master thesis duration

How long is a Thesis or Dissertation? [the data] PhD, Masters +

Writing a thesis for your undergraduate, master’s, or PhD can be a very daunting task. Especially when you consider how long a thesis can get. However, not all theses are the same length and the expected submission length is dependent on the level of study that you are currently enrolled in and the field in which you are studying.

An undergraduate thesis is likely to be about 20 to 50 pages long. A Master’s thesis is likely to be between 30 and 100 pages in length and a PhD dissertation is likely to be between 50 and 450 pages long.

In the table below I highlight the typical length of an undergraduate, master’s, and PhD.

It is important to note that this is highly dependent on the field of study and the expectations of your university, field, and research group.

If you want to know more about how long a Masters thesis and PhD dissertation is you can check out my other articles:

• How Long is a Masters Thesis? [Your writing guide]
• How long is a PhD dissertation? [Data by field]
• How to write a masters thesis in 2 months [Easy steps to start writing]

These articles go into a lot more detail and specifics of each level of study, including master’s and doctoral degrees.

Let’s take a more detailed look at the length of a thesis or dissertation. We’ll start from the very basics including what a dissertation or thesis really is.

What exactly is a thesis or a dissertation?

A thesis or a dissertation is a research project that is typically required of students in order to gain an advanced degree.

A dissertation is usually much longer and more detailed than a thesis, but they both involve extensive research and provide an in-depth analysis of their given subject.

Many people use the term interchangeably but quite often a Masters level research project results in a thesis. While a PhD research project results in a much longer dissertation.

Thesis work is usually completed over the course of several months and can require multiple drafts and revisions before being accepted. These will be looked over by your supervisor to ensure that you are meeting the expectations and standards of your research field.

PhD Dissertations are typically even more involved, taking years to complete. My PhD took me three years to complete but it is usual for them to take more than five years.

Both a thesis and a dissertation involve researching a particular topic, formulating an argument based on evidence gathered from the research, and presenting the findings in written form for review by peers or faculty members.

My Master’s thesis was reviewed by the chemistry Department whilst my PhD thesis was sent to experts in the field around the world.

Ultimately, these experts provide a commentary on whether or not you have reached the standards required of the University for admittance into the degree and the final decision will be made upon reviewing these comments by your universities graduation committee.

There are several outcomes including:

• accepted without changes – this is where you must make no changes to your thesis and is accepted as is.
• accepted with minor changes this is where your thesis will require some minor changes before being admitted to the degree. Usually, it is not sent back to the reviewers after the thesis defence.
• Major changes – this is where the committee has decided that you need to rework a number of major themes in your thesis and will likely want to see it at a later stage.
• Rejected – this is where the dissertation or thesis is rejected and the recommendation to downgrade your degree program is made.

What is the typical length of a thesis or dissertation?

The length of a thesis or dissertation varies significantly according to the field of study and institution, especially in social sciences.

Generally, an undergraduate thesis is between 20-50 pages long while a PhD dissertation can range from 90-500 pages in length.

However, longer is not necessarily better as a highly mathematical PhD thesis with proofs may only be 50 pages long.

It also depends on the complexity of the topic being studied and the amount of research required to complete it.

A PhD dissertation should contain as many pages and words as it takes to outline the current state of your field and provide adequate background information, present your results, and provide confidence in your conclusions. A PhD dissertation will also contain figures, graphs, schematics, and other large pictorial items that can easily inflate the page count.

Here is a boxplot summary of many different fields of study and the number of pages of a typical PhD dissertation in the field, including social sciences.  It has been created by Marcus Beck  from all of the dissertations at the University of Minnesota.

Typically, the mathematical sciences, economics, and biostatistics theses and dissertations tend to be shorter because they rely on mathematical formulas to provide proof of their results rather than diagrams and long explanations.

On the other end of the scale, English, communication studies, political science, history and anthropology are often the largest theses in terms of pages and word count because of the number of words it takes to provide proof and depth of their results.

At the end of the day, it is important that your thesis gets signed off by your review committee and other experts in the field. Your supervisor will be the main judge of whether or not your dissertation is capable of satisfying the requirements of a master’s or doctoral degree in your field. 

How Many Pages Should a Master or PhD Thesis Have? Length of a thesis?

The length of a master’s thesis can vary greatly depending on the subject and format.

Generally, a masters thesis is expected to be around 100 pages long and should include:

• a title page,
• table of contents,
• introduction,
• literature review, 
• main test and body of work, 
• discussions and citations,
• conclusion,
• bibliography
• and (sometimes) appendix.

Your supervisor should provide you with a specific format for your dissertation or thesis that you are expected to follow.

Depending on your field of study and the word count specified by your supervisor, these guidelines may change. The student must ask their advisor for examples of past student thesis and doctoral dissertations. 

For example, if there is a limited number of words allowed in the thesis then it may not be possible to have 100 pages or more for the thesis.

Additionally, if you are including a lot of technical information such as diagrams or tables in the appendix of your dissertation or thesis, then this could increase the page count as well. For example, my PhD thesis contained a page like the one below.

This page only contains images from atomic force microscopy. Because my PhD was very visual, many pages like this exist.

Ultimately it is important to consult with your supervisor and determine how many pages your master’s thesis or PhD dissertation will be expected to have.

How long does it take to write a graduate thesis? Write your thesis quickly

Writing a graduate thesis can be a daunting task.

It is typically expected to take anywhere from one to three years, depending on the subject and scope of the project.

However, this is not just writing. A typical thesis or dissertation will require you to:

• formulate a research question
• do a literature review
• create research methodology
• perform original research
• collect and analyse results
• write peer-reviewed research papers
• write a PhD/masters thesis
• submit thesis and respond to examiners comments.

The actual writing component of a thesis or dissertation can take anywhere from one month to 6 months depending on how focused the PhD student is.

The amount of time it takes to write a thesis or dissertation can vary based on many factors, such as the type of research required, the length of the project, and other commitments that may interfere with progress.

Some students may have difficulty focusing or understanding their topic which can also add to the amount of time it takes to complete the project.

Regardless, writing a thesis is an important part of obtaining a graduate degree and should not be taken lightly.

It requires dedication and determination in order for one to successfully complete a thesis or dissertation within an appropriate timeframe.

In my YouTube video, below, I talk about how to finish your thesis or dissertation quickly:

It is full of a load of secrets including owning your day, managing your supervisor relationship, setting many goals, progress over perfection, and working with your own body clock to maximise productivity.

Wrapping up

This article has been through everything you need to know about the typical length of a dissertation or thesis.

The answer to this question is highly dependent on your field of study and the expectations of your supervisor and university.

Frequently Asked Questions: How Long is a Thesis

How long is a thesis.

A thesis is typically a document submitted in support of an academic degree, presenting the author’s research and findings. The length of a thesis can vary depending on the level of study and specific requirements of the institution. It can range from 60 – 100 pages for a master’s thesis to several hundred pages for a doctoral dissertation.

What is the difference between a thesis and a dissertation?

While the terms thesis and dissertation are often used interchangeably, they can have different meanings depending on the region or academic context. In some countries, a thesis is associated with a bachelor’s or master’s degree, while a dissertation is typically required for a doctoral degree.

Is there a specific word count for a thesis?

While there is no universal word count for a thesis , institutions may provide guidelines on the expected length based on the type of degree and academic discipline. It’s essential to adhere to the specified word count to meet academic standards.

How does the length of a thesis vary across different fields of study?

The length of a thesis can differ based on the field of study and the nature of the research being conducted. For example, a thesis in the social sciences may be shorter compared to one in a scientific or technical field that requires extensive data analysis and documentation.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

Thank you for visiting Academia Insider.

We are here to help you navigate Academia as painlessly as possible. We are supported by our readers and by visiting you are helping us earn a small amount through ads and affiliate revenue - Thank you!

2024 © Academia Insider

How Long Is a Master’s Thesis? 5 Tips on Writing and Structuring Yours

• Natasa Pantelic
• November 10, 2023

Writing a Master’s thesis is a significant academic endeavor. It marks the culmination of graduate studies, showcasing your ability to conduct comprehensive research and present your findings coherently , also be sure to check out best places for you where to study abroad .

Knowing about the typical length of a Master’s thesis and how to structure it effectively is crucial for a successful submission. This article will guide you through understanding the expected length, how to structure your thesis, and tips to manage your writing process efficiently.

Typical Length Variations

The length of a Master’s thesis can vary significantly depending on the subject matter, the specific requirements of your academic institution, and your research topic. 

Generally, a Master’s thesis is between 40 to 80 pages in humanities and social sciences but can be longer in more technical fields like engineering or natural sciences. It’s crucial to check with your department for specific guidelines. 

For expert guidance and tailored assistance in crafting your master’s thesis, consider exploring the resources available at thesisrush.com , a platform dedicated to helping students excel in their academic writing endeavors.

Factors Influencing Thesis Length

Several factors can influence the length of your Master’s thesis:

• Research Depth: More complex research projects may require a more detailed explanation and analysis.
• Academic Field: Technical fields often have longer theses due to the inclusion of data, formulas, and extensive experimental details.
• University Guidelines: Some universities have strict length requirements for theses.

The Importance of Conciseness and Clarity

While length is a consideration, the quality of your work is paramount. A concise, clear thesis is often more impactful than a longer, less coherent one. Prioritize presenting your research and arguments in a clear, concise manner without unnecessary elaboration.

Structuring Your Master’s Thesis

A well-structured thesis is critical for effectively presenting your research. Here’s a standard structure to follow:

Introduction

• Context and Background: Set the stage for your research by providing relevant background information.
• Research Problem and Objectives: Clearly state the problem your research addresses and your objectives.
• Thesis Statement: Present your main argument or hypothesis.

Literature Review

• Current State of Research: Discuss existing research related to your topic.
• Identification of Gaps: Highlight where your research fits into the existing body of knowledge.
• Relation to Your Research: Explain how this literature informs your research question.

Methodology

• Research Design: Describe the framework and design of your research .
• Data Collection: Explain how you collected your data.
• Analysis Methods: Detail the methods used to analyze the data.

• Presentation of Data: Present your findings in a clear, logical order.
• Data Interpretation: Interpret the results in the context of your research question.
• Visual Aids: Use tables, graphs, and charts for clarity.
• Interpretation of Results: Discuss what your results mean in the broader context.
• Limitations: Acknowledge any limitations in your research.
• Implications: Discuss the implications of your findings for future research or practical applications.
• Summary of Findings: Briefly summarize your main findings.
• Concluding Remarks: Provide final thoughts and potential future research directions.
• Contribution to Field: Highlight how your research contributes to the field.
• Include all sources cited in your thesis in an appropriate format as per your department’s guidelines.
• Include any supplementary material that supports but is not central to your thesis.

5 Writing Tips for a Master’s Thesis

1. Planning and Time Management

• Develop a Timeline: Set realistic goals and deadlines for each section of your thesis.
• Regular Reviews: Schedule regular meetings with your advisor for feedback.

2. Research and Analysis

• Thorough Research: Conduct comprehensive research to ensure your thesis is well-informed.
• Critical Analysis: Critically analyze your data and research findings.

3. Writing and Revision

• Structured Writing: Follow the structure outlined to maintain a clear narrative.
• Editing and Proofreading: Regularly revise your work for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy.
• Peer Feedback: Seek feedback from peers to gain different perspectives.

4. Overcoming Challenges

• Writer’s Block: Take breaks, change your environment, or discuss ideas with others to overcome blocks.
• Stress Management: Engage in stress-relieving activities and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

5. Utilizing Resources

• University Resources: Utilize writing centers, libraries, and software provided by your university.
• Academic Conventions: Adhere to the academic conventions and citation styles required by your field.

Enhancing Your Thesis with Effective Language Use

A Master’s thesis requires not just research and structure but also a mastery of language to convey complex ideas effectively. The following tips can help enhance the clarity and impact of your writing.

Explore the linguistic challenges of mastering some of the most difficult languages in 2024 , broadening your horizons in the process.

The Power of Clarity and Simplicity

• Simple Language: Use simple, direct language to make your thesis accessible to a wider audience.
• Avoid Jargon: While some technical terms are necessary, explain jargon where possible.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

• Storytelling in Research: Frame your thesis as a story, with a clear beginning (introduction), middle (research and findings), and end (conclusions).
• Connecting Ideas: Ensure each section flows logically into the next, maintaining a clear thread throughout your thesis.

Precision and Accuracy in Language

• Be Precise: Choose words that precisely convey your research and findings.
• Accuracy is Key: Ensure all data, references, and quotations are accurate and correctly cited.

Leveraging Technology and Tools in Thesis Writing

In the digital age, a range of tools can aid in the research and writing process. Utilizing these can save time and enhance the quality of your thesis.

Research and Data Analysis Tools

• Digital Libraries: Use online libraries and databases for comprehensive research.
• Data Analysis Software: Utilize software like SPSS or R for complex data analysis.

Writing and Editing Software

• Writing Tools: Use tools like Scrivener or Google Docs for writing and organizing your thesis.
• Editing Software: Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor can help polish your writing.

Time Management and Organization Tools

• Project Management Software: Use tools like Trello or Asana to manage your thesis timeline.
• Digital Calendars: Keep track of deadlines and appointments with digital calendars.

Navigating the Thesis Defense

The thesis defense is a crucial part of the Master’s program. Here’s how to prepare effectively.

Know About the Defense Process

• Know the Format: Familiarize yourself with the format of the defense at your university.
• Preparation is Key: Prepare a presentation summarizing your thesis and practice your defense speech.

Anticipating Questions and Feedback

• Expect Questions: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about any aspect of your thesis.
• Receiving Feedback: Be open to feedback and ready to discuss or defend your research choices.

Presentation Skills

• Effective Communication: Practice clear and confident speaking.
• Visual Aids: Use slides or other visual aids to support your points during the defense.

Closing Thoughts

Writing a Master’s thesis is a challenging but rewarding process. Understanding the typical length and structure, combined with effective planning and writing strategies, can greatly enhance the quality of your thesis.

Remember, the key is not just in the length but in the clarity, coherence, and depth of your research and writing. With these tips and strategies, you can craft a thesis that not only meets academic standards but also makes a significant contribution to your field of study.

My name is Natasa Pantelic, and I work as a content editor at southwestjournal.com. By profession, I am a business administrator and a professional makeup artist. I enjoy taking care of my appearance and health through strength training, cardio, and a healthy diet. I also have a passion for music, socializing, adventures, and embracing new challenges.

Top 10 Tools for Improving Workplace Productivity in 2024

Top 12 Cars in Elon Musk’s Collection

6 Creative Ways to Generate High Quality Backlinks

Is Google Lying To Us? Google’s Algorithm Secrets Revealed

Top 9 SEO Trends For 2024 That Everyone Is Talking About

iPhone 16 Pro Leak – Major Design Changes Expected

[email protected]

• Editorial Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Popular Categories

• Celebrities

Who We Are?

• Company: Shantel
• Full Name: NEBOJŠA VUJINOVIĆ PR RAČUNARSKO PROGRAMIRANJE SHANTEL BEOGRAD (NOVI BEOGRAD)
• Address: MILUTINA MILANKOVIĆA 90, 11070 NOVI BEOGRAD, Serbia
• PIB/VAT Number: 112995998
• Phone number: +381692564386
• Company Web: Shantel.co

© 2024 southwestjournal.com

Southwestjournal.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a dissertation.

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

• An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
• A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
• A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.

Frequently asked questions: Dissertation

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.

Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:

• Plan to attend graduate school soon
• Have a particular topic you’d like to study more in-depth
• Are considering a career in research
• Would like a capstone experience to tie up your academic experience

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

• A restatement of your research question
• A summary of your key arguments and/or results
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

• Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the discussion section and results section
• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion …”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g., “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

A theoretical framework can sometimes be integrated into a  literature review chapter , but it can also be included as its own chapter or section in your dissertation . As a rule of thumb, if your research involves dealing with a lot of complex theories, it’s a good idea to include a separate theoretical framework chapter.

A literature review and a theoretical framework are not the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably. While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work, a literature review critically evaluates existing research relating to your topic. You’ll likely need both in your dissertation .

While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work based on existing research, a conceptual framework allows you to draw your own conclusions, mapping out the variables you may use in your study and the interplay between them.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

In most styles, the title page is used purely to provide information and doesn’t include any images. Ask your supervisor if you are allowed to include an image on the title page before doing so. If you do decide to include one, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image.

Include a note directly beneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period). Include a citation and copyright attribution . Don’t title, number, or label the image as a figure , since it doesn’t appear in your main text.

Definitional terms often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited. This guidance can apply to your thesis or dissertation glossary as well.

However, if you’d prefer to cite your sources , you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA style for your glossary.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, an index is a list of the contents of your work organized by page number.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation should include your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date.

Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one to your thesis or dissertation. Your educational institution may also require them, so be sure to check their specific guidelines.

A glossary or “glossary of terms” is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and is intended to enhance their understanding of your work.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, dictionaries are more general collections of words.

An abbreviation is a shortened version of an existing word, such as Dr. for Doctor. In contrast, an acronym uses the first letter of each word to create a wholly new word, such as UNESCO (an acronym for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

As a rule of thumb, write the explanation in full the first time you use an acronym or abbreviation. You can then proceed with the shortened version. However, if the abbreviation is very common (like PC, USA, or DNA), then you can use the abbreviated version from the get-go.

Be sure to add each abbreviation in your list of abbreviations !

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

A list of abbreviations is a list of all the abbreviations that you used in your thesis or dissertation. It should appear at the beginning of your document, with items in alphabetical order, just after your table of contents .

Your list of tables and figures should go directly after your table of contents in your thesis or dissertation.

Lists of figures and tables are often not required, and aren’t particularly common. They specifically aren’t required for APA-Style, though you should be careful to follow their other guidelines for figures and tables .

If you have many figures and tables in your thesis or dissertation, include one may help you stay organized. Your educational institution may require them, so be sure to check their guidelines.

A list of figures and tables compiles all of the figures and tables that you used in your thesis or dissertation and displays them with the page number where they can be found.

The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction .

You may acknowledge God in your dissertation acknowledgements , but be sure to follow academic convention by also thanking the members of academia, as well as family, colleagues, and friends who helped you.

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

In the discussion , you explore the meaning and relevance of your research results , explaining how they fit with existing research and theory. Discuss:

• Your  interpretations : what do the results tell us?
• The  implications : why do the results matter?
• The  limitation s : what can’t the results tell us?

The results chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The discussion interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.

In qualitative research , results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research , it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.

Results are usually written in the past tense , because they are describing the outcome of completed actions.

The results chapter of a thesis or dissertation presents your research results concisely and objectively.

In quantitative research , for each question or hypothesis , state:

• The type of analysis used
• Relevant results in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics
• Whether or not the alternative hypothesis was supported

In qualitative research , for each question or theme, describe:

• Recurring patterns
• Significant or representative individual responses
• Relevant quotations from the data

Don’t interpret or speculate in the results chapter.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

• Apply heading styles throughout the document.
• In the references section in the ribbon, locate the Table of Contents group.
• Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select Custom Table of Contents.
• Select which levels of headings you would like to include in the table of contents.

Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.

All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract in the table of contents.

The abstract appears on its own page in the thesis or dissertation , after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 200–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.

The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis , directly after the title page and before the abstract .

Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation .

Even if you feel your supervisor did not contribute greatly to the final product, you must acknowledge them, if only for a very brief thank you. If you do not include your supervisor, it may be seen as a snub.

In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.

Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.

Ask our team

Want to contact us directly? No problem.  We  are always here for you.

• Email [email protected]
• Start live chat
• Call +1 (510) 822-8066
• WhatsApp +31 20 261 6040

Our team helps students graduate by offering:

• A world-class citation generator
• Plagiarism Checker software powered by Turnitin
• Innovative Citation Checker software
• Professional proofreading services
• Over 300 helpful articles about academic writing, citing sources, plagiarism, and more

Scribbr specializes in editing study-related documents . We proofread:

• PhD dissertations
• Research proposals
• Personal statements
• Admission essays
• Motivation letters
• Reflection papers
• Journal articles
• Capstone projects

Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker is powered by elements of Turnitin’s Similarity Checker , namely the plagiarism detection software and the Internet Archive and Premium Scholarly Publications content databases .

The add-on AI detector is powered by Scribbr’s proprietary software.

The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .

• Home »

find your perfect postgrad program Search our Database of 30,000 Courses

How to write a masters dissertation or thesis: top tips.

It is completely normal to find the idea of writing a masters thesis or dissertation slightly daunting, even for students who have written one before at undergraduate level. Though, don’t feel put off by the idea. You’ll have plenty of time to complete it, and plenty of support from your supervisor and peers.

One of the main challenges that students face is putting their ideas and findings into words. Writing is a skill in itself, but with the right advice, you’ll find it much easier to get into the flow of writing your masters thesis or dissertation.

We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to write a dissertation or thesis for your masters degree, with top tips to consider at each stage in the process.

1. Understand your dissertation or thesis topic

There are slight differences between theses and dissertations , although both require a high standard of writing skill and knowledge in your topic. They are also formatted very similarly.

At first, writing a masters thesis can feel like running a 100m race – the course feels very quick and like there is not as much time for thinking! However, you’ll usually have a summer semester dedicated to completing your dissertation – giving plenty of time and space to write a strong academic piece.

By comparison, writing a PhD thesis can feel like running a marathon, working on the same topic for 3-4 years can be laborious. But in many ways, the approach to both of these tasks is quite similar.

Before writing your masters dissertation, get to know your research topic inside out. Not only will understanding your topic help you conduct better research, it will also help you write better dissertation content.

Also consider the main purpose of your dissertation. You are writing to put forward a theory or unique research angle – so make your purpose clear in your writing.

Top writing tip: when researching your topic, look out for specific terms and writing patterns used by other academics. It is likely that there will be a lot of jargon and important themes across research papers in your chosen dissertation topic. 

2. Structure your dissertation or thesis

Writing a thesis is a unique experience and there is no general consensus on what the best way to structure it is. 

As a postgraduate student , you’ll probably decide what kind of structure suits your research project best after consultation with your supervisor. You’ll also have a chance to look at previous masters students’ theses in your university library.

To some extent, all postgraduate dissertations are unique. Though they almost always consist of chapters. The number of chapters you cover will vary depending on the research. 

A masters dissertation or thesis organised into chapters would typically look like this: 

Write down your structure and use these as headings that you’ll write for later on.

Top writing tip : ease each chapter together with a paragraph that links the end of a chapter to the start of a new chapter. For example, you could say something along the lines of “in the next section, these findings are evaluated in more detail”. This makes it easier for the reader to understand each chapter and helps your writing flow better.

3. Write up your literature review

One of the best places to start when writing your masters dissertation is with the literature review. This involves researching and evaluating existing academic literature in order to identify any gaps for your own research.

Many students prefer to write the literature review chapter first, as this is where several of the underpinning theories and concepts exist. This section helps set the stage for the rest of your dissertation, and will help inform the writing of your other dissertation chapters.

What to include in your literature review

The literature review chapter is more than just a summary of existing research, it is an evaluation of how this research has informed your own unique research.

Demonstrate how the different pieces of research fit together. Are there overlapping theories? Are there disagreements between researchers?

Highlight the gap in the research. This is key, as a dissertation is mostly about developing your own unique research. Is there an unexplored avenue of research? Has existing research failed to disprove a particular theory?

Back up your methodology. Demonstrate why your methodology is appropriate by discussing where it has been used successfully in other research.

4. Write up your research

For instance, a more theoretical-based research topic might encompass more writing from a philosophical perspective. Qualitative data might require a lot more evaluation and discussion than quantitative research. 

Methodology chapter

The methodology chapter is all about how you carried out your research and which specific techniques you used to gather data. You should write about broader methodological approaches (e.g. qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods), and then go into more detail about your chosen data collection strategy. 

Data collection strategies include things like interviews, questionnaires, surveys, content analyses, discourse analyses and many more.

Data analysis and findings chapters

The data analysis or findings chapter should cover what you actually discovered during your research project. It should be detailed, specific and objective (don’t worry, you’ll have time for evaluation later on in your dissertation)

Write up your findings in a way that is easy to understand. For example, if you have a lot of numerical data, this could be easier to digest in tables.

This will make it easier for you to dive into some deeper analysis in later chapters. Remember, the reader will refer back to your data analysis section to cross-reference your later evaluations against your actual findings – so presenting your data in a simple manner is beneficial.

Think about how you can segment your data into categories. For instance, it can be useful to segment interview transcripts by interviewee. 

Top writing tip : write up notes on how you might phrase a certain part of the research. This will help bring the best out of your writing. There is nothing worse than when you think of the perfect way to phrase something and then you completely forget it.

5. Discuss and evaluate

Once you’ve presented your findings, it’s time to evaluate and discuss them.

It might feel difficult to differentiate between your findings and discussion sections, because you are essentially talking about the same data. The easiest way to remember the difference is that your findings simply present the data, whereas your discussion tells the story of this data.

Your evaluation breaks the story down, explaining the key findings, what went well and what didn’t go so well.

In your discussion chapter, you’ll have chance to expand on the results from your findings section. For example, explain what certain numbers mean and draw relationships between different pieces of data.

Top writing tip: don’t be afraid to point out the shortcomings of your research. You will receive higher marks for writing objectively. For example, if you didn’t receive as many interview responses as expected, evaluate how this has impacted your research and findings. Don’t let your ego get in the way!

6. Write your introduction

Your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your masters dissertation. You might be wondering why writing an introduction isn't at the start of our step-by-step list, and that’s because many students write this chapter last.

Here’s what your introduction chapter should cover:

Problem statement

Research question

Significance of your research

This tells the reader what you’ll be researching as well as its importance. You’ll have a good idea of what to include here from your original dissertation proposal , though it’s fairly common for research to change once it gets started.

Writing or at least revisiting this section last can be really helpful, since you’ll have a more well-rounded view of what your research actually covers once it has been completed and written up.

Masters dissertation writing tips

When to start writing your thesis or dissertation.

When you should start writing your masters thesis or dissertation depends on the scope of the research project and the duration of your course. In some cases, your research project may be relatively short and you may not be able to write much of your thesis before completing the project. 

But regardless of the nature of your research project and of the scope of your course, you should start writing your thesis or at least some of its sections as early as possible, and there are a number of good reasons for this:

Academic writing is about practice, not talent. The first steps of writing your dissertation will help you get into the swing of your project. Write early to help you prepare in good time.

Write things as you do them. This is a good way to keep your dissertation full of fresh ideas and ensure that you don’t forget valuable information.

The first draft is never perfect. Give yourself time to edit and improve your dissertation. It’s likely that you’ll need to make at least one or two more drafts before your final submission.

Writing early on will help you stay motivated when writing all subsequent drafts.

Thinking and writing are very connected. As you write, new ideas and concepts will come to mind. So writing early on is a great way to generate new ideas.

How to improve your writing skills

The best way of improving your dissertation or thesis writing skills is to:

 Finish the first draft of your masters thesis as early as possible and send it to your supervisor for revision. Your supervisor will correct your draft and point out any writing errors. This process will be repeated a few times which will help you recognise and correct writing mistakes yourself as time progresses.

If you are not a native English speaker, it may be useful to ask your English friends to read a part of your thesis and warn you about any recurring writing mistakes. Read our section on English language support for more advice. 

Most universities have writing centres that offer writing courses and other kinds of support for postgraduate students. Attending these courses may help you improve your writing and meet other postgraduate students with whom you will be able to discuss what constitutes a well-written thesis.

Read academic articles and search for writing resources on the internet. This will help you adopt an academic writing style, which will eventually become effortless with practice.

Keep track of your bibliography 

The easiest way to keep the track of all the articles you have read for your research is to create a database where you can summarise each article/chapter into a few most important bullet points to help you remember their content. 

Another useful tool for doing this effectively is to learn how to use specific reference management software (RMS) such as EndNote. RMS is relatively simple to use and saves a lot of time when it comes to organising your bibliography. This may come in very handy, especially if your reference section is suspiciously missing two hours before you need to submit your dissertation! 

Avoid accidental plagiarism

Plagiarism may cost you your postgraduate degree and it is important that you consciously avoid it when writing your thesis or dissertation. 

Occasionally, postgraduate students commit plagiarism unintentionally. This can happen when sections are copy and pasted from journal articles they are citing instead of simply rephrasing them. Whenever you are presenting information from another academic source, make sure you reference the source and avoid writing the statement exactly as it is written in the original paper.

What kind of format should your thesis have?

Read your university’s guidelines before you actually start writing your thesis so you don’t have to waste time changing the format further down the line. However in general, most universities will require you to use 1.5-2 line spacing, font size 12 for text, and to print your thesis on A4 paper. These formatting guidelines may not necessarily result in the most aesthetically appealing thesis, however beauty is not always practical, and a nice looking thesis can be a more tiring reading experience for your postgrad examiner .

When should I submit my thesis?

The length of time it takes to complete your MSc or MA thesis will vary from student to student. This is because people work at different speeds, projects vary in difficulty, and some projects encounter more problems than others. 

Obviously, you should submit your MSc thesis or MA thesis when it is finished! Every university will say in its regulations that it is the student who must decide when it is ready to submit. 

However, your supervisor will advise you whether your work is ready and you should take their advice on this. If your supervisor says that your work is not ready, then it is probably unwise to submit it. Usually your supervisor will read your final thesis or dissertation draft and will let you know what’s required before submitting your final draft.

Set yourself a target for completion. This will help you stay on track and avoid falling behind. You may also only have funding for the year, so it is important to ensure you submit your dissertation before the deadline – and also ensure you don’t miss out on your graduation ceremony ! 

To set your target date, work backwards from the final completion and submission date, and aim to have your final draft completed at least three months before that final date.

Don’t leave your submission until the last minute – submit your work in good time before the final deadline. Consider what else you’ll have going on around that time. Are you moving back home? Do you have a holiday? Do you have other plans?

If you need to have finished by the end of June to be able to go to a graduation ceremony in July, then you should leave a suitable amount of time for this. You can build this into your dissertation project planning at the start of your research.

It is important to remember that handing in your thesis or dissertation is not the end of your masters program . There will be a period of time of one to three months between the time you submit and your final day. Some courses may even require a viva to discuss your research project, though this is more common at PhD level . 

If you have passed, you will need to make arrangements for the thesis to be properly bound and resubmitted, which will take a week or two. You may also have minor corrections to make to the work, which could take up to a month or so. This means that you need to allow a period of at least three months between submitting your thesis and the time when your program will be completely finished. Of course, it is also possible you may be asked after the viva to do more work on your thesis and resubmit it before the examiners will agree to award the degree – so there may be an even longer time period before you have finished.

How do I submit the MA or MSc dissertation?

Most universities will have a clear procedure for submitting a masters dissertation. Some universities require your ‘intention to submit’. This notifies them that you are ready to submit and allows the university to appoint an external examiner.

This normally has to be completed at least three months before the date on which you think you will be ready to submit.

When your MA or MSc dissertation is ready, you will have to print several copies and have them bound. The number of copies varies between universities, but the university usually requires three – one for each of the examiners and one for your supervisor.

However, you will need one more copy – for yourself! These copies must be softbound, not hardbound. The theses you see on the library shelves will be bound in an impressive hardback cover, but you can only get your work bound like this once you have passed. 

You should submit your dissertation or thesis for examination in soft paper or card covers, and your university will give you detailed guidance on how it should be bound. They will also recommend places where you can get the work done.

The next stage is to hand in your work, in the way and to the place that is indicated in your university’s regulations. All you can do then is sit and wait for the examination – but submitting your thesis is often a time of great relief and celebration!

Some universities only require a digital submission, where you upload your dissertation as a file through their online submission system.

Related articles

What Is The Difference Between A Dissertation & A Thesis

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Writing At Postgraduate Level

Dos & Don'ts Of Academic Writing

Dispelling Dissertation Drama

Writing A Dissertation Proposal

Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries

Exclusive bursaries Open day alerts Funding advice Application tips Latest PG news

Complete Our Destination Survey

Take 2 minutes to complete our Destination Survey for the chance to win a Postgrad Study Bursary worth £2,000.

All we need to know is:

• Your university
• Your PG course

• FindAMasters
• Researching and Writing a Masters Dissertation

Written by Mark Bennett

All Masters programmes include some form of extended individual project. Research-focussed programmes, such as an MRes , may include multiple independent research components. Taught courses usually culminate with a substantial research task, referred to as the Masters dissertation or thesis.

This article talks about how long a Masters dissertation is and the structure it follows.Before you get started on your dissertation, you'll usually need to write a proposal. Read our full guide to Masters dissertation proposals for more information on what this should include!

On this page

What’s the difference between a masters dissertation and an undergraduate dissertation.

The Masters thesis is a bridge between undergraduate study and higher level postgraduate degrees such as the PhD .

A postgraduate dissertation may not look that different to its undergraduate equivalent. You’ll likely have to produce a longer piece of work but the foundations remain the same.

After all, one of the purposes of an undergraduate dissertation or final year project is to prepare you for more in-depth research work as a postgraduate. That said, there are some important differences between the two levels.

So, how long is a Masters dissertation? A Masters dissertation will be longer than the undergraduate equivalent – usually it’ll be somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 words, but this can vary widely between courses, institutions and countries.

To answer your overall research question comprehensively, you’ll be expected to identify and examine specific areas of your topic. This can be like producing a series of shorter pieces of work, similar to those required by individual modules. However, there’s the additional requirement that they collectively support a broader set of conclusions.

This more involved Masters dissertation structure will:

• Give you the scope to investigate your subject in greater detail than is possible at undergraduate level
• Challenge you to be effective at organising your work so that its individual components function as stages in a coherent and persuasive overall argument
• Allow you to develop and hone a suitable research methodology (for example, choosing between qualitative and quantitative methods)

If the individual topics within your overall project require you to access separate sources or datasets, this may also have an impact on your research process.

As a postgraduate, you’ll be expected to establish and assert your own critical voice as a member of the academic community associated with your field .

During your Masters thesis you’ll need to show that you are not just capable of analysing and critiquing original data or primary source material. You should also demonstrate awareness of the existing body of scholarship relating to your topic .

So, if you’ll excuse the pun, a ‘Masters’ degree really is about achieving ‘mastery’ of your particular specialism and the dissertation is where you’ll demonstrate this: showing off the scholarly expertise and research skills that you’ve developed across your programme.

What’s the difference between a dissertation and a thesis?

A dissertation is a long piece of (usually) written work on the same topic. A thesis is a little more specific: it usually means something that presents an original argument based on the interpretation of data, statistics or content.

So, a thesis is almost always presented as a dissertation, but not all dissertations present a thesis.

Masters dissertation structure

As you can probably imagine, no two dissertations follow the exact same structure, especially given the differences found between Masters programmes from university to university and country to country .

That said, there are several key components that make up the structure of a typical Masters dissertation

How long is a Masters dissertation?

Most dissertations will typically be between 15,000 and 20,000 words long, although this can vary significantly depending on the nature of the programme.

You should also check with your university exactly which sections of the dissertation count towards the final word count (the abstract, bibliography and appendices won’t usually be included in the total).

Usually around 300 words long, the abstract is meant to be a concise summary of your dissertation. It should briefly cover the question(s) you aim to answer, your primary argument and your conclusion.

Introduction

The purpose of the introduction is to provide context for the rest of the dissertation, setting out your aims and the scope of what you want to achieve with your research. The introduction should give a clear overview of the dissertation’s chapters and will usually be around 1,000 words long.

Literature review

This part of the dissertation should examine the scholarship that has already been published in your field, presenting various arguments and counter-arguments while situating your own research within this wider body of work.

You should analyse and evaluate other publications and explain how your dissertation will contribute to the existing literature in your subject area. The literature review sometimes forms part of the introduction or follows immediately on from it. Most literature reviews are up to 1,000 words long.

Research methodology

Not all dissertations will require a section covering research methodology (Arts and Humanities dissertations won’t normally undertake the kind of research that involves a set methodology). However, if you are using a particular method to collect information for your dissertation, you should make sure to explain the rationale behind your choice of methodology. The word count for this part of the dissertation is usually around the 1,500 mark.

Those in the Arts and Humanities will usually outline their theoretical perspectives and approaches as part of the introduction, rather than requiring a detailed explanation of the methodology for their data collection and analysis.

Results / findings

If your research involves some form of survey or experiment, this is where you’ll present the results of your work. Depending on the nature of the study, this might be in the form of graphs, tables or charts – or even just a written description of what the research entailed and what the findings were.

This section forms the bulk of your dissertation and should be carefully structured using a series of related chapters (and sub-chapters). There should be a logical progression from one chapter to the next, with each part building on the arguments of its predecessor.

It can be helpful to think of your Masters dissertation as a series of closely interlinked essays, rather than one overwhelming paper. The size of this section will depend on the overall word count for your dissertation. However, to give you a rough idea for a 15,000-word dissertation, the discussion part will generally be about 12,000 words long.

Here you should draw together the threads of the previous discussion chapters and make your final concluding statements, drawing on evidence and arguments that you’ve already explored over the course of the dissertation. Explain the significance of your findings and point towards directions that future research could follow. This section of the Masters thesis will be around 1,500 words long.

References / bibliography

While planning and writing your dissertation, you should keep an extensive, organised record of any papers, sources or books you’ve quoted (or referred to). This will be a lot easier than leaving all of it until the end and struggling to work out where a particular quotation is from!

Appendices won’t be necessary in many dissertations, but you may need to include supplementary material to support your argument. This could be interview transcripts or questionnaires. If including such content within the body of the dissertation won’t be feasible – i.e. there wouldn’t be enough space or it would break the flow of your writing – you should consult with your supervisor and consider attaching it in an appendix.

It’s worth bearing in mind that these sections won’t always be discretely labelled in every dissertation. For example, everything up to ‘discussion’ might be covered in introductory chapter (rather than as distinct sections). If you’re unsure about the structure of your Masters dissertation, your supervisor will be able to help you map it out.

How does supervision work for a Masters dissertation?

As a Masters student at the dissertation stage you’ll usually be matched with an academic within your institution who will be tasked with guiding your work. This might be someone who has already taught you, or it may be another scholar whose research interests and expertise align well with what you want to do. You may be able to request a particular supervisor, but taught postgraduates are more likely to be assigned them by their department.

Specific arrangements with your supervisor will vary depending on your institution and subject area. They will usually meet with you at the beginning of the dissertation period to discuss your project and agree a suitable schedule for its undertaking. This timetable will probably set dates for:

• Subsequent discussions and progress checks
• The submission of draft chapters or sections
• Feedback appointments

Though your supervisor is there to help and advise you, it is important to remember that your dissertation is a personal research project with associated expectations of you as an independent scholar.

As a rule of thumb, you can expect your supervisor to read each part of your dissertation once at the draft stage and to offer feedback. Most will not have time to look at lots of subsequent revisions, but may respond favourably to polite requests for exceptions (provided their own workload permits it).

Inundating your supervisor with emails or multiple iterations of draft material is best avoided; they will have their own research to manage (as well as other supervision assignments) and will be able to offer better quality feedback if you stick to an agreed schedule.

How is a Masters dissertation assessed and examined?

On most courses your dissertation will be assessed by an external examiner (as well as additional members of faculty within your university who haven’t been responsible for supervising you), but these will read and critique the work you submit without personally questioning and testing you on it.

Though this examination process is not as challenging as the oral defence or ‘ viva voce ’ required for a PhD thesis, the grading of your Masters dissertation is still a fundamental component of your degree.

On some programmes the result awarded to a student’s dissertation may determine the upper grade-band that can be awarded to their degree.

Search for a Masters

Ready to start looking for your ideal postgraduate opportunity? Browse and compare Masters degrees on FindAMasters.com.

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

You may also like....

Applying for a Masters can feel a bit daunting. Here is a checklist of all the things you need to do to make sure you have everything covered in your Masters application.

Postgraduate study is often very flexible, with the option to study a Masters degree or other qualification part-time, online or through blended learning.

How do Bachelors and Masters courses differ? We’ve covered the main differences you’ll encounter when making the transition from undergrad to postgrad study.

Our guide explains how online Masters degree work, what the benefits of online learning are and how to choose what to study online.

Our guide tells you everything about the application process for studying a Masters in Italy.

Our guide tells you everything about the application process for studying a Masters in the USA.

FindAMasters. Copyright 2005-2024 All rights reserved.

Unknown    ( change )

Have you got time to answer some quick questions about Masters study?

Select your nearest city

• Aberystwyth
• Beaconsfield
• Bishop Burton
• Bournemouth
• Bridlington
• Chatham Maritime
• Cirencester
• East Malling
• Hemel Hempstead
• High Wycombe
• Huddersfield
• Isle of Man
• Jordanstown
• London Central
• London East
• London South
• London West
• Londonderry
• Loughborough
• Middlesbrough
• Milton Keynes
• Musselburgh
• Northampton
• Potters Bar
• Saffron Waldon
• Scarborough
• Southampton
• St Leonards on Sea
• Stoke on Trent
• Wolverhampton

You haven’t completed your profile yet. To get the most out of FindAMasters, finish your profile and receive these benefits:

• Monthly chance to win one of ten £10 Amazon vouchers ; winners will be notified every month.*
• Access to our £6,000 scholarship competition
• Weekly newsletter with funding opportunities, application tips and much more
• Early access to our physical and virtual postgraduate study fairs

Or begin browsing FindAMasters.com

or begin browsing FindAMasters.com

*Offer only available for the duration of your active subscription, and subject to change. You MUST claim your prize within 72 hours, if not we will redraw.

Do you want hassle-free information and advice?

Create your FindAMasters account and sign up to our newsletter:

• Find out about funding opportunities and application tips
• Receive weekly advice, student stories and the latest Masters news
• Hear about our upcoming study fairs
• Save your favourite courses, track enquiries and get personalised subject updates

Create your account

Looking to list your Masters courses? Log in here .

Let us help you find a Masters

Never miss a course

Enter our ambassador competition

Get funding news, tips and advice

Hear about upcoming events

Sign up to our newsletter today

We've been helping students find the right postgraduate course for over a decade.

Login to your account

Enter your username below to login to your account.

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.

Image source: Falkenpost/Pixabay.com 

We’re Masters at Master’s Theses! Make Yours Shine.

Let our expert academic editors perfect your writing, or get a free sample, about the author.

A Scribendi in-house editor, Anthony is happily putting his BA in English from Western University to good use with thoughtful feedback and incisive editing. An avid reader and gamer, he can be found during his off hours enjoying narrative-driven games and obscure and amusing texts, as well as cooking for his family.

Have You Read?

"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

Related Posts

How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation

Selecting a Thesis Committee

Thesis/Dissertation Writing Series: How to Write a Literature Review

Upload your file(s) so we can calculate your word count, or enter your word count manually.

We will also recommend a service based on the file(s) you upload.

English is not my first language. I need English editing and proofreading so that I sound like a native speaker.

I need to have my journal article, dissertation, or term paper edited and proofread, or I need help with an admissions essay or proposal.

I have a novel, manuscript, play, or ebook. I need editing, copy editing, proofreading, a critique of my work, or a query package.

I need editing and proofreading for my white papers, reports, manuals, press releases, marketing materials, and other business documents.

I need to have my essay, project, assignment, or term paper edited and proofread.

I want to sound professional and to get hired. I have a resume, letter, email, or personal document that I need to have edited and proofread.

 Prices include your personal % discount.

 Prices include % sales tax ( ).

How Long Is A Thesis Paper: Factors Involved & Formatting Tips

So you’re wondering “how long is a thesis paper?” The question has been tossed around by graduate students for as long as there have been graduate students. 

The length of your paper will depend on the complexity of the topic, the level of detail you include, and the overall length of your scholarly work. 

What is a thesis paper?

A thesis paper is a document you write as part of your academic degree program. It is your main argument for why you believe what you believe about a particular topic.

It’s an exploration of a topic undertaken to discover new knowledge. It’s the result of a process of intellectual growth, and it should be examined thoughtfully and critically. 

A good thesis shows that you have explored the topic deeply and have come to some conclusions about it. 

How long is a thesis paper?

Note that no matter how long, one thing’s for sure: it’s worth your time and effort. Your thesis will not only reflect your intellectual prowess but also your dedication to your field of study. 

So, commit to producing a high-quality thesis, and I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Factors that may determine the length of a thesis paper

Many factors can influence your paper’s length – some of which are out of your control. They include but are not limited to:

In addition, pay attention to the format and structure of your paper. Fourth, make sure all your sources are properly cited and referenced.

Tips to properly format your thesis

1. make the thesis title clear, concise, and easily understandable.

Too often, students cram too many ideas into a relatively brief title, making the paper difficult to read and understand. 

When crafting your thesis title, it’s essential to make it clear, concise, and easily understandable. 

2. Pay attention to fonts, margins, and space consistency 

Thesis papers can often look very unprofessional if not formatted correctly. For example, fonts and margins may be set too large or small, making the paper look sloppy and unattractive. 

Page numbers are also significant. In addition, space consistency is vital. Ensure all paragraphs, sections, and subsections are set at the same distance from the edge of the page.

There should be enough room left on each page for your text to flow without distractions. Once all these formatting details are taken care of, you can focus on the content. Here’s a quick guide:

3. Divide sections with headings appropriately 

A thesis paper is not just some random document. It requires careful formatting to look professional and to be easy to read. 

A thesis formatted correctly will also be easier to edit and proofread, making your writing process much easier.

4. Organize your analysis with data presentation aids 

A data presentation aid is anything that helps you organize and present your data in a clear, concise, and effective manner. 

Graphs help illustrate trends or relationships between variables. Tables can be used to show the distribution or composition of data. 

Charts can help you communicate visually complex data patterns. Maps provide an excellent way to describe Spatio-temporal relationships. 

5. Understand how to format your preliminary pages

The goal of a preliminary page is to pique the reader’s interest and leave them eager to read further. 

You don’t need to include every detail on this page – just enough to intrigue their curiosity. When writing a preliminary page, be sure to keep these three principles in mind:

6. Citations and references are important

Citations and references are an essential part of formatting a thesis paper. Without them, your paper will not be acceptable to most journals. 

The references within each entry must be single-spaced, and the references should be separated by one double-spaced line. You should also continue to number your references throughout the section.

7. Check for grammatical errors and plagiarism

While it is important to have a well-written thesis, it is equally important to ensure the formatting and grammar are correct. 

Not only will this help ensure that your thesis is easy to read and understand, but it may also help avoid plagiarism penalties. You can compare Grammarly and Turnitin plagiarism tools to make an informed decision. 

What is the purpose of a thesis paper?

How hard is writing a thesis, how long does it take to write a full thesis.

Generally, master’s thesis writing takes 9 – 15 months if students follow the standard steps. This duration may be short or long depending on your school and dedication

Final thoughts

While the length of a thesis paper may vary from student to student, the sections above should provide an approximate length for most submissions. 

Longer papers will likely require more explanations and examples; shorter papers may require less detail. All papers, no matter their length, should be thoroughly organized and well-researched. 

Finally, include a detailed abstract and reference at the end of your work to show you have done your research and to avoid plagiarism.

You may also like:

Why do waiters get paid so little [+ how to make more money], navigating workplace norms: can you email a resignation letter, difference between roles and responsibilities, does suspension mean termination, moral claim: definition, significance, contemporary issues, & challenges, why can’t you flush the toilet after a drug test.

The Penn Libraries has built a new, user-focused library catalog, with a simpler look and easier search features. Explore it at find.library.upenn.edu .

Research and Write Effectively: Dissertation, Thesis, Term paper

Working on a doctoral dissertation, a master's thesis, a senior capstone, or an undergraduate term paper? Meet with a subject librarian to refine your research question, design a literature review search, learn about research methods, and connect to tools for qualitative and quantitative analysis.  

Book a consultation

Consult with a Librarian

Students are invited to meet with their subject librarian to receive help with:

• Refining a research topic
• Accessing guidance about qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design
• Locating collections of primary sources and secondary datasets
• Constructing and documenting a literature search strategy
• Evaluating the credibility of sources
• Learning about software options for gathering, storing, and analyzing data
• Using citation style guides to give credit to sources 

Not sure who to contact? Chat with us online , or request a consultation to be matched with a specialist.

More Services

Looking for more ways to get help with your research? Check out these services.

Identify Resources: Search Skills and Techniques

Read and write critically: information literacy, upcoming events.

Research Basics

Learn fundamental skills for gathering literature relevant to any research project.

• 4:00pm - 5:00pm
• Goldstein Electronic Classroom, Room 114, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center

Reference Management Workshop

Learn how to use the popular citation management tool Zotero to keep track of your sources as you research and easily cite sources as you are writing.

• 1:00pm - 2:00pm
• Gershwind & Bennett Family Collaborative Classroom, Holman Biotech Commons

In this workshop, we will walk you through the basics of using Zotero to save and organize sources as well as generate citations. 

• 11:00am - 12:30pm
• Graduate Student Center, 3615 Locust Walk, Third Floor, Room 304
• Get Expert Help
• Undergraduates
• Graduate Students

We're sorry but you will need to enable Javascript to access all of the features of this site.

Stanford Online

How long does it take to earn a master’s degree.

A master’s degree can equip you with comprehensive knowledge in a subject, paving the way to enhanced job prospects and earning potential.

But pursuing a master’s degree can also be a substantial investment of time and resources, typically consuming 1-2 years of full-time or 3-5 years of part-time study. Is the investment worth the benefits, and which type of program is the best fit for you?

We will cover the five biggest factors that can influence the time it will take you to complete a graduate degree, so you can make an informed decision about which path best fits your situation.

1. Program Curriculum

Universities typically use credit hours to gauge the workload of a course, based on weekly class attendance and homework assignments. Master's programs often require 30 to 60 credit hours, but that number can vary. Every course awards between 1 and 5 credits each, with most courses being between 3 and 5 credits. Check your institution’s program for further information.

At Stanford, the number of units required to earn a master’s degree is usually 45, but may vary depending on the degree that you are pursuing .

Within any program’s curriculum, you should expect some courses to be more challenging and time-consuming than others. To help you determine the intensity of each course so that you can plan your studies, most graduate courses offered through Stanford Online have a suggested “Time to Complete” on each course page, based on prior student’s reporting. As a rule of thumb, the higher number of credits a course is worth, the higher the amount of effort and time required to complete it.

2. Final Project or Thesis Requirements 

Certain master's programs necessitate a final project, such as a thesis, internship, or capstone project. Research-focused fields, including mathematics or psychology, often require a master's thesis involving extensive independent research. For these, there may be minimum and maximum time for completion. Look to find the exact time frames in your institution's program information. 

3. Part-Time Versus Full-Time Enrollment 

Your choice between full-time and part-time enrollment impacts the duration of time spent to earn your degree. As a full-time student with a standard course load, you can finish faster, typically around nine credit hours per semester. However, balancing full-time study with work and family commitments can be challenging. Part-time enrollment allows for a more balanced lifestyle but extends your time to complete the program.

Stanford has master’s degree programs that allow you to change status from full-time to part-time while progressing through your degree, allowing you to adapt based on changes in other areas of your life.

The flexibility was one of the main reasons, an important factor for wanting to come and do this program. - Jeff Hanson

4. Online, In-Person, and Hybrid Graduate Programs

Thanks to technology, if you are looking to expand your skills you can choose between three different formats when selecting a program.

Online master's programs can offer you access to the same curriculum as on-campus courses, providing the freedom to study at top universities without relocating. Many students tell us that the option to enroll in courses online was the difference between them being able to pursue the degree and not. In addition, the flexibility of online programs also allows you to set your own pace, meaning students can potentially handle a heavier course load and complete their degree in less time. Many of Stanford’s online students love being able to stream lectures on their own schedule, and that having the option to watch and rewatch content greatly increases their understanding of the content .

The best part of the program was the convenience. I never would have been able to finish if it wasn't for the online option. - Nancy Cheng

In-person courses often allow you more opportunities for networking and you might have a preference to be physically present in the classroom for lectures. Living on or near your university’s campus allows you to more fully experience all that the school has to offer. Many institutions offer in-person education for both full-time or part-time programs. Depending on where your institution is located, and if you continue to work while pursuing your degree, you might need to factor in additional housing and commuting costs to your overall budget.

Hybrid or mixed programs allow you the option to attend courses on campus or online. This might be the best of both worlds and afford you the flexibility to adapt to your personal and professional schedule while pursuing your education.

Accelerated, Stackable, and Dual-Degree Programs

Different degree formats can also shorten or lengthen the time commitment to complete your degree. Here are three common types you should be aware of:

Accelerated

Accelerated master's programs, often referred to as co-term, five-year, or four-plus-one programs, allow you to pursue both a bachelor's and a master's degree in a shorter period than these degrees would typically require. Because these programs are completed in a shortened schedule, they are often more difficult to complete, and may also require additional eligibility criteria.

Stackable education programs allow you to obtain multiple credentials by “stacking” them to earn another type of credential, e.g.,earning a certificate from which the credits can contribute to a master’s degree. Stanford allows for up to 18 units to transfer from graduate certificates to applicable master’s degrees. This is a great option if you want to explore taking courses before committing to pursuing a full master’s degree.

A newer option within education is stacking micro certificates into graduate certificates. If you want to obtain more credentials throughout your education, look for institutions that offer stackable credential paths.

Dual-Degree

Dual-degree programs combine either two graduate programs or a graduate and a doctoral degree. They require more time than a single master's degree but less time than pursuing two degrees independently. Examples include combining a law degree with an MBA, or a master of public health with a doctor of pharmacy. Not every institution offers this style of program.

Is a Master’s Degree Worth the Time?

Every master's degree, whether it's a one-year commitment or a five-year journey, demands a significant investment of time and often expense. Before determining if such a pursuit is “worth it,” you should ask yourself four questions:

1. Does earning a master’s degree match my educational or career goals?

Determine if earning a graduate degree aligns with your future goals and plans. In certain fields, a master's degree is a prerequisite for entry-level positions. In other professions it's not mandatory, but having a master's can still substantially enhance your qualifications for career advancement and your earning potential. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022) , median weekly earnings for master's degree holders were $1,661, compared to $1,432 for those with a bachelor’s degree and $853 for those with only a high school diploma.

2. Can I afford a graduate education?

The cost of a master’s degree varies significantly from university to university and even program to program within a university, so it’s important to understand the full costs. Establish the budget you have available to pursue graduate school. While you are in the process of comparing graduate programs , compare the costs alongside other factors.

The average cost of a master’s degree at Stanford may vary based on the program you are pursuing.

If you’re a working professional contemplating a master's degree, you might find that your employer has sponsorship or reimbursement options available. Many companies recognize the value of highly skilled employees and provide tuition assistance, so be sure to seek out the resources your organization has available and meet with your manager or HR department to discuss further.

3. What will my experience in graduate school be like?

Your experience getting your master’s degree will depend on the course material as well as the overall character of the experience. To get a better sense, some institutions allow you to take individual courses before committing fully to a program. This provides a great opportunity to understand the curriculum, format, and workload.

Stanford offers students the opportunity to enroll in individual graduate courses without being officially admitted to a program. You can transfer up to 18 units to an applicable master’s degree (pending department approval). Many students start graduate school this way so they can get a better sense of the time and energy they need to invest and plan accordingly.In addition, Stanford offers some freely available graduate lectures that give you a great sense of the teaching team and content covered.

To get a sense of the second, seek out stories from students who have completed the program or that are currently enrolled. These can be helpful in determining if a program is the right fit for you. Ask your coworkers, friends, and family about their higher education experiences and connect with folks who can answer questions about institutions or programs you are considering.

4. Can I make the time for both work and school? 

Balancing the large time commitments of both work and school is no easy feat. It takes hard work, steadfast dedication, and intrinsic motivation. The possibility of reaching their personal goals is what pushes most or our students over the finish line.

While combining work and school is challenging, it can also be deeply rewarding. Many students find it benefits both because they can learn new concepts at school and then quickly apply them at work, building skills and refining their understanding simultaneously. If you are struggling to decide if managing both work and school is the best path for you, we recommend starting by applying and enrolling in an individual graduate course to gauge the rigor and help to plan how the rest of your studies could work.

When you are taking classes while you work, you apply the information immediately. You learn something in class and you relate it to what you're doing in the office. You're constantly drawing the connections. - Brett Ong

If you determine that you want to pursue a master’s degree but you feel that you cannot fit work in simultaneously, it might make the most sense to attend school full-time.

Alternatives to Graduate School

While pursuing a master's degree can enhance your career in many fields, the commitment of time, money and energy involved means it is certainly not the right path for everyone.. There are also alternative education options with a more manageable time commitment, including:

• Individual courses might provide you with the specific skills needed for advancement. Whether it's data science, engineering, artificial intelligence, or another area, single courses can offer opportunities to learn from top experts. Time to complete can range from just a few hours to a few weeks or months. You can find individual courses in a very wide range of levels from free introductions to graduate level courses .
• Certificates offer targeted training for specific careers. They can range from programs requiring no prior experience to building on existing skills for career advancement to industry-recognized certifications.
• Professional certificates are often highly flexible and feature instruction for students to complete anywhere, at any time. These programs will often weave a comprehensive and engaging self-paced educational experience with live educational elements. Completion timelines for these certificates are typically measured in months rather than years.
• Graduate certificates are a great option if you still see a master’s degree on your horizon but aren’t ready to pursue one now. They allow you to experience graduate courses alongside other graduate students, but are much more flexible and don’t require you to be continuously enrolled. They usually require only 3-4 courses and, therefore, can be completed faster and for a smaller investment than a master’s degree.
• Short programs or events offer deep dives into specific subjects in a short timeframe, providing practical insights and experiential learning. Students are expected to dedicate lots of time to the course within a short period. These programs are not always offered on a regular basis, the way courses and certificates are, but become available based on demand or when there are rapid advancements in a particular field.

From this guide, you should have a better sense of how long it takes to earn a master’s degree and the variables that affect those timelines. Equipped with this knowledge, you can make thoughtful choices about your own education path. Please get in touch with our team if you have questions about a course or program offered through Stanford Online.

We wish you the best of luck in your future studies!

• Engineering
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Science & Security
• Business & Management
• Energy & Sustainability
• Data Science
• Medicine & Health
• Explore All
• Technical Support
• Master’s Application FAQs
• Master’s Student FAQs
• Master's Tuition & Fees
• Grades & Policies
• HCP History
• Graduate Application FAQs
• Graduate Student FAQs
• Graduate Tuition & Fees
• Community Standards Review Process
• Academic Calendar
• Exams & Homework FAQs
• Enrollment FAQs
• Tuition, Fees, & Payments
• Custom & Executive Programs
• Free Online Courses
• Free Content Library
• School of Engineering
• Graduate School of Education
• Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
• School of Humanities & Sciences
• Stanford Human Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)
• Graduate School of Business
• Stanford Law School
• School of Medicine
• Learning Collaborations
• Stanford Credentials
• What is a digital credential?
• Grades and Units Information
• Our Community
• Get Course Updates

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

Length of a master's thesis and its literature review?

I am pretty confident that I will be getting answers pointing out that this is something too specific and should/will be decided by my university and that a general answer does not exist. But anyway, I just want to have an idea.

I was aiming at 120 pages of my upcoming marketing master's thesis but I thought that I could reduce it to 100 (pure text speaking of course as I am pretty sure that with references and appendices, it will be +120 though). So what is the average length of a master's thesis? Business and marketing field. As for what I've found online, the general consensus seems to be between 60 and 120 pages.

As for its literature review length, again, the general consensus seems to be between 20% and 40% of the overall thesis length, any personal experience with that? I was aiming at 50% but after doing some research, I am decreasing it to somewhere between 20% and 30%. However my instructor demanded it to be between 30% and 40%.

• That seems like a lot to me. I'ld say max 15,000 words similar to an article published in a marketing journal..... –  Tim Commented Jun 22, 2016 at 3:51
• You mean the thesis' length or the literature review? 15,000 is around 30 pages so that makes it 30% if I am planning at 100 pages of the thesis. –  R. AS. Commented Jun 22, 2016 at 9:23
• 1 Your school should have prior master's theses available either online or in the library. Take a look at them, especially ones with the same advisor. What's acceptable at my school isn't going to be what's acceptable at yours, and what's acceptable to my advisor isn't necessarily going to fly with yours. –  Kathy Commented Jun 22, 2016 at 13:59

2 Answers 2

I found 5 theses related to my master's thesis topic on the Open Access Theses and Dissertations website. All of them were 120 pgs - 150 pages, although this was for engineering. The literature review was (appx) 30% of each thesis. My suggestion is to check the OATD website, find theses in your field and closely related to your topic to get a pretty general idea of the length and breadth of literature review.

• Will definitely check. The ones you've checked, were references/appendices part of the 120 - 150 pages? –  R. AS. Commented Jun 22, 2016 at 9:22

I think you pretty much answered your question yourself (as you expected). You seem to have a good idea of what the length of related theses is and you know that your university has the last word. 100 to 120 pages seems reasonable for your area.

If you really want to know you have to ask you advisor or former students who already wrote their thesis in a related subject.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged thesis masters ..

• Featured on Meta
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites
• We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
• Announcing a change to the data-dump process

Hot Network Questions

• Where does the energy in ion propulsion come from?
• Has the US said why electing judges is bad in Mexico but good in the US?
• How to logging Preferences library
• How to reply to reviewers who ask for more work by responding that the paper is complete as it stands?
• What's the meaning of "running us off an embankment"?
• If a trigger runs an update will it ALWAYS have the same timestamp for a temporal table?
• Why are complex coordinates outlawed in physics?
• Is it possible to have a planet that's gaslike in some areas and rocky in others?
• Are there any polls on the opinion about Hamas in the broader Arab or Muslim world?
• Memory-optimizing arduino code to be able to print all files from SD card
• How would you say a couple of letters (as in mail) if they're not necessarily letters?
• How could I contact the Betriebsrat (Works Council) of my employer behind his back?
• What would be non-slang equivalent of "copium"?
• How does the summoned monster know who is my enemy?
• What are the 270 mitzvot relevant today?
• How long does it take to achieve buoyancy in a body of water?
• What is the meaning of “即采即发”“边采边发”?
• Why is the movie titled "Sweet Smell of Success"?
• Which version of Bitcoin Core do I need for a Dell laptop with Ubuntu?
• What is the difference between a "Complaint for Civil Protection Order" and a "Motion for Civil Protection Order"?
• Cannot open and HTML file stored on RAM-disk with a browser
• My supervisor wants me to switch to another software/programming language that I am not proficient in. What to do?
• Which hash algorithms support binary input of arbitrary bit length?
• Has a tire ever exploded inside the Wheel Well?

• Press Enter to activate screen reader mode.

Department of Management, Technology, and Economics

Master's thesis.

To conclude your MSc MTEC studies, you will write a Master's thesis. It is a testament to your ability to independently produce a coherent and scientific piece of work.

The Master's thesis is an independent scientific work you will write towards the end of your studies. It will showcase the knowledge and skills you have learned during your studies and prove that you can create an academic contribution in your field of specialisation.

You will be supervised by your tutor who will also help you select a topic and set the aims and bounds of the thesis. Usually, a researcher from your tutor's chair will provide guidance as an advisor. Upon agreement with your supervisor you may write your Master's thesis with a company or at another university abroad. In either of these cases, your tutor will remain the supervisor and grade your thesis.

The Master's thesis is written on a full-​time basis, lasts six months and earns 30 Credit Points upon successful completion. You are not allowed to be remunerated for writing a thesis as per ETH directive.

You must adhere to the citation etiquette and uphold academic integrity.

The sections below explain how to organise and what to consider for your Master's thesis.

• chevron_right How to select a topic
• chevron_right What to do before starting
• chevron_right What to consider for submitting

Selecting a topic

You will select a topic together with your tutor who will also supervise your Master's thesis. In relation to the topic, your supervisor will define the aim, set the beginning and submission dates of the thesis and communicate the the evaluation criteria in written form to you.

Many chairs publish a list of available topics, but you can also propose your own topic. You can find topics on the web pages of the respective chairs or contact them directly. The corresponding links are listed below, or in the D-MTEC Chair Guide. The latter is a good opportunity to explore and compare the chairs at D-MTEC.

You can also find research projects relevant for Master's theses in our SiROP feed .

We encourage you to think about your Master's thesis early during your studies. You should take elective and supplementary courses in the research area of the chair at which you plan to write your Master's thesis at. Some chairs require an extensive set of courses to qualify.

D-MTEC Chair Guide

Information about the research fields and teaching areas of D-MTEC chairs.

Before starting the Master's thesis

General conditions.

The following conditions must be fulfilled before you start your Master's thesis:

• You have successfully completed your Bachelor's degree
• You have fulfilled any additional admission requirements for the MSc MTEC programme
• You have successfully completed the internship
• You have completed the academic writing course

Registering your Master's thesis

You have to register your Master's theses via myStudies before starting. The registration includes a preliminary title, the starting and submission date, and a task description.

Handing in the Master's thesis

You will have six month's time to complete your Master's theses. After registering the thesis in myStudies and providing a start date, the submission deadline will be determined automatically and displayed in myStudies. You have to deliver the thesis in the form decided upon with your supervisor. It must include a signed declaration of originality which is also provided on myStudies.

Your supervisor will then grade your Master's thesis. It is considered as passed if it is graded with at least 4. You can repeat a failed Master's thesis once. You must choose a new topic and you can change your supervisor if you want.

Submitted Master's theses are archived for 2 years by the chairs.

Late submission

If you hand in your Master's thesis too late, it is considered failed. The Director of Studies may grant an extension of the submission deadline for compelling reasons upon request.

Publication in the ETH Research Collection

A Master's thesis can be published in the ETH Research Collection if the supervisor supports its publication.

• chevron_right ETH Research Collection
• chevron_right Instructions on how to publish your Master's thesis in the ETH Research Collection

ETH honours outstanding Master’s theses with the Silver Medal of ETH Zurich and a financial sum of CHF 2000. To be shortlisted, your Master's thesis must be graded with 6, your GPA must be at least 5.25 and your supervisor has to nominate you to the rector. The ETH Medal will be awarded at the graduation ceremony (MTEC Day).

External awards

MSc MTEC graduates have also received awards from external organisations, such as the Ernst Blickle Award from the SEW-Eurodrive Foundation, the Wissenschaftspreis awarded by GS1 Germany and the EHI Foundation, the HUMLOG Board Award, the BME Hochschulpreis, or the The Seghezzi Preis.

Mas­ter­’s Thes­is

Preliminary Note:  According to the Master regulations, the final paper in the Master program in Computer Science is the Master’s Thesis.

In a Master’s Thesis, candidates show their ability to independently perform scientific research on an appropriately challenging theme that also gives them the opportunity to develop their own ideas. On the basis of the "state-of-the-art" processes, the students must systematically apply the methods of computer science.

The Master’s Thesis must be written in the student's specialization area. The thesis advisor ensures that the objectives of the thesis can be reached within the intended time period. Advisors are available for consultation throughout the entire development of the thesis. They should regularly check that the work is progressing well and should also counteract any potentially negative developments, such as the student not meeting the objectives or exceeding the given time limit. They also give timely advice when the student is writing the thesis, and before the student submits the completed thesis.

All candidates must report the starting date of a Master’s Thesis to the Examination Office; the thesis topic and the starting date of the official processing period are then documented by the thesis advisor and forwarded to the Examination Office. The knowledge required for the thesis and how to acquire this knowledge should be clarified prior to when the topic is granted. For a Master’s Thesis, graduate students are first formally obliged to design a work plan. Approximately one month of full-time work (5 ECTS) is intended for this starting phase. The work plan (called a “Proposal”) must explore the thesis topic thoroughly enough and lay out a detailed plan for the following research on the thesis topic. The Proposal must explain this proposed research through detailed contents and depth as well as a complete depiction of the considered aspects. The Proposal must contain the following elements: a description of the task to be completed, the reasons behind working on the thesis, a clear formulation of the objectives, a description of the work necessary to reach the goal, and an accompanying timetable and preliminary outline of the written thesis. The work plan must be countersigned by the thesis advisor and submitted for approval to the Examination Office together with the application for the Master's Thesis. From this point on, the planned processing time is five months, whereas the start of the processing period agreed upon with the thesis advisor takes the one-month processing period for the work plan into account.

The written thesis is the main component of the final research. It should contain an incisive, understandable description of the completed research task, the research results, and the approach used to reach the result. In a thesis, candidates must also justify their decisions on which research methods or alternative solution approaches were used. The Master's Thesis must be written in the style of a scientific treatise. This includes in particular a summary, an outline, a description of the "state-of-the-art", and a bibliography of the literature used for the thesis. If software was designed and implemented during the thesis research, the structure, work methods and interfaces of the software must also be described precisely. Although it is not necessary to include the software documents in the written thesis, the software system, including the source code, must be available to the thesis advisor for review. Candidates must submit the written thesis in print to the examination office. Their advisor receives an additional copy in a common electronic format (PDF). 

The thesis defense, meaning an open-audience presentation followed by scientific discussion, is also an element of the Master’s Thesis. During the defense, the candidate must explain his/her research results concisely in a 30- to 45-minute presentation and then answer questions posed by a professional audience (usually during an advanced seminar held by the advisor). Ideally, the defense should be held soon after submission of the thesis.

To determine the grade granted for the thesis, the various achievements presented in the thesis are evaluated individually and internally. In general, the following individual achievements are divided into the categories listed below, arranged from the top down in order of the grade-relevant importance of the individual aspects.

Research Results . The results of the research work are given the highest priority and can come in various forms: theorems, software products, hardware products, empirically derived statements, or a mixture thereof. The approach employed to reach the results are also evaluated when the quality of the results are assessed.

Written Thesis. The written thesis, the main component of the research work, is given second priority. Here the evaluation includes determining how understandably graduates present the findings and research method to expert readers, and how well they concentrated on essential details and excluded non-essential details. The form, graphics, language and style of the thesis are also assessed.

Work method . The evaluation of the work method includes determining how purposefully and independently the candidate performed the research.

Presentation and discussion. Here, the committee evaluates the preparation of the presentation, the visual aids used for the presentation (such as slides), the candidates’ rhetorical skills and their ability to handle critical questions.

Due to the nature of the field of computer science, a Master’s Thesis that is written in cooperation with other institutes or (industrial) university-external parties is no rarity. And sometimes candidates write their thesis on a topic at an institute that corresponds to their minor subject. In both of these cases, the thesis advisor must inspect the research topic carefully and ensure that the candidate is given competent "on-site support". If the Master’s Thesis is written in a minor subject and an advisor in this minor subject takes on the role of the candidate’s supervisor, a university instructor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Paderborn must first determine that the research topic is plausible, and this instructor must supervise the thesis together with the advisor in the minor subject. Merely including the Computer Science Department advisor’s name as the secondary advisor when submitting the completed written thesis is not sufficient.

If the Master’s Thesis is written outside the university, such as at an external company, the thesis advisor must ensure that the candidate is not negatively affected by company-internal constraints (deadlines, financial dependence, non-disclosure agreements for concealing trade secrets). In this sense, “freedom of education” must be guaranteed. Companies are notified that the research work (the written thesis) is, by general rule, open to all readers. In special cases (such as when a patent is pending), a certain limited time period between the end of the research and the actual publication of the thesis can be determined. The in-company advisor/reviewer must make the entire research work available.

When submitting the thesis, candidates pledge to archive a public copy of the thesis for up to at least 5 years. The Computer Science Department, meaning the university in general, does not archive the submitted, accepted written thesis.

The Master's Thesis Project is an individual in-depth research or expert design assignment in the specific field of expertise chosen by the student. The nominal duration of a thesis project is approximately 30 weeks (42 ECTS). For students the master programme in September 2022, the Thesis will have nominal study duration of 45 ECTS.

The thesis can roughly be divided into 5 phases. Below, you can find an overview of these phases with a short description. For a more detailed overview what all the phases are about, please refer to the ‘Master Thesis Aerospace Engineering’ Brightspace page. For track related specifications, please contact the Track Coordinator. 

All information on the forms that have to be used during the Thesis project, can be found  her e.

• Orientation

Together with staff and fellow students, discuss thesis possibilities and pick a supervisor.

• Kick-off meeting

Discuss your thesis subject and your approach with your supervisor and get your subject formally approved.

• Midterm meeting

Here the thesis progress is discussed and the research goals re-evaluated.

• Green-light review

The Green-light meeting is deciding whether you are ready for graduating or not. Here your draft thesis should be ready and checked for plagiarism. 

• Graduation Day (Defence, Assessment and Graduation ceremony)

Your last day of studying will consist of a presentation for friends, family etc. and afterwards a defence with just the committee. After you defence, the committee shall determine the assessment. When they are ready, you will officially graduate your MSc degree and receive your diploma.

Note: a student is expected to have finished all the MSc courses. A student may not start the final graduation phase (thesis project) before having successfully completed the BSc programme and the first year of the MSc programme. Deviation from the second requirement is possible, but only if approved by the thesis supervisor (article 10.2 Implementation Regulations).

Combining the Literature Study with the course Research Methodologies is essential (time-wise and contents-wise), as the course helps you to set-up a good thesis proposal. As of September 2022, the Literature Study is incorporated into the Thesis and is the course Research Methodologies no longer mandatory.

It is possible to do your thesis at a company. There are guidelines applicable which can be found on Brightspace. Here you can also find more information on confidentiality regulations, as some companies may request this. 

Thesis Opportunities

Thesis procedure (for students starting 2021 and before), thesis procedure (students starting 2022 and after), rubrics for students starting 2021 and before, rubrics for students starting 2022 and after..

For more information about the Master Thesis and Thesis Opportunities please refer to Brightspace → Master Thesis Aerospace Engineering.

Share this page:

Points to take into account while writing your master's thesis

The topics you can choose for a master's thesis should be highly relevant for practice and policy and the thesis should to be empirically grounded.

Process of a master's thesis

• Discuss a possible topic with Prof. Liudvika Leišytė.
• Write a 2-page proposal (incl. title, table of contents and timeline of the thesis).
• Get approval for this by Prof. Leišytė.
• Prof. Leišytė will write a letter to the Central Examinations Office to declare that she will be your supervisor.
• Write the thesis: in the process, make sure to send the questionnaire for surveys or interview schedules to Prof. Leišytė to get approval before you start your empirical work.
• Submit your thesis to the Section Central Examinations Office, Dez. 4.3.

Type and time frame of the master’s thesis

• Generally, all theses at the Professorship are empirical (i.e. the self-organized collection and analysis of data is part of every thesis). This type of thesis has a time frame of 26 weeks (for details see the Prüfungsordnung ).
• In exceptional cases, theoretical theses are accepted. The specific topic must then be discussed and agreed on with Prof. Liudvika Leišytė. The time frame for this type of thesis is only 17 weeks.

The time frame (count of weeks) starts with the registration of your topic (letter from Prof. Leišytė to the Central Examinations Office).

Topic of the thesis

The topic you choose should relate to the main research fields of the Professorship of Higher Education. Possible Topics:

• Innovation through organizational learning
• Stakeholder representation and characteristics in the boards of universities
• Promotion of collaboration at German universities: policies and practices
• Changing governance of universities and implications of this for their performance
• The implementation of gender policies in German universities
• Characteristics and challenges of an inclusive professional organization

Academic entrepreneurship

• Policies of German universities to promote spin off creation in Germany
• The characteristics of founders of new high tech ventures in Germany
• Motivations of academic entrepreneurs to patent
• Gender and entrepreneurship: evidence from patenting activities

Academic profession and managerialism

• The role of new public management on publication behaviour of academics
• The role of performance based systems on grant acquisition of academics
• Gender in academia: what are the gender differences in academic productivity?
• Challenges of integration of foreign knowledge workers in Germany

Preconditions

Master's theses at the Professorship of Higher Education are accepted according to certain preconditions and according to capacities of scientific staff:

• Bachelor's degree
• Successful completion of two seminars of the Professorship of Higher Education
• Parallel to master’s thesis: Participation in the Research Colloquium of the Professorship

For theses in the Master WiWi as well as the exam regulations (Prüfungsordnung) see: WiWi: Master of Science

Recommended pages

• New staff intranet
• Student Welcome
• Online registration
• MyUoB mobile app
• Campus maps
• Lecture timetables
• Study spaces
• Student digital services
• Student support
• Student printing
• Car parking
• Room bookings
• Core systems
• Staff development

Presenting your thesis

 formatting your thesis.

Please refer to Regulation 7.4.2 for important information on how to format your thesis.

The Library Services guide 'Presenting your thesis' has been written as the standard for all theses presented for research degrees in the University of Birmingham. 

It offers guidance on the practicalities of producing your thesis in a format that is acceptable for examination and for deposit in the library. This guide does not deal with the content and academic standard required of a thesis and on these matters you are advised to consult University Regulations, your supervisor and guidance issued by your School.

Please also see the  Getting your thesis ready workshop webpage .

 Thesis word limit

On submitting your thesis for examination you are required to complete a declaration form confirming the word length of your thesis. You should therefore be aware of the maximum word length for your thesis. See  Regulation 7.4.2 (d).

The stated maximum number of words excludes tables, diagrams (including associated legends), appendices, list of references, footnotes and endnotes, the bibliography and any bound published material. For information on referencing styles see the  iCite – referencing at the University of Birmingham  webpages.

A thesis that exceeds the maximum number of words will not be accepted for examination unless permission to exceed the stated word count has been granted by the Research Progress & Awards Sub Panel. Permission to exceed the stated word count is only granted in exceptional circumstances. If you consider that you will not be able to meet the stated word limited, you are advised to discuss this with your supervisor at an early stage.

 Language of your thesis

 acknowledging collaborative work.

If any material is included in your thesis which is a result of collaborative working, you must include details of how much of the work is your own and how much is that of other people. See Regulation 7.4.1 (h).

It is also important to seek the prior agreement of those other people to make your thesis available in the University eTheses Repository. 

 Previously published or submitted work

You may include work that has already been published providing the work is properly integrated, either in the thesis or as an appendix to which reference is made - see  Regulation 7.4.1 (g). It must be adequately referenced and you are advised to consult with your supervisor if you are unsure about the inclusion of any previously published work in your thesis. 

For additional information please refer to the Copyright for Researchers web page

You may not include material for assessment which has already been submitted for another degree awarded at this or any other University, unless all of the conditions set out in Regulation 7.4.1 (f) are satisfied.

If you are considering including published papers in your thesis, please read the alternative format thesis guide (Word - 22KB).

 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of cheating and is a serious academic offence. It arises where work submitted is not the student's own and has been taken from another source. The original material is then hidden from the marker, either by not referencing it properly, by paraphrasing it or by not mentioning it at all.

For further information see the University’s Guidance on plagiarism for students .

All theses submitted for examination are checked through plagiarism detection software.

 Editorial help for PGR theses

A thesis submitted for examination at the University of Birmingham must be solely the postgraduate researcher’s own work (except where University Regulations permit the inclusion of appropriately referenced collaborative research or work – see Regulation 7.4.1 . A postgraduate researcher must not employ a ‘ghost writer’ to write parts or all of the thesis, whether in draft or as a final version, on his/her behalf.

Editors, whether they are formal supervisors, informal mentors, family or friends or professional, need to be clear about the extent and nature of help they offer in the editing of University of Birmingham PGRs theses and dissertations. Supervisors of PGRs also need to be clear about the role of the third party editors as well as their own editorial role.

PGRs may use third party editorial assistance (paid or voluntary) from an outside source.  This must be with the knowledge and support of supervisors and the use of third party editorial assistance must be stated in the thesis acknowledgement page.

A ‘third party’ editor cannot be used :

• To change the text of the thesis so as to clarify and/or develop the ideas and arguments;
• To reduce the length of the thesis so it falls within the specified word limit;
• To correct information within the thesis;
• To change ideas and arguments put forward within the thesis; and/or
• To translate the thesis into English.

A ‘third party’ editor can be used to offer advice on:

• Spelling and punctuation;
• Formatting and sorting of footnotes and endnotes for consistency and order;
• Ensuring the thesis follows the conventions of grammar and syntax in written English;
• Shortening long sentences and editing long paragraphs;
• Changing passives and impersonal usages into actives, vice versa as may be appropriate;
• Improving the positioning of tables and illustrations and the clarity, grammar, spelling and punctuation of any text in or under tables and illustrations; and
• Ensuring consistency of page numbers, headers and footers.

Where a third party editor is used it is the PGR’s responsibility to provide the third party editor with a copy of this statement (Word - 20KB)  and ensure they complete the Third Party Editor Declaration Form (Word - 32KB)  confirming their compliance with this statement.

When submitting the thesis the PGR must record in the Acknowledgements page the form of contribution the ‘third party’ editor has made, by stating for example, “this thesis was copy edited for conventions of language, spelling and grammar by ABC Editing Ltd”.

Please also see the Code of Practice on Academic Integrity .

 Intellectual property rights

These rights generally belong to the student, but if your work is considered to be commercially significant students may be required to assign their rights to the University. 

For further information please see:

• University Regulation 5.4 covering Intellectual Property
• Regulation 3.16 covering Patents and The Exploitation of Inventions
• The Copyright for Researchers webpage

 Can't find what you're looking for?

• College of Arts and Law
• College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• College of Life and Environmental Sciences
• College of Medicine and Health
• College of Social Sciences

Professional Services

• Academic Services
• Campus Services
• Development and Alumni Relations
• Executive Support
• External Relations
• Human Resources
• IT Services
• Legal Services
• Research Strategy and Services

Get the Reddit app

Everything related to Danmarks Tekniske Universitet.

How strict is the thesis duration (and the requirement that it must be full-time)?

Hej, I assumed all along that the thesis only spanned one 13-weeks period, but on the programme specification, it says:

A master's thesis must be undertaken as a full-time course of study and the stipulated time is: 30 ECTS credits = 5 months

Additionally, it says that courses cannot be taken in parallel with the thesis. Because of this, I will not be able to complete my program in the prescribed time (I will be missing 5ECTS that I was planning to take next June as a 3-week course, but if my thesis starts in February, according to what's below it should end in June which means I can't take the3-week course...)

Do you know if the "stipulated time" is more of a guideline or are they strict about it? Any ideas?

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

International student commencements to be capped at 270,000 next year

Topic: Federal Government

New international student commencements will be capped at 270,000 across Australian higher education and vocational providers for the 2025 calendar year. 

Education Minister Jason Clare said the changes — if passed by parliament — would make the international student sector "better and fairer". 

What's next?

The federal government will consult with universities about individual caps. 

The number of international students able to start study at Australian universities and vocational training providers will be capped from next year.

Under the federal government's proposed reform of the sector, the number would be capped at 270,000, with individual limits to be set per institution.

Education Minister Jason Clare said on Tuesday the cap would mean a limit of about 145,000 new starters for publicly funded universities and about 95,000 for vocational institutions in 2025.

The new cap would set commencements at about 7,000 below pre-pandemic levels and about 53,000 below last year, according to government figures. 

The individual caps will be determined by several factors, including recent levels of new international student commencements and the concentration of international enrolments in their onshore student cohorts.

Mr Clare did not announce the institution-level caps but said providers would be contacted individually.

The much-anticipated announcement comes after weeks of speculation and widespread concern within the sector about the prospect of a blanket cap.

Jason Clare has detailed some of the government's plans to limit international student migration. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

Mr Clare said the proposed limits, which are subject to the government's bill passing parliament, will mean the number of international students starting their studies in 2025 will be roughly the same as the previous year but redistributed across the higher education landscape. 

For example, he said some bigger universities would have fewer new starters, while some smaller, regional providers would have greater scope to enrol more international students. 

"This is about setting up the system in a better and fairer way so it's not only a lucky few universities that benefit but the whole sector," he told journalists in Sydney. 

International school students, higher degree by research students, students undertaking standalone English language courses, non-award students, government-sponsored scholars, students in transnational education arrangements, key partner foreign government scholarship holders, and students from the Pacific and Timor-Leste will not be included in the caps.

Part of a wider crackdown

The caps are part of a wider effort by the federal government to crack down on the international education sector after international students flooded back into Australia following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There are about 10 per cent more international students in our universities today than before the pandemic and about 50 per cent more in our private vocational and training providers," Mr Clare said.

"Students are back but so are the shonks — people are seeking to exploit this industry to make a quick buck."

Australia has the second-highest share of international students globally, trailing only behind Luxembourg, making it the country's fourth-largest industry, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

A slew of changes aimed at weeding out bogus applications have already been introduced by the government, including more stringent entry conditions and a doubling of the student visa application fee.

The federal government is cracking down on the number of international students in Australia.  ( AAP: Paul Miller )

The number of student visas granted in the most recent financial year was already down by 60,000 compared to the previous year, according to the Department of Home Affairs. 

Universities Australia, the peak body for the higher education sector, blamed the drop in visa grants largely on ministerial direction 107, which was handed down in December to streamline applications.

Mr Clare said on Tuesday the cap system was designed to replace the ministerial direction.

"There is a de facto cap or limit happening at the moment through ministerial direction 107," he said.

"What that has meant is some universities have a lot more students this year than last year and a number of universities have got a lot less."

Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson said the Coalition would consider the announcement, and welcomed student caps in-principle.

"But this is not a win for regional universities and smaller universities, and the private education sector have been absolutely devastated by ministerial direction 107," Senator Henderson said.

"So this is certainly not a win after what they have endured over the last couple of months."

Senator Henderson said more detail was needed about the proposed cap, because its impact on net migration and housing was still unclear.

Caps a 'handbrake', peak body says

Peak bodies for the sector and university chancellors have previously expressed alarm at the prospect of international student limits, describing it as ministerial overreach and an existential threat to some providers.

Following the announcement, Universities Australia chair David Lloyd said the proposed cap would "apply a handbrake" to one of the country's biggest industries.

"International student fees help drive Australia's economy and support universities, making up a shortfall in government funding for research, teaching and campus infrastructure," he said.

Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight, which represents some of Australia's largest universities, said there had been very little consultation "at a deep level" between the government and universities. 

"There's been no consultation in terms of how they've arrived at the numbers they've arrived at," she said.

"Particularly for the Group of Eight, we know based on the numbers ... it will mean a cut in international students for our universities — and a cut means less revenue."

The Student Accommodation Council said the cap was a "sustainable number" that would give investors enough confidence to continue growing the supply of student accommodation.

But the council's executive director Torie Brown said ambitions to add student accommodation would only work if state counterparts cooperated with the sector.

The Greens have expressed their opposition to the changes, with senator Mehreen Faruqi describing it as a "bad day for university independence", which means the government will likely need the Coalition's support to pass the bill.