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How Do You Structure a Thesis?

Many graduate students are lost when it comes time to start writing their thesis. As a master’s level student, you may choose to take a comprehensive exam, complete a project, and/or write a thesis after you complete your coursework, depending upon your program’s requirements. If you choose to write a thesis, you may be confused about how to get started, or even about what you are required to do. It may be helpful for you to look over a thesis written recently by another student in your program. This can give you an idea of what the requirements are and how you may want to proceed. The guidelines of the graduate school regarding the format of the thesis can also be helpful, as can your thesis committee and recent graduates of your program.

The structure of the thesis varies from one field to another and from one institute to another, but typically the thesis begins with an introduction. Some students find that it is easier to write the introduction after the thesis is written and they know what the total research project entails, while others may start writing the introduction earlier in order to have an idea of the direction of the project. A literature review, or a summary of previous research on the thesis topic, is generally required. The thesis also often includes a discussion of the research methodology, or a description of the statistical methods and approach as well as the data and/or sample used. The thesis also includes the results of the research study, which is viewed by some as the most important part of the thesis since its purpose is to contribute to the literature. Your thesis is also likely to have a chapter focused on the conclusions and implications of the research. The graduate school at your university probably has specific requirements regarding the format of the document, table of contents, list of figures, and so on, so it is important to view their documentation prior to submitting your thesis.

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Selecting your Thesis or Dissertation Committee

Completing a thesis or a dissertation necessitates dedication, perseverance, and motivation. Effective guidance is a beneficial tool in completing a successful, scholarly product. When selecting your thesis or dissertation committee, consider factors such as relationship, communication, feedback style, and the expertise of the committee member you are considering. Time is an additional concern because most faculty members have many other responsibilities and have limited time to devote to guiding students through the process of writing a thesis or dissertation. As faculty members contemplate your request to become a committee member, their other obligations, subject matter knowledge, and relationship with you may be factors that influence whether they accept this role. Overall, it is important to find committee members who are accessible, offer effective criticism, and support you as you engage in all parts of the process, from the development of your research idea to the analysis of your findings, so that you can complete a polished, scholarly product.

It is useful to choose supportive, helpful, and nurturing individuals if you seek kind and gentle encouragement from potential committee members, but it is also helpful to find individuals who offer blunt, but clear, constructive criticism. Think about professors whose courses satiated a deeper understanding of the topics studied in class. Consider professors who inspired you to delve deeper into your research passions and with whom you had conversations that provoked further pursuit of the topic. In essence, choose members with whom you have built a strong connection during your coursework.

Receiving feedback that you can use to effectively revise your thesis or dissertation is paramount to completing the work. Therefore, it’s important to choose committee members who offer useful feedback. Useful feedback includes specific comments about necessary changes, literature to consider, and details about how to change a particular section; however, feedback may also offer ideas about major changes without describing the various paragraphs that need modification. Consider the type of feedback that is most helpful to you as you work on revisions.  Do you prefer specific details of how to change each section or bigger picture ideas? In either case, you will want to consider hiring an editor to check the syntax, verb tense, word choice, punctuation, clarity, and flow of the document prior to final submission. Copy editing and proofreading are not the responsibilities of your committee members.

Committee members’ expertise and experience in a specific research area (qualitative or quantitative) should also be a primary factor in selecting your committee. An individual with expertise in your field of study can guide you towards specific literature to develop your argument. If you choose a member without content knowledge in your field, you may gain guidance in developing the general areas, but this member may lack the content knowledge to offer direction towards specific developments in the field.

In addition to the aforementioned components of selecting your committee, it’s important to understand the time commitment each member should have in order to be on your committee. Your chairperson or co-chairs should offer the most support throughout the process, so be sure that your chair has the space in their schedule to respond in a timely manner to reviewing your drafts; two weeks is a general guideline for receiving feedback on your drafts. Select a committee member who has enough time to offer constructive criticism and direction when the process becomes overwhelming or you require clarity to proceed.

Overall, your committee will guide you through the process, so that you can achieve the final steps in attaining a graduate degree. It’s critical to select a committee that will offer guidance, constructive feedback, knowledge, and expertise of your subject as a whole group. The members should be accessible and have time to support your endeavor. The committee, which may be comprised of two to five members, should be a good fit for your research goals and support you as you cross the finish line towards obtaining your graduate degree.