Difference Between a Thesis and a Dissertation

Published on 06-May-2023

Feature	Thesis	Dissertation
Definition	A written work that presents original research and findings by a student to obtain a degree	A written work that presents original research and findings by a student to obtain a higher degree
Purpose	To demonstrate the student's mastery of a subject and ability to conduct research	To contribute new knowledge to the field and demonstrate the student's expertise
Scope	Typically shorter in length and focused on a specific topic	Longer in length and more comprehensive, covering a broader topic
Audience	Generally aimed at an academic audience, including professors and peers	Generally aimed at an academic audience, but may also be of interest to professionals in the field
Structure	Typically includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion	Typically includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion, but may also include additional chapters or sections
Timeframe	Can be completed within a shorter timeframe, often within a year or two	Can take several years to complete, often requiring multiple years of research and writing
Originality	Must present original research and findings, but may build on existing research	Must present original research and findings that contribute new knowledge to the field
Contribution	The research may add to the existing body of knowledge, but does not necessarily need to be groundbreaking	The research must contribute something new and significant to the field
Requirements	May vary depending on the institution and program, but generally requires extensive research and analysis	May have more specific requirements, such as the need to conduct fieldwork or work with a specific dataset
Committee	May require a thesis advisor or committee to oversee and approve the work	Generally requires a dissertation committee to oversee and approve the work
Defense	May or may not require a defense of the thesis, depending on the institution and program	Typically requires a defense of the dissertation, where the student presents their research and findings to the committee
Degree	Generally required for a master's degree	Generally required for a doctoral degree
Publication	May or may not be published in an academic journal or presented at a conference	May be published as a book or in an academic journal, and may also be presented at a conference
Use of sources	Must cite sources accurately and comprehensively, but may rely more heavily on secondary sources	Must cite sources accurately and comprehensively, but may rely more heavily on primary sources
Format	May be formatted differently depending on the institution and program, but generally follows a standard format	May be formatted differently depending on the institution and program, but generally follows a standard format
Research question	Typically has a more narrow research question	Typically has a broader research question
Field of study	Typically done at the master's level, covering a specific area of study	Typically done at the doctoral level, covering a broader field of study
Oral examination	May or may not require an oral examination	Generally requires an oral examination, where the student defends their research and findings
Assessment	Assessed primarily on the quality of the research and analysis	Assessed on the quality of the research, analysis, and contribution to the field