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How to Write Your Bachelor's Thesis (+ Tips and Examples)

In this article we'll share how to write your Bachelor's thesis, the structure you should follow, and tips and examples to perfect your paper.

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Writing your Bachelor's thesis can be an exciting but daunting task—one that signifies the culmination of your undergraduate studies.

Whether you're just starting your undergraduate journey or nearing the end, understanding what a Bachelor's thesis entails and the steps to tackle it effectively can make a world of difference. Let's dive into this ultimate guide to help you succeed!

What is a Bachelor's thesis?

A Bachelor's thesis is a research project or long essay that many students write as part of their undergraduate degree.

In many European countries, it's customary for students to write a Bachelor's thesis, which typically ranges around 20-40 pages or approximately 10,000-18,000 words. These theses serve as an opportunity for students to explore a topic in-depth and contribute original findings or insights.

However, in the United States, Bachelor's theses are less common. Instead, many US Bachelor's programs culminate in a capstone project . Honors programs might still require a thesis, but this depends on the university and the program, so make sure to check on your university website.

Step 1: Choose a topic for a Bachelor's thesis

Choosing a topic is the first and one of the most important steps in writing your thesis. Your topic should align with your field of study and be something you're passionate about.

Think about the courses or specific areas that have intrigued you the most. Your topic should be specific enough to allow for in-depth research but broad enough to ensure you can find ample resources.

💡 Pro tip: How to find a perfect thesis topic

When I was choosing my Bachelor's thesis topic, I did lots of research, and ended up finding a topic that (to my knowledge) had never been studied academically before. So, my thesis became the first ever academic study on that topic!

Here are some tips which helped me find a unique Bachelor's thesis topic:

Brainstorm several ideas and discuss them with your advisor or professors. Your professors have had many different topics proposed by students over the years, and they'll be able to tell you if your topic has credence or if you should choose something else.

Analyze the current existing academic research on the topic. You can use Google Scholar for this. See what similar studies have been published already, and try to identify gaps in existing research.

Aim to choose a topic that you won't lose interest in easily. The best way to do this is by choosing a topic you've been interested over a longer period of time, or something related to the future job you'd like to do.

Be careful with scope of your research. You'll have a limited amount of time and resources to complete this research, therefore it's important to narrow down the topic enough so that you can complete the thesis successfully in a reasonable timeframe.

Step 2: Conduct preliminary research

Once you've settled on a topic, it's time to dive into preliminary research.

Start by reading existing literature to grasp what has already been written on the subject. This will help you identify gaps in the knowledge that your thesis could fill. Take detailed notes and bookmark essential resources for easy reference later.

Use academic databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and your university library . You can even get access to premium sources and databases through your university.
If your topic is in IT, design or other "practice-based" majors, find books written by reputable practicians of the field (those either working as professors or if they've had an extensive experience in the field).
Keep a research journal to track your sources and thoughts. When I wrote my thesis, I originally tracked all of my sources in Notion, because it's good for creating solid databases of documents.

Step 3: Develop a thesis statement

A strong thesis statement is crucial for your Bachelor’s thesis. It should succinctly summarize the central argument or main point of your thesis.

Your thesis statement will guide your research and writing, so make sure it is clear, concise, and arguable .

✍️ Example:

"This thesis explores the impact of social media on academic performance, arguing that excessive use negatively affects students’ grades and overall educational outcomes."

Step 4: Structure your Bachelor’s thesis

Understanding the structure of a Bachelor's thesis can help you organize your thoughts and plan your writing.

While the exact structure can vary depending on your institution's guidelines, a typical structure includes:

Introduction

Literature review, methodology.

Results and/or analysis

Bibliography

Your title page should include the title of your thesis, your name, your institution, your department, and the date of submission.

Every university has specific rules on how their title page should look. Ensure that you follow your institution's formatting guidelines carefully .

If your advisor hasn't shared any specifics, make sure to double-check on the university website and with the student office.

An abstract is a brief summary of your thesis , usually around 150-250 words.

It should outline your research question, methodology, results, and conclusion.

💡 Pro tips:

Write the abstract last, after completing your thesis.
Focus on the purpose, methods, results, and implications of your research.

The table of contents should list all the sections of your thesis along with their page numbers.

The easiest way of generating an accurate table of contents is to use word processing software to generate a table of contents automatically.

For example, Microsoft Word will auto-generate the table if you've been using proper heading and text formatting. You can find the option Table of Contents option in References :

Screenshot: How to create a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word

Note: Make sure to update the table of contents as you make changes to your document (update the entire table, not just page numbers).

The introduction is incredibly important part of your thesis as it sets the stage for the rest of the paper.

Here are key things you should do in the introduction :

Introduce your topic.
Provide background information needed for understanding the topic.
State your research question and thesis statement.
Clearly outline the scope and significance of your research.

In the literature review, you'll summarize and evaluate existing research on your topic. This section demonstrates your understanding of the field and helps to establish the context for your own research.

🧮 Number of pages

There's no specific number of pages you need to have for this section, but it's important that you show the depth of your research and your understanding of the topic.

When I wrote my thesis, the literature review section was 5 pages long, but anything between 3-6 pages is standard for a Bachelor's-level thesis.

📑 Organizing the sources

When you're writing your literature review, make sure to organize the review thematically rather than chronologically.

Think about how you want to present information, cluster topics together, and then add the sources to that existing structure.

Make sure to break up the text with relevant headings to make it easier for the reader to follow your line of thought.

✂️ Maintain a critical stance

No scientific paper is perfect. Even the best existing research in the world can be improved in some way.

So, you must critically analyze the sources , highlighting both their strengths and weaknesses.

Explain what they did right, how they're relevant to your topic, and why you included them in your thesis (there should always be a reason). Then make sure to also analyze their weaknesses, oversights, gaps in scope, and similar critiques to maintain a balanced view.

The methodology section explains how you conducted your research.

This section will differ greatly depending on your major, university or even advisor. Therefore it's crucial that you ask your advisor if they have any guidelines or suggestions on how you should carry out your research efforts .

If they say it's up to you, make sure to do a lot of research on the best practices and options for the outcome you're looking for.

But to give you an idea, common methodologies include:

Qualitative research
Quantitative methods
Mixed methods
Case studies
Experiments
And many more

Whatever method you end up following, it's important to justify your choice of methods and how they align with your research question .

The results section presents the findings of your research.

Depending on the method you used to collect and analyze the data you're working with, you can use tables, figures, and charts to illustrate your data clearly.

Graphs and figures for a Bachelor's thesis

When it's time to write this part of your thesis, make sure to always start with the most important findings . This will pique your reader's attention and give them an overall context for more specific findings.

The discussion section is where you'll:

Interpret your results
Explain their significance
Relate them back to your research question
Discuss any limitations of your study
Suggest areas for future research

At a Bachelor's level, you won't be expected to present groundbreaking research, but you should analyze the results you presented in the previous section . This means you should remain objective and present both the strengths and the weaknesses of your research.

You'll also be expected to discuss your results in the larger context of existing research , and mention if those result confirm or contradict previous studies on the topic.

The conclusion should summarize your main findings and restate the significance of your research.

A good conclusion:

Is concise and to the point
Does not introduce new information
Highlights the broader impact of your findings

Your bibliography section should list all the sources you cited in your thesis.

Depending on the citation style and your university's requirements, this section can be called:

References : A widely used term in academic writing. It lists all the sources directly cited in the thesis.
Bibliography : Used interchangeably with references, but sometimes denotes both works cited and other materials consulted, even if not directly cited in the thesis.
Works cited : Often used in the humanities, especially in Modern Language Association (MLA) style, this section lists only the sources that have been referenced in the thesis.
List of references : Another variation that is formal and straightforward, often seen in technical fields.

This section should include resources you used for the thesis and should begin on its own page.

Different citations styles will have different formatting requirements, so it's a good idea to double-check that you've adhered to all the necessary rules.

If you have additional material, such as questionnaires or raw data, include them in the appendices.

Appendices are the material that supports your research but would clutter the main text.

Refer to the appendices at appropriate points in your thesis.

Writing a Bachelor's thesis doesn't have to be overwhelming. By choosing a relevant topic, conducting thorough research, and following a clear structure, you can successfully complete your thesis and make a meaningful contribution to your field.

Remember, you're not alone in this journey. Seek support from your advisors, professors, and peers.

Good luck, and happy writing!

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Sara Evans Author

Sara is the Content Manager at Keystone Education Group, in charge of creating and managing editorial content for students across the globe. After getting a Bachelor's in Interactive Media Design, she pursued a career in Content and UX. She's been involved in the international education industry since her high school years.

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