expected in a dissertation are specified below:
However, the structure may generally include the following chapters written below:
Below is a dissertation breakdown idea for students to follow
Sections of Dissertation | Average Word Count/Page |
Timeline of completing Research Proposal | |
Abstract | 100-350 Words |
Introduction | 1 page on average |
Statement of Problem | 1 page |
Rational/Research Question | 1 page |
Review of Literature | 7 pages |
Methodology | 3 pages |
Implication | 1 page |
Timeline | 1 page |
Timeline of completing Dissertation | |
Abstract of Dissertation | 200-300 words |
Introduction of Dissertation | 10% of the whole word count (average of 15-20 pages) |
Literature Review | 30-40 pages |
Methodology | 15-20 pages |
Discussion | 10-15 pages |
Summary | 10-15 pages |
*Students should note that these page lengths will differ and may change slightly according to institutional guidelines
Writing a dissertation can be a comprehensive and multifaceted process that can be stressful for individuals. With the right skills, one can comfortably finish their dissertation, some of which include
When preparing for one’s doctoral candidacy, one needs to know a basic framework for preparing for a dissertation. Typically, a dissertation has five chapters, including an introduction, a comprehensive literature review supporting the research, a discussion of research design, data collection, and analysis, details of research steps, data analyses, and results, and a final evaluation and interpretation of results. It can feel difficult to navigate through the progress one is making through their doctoral program. Below are steps designed to help one make concrete progress on their dissertation in smaller, manageable chunks. Some of these steps include
One needs to follow the formal requirements of their program when enrolled in a master’s program. It may require one to hold their oral defense enough to complete and submit their thesis. Here is a checklist for the components of one’s dissertation
The average number of hours one spends on their dissertation, including researching, writing, integrating what is written, meeting one’s supervisor, completing mandatory coursework, and so on, could range around 20 hours per week to finish dissertation work. It could include lab time, teaching, job applications, departmental meetings, etc. Many students block a daily time slab for their dissertation preparation; however, the minimum daily time should ideally be around 1.5-4 hours, depending on one’s capacity and priorities.
One should scrutinize the university resources when deciding where to earn one’s doctoral degree. Some of the resources include
Completing a dissertation is often about accessing the right resources and choosing the right approach. When one is in the dissertation proposal stage, they are looking to find relevant literature to their field. Literature reviews are needed to provide a context to conduct a unique study and inform or expand the larger body of knowledge in their domain. “Literature” can refer to scholarly articles, dissertations, conferences, proceedings, and academic texts. When exploring these texts, some of the databases that can help students include