What Is A Master's Thesis: Guidelines For Dummies

After students finish their undergraduate degree, they have the option of entering the workforce or obtaining their master's. While most students choose to start working at a company in their industry, some students choose to enroll in a master's degree program. To graduate from this degree program, students will have to complete a graduate dissertation. Without this paper, the student will not be given their degree.

What Is the Thesis?

Although most students had to write an undergraduate dissertation, some students were never required to do so. Students who are unfamiliar with this type if writing can expect months of research and writing in their future. The master's thesis typically includes about 12,000 to 13,000 words. For the student, this equals out to about 50 pages of writing. It utilizes up-to-date research from a wealth of academic journals, primary sources and books.

For students to get a passing score, their paper must be well-written and include the proper citations. It must be formatted according to the degree's specific writing style and demonstrate the student's expertise in that subject area. In addition, this paper must be completed under the guidance of an academic adviser. The student can turn to the academic adviser for help on writing their paper, and the adviser will ensure that the student completes everything on time.

When Should Students Begin Planning Their Research?

Although it seems like it may be far in advance, students should actually begin thinking about their essay from the moment they choose to go to graduate school. The thesis statement and preliminary research can be conducted by the student before they even enroll in classes. In most graduate programs, the student must decide on their academic adviser and their topic before the end of their first semester. Since this does not give the student a lot of time to change or debate their topic, they should pick a thesis as early as possible.

What Type of Timetable Is Expected?

Obviously, the thesis writing timetable will vary from university to university. As a rule, most students will begin researching their paper in September and October. During this time, they will write out the abstract, construct a bibliography and create their outline. In October and November, they will meet with their thesis adviser as they begin to actually write out the entirety of their paper. Most programs require the first draft to be handed in in February or March. After this draft is returned, the student will have until April to submit the final version of the document.