Difference between Dissertation and Thesis

Every student’s dream is to pursue a master/doctoral degree after attaining the first degree. But before graduating, they are required to present research work in their field of studies. Aside from being time demanding, this project needs serious writing skills and research to develop quality work. But what is the difference between writing a thesis and a dissertation?

This article aims to compare a thesis and a dissertation and find the common difference and similarities. Also, we may give some tips on writing these kinds of projects.

Similarities between the Thesis and the Dissertation

1. These two research projects are meant for the same purpose. They are submitted at the end of a university course before graduating.
2. Both works are time demanding, require a lot of research and good writing skills. Afterward, a student needs to defend the project they write. Failure to defend your papers means a student would have to resubmit the work.
3. Whether it is a thesis or a dissertation, a student comes up with a topic he/she wants to investigate and gets approval for it before the writing process.
4. They have a similar format and structure.
5. Before starting a thesis or a dissertation, you need to develop a proposal; if the proposal is accepted, you can do the final project. The project proposal serves as a highlight to the final paper.
6. In both a dissertation and a thesis, the student needs to reference any information they pick from other sources/authors. Referencing is meant to prevent the student from being accused of plagiarism or facing copyright infringement issues. Consequently, it is essential to do detailed citations according to the style of your university.

Differences between a Dissertation and a Thesis

1. A thesis or dissertation comes with a different type of degree. For example, in the United States, the thesis is meant for undergraduates and students pursuing a master’s degree while the dissertation is for those doing their Ph.D. degree.
2. They come with different lengths. A thesis is shorter than a dissertation. So the amount of research needed to complete a dissertation is more profound; hence, the final paper is bulky compared to the thesis.
3. There are different research approaches to doing a thesis and a dissertation. When writing a thesis, a student may need to conduct original research/ qualitative research. However, in dissertation writing, you can rely on secondary /quantitative analysis or use both.
4. A dissertation needs extensive work and research, and the final result must be excellent. You wouldn’t need the same effort to write a thesis.
5. Writing a thesis statement differs a little from a dissertation statement. For a thesis statement, you make your claims and then prove it with your research. However, you need to come up with a hypothesis for a dissertation and then tell readers the expected results after your study.

If you have a problem coming up with a thesis or dissertation, the best solution is to write widely on samples from the internet or other sources. If you still have a problem, then it is best to seek professional help from writers.