does every master's degree require a thesis

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Choosing Between a Thesis or Non-thesis Master's Degree

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Resources Choosing Between a Thesis or Non-thesis Master's Degree

As of 2015, approximately 25.4 million Americans held advanced degrees , with more citizens joining these ranks each year. As studies continue to show the career advancement and salary benefits of completing a master's degree, more and more students elect to pursue advanced educations. When considering their options, many question whether to enroll in a master's requiring a thesis or not. The following guide examines some of the reasons degree seekers may want to write a thesis while also highlighting why they might not. Students on the fence about this important decision can find expert advice, actionable tips, and relevant guidance to help them make an informed choice in the guide that follows.

Understanding the Master's Thesis

What is the difference between a thesis & non-thesis master's program, the decision not to do a thesis.

As students research various master's programs in their chosen discipline, it's common to find that many degrees require a thesis – especially if they want to enter a research-heavy field. While this word gets thrown around a lot in academia, some learners may want more information regarding what it entails in order to make an informed decision.

What is a Master's Thesis?

The master's thesis is an original piece of scholarship allowing the student to dig into a topic and produce an expanded document that demonstrates how their knowledge has grown throughout the degree program. These documents require significant independent research of primary and secondary sources and, depending on the subject, may require interviews and/or surveys to support the overarching argument.

Individual schools and departments dictate the length of these documents, but they typically range between 60 and 100 pages – or approximately 20,000 to 40,000 words. While tackling a document of such heft may seem overwhelming at first, learners need not fret. Each master's candidate receives a faculty advisor early in their tenure to provide support, feedback, and guidance throughout the process. Because the final thesis is expected to be of a publishable quality, learners seeking the highest marks typically send their supervisor excerpts of the document as they write to ensure they are on the right track.

When picking a thesis topic, no magical formula exists. Students should consider their interests and read extensively on that topic to get a better sense of existing scholarship. They should also speak to other academics working in that sphere to familiarize themselves with ongoing projects. Only after they feel reasonably well-read should they begin looking for uncovered angles or interesting ways of using emerging methodologies to bring new light to the topic.

When considering formatting, degree seekers should check with their specific schools and departments, as they may have unique requirements. To get a general understanding of what to expect, learners can review Simon Fraser University's guidelines on thesis formatting. After completing the thesis, some programs require an oral defense before a committee while others read the document and provide a grade. Check with your prospective schools to get a better sense of procedure.

Format & Components of a Master's Thesis

While this guide attempts to provide helpful and actionable information about the process of deciding whether to follow a thesis or non-thesis track in a master's program, readers should remember that specific components and requirements of a thesis vary according to discipline, university, and department. That being said, some commonalities exist across all these – especially when it comes to what students must include in their final drafts.

As the first section a reader encounters after moving through the table of contents and other anterior text, the introductory allows the writer to firmly establish what they want to accomplish. Sometimes also called the "research question" section, the introductory must clearly state the goals of the paper and the overarching hypothesis guiding the argument. This should be written in a professional yet accessible tone that allows individuals without specializations in the field to understand the text.

This section allows learners to demonstrate their deep knowledge of the field by providing context to existing texts within their chosen discipline Learners review the main bodies of work, highlighting any issues they find within each. Constructive criticism often centers around shortcomings, blind spots, or outdated hypotheses.

Students use this section to explain how they went about their work. While scientists may point to a specific method used to reach conclusions, historians may reference the use of an emerging framework for understanding history to bring new light to a topic. The point of this section is to demonstrate the thought processes that led to your findings.

This section allows for learners to show what they learned during the research process in a non-biased way. Students should simply state what information they gathered by utilizing a specific framework or methodology and arrange those findings, without interpretation, in an easy-to-read fashion.

After providing readers with all the necessary information, the discussion section exists for candidates to interpret the raw data and demonstrate how their research led to a new understanding or contributed a unique perspective to the field. This section should directly connect to the introduction by reinforcing the hypothesis and showing how you answered the questions posed.

Even though the previous sections give prospective degree seekers a better sense of what to expect if they decide to write a thesis during their master's program, they don't necessarily help learners decide whether to pursue a thesis or non-thesis track. The following section highlights some of the reasons students frequently choose to complete a thesis or bypass the process altogether by providing a pros and cons list.

Why a Thesis Program

Especially when entering a research-heavy discipline, completing a thesis shows prospective schools and employers that you possess the skills needed for researching and writing long-form reports.
Students hoping to pursue a Ph.D. stand in better stead with admissions panels if they wrote a thesis during a master's program.
Individuals hoping to enter a field that values syntax and grammar often better their writing skills by completing a thesis.
Students who write a thesis can submit the final product to various academic journals, increasing their chances of getting published.
Theses expand students' understanding of what they're capable of, deepen their ability to carry out an argument, and develop their skills in making connections between ideas.

Why a Non-thesis Program

Because they don't require a significant written product, non-thesis master's tend to take less time to complete.
Often mirrors a bachelor's program in terms of structure, allowing learners to complete classes and take exams without a great deal of research or writing.
Students who excel in project-based assignments can continue building skills in this arena rather than focusing on skills they don't plan to use (e.g. research)
Provides learners the opportunity to work more closely and more frequently with faculty on real-world projects since they don't spend hundreds of hours researching/writing.
Allows learners to take more classes and gain hands-on skills to fill the time they would have spent researching and writing a thesis.

How to Choose a Master's Program: FAQs

Within some academic disciplines and professional fields, research and writing plays a key role in work done on a daily basis. Because of this, master's programs in these fields require learners to complete theses to compete against peers and be seen as competent in their work. Other disciplines, conversely, rely on other tools to accomplish work and progress ideas – making theses less important.

Yes. Master's programs focused more on application than research typically don't require a thesis – although they may still give students the option. Examples of common non-thesis master's programs include nursing, business, and education.

Even though non-thesis students won't be writing a 100-page paper, that doesn't mean they avoid completing a significant project. In place of a thesis, most applied master's programs require students to take part in at least one internship or complete a culminating project. These projects typically ask learners to take what they learned throughout coursework and create an expansive final project – examples include case studies, creative works, or portfolios.

While students who followed a non-thesis path routinely receive acceptance to Ph.D. programs, those with theses often find the process easier. Even if a learner pursues a Ph.D. in a discipline that isn't research-heavy, admissions panels still want to get a sense of your academic interests and ability to engage in independent, nuanced thought. Students with theses can provide solid proof of these skills, while those without may struggle to demonstrate preparedness as thoroughly.

The answer to this question depends on many factors, but typically it is okay not to do a thesis if you plan to enter a field that doesn't depend heavily on research or writing, or if you don't plan to complete a Ph.D.

Students wanting to work in academic, research, or writing should always opt for the thesis track. They should also follow this path if they have any doctoral degree aspirations.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to complete a thesis rests with the individual student. Figuring out how to proceed on this front requires lots of careful consideration, and learners should ensure they consider various aspects before coming to a final decision. The following section helps students consider how they should and should not come to a conclusion.

Dos and Don'ts of Choosing a Thesis or Non-thesis Program

Consider the longevity of your decision: will you feel the same in 5-10 years or are you making a decision based on current desires?
Talk to others who with experience in this area. Ask them questions about their decision-making process and if they regret their choice.
Research potential thesis topics before starting a program. Going in with a game plan can help you feel more confident and settled about the process than if you're scrambling for a topic while in school.
Reach out to prospective schools to speak with faculty and/or current students following both tracks. This will provide knowledge specific to the school while also expanding your network if you choose to attend there.
Research Ph.D. entrance requirements to ascertain if the majority expect learners to possess a thesis when applying. This will give you a sense of whether you may experience issues later on if you do not complete one.
Decide not to complete a thesis simply because you have never taken on such a task and feel overwhelmed or fearful that you will fail.
Complete a thesis simply because you think it will look good on your resume. Theses require intense devotion over an extended amount of time; learners who complete them without conviction often find the process miserable.
Forget to research alternatives to writing a thesis. Just because you don't complete a research paper doesn't mean a non-thesis track lacks rigor or challenging coursework.
Forget to read examples of theses by previous students. If you feel overwhelmed by the task, reading work other people have done can often make the task at hand feel less scary.
Let yourself off easy by taking the non-thesis path. If you find you have extra time in the program, talk to your advisor about taking more classes, develop meaningful projects for yourself, or see about presenting at an academic conference.

From the Expert

Sudiksha Joshi, Ph.D. is a learning advocate. Her mission is to empower our youth to think bigger, bolder thoughts and forge a career path that will change the world. She taps into her natural curiosity and ability to identify strengths to help students and those in transition find their path from feeling lost in the traditional ways of achieving success to charting their own path. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Medium and LinkedIn.

Why might a student decide to follow a thesis track? Why might they follow a non-thesis track?

A student might decide to take a thesis track if she/he wants to pursue a Ph.D. Also, if the students want to focus on careers where research and writing have a strong focus, the students opt for the thesis option. Research assistantships at the graduate level are also more often available to students who opt for the thesis option.

A student who might feel that writing is not one of their strengths might choose to go the non-thesis track. Likewise, a student who has other work commitments may find a non-thesis option more convenient.

Do you have any tips for deciding on a program?

I chose a thesis option because being able to conduct independent research was a big reason to go to graduate school. Also, showing the ability that I could do research was what afforded me research assistantships which meant that my tuition was paid for and I got a stipend that paid for expenses while I was in graduate school. This also allowed me the opportunity to work closely with the faculty mentor that provided me with the support and the accountability I wanted.

I would not recommend taking a non-thesis option if all the degree requires is for you to take courses. You have little to show in terms of your learning other than your grades unless you are already working on something on the side that does that for you and all you need is a certificate.

Opt for a non-thesis option if you can still work closely with a professor or on a project and if you'd rather be involved in multiple projects rather than focus on a single project. If you already have a good (informed) reason for choosing one over the other, go for it.

What's the most important thing to consider when choosing a program?

The most important thing to consider when choosing a program is getting excited about the projects that at least one of the faculty members are involved in. Do some research and see why you are excited about a particular work that at least one of the faculty members have been involved in.

Who should students talk to when considering options?

Students should talk to other students and also reach out directly to the graduate coordinator and even individual faculty members. This means that students should have done prior homework and have some good questions ready. Asking good questions will get you at least halfway through to make the right decision.

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What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on April 16, 2024.

A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.

Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .

Thesis template

You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.

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Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.

You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.

A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay , and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay .
A thesis is a long-form piece of academic writing, often taking more than a full semester to complete. It is generally a degree requirement for Master’s programs, and is also sometimes required to complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts colleges.
In the US, a dissertation is generally written as a final step toward obtaining a PhD.
In other countries (particularly the UK), a dissertation is generally written at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

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does every master's degree require a thesis

The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

Your discipline
Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section , results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .

Thesis examples

We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.

Example thesis #1: “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.
Example thesis #2: “’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.

The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:

Your full title
Your full name
Your department
Your institution and degree program
Your submission date.

Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.

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An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.

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Do All Master’s Programs Require a Thesis?

If you’re like most graduate school applicants, you’re wondering if your only option for graduation is completing a master’s thesis. You’ve written plenty of papers as an undergraduate, you’re looking for job-specific skills and you don’t want to spend two years worrying about a massive paper due before graduation. While a graduate thesis can provide you with some benefits, it may not be the best option for your long-term plans.

Graduate Programs That Require a Thesis

Research-oriented master’s programs often require a scholarly thesis based on original data or a unique analysis of secondary sources. These programs can be found in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, so if you’re interested in those fields, you can expect to finish your master of art or master of science degree with a highly polished thesis. This is great news if you ultimately want to earn a doctorate-level degree. Completing a master’s thesis will teach you time management skills, hone your research abilities and increase your writing productivity, all of which will be necessary for completing a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Even if you plan to stop your graduate studies after completing your master’s degree, completing a thesis can be helpful. A detailed and well-written graduate-level thesis can show future employers your subject mastery and organization skills, especially in a focused area. If you’re passionate about designing effective employee motivation incentives for small businesses and you have a research paper to show it, you will be a strong candidate for a human resources job at a local company. You can showcase your enthusiasm through a strong thesis and leverage it into a great job, but there are other ways to boost your credentials.

Drawbacks of Completing a Thesis

The key strength and weakness of a graduate thesis is the focus on academic skills. You’ll showcase your ability to review existing literature and synthesize it into a cohesive argument, but those skills aren’t helpful for every career path. While some employers, particularly academic institutions and non-profits, may be impressed by your thesis research, corporations will be less interested. Plus, if you struggled in your undergraduate studies and thrive outside of the classroom, completing an extended research paper might be a struggle for you.

Thesis Alternatives: Internships and Projects

Applied graduate school programs tend to focus on hands-on experiences over theoretical research papers. These programs prepare graduates for specific, high-level career placements. Education, nursing and business schools are good examples of master’s programs that don’t require a thesis. Instead, you might complete an internship, where you network with future employers, gain relevant experience and explore career options.

Related: What is the Best Way to Find a College Internship?

You may also complete a final project, which is less research oriented than a thesis and is often done in conjunction with a community or business partner. These programs are great option for students who need specific training to advance their career. Getting admitted to these schools is often easier for focused students because they’re interested in your work experience and interest in the field more than your undergraduate performance. Many even bypass the problem with the GRE by skipping the test completely in favor of a more holistic approach.

You have many options for finishing a graduate degree. Don’t worry about whether or not you can complete a master’s thesis.

What you should know before you write your masters thesis

The assessment process at the end of a masters degree varies considerably according to the course. Examinations are required at the end of some taught degrees, while others set assessed essays and exercises throughout the course. Many masters require that you complete a masters thesis – an extended piece of writing, normally on an independent research project or a question set by the department – as the final piece of assessed work you hand in at the end of your course.

Getting your masters thesis right is crucial to making the most out of your masters. So here are a couple of things to remember, before you sit down and begin writing.

What your masters thesis is for

The central purpose of a thesis is to assess your calibre as a student, and the degree to which you’ve taken on board the guidance provided by the course. This much is obvious. But it’s important to unpack this a little bit, to be consciously aware of what’s actually being asked of you.

Your examiners will want to see evidence that you’ve taken on board the core material that’s taught by the course, and have an excellent grasp of the discipline you’re studying as a result. If you’re doing a research masters, this means they’ll need to see a well-written and comprehensive methodology section, if you’re doing a taught degree, the literature review should build upon material that you’ve covered during the year. It’s also fundamental that your argument is well-structured, balanced, yet convincing; it’s no good talking around your central conclusion without hammering it home, but neither should you leave obvious objections to what you’re saying unaddressed. Beyond these basic considerations, what you need to show is originality and flare – arguing well against the received wisdom within the discipline, or bringing new data to bear on an old debate are great ways of doing this.

Ultimately, your primary guide as to what to aim for should be the mark scheme used by your department – this will be available from the departmental office.

Choosing a good question

One of the most important choices you will make is choosing a question to answer for your thesis. This might be one of a list of questions provided by your department, or you might be able to devise a question for yourself. Your supervisor or tutor will be able to advise you on this – but some important questions to consider:

Don’t make your question too broad or ambitious; or if you do, be sure to home in on a specific aspect of the problem in the introduction.
Choose a question about which you are passionate; you will be doing a lot of work towards answering it, so you’ll need that passion to drive you on.
Choose a topic that relates to your future career aspirations – if you want to work in academia, choose something that’s current within your discipline; if you want to work for industry, choose an applied topic.

The assessment process

Once you’ve submitted your masters thesis, it will be marked internally, and you then may have an internal viva voce exam with a member of the department. Your performance during a viva voce won’t usually reduce your grade, though it can increase it – you can respond to particular objections your examiners may have raised, or address flaws they have detected in your argument. Your thesis will then be graded – this is normally in terms of a Pass, High Pass, or Distinction.

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What Is The Difference Between A Thesis Or Non-Thesis Master’s Degree?

If you’re looking forward to enrolling in a master’s degree program, it helps to comprehend what a master’s thesis entails clearly. Some learners still can’t explain the primary difference between a non-thesis master’s degree and a thesis master’s degree. In this article, we help you understand the difference as we highlight other vital facts about the topic. So, let’s do this!

What Is a Master’s Thesis?

What is the length of a master’s thesis, structure and details in master’s thesis, why you should choose a master’s thesis program.

The Difference between Thesis and Non-Thesis Program

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Non-Thesis Master’s Program?

Thesis or non-thesis master’s degree faqs, make a decision today.

A master’s thesis is a lengthy and comprehensive scholarly paper that lets you dig deeper into your field of expertise and manifest your growth as a learner. Suppose you undertake a research-oriented degree; you will need to give your graduate school a thesis. That is the best way to portray your practical skills ahead of culmination.

For instance, if you are a psychology major, you might be asked to write a thesis showing the relationship between color and mood. Based on your program, your skills and ability will be weighed differently. It all depends on what the graduate school wants its students to have. The good thing is with the perfect thesis statement; you will have a chance to prove your statement or idea on paper, develop your argument, and come up with a masterpiece.

Your master thesis will be between 40 and 300 pages long, which doesn’t include the bibliography. Many factors can affect the actual length of your thesis for your master’s. For instance, your dissertation topic for masters and method of analysis will be used to determine the appropriate pages to write.

The examiner will ensure that students receive clear instructions on how to handle the thesis. Note that most of the time, you will have a period of two semesters to complete your thesis. Well, that’s enough time to meet all requirements.

Provided you are interested in writing a master’s thesis, it is advisable to develop the right topic early in your academic program. That way, you will have ample time to come up with great research questions so that you submit a top-quality project.

Would you like to know the structure and details of a master’s thesis? The structure is the basis of writing a master thesis that wins you not just a master’s degree but also scholarly recognition. Here’s the information on a relevant structure you need to follow:

The Summary: In this section, you must indicate your introduction alongside the research questions. Aside from the method of data collection and analysis, you also need to include the master’s degree paper finding and conclusion.
Introduction: In the introduction, you need to clarify the context of your research question. Don’t forget to mention the existing knowledge and previous research as well as your thesis question.
Theory: Your theory lets you mention what other individuals have to say about the same subject matter. This comes in handy when you are dealing with empirical research.
Method: In the method chapter, it is crucial to portray where your research, as well as the method, positions itself in the field of science. Don’t make your method chapter too long and descriptive.
Presentation of Data and Findings : Here is where you must indicate your findings from the data you had analyzed. You must show your examiners that you have a deep understanding of the requirements, such as the research question.
Discussion: Discuss your findings in plain language. You might want to relate your findings to the previous research to showcase your relevance throughout the project.
Summary and Implications : Now that you are ending the thesis for your masters, make sure you summarize your main points. Make it brief and clear. If you forgot to clarify something in your master’s degree paper, here is the right place to do that.

There are many reasons students need to write a master’s degree thesis. If you want to have the best learning experience and show that you are a smart graduate, then writing a dissertation for a master’s thesis is something you should embrace. More so, if you choose to write a thesis for masters:

You will have the rare chance of delving deeper into the field of research, becoming a student with an in-depth understanding of their course and career as a whole.
You will notice that most companies prefer students with thesis papers on their portfolios, and you can simply be one of them if you choose a thesis master.
It is the best way to indicate that you have gained adequate writing skills and possess an inborn willingness to learn.
Defending your thesis program shows that you have competitive critical thinking skills as well as public speaking skills.

The Difference Between Thesis and Non-Thesis Program

What’s the difference between thesis and non-thesis masters? Well, if you opt for a non-thesis program, you won’t have to write a lengthy, compressive research paper to attain the graduation requirements. Note that whether you choose a thesis or non-thesis master’s, at the end of your program, you will need to submit your final paper to show your critical thinking skills.

Also, if you go for a non-thesis program, your final project can either be a field experience or a capstone project. Those are the main differences you need to know about a master’s degree thesis and non-thesis program.

A thesis is a primary requirement in most fields of research. However, not all master’s programs will require you to complete a thesis. To be precise, some institutions or fields will let you choose between a thesis and a non-thesis master’s program. The same applies to a PhD; you can opt for PhD without a thesis (non-thesis PhD).

The pros of a non-thesis master’s program are not that strong. But they are still worth mentioning. The main advantage of a master’s degree without a thesis is that you:

You will have a smooth learning experience
You won’t have to spend time thinking about research skills.
You are free from conducting detailed research analysis and writing a lengthy project.

On the flip side:

A non-thesis master’s degree might not show you as a competent student.
Your employers might not be able to know whether you have the required communication and critical thinking skills.
Since you won’t have the chance to post your thesis on a scholarly website, your credibility would be hard to determine.

Does Every Master’s Degree Require a Thesis?

The shortest answer is a resounding no. Not all master’s degrees require a thesis. However, the institution will allow you to choose whether you would like your program to be a thesis or a non-thesis one. As we already mentioned, there are lots of benefits you can enjoy when you go for the thesis master’s program.

Aside from showing that you’ve got incredible analysis skills, writing a thesis shows that you are serious about your field of expertise. But if you don’t want to write a lengthy paper, then you have the freedom to avoid choosing a thesis master’s program. A master without a thesis is still worth it.

Do We Have Any Tips For Choosing A Program?

Yes! There are essential tips that can help you choose the best program. Here are some of them for your reference:

You should know where your passion lies: It is advisable not to pick a program because it is marketable. If you don’t like it, you won’t excel in it. If you have a strong passion for something, even if it is not quite interesting, you can thrive and earn good money from it.
Know your abilities : Some programs are so tough that only the most resilient students can complete them. If you are not willing to go beyond the limits trying to break the ice, you should not go for that program.
Know the duration of the program : Some programs only need two years to complete, while some will run for up to six years. Think about the time you have left to complete a course and make up your mind based on that.

How Long Does it Take to Write a Master’s Thesis?

There’s no specific time you need to complete your master’s thesis. It is all about your program and the type of school committee you are dealing with. We have already seen that in most cases, you will need to complete your master’s degree thesis in two semesters.

Some institutions might give you a shorter period or a more extended period. If you feel that you have a short deadline, it is better to begin your master’s degree dissertation as soon as possible. Even if you have six months or one year to write your thesis, you need to start early enough. Remember, the time might seem lengthy, but the thesis might be a lengthy and comprehensive one as well.

Now that you know the difference between a thesis and a non-thesis master’s degree, you can go ahead and make your decision today. But if you want to have the best learning experience and a rewarding outcome, you can order the professional thesis master’s help and receive the most helpful assistance for your dissertation.

Do I Have to Write a Thesis to Earn a Master’s Degree?

Krystle Dodge

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Do I Have to Write a Thesis to Earn a Master's Degree?

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If you’re exploring master’s degree programs, you might have some questions about the graduate thesis. The thesis is a lengthy academic essay or paper containing a student’s research into a topic that’s related to their program of study. While some schools require undergraduates to complete a senior thesis, the term is more often used in graduate programs leading to a master’s degree. The length of a graduate thesis is typically shorter than that of a doctoral dissertation, but often upwards of 100 pages. In some instances, a thesis can be a more creative work, such as a piece of creative writing or a rap album, according to U.S. News & World Report . However, the traditional master’s thesis is research project presented in written form.

The Point of the Master’s Thesis

The reason for writing such a lengthy academic paper isn’t simply to make the degree program more difficult for students or to encourage long, rambling prose. A graduate thesis is typically an essay that contains the student’s in-depth research into a topic and the student’s own analysis of the information. Some graduate thesis projects require students to conduct and write about the findings of their own independent and original research, as well.

When it comes to putting your advanced studies of a discipline to work, you realize that a five-page, ten-page or even 20-page paper just doesn’t allow for the in-depth discussion and analysis of existing research that a makes up a solid thesis. Students in master’s degree programs that require a thesis to graduate often spend a great deal of time over the course of one or two years of study working on their thesis. At some schools, students may have to present their research and defend the value of their thesis, though this practice is more common when it comes to doctoral dissertations than graduate thesis programs.

Non-Thesis Master’s Degree Options

If you’re dreading the prospect of writing a 100-page research paper, you can still advance your education by choosing a master’s degree program that offers a non-thesis track. In a non-thesis master’s degree program, you still complete the graduate-level coursework that provides you with advanced knowledge of your field of study, but without the intensive focus on research.

Non-thesis master’s degree programs aren’t that difficult to find. In fact, many of the easiest online master’s degrees are non-thesis programs. You can find non-thesis graduate degrees in a variety of fields, including English, computer science, liberal studies, ecological science, business and even engineering.

If you opt to take a non-thesis track in your master’s degree program, you may still have to complete other capstone experience requirements. You might end up working on an independent or group project or completing a practicum or fieldwork experience.

Choosing Between Thesis and Non-Thesis Master’s Degree Programs

Whether you should choose a graduate degree program that requires a thesis or one that doesn’t depends on your personal and professional goals and interests. If you’re looking only to improve your job prospects in your career field, a professional degree may be of more value to you than a research degree. Many career paths outside of academia don’t have much use for an academic research degree. On the other hand, if you want to work in academia, to do research professionally or to eventually earn a doctoral degree like a Ph.D., choosing not to complete a thesis at the master’s degree level could come back to haunt you.

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Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines

These guidelines provide students at Vanderbilt University with essential information about how to prepare and submit theses and dissertations in a format acceptable to the Graduate School. You can either explore the guidelines by topic below or review the complete Format Guidelines document .

General Information

Manuscript preparation.

NEW: Dissertation Template
Approved LATEX Template for Dissertations

Submission Requirements

Students in foreign language departments may submit manuscripts in a language other than English. The abstract, however, must be in English.

You may use a multi-part presentation format for combining original research that has been conducted in two or more related or non-related areas, or for presentation of combined journal articles (published or submitted for publication). You should organize the parts or articles into chapters, with well-defined subheadings, including an introduction, methods, results and discussion. Each chapter may contain its own list of references and appendices, or you may list them all at the end, depending on the custom of your discipline.When using this format, the thesis or dissertation should nonetheless consist of an integrated argument that binds the chapters together. You should include the appropriate preliminary pages, an introduction presenting the general theme of the research, and a conclusion summarizing and integrating the major findings. Any additional appendices related to the dissertation as a whole or any general references from the introduction, conclusion or transitional sections should come at the end of the dissertation.

When you have previously published portions of your thesis or dissertation as an article or book chapter, you must ensure the work may also be published as part of the dissertation or thesis. The standard provisions of copyright law regarding quoted and previously published material under copyright apply to the publication of theses and dissertations. Many publishers provide exceptions to work published as part of graduation requirements and this is often clearly outlined as part of the publication agreement signed by the author.In order to include your own previously published or co-authored material in your thesis or dissertation, you must comply with the following:

You must be the first author, or obtain permission from your committee, to be uploaded as an Administrative file in Vireo.
The article must be based on research completed while you were enrolled at Vanderbilt University.
You must have permission from the publisher to reuse the work, which should be uploaded to VIREO as an Administrative file. The record of permission may take the form of the publishing agreement, a copy of the publisher’s webpage describing reuse rights, or an email approval from the publisher. You should also identify which chapters are associated with which articles when prompted within VIREO.
If there are co-authors, you must obtain the permission of all co-authors to include the work in the thesis or dissertation as a matter of both copyright law and professional courtesy. Include these permissions (email approval is acceptable) as an Administrative file in VIREO.
You must properly acknowledge previously published material and any co-authors within the text of your manuscript. This would typically take the form of a footnote, or, alternately, an italicized statement beneath the relevant chapter heading. The rubric should be: “This chapter is adapted from [Title] published in [Journal] and has been reproduced with the permission of the publisher and my co-authors [List co-authors]” and include the full citation required by the publisher, if any, or appropriate to your discipline.

If the work is submitted to the ProQuest database, ProQuest will scan the document to ensure it contains no copyrighted material without consent and proper citation.

Inclusion of Third-Party Content

If you are including content in your dissertation not authored or created by you, consider copyright issues. If your use of the content would exceed fair use under the Copyright Act, then you will need to seek the copyright holder’s permission in order to use the material. Obtaining copyright permissions often takes time and should not be left until the last minute.You should discuss questions about copyrighted material with your dissertation advisor or contact the VU Librarian for Copyright and Scholarly Communications at [email protected] for help evaluating fair use or obtaining permissions.

Your thesis or dissertation is automatically protected by copyright as soon as it is fixed in a tangible form, such as being saved as an electronic file. Although not required, it is good practice to include the copyright symbol, your name, and the year on the title page of your work (© 2017 by [your name]).You also may choose to register your copyright, which will gain you additional protections in case of litigation for copyright infringement. You can file a copyright registration online directly with the U.S. Copyright Office for a fee of $45.00.

You will be asked to agree to the license to deposit your submission to the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository. The Library, with the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository, enhances the metadata provided with your dissertation and adds your record to discovery tools like the Library Catalog and WorldCat, making it easily findable for scholars worldwide. The library also maintains the technical infrastructure of the repository. If you plan to make your dissertation open access, we can assist you in understanding the options for licensing. If your dissertation makes use of copyrighted content, you will want to think early on about whether you may rely on fair use or need to acquire licenses. We will be glad to meet with you to discuss the requirements of your particular project.PhD students also have the option to request deposit of your submission with ProQuest, at no additional cost to you. If you elect to deposit your submission with ProQuest, you must also agree to the ProQuest license. This agreement is entirely between you and ProQuest. Vanderbilt’s sole responsibility is to pass on the license agreement and your work to ProQuest. Please contact ProQuest Dissertation Publishing, at 1(800) 521-0600 or [email protected] with any questions.

The expectation of the Graduate School is that all theses and dissertations will be made publicly available absent these limited circumstances. You have the option to make your submission available immediately or to temporarily embargo its release for a limited period of time. Students may elect to embargo their work if they anticipate publication, are making a patent application, have restrictions imposed by sponsors, or privacy concerns. Metadata, including the abstract, about your submission will still be visible in the Vanderbilt Institutional Repository, thereby indicating that your submission was accepted. You should discuss any anticipated hold on publication with your advisor. If selecting the ProQuest publishing option, be sure that you make the same embargo selection under the Vanderbilt options. Once your submission has been released to ProQuest, we have no ability to retract it.If, after consultation with your advisor, you would like to request a temporary embargo, you can elect from the following:

No embargo and release immediately for worldwide access
Six (6) month embargo
Twelve (12) month embargo
Twenty-four (24) month embargo

If you, after consultation with your advisor, determine that you need to extend your embargo beyond your initial selection, you can only do so with permission from the Graduate School. If you have questions about your embargo, you may email [email protected]

The Graduate School recommends Campus Copy for procuring bound copies of theses and dissertations. You may contact them directly at 615-936-4544, or online at Printing Services .

These guidelines provide students at Vanderbilt University with essential information about how to prepare and submit theses and dissertations in a format acceptable to the Graduate School. The topics range from writing style to the completion of required forms. There are instructions and sample pages on the Graduate School website for guidance through this process.

There is a distinct difference between submitting a manuscript to a publisher and providing a completed thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School. A manuscript represents a pre-publication format; a thesis or dissertation is a final, completely edited, published document. Students should use these guidelines, not other style manuals, as the final authority on issues of format and style. Areas not covered in this document or deviation from any of the specifications should be discussed with a Graduate School format editor. Do not use previously accepted theses and dissertations as definite models for style.

Manuscripts consist of four major sections and must be placed in the order listed:

Title Page (required)
Copyright (optional)
Dedication (optional)
Acknowledgments/Acknowledgment of Support (optional)
Table of Contents (required)
List of Tables (required, if tables are in the body of the manuscript)
List of Figures (required, if figures are in the body of the manuscript)
List of Abbreviations/Nomenclature/Symbols (optional)
Introduction (may be referred to as Chapter 1)

Body of Manuscript

References (required)
Appendices (optional)

The dedication is an optional portion of the academic manuscript. It is a personal message from the author in tribute to a person, group, or cause. Most dedications are brief statements beginning with “To…” or “For…” such as “To my family” or “For my daughter, Samantha.” The dedication, if any, is considered to be the sole work of the author and does not reflect endorsement of the views and opinions expressed therein by Vanderbilt University, the Graduate School, or the members of the faculty committee.

The acknowledgment is another optional portion of the academic manuscript. It is appropriately used to thank those people and organizations that have helped or encouraged the author in the process of obtaining the degree or otherwise making the graduate degree possible: advisers, the committee, labmates or members of one’s cohort, family, friends, etc. Typically, an acknowledgment is no more than 1 page in length.Acknowledgment of grant/contract or other financial support may be included on the acknowledgment page. Similarly, permission to reprint copyrighted material may be included here.The acknowledgment, if any, is considered to be the sole work of the author and does not reflect endorsement of the views and opinions expressed therein by Vanderbilt University, the Graduate School, or the members of the faculty committee.

The abstract is a separate document from the manuscript; it is not bound with the thesis or dissertation. Abstracts must be printed on white, 8 ½ x 11-inch paper. No page numbers are printed on the abstract. One copy is required. Abstracts must have the original signature(s) of the faculty advisor(s). The maximum length of the thesis abstract is 250 words. The maximum length of the dissertation abstract is 350 words, including the dissertation title. Majors are listed on the last pages of these guidelines. NEW: Abstract sample

The title page must be printed on white, 8 ½ x 11-inch paper. Committee member signatures on the title page must be originals. Spacing on the title page will vary according to the length of the title. The five lines following your name must be formatted exactly as found on the sample title page. The title page is considered page ‘i’ but the page number is not printed on the page. The month, day, and year representing the conferral date must be listed on the title page.

NEW: ETD Title Page sample
NEW: Title Page With Signatures sample

Use a standard font consistently throughout the manuscript. Font size should be 10 to 12-point for all text, including titles and headings. It is permissible to change point size in tables, figures, captions, footnotes, and appendix material. Retain the same font, where possible. When charts, graphs, or spreadsheets are “imported,” it is permissible to use alternate fonts. Italics are appropriate for book and journal titles, foreign terms, and scientific terminology. Boldface may be used within the text for emphasis and/or for headings and subheadings. Use both in moderation.

Measure the top margin from the edge of the page to the top of the first line of text. Measure the bottom page margin from the bottom of the last line of text to the bottom edge of the page. Page margins should be a minimum of one-half inch from top, bottom, left, and right and a maximum of one inch from top, bottom, left, and right. Right margins may be justified or ragged, depending upon departmental requirements or student preference.

The title page is considered to be page ‘i’ but the page number should not be printed on this page. All other pages should have a page number centered about ½ inch from the bottom of the page. Number the preliminary pages in lowercase Roman numerals. Arabic numerals begin on the first page of text. Pages are numbered consecutively throughout the remainder of the manuscript. The Introduction may be placed before the first page of Chapter 1, if it is not considered a chapter. The use of Arabic numbers may begin on the first page of the Introduction.

The entire text may be single-spaced, one and one-half spaced, or double-spaced. Block quotations, footnotes, endnotes, table and figure captions, titles longer than one line, and individual reference entries may be single-spaced. With spacing set, the following guidelines should be applied: Two enters after chapter numbers, chapter titles and major section titles (Dedication, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, List of Abbreviations, Appendices, and References). Two enters before each first- level and second-level heading. Two enters before and after tables and figures embedded in the text. One enter after sub-level headings.

Chapters may be identified with uppercase Roman numerals or Arabic numbers. Styles used on the Table of Contents should be consistent within the text. Tables, figures, footnotes, and equations should be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript with Arabic numerals. These may also be numbered consecutively by each chapter. Equation numbers should be placed to the right of the equation and contained within parentheses or brackets. Use uppercase letters to designate appendices.

Departments will determine acceptable standards for organizing master’s theses into chapters, sections, or parts. Usually, if a thesis has headings, a Table of Contents should be included. The dissertation must be divided into chapters. The use of parts, in addition to chapters, is acceptable.

Words and Sentences

Take care to divide words correctly. Do not divide words from one page to the next. Word processing software provides for “widow and orphan” protection. Utilize this feature to help in the proper division of sentences from one page to another. In general, a single line of text should not be left at the bottom or top of a page. Blank space may be left at the bottom of a page, where necessary.

Headings and Subheadings

Use headings and subheadings to describe briefly the material in the section that follows. Be consistent with your choice of “levels” and refer to the instructions on spacing for proper spacing between headings, subheadings, and text. First-level headings must be listed on the Table of Contents. Second-level and subsequent subheadings may be included.

Acronyms/Abbreviations/Capitalization

Abbreviations on the title page should appear as they do in the body of the thesis or dissertation. (Examples: Xenopus laevis , Ca, Mg, Pb, Zn; TGF-β, p53.) Capitalize only the first letter of words of importance, distinction, or emphasis in titles and headings. Do not alter the all-cap style used for acronyms (Example: AIDS) and organizational names (Example: IBM). Use the conventional style for Latin words (Examples: in vitro, in vivo, in situ ). Genus and species should be italicized. Capitalize the first letter of the genus, but not that of the species name (Example: Streptococcus aureus ).

Figures commonly refer to photographs, images, maps, charts, graphs, and drawings. Tables generally list tabulated numerical data. These items should appear as close as possible to their first mention in the text. Tables and figures may be placed in appendices, if this is a departmental requirement or standard in the field. Tables and figures should be numbered with Arabic numerals, either consecutively or by chapter. Be consistent in the style used in the placement of tables and figure captions. Tables and figures may be embedded within the text or placed on a page alone. When placed on its own page, a figure or table may be centered on the page. When included with text, a table or figure should be set apart from the text. Tables and figures, including captions, may be oriented in landscape. Make sure to use landscape page positioning on landscape-oriented pages. Table data and figure data must be kept together, if the information fits on one page.

The submission process for theses and dissertations begins at the Graduate School. Forms must be digitally submitted to the Graduate School. View the Checklist for Graduation

The Vanderbilt Libraries have recently implemented VIREO , an Electronic Thesis & Dissertation review and submission system for the Graduate School. The Graduate School requires electronic submission of all theses and dissertations through this new platform. Format reviews now occur within the VIREO submission process. If you have questions or would like an in-person format review, contact administrators .Students will use their VUnet ID and password to log in and begin completing the appropriate information, as outlined below.

Verify Your Information

Orcid ID (can obtain in VIREO)
Department/Program, Degree, Major
Phone & Address

License & Publication Agreements

Vanderbilt License Agreement (required)
ProQuest Publication (optional)

Document Information

Title, degree month/year, defense date, abstract, keywords, subjects, language
Your committee, Chair email
Previously published material (optional)
Embargo options

Upload Your Files

Primary document: thesis/dissertation
Additional files: supplemental, source, administrative (CV, Survey of Earned Doctorates (additional SED information is in the Ph.D. Dissertation Requirements accordion below))

Confirm and Submit

Students will receive a confirmation email once submitted

Any documents you will be uploading into VIREO as administrative files should be saved as a PDF, and named with your last name, first name-file-conferral month and year. Examples:

King, Amanda-IntraTermApp-032021.pdf
King, Amanda-CV-052021.pdf
King, Amanda-SED-052021.pdf
King, Amanda-Title Page-052021.pdf
King, Amanda-Permissions-052021.pdf
King, Amanda-DGS Approval-052021.pdf

Intent to Graduate

Students planning to graduate at the end of the fall, spring, or summer term should submit the Intent to Graduate form through YES by clicking on Graduation – Intent. Note that all masters students should submit this form , even if they are receiving a master’s in passing to the PhD.

Format Review

A format review is required before thesis or dissertation approval. Review will take place through VIREO when you first upload your document. Allow time before the deadline for review and revisions. For questions contact [email protected] .

Submit one copy of the title page, with original signatures of the advisor and a second reader (either a member of the committee or DGS of the program). The date on the title page will reflect the month, day, year of degree conferral.

Submit one copy of the abstract with the signature of the advisor.

Intent to Graduate

Students planning to graduate at the end of the fall, spring, or summer term should submit the Intent to Graduate form through YES by clicking on Graduation – Intent.

Defense Results

Students must schedule the Defense Exam with the Graduate School two weeks prior to the exam. Students will bring the Defense Results Form (along with the Title Page & Abstract) to obtain committee signatures. Upload the signed title page and abstract as one administrative file (title page first followed by abstract) to VIREO as an administrative file, and have your department submit the defense results to the graduate school submissions portal.

Upload your signed title page as an administrative file in VIREO. The date on the title page will reflect the month, day, year of degree conferral. Be sure it is the date of conferral and not the date of your defense.

Upload your signed abstract as an administrative file in VIREO.

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Students finishing a doctorate degree are required to complete the SED survey . Information provided to the National Opinion Research Council remains confidential and will be used for research or statistical purposes. Submit the Certificate of Completion with your VIREO submission as an administrative file.

Curriculum Vitae

Submit your CV through your VIREO submission as an administrative file. Directions on preparing a curriculum vitae are available here.

How to Write a Master's Thesis: A Guide to Planning Your Thesis, Pursuing It, and Avoiding Pitfalls

#scribendiinc

Part 1: Initial Considerations

Who needs to write a master’s thesis.

Thesis writing is one of the more daunting challenges of higher education. That being said, not all master's students have to write a thesis. For example, fields that place a stronger emphasis on applied knowledge, such as nursing, business, and education, tend to have projects and exams to test students on the skills and abilities associated with those fields. Conversely, in disciplines that require in-depth research or highly polished creative abilities, students are usually expected to prove their understanding and independence with a thesis.

What's Your Goal?

Do you want to write a thesis? The process is a long one, often spanning years. It's best to know exactly what you want before you begin. Many people are motivated by career goals. For example, hiring managers may see a master's degree as proof that the candidate is an expert within their field and can lead, motivate, and demonstrate initiative for themselves and others. Others dream of earning their doctorate, and they see a master's degree as a stepping stone toward their Ph.D .

No matter what your desired goal is, you should have one before you start your thesis. With your goal in mind, your work will have a purpose, which will allow you to measure your progress more easily.

Major Types of Theses

Once you've carefully researched or even enrolled in a master's program—a feat that involves its own planning and resources —you should know if you are expected to produce a quantitative (which occurs in many math and science programs), qualitative (which occurs in many humanities programs), or creative (which occurs in many creative writing, music, or fine arts programs) thesis.

Time and Energy Considerations

Advanced degrees are notoriously time and energy consuming. If you have a job, thesis writing will become your second job. If you have a family, they will need to know that your thesis will take a great deal of your attention, energy, and focus.

Your studies should not consume you, but they also should not take a back seat to everything else. You will be expected to attend classes, conduct research, source relevant literature, and schedule meetings with various people as you pursue your master's, so it's important to let those you care about know what's going on.

As a general note, most master's programs expect students to finish within a two-year period but are willing to grant extra time if requested, especially if that time is needed to deal with unexpected life events (more on those later).

Part 2: Form an Initial Thesis Question, and Find a Supervisor

When to begin forming your initial thesis question.

Some fields, such as history, may require you to have already formed your thesis question and to have used it to create a statement of intent (outlining the nature of your research) prior to applying to a master’s program. Others may require this information only after you've been accepted. Most of the time, you will be expected to come up with your topic yourself. However, in some disciplines, your supervisor may assign a general research topic to you.

Overall, requirements vary immensely from program to program, so it's best to confirm the exact requirements of your specific program.

What to Say to Your Supervisor

You will have a supervisor during your master's studies. Have you identified who that person will be? If yes, have you introduced yourself via email or phone and obtained information on the processes and procedures that are in place for your master's program? Once you've established contact, request an in-person meeting with him or her, and take a page of questions along with you. Your questions might include:

Is there a research subject you can recommend in my field?
I would like to pursue [target research subject] for my thesis. Can you help me narrow my focus?
Can you give me an example of a properly formatted thesis proposal for my program?

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help (to a Degree)

Procedures and expectations vary from program to program, and your supervisor is there to help remove doubt and provide encouragement so you can follow the right path when you embark on writing your thesis. Since your supervisor has almost certainly worked with other graduate students (and was one at some point), take advantage of their experience, and ask questions to put your mind at ease about how to write a master’s thesis.

That being said, do not rely too heavily on your supervisor. As a graduate student, you are also expected to be able to work independently. Proving your independent initiative and capacity is part of what will earn you your master's degree.

Part 3: Revise Your Thesis

Read everything you can get your hands on.

Whether you have a question or need to create one, your next step is simple and applies to all kinds of theses: read.

Seek Out Knowledge or Research Gaps

Read everything you can that relates to the question or the field you are studying. The only way you will be able to determine where you can go is to see where everyone else has been. After you have read some published material, you will start to spot gaps in current research or notice things that could be developed further with an alternative approach. Things that are known but not understood or understood but not explained clearly or consistently are great potential thesis subjects. Addressing something already known from a new perspective or with a different style could also be a potentially valuable project. Whichever way you choose to do it, keep in mind that your project should make a valuable contribution to your field.

Talk with Experts in Your Field (and Don't Be Afraid to Revise Your Thesis)

To help narrow down your thesis topic, talk to your supervisor. Your supervisor will have an idea of what is current in your field and what can be left alone because others are already working on it. Additionally, the school you are attending will have programs and faculty with particular areas of interest within your chosen field.

On a similar note, don't be surprised if your thesis question changes as you study. Other students and researchers are out there, and as they publish, what you are working on can change. You might also discover that your question is too vague, not substantial enough, or even no longer relevant. Do not lose heart! Take what you know and adjust the question to address these concerns as they arise. The freedom to adapt is part of the power you hold as a graduate student.

Part 4: Select a Proposal Committee

What proposal committees are and why they're useful.

When you have a solid question or set of questions, draft a proposal.

You'll need an original stance and a clear justification for asking, and answering, your thesis question. To ensure this, a committee will review your thesis proposal. Thankfully, that committee will consist of people assigned by your supervisor or department head or handpicked by you. These people will be experts who understand your field of study and will do everything in their power to ensure that you are pursuing something worthwhile. And yes, it is okay to put your supervisor on your committee. Some programs even require that your supervisor be on your committee.

Just remember that the committee will expect you to schedule meetings with them, present your proposal, respond to any questions they might have for you, and ultimately present your findings and thesis when all the work is done. Choose those who are willing to support you, give constructive feedback, and help address issues with your proposal. And don't forget to give your proposal a good, thorough edit and proofread before you present it.

How to Prepare for Committee Meetings

Be ready for committee meetings with synopses of your material for committee members, answers for expected questions, and a calm attitude. To prepare for those meetings, sit in on proposal and thesis defenses so you can watch how other graduate students handle them and see what your committee might ask of you. You can even hold rehearsals with friends and fellow students acting as your committee to help you build confidence for your presentation.

Part 5: Write Your Thesis

What to do once your proposal is approved.

After you have written your thesis proposal and received feedback from your committee, the fun part starts: doing the work. This is where you will take your proposal and carry it out. If you drafted a qualitative or quantitative proposal, your experimentation or will begin here. If you wrote a creative proposal, you will now start working on your material. Your proposal should be strong enough to give you direction when you perform your experiments, conduct interviews, or craft your work. Take note that you will have to check in with your supervisor from time to time to give progress updates.

Thesis Writing: It's Important to Pace Yourself and Take Breaks

Do not expect the work to go quickly. You will need to pace yourself and make sure you record your progress meticulously. You can always discard information you don't need, but you cannot go back and grab a crucial fact that you can't quite remember. When in doubt, write it down. When drawing from a source, always create a citation for the information to save your future self time and stress. In the same sense, you may also find journaling to be a helpful process.

Additionally, take breaks and allow yourself to step away from your thesis, even if you're having fun (and especially if you're not). Ideally, your proposal should have milestones in it— points where you can stop and assess what you've already completed and what's left to do. When you reach a milestone, celebrate. Take a day off and relax. Better yet, give yourself a week's vacation! The rest will help you regain your focus and ensure that you function at your best.

How to Become More Comfortable with Presenting Your Work

Once you start reaching your milestones, you should be able to start sharing what you have. Just about everyone in a graduate program has experience giving a presentation at the front of the class, attending a seminar, or watching an interview. If you haven't (or even if you have), look for conferences and clubs that will give you the opportunity to learn about presenting your work and become comfortable with the idea of public speaking. The more you practice talking about what you are studying, the more comfortable you'll be with the information, which will make your committee defenses and other official meetings easier.

Published authors can be called upon to present at conferences, and if your thesis is strong, you may receive an email or a phone call asking if you would share your findings onstage.

Presenting at conferences is also a great way to boost your CV and network within your field. Make presenting part of your education, and it will become something you look forward to instead of fear.

What to Do If Your Relationship with Your Supervisor Sours

A small aside: If it isn't already obvious, you will be communicating extensively with others as you pursue your thesis. That also means that others will need to communicate with you, and if you've been noticing things getting quiet, you will need to be the one to speak up. Your supervisor should speak to you at least once a term and preferably once a week in the more active parts of your research and writing. If you give written work to your supervisor, you should have feedback within three weeks.

If your supervisor does not provide feedback, frequently misses appointments, or is consistently discouraging of your work, contact your graduate program advisor and ask for a new supervisor. The relationship with your supervisor is crucial to your success, especially if she or he is on your committee, and while your supervisor does not have to be friendly, there should at least be professional respect between you.

What to Do If a Crisis Strikes

If something happens in your life that disrupts everything (e.g., emotional strain, the birth of a child, or the death of a family member), ask for help. You are a human being, and personal lives can and do change without warning. Do not wait until you are falling apart before asking for help, either. Learn what resources exist for crises before you have one, so you can head off trauma before it hits. That being said, if you get blindsided, don't refuse help. Seek it out, and take the time you need to recover. Your degree is supposed to help you become a stronger and smarter person, not break you.

Part 6: Polish and Defend Your Master's Thesis

How to write a master’s thesis: the final stages.

After your work is done and everything is written down, you will have to give your thesis a good, thorough polishing. This is where you will have to organize the information, draft it into a paper format with an abstract, and abbreviate things to help meet your word-count limit. This is also where your final editing and proofreading passes will occur, after which you will face your final hurdle: presenting your thesis defense to your committee. If they approve your thesis, then congratulations! You are now a master of your chosen field.

Conclusion and Parting Thoughts

Remember that you do not (and should not) have to learn how to write a master’s thesis on your own. Thesis writing is collaborative, as is practically any kind of research.

While you will be expected to develop your thesis using your own initiative, pursue it with your own ambition, and complete it with your own abilities, you will also be expected to use all available resources to do so. The purpose of a master's thesis is to help you develop your own independent abilities, ensuring that you can drive your own career forward without constantly looking to others to provide direction. Leaders get master's degrees. That's why many business professionals in leadership roles have graduate degree initials after their last names. If you already have the skills necessary to motivate yourself, lead others, and drive change, you may only need your master's as an acknowledgement of your abilities. If you do not, but you apply yourself carefully and thoroughly to the pursuit of your thesis, you should come away from your studies with those skills in place.

A final thought regarding collaboration: all theses have a section for acknowledgements. Be sure to say thank you to those who helped you become a master. One day, someone might be doing the same for you.

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Graduate School

Master’s thesis guidelines.

Academics & Research
Rules & Regulations

A master’s student with a thesis requirement will submit the file through Brown's electronic theses and dissertation (ETD) system . The system is designed to collect and archive the thesis or dissertation as a text-based PDF file. An electronic file submitted through the ETD will appear in the Library's discovery service and in the Brown digital repository .

Web Searches and Unrestricted Downloads

In the spirit of the dissemination of new knowledge that is a hallmark of higher education, a thesis or dissertation will be subject to web searches and unrestricted downloads unless the student requests to opt out of the system and have the thesis or dissertation unavailable for download outside of the Brown community. A request to restrict download access to a thesis or dissertation has an initial two-year window from the time of degree conferral. Guidelines associated with restricted dissertation access are:

The full text version will be available for download only to members of the Brown community.
Web searches including the citation and abstract of restricted theses or dissertations will continue to be available to the general public.
After two years the restriction will elapse.
Restrictions on full text download may be renewed for two-year periods up to a total of ten years from the date of degree conferral. Requests for additional two-year restrictions should be made to the Graduate School.
Any requests to extend the restriction beyond ten years must go to the Graduate Council for approval.
In cases where the thesis or dissertation is a co-worked piece and there is disagreement between the student and the advisor over whether the material will or will not be available for download outside of the Brown community, the dispute will be brought before the Graduate Council for resolution.

To use the ETD system, the student must possess a valid username and password for accessing Brown’s computer network. If you are unable to create an account in the system, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

Graduate students are eligible to have degrees conferred, and to receive their diploma, at three different times over the course of the academic year.

For students who complete their degree requirements the preceding summer term. The Application to Graduate opens on July 1, 2024 and closes on September 6, 2024. Degrees are conferred on October 20, 2024.

For students who complete their requirements the preceding fall term. The Application to Graduate opens on October 1, 2024 and closes on January 10, 2025. Degrees are conferred on February 9, 2025.

For students who complete their requirements over the preceding spring term. The dissertation deadline is May 1, 2024. Please note, the Application to Graduate deadline is April 19, 2024.

The master's thesis and all of the associated forms and documents related to the completion of the degree must be submitted to the Graduate School by the deadlines listed above.

Registration

If a student registers for Semester I and completes all of the requirements for the degree during that semester, a fee for Semester II will not be charged.

View Sample Title Page

The Signature Page

As part of the overall completion process, the student must separately submit one signature page, which may be sent electronically to [email protected] . The signature page should bear the signature of the director (not the graduate representative or chairperson). The typed name of the director should appear under the signature line. Electronic signatures are acceptable. An unsigned copy of the signature page should be uploaded to the ETD system .

View Sample Signature Page

Every effort should be made to have the manuscript as perfect as possible in form and appearance. Pages containing handwritten corrections, typewritten strikeovers and unsightly erasures and the like will not be accepted. Good references for editorial details are the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Modern Language Association), Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations (University of Chicago Press), and The Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago Press). The department should also be consulted regarding its policies or preferences in matters of format and style.

If publication of the thesis is anticipated, the medium of publication likely to be used should be considered when preparing the manuscript. If it is known in advance that the thesis will be published by a particular publisher or journal, the editorial practices of that publisher or journal should be followed. The form of footnotes and bibliography, in particular, may vary with different publishers and journals.

Type and Spacing Standard

Typefaces set to print at 10-, 11-, or 12-point font are acceptable. Typing or printing should be double-spaced, except for footnotes (single-space footnotes, with double spacing to separate one note from the next).

Page Numbers

Be consistent. Either put all page numbers (both Roman and Arabic) at the top of the page, or put all page numbers (both Roman and Arabic) at the bottom of the page.

Most theses consist of preliminary pages which are numbered using Roman numerals, and the thesis proper, which is numbered using Arabic numerals.

The preliminary pages must appear in the following order:

Title page (do not number)
Signature page (ii)
Vita* (iii)
Preface and acknowledgments (iv)
Table of contents (v)
List of tables vi List of illustrations (vii)

Should any element of the preliminary pages be longer than one page, number the pages consecutively. The preliminary pages should appear in this order but not necessarily with the page numbers shown above.

The thesis proper (including introduction, main body of the text, illustrations, appendices, and bibliography) is numbered using Arabic numerals. The numbering begins with 1 and runs consecutively to the end.

* The vita is an optional statement giving a short biography of the candidate, including institutions attended, degrees and honors, titles of publications, teaching or professional experience, and other pertinent information. Do not include date or location of birth or phone numbers.

Dating the Thesis

Because degrees are conferred three times a year, the title page should include the date that the degree is conferred.

The Abstract

If it is appropriate for the thesis to be accompanied by an abstract, it should, in a concise manner, present the problem of the dissertation, discuss the materials and procedure or methods used, and state the results or conclusions. Mathematical formulas, diagrams, and other illustrative materials should be avoided. The abstract should not be part of the thesis itself nor should it be included in the table of contents. It should be headed as follows:

Abstract of (TITLE OF THESIS), by (AUTHOR'S NAME), Degree [A.M., or ScM.], Brown University, May (YEAR IN WHICH DEGREE IS TO BE AWARDED).

The abstract should be prepared carefully since it will be published without editing or revision. The abstract should be double-spaced and may not exceed 350 words (maximum 2,450 characters — including spaces and punctuation — about 70 characters per line with a maximum of 35 lines).

Submission of Final Thesis

When the thesis is submitted electronically to the Graduate School, it must be in final form. It may not be revised in any way after it is presented. See the list of required items below and note that some, where noted, may be sent electronically to the Graduate School’s Academic Affairs Manager, Barbara Bennett. The thesis will not be accepted and the student’s degree will not be conferred if any item from this list is missing or incomplete. The online submission system will send notifications when each document has been received and approved by the Graduate School.

One copy of the title page, which may be sent electronically.
One signed signature page, which may be sent electronically to to [email protected] .

Digital Supplementary Material

Students interested in depositing digital supplementary materials along with their thesis are welcome to contact the Library for assistance. Please contact: Andrew Creamer in the Library at [email protected] .

Publishing the Master's Thesis

It is University policy that all research done at the University under its sponsorship must be freely published without restriction. Since 1954, the Graduate School has required that dissertations be published. In 1985, the Graduate Council reaffirmed that decision and approved the following policy:

"All Ph.D. dissertations and Master's theses will be open documents. The Graduate Council will not recommend the awarding of the Ph.D. or Master's degree until the dissertation or thesis is submitted to the Graduate School and accorded unlimited distribution status."

Exceptions to this requirement will be made only if there is a letter from a publisher stating that the dissertation will be published within one year after the degree is awarded and that requests that circulation of the dissertation be withheld for twelve months after the degree is conferred. Six months will be allowed for the clearing of a patent.

If you have a question about temporarily removing your dissertation from the Library's digital repository , please contact [email protected] .

The Diploma

The Office of the Registrar's Application to Graduate provides the degree candidate with an opportunity to indicate how the diploma name should appear. Otherwise, the name that will appear on the diploma and in the Commencement program, and under which the Library will catalog the dissertation, is the name under which the candidate is officially registered. Any request for a change of registered name should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar and accompanied by supporting legal documentation, such as a court order, marriage license, passport, driver’s license, or social security card.

Certificate of Completion

If all academic requirements for the degree and all financial obligations have been met before May 1, the Office of the Registrar will issue a certificate of completion within three weeks of the candidate's request.

If you have any questions regarding the submission of your thesis, please contact Barbara Bennett in the Graduate School at (401) 863-2843.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="does every master's degree require a thesis"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Required sections, guidelines, and suggestions.

Beyond those noted on the Formatting Requirements page , the Graduate School has no additional formatting requirements. The following suggestions are based on best practices and historic requirements for dissertations and theses but are not requirements for submission of the thesis or dissertation. The Graduate School recommends that each dissertation or thesis conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field.

For both master’s and doctoral students, the same basic rules apply; however, differences exist in some limited areas, particularly in producing the abstract and filing the dissertation or thesis.

Information in this guide that pertains specifically to doctoral candidates and dissertations is clearly marked with the term “ dissertation ” or “ doctoral candidates .”
Information pertaining specifically to master’s candidates and theses is clearly marked with the term “ thesis ” or “ master’s candidates .”
All other information pertains to both.

Examples of formatting suggestions for both the dissertation and thesis are available as downloadable templates .

Required? Yes.

Suggested numbering: Page included in overall document, but number not typed on page.

The following format for your title page is suggested, but not required.

The title should be written using all capital letters, centered within the left and right margins, and spaced about 1.5 inches from the top of the page. (For an example, please see the template .)
Carefully select words for the title of the dissertation or thesis to represent the subject content as accurately as possible. Words in the title are important access points to researchers who may use keyword searches to identify works in various subject areas.
Use word substitutes for formulas, symbols, superscripts, Greek letters, etc.
Below the title, at the vertical and horizontal center of the margins, place the following five lines (all centered):

Line 1: A Dissertation [or Thesis]

Line 2: Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School

Line 3: of Cornell University

Line 4: in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Line 5: Doctor of Philosophy [or other appropriate degree]

Center the following three lines within the margins:

Line 2: Primary or Preferred Name [as registered with the University Registrar’s Office and displayed in Student Center]

Line 3: month and year of degree conferral [May, August, December; no comma between month and year]

Copyright Page

Suggested numbering: Page included in overall document, but number not typed on page

The following format for your copyright page is suggested, but not required.

A notice of copyright should appear as the sole item on the page centered vertically and horizontally within the margins: © 20__ [Primary or Preferred Name [as registered with the University Registrar’s Office]. Please note that there is not usually a page heading on the copyright page.
The copyright symbol is a lowercase “c,” which must be circled. (On Macs, the symbol is typed by pressing the “option” and “g” keys simultaneously. If the font does not have the © symbol, type the “c” and circle it by hand. On PCs, in the insert menu, choose “symbol,” and select the © symbol.)
The date, which follows the copyright symbol, is the year of conferral of your degree.
Your name follows the date.

Required? Yes.

Suggested numbering: Page(s) not counted, not numbered

Abstract formats for the doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis differ greatly. The Graduate School recommends that you conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field.

Doctoral candidates:

TITLE OF DISSERTATION
Student’s Primary or Preferred Name, Ph.D. [as registered with the University Registrar’s Office]
Cornell University 20__ [year of conferral]
Following the heading lines, begin the text of the abstract on the same page.
The abstract states the problem, describes the methods and procedures used, and gives the main results or conclusions of the research.
The abstract usually does not exceed 350 words in length (about one-and-one-half correctly spaced pages—but not more than two pages).

Master’s candidate:

In a thesis, the page heading is simply the word “ABSTRACT” in all capital letters and centered within the margins at the top of the page. (The thesis abstract does not display the thesis title, author’s name, degree, university, or date of degree conferral.)
The abstract should state the problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results or conclusions.
The abstract usually does not exceed 600 words in length, which is approximately two-and-one-half to three pages of correctly spaced typing.
In M.F.A. theses, an abstract is not required.

Biographical Sketch

Suggested numbering: iii (may be more than one page)

Type number(s) on page(s).

The following content and format are suggested:

The biographical sketch is written in third-person voice and contains your educational background. Sometimes additional biographical facts are included.
As a page heading, use “BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
Number this page as iii.

Required? Optional.

Suggested numbering: iv (may be more than one page)

The dedication page is not required and can contain whatever text that you would like to include. Text on this page does not need to be in English.

Acknowledgements

Suggested numbering: v (may be more than one page)

The following content and format are suggested, not required.

The acknowledgements may be written in first-person voice. If your research has been funded by outside grants, you should check with the principal investigator of the grant regarding proper acknowledgement of the funding source. Most outside funding sources require some statement of acknowledgement of the support; some also require a disclaimer from responsibility for the results.
As a page heading, use “ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Suggested numbering: vi (may be more than one page)

The following are suggestions.

As a page heading, use “TABLE OF CONTENTS” in all capital letters and centered on the page.
List the sections/chapters of the body of the dissertation or thesis. Also, list preliminary sections starting with the biographical sketch. (Title page, copyright page, and abstract are not listed.)
For theses and dissertations, the conventional format for page numbers is in a column to the right of each section/chapter title. The first page of each chapter/section is stated with a single number. Table of contents usually do not include a range of page numbers, such as 7-22.
The table of contents is often single-spaced.

Two-Volume Theses or Dissertations

If the dissertation or thesis consists of two volumes, it is recommended, but not required, that you list “Volume II” as a section in the table of contents.

List of Figures, Illustrations, and Tables

Suggested numbering: vii (may be more than one page)

If included, type number(s) on page(s).

As described in the formatting requirements above, figures and tables should be consecutively numbered. The Graduate School recommends that you conform to the styles set by the leading academic journals in your field. The items below are formatting suggestions based on best practices or historic precedents.

Table of contents format:

As a page heading, use “LIST OF FIGURES,” “LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,” or “LIST OF TABLES” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
There should be separate pages for “LIST OF FIGURES,” “LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,” or “LIST OF TABLES” even if there is only one example of each.
The list should contain enough of the titles or descriptions so readers can locate items using the list. (It may not be necessary to include entire figure/illustration/table captions.)
The list should contain the page number on which each figure, illustration, or table is found, as in a table of contents.
The list of figures/illustrations/tables may be single-spaced.

Page format:

Figures/illustrations/tables should be placed as close as possible to their first mention in the text. They may be placed on a page with no text above or below, or placed directly into the text. If a figure/illustration/table is placed directly into the text, text may appear above or below the figure/illustration/table; no text may wrap around the figure/illustration/table.
If a figure/illustration/table appears on a page without other text, it should be centered vertically within the page margins. Figures/illustrations/tables should not be placed at the end of the chapter or at the end of the dissertation or thesis.
Figure/illustration/table numbering should be either continuous throughout the dissertation or thesis, or by chapter (e.g. 1.1, 1.2; 2.1, 2.2, etc.). The word “Figure,” “Illustration,” or “Table” must be spelled out (not abbreviated), and the first letter must be capitalized.
A caption for a figure/illustration should be placed at the bottom of the figure/illustration. However, a caption for a table must be placed above the table.
If the figure/illustration/table, not including the caption, takes up the entire page, the figure/illustration/table caption should be placed alone on the preceding page and centered vertically and horizontally within the margins. (When the caption is on a separate page, the List of Figures or List of Illustrations or List of Tables can list the page number containing the caption.)
If the figure/illustration/table, not including the caption, takes up more than two pages, it should be preceded by a page consisting of the caption only. The first page of the figure/illustration/table must include the figure/illustration/table (no caption), and the second and subsequent pages must also include, at the top of the figure/illustration/table, words that indicate its continuance—for example, “Figure 5 (Continued)”—and on these pages the caption is omitted.
If figures/illustrations/tables are too large, they may be reduced slightly so as to render a satisfactory product or they must either be split into several pages or be redone. If a figure/illustration/table is reduced, all lettering must be clear, readable, and large enough to be legible. All lettering, including subscripts, must still be readable when reduced 25% beyond the final version. All page margin requirements must be maintained. Page numbers and headings must not be reduced.
While there are no specific rules for the typographic format of figure/illustration/table captions, a consistent format should be used throughout the dissertation or thesis.
The caption of a figure/illustration/table should be single-spaced, but then captions for all figures/illustrations/tables must be single-spaced.
Horizontal figures/illustrations/tables should be positioned correctly—i.e., the top of the figure/illustration/table will be at the left margin of the vertical page of the dissertation or thesis (remember: pages are bound on the left margin). Figure/illustration/table headings/captions are placed with the same orientation as the figure/illustration/table when they are on the same page as the figure/illustration/table. When they are on a separate page, headings and captions are always placed in vertical orientation, regardless of the orientation of the figure/illustration/table. Page numbers are always placed as if the figure/illustration/table was vertical on the page.

Photographs should be treated as illustrations. To be considered archival, photographs must be black-and-white. (If actual color photographs are necessary, they should be accompanied by black-and-white photographs of the same subject.) Color photos obtained digitally do not need to be accompanied by a black-and-white photograph. Make a high-resolution digital version of each photograph and insert it into your electronic document, following the guideline suggestions for positioning and margins.

Optional Elements

List of abbreviations.

As a page heading, use “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

List of Symbols

As a page heading, use “LIST OF SYMBOLS” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Suggested numbering: xi (may be more than one page)

As a page heading, use “PREFACE” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Body of the Dissertation or Thesis: Text

Suggested numbering: Begin page number at 1

Text (required)
Appendix/Appendices (optional)
Bibliography, References, or Works Cited (required)

Please note that smaller font size may be appropriate for footnotes or other material outside of the main text. The following suggestions are based on best practice or historic precedent, but are not required.

Chapter headings may be included that conform to the standard of your academic field.
Textual notes that provide supplementary information, opinions, explanations, or suggestions that are not part of the text must appear at the bottom of the page as footnotes. Lengthy footnotes may be continued on the next page. Placement of footnotes at the bottom of the page ensures they will appear as close as possible to the referenced passage.

Appendix (or Appendices)

An appendix (-ces) is not required for your thesis or dissertation. If you choose to include one, the following suggestions are based on best practice or historic precedent.

As a page heading, use “APPENDIX” in all capital letters, centered on the page.
Place in an appendix any material that is peripheral, but relevant, to the main text of the dissertation or thesis. Examples could include survey instruments, additional data, computer printouts, details of a procedure or analysis, a relevant paper that you wrote, etc.
The appendix may include text that does not meet the general font and spacing requirements of the other sections of the dissertation or thesis.

Bibliography (or References or Works Cited)

A bibliography, references, or works cited is required for your thesis or dissertation. Please conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field.

As a page heading, use “BIBLIOGRAPHY” (or “REFERENCES” or “WORKS CITED”) in all capital letters, centered on the page. The bibliography should always begin on a new page.
Bibliographies may be single-spaced within each entry but should include 24 points of space between entries.

Suggested numbering: Continue page numbering from body

If you choose to include a glossary, best practices and historic precedent suggest using a page heading, use “GLOSSARY” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

Suggested numbering: Continue page numbering from glossary

If you choose to include one, best practices and historic precedent suggest using a page heading, use “INDEX” in all capital letters, centered on the page.

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Do any of your MA programs not require a thesis?

I’m just curious to know how many MA programs don’t require a thesis like my program. I’m in an History MA program and we don’t have to do a thesis if we don’t want to. Instead we just take an extra semester of classes before we can take our comprehensive exams.

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What makes a Bachelor's thesis different from Master's and PhD theses? [duplicate]

All the three types of research revolve around an argument, a thesis. They of course differ in terms of student level, that is complexity.

But, what makes a bachelor's thesis different from master's and PhD theses in terms of procedures of researching given that all of them may follow the same process of research, questions or hypotheses, review of the literature, methodology, results and discussion?

research-process
research-undergraduate

13 In a bachelor thesis you are usually not expected to expand the existing body of human knowledge in contrast to a PhD. Bachelor theses are closer to literature reviews. – Marc Claesen Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 9:08
1 I see what you meant but I'm not really convinced. Concerning the contribution to human knowledge, I think this depends on whether the thesis is innovative. If an undergraduate thesis is genuine, it can be published in a respectable academic journal. In that case, it would expand existing body of human knowledge. Concerning its similarity with literature reviews, how can it be similar if the literature review is but a chapter of the thesis? – EasternRiver Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 10:26
5 You are very unlikely to do anything really innovative as a BA, unless you just happen to be lucky to be working in a very new field, or under a very, very good mentor. The idea that you're going to make a meaningful contribution to some well established, famous open problem at 22 is really, really low. – user10636 Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 12:00
2 A PhD thesis requires original research, a master's does not required it, and a bachelor's thesis ... they just do assignments. – Philip Gibbs Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 15:25
6 This graphic is a bit instructive: An illustrated guide to a Ph.D. – Matthew G. Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 16:37

3 Answers 3

The PhD thesis should be on a much higher level than the Honours/Masters thesis, offering a contribution to human knowledge that is of a sufficient level of "significance" to warrant publication in a respected journal.

Significance is highly subjective, and you also do not necessarily have to publish to be awarded the PhD (sometimes the peer-review delay means that they come out afterwards, or there may be some intellectual property issues that make it beneficial to refrain from publication). It is awarded based on your supervisors consent and a review of academics in your field. So the "significance" would probably be judged by them in terms of how much original work they see as a reasonable expectation at that stage of your development (first 3 years of serious/committed research). Unfortunately it also means that some people who probably do not deserve PhD's are awarded them anyway for fulfilling grunt work for their easy-going supervisors.

It is possible that some Honours/Masters thesis might even be more significant/higher quality than a PhD thesis. Unfortunately, this does not mean that the submission of the thesis will award the degree that they deserve. The university may have a policy to upgrade the student's enrolment if the supervisor senses that such progress is being made. However, it is impossible to upgrade to a PhD without completing Honours and I believe nearly every single university has a policy of a minimum period of enrolment before submission is allowed. A subsequent question that you may have is how to gain a PhD without enrolling in one, which is another level of achievement completely.

As for the difference between Honours/Bachelor and Masters it would depend on your university, but both have no requirement for publication quality research and are usually small tasks/ideas that are not worth the supervisors time to think about alone, or involve a lot of labor. In fact, in my school, many Honours thesis are of a higher level than the Masters, because the smart Honours students will either graduate into the work force or go straight into a PhD. The Masters students are usually those who cannot find a job and are not suited to research. However, I believe some other universities may require a mandatory Masters degree to start the PhD.

You may get a better idea by looking at some titles/abstracts of completed theses. The PhD level will be something like a new method/observation/application whereas the Masters/Honours will be an application specific set of measurements/simulations or even simply a literature review to gauge the needs of future work. The word limits are also typically different (although note that quality is NOT proportional to the number of words), with PhD at 100K, Masters at 50K and Honours at 30K at my university.

Go back to basic definitions... In history of university degrees (500 years ago)

A bachelors degree is about learning existing knowledge. Historically from the book(s) written by the univ staff.

A masters degree, after you have learnt what is already known and in books in your topic area, is about learning evolving knowledge - that is near recent and current literature in academic journals and conference presentations.

A doctorate degree is about creating new knowledge by research.

So it is now easy to understand a thesis/dissertation for each degree.

A bachelors degree should be a critique of existing knowledge, often looking for inconsistencies in view points from different sources and synthesising arguments or positions in a DISSERTATION )that is you disserting !

A masters thesis (thesis is Greek for 'I believe') can be either an assembly of new knowledge from new published research or simply a critique and integration. It might have propositions (not hypotheses) that the masters student offers as a conclusion from bringing together new knowledge from different sources.

A doctoral thesis is where the author undertakes research, usually collecting primary new data which is presented as both factual findings and conceptual findings and thus new knowledge in the form of a new model or theory. Also possible, is to challenge existing knowledge and show earlier published knowledge is invalid.

Well that's what they all should be. In practice there is some overlap and different universities and faculties have their own custom and practice. It all starts to break down about 40 years ago when a masters degree become post graduate in time rather than post graduate in level. Thus engineers with a bachelor degree might take an MBA to make them more employable and did more a less a bachelor degree in business in 18 months rather than 3 years as they were already a graduate.

But still thinking in the above categories can help students today focus on the overall agenda.

I have examined over 55 PhD theses. And several hundred masters theses and I base my approach to assessment on the above.

Prof Peter Woolliams, B.Sc(hons), B.A., PhD, Emeritus professor, Anglian Ruskin College Cambridge, U K

Your answer is very clear. However, I have come across many Bachelor's and especially Master's theses following the processes of research. personally, I am writing my Bachelor's thesis. I've followed the same of research. Specifically I've used online ethnography, collected data through participant observation and interviews, and trying to analyze data through constant comparative method. My supervisor did not impose this on me, but students have to follow the processes of research, literature review, data collection and analysis and discussion, etc. I really wonder if I am doing it wrong. – EasternRiver Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 20:51
1 As I said, many units and supervisor have their local specific requirements, peter – Prof Peter Woolliams Commented Mar 30, 2014 at 10:14

Roughly speaking, there are three levels of tasks:

Application

For a Bachelor's thesis, you would only expect 1 and 2, that is the student should do something (e.g. solve a well-defined problem) with the knowledge they have aquired during their studies.

For Master's thesis, you would want to have a non-trivial amount of 3, that is the student should transfer the competences aquired during studies to new problems. This usually includes (more) extensive literature research.

A formal difference that (imho) derives from the above is volume; Bachelor's theses typically award less credits than Master's theses and should thus take up less time and fewer pages.

1 Note that excellent students will often move to 3 in their Bachelor's thesis and on to independent research in their Master's thesis. That's fair, encouraged even, but should by no means be required. – Raphael Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 14:26

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged phd research-process masters research-undergraduate .

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I. A (Very) Brief History of the Master’s Degree

/ AHA Resource Library

/ I. A (Very) Brief History of the Master’s Degree

Published Date

February 1, 2005

This historical document is from the archives of the American Historical Association. It is provided for you to interpret as a primary source and might no longer reflect the editorial decisions or views of the organization.

From Retrieving the Master’s Degree from the Dustbin of History (2005)

The Master of Arts is an academic rank with a considerable pedigree, going back to the great universities of medieval Europe. 1 Originally, Magister was the title conferred upon university graduates when they began to teach. Later it became a distinct degree, typically awarded “in course” to recipients of a baccalaureate degree who were able to maintain a respectable lifestyle (i.e., “keep … out of jail for three years”) and willing to pay a token fee. 2 It remained that way for centuries. The idea of an earned master’s degree, signifying advanced study in a particular academic discipline, is thus relatively new; in this country, it dates from no earlier than the 1870s, about the same time that the modern, research-driven Doctor of Philosophy degree was transplanted from Germany to the United States.

At the end of the nineteenth century, the professional historians who dominated the young American Historical Association still considered the Master of Arts “an object of deserved ridicule and … an ill-defined being.” 3 In the decades that followed, few historians paid much attention to the degree. In 1965, John Snell finally returned to the question, “What is the master’s degree?” After several years of close investigation, first as research director of the AHA’s Committee on Graduate Education and then as dean of the graduate school at Tulane, he was forced to admit that “the question cannot be answered simply, because there is no single master’s degree. … [And while] it is understandable that variations appear among the requirements for the master’s in different professional fields, … the great variations within a single field are more difficult to understand and to justify.” As a case in point, he catalogued the striking variations among master’s degree programs in the field of history, looking at such things as entry requirements, grading standards, language and thesis requirements, the presence or absence of general examinations, and even the number of credit hours required. But the lack of standardization among history degrees was hardly unique, in Snell’s time or today. 4

Although Snell and his colleagues on the Committee on Graduate Education recommended a number of reforms in the master’s-level training of historians in 1962, particularly in the area of teacher preparation, at the start of the twenty-first century the master’s degree remains ill-defined. This was one of the clearest messages from a survey of history department chairs conducted by the AHA in early 2001, in which we asked them to identify the most pressing issues in contemporary graduate education. “The value of the M.A. in history is very much in doubt,” complained one chair; a second pointed to the challenge of “conceptualizing the role of the M.A. in history beyond specialized public history programs, … professional advancement for teachers, … and preparation for the Ph.D.”; while a third asked, somewhat plaintively, “What exactly should an M.A. in history be?” 5 This report will begin to answer that question—a question that we believe is vital to the future of the historical profession.

Why are we examining the master’s degree for historians now? Is the master’s degree “broken,” as one director of graduate studies recently asked? We don’t think so, though we still lack enough information to make a fully informed judgment on the matter. The master’s degree has been neglected for far too long. Compared to the volume of research on the doctorate, very little has been devoted to master’s degrees in any discipline, and what does exist has rightly been described as “diffuse and fragmented.” 6 Four decades have passed since the last major investigation of graduate education for historians that paid any significant attention to the master’s degree. In 2000, the AHA began to remedy that lapse by reviving the Committee on Graduate Education (CGE), newly charged with investigating all aspects of graduate training at both the master’s and doctoral levels. The work of the CGE was framed by long-term transformations in three aspects of the American historical profession: intellectual scope, demography, and employment. For pragmatic reasons the CGE focused its efforts primarily on the Ph.D.—though much of the evidence and advice offered in its detailed report, The Education of Historians for the Twenty-first Century (University of Illinois Press, 2004), also applies to history departments engaged in training historians at the master’s level and to graduate students who are seeking a master’s degree. The present report is a continuation of the AHA’s effort to review and rethink graduate education.

The AHA’s efforts, in turn, are part of a rising swell of interest in the master’s degree. Public historians, led by the National Council on Public History’s Curriculum and Training Committee, are examining the training standards for historians in various non-academic settings while mapping the public history curriculum. This effort has focused on the graduate education that historians—as well as archivists, museum curators and educators, cultural resource managers, historic preservationists, and history professionals in allied fields—receive at the master’s level. Other academic disciplines are also “revaluing the master’s degree,” 7 while the Sloan Foundation and the Council of Graduate Schools are busily promoting a new class of “professional master’s degrees” that combine academic content with specific market-oriented skills. 8 In Europe, meanwhile, a “quiet revolution” is reshaping higher education, with twenty-nine countries “abandoning their national degree systems—mostly adopted in the 19th century and largely incompatible—and introducing new ones based on a single model: a three-year bachelor’s degree and a two-year master’s.” 9

The AHA is also concerned about basic issues of student access, quality control, and truth in advertising related to the master’s degree. Students at the master’s level are much more likely to enter a local or regional graduate program than a program in a distant part of the country 10 —unlike doctoral programs, which tend to attract a national pool of applicants, and thus tend to converge more closely in their requirements and standards. Are master’s programs in different regions of the country comparable? Do students have adequate information about the comparative quality of local and distant graduate programs, or of programs in public and private institutions? How can they be sure that a geographically convenient program will actually serve their needs? Does geography place some students at a disadvantage? Is there anything the AHA can do about it—say, by promoting a national set of degree standards? We think it is time at least to raise these questions.

Traditionally, interest in the master’s degree has been spurred by three kinds of external pressures (with a certain amount of overlap among them):

The perceived need for more and/or better school teachers, especially at the secondary level but also in the primary grades. This has often involved calculations about the future demand for teachers and debates about the proper credentialing of teachers. In recent years, the leading voices in such debates have been those of politicians (e.g., the Bush administration’s “No Child Left Behind” initiative) and professional educators (including teachers’ unions, schools and departments of education, and national accrediting organizations such as NCATE), not scholars with academic expertise in the subject matter being taught in the schools. 11 One result is master’s degrees designed for history teachers and offered by history departments that have much of their content dictated by outside standard-makers instead of historians. We will return to this problem later in the report.
Concerns about the general state of doctoral training, in which the state of the master’s degree is at best an incidental consideration . 12 The history master’s and the history Ph.D. are closely related, to be sure, but they also diverge in significant ways—in terms of graduate student interests and career aspirations, the time to degree, the commitment of institutional resources, the depth and nature of the research expected from matriculants, and so on. Questions and solutions that are appropriate to the doctorate (or, for that matter, to the bachelor’s degree) are not necessarily appropriate to the master’s degree as well. As Peter Knight, one of England’s leading experts on graduate education, reminds us, “master’s students are not a breed apart. … However, there are sufficient differences to make it unwise to assume that good practice for taught master’s students can simply be read off from research with undergraduates or Ph.D. students, as if we were using the academic equivalent of a miles to kilometres conversion table.” 13
Questions about the role of colleges and universities in training Americans for the work force. Ideally, these questions are motivated by a sense of civic mission or other good public policy considerations (“society needs more skilled workers and well-informed citizens” and “we need to serve the interests of our local community”). Yet they can also be spurred by somewhat narrower budgetary calculations, especially when it comes to master’s degrees (“students will pay good tuition dollars for career-oriented graduate programs”). 14

Increasingly, university administrators want to know what academic departments can contribute to an essentially market-oriented view of graduate training—or, indeed, whether history graduate programs can justify their expense in an era of academic budget-cutting. We think that history departments should have ready answers to these questions before they are posed; and because master’s degrees in history serve important societal functions, we think that history departments can have good answers. Historians need to seize control of the future of the master’s degree in their discipline, and to embrace the master’s as a valuable degree in its own right. For all these reasons, in 2003 the AHA Council created a separate Committee on the Master’s Degree and gave it the task of examining the current state and possible futures of the master’s degree for historians.

Outline of the Report

This report includes the following sections:

A collection of basic data about the present state of the master’s degree in history, including the number and variety of institutions that offer the degree and the number and variety of students who pursue it.
A close look at four career paths (or “destinations”) that may follow from a history master’s degree: additional study towards a history Ph.D., a community college faculty position, teaching at a secondary school, or a career in public history. The report raises, but only begins to answer, three important questions: How well do master’s programs prepare students for the various destinations? What are the employment prospects along each of the paths? Do any (or all) of the paths provide an avenue of opportunity for currently underrepresented groups to enter the historical profession?
A discussion of the common knowledge, skills, and perspectives that ought to be part of every student’s training for a history master’s degree, regardless of his or her intended destination as a historian. We call these desirable outcomes the “elements of mastery.”
A related discussion about the distinctive role of the master’s degree in historical training. What is the substance of history, as a discipline, that is most appropriate to the study of history at each particular level? How does a master’s degree differ from a Ph.D.? How does it differ from a bachelor’s degree? One answer, we want to suggest, is that most historians with master’s degrees focus their professional activities on synthesizing and presenting history (as opposed to consuming history or even producing new historical knowledge at the leading edge of archival research), so their training should focus on synthesis and presentation as well.
Finally, a list of unanswered questions about the master’s degree that historians still need to ponder. Many of these will be useful to history departments that are interested in critical self-reflection and the transformation of their own graduate programs. Others point the way to additional work that the American Historical Association needs to undertake on behalf of the entire profession.

Next section: The History Master’s Degree: A Snapshot in Statistics

Philip L. Harriman, “The Master’s Degree,” Journal of Higher Education 9:1 (January 1938): 23–28; Richard J. Storr, The Beginnings of Graduate Education in America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953); Patricia J. Gumport, “Graduate Education and Organized Research on the United States,” in The Research Foundations of Graduate Education , ed. Burton R. Clark (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1993), 225–60. [ ↩ ]
Robert J. Barak, “A Skeleton in the Closet,” in The Master’s Degree: Jack of All Trades , ed. Joslyn L. Green (Denver: SHEEO Association, 1987), 32. Barak goes on to quip that “Since the early years, … only the length of time required for the degree (now less) and the cost of the degree (now more) have changed.” [ ↩ ]
Ephraim Emerton, “The Requirements for the Historical Doctorate in America,” Annual Report of the AHA for the Year 1893 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1894), 79. [ ↩ ]
John L. Snell, “The Master’s Degree,” in Graduate Education Today , ed. Everett Walters (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1965), 86, 88–89. Also see Dexter Perkins, John L. Snell et al., The Education of Historians in the United States (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962), 87–107. [ ↩ ]
For more details about this survey, see Philip M. Katz, “ CGE’s E-mail Survey Focuses on Challenges in Graduate Education ,” Perspectives 39:4 (April 2001): 11–15. [ ↩ ]
Clifton F. Conrad and David J. Eagan, “Master’s Degree Programs in American Higher Education,” in Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research 6, ed. John C. Smart (1990), 107. [ ↩ ]
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/historical-archives/retrieving-the-masters-degree-from-the-dustbin-of-history-(2005)/notes#1 [ ↩ ]
Scott Smallwood, “Graduate studies in science expand beyond the Ph.D.,” Chronicle of Higher Education , April 6, 2001, A14–15; Council of Graduate Schools, “Professional Master’s Program in the Social Sciences and Humanities: Request for Proposal,” July 28, 2003. On the mixed results of this effort so far, see Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, “Poor job market blunts impact of new master’s programs,” Science 5634 (August 8, 2003): 752, and Judith Glazer-Raymo, “Trajectories for Professional Master’s Education,” CGS Communicator 37:2 (March 2004): 1–2, 5. [ ↩ ]
Burton Bollag, “European Higher Education Seeks a Common Currency,” Chronicle of Higher Education , September 26, 2003, A52. Wolf Wagner, “The Bachelor’s and the Master’s Degrees: Higher Education Policy Under Wrong Assumptions,” European Education 34:1 (spring 2002): 88–92, offers a critique of the degree structure in the United States, which has served as a model for many of the proposed European reforms. [ ↩ ]
Sally L. Casanova et al., “The Master’s Degree, the Comprehensive University, and the National Interest,” CGS Communicator 25:3–5 (March–May 1992): 1–5; Carol Olson and Milton A. King, “A Preliminary Analysis of the Decision Process of Graduate Students in College Choice,” College and University 60:4 (summer 1985): 308. [ ↩ ]
David L. Angus with Jeffrey Mirel, Professionalism and the Public Good: A Brief History of Teacher Certification (Washington, D.C.: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, 2001) is a useful introduction to the debates over certification, despite the authors’ neoconservative animus against the schools of education. For one recent effort to reinvigorate the master’s degree for teachers, see Peggy J. Blackwell and Mary Diez, Toward a New Vision of Master’s Education for Teachers (Washington, D.C.: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 1998). Education researchers are deeply divided on the question of whether having a master’s degree, in either an academic subject or in education, actually improves teaching and learning in the classroom; all they can agree upon is that the research is sketchy. See Dan Goldhaber, “The Mystery of Good Teaching,” Education Next 2:1 (spring 2002): 50–55, which should be balanced (politically and methodologically) by Linda Darling-Hammond and Gary Sykes, “Wanted: A national teacher supply policy for education: The right way to meet the ‘Highly Qualified Teacher’ challenge,” Education Policy Analysis Archives 11:33 (September 17, 2003). [ ↩ ]
A precocious example can be found in “The Meeting of the American Historical Association at Chicago,” American Historical Review 10:3 (April 1905): 498–501. [ ↩ ]
Peter T. Knight, ed., Masterclass: Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum in Taught Master’s Degrees (London: Cassell, 1997), 3. [ ↩ ]
Carol Everly Floyd, “Balancing State and Institutional Interests to Enhance Master’s Degree Programs,” Planning for Higher Education 26:3 (spring 1998): 56–59; Kay J. Kohl and Jules B. LaPidus, “Postbaccalaureate Futures: Where Do We Go from Here?” in Postbaccalaureate Futures: New Markets, Resources, Credentials , ed. Kohl and LaPidus (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education/Oryx Press, 2000), 231–36. [ ↩ ]

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COMMENTS

Choosing Between a Thesis & Non-Thesis Master's Degree
Choosing Between a Thesis or Non-thesis Master's Degree. As of 2015, approximately 25.4 million Americans held advanced degrees, with more citizens joining these ranks each year. As studies continue to show the career advancement and salary benefits of completing a master's degree, more and more students elect to pursue advanced educations ...
What Is A Master's Thesis?
A thesis is a common requirement in many research-focused fields, but not every master's program will require you to complete one. Additionally, ... As stated above, a thesis is the final project required in the completion of many master's degrees. The thesis is a research paper, but it only involves using research from others and crafting ...
Thesis vs. Non-Thesis Master's Programs: Which is Right for You?
Conclusion. Choosing between a thesis and a non-thesis Master's program ultimately depends on your career goals, research interests, and personal preferences. Thesis programs provide a robust foundation for research-oriented careers and advanced studies, while non-thesis programs offer practical skills tailored for immediate industry integration.
Is a Thesis Required for a Master's Degree?
A thesis is not required for all Master's Degrees. Whether a thesis is required for a Master's Degree depends on the specific program and institution. Generally, there are two types of master's programs: thesis and non-thesis. In a thesis program, students are required to conduct original research, write a thesis, and defend it before a ...
Do All Graduate Students Do A Thesis?
Updated April 13, 2021. Prior to entering graduate school, many students might wonder if all graduate students do a thesis. Despite what you might hear, a thesis isn't always a requirement for completing all graduate school programs. It often depends on the type of subject you study, but some schools offer both a thesis and a non-thesis route ...
Will I Have to Write a Thesis to Get a Master's Degree?
Before embarking upon a graduate program, you should know whether you will have to write a thesis to get a Master's degree. This long paper typically sums up the work and experience that a student did in the graduate program and shows that the student has completed all requirements and is ready for the culmination of the degree.
What Is a Thesis?
Revised on April 16, 2024. A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master's program or a capstone to a bachelor's degree. Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation, it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete.
Guide to Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation : Graduate School
Definition of Dissertation and Thesis. The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master's ...
Is a Thesis or Dissertation Necessary for All Master's Degree Programs
Both the thesis and the dissertation are long independent research papers. The thesis is a master's-level research paper. The dissertation is a research document for doctoral students. Students in programs that require a thesis or dissertation cannot graduate until these documents are written and approved by their academic department.
Do All Master's Programs Require a Thesis?
Completing a master's thesis will teach you time management skills, hone your research abilities and increase your writing productivity, all of which will be necessary for completing a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Even if you plan to stop your graduate studies after completing your master's degree, completing a thesis can be helpful.
What you should know before you write your masters thesis
Examinations are required at the end of some taught degrees, while others set assessed essays and exercises throughout the course. Many masters require that you complete a masters thesis - an extended piece of writing, normally on an independent research project or a question set by the department - as the final piece of assessed work you ...
Deciding Between a Thesis & Non-Thesis Master's Degree
Does Every Master's Degree Require a Thesis? The shortest answer is a resounding no. Not all master's degrees require a thesis. However, the institution will allow you to choose whether you would like your program to be a thesis or a non-thesis one. As we already mentioned, there are lots of benefits you can enjoy when you go for the thesis ...
Does the master's degree require a thesis?
Does the master's degree require a thesis? No, our master's programs do not require a thesis. Most of our programs allow students to complete their program either completely through coursework or with two to three credits' worth of research toward a thesis or an independent study.
Do I Have to Write a Thesis to Earn a Master's Degree?
The thesis is a lengthy academic essay or paper containing a student's research into a topic that's related to their program of study. While some schools require undergraduates to complete a senior thesis, the term is more often used in graduate programs leading to a master's degree. The length of a graduate thesis is typically shorter ...
Are there higher education systems in which is not required to write a
The question is a little vague. Many graduate degrees do not require a thesis. For instance, a law degree (JD), and many business degrees (e.g. MBA) in some universities require no thesis paper. It has been my experience as a college instructor that university departments are encouraging more writing and defending their written research.
Dissertation vs. Thesis: A Comparison
A thesis is an academic paper completed near the end of a student's course of study for a master's degree program. Note that most master's degrees require the completion of a thesis for graduation. Some bachelor's degree programs even require students to write an undergraduate thesis, which is typically shorter and less in-depth than a ...
Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines
Master's Thesis Requirements Intent to Graduate. Students planning to graduate at the end of the fall, spring, or summer term should submit the Intent to Graduate form through YES by clicking on Graduation - Intent. Note that all masters students should submit this form, even if they are receiving a master's in passing to the PhD. Format ...
How to Write a Master's Thesis: A Guide to Planning Your Thesis
Seek it out, and take the time you need to recover. Your degree is supposed to help you become a stronger and smarter person, not break you. Part 6: Polish and Defend Your Master's Thesis How to Write a Master's Thesis: The Final Stages ... you will also be expected to use all available resources to do so. The purpose of a master's thesis is ...
Master's Thesis Guidelines
The master's thesis and all of the associated forms and documents related to the completion of the degree must be submitted to the Graduate School by the deadlines listed above. Registration If a student registers for Semester I and completes all of the requirements for the degree during that semester, a fee for Semester II will not be charged.
Required Sections, Guidelines, and Suggestions : Graduate School
Master's candidate: In a thesis, the page heading is simply the word "ABSTRACT" in all capital letters and centered within the margins at the top of the page. (The thesis abstract does not display the thesis title, author's name, degree, university, or date of degree conferral.)
Do any of your MA programs not require a thesis? : r/GradSchool
If you want to write the thesis in your last semester you only take one class as opposed to taking two. My MA has a thesis option and a portfolio option. Thesis is ~100 pages, and portfolio requires two extra courses and 1-2 research papers at ~30-40 pages. My program does not offer a non-thesis option.
research process
It is possible that some Honours/Masters thesis might even be more significant/higher quality than a PhD thesis. Unfortunately, this does not mean that the submission of the thesis will award the degree that they deserve. The university may have a policy to upgrade the student's enrolment if the supervisor senses that such progress is being made.
Thesis or No Thesis? That Is the Question.
The University of Texas Permian Basin's online Master of Arts in History program enables you to gear your studies toward your own academic and professional goals by offering thesis and non-thesis options: Thesis Option: If approved, you will complete 24 credit hours (8 courses) from our core history courses and 6 hours of thesis work, for a ...
HOW TO APPLY TO GRADUATE
NOTE: If you are in a Master's Non-Thesis, have applied to graduate, have courses in progress in your last semester and you are checking your degree evaluation in Degree Works, you should see 98% of requirements met. If you do not see 98% then you most likely need to submit the Master's Non-Thesis Course Exception form in order to apply any ...
I. A (Very) Brief History of the Master's Degree
From Retrieving the Master's Degree from the Dustbin of History (2005). The Master of Arts is an academic rank with a considerable pedigree, going back to the great universities of medieval Europe. 1 Originally, Magister was the title conferred upon university graduates when they began to teach. Later it became a distinct degree, typically awarded "in course" to recipients of a ...
Trump says he wants foreign nationals who graduate from US colleges to
"What I want to do, and what I will do, is you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," the ...

Choosing Between a Thesis or Non-thesis Master's Degree

Understanding the Master's Thesis

What is a Master's Thesis?

Format & Components of a Master's Thesis

Why a Thesis Program

Why a Non-thesis Program

How to Choose a Master's Program: FAQs

Dos and Don'ts of Choosing a Thesis or Non-thesis Program

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Why might a student decide to follow a thesis track? Why might they follow a non-thesis track?

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Do All Master’s Programs Require a Thesis?

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What Is The Difference Between A Thesis Or Non-Thesis Master’s Degree?

What Is a Master’s Thesis?

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Non-Thesis Master’s Program?

The Difference Between Thesis and Non-Thesis Program

Does Every Master’s Degree Require a Thesis?

Do We Have Any Tips For Choosing A Program?

How Long Does it Take to Write a Master’s Thesis?

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Do I Have to Write a Thesis to Earn a Master’s Degree?

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The Point of the Master’s Thesis

Non-Thesis Master’s Degree Options

Choosing Between Thesis and Non-Thesis Master’s Degree Programs

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The 20 Best Online Master’s Degrees in Nutrition

Top 10 Paying Jobs That Involve Math

How To Get Your Resume Noticed

Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines

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Intent to Graduate

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Intent to Graduate

Defense Results

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Curriculum Vitae

How to Write a Master's Thesis: A Guide to Planning Your Thesis, Pursuing It, and Avoiding Pitfalls

Part 1: Initial Considerations

What's Your Goal?

Major Types of Theses

Time and Energy Considerations

Part 2: Form an Initial Thesis Question, and Find a Supervisor

What to Say to Your Supervisor

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help (to a Degree)

Part 3: Revise Your Thesis