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How to write a masters dissertation or thesis: top tips.

It is completely normal to find the idea of writing a masters thesis or dissertation slightly daunting, even for students who have written one before at undergraduate level. Though, don’t feel put off by the idea. You’ll have plenty of time to complete it, and plenty of support from your supervisor and peers.

One of the main challenges that students face is putting their ideas and findings into words. Writing is a skill in itself, but with the right advice, you’ll find it much easier to get into the flow of writing your masters thesis or dissertation.

We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to write a dissertation or thesis for your masters degree, with top tips to consider at each stage in the process.

1. Understand your dissertation or thesis topic

There are slight differences between theses and dissertations , although both require a high standard of writing skill and knowledge in your topic. They are also formatted very similarly.

At first, writing a masters thesis can feel like running a 100m race – the course feels very quick and like there is not as much time for thinking! However, you’ll usually have a summer semester dedicated to completing your dissertation – giving plenty of time and space to write a strong academic piece.

By comparison, writing a PhD thesis can feel like running a marathon, working on the same topic for 3-4 years can be laborious. But in many ways, the approach to both of these tasks is quite similar.

Before writing your masters dissertation, get to know your research topic inside out. Not only will understanding your topic help you conduct better research, it will also help you write better dissertation content.

Also consider the main purpose of your dissertation. You are writing to put forward a theory or unique research angle – so make your purpose clear in your writing.

Top writing tip: when researching your topic, look out for specific terms and writing patterns used by other academics. It is likely that there will be a lot of jargon and important themes across research papers in your chosen dissertation topic. 

2. Structure your dissertation or thesis

Writing a thesis is a unique experience and there is no general consensus on what the best way to structure it is. 

As a postgraduate student , you’ll probably decide what kind of structure suits your research project best after consultation with your supervisor. You’ll also have a chance to look at previous masters students’ theses in your university library.

To some extent, all postgraduate dissertations are unique. Though they almost always consist of chapters. The number of chapters you cover will vary depending on the research. 

A masters dissertation or thesis organised into chapters would typically look like this: 

Write down your structure and use these as headings that you’ll write for later on.

Top writing tip : ease each chapter together with a paragraph that links the end of a chapter to the start of a new chapter. For example, you could say something along the lines of “in the next section, these findings are evaluated in more detail”. This makes it easier for the reader to understand each chapter and helps your writing flow better.

3. Write up your literature review

One of the best places to start when writing your masters dissertation is with the literature review. This involves researching and evaluating existing academic literature in order to identify any gaps for your own research.

Many students prefer to write the literature review chapter first, as this is where several of the underpinning theories and concepts exist. This section helps set the stage for the rest of your dissertation, and will help inform the writing of your other dissertation chapters.

What to include in your literature review

The literature review chapter is more than just a summary of existing research, it is an evaluation of how this research has informed your own unique research.

Demonstrate how the different pieces of research fit together. Are there overlapping theories? Are there disagreements between researchers?

Highlight the gap in the research. This is key, as a dissertation is mostly about developing your own unique research. Is there an unexplored avenue of research? Has existing research failed to disprove a particular theory?

Back up your methodology. Demonstrate why your methodology is appropriate by discussing where it has been used successfully in other research.

4. Write up your research

For instance, a more theoretical-based research topic might encompass more writing from a philosophical perspective. Qualitative data might require a lot more evaluation and discussion than quantitative research. 

Methodology chapter

The methodology chapter is all about how you carried out your research and which specific techniques you used to gather data. You should write about broader methodological approaches (e.g. qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods), and then go into more detail about your chosen data collection strategy. 

Data collection strategies include things like interviews, questionnaires, surveys, content analyses, discourse analyses and many more.

Data analysis and findings chapters

The data analysis or findings chapter should cover what you actually discovered during your research project. It should be detailed, specific and objective (don’t worry, you’ll have time for evaluation later on in your dissertation)

Write up your findings in a way that is easy to understand. For example, if you have a lot of numerical data, this could be easier to digest in tables.

This will make it easier for you to dive into some deeper analysis in later chapters. Remember, the reader will refer back to your data analysis section to cross-reference your later evaluations against your actual findings – so presenting your data in a simple manner is beneficial.

Think about how you can segment your data into categories. For instance, it can be useful to segment interview transcripts by interviewee. 

Top writing tip : write up notes on how you might phrase a certain part of the research. This will help bring the best out of your writing. There is nothing worse than when you think of the perfect way to phrase something and then you completely forget it.

5. Discuss and evaluate

Once you’ve presented your findings, it’s time to evaluate and discuss them.

It might feel difficult to differentiate between your findings and discussion sections, because you are essentially talking about the same data. The easiest way to remember the difference is that your findings simply present the data, whereas your discussion tells the story of this data.

Your evaluation breaks the story down, explaining the key findings, what went well and what didn’t go so well.

In your discussion chapter, you’ll have chance to expand on the results from your findings section. For example, explain what certain numbers mean and draw relationships between different pieces of data.

Top writing tip: don’t be afraid to point out the shortcomings of your research. You will receive higher marks for writing objectively. For example, if you didn’t receive as many interview responses as expected, evaluate how this has impacted your research and findings. Don’t let your ego get in the way!

6. Write your introduction

Your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your masters dissertation. You might be wondering why writing an introduction isn't at the start of our step-by-step list, and that’s because many students write this chapter last.

Here’s what your introduction chapter should cover:

Problem statement

Research question

Significance of your research

This tells the reader what you’ll be researching as well as its importance. You’ll have a good idea of what to include here from your original dissertation proposal , though it’s fairly common for research to change once it gets started.

Writing or at least revisiting this section last can be really helpful, since you’ll have a more well-rounded view of what your research actually covers once it has been completed and written up.

Masters dissertation writing tips

When to start writing your thesis or dissertation.

When you should start writing your masters thesis or dissertation depends on the scope of the research project and the duration of your course. In some cases, your research project may be relatively short and you may not be able to write much of your thesis before completing the project. 

But regardless of the nature of your research project and of the scope of your course, you should start writing your thesis or at least some of its sections as early as possible, and there are a number of good reasons for this:

Academic writing is about practice, not talent. The first steps of writing your dissertation will help you get into the swing of your project. Write early to help you prepare in good time.

Write things as you do them. This is a good way to keep your dissertation full of fresh ideas and ensure that you don’t forget valuable information.

The first draft is never perfect. Give yourself time to edit and improve your dissertation. It’s likely that you’ll need to make at least one or two more drafts before your final submission.

Writing early on will help you stay motivated when writing all subsequent drafts.

Thinking and writing are very connected. As you write, new ideas and concepts will come to mind. So writing early on is a great way to generate new ideas.

How to improve your writing skills

The best way of improving your dissertation or thesis writing skills is to:

 Finish the first draft of your masters thesis as early as possible and send it to your supervisor for revision. Your supervisor will correct your draft and point out any writing errors. This process will be repeated a few times which will help you recognise and correct writing mistakes yourself as time progresses.

If you are not a native English speaker, it may be useful to ask your English friends to read a part of your thesis and warn you about any recurring writing mistakes. Read our section on English language support for more advice. 

Most universities have writing centres that offer writing courses and other kinds of support for postgraduate students. Attending these courses may help you improve your writing and meet other postgraduate students with whom you will be able to discuss what constitutes a well-written thesis.

Read academic articles and search for writing resources on the internet. This will help you adopt an academic writing style, which will eventually become effortless with practice.

Keep track of your bibliography 

The easiest way to keep the track of all the articles you have read for your research is to create a database where you can summarise each article/chapter into a few most important bullet points to help you remember their content. 

Another useful tool for doing this effectively is to learn how to use specific reference management software (RMS) such as EndNote. RMS is relatively simple to use and saves a lot of time when it comes to organising your bibliography. This may come in very handy, especially if your reference section is suspiciously missing two hours before you need to submit your dissertation! 

Avoid accidental plagiarism

Plagiarism may cost you your postgraduate degree and it is important that you consciously avoid it when writing your thesis or dissertation. 

Occasionally, postgraduate students commit plagiarism unintentionally. This can happen when sections are copy and pasted from journal articles they are citing instead of simply rephrasing them. Whenever you are presenting information from another academic source, make sure you reference the source and avoid writing the statement exactly as it is written in the original paper.

What kind of format should your thesis have?

Read your university’s guidelines before you actually start writing your thesis so you don’t have to waste time changing the format further down the line. However in general, most universities will require you to use 1.5-2 line spacing, font size 12 for text, and to print your thesis on A4 paper. These formatting guidelines may not necessarily result in the most aesthetically appealing thesis, however beauty is not always practical, and a nice looking thesis can be a more tiring reading experience for your postgrad examiner .

When should I submit my thesis?

The length of time it takes to complete your MSc or MA thesis will vary from student to student. This is because people work at different speeds, projects vary in difficulty, and some projects encounter more problems than others. 

Obviously, you should submit your MSc thesis or MA thesis when it is finished! Every university will say in its regulations that it is the student who must decide when it is ready to submit. 

However, your supervisor will advise you whether your work is ready and you should take their advice on this. If your supervisor says that your work is not ready, then it is probably unwise to submit it. Usually your supervisor will read your final thesis or dissertation draft and will let you know what’s required before submitting your final draft.

Set yourself a target for completion. This will help you stay on track and avoid falling behind. You may also only have funding for the year, so it is important to ensure you submit your dissertation before the deadline – and also ensure you don’t miss out on your graduation ceremony ! 

To set your target date, work backwards from the final completion and submission date, and aim to have your final draft completed at least three months before that final date.

Don’t leave your submission until the last minute – submit your work in good time before the final deadline. Consider what else you’ll have going on around that time. Are you moving back home? Do you have a holiday? Do you have other plans?

If you need to have finished by the end of June to be able to go to a graduation ceremony in July, then you should leave a suitable amount of time for this. You can build this into your dissertation project planning at the start of your research.

It is important to remember that handing in your thesis or dissertation is not the end of your masters program . There will be a period of time of one to three months between the time you submit and your final day. Some courses may even require a viva to discuss your research project, though this is more common at PhD level . 

If you have passed, you will need to make arrangements for the thesis to be properly bound and resubmitted, which will take a week or two. You may also have minor corrections to make to the work, which could take up to a month or so. This means that you need to allow a period of at least three months between submitting your thesis and the time when your program will be completely finished. Of course, it is also possible you may be asked after the viva to do more work on your thesis and resubmit it before the examiners will agree to award the degree – so there may be an even longer time period before you have finished.

How do I submit the MA or MSc dissertation?

Most universities will have a clear procedure for submitting a masters dissertation. Some universities require your ‘intention to submit’. This notifies them that you are ready to submit and allows the university to appoint an external examiner.

This normally has to be completed at least three months before the date on which you think you will be ready to submit.

When your MA or MSc dissertation is ready, you will have to print several copies and have them bound. The number of copies varies between universities, but the university usually requires three – one for each of the examiners and one for your supervisor.

However, you will need one more copy – for yourself! These copies must be softbound, not hardbound. The theses you see on the library shelves will be bound in an impressive hardback cover, but you can only get your work bound like this once you have passed. 

You should submit your dissertation or thesis for examination in soft paper or card covers, and your university will give you detailed guidance on how it should be bound. They will also recommend places where you can get the work done.

The next stage is to hand in your work, in the way and to the place that is indicated in your university’s regulations. All you can do then is sit and wait for the examination – but submitting your thesis is often a time of great relief and celebration!

Some universities only require a digital submission, where you upload your dissertation as a file through their online submission system.

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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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Types of Theses

Three types of gallatin ma theses.

Each graduate student in the Gallatin School completes a final thesis as the culmination of their work toward a Master of Arts degree. The thesis may take one of three forms: a research thesis, an artistic thesis, or a project thesis. In each case, the thesis represents a synthesis of the student’s accumulated knowledge and skill and an opportunity to display the ideas, practices and skills learned through the program. While the master’s thesis, unlike a doctoral dissertation, does not have to create new knowledge or break new ground, it does display the student’s ability to go beyond the mere collection of information into synthesis, analysis, judgment and interpretation. Moreover, it should demonstrate the student’s familiarity with a substantial body of thought and literature and illustrate mastery of some self-chosen field of study.

Below you will find descriptions of the three types of theses: 

Research Thesis

Artistic thesis, project thesis.

Current MA students who are interested in seeing sample theses should consult the Gallatin Master's Thesis Archive , which is accessible with an NYU Net ID.

Students pursuing the research option produce and defend a substantial research essay, the thesis of which is demonstrably related to the student’s course of study and ongoing conversations with the primary adviser. The adviser and defense panelists are the ultimate arbiters of whether the thesis satisfies a reasonable understanding of a project worthy of the master’s degree. However, in general and at minimum, a successful Gallatin MA research thesis demonstrates sufficient mastery of relevant academic fields as well as a critical grasp of the scholarship and methods that currently define those fields. The thesis essay is a logically-constructed argument that presents its central points on the basis of research and critical interpretation. The sources and objects of study may cover the spectrum from archival materials to critical theory to statistical surveys and personal interviews, but the student should carefully choose sources in consultation with the primary adviser, and with reference to questions about what constitutes legitimate source within the student’s field(s). The research thesis essay must be more than a "review of the literature" but the demand for original findings is lower than that faced by doctoral candidates. Significantly original contributions are of course highly commendable, but the excellence of an MA research thesis essay may lie in its critical and creative synthesis, articulation of a fresh perspective on the work of others, or identification of new, research-based questions that themselves shed light on existing problems within fields. Generally speaking, the final research thesis essay should be at least 50 pages and not exceed 80 pages (not including appendices and bibliographic material). Students and advisers are encouraged to talk with the program's academic directors about these expectations whenever necessary.

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The artistic thesis is appropriate for those students who wish to display the creative process in the performing, visual or literary arts. A student might make a film or video; choreograph an evening of dance; act in a play; mount an exhibit of paintings; write a screenplay, novel, play or collection of short stories; or choose another artistic endeavor. The artistic thesis represents the culmination of a Gallatin arts concentration in which the student has studied the genre under consideration.

The artistic thesis comprises both the artistic project and three accompanying essays. Therefore, you should conceive of the artistic thesis as a unified piece composed of the creative work and the essays which enhance it. Members of the faculty committee will assess both the artistic work and the essays. The essays include:

• an academic research paper related to the field of artistic work;
• an essay on artistic aims and process;
• a technical essay.

Please note: The technical essay does not apply to those students who are submitting a literary work.

Some General Advice

Be careful to keep records and a log of the artistic project as it evolves. This information can be used in the Technical Essay.

If a student is writing a work of fiction, poems, a play, etc., for the thesis, the student will submit this work to their adviser and other readers along with the essays. However, if the student is presenting a performance, they will need to arrange to have their adviser and other members of their committee see the performance. The student is responsible for coordinating schedules and for notifying committee members so that everyone can view the piece. The student should notify the thesis reviewer of the date of the performance at least one month in advance. In the event that one or more of the committee cannot attend the scheduled event, the student should arrange to have the performance videotaped so people can see it later. Except in unusual circumstances, the student must submit the first draft of the thesis to their adviser no more than three months after the performance.

Essays for the Artistic Thesis

Background Research Essay

As stated above, this essay follows the description for the standard research essay. It is a scholarly endeavor and differs from the standard essay in terms of length and focus. The length is approximately 25 to 40 pages. The focus of the essay is related to the artistic work and explores some aspect of that work that the student wishes to study and develop through outside research. The essay might take the form of an analysis of a performance or literary genre; a history of an art form or phenomenon; a philosophical study of an aesthetic concept; or a critical/biographical analysis of the work of an influential artistic figure.

Artistic Aims Essay

In this essay, the student is required to articulate their goals in mounting their particular artistic project. For example, what was the student trying to accomplish in writing short stories, a screenplay, a novel, presenting an evening of dances or songs, making a film or mounting an art exhibit? What were the aesthetic choices made and why?  The student should also explain their approach to the artistic work (their style, genre, or school), any relevant influences on the work, how the student's training influenced their artistic choices, and the student's intentions for particular elements of the creative work. After the student has carefully and clearly articulated these goals, they need to explain how their actual artistic work meets the stated goals. The student should use examples from their artistic project to illustrate these ideas. This essay should be approximately 10-15 pages in length.

Technical Essay

This essay is a description of the steps the student actually took to physically mount their production.  The student will need to include such technical details as arranging for rehearsal and performance space; choosing the performers; finding/creating, costumes, materials, lights; raising funds and getting institutional support. This essay should be approximately 10 pages in length.

Students may submit a portfolio, if appropriate. This would consist of any material, such as photos, slides, fliers, programs, videotapes, audiotapes etc. which might constitute an appendix and which might be helpful to a fuller understanding of the thesis.

The project thesis consists of two elements: (1) the project, a professional activity designed and executed primarily by the student as a way of solving a problem, and (2) an accompanying essay about the project. This thesis is especially appropriate for students in such fields as business, education, social work or public administration. The project thesis may appeal to those students who are active in their profession and who take responsibility for the creation of some kind of program or practice.

Students should understand that the project cannot simply propose a professional activity; the design for such an activity must actually be carried out (at least in a pilot version) and evaluated. Some examples of projects: a student in education may develop and apply a new strategy for teaching reading to recent immigrants; a person working in a corporation may construct new methods for managing financial information; or a community worker in a settlement house may organize a group of local residents to combat drug abuse.

At each step, the student should be careful to keep in touch with their adviser and with any other expert who can help them in their process. The student should keep careful records of the process by taking detailed notes of conversations, meetings, interviews, etc.  If at all possible, the student should arrange to have the members of their committee, especially their adviser, witness the project first-hand: Visit the site, talk with key actors, watch the program in operation. (This direct contact is highly recommended, but not required.)

Essays for the Project Thesis

The project thesis essay may take a number of forms and include a range of information. It ought to discuss at least the following elements:

Consider the institutional or social context within which the project takes place. Describe the organization, the potential clientele or participants, and the larger environment (social, economic and political conditions surrounding the problem and the project).

Describe the particular problem or need that you address in the project. What causes that problem? How extensive is it? Have other attempts to solve the problem been made; if so, what were their shortcomings, and why are you trying another approach? Place the problem in its professional and academic context by referring to the appropriate literature. Program

Describe the goals and objectives of the project and what the student hoped to accomplish. Describe how the program was designed and structured; for example, what kinds of activities did participants engage in, and in what sequence? What kinds of resources and techniques were used? Justify the strategies and tactics used by citing appropriate professional and academic literatures.

Implementation

Describe how the plan was carried out. Use as much detail as needed to give the reader a sense of what actually happened, and to indicate the extent to which the reality matched the plan.

Describe the criteria for assessing the project and evaluation methods used. Justify the criteria and methods by referring to appropriate literatures. To what extent did the project accomplish the goals and objectives identified earlier?

Citing relevant literature and the practical contingencies of the project, explain why the project did or did not achieve its stated purposes. Describe the factors (political, social, organizational, financial, psychological, etc.) that contributed to the process and to the outcomes. What changes--either conceptual or practical--would the student make if they were to repeat or extend the project? What would the student leave in place? Describe what was learned from the project about the original problem and about the student's strategy and tactics. Also consider the professional and theoretical implications of the project.

If necessary, put relevant documentary materials (flyers, important correspondence, budgets, etc.) in appendices.

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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

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

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• Availability heuristic
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• Hindsight bias
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• 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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• Graduate School

How to Write a Master's Thesis Proposal

How to write a master’s thesis proposal is one of the most-asked questions by graduate students. A master's thesis proposal involves a copious amount of data collection, particular presentation ethics, and most importantly, it will become the roadmap to your full thesis. Remember, you must convince your committee that your idea is strong and unique, and that you have done enough legwork to begin with the first few drafts of your final thesis. Your proposal should serve as a foundational blueprint on which you will later build your entire project. To have the perfect thesis proposal, you need to have original ideas, solid information, and proper presentation. While it is a good idea to take assistance from thesis writing services , you still need to personally understand the elements that contribute to a master’s thesis proposal worthy of approval. In this blog, we will discuss the process of writing your master’s thesis proposal and give you tips for making your proposal strong. Stay tuned!

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Article Contents 8 min read

How to decide the goals for your master's thesis.

If you are pursuing a master’s or a PhD , you will be undertaking a major research paper or a thesis. Thus, writing a thesis proposal becomes inevitable. Your major objective for pursuing a master’s degree is to improve your knowledge in your field of study. When you start your degree, you delve deeper into different concepts in your discipline and try to search for answers to all kinds of questions. If you come across a question that no one can answer, you can select that question as your research thesis topic.

A master's thesis proposal will have multiple sections depending on your decided layout. These sections will continuously support your argument and try to convince the reader of your core argument. The structure will also help you arrange the various parts of the paper to have a greater impact on the readers. A paper should always begin with you giving a brief summary of the topic and how you have come across it. The introduction is particularly important because it will give the readers a brief idea about the topic of discussion and win their interest in the matter.

After the summary has been given, slowly you need to progress into the body of the thesis proposal which would explain your argument, research methodology, literary texts that have a relation to the topic, and the conclusion of your study. It would be similar to an essay or a literary review consisting of 3 or 4 parts. The bibliography will be placed at the end of the paper so that people can cross-check your sources.

Let's take a look at the sections most master's thesis proposals should cover. Please note that each university has its own guidelines for how to structure and what to include in a master’s thesis proposal. The outline we provide below is general, so please make sure to follow the exact guidelines provided by your school:

Restate your primary argument and give us a glimpse of what you will include in the main master\u2019s thesis. Leave the reader wanting more. Your research proposal should talk about what research chapters you are trying to undertake in your final thesis. You can also mention the proposed time in which you will complete these chapters.  ","label":"Conclusion and proposed chapters","title":"Conclusion and proposed chapters"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

A thesis proposal needs to be convincing enough to get approval. If the information is not enough to satisfy the evaluation committee, it would require revision. Hence, you need to select and follow the right methodology to make your argument convincing. When a research proposal is presented, the reader will determine the validity of your argument by judging the strength of your evidence and conclusions. Therefore, even writige:ng a proposal will require extensive research on your part. You should start writing your thesis proposal by working through the following steps.

Interested in a summary of the points covered below? Check out this infographic:

Exploring your topic in detail

You need to delve deeper into your chosen topic to see if your idea is original. In the process of this exploration, you will find tons of materials that will be supportive of your argument. When choosing your research topic and the problem you want to explore, you should always consider your primary research interest (yes, the one which you had mentioned in your research interest statement during grad school applications) for a better master’s thesis. You have a high probability of performing better in an area that you have always liked as compared to any other research area or topic.

Reviewing the literature

You have to include all the sources from where you have formed your argument and mention them in the thesis proposal. If you neglect to mention important source texts, the reader may consider it to be plagiarism. Furthermore, you want to keep track of all your research because it will be easier to provide references if you know the exact source of each piece of information.

Finding opposing arguments for your study

You should also mention any texts that would counter your argument and try to disprove their claims in the thesis. Make sure to use evidence if you try to disprove the counterarguments you face.

Emphasizing the importance of your research

At the end of the thesis proposal, you need to convince the reader why your proposal is important to your chosen field of study, which would ultimately help you in getting your topic approved. Thus, it is essential to outline the importance of your research thoroughly.

Drafting your proposal

After doing proper research, you should go ahead and draft your proposal. Remember you will not get it right in just one draft, it will take at least 50 attempts to come up with a satisfactory proposal. You should proofread your draft several times and even have a fellow student review it for you before sending it further to your research supervisor.

Getting your proposal evaluated by your supervisor

After you have written sufficient drafts, you need to get your proposal evaluated by your research supervisor. This is necessary to meet the graduate research requirements. It will ensure the clarity and correctness of your proposal. For your supervisor to evaluate your proposal, you should complete the research methodology part along with sufficient proposed work.

Since your supervisor will play a crucial role in your master's research thesis, you must choose a supervisor who can be your ultimate guide in writing your master's thesis. They will be your partner and support system during your study and will help you in eliminating obstacles to achieving your goal.

Choosing the ideal supervisor is a pretty daunting task. Here’s how you can go about the process:

You should approach your professor with an open mind and discuss the potential goals of your research. You should hear what they think and then if you both mutually agree, you can choose them as your supervisor for your master\u2019s thesis. "}]">

Length of a Master’s Thesis Proposal

The length of a master’s thesis proposal differs from university to university and depends on the discipline of research as well. Usually, you have to include all the above-mentioned sections, and the length is around 8 pages and can go up to 12-15 pages for subjects such as the liberal arts. Universities might also define the number of words in the guidelines for your master’s thesis proposal and you have to adhere to that word limit.

How to Format a Research Thesis Proposal Correctly?

Now that you know how to write a thesis proposal, you must make it presentable. Although your school might give your specific instructions, you can keep in mind some of the general advice:

• You can use some basic font like Times New Roman and keep the font size to 10 or 12 points.
• The left margin should be 1.5 inches and all other margins should be 1 inch each.
• You should follow double-spacing for your content.
• The first line of paragraphs should be indented 0.5 inches and the paragraphs should be left or center aligned.

Tips to Write a Strong Master's Thesis Proposal

When you are writing your master’s thesis proposal, you should keep these tips in mind to write an excellent master’s thesis proposal with all the correct elements to get approval from the evaluating committee:

Select your research objectives wisely

You should be clear on what you wish to learn from your research. Your learning objectives should stem from your research interests. If you are unsure, refer to your grad school career goals statement to review what you wanted out of grad school in the first place. Then, choose your objectives around it.

Write a clear title

The title of your research proposal should be concise and written in a language that can be understood easily by others. The title should be able to give the reader an idea of your intended research and should be interesting.

Jot down your thoughts, arguments, and evidence

You should always start with a rough outline of your arguments because you will not miss any point in this way. Brainstorm what you want to include in the proposal and then expand those points to complete your proposal. You can decide the major headings with the help of the guidelines provided to you.

Focus on the feasibility and importance

You should consider whether your research is feasible with the available resources. Additionally, your proposal should clearly convey the significance of your research in your field.

Use simple language

Since the evaluation committee can have researchers from different subject areas, it is best to write your proposal in a simple language that is understandable by all.

Stick to the guidelines

Your university will be providing the guidelines for writing your research proposal. You should adhere to those guidelines strictly since your proposal will be primarily evaluated on the basis of those.

Have an impactful opening section

It is a no-brainer that the opening statement of your proposal should be powerful enough to grasp the attention of the readers and get them interested in your research topic. You should be able to convey your interest and enthusiasm in the introductory section.

Peer review prior to submission

Apart from working with your research supervisor, it is essential that you ask some classmates and friends to review your proposal. The comments and suggestions that they give will be valuable in helping you to make the language of your proposal clearer.

You have worked hard to get into grad school and even harder on searching your research topic. Thus, you must be careful while building your thesis proposal so that you have maximum chances of acceptance.

Writing the perfect research proposal might be challenging, but keeping to the basics might make your task easier. In a nutshell, you need to be thorough in your study question. You should conduct sufficient research to gather all relevant materials required to support your argument. After collecting all data, make sure to present it systematically to give a clearer understanding and convince the evaluators to approve your proposal. Lastly, remember to submit your proposal well within the deadline set by your university. Your performance at grad school is essential, especially if you need a graduate degree to gain admission to med school and your thesis contributes to that performance. Thus, start with a suitable research problem, draft a strong proposal, and then begin with your thesis after your proposal is approved.

In your master’s thesis proposal, you should include your research topic and the problem statement being addressed in your research, along with a proposed solution. The proposal should explain the importance and limitations of your research.

The length of a master’s thesis proposal is outlined by the university in the instructions for preparing your master’s thesis proposal.

The time taken to write a master’s thesis proposal depends upon the study which you are undertaking and your discipline of research. It will take a minimum time of three months. The ideal time can be around six months. 

You should begin your master’s thesis proposal by writing an introduction to your research topic. You should state your topic clearly and provide some background. Keep notes and rough drafts of your proposal so you can always refer to them when you write the first real draft.

The basic sections that your master’s thesis proposal should cover are the problem statement, research methodology, proposed activities, importance, and the limitations of your research.

A master’s thesis proposal which clearly defines the problem in a straightforward and explains the research methodology in simple words is considered a good thesis proposal.

You can use any classic font for your master’s thesis proposal such as Times New Roman. If you are recommended a specific font in the proposal guidelines by your institution, it would be advisable to stick to that.

The ideal font size for your master’s thesis proposal will be 10 or 12 points.

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Introduction

When creating references for dissertations, theses, and projects, you will need to determine the correct reference type to follow. Dissertations, theses, and projects are generally divided into two separate groups; those that are published and those that are unpublished.

In most cases, unpublished projects are those that are in print and available only from the degree-granting institution. On the other hand, published projects are those that are available in a database, a university archive, or a personal website. 

Variations - URLs?

Some URLs may be long and complicated. APA 7th edition allows the use of shorter URLs. Shortened URLs can be created using any URL shortener service; however, if you choose to shorten the URL, you must double-check that the URL is functioning and brings the reader to the correct website. 

Common URL Shortner websites include:

More Information

For more information about URLs, see Section 9.36 on page 300 of APA Manual, 7th edition. 

NOTE:  Check your instructor's preference about using short URLs. Some instructors may want the full URL. 

Variations - DOIs?

Some DOIs may be long and complicated. APA 7th edition allows the use of shorter DOI numbers. Shortened DOIs can be located at the International DOI Foundations, shortDOI Service . 

More Information:

For more information about DOIs, see Section 9.36 on page 300 of APA Manual, 7th edition. 

NOTE: Check your instructor's preference for using short DOIs. Some instructors may want the full DOI. 

Variations - Live Hyperlinks?

Should my urls be live.

It depends. When adding URLs to a paper or other work, first, be sure to include the full hyperlink. This includes the http:// or the https://. Additionally, consider where and how the paper or work will be published or read. If the work will only be read in print or as a Word doc or Google Doc, then the URLs should not be live (i.e., they are not blue or underlined). However, if the work will be published or read online, then APA advises to include live URLs. This would allow the reader to click on a link and go to the source.   

For more information, see Section 9.35 on pages 299-300 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

NOTE: Check your instructor's preference about using live URLs. Some instructors may not want you to use live URLs. 

Print Master's Thesis, Dissertation, or Project

When creating references for dissertations, theses, and projects, you will need to determine the correct reference type to follow. Dissertations, theses, and projects are generally divided into two separate groups; those that are published and those that are unpublished. In most cases, unpublished projects are those that are in print and available only from the degree-granting institution. 

Panasuk, K. N. (2008). What variables appear to work in stress management programs in the workplace and how effective are

these  programs  [Unpublished master’s final project]? The College of St. Scholastica.

Author: Panasuk, K. N.

Begin the reference with the author's last name first. then, add the initials for the first and middle names (if the middle name or middle initial is provided). add a period after each initial, and if there is a middle initial, add a space between the initials., year of publication: (2008)..

Next, in parentheses, list the year of publication, which appears on the title page or the title verso page (back side of title page). Follow the parentheses with a period.   

Title & Subtitle of the Book: What variables appear to work in stress management programs in the workplace and how effective are these programs [Unpublished master's final project]?

Next, add the title and subtitle of the master's thesis, dissertation, final applied project, or capstone. The title and subtitle are separated by a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle and all proper nouns.  Italicize the title and subtitle. Do not add a period immediately after the title. Instead, add brackets with the type of project (Master's project, doctoral dissertation, etc.) you are referencing. Before the type of project add "Unpublished". When choosing wording to describe the project, use the language the degree-granting institution uses to describe the project (e.g., Master's thesis, Doctoral dissertation, Final Applied Project, Capstone Project, Clinical Project, etc.). Add a period after the brackets. If the title has a question mark or exclamation mark, replace the period after the brackets with the proper punctuation mark used in the title.   

Source Information: The College of St. Scholastica.

Complete the reference with the source information, which is the full name of the college or university awarding the degree. add a period after the institution's name.  more information:.

For more information about master's theses, dissertations, or capstone projects, Section 10.6 on pages 333-334 in the APA Manual, 7th edition.

Parenthetical Citation Example:

 (Panasuk, 2008)

Narrative Citation Example:

Panasuk (2008) identified ...

For more information about author format within parenthetical and narrative citations, see Section 8.17 and Table 8.1 on page 266 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

Master's Thesis Published in a Commercial Database (like ProQuest Dissertations & Theses)

When creating references for dissertations, theses, and projects, you will need to determine the correct reference type to follow. Dissertations, theses, and projects are generally divided into two separate groups; those that are published and those that are unpublished. In most cases, published projects are those that are available in a database, a university archive, or a personal website. 

Skallet, S. (2016). Environmental approval duration estimating model for improved linear energy construction project schedules  (Publication No.

10125148)  [Master's capstone project, The College of St. Scholastica]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. 

Author: Skallet, S.

Begin the reference with the author's last name first. then, add the initials for the author's first and middle names (if a middle name or middle initial is provided). add a period after each initial, and if there is a middle initial, add a space between the initials.     year of publication: (2016)..

Next, in parentheses, add the year of publication, which appears on the title page or the title page verso (back side of title page). Follow the parentheses with a period.   

Title & Subtitle of the Book:  Environmental approval duration estimating model for improved linear energy construction project schedules  (Publication No. 10125148) [Master's capstone project, The College of St. Scholastica].

Next, add the title and subtitle (if there is a subtitle) of the capstone, final applied project, thesis, or dissertation. Separate the title and subtitle with a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle and all proper nouns. Italicize the title. Do NOT add a period after the title.

After the title, in parentheses, add the publication number (normally found in the record of the project within ProQuest). Before the publication number put "Publication No." Do NOT add a period after the parentheses. 

After the publication number, add brackets with the type of project (Master's thesis, Master's capstone project, doctoral dissertation, etc.) you are referencing. Use the language described by the degree-granting institution to describe the project. Then, add a comma and the name of the institution. Add a period after the brackets.      

Source Information: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. 

Complete the reference with the commercial database where you found the masters thesis/project. end with a period.    more information:  .

For more information on Master's Theses/Projects, see Section 10.6 on pages 333-334 in the APA Manual, 7th edition.

 (Skallet, 2016)

Skallet (2016) argued ...

Dissertation Published Online

Adame, A. (2019). Fully immersed, fully present: Examining the user experience through the multimodal presence scale and virtual reality gaming

variables [Master's thesis, California State University San Bernardino]. CSUSB ScholarWorks Electronic Theses, Projects, &

Dissertations.  https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/918/

Author: Adame, A. 

Begin the reference with the author's last name first. Then, add the initials of the author's first and middle names (if a middle name or middle initial is provided). Add a period after each initial, and if there is a middle initial, add a space between the initials. 

Year of Publication: (2019). 

Next, in parentheses, add the year of publication, which appears on the title page or the title verso page (back side of the title page). Follow the parentheses with a period. 

Title & Subtitle of the Book: Fully immersed, fully present: Examining the user experience through the multimodal presence scale and virtual reality gaming variables [Master's thesis, California State University San Bernardino]. 

Next, add the title and subtitle (if there a subtitle present) of the thesis or project. Separate the title and subtitle with a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle as well as proper nouns. Italicize the title and subtitle. Do NOT add a period after the title. Instead, after the title, add brackets with the type of project (Master's thesis, doctoral dissertation, etc.) you are referencing. Use the language described by the degree-granting institution to describe the project. Then, add a comma and the name of the institution. Add a period after the brackets.   

Source Information: CSUSB ScholarWorks Electronic Theses, Projects, & Dissertations.  https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/918/

Complete the reference with the name of the website or archive where you found the project. After the name of the website or archive, add a period. Then, add the URL to the project. 

For more information about Master's Theses or Projects, see Section 10.6 on page 333 and example 66 on page 334 in the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

(Adame, 2019)

Adame (2019) distinguished between ...

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Master's project.

As the last academic task that students must complete in order to earn the degree, the master’s project represents an opportunity to integrate knowledge and skills acquired over the course of the program. Typically, the project grows out of previous coursework, and is not undertaken until all other courses are completed. The student, working independently under the super­vision of a graduate faculty member, must conceive, initiate and realize an interdisciplinary project that demonstrates graduate-level critical inquiry and analysis in an academically appropriate, clear and coherent manner.  

Since this is an interdisciplinary program, the project -- so long as it involves significant written analysis -- can involve (and even combine) a variety of forms and methods.  (See Requirements below.)  For a sense of what an actual project is like, take a look at some of these  Past Master's Projects . From 2014-2022, GLS used a designation of "Exemplary" to denote projects that represented outstanding models for students to follow in conceiving and planning their own master's projects. (This designation was discontinued in 2022-23 in favor of inviting all students to present their work in a year-end master's project Showcase. Projects highlighted in that event are designated "Showcase" projects.)

Note that the project cannot begin until a series of preliminary tasks (see Prerequisites below) is completed.  Once the project proposal is approved, students enroll in LS850,  The Master’s Project Seminar , a three-credit pass/fail course that has two components:

• An independent study  supervised by a graduate faculty member with some expertise in the issues or methods involved; and
• A classroom component , the Master's Project Seminar, which provides advice and support for work in progress.

Because the master's project requires considerable time and effort, we recommend that students arrange their studies so as to take no other courses during the project semester.  While the project is considered a one-semester endeavor, students sometimes require more than one semester to finish it.  When the project is complete, it is evaluated on a pass/fail basis by a  master's  examination committee .  The completed project is retained in the Duke GLS archive; projects that meet program standards are published on  DukeSpace .  

At least two semesters before you plan to propose your project, read through the  Prerequisites ,  Requirements and Key Roles  sections below.  Be sure to also read through the Master's Project Timeline , which includes additional details, very carefully.  Note that, by clicking on a stage of the Timeline, you can expand it to show all the appropriate tasks for that stage, which begins several semesters before you propose.

Prerequisites  

The master's project planning session  .

Each student is responsible for attending this session (offered each January, June and September) during course five or six.   At this session, students will learn details about the process leading to the project, and can ask questions about the proposal and other prerequisites. 

Research Librarian Bibliographic Consultation

Before the proposal is submitted, the student must consult with a Duke research librarian in any field pertinent to the proposed project to discuss the current state of scholarly research and discussion, as well as strategies for further research. 

Human Subjects Approval  (if appropriate)

Before any research involving humans as subjects can be conducted, or the proposal is submitted, the student must receive a waiver or approval from the Human Subjects Committee of the Institutional Review Board.  Documenta­tion of either waiver or approval should be submitted with the proposal.

The Proposal Meeting

At least two weeks before the final proposal deadline, the student, the supervisor and a representative of the GLS program (either the director or assistant director) will meet to share ideas and work out the final details of the proposal. The student should submit a draft of the proposal to [email protected] at least 48 hours before this meeting.  Proposal Meeting Deadlines:

• Spring project: November 15
• Fall project: July 15
• Summer project: March 15

Proposal Submission & Approval

Approval of a master's project proposal is required  prior to  the master's project semester.  Students should submit a proposal (see Documents and Links for format ) by the deadline at least one semester before the master's project semester.   Students should strive to craft a proposal that is centered on a focused, analytical central question. An optional Proposal Workshop is available for support in crafting the proposal.  Proposal Submission Deadlines:

• Spring project: November 30 
• Fall project: July 31
• Summer project: April 1

Requirements

1) the project should r epresent an   effort equivalent to a 50-60 page research paper .  .

Most projects consist of an analytical essay much like a standard master's thesis, in which case we expect 50-60 double-spaced pages of written analysis.  (This figure does not include illustrations, appendices or bibliography.)  However, we consider all the work that a student completes (e.g., primary research, applied research, creative work) -- to be part of the project, so for some projects the written analytical component may be smaller (see below).  

2) The project should be interdisciplinary. 

A Liberal Studies master’s project should avoid narrow disciplinary concerns more appropriate to a specific academic specialty unless it analyzes those concerns from some broader perspective.  For example, while it is fine for the student to explore issues pertinent to his or her career experience, the project must analyze them with appropriate critical distance from broader disciplinary perspectives.  

The project can integrate forms, materials, methods, and perspectives from a number of disciplines, and may be innovative in approach.  Many projects are based in one of the following approaches:

• Traditional thesis   (e.g., extended scholarly research paper)
• Primary research  (e.g., social science interviews or historical archival research)
• Applied research  (e.g., curriculum, video, website, program, policy or some other practical endeavor of academic significance)*
• Creative work  (e.g., fiction, memoir, personal essay, visual art or other arts)*

*  Approval for a proposal involving creative work or applied research requires previous demonstration of ability in the medium or field and an under­standing of its methods and issues. Creative written work (whether fiction or nonfiction) should engage a wide readership meaningfully and meet sophisticated literary expectations.

3) The project should demonstrate the student's ability to produce cogent analysis grounded in the scholarly literature. 

​ The project should demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct cogent, sustained critical analysis on a particular question or issue.  (Even a creative project should be thought of as an attempt to engage through creative methods with some particular question, issue or problem of academic significance.) Projects centered on applied research or creative work must include an essay that analyzes the issues and/or processes involved in that work.    

While the project is not required to include a formal literature review, its analysis must be informed by an awareness of the state of the scholarly conversation and current research.  For example:

• A project that involves curriculum design should include a dis­cussion of appropriate scholarly research and an analysis of how scholarly theories (whether pedagogical or content-oriented) influence that curriculum. 
• A project that fea­tures creative writing should include an essay on the relationship of the fiction or memoir to some larger context (e.g., cultural, philosophical, historical, psychological) or to the creative process that produced it.
• A project that brings to light new archival data should interpret that data within the context of the ongoing scholarly discussion among historians and others.

4) The project should meet high academic standards. 

While the master’s project is not required to make a publishable original contribution to the academic discussion, it should:

a) Engage in an open, honest and objective process of critical inquiry  about an issue that is, in academic terms, worth addressing .   The master’s project is at heart a work of critical analysis that seeks to answer the open-ended central research question posed in the project proposal; that question should not be designed to lead to a particular answer, but should address differing perspectives in a meaningful way.  A good project will be aware of other perspectives even as it makes a strong case for its own particular interpretation.

b) Conform to appropriate standards of responsible academic conduct , including:​

• Human Subjects .  All research involving human subjects (e.g. interviews, surveys) must be conducted according to appropriate ethical and scientific standards; it must be reviewed and approved by the Human Subjects Committee of Duke’s Institutional Review Board before any research is conducted.
• Academic Integrity.    All sources must be properly documented, and all use of sources must be conducted according to strict standards of academic integrity.  All aspects of the project must conform to the Duke University guidelines for research and appropriate use of intellectual property. 

c) R epresent a quality of written work appropriate for a published Duke University master’s thesis.  No matter what methods the project employs, the written matter of the project should be clear, concise, coherent and easily readable.  It should meet the grammatical standards of formal, written American English.

Key Roles and Components

The master's project seminar.

All the students who are working on master's projects meet as a class, the GLS  Master's Project S eminar .  At these meetings, students come together as a community of graduate scholars to share their ideas as well as their concerns, and to offer each other resources and support.   

The Faculty Supervisor

​Prior to the project semester, the student is responsible for finding a faculty supervisor to work with, and confirming that the supervisor is available during the project semester.  This supervisor must:

• be a member of the Duke Graduate Faculty; 
• have appropriate expertise for guiding and evaluating the proposed project; and
• be approved in advance by the GLS director.

The responsibilities of the faculty supervisor include:

• Before the project semester:  Advising the student in developing a workable concept and proposal, and attending the Proposal Meeting (see Timeline -- Proposal Semester ).
• During the project semester:  Setting a schedule of goals and deadlines, meeting with the student regularly (ideally every other week), and guiding the student through the work required to complete the proposed project. 
• At the end of the project semester:  Determining when the student has successfully completed the project, and serving on the master’s examination committee.

Because a student’s relationship with the supervisor is crucial to a successful project, students are encouraged to select a project supervisor from among faculty with whom they have studied.  While working on their interdisciplinary projects, students are of course free to consult with faculty other than their supervisors, but only one faculty member can be appointed supervisor. 

The Master's Committee

Each student working on a master's project is appointed a master's committee comprising 1) the project supervisor, 2)  either  the GLS director or assistant director, and 3) a third member of the graduate faculty.  This last member is appointed by GLS (and often is filled by a GLS Advisory Committee member); however, students are welcome to request that GLS appoint some particular graduate faculty member -- typically, to honor someone who has also been working with the student on the project, or who helped prepare the student to take on such a project.  The master's committee must be approved by the Graduate School thirty days ahead of the master's exam.  

The master's committee reads and evaluates (on a pass/fail basis) the version of the project submitted by the student ten days before the examination.  If any committee member feels unprepared to pass the project (i.e., the project is not fully finished or does not meet program standards), the examination is postponed to allow the student to make improvements.  At the master's examination, the committee and student meet together to discuss what has been learned.  At this meeting, the committee members sign the Graduate School card that certifies the project is (except for minor technical edits) complete and worthy of the master's degree.

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Masters Theses

Submissions from 2024 2024.

That They Do Always Remember Him: The Impact of Music and Covenant on the Modern Rite of the Last Supper , Rebecca A. Ard

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus in the Qur'an and Islamic Scholarship: The "Swoon Theory" and the Medical Perspective , Emmanuel K. Asante

Technology-Based Music Instruction , Alfredo Bedolla

The Modern-day Widow: Wrongly Shamed and Shunned in Evangelical Communities , Nancy Beise

A Contemporary Pauline Apologetic Toolkit , Jayne Bertovich

Media Dependency in Gen Z Christians , Emma Jolie Best

Naturalism, Christian Molinism, and the Problem of Evil , Caleb Blackman

Living a Life Behind Filters and Smiles , Lisa K. Bohler

Thesis Proposal and Project: The Christmas Fiddle , Tamara N. Canty

Poetry as a Means of Adding Depth to Character in Memoir , Kasey Brianne Carr

Somali Students in the American Elementary General Music Classroom , Alice L. Charland

Impact of Body Dissatisfaction and Selfies and The Effect of Self-Compassion: A Mixed Methods Study , Amelia Jing Zhen Cheah

Cultural Identity in Isolation: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Big Brother Season 23 , Summer Ann Clutter

Shining Lights in a Crooked Generation: The Experiences and Impact of Soviet Evangelical Youth , Abigail Coker

Training Considerations for the Identification and Investigation of Human Trafficking Cases in Law Enforcement: A Case Study , Emilie O. Coleman

The Communal Table: A Wholistic Perspective on Food and Social Development , Sarah Cook

Modern Critiques of the Kalam Cosmological Argument , Colby D. Crawford

The Insufficiency of the Causal Mechanisms of Scientific Naturalism , Aaron R. Crosby

Diaphragmatic Breathing Influences Recovery Metrics after Aerobic Exercise , Trace L. Cruz

The Impact of Social Media on Young People and Christian Chaplains , Darrien DeFederico

The Illusion of Perfect Mothering: How Society's Expectations Affect Women , Victoria Ann Del Valle

TikTok’s Influence on Generation Z Female’s Comparative Behavior , Brookelynn Dinkler

“His” Gentleman’s Farm , Virginia Payne Dow

Ownership Behaviors in Children's Music Culture , Sarah Dworjan

A Tree Away from the Forest , Deborah Ann Ebert

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Master Thesis/Project

Master thesis/project planning.

The selection of a master thesis project or a non-thesis topic is extremely important as it sets the stage for your career. You should give serious thoughts in choosing right project or topic and discuss your interests with as many faculty members as possible to gain a broad perspective. You will find your faculty advisor knowledgeable and willing to offer excellent suggestions and advice regarding an appropriate project topic. 

You should review literature related to your interests which include research papers, reports, and other pertinent information as relevant to your filed. You should also carefully review completed master theses to understand the skill, knowledge, and thought processes needed to complete a graduate level research project.

Students must select a supervisor during the first semester, before they register in the second semester. After the project advisor is selected, you may register on-line for a master project or master thesis section. You will need to see your project advisor to obtain the thesis and/or project section number.

Master Thesis/Project Committee

You and your advisor will jointly select your master project committee. A project/thesis committee should be comprised of at least three faculty members, one of whom should be the project/thesis advisor who will also serve as the chair of the committee. At least two members of the committee must be from the student’s department and the third person may be from outside the department. External committee member should have terminal degree from ABET accredited Science, Engineering, Technology programs (or graduate degree with extensive industry experience). External committee member selection should be agreed by your project advisor and other committee members of your project.

Once your committee has been selected, you should request Departmental and College for approval of the committee. Complete the Appointment of Thesis/Project Committee form ( M.S. Prjoect/Thesis Committee Appointment Form (PDF) , or,  M.S. in Training & Development Thesis Committee Appointment Form (PDF) ) and submit a copy to your department Chair and the College Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. Once all signatures have been obtained, a copy should be submitted to the graduate advisor. If you are working on a Master Thesis, you may proceed with scheduling a thesis proposal defense meeting (optional) as soon as the committee has been approved.

Thesis Proposal Defense (Optional)

Meet informally with the thesis committee and each committee member to get direction for and assistance with the development of the thesis topic and proposal. You and the committee chair jointly determine when a thesis proposal defense meeting should be called to formalize the thesis proposal. To avoid any misunderstanding, you should not proceed with the research until the thesis topic and proposal have been approved by the thesis committee.

Request and schedule a proposal defense meeting which is agreeable to all members of the committee. You should provide a copy of the thesis proposal to all committee members at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting.

A meeting will not be considered official if the thesis proposal is not distributed as prescribed or if less than three committee members are present at the proposal defense. The outcome of the proposal defense meeting should be clear to you as well as to committee members. The proposal will be accepted, accepted with modification, or rejected. Once the proposal is accepted and you begin writing, you should work closely with thesis committee throughout writing the thesis to receive feedback and stay on track.

Thesis Defense and Project Presentation

When a consensus has been reached by you and your master project advisor that your project is finished and you are ready to present and/or defend your project, your advisor will instruct you to schedule a project presentation or thesis defense meeting. The project presentation or thesis defense meeting should be at a time when all committee members can be present. You must distribute the project report to all committee members at least two weeks in advance of the project presentation meeting, or distribute the thesis to all committee members at least three weeks in advance of the thesis defense meeting.

The project presentation and/or defense meeting will be open to the university community. All committee members must be in attendance at the project presentation and/or defense. The outcome of the project presentation and/or thesis defense meeting should be clear to you. Timelines should be established for the final thesis copy to be submitted for committee approval. You should refer to the University academic calendar for deadlines to submit the final draft of your project report or submitting electronically the final draft of the thesis

Once the committee has approved the final draft of the project report and/or thesis, one copy of the unbound project report and/or thesis must be submitted to the Technology Division at the Cullen College of Engineering, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. This must be done at least two weeks prior to the deadline for submitting the electronic thesis. You should submit your approved signature page to the graduate advisor. After final approval by the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, the thesis can be uploaded electronically.

Contact For Additional Information

Contact the CCE Technology Division graduate advisors:  cotgrad [at] uh.edu (cotgrad[at]uh[dot]edu) .

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Postgraduate thesis

Postgraduate students are required to complete an advanced postgraduate thesis research project. This project involves an independent investigation at an advanced level and may include research, design, feasibility or other analysis. It involves integration of knowledge and evaluation across a range of topics in the area of specialisation. For most students, this is the most significant single piece of work in their university career and should be an intellectually engaging and an enjoyable experience.

Select your school to find more information regarding your advanced thesis research project. For any further questions, please contact your  Postgraduate Thesis/Project Coordinator . 

UNSW Master of Engineering Science Thesis Requirements

Masters Thesis C is only available to high achieving students with prior written school approval. As part of the  UNSW Master of Engineering Science  program, there’s a thesis requirement that needs to be met before graduation. This includes the following courses:

• Masters Thesis C  (12 UoC)
• Masters Project (Half Time) BIOM9020  (6 UoC) +  Masters Project (Half Time) BIOM9021  (6uoc) completed over two terms.
• Engineering Postgraduate Coursework Research Skills  (6 UoC).

UNSW Master of Biomedical Engineering Thesis Requirements

As part of the UNSW Master of Biomedical Engineering program completing a thesis project is optional. Students can elect to undertake Thesis C (12 UoC). There are two ways of undertaking thesis:

• Masters Project (BIOM9914) - 12 UoC completed in one term, or
• Masters Project (Half Time) BIOM9020 (6 UoC) + Masters Project (Half Time) BIOM9021 (6 UoC completed over two terms.

How to apply

To enrol in one of the masters project courses, you must first nominate a supervisor and project. The instructions to view the projects are as follows:

• Go the Moodle course Selection of Biomedical Thesis Project.
• Self-enrol as a student using the key Student50
• The projects are listed under Thesis Database
• Contact the supervisor directly if you have any questions
• When you are ready to apply, follow the instructions for applying for the masters’ project.

Postgraduate students are required to complete 24 UOC of research coursework. This consists of 6 UOC of  Engineering Postgraduate Research Skills  and 18 UOC of  Advanced Research Thesis . 

Engineering Postgraduate Research Skills (GSOE9010 or GSOE9011)

You must take  Engineering Postgraduate Research Skills  before commencing Advanced Research Thesis A. You can choose either  GSOE9010  or  GSOE9011 . Both courses are worth 6 UOC. The main difference between the two courses is that GSOE9011 is offered completely online.

Advanced Research Thesis (CEIC9951/2/3)

Advanced Research Thesis  consist of three courses worth 6 UOC each –  CEIC9951  Advanced Research Thesis A,  CEIC9952  Advanced Research Thesis B &  CEIC9953  Advanced Research Thesis C. Postgraduate students may commence Advanced Research Thesis once they are in their second or later term at UNSW and have completed one of the Engineering Postgraduate Research Skills courses.

You  must  identify a supervisor and project prior to commencing CEIC4951 or CEIC9951. To find out more about Research Thesis courses, the projects available and how to find a supervisor, please join the  Research Thesis Projects  page on Moodle (enrolment key co3shyh).

• These courses are normally taken over three consecutive terms. However, students that make excellent progress in Thesis A, may be allowed to take Thesis B and Thesis C in the same term.
• High performing students may be permitted to take  CEIC9005  in lieu of the regular Advanced Research Thesis courses. Contact the course coordinator for more information. 

UNSW Master of Engineering Science  students who have not completed a recognised thesis in their undergraduate studies or further postgraduate studies are required to complete the following courses:

• Masters Project A (CVEN9451)*
• Masters Project B (CVEN9452)  
• Masters Project C (CVEN9453)

If you’re unsure if you have completed a thesis, or if the school is not aware that you have, please  contact us   so, an assessment can be made.

UNSW Master of Engineering (8621)  students are required to complete a thesis as part of their program. You must complete one of the following options to meet this requirement:

• Masters Practice Project A (CVEN9050)  and  Masters Practice Project B (CVEN9051)
• (Masters Project A (CVEN9451)*  and  Masters Project B (CVEN9452)  and  Masters Project C (CVEN9453)

*Enrolment in a Master’s Project A (CVEN9451) requires finding a topic and supervisor within the school. Please refer to the  Student Intranet  for the list of topics and supervisors, as well as the Topic Nomination Form. This form will need to be submitted to the Student Intranet in order to be registered in the course.

As part of the  UNSW Master of Information Technology  requirements, eligible students may undertake a research project. Students can complete  COMP9900  or 12-18 UoC through a combination of  COMP9991  and either  COMP9992  or  COMP9993 .

This information is intended for all postgraduate students who will start Part A in the forthcoming term. Please follow the steps shown below:

Step 1 : Go to: Moodle .  Enrol yourself as a student on the EET School Thesis/Project. Use self-enrolment key: EETTPstudent

Step 2 : Login to Moodle portal : ‘EET School Thesis/Project’. The portal is set up to help students find a supervisor and a thesis/project topic to work on. You can view the research profiles of prospective supervisors and topics by clicking on the ‘Research Topics’ icon.

The topics list is only indicative and may not show all the topics available. Supervisors may have other new topics in mind, or you may want to propose your own topic that matches the supervisor’ interests and expertise. 

Once you’ve found a supervisor with a topic that suits your interests, you’re required to contact this person to discuss your intention. If you both agree to team up, ask the supervisor to email you to confirm approval of the topic title. You can then proceed to register.

Note: registration must be done as soon as approval is granted (within 1 week). Supervisors have the right to void late registrations.   

Step 3 : From the home page, click the ‘Registration’ icon and then click ‘Select Supervisor.’ Find your supervisor name and click the action box to become a member. 

Step 4 : From the home page, click the ‘Registration’ icon then click ‘Register Topic,’ ‘Add Entry’ and enter your details and topic title. 

Step 5 : You must enrol in the appropriate thesis/project course code on myUNSW. Your program determines which project code students should enrol into. 

Enrolment Guide

If you are an 8338 postgraduate student, you can take either option for Thesis. Postgraduate students in 8621 are required to take Research Thesis part of their program of study.

If taking a Practice Thesis (group project), you must enrol in  Thesis A (MMAN9001)  and  Thesis B (MMAN9002) .

If taking a Research Thesis (individual project), enrol in  Research Thesis A (MMAN9451) ,  Research Thesis B (MMAN9452)  and  Research Thesis C (MMAN9453) .

For Research thesis, you will first need to find a supervisor and get their approval. An approved application is required to undertake Research and to gain permission to enrol. The deadline to enrol in MMAN4951/MMAN9451 is Friday Week 1, but get in early to get the project and supervisor you want.

You can find more information by visiting the Mech Eng Thesis Selection page.

Research Thesis

Research Thesis is a compulsory pathway in the Mining Engineering (Hons) degree and an optional pathway for high WAM students doing Petroluem Engineering. This thesis allows a student to work closely with a particular supervisor, learn particular skills – like programming or laboratory work, conduct research and write up their findings. To take this stream, you will need to first enrol in MERE4951 Research Thesis A.

MERE4951 Research Thesis A

In this course you will be required to find a supervisor and topic to work on. You can find a list of our research strengths here:

https://www.unsw.edu.au/engineering/minerals-and-energy-resources-engineering/research

You can also find an individual academic and ask them about topics that they work on. Academics from our school are available here:

https://www.unsw.edu.au/engineering/minerals-and-energy-resources-engineering/about-us/our-people

Once you enrol, make sure you have access to the Microsoft Team (the link is on the Moodle page), which is filled with information and has active forums for asking questions:

MERE4952 & MERE9453 Research Thesis B & C

These two units (4UoC each) can be taken in the same term or separately. Thesis B involves submitting a video/audio reflection of the work so far and an interim report. Thesis C involves writing your thesis and recording and submitting a scientific presentation of your results.

All Postgrad thesis students can find a list of thesis topics will be posted on the  Thesis A Moodle site . The student key to access the site will be sent out by the thesis co-ordinator to all students who will be taking thesis the following term. You should review the list and discuss the topics with the relevant supervisor to get an idea of what it entails. Students must include in their email to the supervisor, their CV and a cover letter explaining their topic interests and relevant background.

Once both the supervisor and student have agreed on the topic, a Thesis Nomination Form should be completed. This is submitted to the Thesis Coordinator and uploaded to the SOLA9451 Moodle site prior to the student commencing work on their topic. All students must have chosen a supervisor by 9am Monday week 1 of term.

You can develop your own thesis topic, if you can find a supervisor from within the School. This will require you to attach a one page description of the thesis topic and signed by the supervisor to the Thesis Nomination Form.

The School also encourages students who wish to do an industry-led thesis topic. In this case the mentor from industry would be the student’s co-supervisor, however an academic staff member from the School must act as the supervisor of the thesis.

For an industry-led thesis, you must obtain approval from an academic of the School to supervise the topic. You should submit a signed letter from the industry representative and academic supervisor with a brief outline of the project with a Thesis Nomination Form.

All information needed for the deliverables of thesis A can be found in the course outline which is available on the SOLA9451 Moodle site.

Each supervisor has a prescribed limit for how many students they are accepting. A table will be posted noting how many students each supervisor will take and how many students they have so far. Once a supervisor reaches their limit please look for someone else. You are not guaranteed a project with a supervisor unless you have a signed form.

• Schedule your appointment with your supervisor
• Get your thesis nomination form signed by your supervisor 

Postgraduate thesis FAQs

Depending on the thesis course you take, your topic may be provided to you or you will need to develop one.

If you need to develop one, most schools have a website that lists available topics and the staff willing to supervise those topics. You may wish to select a topic based on areas of engineering interest, extracurricular interests (such as the  ChallENG Projects ), or preference for working with a particular academic in your field.  You can even come up with your own in consultation with your thesis supervisor. Take a look! 

The process is different for each school, so review the information above.

If you still have questions, contact your school’s  Postgraduate Thesis Coordinator.

Projects based on current employment are highly encouraged. They must meet the requirements of advanced independent study and you must arrange a UNSW academic as (co-)supervisor. Finally, work-based projects must be approved by the  Thesis Coordinator   prior to enrolment.

Most schools have a Moodle, intranet, or web page with detailed information about their thesis program. That should be your next port of call – check your school’s section above for access instructions.

Schools often run information sessions during the year. These will be advertised via email, on social media and/or during class. Keep an eye out for these events.

The  Undergraduate Thesis page  has further answers to frequently asked thesis questions.

If you have questions related to enrolment or progression, contact the Nucleus.

Finally, each school has a  Thesis Coordinator  who can answer specific questions related to your personal circumstances.

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Tim Walz’s Class Project on the Holocaust Draws New Attention Online

Mr. Walz, now the Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee, asked his high school students in 1993 which country was most at risk for genocide. Their prediction came to pass: Rwanda.

• Share full article

By Neil Vigdor

• Aug. 9, 2024

The prediction was spot on: Rwanda was barreling toward a devastating genocide.

It did not emanate from a think tank, but from a high school geography class in western Nebraska. The year was 1993. The teacher? Tim Walz, now the Democratic vice-presidential candidate and Minnesota governor.

Thirty-one years later, the class project is drawing new attention. Mr. Walz, a geography teacher at the time, had asked his students to take what they had learned about the Holocaust to predict which nation was most at risk for genocide.

“They came up with Rwanda,” Mr. Walz said, talking about the project at a conference last month . “Twelve months later, the world witnessed the horrific genocide in Rwanda.”

The project was reported on in a 2008 On Education column for The New York Times that has been widely shared in recent days. Mr. Walz had drawn the attention of the reporter, Samuel G. Freedman, for an earlier column because Mr. Walz was the only K-12 teacher serving in Congress at the time, Mr. Freedman said.

“While I was interviewing Walz for the initial column, he told me how the genocide project was one of his proudest moments as an educator,” said Mr. Freedman, who is now a journalism professor at Columbia University . That sparked Mr. Freedman to revisit the story later.

Mr. Walz, when he delivered the lesson plan, had been teaching global geography in Alliance, Neb., and had been chosen for a Belfer fellowship to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that was opening. Speaking at the conference last month, held by Esri, a company that makes G.I.S. software widely used in mapping, he said the project had a profound effect on his students and bred some cynicism.

“How could a bunch of students in western Nebraska, in Alliance, use a computer program and some past historical knowledge to come up with this?” he said. “Why was nobody doing anything about that?”

Several years later, when he was studying for his master’s degree in experiential education at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mr. Walz wrote his thesis on Holocaust education, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported .

As governor, Mr. Walz signed a bill last year that requires high schools and middle schools to teach about the Holocaust, along with other genocides.

Neil Vigdor covers politics for The Times, focusing on voting rights issues and election disinformation. More about Neil Vigdor

You are here

The nuclear disaster of kyshtym 1957 and the politics of the cold war.

In the late afternoon of 29 September 1957, residents of the Chelyabinsk district in the Southern Urals noticed unusual bluish-violet colors in the sky. The regional press speculated about polar lights appearing exceptionally far south. However, within a few days, a slew of government activity became evident around the military area that housed the nuclear facility “Mayak.” Peasants were required to slaughter their livestock, bury their crops and plow their farmland. More than 20 villages, comprising over 11,000 people, were evacuated and completely demolished. No official statement was given about any of these orders, but everybody could figure out for themselves that a major accident had happened at “Mayak.”

Map of the East Urals Radioactive Trace (EURT), the area contaminated by the Kyshtym disaster

2010 Jan Rieke Click here to view Wikimedia source.

“Mayak” was established in 1946, and by 1949 it had produced the first Soviet nuclear bomb. After this initial success, Moscow demanded ever more bombs, and allowed ever less time to make them. “Mayak” delivered. But it paid a price. As a result of disregarding basic safety standards, 17,245 workers received radiation overdoses between 1948 and 1958. Dumping of radioactive waste into the nearby river from 1949 to 1952 caused several breakouts of radiation sickness in villages downstream. Residents of the area were thus familiar with the invisible dangers coming from the secret site.

Cows by the contaminated river Techa

© Ecodefense/Heinrich Boell Stiftung Russia/Slapovskaya/Nikulina Click here to view Wikimedia source.

This work is used by permission of the copyright holder.

This time, however, radioactivity descended on people and places without any obvious pattern. So what had happened? The cooling system of a cistern containing radioactive waste had failed. And nobody had noticed. The waste started to heat up, eventually exploding at a temperature of 350 degrees Celsius. The 160-ton concrete cover burst, flinging 20 million curies of radioactive material into the sky, where it was scattered by the wind. It settled over an area of 20,000 square kilometers, home to 270,000 people.

It was impossible to keep information about the disaster from leaking out, at least in the surrounding area. The Western world, though, came to hear about it only in 1976, when Soviet emigrant Zhores Medvedev first revealed some facts about the catastrophe. The CIA had known about it long before; by 1960 its network of informants and aerial spy photos had provided it with a clear picture of what had happened. Those documents were later published, but long kept away from the public so as not to put the image of the emerging nuclear industry at risk or cause people to ask questions about safety issues at the US government’s own Hanford nuclear site. Indeed, government laboratories even put out statements downplaying Medvedev’s accounts of the seriousness of the Kyshtym incident. Moscow, of course, was delighted.

Thus, the Kyshtym disaster also tells a story about the Cold War’s occasional absurdities—the CIA actually helped the Soviet Union keep its first nuclear catastrophe a secret until 1989.

How to cite

Rabl, Thomas. “The Nuclear Disaster of Kyshtym 1957 and the Politics of the Cold War.” Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia (2012), no. 20. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. https://doi.org/10.5282/rcc/4967 .

ISSN 2199-3408 Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia

2012 Thomas Rabl This refers only to the text and does not include any image rights. Please click on the images to view their individual rights status.

• Cochran, Thomas B., Robert S. Norris, and Oleg A. Bukharin. Making the Russian Bomb: From Stalin to Yeltsin. Boulder, Colo.: Westview, 1995.
• Josephson, Paul R. Resources Under Regimes: Technology, Environment, and the State . Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2005.
• Medvedev, Zhores A. “Two Decades of Dissidence.” New Scientist 72, no. 1025 (1976): 264–267.
• Medvedev, Zhores A. Nuclear Disaster in the Urals . New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1979.
• Tolstikov, V. G. “Yadernaya katastrofa 1957 goda na Urale.” Vestnik Chelyabinskogo universiteta , no. 1 (1999): 86–95.
• Trabalka, John R., L. Dean Eyman, and Stanley I. Auerbach. “Analysis of the 1957–1958 Soviet Nuclear Accident.” Source: Science, New Series 209, no. 4454 (1980): 345–53.
• Official Soviet documents related to Kyshtym disaster
• Article about an “aurora” in the Soviet newspaper Chelyabinsky rabochy, 6 October 1957
• Print page to PDF

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Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Chelyabinsk oblast: Chelyabinsk .

Chelyabinsk Oblast - Overview

Chelyabinsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Southern Urals, part of the Urals Federal District. Chelyabinsk is the capital city of the region. It is the place where Europe borders with Asia.

The population of Chelyabinsk Oblast is about 3,419,000 (2022), the area - 88,529 sq. km.

Chelyabinsk oblast flag

Chelyabinsk oblast coat of arms.

Chelyabinsk oblast map, Russia

Chelyabinsk oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

26 July, 2024 / Magnificent Landscapes of Ayskiye Pritosy .

18 July, 2018 / Bolshiye Pritesy Cliff in the Chelyabinsk Region .

12 June, 2018 / Frosty Dawn in Taganay National Park .

8 June, 2018 / Colors of the Dead World of Karabash .

6 January, 2018 / Chelyabinsk - the view from above .

More posts..

History of Chelyabinsk Oblast

People began to settle in the Southern Urals in the Paleolithic era. Bogdanovka site on the Ural River (Kizilsky district) is the most ancient archaeological site found on the territory of the region (about 70 thousand years). The age of Paleolithic layers in Ignatievka cave (Katav-Ivanovsky district), famous for its wall paintings, is about 15 thousand years. There are numerous archaeological sites of the Stone Age, settlements of the Bronze and Iron Ages.

In the 13th century, the territory of the Southern Urals was part of the Mongol Empire. Kesene mausoleum, preserved to our days near Varna village, is an outstanding monument of the late Horde time. The first Russian settlements in what is now the Chelyabinsk region appeared in the late 17th century.

Administratively the formation of the region began in the 18th century. It was the result of Peter’s I policy aimed at developing producing forces of the country and the expansion of its borders. This was reflected in the activities of the Orenburg expedition. For military and commercial purposes the expedition founded a number of fortresses, one of them was the fortress of Chelyabinsk (1736).

More Historical Facts…

In 1737, Isetskaya province was founded that included the northern part of the present Chelyabinsk region and the Kurgan region. In 1743, Chelyabinsk became the center of the province. In 1744, Orenburg gubernia was formed, it included Isetskaya and Ufimskaya provinces.

In the second half of the 18th century, mining and metallurgical areas of the Southern Urals began to grow rapidly. Several large mining plants were built, which became the basis for future towns. The first towns were Chelyabinsk, Verhneuralsk (1781) and Troitsk (1784).

In the early 19th century, most of the territory of the region was part of the Orenburg gubernia. Since the mid-19th century, Orenburg Cossacks started the rapid development of the steppe areas. New settlements were named in honor of the battles and victories of the Russian army: Varna, Fershampenuaz, Borodino, Paris and others.

After the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway (1891-1916), the province became the largest transportation hub connecting central Russia, the Urals and Siberia.

In 1919, Chelyabinsk gubernia was formed. November, 3, 1923, Ural Oblast with the capital in Yekaterinburg was formed. January 17, 1934, Ural Oblast was enlarged and was named Chelyabinsk Oblast. Later on, the territory of the region was diminished not once. In 1943, 32 districts were transferred to the newly formed Kurgan Oblast. After that, the borders of Chelyabinsk Oblast remained almost unchanged.

During the Second World War, this region played an important role producing metals, ammunition and military equipment. After the war, Chelyabinsk became the supplier of equipment and human resources for the restoration of Stalingrad, Donbass and other areas of the USSR.

In the 1950s, part of the territory of the region was subjected to radioactive contamination as a result of the accident at the plant for processing waste “Mayak”.

The collapse of the USSR had a negative impact on the economic situation in the region. From 1990 to 2000, rail transportation halved. In 1995, the decline in production in all sectors was 52%, in agriculture - 44%.

February 15, 2013 a relatively large meteorite flew over the territory of the oblast. It became known as the Chelyabinsk meteorite (diameter - about 17 meters, weight - about 10 thousand tons). The meteorite exploded in the vicinity of Chelyabinsk, at an altitude of 15-25 km. Several fragments of it fell in the area of Lake Chebarkul.

Nature of Chelyabinsk Oblast

Summer in the Chelyabinsk region

Author: Olga Yartseva

Chelyabinsk oblast - the land of lakes

Author: Rauer Yury

Wheat field in Chelyabinsk Oblast

Author: Alexander Pridvizhkin

Chelyabinsk Oblast - Features

Chelyabinsk Oblast is located about 1,800 km east of Moscow. The main cities are Chelyabinsk (1,179,000), Magnitogorsk (412,000), Zlatoust (159,700), Miass (150,300) and Kopeysk (145,000). Chelyabinsk and Miass are the stations on the Trans-Siberian railway.

The southeastern part of Chelyabinsk Oblast has the state border - the border with Kazakhstan. The length of the region from north to south - 490 km, from west to east - 400 km. It is comparable to the size of Hungary, Portugal, Austria, more than 2 times larger than Denmark and Switzerland, 3 times larger than Belgium and the Netherlands.

Not far from the station of Urzhumka (8 km from Zlatoust), on Uraltau Pass, there is a stone pillar. On one side it says “Europe”, on the other - “Asia”. The cities of Zlatoust, Katav-Ivanovsk, Satka are located in Europe, Chelyabinsk, Troitsk, Miass - in Asia, Magnitogorsk - in both parts of the world.

Chelyabinsk Oblast has a highly developed industry. Metallurgical, machine-building, fuel and energy, construction, agri-industrial complexes determine the industrial development of the region. Iron and steel industry stands out in the structure of the local industry (about half of the total output).

The city of Magnitogorsk is situated in the middle of one of the largest and richest iron ore deposits in the world. Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) is one of the largest steel mills in the world. Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau in Miass is a major supplier of strategic ballistic missiles for the Russian submarine fleet.

Tourism in Chelyabinsk Oblast

Chelyabinsk Oblast has unique natural and climatic conditions: picturesque landscapes, lakes, forests, caves and natural healing springs. It is the main basis for the development of tourism and recreation. Winters are cold and long, summers are relatively hot.

The northwestern part of the region is covered by forests and mountains, the rest - steppes and forest steppes. Forests cover about 24% of the territory. The highest point is Mount Bolshoy (Big) Nurgush (1406.6 meters).

Chelyabinsk Oblast is called “the land of lakes”. There are 3,170 lakes on its territory, 98 of them have areas of more than 5 sq. km., the largest lake - Uvildy - occupies 68 sq. km. The most picturesque lakes are Turgoyak and Uvildy. Many lakes have unique mineral waters and therapeutic muds. There are a lot of health resorts on the territory of the region.

There are more than 200 specially protected natural areas, including Ilmen State Nature Reserve, the historical and archaeological museum “Arkaim”, “Tanagai” and “Zyuratgul” national parks.

Skiing is actively developing. Altogether there are about 20 ski resorts, including “Abzakovo”, “Adzhigardak”, “Zavyalikha”, “Metallurg-Magnitogorsk”, “Solnechnaya Dolina”, which meet the highest European standards and are very popular.

Chelyabinsk oblast of Russia photos

Chelyabinsk Oblast scenery

Horses in Chelyabinsk Oblast

Author: Pavel Kabanov

Author: Kiyanovsky Dmitry

Snowy winter in Chelyabinsk Oblast

Author: Lezin V.V.

Churches in the Chelyabinsk region

Orthodox church in Chelyabinsk Oblast

Author: Alexander Maksimenko

Author: Marina Klein

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Chelyabinsk Oblast

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Chelyabinsk Oblast is situated in the Southern Urals, with much of the region lying on the eastern slopes of the Southern Ural Mountains. Orenburg Oblast lies to the south, the Republic of Bashkortostan to the west, Sverdlovsk Oblast to the north and Kurgan Oblast to the east. At the end of 2020 there were 1,795 km of railway track in the Oblast. On 19 March 2019 Dubrovskii resigned as Governor. Putin appointed Aleksei Teksler, hitherto the federal First Deputy Minister of Energy, as Acting Governor. Dubrovskii had recently been placed under investigation by the Federal Antimonopoly Service, after it had emerged that in 2015–18 more than 90% of road contracts in the Oblast had been awarded to his Yuzhuralmost company. The Oblast’s agriculture consists mainly of animal husbandry, horticulture and the production of grain. It is one of the principal meat producing federal territories. The sector employed 5.1% of the workforce and contributed 4.1% of GRP in 2020.

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November 6, 2013

First study results of Russian Chelyabinsk meteor published

by UC Davis

The meteor that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in February 2013 was "a wake-up call," according to a University of California, Davis scientist who participated in analyzing the event. The work is published November 7, 2013 in the journal Science by an international team of researchers.

"If humanity does not want to go the way of the dinosaurs, we need to study an event like this in detail," said Qing-Zhu Yin, professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Davis.

Chelyabinsk was the largest meteoroid strike since the Tunguska event of 1908, and thanks to modern technology from consumer video cameras to advanced laboratory techniques, provides an unprecedented opportunity to study such an event, the authors note.

The Chelyabinsk meteorite belongs to the most common type of meteorite, an "ordinary chondrite." If a catastrophic meteorite strike were to occur in the future, it would most likely be an object of this type, Yin said.

The team was led by Olga Popova of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, and by NASA Ames and SETI Institute meteor astronomer Peter Jenniskens, and included 57 other researchers from nine countries.

"Our goal was to understand all circumstances that resulted in the damaging shock wave that sent over 1200 people to hospitals in the Chelyabinsk Oblast area that day," said Jenniskens. The explosion was equivalent to about 600 thousand tons of TNT, 150 times bigger than the 2012 Sutter's Mill meteorite in California.

Based on viewing angles from videos of the fireball, the team calculated that the meteoroid entered Earth's atmosphere at just over 19 kilometers per second, slightly faster than had previously been reported.

"Our meteoroid entry modeling showed that the impact was caused by a 20-meter sized single chunk of rock that efficiently fragmented at 30 km altitude," Popova said. (A meteoroid is the original object; a meteor is the "shooting star" in the sky; and a meteorite is the object that reaches the ground.)

The meteor's brightness peaked at an altitude of 29.7 km (18.5 miles) as the object exploded. For nearby observers it briefly appeared brighter than the Sun and caused some severe sunburns.

The team estimated that about three-quarters of the meteoroid evaporated at that point. Most of the rest converted to dust and only a small fraction (4,000 to 6,000 kilograms, or less than 0.05 percent) fell to the ground as meteorites. The dust cloud was so hot it glowed orange.

The largest single piece, weighing about 650 kilograms, was recovered from the bed of Lake Chebarkul in October by a team from Ural Federal University led by Professor Viktor Grokhovsky.

Shockwaves from the airburst broke windows, rattled buildings and even knocked people from their feet. Popova and Jenniskens visited over 50 villages in the area and found that the shockwave caused damage about 90 kilometers (50 miles) on either side of the trajectory. The team showed that the shape of the damaged area could be explained from the fact that the energy was deposited over a range of altitudes.

The object broke up 30 kilometers up under the enormous stress of entering the atmosphere at high speed. The breakup was likely facilitated by abundant "shock veins" that pass through the rock, caused by an impact that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago. These veins would have weakened the original meteoroid.

Yin's laboratory at UC Davis carried out chemical and isotopic analysis of the meteorites. Professor Ken Verosub, also of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, measured the magnetic properties of metallic grains in the meteorite. Doug Rowland, project scientist in the Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging at the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering, contributed X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning of the rock.

Put together, these measurements confirmed that the Chelyabinsk object was an ordinary chondrite, 4,452 million years old, and that it last went through a significant shock event about 115 million years after the formation of the solar system 4,567 million years ago. That impact was at a much later date than in other known chondrites of the same type, Yin said, suggesting a violent history.

Jenniskens calculated that the object may have come from the Flora asteroid family in the asteroid belt, but the chunk that hit the Chelyabinsk area was apparently not broken up in the asteroid belt itself. Researchers at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University in Japan found that the rock had been exposed to cosmic rays for only about 1.2 million years, unusually short for rocks originating in the Flora family.

Jenniskens speculates that Chelyabinsk belonged to a bigger "rubble pile" asteroid that broke apart 1.2 million years ago, possibly in an earlier close encounter with Earth.

The rest of that rubble could still be around as part of the near-earth asteroid population, Jenniskens said.

Yin noted that major meteorite strikes like Tunguska or Chelyabinsk occur more frequently than we tend to think. For example, four tons of material were recovered from a meteor shower in Jilin, China in 1976.

"Chelyabinsk serves as unique calibration point for high energy meteorite impact events for our future studies," he said. Technology for early detection of these objects is needed, Yin said—such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, currently being developed by an international team headed by UC Davis physics professor J. Anthony Tyson.

Journal information: Science

Provided by UC Davis

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