master thesis oder master's thesis

Master Thesis or Master’s Thesis – Which Is Correct?

When an individual pursues a degree, they frequently have to produce a thesis, as part of the requirements to graduate. What is the correct form to talk about it? Should we say “Master Thesis” or “Master’s Thesis”?

We want to know the correct form and appropriate way to use it.

“Master’s Thesis”, with an apostrophe, is the correct and acceptable form because the idea behind this phrase is “the thesis of a master”. The meaning of the expression “Master’s Thesis” requires the appropriate use of the possessive form to complement it. Consequently, “Master Thesis” is incorrect and should be avoided.

Take a look at the examples below:

• Matthew has an unpublished master thesis. (incorrect)
• Matthew has an unpublished master’s thesis.
• Christina’s goal is to finish her master thesis by the end of the year. (incorrect)
• Christina’s goal is to finish her master’s thesis by the end of the year.

“Master Thesis” without the possessive form is incorrect and should never be used. For the proper meaning to be conveyed, it must be clear that the thesis belongs to a master. Consequently, the possessive form must be adequately present in the phrase.

“Master’s Thesis” is the complete, correct form we should use, in any circumstance, to talk about the thesis a graduate must prepare to meet the requirements to graduate.

Master Thesis

“Master Thesis” is a common incorrect form for the phrase “Master’s Thesis”. It’s a misspelling that lacks the apostrophe – which would be what indicates to whom the thesis belongs. It’s simply incorrect and incomplete, and should always be avoided.

Take a look at the examples below, that show “Master Thesis” being used incorrectly, followed by a corrected version of the same sentence:

• Have you completed your master thesis? (incorrect)
• Have you completed your master’s thesis?
• The master thesis turned out to be more difficult than I thought. (incorrect)
• The master’s thesis turned out to be more difficult than I thought.
• John feels like his master thesis is missing something. (incorrect)
• John feels like his master’s thesis is missing something.

“Master Thesis” is an incomplete form. It’s not an awful grammatical mistake, but it makes an immense difference in how a message sent by an expression is perceived.

“Master Thesis” is meant to indicate who’s the master of the thesis, and without the appropriate possessive form, it’s not possible to be accomplished. You should always avoid using “Master Thesis”.

Master’s Thesis

“Master’s Thesis”, with the apostrophe, is the correct form for this phrase. Because it contains the appropriate possessive form, it makes it clear to whom the thesis belongs. It’s complete and acceptable. You should always use this form to talk about any “Master’s Thesis”, in any scenario.

• What’s your master’s thesis on?
• The master’s thesis Howard defended was incredible.
• How long should a master’s thesis be?
• Claire’s master’s thesis was clear and concise.
• What are the guidelines for writing a master’s thesis?
• I need to choose what my master’s thesis will be about.

Masters Thesis

“Masters Thesis”, with an “s” after “Master” is just another incorrect form for the phrase “Master’s Thesis”. By adding the “s” without an apostrophe, this expression fails to indicate to whom the thesis belongs. It’s incorrect and should always be avoided.

Let’s go over some examples that show “Masters Thesis” being used incorrectly, followed by a corrected version of the same sentence:

• Jonathan’s masters thesis was messy. (incorrect)
• Jonathan’s master’s thesis was messy.
• Carolina’s masters thesis was perfect. (incorrect)
• Carolinas master’s thesis was perfect.
•  I asked the professor to review my masters thesis. (incorrect)
•  I asked the professor to review my master’s thesis.

“Masters Thesis”, just like “Master Thesis”, is incomplete. The lack of an apostrophe between “r” and “s” makes this phrase lose its purpose, which is to convey to who the thesis belongs. You should always avoid it.

Which Is Used the Most?

Which one of those forms is used more often, “Master Thesis”, “Masters Thesis”, or “Master’s thesis”? Take a look at the graph from Google Ngram Viewer below.

The correct form “Master’s Thesis”, with the appropriate possessive form, is the prevalent phrase, which people use more frequently.

The two incorrect phrases, which are “Master Thesis” and “Masters Thesis” are used much less and seem to be fighting for the lowest position on the graph. As you can see, they are very close together and have already swapped places at the bottom of the graph.

Always avoid using “Master Thesis” and “Masters Thesis”, because they are incorrect, unacceptable forms.

Final Thoughts

“Master’s Thesis” is an expression that means “the thesis of a master”. Because of the strong sense of belonging it presents, it’s important to use it with the correct possessive form, including an apostrophe. “Master’s Thesis” is the correct form. “Master Thesis” is incorrect and should always be avoided.

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

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Understanding “Master Thesis” vs. “Master’s Thesis”

When it comes to academic writing, every detail matters, including how we refer to the comprehensive paper required to complete a master’s degree. This brings us to a common point of confusion: should it be “Master Thesis” or “Master’s Thesis”?

In this guide, we will dive into the distinction between these terms, focusing on the correct usage and providing examples to clarify this for everyone.

“Master’s Thesis” (Singular Possessive)

The term “Master’s Thesis” is the correct form when referring to the final project submitted by a student to fulfill the requirements of a master’s degree. The apostrophe followed by an “s” (‘s) signifies possession, meaning the thesis of a master’s degree program.

• (The deadline for submitting the thesis for a master’s degree)
• (The set of rules for writing the thesis for a master’s degree)
• (The act of presenting and defending the thesis for a master’s degree)

“Master Thesis” (Incorrect/Common Misuse)

“Master Thesis” might sometimes be used informally or in error, omitting the possessive apostrophe that indicates the thesis belongs to the master’s degree framework. However, the correct and widely accepted term in academic circles is “Master’s Thesis.”

Read More: Understanding Boy’s, Boys’, and Boys: A Simple Guide

“Masters’ Thesis” (Plural Possessive) – A Note

While “Masters’ Thesis” might seem like a logical construction if thinking about theses from multiple masters, it’s not a standard term. Each thesis is associated with one individual’s master’s degree, making the singular possessive “Master’s Thesis” the appropriate choice.

Understanding the Difference: A Table

To simplify, here’s a table that breaks down the correct usage:

Tips for Remembering the Correct Form

• Think Possession: Remember that the thesis belongs to the master’s degree framework, hence “Master’s Thesis.”
• Singular Form: Even if referring to theses from multiple students, each thesis is for a single degree. Therefore, “Master’s Thesis” remains singular possessive.
• Academic Standards: Always follow the academic standard and use “Master’s Thesis” in formal writing, applications, and discussions.

Understanding the correct term to use can influence not only the precision of your academic writing but also how it is received by academic and professional audiences. “Master’s Thesis” is not just about grammar; it’s about acknowledging the effort and research that culminates in fulfilling the requirements of a master’s degree. Hopefully, this guide has made the usage clear and will help you in your academic endeavors.

Dariel Campbell is currently an English instructor at a university. She has experience in teaching and assessing English tests including TOEFL, IELTS, BULATS, FCE, CAE, and PTEG . With over a decade of teaching expertise, Dariel Campbell  utilizes his knowledge to develop English lessons for her audience on English Overview.

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Master thesis, master's degree thesis or master degree thesis

I searched online and I understood that "master's degree" retains the apostrophe, while the relative thesis is commonly referred to as "master thesis". However, of the forms

• Master thesis
• Master's degree thesis
• Master degree thesis

Which one is wrong, which is right and which should be preferable to use on a thesis cover? I know that in English theses it's common to use the phrase "Thesis prepared for the Degree of Master of Science" but I can't do this. Thanks.

• possessives

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/24377/use-master-thesis-or-masters-thesis

"Grammatically speaking, master's thesis unequivocally means a thesis of a master. Master thesis can be read the same way, but also as primary, principle or main thesis.

Stick with master's thesis."

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=master%27s+thesis&btnG=

• Your second link gives 1,770,000 results, while for "master thesis" it gives 4,400,000 results ( scholar.google.com/… ). –  Yaroslav Nikitenko Commented Apr 30, 2022 at 13:06
• 1 Correct. If you click through the search results you'll see that "master's thesis" also appears. The term has been aggregated to the "master thesis" search results. The n-gram search shows that "master's thesis" is more prevalent. books.google.com/ngrams/… –  bookmanu Commented May 17, 2022 at 13:44
• Indeed! I thought I shall change my CV now, but I see that I used "MS" there :) And in one place "master's thesis" correctly. The good thing is that it can be both lowercase (which I used) and uppercase (which looks more frequent). –  Yaroslav Nikitenko Commented May 17, 2022 at 15:13

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Master Thesis or Master’s Thesis?

The correct term to refer to a thesis produced for a master’s degree is master’s thesis . E.g., “His master’s thesis focused on mosquito biting patterns.” The term master thesis is less common, and some regard it as incorrect. However, you can also interpret it as the primary thesis .

The correct grammatical version is master’s thesis . Furthermore, this version is far more common than the version without an apostrophe.

• I wrote a master’s thesis in less than a month

You need the apostrophe to show that the thesis belongs to the master in the same way you need the apostrophe to say that the student belongs to the master’s program when you write:

• Master’s student

Furthermore, you will see people using the term master thesis , which is incorrect if you want to say the thesis belongs to the student.

However, the problem with the term master thesis is that it can be grammatically correct , but only if you interpret the word master as an adjective describing the thesis .

Therefore, instead of being a thesis belonging to the master’s program , it becomes the master , as in main, primary, or principal.

• He wrote a master thesis on the social impacts of inflation.

Now you have learned the basics regarding the correct version of master’s thesis . Keep reading the rest of the page to learn more about how you can avoid making mistakes with master’s thesis and master thesis .

Master’s Thesis

The term master’s thesis is the correct version to state the thesis belongs to the master’s student.

To indicate possession of the thesis by the student, you need to include an apostrophe to create a singular possessive.

Take a look at these examples to see how to correctly use master’s thesis :

• Her master’s thesis helped her secure a job with the government.
• His master’s thesis focused on the impacts of climate change in coastal regions.
• She received high praise from her professors for the originality of her master’s thesis .
• The research he conducted for his master’s thesis was later published in a renowned scientific journal.
• After months of hard work, she finally submitted her master’s thesis to the university’s review committee.

Furthermore, you do not need to use a capital letter for master’s or thesis .

Master Thesis

The term master thesis is a little tricky because it can be correct and incorrect.

Firstly, to indicate that the thesis belongs to the master’s student , which is a noun, using master thesis is grammatically incorrect. You need to use the apostrophe in the sentence to indicate ownership.

However, although this is the case, some people still use the version without an apostrophe for the same purpose.

• Incorrect: She is presenting her master thesis this afternoon.
• Correct: She is presenting her master’s thesis this afternoon.

Secondly, if you interpret the word master as an adjective, then you could, in theory, say:

• She just finished writing a master thesis on pollution.

In the example above, you can interpret the word master as a synonym for primary.

Finally, if you write the full name of a degree program , you need to use Master with no apostrophe and a capital letter.

• He wrote a Master of Science thesis on bacterial infections.

You will see in the above example that Master has a capital letter and thesis does not. This is because we are referring to the master’s program in full, but we refer to the thesis in a general sense.

However, in some cases, such as on the front cover, you also need to capitalize thesis .

• The front cover of my thesis says Master of Arts Thesis in big, bold letters.

Masters Thesis

The term masters thesis is incorrect because it is missing the apostrophe that shows that the thesis belongs to the master’s student.

• Incorrect: The masters thesis was written extremely badly.
• Correct: The master’s thesis was written extremely badly.

Without the “s” at the end of master , there are some circumstances in which it can be correct without an apostrophe. However, with the “s” included, it is wrong to omit the apostrophe.

Masters’ Thesis

The term masters’ thesis is wrong because the thesis belongs to either a master’s student or a master’s degree. Therefore, using the plural possessive form rather than the singular possessive is incorrect.

• Incorrect: Her masters’ thesis was the best I have ever read.
• Correct: Her master’s thesis was the best I have ever read.

In addition, if you want to mention multiple theses , you should use the plural form of thesis:

• I have to grade four master’s theses this weekend.
• The university library has copies of all the master’s theses from the past decade.
• Among the master’s theses I’ve read, hers had the most compelling arguments.
• The department will showcase excerpts from this year’s top master’s theses during the annual seminar.

That’s all we have for you today! By the end of this article, all your doubts about how to use the word master’s thesis correctly should be cleared out.

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Use master thesis or master's thesis

Is this sentence correct?

Master thesis to obtain the degree Master of Science

I am really not sure about the 's here.

• possessives

• 2 You can search a corpus such as COCA: master thesis - master's thesis –  user230 Commented May 28, 2014 at 14:03
• Seems redundant to me. If you name the degree, the purpose of the thesis is already clear. –  Tyler James Young Commented May 28, 2014 at 14:43
• At EL&U: Is there an apostrophe in a master's degree? –  choster Commented May 28, 2014 at 18:34
• For a start, it's not a sentence, just a fragment of one. –  starsplusplus Commented May 29, 2014 at 19:36

As suggested by snailplane , corpus searches are a good way to get a handle on which one is preferred.

• Google Books Ngram Viewer prefers master's thesis by a roughly six to one margin at the year 2000.
• The Corpus of Contemporary American English prefers master's thesis ( 212 to 6 ).
• The Corpus of Global Web Based English prefers master's thesis (384 to 82). Sorry, no direct query links here, since the site uses iframes and I'm too lazy to dig the URLs out. Search master 's thesis (note the space before the apostrophe) and master thesis . This one is a nice corpus because it breaks usages up by country.
• The Time Magazine Corpus prefers master's thesis 23 to 0 (same search guidelines as above).

I also searched many an exclusively British corpus, but without yielding any meaningful results.

The relevant ELU question that choster linked discusses master's degree , which has the same form as master's thesis . The question is about apostrophe usage, but note that nobody suggested it should be master degree .

Grammatically speaking, master's thesis unequivocally means a thesis of a master . Master thesis can be read the same way, but also as primary, principle or main thesis .

Stick with master's thesis .

• 1 It seems like every single chair of my (German) university's CS department uses Master thesis and it's making me question my sanity -- thanks for this. –  user134593 Commented Sep 26, 2018 at 11:14

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Wie heißt es richtig, Masterthesis oder Masterarbeit?

Ich schreibe gerade an meiner deutschsprachigen Abschlussarbeit und wurde darauf angesprochen, warum auf meinem Titelblatt "Masterthesis" steht.

Sollte es richtig "Masterthesis" oder "Masterarbeit" heißen?

• word-choice

• 6 Schau in die Prüfungsordnung, oder guck was andere vor dir gemacht haben. –  starblue Commented Feb 9, 2012 at 16:06
• 1 @starblue Das ist die einzig richtige Antwort. Die Bezeichnung für die Qualifikationsarbeit ist durch Universitätsgesetze und Studienordnungen vorgeschrieben. Wenn dort "Rübensalat" vorgeschrieben wird, muss auch "Rübensalat" auf dem Deckblatt stehen. Die Diskussion, ob die Bezeichnung sinnvoll ist, ist natürlich eine andere Sache. –  Martin Schwehla Commented Feb 15, 2015 at 23:23

5 Answers 5

Zugegeben, Masterthesis hatte ich noch nie gehört. Die Menge an Suchergebnissen fand ich dafür erschreckend hoch. Der Begriff wird sehr oft verwendet, durchaus abwechselnd mit Masterarbeit, aber auch ohne.

Im Rahmen der Master Thesis soll der Student unter Beweis stellen, dass er sein theoretisches Wissen und die im Studium angeeigneten Kenntnisse auf ein konkretes und in der Regel an der Praxis orientiertes Problem anwenden und Erkenntnisse daraus ziehen kann. bachelor-studium Die Abschlussarbeit (Thesis) soll einen Unfang [sic] von mindestens 60 Seiten, höchstens aber 80 Seiten haben. uni-giessen(PDF) Die Master Thesis ist die wissenschaftliche Arbeit, die Studierende verfassen müssen, um ihren zweiten Hochschulabschluss – den Master – zu erhalten. mba-studium

Auffällig ist, dass das Wort niemals Masterthesis und selten Master-Thesis geschrieben wird, sondern stets Master Thesis oder nur Thesis . Wobei in meinen Augen es nur eine richtige Schreibweise geben dürfte und das ist Masterthesis .

Fangen wir mal an mit Thesis , was ja anscheinend gängig ist. Thesis gibt es in der deutschen Sprache, hat aber – laut Duden  – nicht viel mit Abschlussarbeit zu tun. Zumindest Wikipedia weiß da mehr , nennt so unter anderem Bachelor-Thesis und Master-Thesis . Wikipedia kennt wenigstens den Bindestrich und macht nicht so eine fiese Leerstelle (ist das eigentlich schon das Deppenleerzeichen?).

Wikipedia gibt aber auch indirekt die Antwort, woher dieses Wort kommt (zumindest ist so meine Schlussfolgerung) und man kann auch erahnen, warum es Master Thesis geschrieben wird. Es ist einfach die stupide Übersetzung aus dem Englischen. Bleibt die Frage, warum ist das so? Schlechte Übersetzer? Also, nicht dass ich das Wort Thesis als falsch ansehe, das Wort existiert ja tatsächlich. Aber Abschlussarbeit, sprich Masterarbeit oder Bachelorarbeit, sind mit Sicherheit die zu bevorzugenden Wörter.

• 2 Es war nach der alten Rechtschreibung nicht unüblich englische Begriffe mit Leerzeichen zu schreiben. Diese Schreibung ist auch nach der Reform noch eine Alternativschreibweise, siehe z.B.: duden.de/rechtschreibung/Hotdog (Wobei, wenn ich mich recht erinnere, war es früher: Hot dog) –  John Smithers Commented Feb 9, 2012 at 18:13
• Den Ansatz, zwei englische Wörter nach deutschem Wortbildungsschema zusammen zu kleben, halte ich für ziemlich fragwürdig - das soll die (gar noch einzige?) richtige Schreibweise sein? –  guidot ♦ Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 11:22
• 2 @guidot Es ist doch unerheblich, dass es einst englische Begriffe sind. Möchtest du die Wörter als fremdsprachlich kennzeichnen und getrennt schreiben, dann bitte "Master Thesis" in Anführungszeichen. Verwendest du sie aber in einem Fließtext als 'eingedeutschte' Begriffe, dann auch deutsche Regeln anwenden. Also ja, Masterthesis sollte die richtige Schreibweise sein. –  Em1 Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 13:04

I'm a professor, and I have to say that I have never heard Masterthesis being used among students or faculty, or in the official university regulations; I've only seen or heard it called as Masterarbeit . (And, moreover, many people informally still call it a Diplomarbeit !)

Zur Beantwortung der Frage ein Zitat aus dem Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz zu den "Ländergemeinsamen Strukturvorgaben gemäß § 9 Abs. 2 HRG für die Akkreditierung von Bachelor-und Masterstudiengängen" vom 10.10.2003:

"Zur Qualitätssicherung sehen Bachelor- ebenso wie Masterstudiengänge obligatorisch eine Abschlussarbeit (Bachelor-/ Masterarbeit ) vor, mit der die Fähigkeit nachgewiesen wird, innerhalb einer vorgegebenen Frist ein Problem aus dem jeweiligen Fach selbständig nach wissenschaftlichen Methoden zu bearbeiten."

Ich bin Professor und habe in Deutschland, UK und USA studiert und Abschlussarbeiten in Deutschland und UK geschrieben. Meine Meinung dazu: Abschlussarbeit (Diplomarbeit) ist Deutsch; Master Thesis ist Englisch; Master Arbeit ist Denglisch. Entweder sollte man im Deutschen bleiben, oder sollte in der gewünschten Landesprache. Zum Nachdenken: Wie übersetzt man eigentlich unseren Industrie- und Handwerksmeister ins Englische?

• Allerdings heißt der Abschluss Master , so dass Abschlussarbeit ohne weitere Qualifikation ungenauer ist. –  Carsten S Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 10:08
• Ich möchte auch zu debenken geben, dass ich mehrer ehemalige Studenten kenne die nach ihrem Diplom noch den Master oben draufgesetzt haben und daher sich Dipl. Ing. Max Mustermann M.Sc. nennen dürfen. –  rekire Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 13:46

Da es das Wort Masterarbeit im Duden gibt, Masterthesis aber nicht , ist dieser Punkt schon mal einigermaßen geklärt.

Unabhängig davon, wird aber der Begriff Thesis gerne verwendet - meiner persönlichen Meinung zufolge, aber nur, weil manche denken, es klingt nach etwas Höherem als schnöde Arbeit ...

• 1 Da muss ich dich korrigieren: duden.de/rechtschreibung/Masterthesis –  j0chn Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 8:08
• @j0chn ich muss dabei sagen das ich für diesen Eintrag in gewissermaßen verantwortlich bin. Ich habe schlicht damals beim Duden eine Anfrage gestellt wie die das sehen und aufgrund dessen wude das in den Online Duden übernommen. Es wäre eigentlich mal interessant ob es das Wort mittlerweile auch in der Papierausgabe geschafft hat. –  rekire Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 13:40

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• What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

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

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

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

Thesis template

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

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Table of contents

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

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

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

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

• Your discipline
• Your theoretical approach

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

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

Thesis examples

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

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

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

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

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

Read more about title pages

The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family. You can also choose to write a preface , but it’s typically one or the other, not both.

Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces

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

Read more about abstracts

A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your document.

Your table of contents should include all the major parts of your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the the appendices. If you used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic table Microsoft Word.

Read more about tables of contents

While not mandatory, if you used a lot of tables and/or figures, it’s nice to include a list of them to help guide your reader. It’s also easy to generate one of these in Word: just use the “Insert Caption” feature.

Read more about lists of figures and tables

If you have used a lot of industry- or field-specific abbreviations in your thesis, you should include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations . This way, your readers can easily look up any meanings they aren’t familiar with.

Read more about lists of abbreviations

Relatedly, if you find yourself using a lot of very specialized or field-specific terms that may not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary . Alphabetize the terms you want to include with a brief definition.

Read more about glossaries

An introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis, as well as expectations for your reader. This should:

• Ground your research topic , sharing any background information your reader may need
• Define the scope of your work
• Introduce any existing research on your topic, situating your work within a broader problem or debate
• State your research question(s)
• Outline (briefly) how the remainder of your work will proceed

In other words, your introduction should clearly and concisely show your reader the “what, why, and how” of your research.

Read more about introductions

A literature review helps you gain a robust understanding of any extant academic work on your topic, encompassing:

• Selecting relevant sources
• Determining the credibility of your sources
• Critically evaluating each of your sources
• Drawing connections between sources, including any themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps

A literature review is not merely a summary of existing work. Rather, your literature review should ultimately lead to a clear justification for your own research, perhaps via:

• Addressing a gap in the literature
• Building on existing knowledge to draw new conclusions
• Exploring a new theoretical or methodological approach
• Introducing a new solution to an unresolved problem
• Definitively advocating for one side of a theoretical debate

Read more about literature reviews

Theoretical framework

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

Read more about theoretical frameworks

Your methodology chapter shows your reader how you conducted your research. It should be written clearly and methodically, easily allowing your reader to critically assess the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, your methods section should convince your reader that your method was the best way to answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

• Your overall approach ( quantitative vs. qualitative )
• Your research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study )
• Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment
• Any tools or materials you used (e.g., computer software)
• The data analysis methods you chose (e.g., statistical analysis , discourse analysis )
• A strong, but not defensive justification of your methods

Read more about methodology sections

Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. These two sections work in tandem, but shouldn’t repeat each other. While your results section can include hypotheses or themes, don’t include any speculation or new arguments here.

Your results section should:

• State each (relevant) result with any (relevant) descriptive statistics (e.g., mean , standard deviation ) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics , p values )
• Explain how each result relates to the research question
• Determine whether the hypothesis was supported

Additional data (like raw numbers or interview transcripts ) can be included as an appendix . You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results.

Read more about results sections

Your discussion section is where you can interpret your results in detail. Did they meet your expectations? How well do they fit within the framework that you built? You can refer back to any relevant source material to situate your results within your field, but leave most of that analysis in your literature review.

For any unexpected results, offer explanations or alternative interpretations of your data.

Read more about discussion sections

Your thesis conclusion should concisely answer your main research question. It should leave your reader with an ultra-clear understanding of your central argument, and emphasize what your research specifically has contributed to your field.

Why does your research matter? What recommendations for future research do you have? Lastly, wrap up your work with any concluding remarks.

Read more about conclusions

In order to avoid plagiarism , don’t forget to include a full reference list at the end of your thesis, citing the sources that you used. Choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your thesis, taking note of the formatting requirements of each style.

Which style you choose is often set by your department or your field, but common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA.

Create APA citations Create MLA citations

In order to stay clear and concise, your thesis should include the most essential information needed to answer your research question. However, chances are you have many contributing documents, like interview transcripts or survey questions . These can be added as appendices , to save space in the main body.

Read more about appendices

Once you’re done writing, the next part of your editing process begins. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and editing prior to submission. Nothing looks worse than grammar mistakes or sloppy spelling errors!

Consider using a professional thesis editing service or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect.

Once you’ve submitted your final product, it’s common practice to have a thesis defense, an oral component of your finished work. This is scheduled by your advisor or committee, and usually entails a presentation and Q&A session.

After your defense , your committee will meet to determine if you deserve any departmental honors or accolades. However, keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality. If there are any serious issues with your work, these should be resolved with your advisor way before a defense.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

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

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.

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 .

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.)

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

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

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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 

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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.

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What is a Master’s Thesis: A Guide for Students 

A master’s thesis is an academic research output that is expected to showcase a student’s competence in a higher level of research as compared to an undergraduate one. The primary objective of a master’s thesis is to assess a student on the depth of their understanding, knowledge, and competence on the subject of their choice. It provides a scholarly and research foundation for students to build on if they are interested in pursuing higher academic degrees and professional work. 

Benefits of Writing a Master’s Thesis  

Undertaking a master’s thesis program enhances your career and academic prospects. In the academic sphere, those who have completed a master’s thesis program are in a more advantageous position when they seek admission to a PhD program. Research-focused disciplines, in particular, usually favour students who have completed their master’s thesis. Opting for a master’s thesis program also gives researchers the opportunity to pursue their interest area through study and research. Further, through the process of thesis writing, students also develop their skills in writing, putting forth an informed argument and developing research questions. A well-developed thesis can also be published as a research paper in peer-reviewed journals, thereby enhancing future academic and career prospects.  

Thesis Masters and Non-thesis Masters Program: Differences   

It is critical to note that all master’s programs do not have a thesis requirement. At the same time, some programs allow students to choose between a thesis and a non-thesis master’s program. In a thesis Master’s program, you are required to prepare a comprehensive scholarly paper under the advice of a faculty member that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking that you have developed during the program. Hence, it is a mandatory requirement for the completion of your degree. However, in a non-thesis master’s program, you are not expected to write a thesis. You are nevertheless required to take additional classes and, by the end of the program, complete a Capstone project, a comprehensive exam, or a summary project. 

Master’s thesis and PhD Dissertation: Differences  

A Master’s thesis is very different from a PhD dissertation, though often, the words thesis and dissertation are used interchangeably not only by students but also by the wider academic community and publishers.   

• A PhD dissertation is an original research by the doctoral candidate that contributes something new to the existing body of knowledge in the field, such as new theories and information. This should not have been published previously. In contrast, a master’s thesis is a scholarly paper that involves original testing of ideas and demonstrates the knowledge and skills the student has acquired and built during the master’s program.  
• A master’s thesis deals or engages more with existing research or secondary knowledge, though depending on the subject, there can be research of primary sources as well. Here, the student certainly has to bring in their critical and analytical skills. The sources of data will generally be research papers, scholarly books, journal articles, government reports, statistics, and so on. However, in a PhD dissertation, the focus is on generating new and novel data, resulting in an original piece of work that external subject experts will evaluate. Hence, apart from the sources of data mentioned for the Master’s thesis, the significant component of sources of data for PhD dissertation will be generated from interviews, focus groups, surveys, laboratory experiments and so on. 
• A master’s thesis is presented at the end of the master’s program, which is about one or two years. The thesis is a critical part of completing the degree. A PhD dissertation takes a considerable amount of time, ranging from 4 to 7 years. By this time, the candidate should have completed, apart from their dissertation, other requirements such as fulfilling a set of coursework, attending seminars/ conferences, presenting papers at seminars and publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals. 
• The master’s thesis is completed and submitted at the end of the master’s program. The PhD dissertation is presented to earn the PhD degree. 
• Another major difference between the two is the length. While a master’s thesis may be between 50 and 100 pages, the Ph.D. dissertation is more detailed, in-depth, and comprehensive, with a length of up to 400 pages. 

While all Master’s programs do not have a thesis requirement, completing a thesis provides a scholarly and research foundation for students to pursue higher academic degrees and professional work. A master’s thesis program can be a valuable experience for students interested in pursuing higher academic degrees and professional work in research-focused disciplines.

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5 Steps to your Masters thesis

Generally, the master's thesis is written at the end of the degree programme. Please find all important information for the master's thesis on this website. 

1. Choice of topic/topic

2. choice of examiner/requirements for examiners, 3. application for masters thesis, 4. submission of the masters thesis, 5. oral-examination (previously colloquium) and thesis grading, repeating masters thesis, further information.

The topic is proposed by the student and set by the first examiner, and must be approved by the examination board.

First examiner

First examiners for master's thesis on Leuphana Graduate School Masters that follow on from Bachelor programmes must hold at least a doctorate, be qualified in the field of the master's thesis and be full-time teachers on said masters programmes. Temporary lecturers with the same qualifications may also act as supervisors provided that they are employed at the University for the duration of the requested supervision period.

Please note The examination board for the Management masters programmes has decided that the first examiner must be a professor (this includes assistant and temporary professors)

Exception: Dual degree with the University of Glasgow: “International Economic Law” The master's thesis is to be written at the University of Glasgow in accordance with the examination regulations of the University of Glasgow. The first reviewer is to be an examiner from the University of Glasgow and the second reviewer an examiner from Leuphana University.

Second examiner

In general, the same quality criteria apply to second examiners as to first examiners. Internal and external second examiners who do not hold a doctorate must provide written evidence of their academic/scientific qualifications (to be submitted to the examination board with the application)

Please note The examination board for the Management Masters programme has decided that the second examiner must hold at least a doctorate and be authorised to act as an examiner. Postdoctoral researchers who are teaching on masters programmes are eligible to supervise master's thesis together with the professor in their research field/institute.

Choice of Examiners for Management & Entrepreneurship and Management & Sustainable Accounting and Finance

Thesis supervisions for students of the Masters programmes Management & Entrepreneurship and Management & Sustainable Accounting and Finance, are allocated at Leuphana University of Lüneburg via an application procedure for a master's thesis in busines in myStudy.

For Management & Sustainable Accounting and Finance: The dissertation topic must be related to sustainable accounting or finance from a business administration perspective and should apply an empirical research method.

Applications and notification

The application form for admission to the Master's thesis can be found below as a fillable pdf document. Submit the completed application form with the confirmation of the examiners to the Student Services (Infoportal, building 8 ground floor). It is particularly important to provide a legible topic proposal in German and English. The approved title will appear on your certificate. Once the topic and the examiners have been confirmed by the Examination Board, you will receive written approval with the latest submission deadline.

From now on, the admission to the Master's thesis will appear in your myCampus account under the application "My achievements" and "My theses". Both examiners, the topic and the submission deadline are specified here.

When planning your schedule, please note that your application for admission to the Master's thesis must first be decided by the Examination Board. The processing time only begins with the approval of the examination board.

Please note:   A German title is not required for master's thesis to be written in English.

Application Forms / Masters Thesis

• Masters Thesis application
• Information on Masters Thesis
• Proof of performance for the Masters Forum

Returning the topic

The topic can only be returned without giving reasons on the first attempt within 14 days of the start of the processing period. The return of the topic must be declared in writing to the Examination Board and submitted to Student Services. After returning the topic, the student can take on a new topic. This new topic may not be closely related to the previously accepted topic. The entire processing time is again available to work on the new topic. The examiners do not have to be the same as those for the old topic. Working on the new topic is not a new attempt, but is still part of the attempt interrupted by the return of the topic.

You must upload your Master's thesis to your myCampus account under the application "My Theses" by the set submission deadline at the latest. You must upload a commentable PDF document including all attachments as well as an anonymized copy of your thesis for plagiarism checking. You can find click instructions on the myCampus homepage under " Instructions for students "

You must also make the following declarations when uploading your thesis:

Declaration 1

Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit - bei einer Gruppenarbeit der entsprechend gekennzeichnete Teil dieser Arbeit - selbstständig verfasst und keine anderen als die angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel benutzt wurden, und - alle Stellen der Arbeit, die wortwörtlich oder sinngemäß aus anderen Quellen übernommen wurden, als solche kenntlich gemacht wurden. Die vorliegende Arbeit hat in gleicher oder ähnlicher Form noch keiner Prüfungsbehörde vorgelegen.

(Translation is only for understanding: I hereby declare that I have written this thesis - in the case of a group thesis, the part of this thesis marked accordingly - independently and that no sources and aids other than those specified have been used, and that all passages in the thesis that have been taken verbatim or in spirit from other sources have been identified as such. This thesis has not yet been submitted in the same or a similar form to any examination authority.)

Declaration 2

Die elektronische Fassung dieser Arbeit sowie die zusätzliche elektronische Fassung in anonymisierter Form gem. §7 Abs. 10 RPO stimmen inhaltlich überein.

(Translation is only for understanding: The electronic version of this thesis and the additional electronic version in anonymized form according to §7 para. 10 RPO are identical in content.)

The title page should contain the following information: Leuphana University Major Title of the thesis in German and English (exact wording as on the application) Surname, first name of the examinee Matriculation No. Current e-mail address Current postal address First examiner Second examiner (for external examiners current contact details (postal address)) Date of submission

Please note In the case of a Master's thesis written in English, a German declaration must be included.

Admission to the oral examination For admission to the oral examination, both examiners must send the graded report to Student Services or upload it to myCampus. The student then receives written notification that he or she has been admitted to the oral examination. The student is responsible for arranging a date and time for the oral examination with the examiners. The examination confirmation sheet (issued when you submit the master's thesis) is to be submitted to Student Services no later than one week before the start of the examination. Students do not receive confirmation of receipt of the examination confirmation sheet. 

Oral examination The purpose of the oral examination is to elucidate the thesis. The oral examination is not open to the public. Only the first and second examiner, the student and members of the examination board may attend. Oral examinations generally last 30 minutes. The time per candidate is to be reduced accordingly for group examinations. The form of the oral examination is decided by the examiners in consultation with the student. The examiners must draw up a written record of the oral examination.

Evaluation of thesis with oral examination The examiners grade the oral examination. The arithmetic mean of the two grades is the grade for the supplementary oral examination, and that grade is worth one fifth (5 CP) of the overall grade for the master's thesis. The arithmetic mean of the grades from the assessment reports is weighted at four fifths (20 CP) of the overall grade.

Evaluation of thesis without oral examination Each examiner issues a written report on the thesis. The overall grade for your master's thesis is the arithmetic mean of the two grades.

Please note In the event that the grading by the two examiners differs by two grades or more, another expert reviewer must be appointed by the competent examination board before the grade is announced. In such cases, the overall grade is the arithmetic mean of all individual grades

The master's thesis may only be repeated once. Students may only repeat the thesis if their first attempt is graded as a “fail”. Students may not resit assessments that they have passed. If the first attempt has been graded as a “fail”, a second and final attempt with a new topic is permitted. The new topic cannot be closely related to a previous topic. The time defined in the Subject-Specific Schedule is then allocated for completion. The examiners do not need to be the same as for the previous topic.

Illness during the master's thesis period shall only be taken into account if a medical certificate is provided.  The certificate must be submitted to the Student Services immediately after it has been established that the student is unable to take the examination. The medical certificate (incapacity form) must explicitly certify that the student in question was unable to work on his or her master's thesis. The standard forms for incapacity for work are not sufficient in this case. The time allocated for the thesis shall be suspended for the duration of the incapacity. The submission deadline shall be extended by the number of days for which the student was ill.

The master's thesis may be a piece of group work. The contribution of the individual candidate to be assessed must be clearly identifiable on the basis of sections, page numbers and other objective criteria. It must be possible to assess said contribution on its own merits.

Masters Forum

The Masters Forum is a separate module in which an assessment must be completed. The form of each Masters Forum depends on the requirements of the given major.

Time allocated and length

Five months are allowed for the master's thesis, with the exception of thesis on the International Economic Law Major, for which three months are allowed. A period of 20 weeks is set for the Management & Entrepreneurship Masters programme; differing rules apply for the length (see table in the information sheet).

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Masters Thesis vs. PhD Dissertation: Key Differences

Whether you are a graduate student just starting out in academia or a professor advising a student, making the distinction between a dissertation and a thesis is critically important to writing a strong dissertation and becoming a stronger writer. Unfortunately, the difference remains unclear since the terms are used interchangeably by graduate students, doctoral researchers, academic publishers & universities.

If you’re not sure whether you’re writing a thesis or a dissertation, this article will help you understand the differences between the two whether you’re a PhD or master’s degree student.

Main Differences Between a Dissertation and a Thesis

While theses and dissertations share many similarities (they are both advanced graduate research papers), they actually refer to two different types of academic writing, and their differences include important concepts such as scope, purpose, length, and research requirements.

Most importantly, the difference between a thesis and a dissertation depends on the level of education. Far beyond being a simple essay, a thesis is for graduate students pursuing a master’s degree while a dissertation is written by doctoral students, also referred to as PhD candidates.

There are a few key differences between a thesis versus a dissertation.

The biggest difference between a thesis and a dissertation is that a thesis makes arguments based on existing research. Meanwhile, a dissertation often requires the PhD candidate to conduct research and then perform an analysis.

More specifically, a thesis often takes the form of a literature review , which is a compilation of research knowledge in a particular field of study that proves one is competent in that subject. On the other hand, a dissertation is a more specific type of research paper written by those working toward a specific doctorate degree that contributes knowledge, theory, or methods to a field of study.

What is a master’s thesis?

A master’s thesis is an academic research paper that requires a greater degree of research than an undergraduate thesis or term paper. It is marked by a higher standard of writing, and students are expected to demonstrate competence, literacy, and mastery of a subject. It usually takes two or three years to complete. Finally, a master’s degree thesis is usually written in order to obtain a research degree and is not intended to be published separately.

What is a PhD dissertation?

A PhD dissertation is a substantial piece of independent research that is required of all students who are pursuing a doctorate degree. It is a piece of original work that has not been published elsewhere and, most importantly, makes a new contribution to the field. This contribution may be a new way of thinking about an existing topic or even a novel theory. The research performed for a dissertation is usually conducted over a period of several years to half a decade.

Features of a Master’s Thesis vs PhD Dissertation

Content and Structural Differences

So how is dissertation writing different from thesis writing?

Now that you know the definitions of a dissertation and thesis, let’s dive into some clear ways in which they differ in structure and other main characteristics.

How long is a thesis vs dissertation?

Length is the most obvious factor in differentiating between writing a thesis or dissertation. 

Generally, a doctoral dissertation has greater breadth, depth, and intention than a master’s thesis since it is based on original research. While the standard length of a master’s thesis is around 100 pages , a doctoral dissertation can be upwards of 400-500 pages. 

While most students can finish their PhD dissertation or thesis in as little as 1-2 years, it can take as long as 7 years depending on the school, program, and dissertation topic. As doctoral programs have their own formatting requirements, check with your school or university to find out what you need for your own dissertation or thesis. Most dissertations are organized into chapters, but the number of chapters varies as well.

Differences in research methods

A thesis and dissertation are both graduate-level research reports. This means they require students to investigate and report on a specific topic. But what is the difference in the scale of research between a master’s versus doctoral degree? The answer comes down to how much and what type of data you collect .

Data sources for a thesis vs dissertation

A master’s thesis is limited to secondary or reported knowledge . This knowledge has already been published, analyzed, and scrutinized in the literature. A thesis does not typically offer anything new in that regard. Your purpose is usually to write a comprehensive literature review on a novel or underreported topic using already-reported data.

On the other hand, a doctoral dissertation reports on  novel data  and is published so it can be scrutinized by others. It culminates in your dissertation defense.

The above lists clearly show that a PhD researcher and dissertation writer must have specific hands-on experience about not only the result of others’ research but also how the researchers obtained the data. A dissertation must venture into criticism of how other studies performed their experiments, whereas a master’s student will only report on and evaluate the results.

Differences in research scope 

As mentioned above, a thesis is more of a literature review written to demonstrate competence and mastery of a field of study. In short, you are a reliable “reporter” of information related to that subject. A thesis shows that you know the technical jargon, understand the subject, are familiar with industry tools, and can translate that information to a general audience. This is why a master’s degree is sufficient and often preferred for industry jobs.

In contrast, a doctoral dissertation goes beyond simply using the building blocks of your subject and actually creates new tools, knowledge, and theories to advance the subject as a whole. If a master’s degree holder is like a seasoned Rolling Stone journalist, then a doctorate is the band/musician who actually makes the music.

So should you pursue a thesis or a dissertation?

The benefits of earning a graduate degree are huge. According to the US Census Bureau , those with an advanced degree earn 3.7 times as much as a high school dropout, and 13.1% hold a master’s, professional, or doctorate degree. If you’re a curious undergraduate student thinking of applying to graduate school, which is the right choice?

In short, a dissertation is more focused and in-depth than a thesis. While a doctoral dissertation is based on original research, a thesis is often an extension or review of others’ research in order to demonstrate literacy. Further, a dissertation can be used as the basis or subject of a thesis, but not vice versa.

Editing a Dissertation vs Thesis

So far, we’ve focused a lot on differences such as research and purpose, but in the end, a thesis or dissertation is a written document that requires skill, focus, discipline, subject knowledge, organization, and scheduling. 

For non-native English speakers, the challenge is especially difficult since English is the lingua franca of academia and research. 

How does an editing service improve your dissertation or thesis ?

From body spacing and pagination, to font size and citation formatting, the dissertation guidelines are exhaustive. Even worse, they vary by school. So besides the actual English writing and grammar, graduate students must worry about consistency, formatting, nomenclature, and terminology. That’s quite the burden!

This is why it’s very common for graduate students, especially ESL and foreign ones, to seek out dissertation editing services that specifically cater to the academic needs of researchers and students.

Here are just a few reasons why dissertation proofreading is so helpful and what these editors do:

• Correct grammar, punctuation, syntax, and structural errors
• Offer suggestions to rewrite, remove, and revise writing
• Ensure formatting and nomenclature are consistent
• Knowledgeable academic editors with master’s and PhD degrees
• Free up your time to focus on research, revisions, and content instead of looking for mistakes
• Provide a  language editing certificate , which may be necessary for non-native English-speaking students

Lastly, most PhD advisors recommend that students seek out professional editing services , specifically thesis editing or dissertation editing , since professors prefer to assess the actual research content of a dissertation, not mundane writing errors. Any graduate student reading this knows professors don’t like their time to be wasted! 

Be sure to check out other academic resources on how to improve your academic manuscript and the benefits of proofreading and editing.

And try the Wordvice FREE Citation Generator, which provides citations for four academic formatting styles:  APA Citation Generator , MLA Citation Generator , Chicago Citation Generator , and Vancouver Citation Generator .

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Master Thesis vs Master's Thesis

• Thread starter Mister_De
• Start date Aug 30, 2015
• Aug 30, 2015

Hello everybody, could anyone please tell me how it is correctly spelled this piece of work? Master Thesis or Master's Thesis? Or are they both correct? Thanks! ^^U  

Moderator Emeritus

FinnLorenzini

• Nov 5, 2021

Erin Gaede receives Master’s Thesis Award from the Rural Sociological Society

To explain the stigma around homelessness and housing insecurity, scholars tend to rely on urban samples and focus on the hypervisibility, what I call the  physical hypervisibility,  of people sleeping in public spaces, on park benches, and public transportation. Unlike in urban contexts, people experiencing housing insecurity in rural areas are often unseen: they are doubling up with friends and family, living in their vehicles, abandoned buildings, and state parks. As such, rural housing insecurity is often referred to as “hidden.” This hiddenness gives us reason to suspect that theories built on hypervisibility and urban samples cannot fully account for the stigma around homelessness and housing insecurity across different geographic contexts. Based on six months of ethnographic fieldwork and 37 in-depth interviews in five rural counties in Wisconsin, this paper finds that the relationship between stigma and rural housing insecurity hinges on its  social hypervisibility . In the absence of public services and infrastructure, people experiencing housing hardships in rural areas rely on the strong ties of their dense social networks, making their struggles known to others, even when they are not directly observed, such as in urban contexts. This  social hypervisibility  then facilitates stigma by shaping people’s relationships, behavior, and opportunities to climb out of poverty. These findings indicate the need to further examine how the experience of stigma, poverty, and housing insecurity vary across different geographic contexts.

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Tim Walz wrote a master’s thesis on Holocaust education, just as his own school’s approach drew criticism

In Judi Agustin’s freshman year at Mankato West High School, her teacher instructed her to wear a yellow star.

It was part of a Holocaust curriculum at the school, located in a remote area of Minnesota with barely any Jews. For a week, freshmen were asked to wear the yellow stars, which were reminiscent of the ones the Nazis made the Jews wear. Seniors played the part of the Gestapo, charged with persecuting the “Jews.”

Unlike everyone else in her class in the 2001-2002 school year, Agustin was Jewish. The experience “was incredibly hurtful and offensive and scary,” she recalled on Tuesday. Her father complained to the district, and wrote a letter to the local paper decrying the lesson.

In response, she recalled, a teacher intervened. That teacher, according to her recollection: current vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.

“When Tim Walz found out about it, he squashed it real quick, and as far as I understand they never did it again,” Agustin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “So he was an advocate for my experience, as one of four Jewish kids in the entire school district. And I always felt like he had our back.”

A progressive favorite in Minnesota, where he is now governor, Walz is also heralded for his background as a public school educator. Lesser known is the fact that, while teaching in rural, largely white Midwestern school districts, Walz developed a particular interest in Holocaust and genocide education.

Walz is on the campaign trail this week with Vice President Kamala Harris, his running mate, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. JTA could not independently verify that he was the teacher who stopped the Mankato West lesson.

But it’s clear that how to teach the Holocaust well has occupied Walz for decades. In 1993, while teaching in Nebraska, he was part of an inaugural conference of U.S. educators convened by the soon-to-open U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Eight years later, after moving to Minnesota, he wrote a thesis arguing for changes in Holocaust education. And as governor, he backed a push to mandate teaching about the Holocaust in Minnesota schools.

Through it all, Walz modeled and argued for careful instruction that treated the Holocaust as one of multiple genocides worth understanding.

“Schools are teaching about the Jewish Holocaust, but the way it is traditionally being taught is not leading to increased knowledge of the causes of genocide in all parts of the world,” Walz wrote in his thesis, submitted in 2001.

The thesis was the culmination of Walz’s master’s degree focused on Holocaust and genocide education at Minnesota State University, Mankato, which he earned while teaching at Mankato West. His 27-page thesis, which JTA obtained, is titled “Improving Human Rights and Genocide Studies in the American High School Classroom.”

In it, Walz argues that the lessons of the “Jewish Holocaust” should be taught “in the greater context of human rights abuses,” rather than as a unique historical anomaly or as part of a larger unit on World War II. “To exclude other acts of genocide severely limited students’ ability to synthesize the lessons of the Holocaust and the ability to apply them elsewhere,” he wrote.

He then took a position that he noted was “controversial” among Holocaust scholars: that the Holocaust should not be taught as unique, but used to help students identify “clear patterns” with other historical genocides like the Armenian and Rwandan genocides.

Walz was describing, in effect, his own approach to teaching the Holocaust that he implemented in Alliance, Nebraska, years earlier. In the state’s remote northwest region, Walz asked his global geography class to study the common factors that linked the Holocaust to other historical genocides , including economic strife, totalitarian ideology and colonialism. The year was 1993. At year’s end, Walz and his class correctly predicted that Rwanda was most at risk of sliding into genocide.

“The Holocaust is taught too often purely as a historical event, an anomaly, a moment in time,” Walz Told the New York Times in 2008, reflecting on those Alliance lessons. “That relieves us of responsibility. Obviously, the mastermind was sociopathic, but on the scale for it to happen, there had to be a lot of people in the country who chose to go down that path.”

In his thesis, he noted that he intended to bring this curriculum to the Mankato school district as a “sample unit.” But another kind of lesson was unfolding there at the same time.

For years at Mankato West, high school students had been engaged in a peculiar lesson that was, all the same, not unusual for its time: In an effort to teach students who had never met a Jewish person what it might have been like to live under the Nazis, teachers had them role play.

For a week, freshmen wore the yellow stars, and seniors playing the Gestapo were given permission to torment them.

Such lessons had been going on since at least the 1990s, recalled Leah Solo, a Jewish student who graduated from Mankato West in 1998. For Solo, these lessons weren’t so bad.

“People knew I was Jewish, people knew to be sensitive around me,” Solo told JTA. Her teacher, who was not Walz and whom she liked, “was doing his best to try to teach a really hard subject to folks who had no idea. Most of these kids had never met a Jew before.” In her senior year she was given the choice of whether she wanted to play a Nazi or another kind of role, and chose the latter.

Things were different by the time Agustin took the class several years later. By then, the Holocaust role-playing wasn’t just limited to the confines of the classroom.

“They could come up to you in the lunchroom,” recalled Anne Heintz, a fellow student at the time. Local students whispered about the lesson before they got to high school, she said.

One senior, in Agustin’s recollection, got violent and started shoving the “Jewish” freshmen into lockers.

Outraged, her father wrote a letter to the local newspaper, and some parents complained to the school district. Agustin left the high school after her sophomore year. None of this happened in Walz’s classroom, according to the students, and Heintz recalled that the lessons had ended by the time she graduated in 2004.

“I’m not sure what his involvement was. I know it just ended,” Heintz, who is not Jewish, told JTA. “He was teaching at the time it ended.”

JTA could not verify whether Walz knew about the lessons, which had been going on for years, before they were stopped. A spokesperson for the high school told JTA they “don’t have any information” on the details of the lessons, but noted, “When Governor Walz was at Mankato West High School he was primarily a Global Geography Teacher and Football Coach. Subjects such as the Holocaust were taught in history courses.”

Agustin’s father, Stewart Ross, told JTA that he did not recall Walz being involved. Neither did Bob Ihrig, one of the teachers who taught the lesson as part of a World War II unit. He said it continued in a limited, classroom-only version until his retirement in 2014.

Ross, Ihrig and all three Mankato West High students spoke highly of Walz as a teacher and community leader, though only one, Heintz, actually had him in the classroom.

“What I remember most is, he always made all the subjects that we talked about super engaging,” she said. “It always seemed like he was able to make a subject really exciting for folks and really engage everyone in class. And I think that is part of how he speaks now that he’s on a national stage as well.”

Solo, who had Walz’s wife Gwen for a different class, took a student trip led by the couple to China, where Tim Walz taught for a year early in his career. She recalled how, in 2004, Walz stood up for her when she was working with John Kerry’s presidential campaign and security for a George W. Bush rally tried to boot them from the premises.

“When security also tried to kick him out, he was like, ‘I am a former Teacher of the Year who just returned from being deployed. I don’t think you want to kick me out,’” Solo recalled, describing an incident that made local news at the time. “And then after the rally, he came and signed up to volunteer with the Kerry campaign, because he did not appreciate that.”

Volunteering with Kerry’s campaign led directly to Walz’s entrance into politics . Solo would go on to work for Walz’s congressional campaigns.

Walz stuck with teaching as he began his political career; when he was elected to represent Mankato in 2006, he was the only active educator in Congress.

Last year, as Minnesota’s governor, Walz returned to Holocaust education, and supported and signed a law requiring the state’s middle and high schools to teach about the Holocaust. The law, initiated and championed by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, also encourages schools to teach about other genocides. A working group for the curriculum hit snags earlier this summer when a pro-Palestinian activist was removed from the committee amid debates on whether Israel’s conduct in Gaza constitutes genocide.

The mandate is still anticipated to go into effect in the 2025-2026 school year. “This is going to work out, this is going to be good, because the governor and his staff are highly attuned to the concerns and sensitivities of the Jewish community,” Ethan Roberts, the JCRC’s deputy executive director, told JTA.

Speaking at a JCRC event in June, Walz said he had been “privileged and proud” to have participated in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum training early in his career. But he said more needed to be done, and he emphasized that the curriculum chosen to accomplish the requirement would determine its success.

“We need to do better on Holocaust education. We need to do better on ethnic studies,” he told the crowd. “And I tell you this as a teacher and as governor, too, we don’t need test scores or anything to tell us that we’re failing.”

It was the kind of message that former Mankato West students said they came to expect from him.

“He is what you hope a great teacher is,” said Solo, “which is someone who’s not only teaching, but also learning at all times.”

With additional reporting by Jackie Hajdenberg. 

Correction and updates (Aug. 8): This story has been corrected to remove a reference to Tim Walz as department chair. It has also been updated to reflect additional sources about Holocaust instruction at Mankato West High School.

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Travel Tips to Kabardino-Balkaria: More than Mt. Elbrus!

If you’ve traveled to the North Caucasus before, there is a good chance you’ve already been to Kabardino-Balkaria, and you didn’t even know it!  Kabardino-Balkaria lies in the center of the North Caucasus region, is home to Mt. Elbrus, but more than that is a treasure chest of travel possibilities.  Here is our guide to traveling through the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, or 9 travel tips to this beautiful land:

1. How do I get there?

Kabardino-Balkaria hosts a large number of both foreign and Russian travelers every year, and has an improving infrastructure able to handle the incoming masses.  Let’s start with the obvious.  You might be a mountain climber or skier coming to enjoy the slopes of Mt. Elbrus.  That means you’re likely arriving on an airplane to Russia.  Here are your travel options:

A. Plane – We advise you fly into the Mineralni Vodi (MRV) airport in the Stavropol Region, which is about 45 minutes from the border of Kabardino-Balkaria.  MRV is the largest airport in the North Caucasus, and has daily direct flights to and from all 3 airpots in Moscow (SVO, DME, and VKO), direct flights from St. Petersburg, and several international flight routes as well, including from Istanbul, Dubai, Greece, Tel Aviv, and Bishkek.  The MRV airport has a growing infrastructure and is the most obvious choice to fly into if going to Elbrus.  From MRV, it’s a 2 hr. drive to Nalchik, and a 3.5 hr. drive to Mt. Elbrus.

That being said, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik (NAL), also has a small regional airport with a daily flight to/from Moscow as well as weekly flights to Istanbul. As is to be expected in most smaller, regional airports around Russia, the service standard at a small airport like this will be minimal.  As a result, we recommend you flying in and out of MRV if able.  It’s a 2 hr. drive to Elbrus from Nalchik.  You can also fly into other regional airports which are 2 hrs. from Nalchik, such as OGZ in North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz) or IGT in Ingushetia (Magas).

B.  Car/Public Transport – If you have a car, are using a taxi, or are hitch-hiking your way to Kabardino-Balkaria, the region is accessible by a variety of roads and vehicles.  A major Russian federal highway E50 runs through Pyatigorsk into Kabardino-Balkaria, and can take you towards Mt. Elbrus, Nalchik, and deeper into the North Caucasus.  There are daily mini-buses, or “marshrutkas”, that travel to Nalchik from Pyatigorsk, Vladikavkaz, Grozny, and Magas, if you’re coming from a neighboring republic.  From the main Nalchik bus station, there is a marshrutka that goes to Terskol (i.e. Mt. Elbrus) daily around 12:30 pm; for that matter,  marshrutkas run daily into every valley of this beautiful republic.  For the seasoned international traveler, you can drive from the country of Georgia up the famed “Georgian Military Highway” through the heart of the Caucasus Mountains, cross the border into Russia at the “Verkhni Lars” border stop, and be in Nalchik in about 2.5 hours as well. 

Anyone traveling on their own should download the “Yandex” taxi app, which is Russia’s version of Uber, and has a very user-friendly app with affordable prices.  In smaller villages/towns where Yandex’s service doesn’t reach, just ask a local and they’ll direct you to a friend or relative who can taxi you where you need to go!

C.  Train – Kabardino-Balkaria is also very accessible by the famous cross-country Russian train system if that’s your preferred method of travel.  Almost all trains to the North Caucasus pass through Mineralni Vodi in the Stavropol region to the north, so make sure wherever you are coming from, Mineralni Vodi is one of the stops.  Despite Nalchik having a train station, the city is about 45 minutes from the main railway route that runs diagonal through the North Caucasus, and as a result it’s a bit convoluted to get a train directly to Nalchik.  That being said, the town Prokhladni is a regular stop on trains going to/coming from Baku, Makhachkala, Grozny, Nazran, and Vladikavkaz, so you can always hop off there and find your way by public transport or taxi.

2.  What are the best places to stay?

This list could get exhaustive, fast. 🙂  Let’s first look at an overview of the republic’s geography, followed by hotel recommendations:

A. Nalchik – This is the capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria, with a population of around 250,000.  Nalchik is growing and new, modern hotels are being built regularly.  Here are some of our recommendations:

-Modern and comfortable:  Azimut , Butik Otel

-Budget with less frills:  Hotel Rossia , Korona

You could comfortably spend a week in Nalchik, while doing day trips into Kabardino-Balkaria’s beautiful mountain valleys.

B.  Baksan Valley – This is the most traveled road in Kabardino-Balkaria, the road to Mt. Elbrus.  If you have questions about its safety because of travel warnings, please see our detailed blog here of the drive to erase any doubts or fears.  Needless to say, because of the draw of Mt. Elbrus, there are a huge variety of lodging options at the end of this valley, from 4-star to mid-range to budget to hostel.  Here are just a few we’ll recommend from our experience:

-Modern and comfortable 4-star-ish:  Azau Star , Kristall 139

-Budget with less frills 3-star-ish:   Laguna , Povorot

If you’re a mountain climber with your sites set on the summit of Elbrus, you’ll have to spend at least 3-4 nights at Elbrus’s famous base camp at 13,000 feet.  The “barrel huts” are not easy to book directly with, and we highly recommend you do your climb (and hence, have your bookings handled) through a trusted climbing company.  Here are two shelters at base camp we recommend:

-Modern and comfortable:  Leaprus

-Budget with less frills:  Heart of Elbrus Lodge

If you’re interested in climbing Mt. Elbrus and staying in these barrel huts, click  here  to see our climbing itineraries, pricing, and group dates.

C.  Chegem Valley – Chegem Valley is the adjacent valley to Elbrus’s Baksan Valley, and is famous for its beautiful waterfalls as well as being Russia’s top paragliding location.  The “ Paradrome ” has modest accommodations for those wanting to get to know this beautiful valley for a longer period of time.

D.  Upper Balkaria, or Cherek Valley – This is another beautiful mountain gorge not too far from Nalchik.  There is an authentic lodging complex in Upper Balkaria called Tau-El, with amazing local food for meals as well.

E.  Border Zone lodging – Several of Kabardino-Balkaria’s mountain gorges run into the border zone with neighboring country Georgia, i.e. an area that foreigners cannot enter without a special permit from the local government (often taking 2 months to receive).  There is a famous mountaineering lodge in Bezengi Valley, where several generations of Russian mountain climbers have honed their craft in the Caucasus Mountains.  Perpendicular to Baksan Valley (about 25 minutes from the base of Mt. Elbrus) is Adyr-Suu Valley, where there is a lodge for back-country skiers to stay, while trying their hands (and feet!) on the untouched snow of that valley.  Both these valleys require border permits for foreigners, but are possible to access for the more adventurous!

3.  Top cities to visit?

Most locals would agree that Nalchik is the main city of significance to visit in Kabardino-Balkaria, but let’s be honest, even more would say, “Just go to the mountains!”  Tirnauz is the capital of the Elbrus district, and is an interesting town to spend some time in, with its unique location in the mountains and place in Soviet history as a once-booming mining town.  The main thing to consider in visiting Nalchik and other cities in the lowlands, is the chance to experience Kabardian culture and food.  Whereas the deeper you go into the valleys, the more you’ll encounter Balkar culture and food.

4.  Best local foods to try?

There are 3 types of food that come to mind, when spending time in Kabardino-Balkaria:

A. Khychiny – This is one of the staple national dishes of the Balkar people, and what you’ll inevitably be served if guests of local Balkars.  It’s a thin buttery flat bread, sometimes cooked with fillings of cottage cheese, fresh greens, or potatoes.  It is often slathered in butter, but wow is that some tasty greasy goodness! 🙂

B.  Shashlik – Shashlik is a MUST for any visit anywhere in the North Caucasus!  Most people would agree that it’s the national food of the entire region.  Shashlik is meat shish kabobs; while pork and turkey can be found in some parts of the Caucasus, lamb or chicken are the preferred shashlik meats of choice in Kabardino-Balkaria. 

C.  Soup – No matter where you are in Russia, you’re sure to find a local soup that people love.  Kabardino-Balkaria is no different.  Especially in the winter months in the mountain valleys, there’s nothing better than to come inside from the cold weather and warm your body up to a bowl of hearty Caucasus soup.  Whether Georgian kharcho or local Balkar lakhman, make sure to try your hand at one of these soups with a side of fresh baked bread/lavash!

5.  Top Hole-In-The-Wall restaurants:

Of course, for a republic of this size, we’re bound to leave at least a few great local joints off our list, but here are a few to get you started. ***Note:  Restaurants in the North Caucasus are much better known for their food than their service, so prepare for tasty food, but manage your expectations about service:

-Elbrus – Kogutai Restaurant at Mt. Cheget – While this isn’t a hole-in-the-wall restaurant per se, it’s one of many to choose from in the Cheget tourist village, and we have found them to provide consistently good food and service.  Kogutai has a nice interior, and maybe most important, an English-language menu with good pictures. 🙂  There also is a nice outdoor patio with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains.

-Nalchik #1 – Tameris Restaurant – This is a cafe with a relaxed atmosphere in the capital Nalchik.  Local tour company Elbrus Elevation has taken foreign groups there on multiple occasions and always had good experiences.  Address is ul. Kuliyeva 3. 

-Nalchik #2 – Cafe-Bar Oasis – You have to know where this restaurant is to find it, but once inside, you won’t regret it!  There is a unique cafeteria-style ordering process, that includes several dishes being cooked on the spot once ordered.  You can sample local Kabardian dishes here.  The seating area is very modern and a pleasant atmosphere to have a meal in.  Address is ul. Kuliyeva 2. 

-Upper Balkaria – Tau-El Restaurant – This is the restaurant part of the Tau-El Tourist Complex in Upper Balkaria.  Whether spending the night or just passing through, make sure to stop here for a meal!

6.  Must-See Sites

This republic is so chock full of “must-see” destinations, it’s impossible to narrow the list down.  Here are just a few suggestions to get you started: (***Mt. Elbrus is a no-brainer and we’re assuming that’s on your list)

A. El-Tyubu and Paradrome – This is an amazing area towards the end of Chegem Valley.  Many tourists visit the famous Chegem Waterfalls and don’t drive any further down this gorge, which really is a shame.  El-Tyubu is a picturesque Balkar village with several historical sites to see, including some ancient mausoleums.  The real gem of the area, though, is the Paradrome , which is Russia’s premier paragliding destination.  The combination of the scenic surrounding mountains and constant winds produces almost daily conditions to sail through the beautiful Caucasus sky.  Highly recommend!

B.  Upper Balkaria – Also known as Cherek Valley, the entire drive to the actual village of Upper Balkaria is one big destination.  First, you can spend time at the 3 consecutive “ Blue Lakes ”, one of which is one of Russia’s deepest lakes with an underground spring.  Then, the drive itself becomes an adventure, as you pass by steep rock walls with a huge drop-off on the other side.  If you’re able to walk this part of the road, that is a bonus!  Once you’ve made your way through the valley walls, the region opens up into a beautiful panoramic view.  Many years ago, there were multiple villages in this region, but they’ve since been condensed into one main village.  You can see some of the ancient Balkar towers that their ancestors used to live in as well.

C.  Djili-Suu – Although hard to pronounce and not easy to get to, Djili-Suu is one of those places in the North Caucasus that people rave about that you “have to” visit.  It’s actually on the North side of Mt. Elbrus, and more accessible from the Mineral Waters region (2 hrs. from Kislovodsk).  The base camp for Elbrus climbers summiting the mountain from the North side is at Djili-Suu.  This area is famous in Russia for its numerous natural healing springs, as well as unique climate conditions that make for beneficial, long holidays for seeking a respite from their daily grind.  There are wide swaths of land available for camping, with probably the most unrivaled views of Mt. Elbrus in the North Caucasus.  Make sure to check this out!

7.  Off-the-beaten path destinations

A. King’s Waterfalls (Tsarskie), or Gedmisht – Probably the valley in Kabardino-Balkaria with the least amount of hype is the Malka Valley, which is the northernmost valley and mainly runs through the Kabardian lowlands.  At the point where the villages end, though (Khabas), the asphalt turns into dirt and the hills start to rise, culminating with the incredible King’s Waterfalls, or as one friend put it, Avatar Waterfalls.  These stunning waterfalls are best visited in the early summer, when everything is lush green and the water flow is strong, with many streams of water flowing down the earth’s surface.  The different colors are incredible and it’s hard to look away.  Once you’ve enjoyed the waterfalls, enjoy a meal of shashlik at one of the nearby lunch huts.  Having an off-road vehicle is ideal to visit these falls, but worth the time and effort!

B.  One-seater chair lift at Elbrus – As the infrastructure at Mt. Elbrus has modernized, some of the more “authentic” experiences have gone to the way-side.  This is one experience still available, though!  From the 2nd (11,000 ft.) to 3rd level (12,500 ft.) of Mt. Elbrus (whether skiing, going to base camp, or just touring), there is a single-seater chair lift for 100 rubles each way (less than $2).  This is an amazing experience if you have the time.  It’s 8-10 minutes each way, and a surreal experience of the majestic Caucasus mountain range surrounding you, skiers silently passing you by underneath, and in general enjoying the silent expanse of nature all around.  The chair lifts are from the Soviet times and so it feels like something from a different era.  For mountain climbers, the newer group cable car gives better access to most of base camp, but several huts are pretty close to this chair lift, so it still may be a good option for you.

C.  Abandoned Mines above Tirnauz – Tirnauz is about 1 hr. from Mt. Elbrus, and a town everyone drives through to and from the mountain.  Although today it looks old and half-abandoned, it was a booming mining town in the 20th century.  About a 45-minute drive above the city with an off-road vehicle, you can see the remains of the mining operations.  Learning about this history combined with the breath-taking views of the Baksan Valley and even into Georgia, you’ll wonder why more people aren’t visiting this place.  This is a great spot to see eagles soaring in the sky, as well as admire the Soviet city plan of Tirnauz from above.

8.  What do I need border zone passes to visit?

In Russia, any area within 5-10 km of a neighboring country, without a clearly delineated border (i.e. in the mountains) is considered a special border zone, and patrolled by Russian border guards.  This area IS accessible to all Russian citizens with their passports, but is NOT legally accessible to foreign citizens UNLESS you have a special permit from the FSB (Federal Security Bureau).  These permits are accessible, either through a tour operator or local friend, but require you to submit your application 45-60 days in advance.

Areas in Kabardino-Balkaria that are worth a visit if you have a border zone pass:

A.  Bezengi Wall – This is at the end of the Bezengi Valley, and holds a place of lore among Russian mountain climbers.  Many mountain guides go through training in this valley.  Five of the Caucasus Mountain’ range’s highest seven peaks are a part of the Bezengi Wall, so you can imagine the draw it has for climbers. There are great areas for trekking and camping in this area. 

B.  Adyr-Suu Gorge – This remote valley runs perpendicular to Baksan Valley and is about 25 minutes from the base of Mt. Elbrus.  It’s marked at the entrance by a relic of the past, a car lift from Soviet days that auto-cranks your car (and you) about 50 meters up the mountain.  After 45-60 minutes of driving on gravel road, the gorge opens up into a flat valley with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.  The Adyr-Suu Alpine Lodge is at the end of this valley and where back-country skiers base out of during the acclimatization phase of their Mt. Elbrus ski tours.  This is truly a place where you can experience untouched powder!

C.  Mt. Cheget (Elbrus) – Cheget is a neighboring mountain to Mt. Elbrus and where many climbers will acclimatize, both at its base and while doing some hikes.  It also is famous in Russia for its free-ride terrain for more experienced skiers.  Standard access to the chair lifts and mountain are available to all (i.e. mountain climbers don’t need to worry about accidentally crossing into the zone), but anyone wanting to summit the peak of Cheget OR visit the beautiful Cheget Lake needs a border permit. 

Foreigners violating the border zone areas is considered a serious offense in Russia; make sure to do your due diligence if wanting to visit one of these areas!  We highly recommend using a local tour operator and always traveling with a local person if visiting one of these areas.

9.  Any cultural “do’s” or “don’t’s” to be aware of

Kabardino-Balkaria is a fascinating republic with a combination of traditional and modern society.  The more you interact with local people, the more you’ll see a mixture of Muslim faith, post-Soviet mentality, and ancient local traditions all wrapped together.   

Kabardians mainly live in the lowlands (Nalchik, Baksan, and lowland villages), while Balkars primarily live in the mountain valleys (Elbrus, Chegem, Upper Balkaria, etc.).  There is a large population of Russians in the region as well.  Foreigners visit every area of the region regularly, and so local people are used to and will welcome your presence.

Come with an open mind to learn about these peoples, their traditions, and their land.  You won’t regret your trip to Kabardino-Balkaria!

***Want to learn more?  Here are several self-published resources from the podcast “ CaucasTalk ” related to Kabardino-Balkaria:

– Travel Tips to Kabardino-Balkaria (audio version of this blog)

– History of Mt. Elbrus (Part 1)

– History of Mt. Elbrus (Part 2)

– Interview with Local Elbrus guide

– Climbing Elbrus: Interview with American guide

– Who are the Kabardians? (Part 1)

– Who are the Kabardians? (Part 2)

– Skiing in the North Caucasus (Elbrus and more)

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Is it possible to write a masters thesis in 10 days? [closed]

Was it ever possible for anyone to finish writing a master thesis in 10 days? I've been struggling for a long time now to focus on my writing due to several personal problems and I'm running close to my deadline so I'm starting to freak out. I welcome any suggestions at this point.

• time-management

• 1 Can you push your deadline to next semester? –  HEITZ Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 22:43
• 4 I think that really depends on your field, how comprehensive the exact subject of your thesis is, how knowledgeable you are and how well skilled you are in academic writing. I wrote mine in a little over 25 hours in total, but this excludes reading literature and the time required for doing experiments. –  pbond Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 23:41
• 1 What @pbond said with the additional question of what the requirements of the actual thesis are. –  Raydot Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 0:44
• 1 I hope you are holed up somewhere working hard on your draft, instead of reading this comment. But if you are reading this comment, go get started! Promise yourself a little reward after a good day's work. After a few days, when you are really on a roll, THEN you may contact someone official to ask for an extension. –  aparente001 Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 2:18

4 Answers 4

If by "writing" you mean to do the research/experiments/studying and then write the thesis then no .

If by "writing" you mean transforming your well organized notes into one document, then yes , maybe if you have great discipline.

If by "writing" you mean to start to write-up from not-so well organized notes, then most probably not .

If you want to try to make it, stop hanging around on the internet and start working.

• 2 This made me laugh, which was much needed. –  NZKshatriya Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 1:28
• Concise yet precise. –  Ébe Isaac Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 4:05
• Great last sentence. –  Pere Commented Dec 22, 2016 at 19:51

It can be done, but I would be dubious of the quality. That said, I can't recall a Master's thesis that set the world on fire, so I suppose quality is a poor metric.

Here are some suggestions:

• Make sure you've got all the material you need to write because that's what you need to do -- write. Find a nest and keep all the distractions out.
• Set minimum targets for your writing. Then, meet and exceed it. I suggest setting targets that allow you to finish writing in eight days, not 10. This gives you some padding in case life gets in the way. To be clear, there are 192 hours in eight days. Allowing for a 12-hour work day, then you need to write 15,000 words in 96 hours or about 156 words an hour. Set a target of 400 words an hour.
• Make sure you have time to edit your work.

Good luck to you.

• 3 Just to nitpick: Shannon's masters thesis was actually quite groundbreaking, more so than his PhD. Apart from that, I agree with your advice. Start now. –  Captain Emacs Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 23:41
• I would love to read it. Do you have a link to the thesis or perhaps some papers that have been produced from it? –  user65587 Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 2:42
• I think it should be googleable, I do not know whether I can link it here. It is essentially how to use Boolean algebra to simplify circuits. Retrospectively obvious, it wasn't at its time. –  Captain Emacs Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 11:43
• @Captain Emacs: Although a bit old, there's the case of Luzin's Master's thesis: . . . he completed his thesis The integral and trigonometric series which he submitted in 1915. After his oral examination he was awarded a doctorate, despite having submitted his thesis for the Master's Degree. In fact, even for a Ph.D. thesis, Luzin's is one of the strongest ever written in mathematics --- probably in the top 10 to 20 of all-time for its influence on later developments. –  Dave L Renfro Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 14:48

Yes. You can write it in 10 days though the result won't be good. Make sure you write 1000 to 1500 words a day. So, rather than starting to freak out, you can start writing now

If it's an MFA thesis (average length: 2-3 pages) yes. If it's a science one where you're reporting on results and my impression is that the length isn't too terribly long, maybe. If it's a humanities one that's in the 100-150 page range, it's unlikely (I've written 10-15 pages in a day before, but I doubt I can keep that pace up for ten pages).

You should look into extending into next semester, even if it's just shooting off a quick email while continuing to work. If you have had a large number of personal problems that have negatively affected your ability to complete your school work (and are in the US, not sure how it would apply elsewhere), you should (a) speak with the counseling center on campus and (b) consider a withdrawal under extenuating circumstances (typically called a medical withdrawal, but at least at my school they are allowed for other reasons). If there's no penalty at all for extending into next semester, (b) might not even be necessary — it's super common for both master's and PhD students to miss their expected graduation date by a semester or two because of the thesis/dissertation.

But if you're running up against a hard time limit, the withdrawal would gain you an extra semester. If withdrawal isn't an option, at many schools you can also (c) petition the university to waive the time limit given your circumstances. I don't think I've ever really heard of those petitions being denied if the reason is even halfway reasonable.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged thesis masters writing time-management deadlines .

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