In this video, we are going head to head, dissertation versus thesis. We will explain
what these two terms mean the ways in which they are similar and most importantly how
they are different. If you are working on a dissertation or thesis be sure to grab our
free downloadable templates which include detailed guidance for each chapter within
a typical dissertation or thesis. You can find the links to those in the description below.
All right so what is the difference between a dissertation and a thesis? Well,
it is first useful to understand what both of these are and what they have in common.
Dissertations and thesis are both formal academic research projects. In other words, their academic
projects that involve you undertaking research in a structured, systematic way. The research process
typically involves the following steps. Asking a well-articulated and meaningful research question
or questions, assessing what other researchers have said in relation to that question. This is
usually called a literature review. You can learn more about that up here. Undertaking your own
research using a clearly justified methodology. This often involves some sort of fieldwork such
as interviews or surveys. And lastly deriving an answer to your research question based on your
analysis. In other words, thesis and dissertations are both formal structure research projects that
involve using a clearly articulated methodology to draw out insights and answers to your research
questions. So in this respect, they are for the most part the same thing but how are they
different then? Well, the key difference between a dissertation and a thesis is, for the most part,
the level of study in other words, undergrad, master's or PhD. By extension, this also means
that the complexity and rigorousness of the research differ between dissertations and thesis.
So which is which? Well, this is where it gets a bit confusing. The meaning of dissertation or
thesis varies depending on the country or region of study. For example, in the UK a dissertation
is generally the research project that completes at the end of a master's level degree whereas a
thesis is completed for a doctoral level degree. Conversely, the terminology is flipped around in
the US and some other countries. In other words, a thesis is completed for a master's level degree
while a dissertation is completed for a PhD or any other doctoral level degree. Simply put a
dissertation and a thesis are essentially the same thing but at different levels of study. The exact
terminology varies from country to country and sometimes it even varies between universities
in the same country. Some universities will also refer to this type of project as Capstone Project
just to confuse things some more. In addition, some universities will also require an oral exam
or viva voce, especially for doctoral-level projects. For more info about that check out
this video. Given that there are more than twenty-five thousand universities scattered
across the globe all of this terminological complexity can cause some confusion. To be
safe make sure that you thoroughly read the brief provided by your university for your
dissertation or thesis and if possible visit the university library to have a look at past
students' projects. This will help you get a feel for your institution's norms and spot any
nuances in terms of their specific requirements so that you can give them exactly what they want.
If you enjoyed the video please hit that like button and leave a comment. For more videos
like this check out the Grad Coach channel and subscribe for plain language actionable advice
covering all things research related. Remember you can also grab those free templates for
your dissertation or thesis on our blog. I will include the link to that down below. Lastly, if
you are looking for one-on-one support with your dissertation, thesis or research project be sure
to check out our private coaching service where we hold your hand throughout the research process
step by step. You can learn more about that and book a free initial consultation at gradcoach.com.