how to write an engineering thesis

Thesis Proposal

Note: This article is partially based on the 2017-2018 MechE Graduate Student Guide (PDF) . Please check the latest guide for the most-up to date formatting requirements.

Criteria for Success

A strong thesis proposal…

• Motivates your project and introduces your audience to the state-of-the-art for the problem you’re working on.
• Explains the limitations in the current methods through literature review and/or original analysis. This should also explain why the limitations matter and why they’re the right ones to focus on.
• Clearly explains your technical approach to make specific improvements to some part of the field.
• Uses original analysis and literature to support the feasibility of the approach.
• Describes what is original about your work.
• Provides a practical outline for completing this research : a degree timeline laying out quantifiable hypotheses, experimental/numerical/theoretical techniques, and metrics for evaluation .

Structure Diagram

Meche-specific structure requirements.

Your thesis proposal should be limited to 6 pages including figures and references.

In addition, you need a cover page that (only) includes:

• tentative title of the thesis
• brief abstract
• committee chair and/or advisor should be indicated
• include their official titles, departmental affiliations, and email addresses

The purpose of your thesis proposal is to introduce your research plan to your thesis committee. You want the committee members to come away understanding what your research will accomplish, why it is needed ( motivation ), how you will do it ( feasibility & approach ), and most importantly, why it is worthy of a PhD ( significance ).

You intend to solve a real and important problem, and you are willing to dedicate years of your life to it, so use your proposal to get the committee excited about your research!

Analyze your audience

Unlike many of the papers and presentations you will write during graduate school, only a select few people will read your thesis proposal. This group will always include your PhD committee and your research advisor, and may include other interested MechE faculty or scientists and engineers at your funding source.

Therefore, you will typically have a good understanding of your audience before it is written. This can allow you to tailor your message to the technical level of your specific audience. If you aren’t sure what your audience could reasonably be expected to know, be conservative! Regardless, your audience is always looking to answer the questions: “ what is this research, how will you perform it, and why does it matter?”

While the small audience may make you less interested in committing time to your proposal, the exercise of motivating and justifying your work plan will be critical to your PhD.

Follow the standard structure for research proposals

While some variation is acceptable, don’t stray too far from the following structure. See also the Structure Diagram above.

• Introduction . Provide only the necessary information to motivate your research, and show how it fits into the broader field. What is the problem you are trying to solve? By the end of the introduction, your audience should understand the basics of what you will do and why you will do it.
• Background/Methodology . Describe the current state of the art and related research fields in sufficient technical detail. The goal is provide just enough detail to give the reader a sound understanding of the limitations and the need for new work. Do not go into detail that does not directly help in understanding your You are not trying to make your reader understand everything about the topic or demonstrate how much you know.
• Objectives . Although not strictly necessary, this section lets you summarize concrete goals of your work, and can help to serve as a checklist for yourself as you move through the process. This is best for projects that tackle many interrelated problems. Think of this as a list of concrete (quantifiable) goals that you want to accomplish.
• Proposed Work. Explain how your work will solve the problems that you have identified. How will you address the objectives above? Provide just enough technical specificity to leave the reader with a firm grasp of what you will do.
• Provide a set of time-structured goals and deliverables. While this is not strictly necessary, your committee will want a timeline when you meet with them, so it can help to start planning now. You want to graduate, so make sure that you have a plan to do so!
• This is a standard section listing references in an appropriate format (MLA, APA, etc.)

Consider the logical sequence of your sections. After the introduction, your audience should be intrigued by a key problem, and intrigued that you know how to solve it. Through the background, they learn that this problem is more difficult than they originally realized. Finally, in the proposed work they learn that your proposal addresses the additional complexity introduced in the background, and they have confidence that you can actually solve the problem.

Summarize the current research field

You need to have a strong grasp of the broader research community. How can you contribute, if you don’t know what is done and what needs to be done?

The point here is not to educate your audience, but rather to provide them with the tools needed to understand your proposal. A common mistake is to explain all of the research that you did to understand your topic and to demonstrate that you really know your field. This will bore your audience, who either already knows this information or does not see why they should care. It’s more important to show where current gaps are. Cut anything that doesn’t answer the what and why of what people are doing. Your depth of knowledge will come through in your thoughtful proposal.

Justify the significance of your work

Answer the question: “What happens if your work is successful?” Again, you are trying to convince your readers either to give you funding or to work with you for three (or more) years. Convince them that your project is worth it.

Your research doesn’t have to revolutionize your field, but you need to explain concretely how it will move your field forward. For example, “Successful development of the proposed model will enable high-fidelity simulation of boiling” is a specific and convincing motivation, compared to, “The field of boiling modeling must be transformed in order to advance research.”

Justify your research plan

Identify the steps needed to overcome your identified problem/limitation. Though your PhD will evolve over time, the tasks and timeline that you identify in your proposal will continue to help determine the trajectory of your research. A good plan now can save a lot of work a few years down the road.

A strong research plan answers three key questions:

• g., “In order to engineer material properties using mesoscopic defects, it is necessary to characterize the defects, measure how they affect material response, and identify techniques to reproducibly create the defects at specific sites within a material.”
• g., “In my PhD, I will focus on developing high-speed dynamic imaging techniques to characterize transient defect states in metallic nanowires. I will then use these techniques to measure the properties of nanowires fabricated with three different processes known to produce different defect structures.”
• How will you evaluate success in each step? These metrics should be concrete and measurable! Putting the thought into metrics now will make it easier for your committee (and yourself) to check a box and say ‘you can graduate.’

Each of these questions should be supported by details that reflect the current state of the art. Technical justification is critical to establish credibility for your plan. Reference the material that you introduced in the background section. You should even use your research plan to tailor your background section so that your committee knows just enough to believe what you’re claiming in your plan.

Based on the tasks and metrics in your plan, establish specific reflection points when you’ll revisit the scope of your project and evaluate if changes are needed.

Include alternative approaches

You won’t be able to predict all of the challenges you will encounter, but planning alternative approaches early on for major methods or decision points will prepare you to make better game-time decisions when you come up against obstacles. e.g.,

I will develop multi-pulse, femtosecond illumination for high speed imaging following Someone et al. Based on the results they have shown, I expect to be able to observe defect dynamics with micron spatial resolution and microsecond temporal resolution. If these resolutions are not achievable in the nanowire systems, I will explore static measurement techniques based on the work of SomeoneElse et al.

Resources and Annotated Examples

Annotated example 1.

This is a recent MechE thesis proposal, written in the style of an IEEE paper. 1,022 KB

written at Virginia Tech [Pang, 2002]. In viewing this sample thesis and all thesis excerpts on this page, please be aware that different universities have different format guidelines.

, which is for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at Virginia Tech.

that shows where these sections typically occur in the document. ). In the words of Albert Einstein, you should be "as simple as possible, but no simpler."

is appropriate (in other words, write , not .) Also, many committees frown upon the use of contractions, such as or that would be readily accepted in a less formal document such as an e-mail. Another word that many committees frown upon, because of its informality, is the word While this word is appropriate for instructions and correspondence, it is seldom, if ever, appropriate in theses or dissertations (note that the implied is certainly acceptable in clauses such as ). In regard to the first person pronouns or , judicious use is widely accepted, especially to make the writing more active (see Chapter 6 of ) or to assume responsibility for assumptions or actions. Be forewarned, though, that despite its acceptance by most committees (and journals), an occasional committee remains opposed to use of the first person, even when that use is judicious.

).

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Honours Thesis Writing for Engineering and Science Students

Here you will find online thesis writing support and advice for honours students in the faculties of engineering and science including advice (from supervisors), examples (from past honours theses) and exercises to help you improve your thesis writing skills.

You won't find here anything to do with the content of your thesis. The content is between you, your research group and your supervisor.

• Thesis structure

Find out more

• Writing tools

Acknowledgements

We express our gratitude to the many students and staff who provided experience, ideas, examples, interest and support prior to and during the development of the site.

• This resource was developed as a project by The Learning Centre at UNSW.  The aim is to provide online support for students who are writing an extended piece of research at undergraduate or Honours level, especially in the fields of Science and Engineering .
• The site was designed to respond to the key writing needs that were identified in a survey of supervisors and Honours students, which asked them what their main priorities were for writing a thesis. This project is funded by the UNSW Learning and Teaching Fund.
• This site was written by Rosalie Goldsmith with extensive input from Pam Mort.
• The website was built by Tracey-Lee Downey .
• Beanland, C, Scneider, Z, LoBiondo-Wood, G & Haber, J 1999 Nursing Research , Mosby, Sydney.
• Burns, R 2000, Introduction to Research Methods , Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest.
• Craswell, G 2005, Writing for Academic Success , SAGE Publications, London.
• Eggins, S 1994, An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics , Pinter Publishers, London.
• Evans, D & Gruba, P 2002, How to Write a Better Thesis , Melbourne University Press, Carlton Vic.
• Kamler, B & Thomson P 2006, Helping Doctoral Students Write , Routledge, Abingdon Oxon.
• Silyn-Roberts, H 2000, Writing for Science and Engineering , Butterworth, Heinemann Oxford.
• Weissberg, R & Buker, S 1990, Writing up Research , Prentice Hall Regents, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Engineering & science

• Report writing
• Technical writing
• Writing lab reports
• Case study report in (engineering)
• ^ More support

Engineering: The Literature Review Process

• How to Use This Guide
• 1. What is a Literature Review?
• 2. Precision vs Retrieval
• 3. Equip Your Tool Box
• 4. What to look for
• 5. Where to Look for it
• 6. How to Look for it
• 7. Keeping Current
• 8. Reading Tips

Writing Tips

Further readings.

• 10. Checklist

Your review should consists of 3 sections: 

• The Introduction in which you tell the reader what topic you are covering and why.    
• Topic or Issue
• Theory  
• The Summary in which you draw conclusions about the significant events, discoveries, flaws and work that still needs to be done.  

Highly Recommended Viewing ...

Get Lit: The Literature Review Candace Schaefer, Associate Director of the University Writing Center at Texas A&M Although the speaker is addressing a class consisting of graduate students from all subject areas, the advice applies to engineering.    You can skip the first part of this video but do view these sections: 

• 15m 20s What are you looking for when you are reading the literature
• 18m 10s How to organize your review 
• 23m 47s: Placing the literature within the scholarly debate 
• 29m 30s: Attribution, citation, quoting
• 34m 10s: Connecting ideas   
• 38m 30s: Positioning your research in the scholarly debate

The readings and videos listed below also give advice on writing the review. 

• The Writer's Handbook: Learn How to Write a Review of the Literature Created by The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  
• Literature Reviews The role and structure of a literature review.  Strategies for writing a literature Review. From University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.   
• Literature Review  UNC Writing Center

Tutorials ​    

• << Previous: 8. Reading Tips
• Next: 10. Checklist >>
• Last updated: Jan 2, 2024 8:27 AM
• URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/engineeringlitreview

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/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="how to write an engineering thesis"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

MS in Mechanical Engineering - Thesis Guidelines

Students may choose to pursue a thesis as part of their MS degree program, but only with the consent of a faculty advisor willing to supervise the thesis work. 

Preparation of a thesis representing an independent research work is a pivotal phase of this MS degree program. It provides the student with an opportunity to work on an open-ended problem, developing a particular solution that is not pre-determined and involving synthesis of knowledge and intellectual creativity. The thesis may involve an investigation that is fundamental in nature, or may be applied, incorporating theory, experimental testing and/or analytical modeling, and/or creative design. Through the thesis, candidates are expected to give evidence of competence in research and a sound understanding of the area of specialization involved. Students are also strongly encouraged to present their research at scientific conferences and publish the results of their thesis research in a peer-reviewed journal.

Students receive a grade of Y (incomplete) in these courses as long as the thesis in progress. Eventual thesis grades replace the incomplete grades upon formal completion of the thesis. In order to receive a grade of Y for ME-0296, students must submit a  thesis prospectus  that outlines the area of work, thesis goals, proposed approach and a review of relevant past work in the literature before the end of the first semester in which the student enrolls in ME-0296, typically the third semester of full-time study. An example of a recent MS thesis prospectus can be found in the Mechanical Engineering office.

The examining committee for MS candidates completing theses should be composed of three (3) members.

• Thesis advisor (committee chair)
• One technical expert outside of the ME department
• A third member of the committee, often another faculty member in the ME department

The committee chair is normally a full-time, tenure-track faculty member. One committee member must be from outside the ME department. Thesis normally counts as 9 credits towards the MS degree requirements. However, a student, with the approval of his/her thesis advisor, has the option to complete a 6-credit thesis by submitting a petition form to the Department. This petition must be signed by the student and the thesis advisor and will become part of the student's academic record. With a 6-credit thesis, a student must complete an extra graduate-level course (for a total of 8 courses) to fulfill the 30-credit requirement for graduation. This option is not typically available to those intending to pursue a Ph.D. degree. 

Thesis Completion

The MS thesis is completed upon:

• A successful oral defense (open to the community)
• Submittal of an approved thesis to the Office of Graduate Studies

The student should consult the  Graduate Student Handbook  for specific dates and deadlines for this process in the graduation semester.

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• Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates

Published on June 7, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical early steps in your writing process . It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding the specifics of your dissertation topic and showcasing its relevance to your field.

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.)

In the final product, you can also provide a chapter outline for your readers. This is a short paragraph at the end of your introduction to inform readers about the organizational structure of your thesis or dissertation. This chapter outline is also known as a reading guide or summary outline.

Table of contents

How to outline your thesis or dissertation, dissertation and thesis outline templates, chapter outline example, sample sentences for your chapter outline, sample verbs for variation in your chapter outline, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis and dissertation outlines.

While there are some inter-institutional differences, many outlines proceed in a fairly similar fashion.

• Working Title
• “Elevator pitch” of your work (often written last).
• Introduce your area of study, sharing details about your research question, problem statement , and hypotheses . Situate your research within an existing paradigm or conceptual or theoretical framework .
• Subdivide as you see fit into main topics and sub-topics.
• Describe your research methods (e.g., your scope , population , and data collection ).
• Present your research findings and share about your data analysis methods.
• Answer the research question in a concise way.
• Interpret your findings, discuss potential limitations of your own research and speculate about future implications or related opportunities.

For a more detailed overview of chapters and other elements, be sure to check out our article on the structure of a dissertation or download our template .

To help you get started, we’ve created a full thesis or dissertation template in Word or Google Docs format. It’s easy adapt it to your own requirements.

 Download Word template    Download Google Docs template

It can be easy to fall into a pattern of overusing the same words or sentence constructions, which can make your work monotonous and repetitive for your readers. Consider utilizing some of the alternative constructions presented below.

Example 1: Passive construction

The passive voice is a common choice for outlines and overviews because the context makes it clear who is carrying out the action (e.g., you are conducting the research ). However, overuse of the passive voice can make your text vague and imprecise.

Example 2: IS-AV construction

You can also present your information using the “IS-AV” (inanimate subject with an active verb ) construction.

A chapter is an inanimate object, so it is not capable of taking an action itself (e.g., presenting or discussing). However, the meaning of the sentence is still easily understandable, so the IS-AV construction can be a good way to add variety to your text.

Example 3: The “I” construction

Another option is to use the “I” construction, which is often recommended by style manuals (e.g., APA Style and Chicago style ). However, depending on your field of study, this construction is not always considered professional or academic. Ask your supervisor if you’re not sure.

Example 4: Mix-and-match

To truly make the most of these options, consider mixing and matching the passive voice , IS-AV construction , and “I” construction .This can help the flow of your argument and improve the readability of your text.

As you draft the chapter outline, you may also find yourself frequently repeating the same words, such as “discuss,” “present,” “prove,” or “show.” Consider branching out to add richness and nuance to your writing. Here are some examples of synonyms you can use.

Address	Describe	Imply	Refute
Argue	Determine	Indicate	Report
Claim	Emphasize	Mention	Reveal
Clarify	Examine	Point out	Speculate
Compare	Explain	Posit	Summarize
Concern	Formulate	Present	Target
Counter	Focus on	Propose	Treat
Define	Give	Provide insight into	Underpin
Demonstrate	Highlight	Recommend	Use

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!

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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 .

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

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.

• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

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Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to structure a thesis

A typical thesis structure

1. abstract, 2. introduction, 3. literature review, 6. discussion, 7. conclusion, 8. reference list, frequently asked questions about structuring a thesis, related articles.

Starting a thesis can be daunting. There are so many questions in the beginning:

• How do you actually start your thesis?
• How do you structure it?
• What information should the individual chapters contain?

Each educational program has different demands on your thesis structure, which is why asking directly for the requirements of your program should be a first step. However, there is not much flexibility when it comes to structuring your thesis.

Abstract : a brief overview of your entire thesis.

Literature review : an evaluation of previous research on your topic that includes a discussion of gaps in the research and how your work may fill them.

Methods : outlines the methodology that you are using in your research.

Thesis : a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.

The abstract is the overview of your thesis and generally very short. This section should highlight the main contents of your thesis “at a glance” so that someone who is curious about your work can get the gist quickly. Take a look at our guide on how to write an abstract for more info.

Tip: Consider writing your abstract last, after you’ve written everything else.

The introduction to your thesis gives an overview of its basics or main points. It should answer the following questions:

• Why is the topic being studied?
• How is the topic being studied?
• What is being studied?

In answering the first question, you should know what your personal interest in this topic is and why it is relevant. Why does it matter?

To answer the "how", you should briefly explain how you are going to reach your research goal. Some prefer to answer that question in the methods chapter, but you can give a quick overview here.

And finally, you should explain "what" you are studying. You can also give background information here.

You should rewrite the introduction one last time when the writing is done to make sure it connects with your conclusion. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our thesis introduction guide .

A literature review is often part of the introduction, but it can be a separate section. It is an evaluation of previous research on the topic showing that there are gaps that your research will attempt to fill. A few tips for your literature review:

• Use a wide array of sources
• Show both sides of the coin
• Make sure to cover the classics in your field
• Present everything in a clear and structured manner

For more insights on lit reviews, take a look at our guide on how to write a literature review .

The methodology chapter outlines which methods you choose to gather data, how the data is analyzed and justifies why you chose that methodology . It shows how your choice of design and research methods is suited to answering your research question.

Make sure to also explain what the pitfalls of your approach are and how you have tried to mitigate them. Discussing where your study might come up short can give you more credibility, since it shows the reader that you are aware of its limitations.

Tip: Use graphs and tables, where appropriate, to visualize your results.

The results chapter outlines what you found out in relation to your research questions or hypotheses. It generally contains the facts of your research and does not include a lot of analysis, because that happens mostly in the discussion chapter.

Clearly visualize your results, using tables and graphs, especially when summarizing, and be consistent in your way of reporting. This means sticking to one format to help the reader evaluate and compare the data.

The discussion chapter includes your own analysis and interpretation of the data you gathered , comments on your results and explains what they mean. This is your opportunity to show that you have understood your findings and their significance.

Point out the limitations of your study, provide explanations for unexpected results, and note any questions that remain unanswered.

This is probably your most important chapter. This is where you highlight that your research objectives have been achieved. You can also reiterate any limitations to your study and make suggestions for future research.

Remember to check if you have really answered all your research questions and hypotheses in this chapter. Your thesis should be tied up nicely in the conclusion and show clearly what you did, what results you got, and what you learned. Discover how to write a good conclusion in our thesis conclusion guide .

At the end of your thesis, you’ll have to compile a list of references for everything you’ve cited above. Ideally, you should keep track of everything from the beginning. Otherwise, this could be a mammoth and pretty laborious task to do.

Consider using a reference manager like Paperpile to format and organize your citations. Paperpile allows you to organize and save your citations for later use and cite them in thousands of citation styles directly in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or LaTeX:

🔲 Introduction

🔲 Literature review

🔲 Discussion

🔲 Conclusion

🔲 Reference list

The basic elements of a thesis are: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and Reference List.

It's recommended to start a thesis by writing the literature review first. This way you learn more about the sources, before jumping to the discussion or any other element.

It's recommended to write the abstract of a thesis last, once everything else is done. This way you will be able to provide a complete overview of your work.

Usually, the discussion is the longest part of a thesis. In this part you are supposed to point out the limitations of your study, provide explanations for unexpected results, and note any questions that remain unanswered.

The order of the basic elements of a thesis are: 1. Abstract, 2. Introduction, 3. Literature Review, 4. Methods, 5. Results, 6. Discussion, 7. Conclusion, and 8. Reference List.

• Applying for Graduate School
• Understanding Expectations
• Developing Genre Awareness
• Establishing a Project’s Value
• Writing Scholarship and Research Proposals
• Writing Literature Reviews

Writing Theses and Dissertations

• Understanding the Publication Cycle
• Understanding Authorship
• Writing About Data
• Explaining Research to Diverse Audiences
• Writing with Integrity
• Revising with Intent
• Staying Motivated and Productive
• Creating a Writing Toolkit
• Building Grammatical Confidence

Graduate Writing: Writing Theses and Dissertations

Most research-based graduate programs require students to produce a thesis or dissertation. This document is evidence of the research project that you carried out as part of your degree. Many graduate students enter their program having previously completed an undergraduate thesis, but for some students this may be a new and potentially daunting task. Regardless of whether you have previous experience or not, you will need to understand what you will need to produce to successfully write and defend your thesis or dissertation .

Take time to review the Grad Hub's Thesis/Dissertation Roadmap , which covers everything from purpose to formatting. Your supervisor and your committee members will also be key sources of information as you put together this document.

The IMRD Thesis or Dissertation

IMRD stands for Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion and refers to a common structure for theses, dissertations as well as journal articles. This structure offers flexibility to capture a wide range of research projects and consequently is commonly used in many disciplines, primarily within the social and physical sciences, but is useful for writing up any empirical or applied project.

The IMRD structure is an overarching organizing principle that can be modified to accommodate one or more studies. Introductions may serve as a standalone chapter or be merged with a Literature Review, while a Discussion chapter may also include the Conclusion. If reporting on multiple studies, there may be multiple Results and/or Discussion chapters followed by a separate Conclusion. Many theses and dissertations will also include an Appendix that contains supplementary material for your committee to reference and understand your project.

Using LaTex to write your thesis? Consider downloading the LaTex template developed by Professor Mark Eramian in the Department of Computer Science. 

Looking for more information about how to structure an IMRD thesis or dissertation?

• Bitchener, J. (2010). Writing an applied linguistics thesis or dissertation: A guide to presenting empirical research . Palgrave Macmillan.
• Note: Available as an ebook through the University Library .

Humanities Theses and Dissertations

Depending on the nature of their graduate research, some humanities students may opt for an IMRD structure to write up their project. However, these texts often follow a looser structure that focuses on building and sustaining a central argument, with chapters organized thematically in service of this aim.

Reviewing sample theses and dissertations that have been recently published within one’s discipline can provide insight into the different ways in which these texts can be structured.

Looking for more information on how to structure a humanities thesis or dissertation?

• Research & Learning Online. (2021). Structuring a long text. Monash University. https://www.monash.edu/rlo/graduate-research-writing/write-the-thesis/writing-the-thesis-chapters/structuring-a-long-text

The Manuscript-Style Thesis or Dissertation

A manuscript-style thesis or dissertation is composed of a series of previously published articles bookended with an introduction and conclusion identifying the overarching themes of the collected work.

In its guidelines on Manuscript-Style Theses and Dissertations , the university explicitly states “A manuscript-style thesis is not . . . merely a collection of published or publishable papers. It must meet the principles and objectives required of a thesis” (para. 2).  What does this mean? Simply, that the work must cohere and build to a central theme that sufficiently contributes to knowledge (for more on this topic, visit Establishing a Project’s Value ).

This type of dissertation tends to be more popular in PhD programs and is sometimes referred to as a “PhD by publication.” If any of the previously published papers include co-authors, such texts commonly mandate an explicit statement of contribution to clarify the student’s involvement (e.g., data collection, data analysis, drafting of text). Having co-authored papers tends to be more conventional in the sciences as it is more common to work on projects as part of a larger laboratory or investigative team.

Looking for more information about manuscript-style theses and dissertations?

• Filippou, K. (2020, March 1). Writing a thesis by publication. Some reasons for and against. DoctoralWriting SIG . https://doctoralwriting.wordpress.com/2020/03/01/writing-a-thesis-by-publication-some-reasons-for-and-against/
• Pacheco-Vega, R. (2019, September 13). The dissertation analytical table (DAT) – an overview device to formulate a 3-papers thesis/doctoral dissertation. Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD . http://www.raulpacheco.org/2019/09/the-dissertation-analytical-table-dat-an-overview-device-to-formulate-a-3-papers-thesis-doctoral-dissertation/
• Trietsch, C. (2019, October 24). Dear STEM students: Don’t write thesis chapters -- Write manuscripts. Insider Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/dear-stem-students-don%E2%80%99t-write-thesis-chapters-write-manuscripts  

Alternate Formats

The structure of any thesis or dissertation should reflect the nature and purpose of the research project. While non-standard structures are often characteristic of certain creative arts disciplines, they are gaining traction in other fields too, such as the digital humanities.

Alternate theses and dissertations can also be very appealing for students who are foregrounding decolonization in their research as a non-standard structure may more accurately represent the scholarly perspectives or content contained therein. 

In discussion with your supervisor, committee members, and other university stakeholders, you will determine if it is appropriate, valuable, and permissible to present your work in a non-standard way. Like any decision, this should be made carefully. Regardless of the format you choose, what remains critical is that the text clearly and convincingly demonstrates to your committee members how you have advanced knowledge in a meaningful way.

Looking for more information about alternate formats?

• Canadian Association for Graduate Studies. (2021). Rethinking the PhD: Broadening the dissertation . https://cags.ca/rethinkingphd-dissertation/
• Carter, S. (2015, November 19). Innovation in the doctoral thesis: Cutting edge or over the edge? DoctoralWriting SIG . https://doctoralwriting.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/innovation-in-the-doctoral-thesis-cutting-edge-or-over-the-edge/
• Note: Available at the Education and Music Library, Indigenous Education Collection (LB2369 .J337 2008)
• University of Pittsburgh. (2022). Innovative dissertations.  Humanities Engage.    https://www.humanitiescareers.pitt.edu/innovative-dissertations

Planning and Project Management

Even if you are incredibly passionate about your research, it can be a challenge to carry your thesis or dissertation to the finish line. This text may be the longest you’ve ever written (and may ever write) so having a plan is essential, especially to circumvent those days (or weeks) when you just do not feel like writing.

As part of your early planning, look at a range of sample theses or dissertations in your field and ask yourself the following questions:

• How long are they?
• How are they structured?
• What commonalities do you see?
• What makes one more readable than another?

This review process will help you construct a mental framework, coupled with the formal guidelines from your department and/or CGPS. After all, what is the point in trying to write a 300-page document if a 180-page one will do?

Sample theses and dissertations can be found in repositories like USask’s HARVEST and other university repositories and/or showcases (e.g., Queen’s University ), ProQuest Dissertations & Theses , and Library and Archives Canada .

Having a clear understanding of what the final product will be is often key; from there, you can work backward to understand what steps they need to take to reach the end goal. To help with this process, a dissertation calculator can be a useful tool for helping to conceptualize a workable timeline.

Once you have the bigger picture in place, figure out a realistic schedule that identifies monthly, weekly, and daily goals—while also accounting for setbacks.

Keep in mind that it will be easier to write your thesis or dissertation if you have a regular writing practice and do not wait until your research is “finished” before starting to write up your work. Such writing might involve writing sections of your literature review or methodology or keeping a research journal that will then serve as stimulus material for your discussion. Plus, having a regular writing practice can help make writing less intimidating and more mundane and help reduce potential tendencies toward perfectionism that can make it difficult to get started on the project.

Looking for more information on planning and project management?

• Golding, C. (2017) Advice for writing a thesis (based on what examiners do),  Open Review of Educational Research ,  4 (1): 46-60, https://doi.org/10.1080/23265507.2017.1300862
• Lantsoght, E. (2018, January 11). Seven essential tips for managing a large research project. The Wiley Network. https://www.wiley.com/network/researchers/writing-and-conducting-research/seven-essential-tips-for-managing-a-large-research-project
• Santiago-Lopez, A. (2019, January 04). Six project-management tips for your PhD. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07860-6
• Saunders, F. (2014, November 05). How can you treat your PhD like a project? The Thesis Whisperer . https://thesiswhisperer.com/2014/11/05/how-can-you-treat-your-phd-like-a-project/

Productivity and Avoiding Burnout

As you write your thesis or dissertation, you may feel blocked, unmotivated, overwhelmed, or even hostile to the process. Such emotional responses are completely normal and reflect the complexity of the task at hand.

Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to help ensure that you continue to meet your goals while also maintaining your well-being.

Many productive academic writers identify daily writing as key to their success. Daily writing does not necessarily mean 3–4 hours of uninterrupted time, rather it could mean having anywhere from 30–90 minutes set aside.

These writers also set concrete, achievable, time-restricted tasks as part of daily writing. For instance, rather than saying, “I’m going to write for 60 minutes today,” they say, “Between 9–10:30am today I’m going to write two paragraphs for my literature review.” Having a tangible plan in place before writing means that writing time remains focused and outcome oriented. These outcomes might be small, but they add up quickly.

Having such plans in place can help with productivity, but it is also important to plan for life—and fun! By nurturing relationships and hobbies, we promote and protect our well-being and prevent burnout.

If you find yourself struggling or are finding it difficult to cope at any stage of your program, do connect with the Student Wellness Centre .  

Looking for more information on productivity and avoiding burnout?

• Ali, S. G. (2021, September 21). 6 tips for the final year of your dissertation marathon. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/09/21/tips-final-year-writing-your-thesis-opinion
• Belleville, G. (2019). Sit down and write your thesis! Practical and motivational tips for scientific writing. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 35 (8), 945-947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2019.04.011
• Bérubé-Lupien, É. (2021, March 23). 7 tips for efficient thesis writing. University Affairs. https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/7-tips-for-efficient-thesis-writing/
• Office of Graduate Research Flinders University. (2020, March 5). Vlog 207 - How to set up your life to write [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ6WohkWBZg
• Pain, E. (2018, April 30). How to write your Ph.D. thesis. Science Careers. https://www.science.org/content/article/how-write-your-phd-thesis
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How To Write An Engineering Thesis

Table of Contents:

Theses and Dissertations . Discussion of theses and dissertations in the Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students: guidelines to help students of science and engineering make their writing more efficient for others to read and to make the process of writing more efficient for them to perform.

In engineering and science, a thesis or dissertation is the culmination of a master’s or Ph. D. degree. A thesis or dissertation presents the research that the student performed for that degree. From the student’s perspective, the primary purpose of a thesis or dissertation is to persuade the student’s committee that he or she has performed and communicated research worthy of the degree. In other words, the main purpose of the thesis or dissertation is to help the student secure the degree. From the perspective of the engineering and scientific community, the primary purpose is to document the student’s research. Although much research from theses and dissertations is also communicated in journal articles, theses and dissertations stand as detailed documents that allow others to see what the work was and how it was performed. For that reason, theses and dissertations are often read by other graduate students, especially those working in the research group of the authoring student. This web page presents some format and stylistic suggestions for writing theses and dissertations.

Video advice: Introduction to MSc Thesis Writing at DTU Civil Engineering

Dissertation/Thesis Instructions

Students completing their degree with a Dissertation or an MS Thesis must adhere to the deadlines below for final MS Thesis/Dissertation submission to the Graduate School of Engineering for the intended date of degree conferral. Northeastern University requires that students publish their Dissertation or Thesis with Proquest Dissertation Publishing. Whereas students previously completed this task by submitting a hard copy of the Dissertation or Thesis to Snell Library, you must now self-publish using the Northeastern University Proquest/ETD Administrator Site.

Home / Academics & Experiential Learning/Graduate School of Engineering/Graduate Student Services/Dissertation/Thesis InstructionsStudents completing their degree with a Dissertation or an MS Thesis must adhere to the deadlines below for final MS Thesis/Dissertation submission to the Graduate School of Engineering for the intended date of degree conferral. Northeastern University requires that students publish their Dissertation or Thesis with Proquest Dissertation Publishing. Whereas students previously completed this task by submitting a hard copy of the Dissertation or Thesis to Snell Library, you must now self-publish using the Northeastern University Proquest/ETD Administrator Site. Please click the link for the Guidelines below. COE Guide to the Preparation and Submission of Theses and DissertationsCOE Style Guide for Theses and DissertationsPublishing GuidelinesLaTex TemplatesDue to COVID-19, the Graduate School of Engineering is not currently requiring students to submit a physical hard copy document of their PhD Dissertation of MS Thesis to our office.

Video advice: ENGINEERING THESIS [ENG SUB] DETAILED TIPS & ADVICES

Hi guys, I am Jamie Despe and I will be giving tips and advices regarding Engineering Thesis.

Guide for Preparation of Theses/Dissertations

Steps to Submit Your Thesis/Dissertation Defense & revision: The thesis, dissertation, or senior honors thesis must be successfully defended before the faculty committee, and the student should make any required revisions. You must also pass the formatting of the manuscript by Miranda Vernon-Harrison.

Once approved by the college, PhD students, Master thesis students, and Honors thesis students must (1) schedule an appointment to submit your final, printed copies for binding to Miranda Vernon-Harrison (Engineering Building 2, E421) (2) email the signed Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form to mavernon-harrison (at) uh. edu. Please cc: this e-mail to your committee chair and graduate advisor.

• Steps to Submit Your Thesis/Dissertation
• Updates for Theses and Dissertations
• Resources for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations
• Cullen College of Engineering: Thesis & Dissertation Submission and Binding Requirements
• BS Honors Thesis Requirements
• MS Thesis and Dissertation Two Step Submission Process:
• Information for All Thesis / Dissertation Students (BS, MS, PhD)
• Early Submission of Thesis or Dissertation (For students who have missed the previous semester’s deadline)

The College of Engineering requires that a bound copy of each thesis/dissertation/senior honors thesis be presented to the student’s department and committee chair, unless the committee chair emails Miranda Vernon-Harrison stating otherwise. Email Miranda Vernon-Harrison (mavernon-harrison (at) uh. edu) to schedule an appointment to drop off your printed hardcopies for binding at the Engineering Building 2, E421. The document should be printed prior to dropping off. The student will need to print single-sided on a minimum of 25% white cotton paper. The weight of the paper should be at least 20 lb. (Details on paper requirements) The student’s myUH account will be charged for binding. *The student can also submit binding for personal copies. Binding will be returned back to Miranda Vernon-Harrison for distribution.

Top 7 Tips for Writing a Master’s Thesis in Engineering – “I would rather tolerate a scream than completing endless tiring thesis!”

The theme of your dissertation writing can also be selected by your leader or governing head of the organization. A group of these research works basically contains 4-5 people in it. It is totally a formal script which needs to be done in the said time and must not contain any grammatical or conceptual mistake.

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Video advice: HOW TO WRITE FIRST CLASS DISSERTATION/THESIS (Engineering/Science)

Trying to achieve a first class dissertation/thesis? This video will show you how! If you study engineering or science this will be particularly useful, but it will still be helpful for other topics. This video will talk you through all of the steps and give you helpful tips I learned along the way.

How do you write a thesis for engineering?

Important goals of your thesis are: 1) to review the relevant background in your specific subfield field ; 2) to describe how your work fits into the larger scientific context; 3) to clearly describe your experimental measurements and data 4) to demonstrate your independence and mastery of technical engineering depth; ...

What is a thesis for engineering?

In engineering and science, a thesis or dissertation is the culmination of a master's or Ph. D. degree . A thesis or dissertation presents the research that the student performed for that degree.

How do you write an introduction for an engineering thesis?

Stages in a thesis introduction

• state the general topic and give some background.
• provide a review of the literature related to the topic.
• define the terms and scope of the topic.
• outline the current situation.
• evaluate the current situation (advantages/ disadvantages) and identify the gap.

Do engineers do a thesis?

UNSW Engineering students are required to complete an undergraduate thesis project during the 4th year of their study . Students can choose from a variety of projects, with research and industry thesis options available.

What is an example of a thesis statement?

Example: To make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you must procure the ingredients, find a knife, and spread the condiments . This thesis showed the reader the topic (a type of sandwich) and the direction the essay will take (describing how the sandwich is made).

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Writing the review

As you write your review, consider these ways of expressing your ideas:

• Compare and contrast views of different authors.
• Criticize previous work.
• Highlight gaps in existing research.
• Show how your work relates to previous work.
• Identify problems, conflicts, debates, gaps.
• Define a research area in a new way.
• Question previous results.

Content of a literature review

There are two primary ways to organize and structure a literature review: chronologically or thematically.

A chronological literature review presents sources in the order of their publication.

The thematic literature review groups sources based on themes, theoretical concepts, and topics that the author consider important to their research.

A literature review should include:

• an overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration
• group sources into categories and concepts (in support or against a particular position)
• present connections between the sources
• draw conclusions about those works that make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of your subject

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Graduate Academic Policies

Steps to Submit Your Thesis/Dissertation

• Defense & revision: The thesis, dissertation, or senior honors thesis must be successfully defended before the faculty committee, and the student should make any required revisions. You must also pass the formatting of the manuscript by Miranda Vernon-Harrison.
• Approval Form: The student and/or the student’s advisor must collect signatures from the student and all committee members on the Written Thesis / Dissertation Approval Form
• Please e-mail the signed Thesis/Dissertation Approval form to Miranda Vernon-Harrison at mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu . ATTENTION: You MUST CC: your committee chair and graduate advisor on this e-mail.
• The completed form will be signed by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies for the College after document review and submitted to the Graduate School. You have no further responsibility regarding the form once you submit it to the college.
• The College of Engineering requires that a bound copy of each thesis/dissertation/senior honors thesis be presented to the student’s department and committee chair, unless the committee chair emails Miranda Vernon-Harrison stating otherwise. Email Miranda Vernon-Harrison ( mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu ( mavernon-harrison[at]uh[dot]edu ) ) to schedule an appointment to drop off your printed hardcopies for binding at the Engineering Building 2, E421. The document should be printed prior to dropping off. The student will need to print single-sided on a minimum of 25% white cotton paper. The weight of the paper should be at least 20 lb. ( Details on paper requirements ) The student's myUH account will be charged for binding.*The student can also submit binding for personal copies. Binding will be returned back to Miranda Vernon-Harrison for distribution.
• Electronic submission: Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations must be submitted electronically to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Submission and Management System (ETD) for official archiving. This step is a required part of the degree completion process; degrees will not be conferred if the thesis/dissertation is not uploaded. Convert your official manuscript to a PDF (Portable Document File). Upload manuscript to the ETD website . *Committee chair must approve the submission.

Submitting a hardcopy and uploading a digital copy of the thesis/dissertation remains a MANDATORY part of the process; your degree will not be released until this is done.

Once approved by the college, PhD students, Master thesis students, and Honors thesis students must (1) schedule an appointment to submit your final, printed copies for binding to Miranda Vernon-Harrison (Engineering Building 2, E421) (2) email the signed Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form to mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu . Please cc: this e-mail to your committee chair and graduate advisor.

Once approved by the college, PhD and Master thesis students must upload the document as a PDF to the Vireo system https://uh-etd.tdl.org/ . *Committee chair must approve the submission.

For Doctoral candidates , Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates and email a copy of the certificate to Miranda Vernon-Harrison.  https://sed-ncses.org/

If you have any questions about these college procedures, please contact Miranda Vernon-Harrison: mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu

• Spring 2024 Thesis and Dissertation Presentation  (pdf file)
• Guide : The Dean's Office publishes a document containing guidelines for theses and dissertations. You are advised to obtain a copy of these guidelines in advance of beginning to write a thesis or dissertation.  Download Guide (pdf file) (Some departments have additional requirement, refer to your departmental web site or contact your graduate admissions office for additional requirements and deadlines.)
• Checklist :  Thesis and Dissertation Checklist (pdf file) Special Note - All students must apply for graduation by the deadline date of the semester in which the degree is posted!
• Submission Form :  Thesis/Dissertation Binding Form  (pdf file) Students must be enrolled in the semester in which they graduate.

Updates for Theses and Dissertations

Starting in Fall 2019, graduate students should use the new UHGS Written Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form. The thesis and dissertation committee members will no longer sign a signature page when they approve the thesis or dissertation. Instead, committee members will sign an approval form, stating that they have read and examined the manuscript. The committee members will certify that it is adequate in scope and quality as a thesis/dissertation for a graduate degree and indicate their approval or disapproval of the content prior to being submitted to the college/department for processing and acceptance.

Graduate students should use the new UHGS template for the front matter (Title page, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, etc.) http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/academics/thesis/

• Front Matter:  Front Matter Template  (word file)
• Written Thesis/Dissertation Approval Form:  Approval Form  (pdf file)

Resources for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations

• MathType Guide:  MathType for Making and Managing Equations  (pdf file)
• Guide for Automatic Reference Numbering:  How to use Word for Automatic Reference Numbering  (pdf file)

Cullen College of Engineering: Thesis & Dissertation Submission and Binding Requirements

Bs honors thesis requirements.

Graduating BS Honors thesis students are required to follow the procedures in the online guide for preparing and writing their theses. The amount of copies submitted is designated by the student’s advisor, typically ranging from 1-2 copies (Honors College no longer requires a copy). BS students will need to turn in their manuscripts and approval form in to the College Graduate Coordinator for review and final approval. These students need to follow the instructions for paper requirements and submission deadlines for Traditional Binding only. Graduating BS Honors Thesis students are not required to do an electronic submission at this time. 

MS Thesis and Dissertation Two Step Submission Process:

Step One: Electronic Submission (ETD)
From Summer 2012 onward, the submission of a manuscript for graduating MS Thesis and PhD students is a two step process. The college requires these students to submit an Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD). Additional information on submitting the ETD is available online at the website, which also includes steps on how to submit an ETD. In order to submit an ETD, students must turn in a hard copy draft of their thesis for review. Once a manuscript has successfully passed the review and has received approval, via the submission checklist signed by the coordinator, students can then begin the ETD submission process. First,students will need to convert their documents into a PDF. Students will then upload their PDF to the . Students will log in and create an account using their cougarnet access. After the initial upload, it is a college requirement to select the minimum of 2 years as an embargo or journal hold. More information about the embargo is available at the Vireo site when the manuscript is uploaded. Consult with your advisor if you or your advisor would like to keep your document pending publication for a longer period. Once approved, your document will go into a “pending publication” status. For assistance with using the Vireo site, . It is mandatory for graduating doctoral students to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) by visiting the . Email confirmation sent to the coordinator that the survey has been completed is required for graduation.
Step Two: Traditional Binding Submission
Both BS Honors and Graduate MS Thesis and PhD students are required to submit hard copies for traditional Binding. For graduate students, the college requires one bound copy for the department. The student will verify with their advisor if a bound copy is required for the advisor. The minimum requirement 1-2 copies. Students are welcome to purchase additional personal copies for themselves. Microfilming is no longer required for dissertations. Color images used in figures and tables are permitted. Hard copies need to be submitted by the binding deadline listed online. Paper requirements are 20-pound weight, 81/2" x 11" white bond paper (with a minimum of 25% cotton fiber content), this applies to BS, MS, and PhD students.

Information for All Thesis / Dissertation Students (BS, MS, PhD)

Deadline for Submission : To graduate in a given semester, the student must upload their ETD to the Vireo website and notify the coordinator, along with submitting the approved hard copy thesis to the Graduate Associate Dean’s Office (E421) by the appropriate deadline. All documents and payment must be turned in at the time of submission. Any student missing this deadline must enroll and reapply for graduation in the next semester. No extensions will be made.

Fees : The cost of binding starts at $50 per copy for BS, MS, and PhD. Microfilming is no longer required for dissertations. Copyright is free and included in the ETD.

If there are questions or if clarification is needed regarding this two-step process, contact the Director of Graduate Student Affairs: mavernon [at] central.uh.edu (Miranda Vernon-Harrison) , email mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu (mavernon-harrison[at]uh[dot]edu) .

Early Submission of Thesis or Dissertation (For students who have missed the previous semester’s deadline)

If a student meets all of the requirements for completed submission of thesis or dissertation prior to the last day to add a class in Session 1 (regular academic session) of the academic term, they are eligible to request via petition to have their minimum required enrollment reduced to one credit hour.  Such petitions are approved at the discretion of the Associate Dean for graduate studies of the respective college and filed with the Graduate School.  Such petitions must be submitted to and approved by the Associate Dean for graduate studies no later than the last day to add classes in Session 1 (regular academic session) of the academic term, as published in the graduate Academic Calendar. Students who meet this early submission deadline and do not submit a petition to request a reduced minimum required enrollment by the last day to add a class in Session 1 (regular academic session) for the academic term are required to remain in the required three credit hours of enrollment. 

For international students : If the student is not required to take any additional courses to satisfy the requirements for completion, but continues to be enrolled for administrative purposes, the student is considered to have completed the course of study and must take action to maintain status. A student’s visa will be closed once the thesis or dissertation is submitted. For example, if a student misses the previous semester’s graduation and completes by the first day of the next semester, the student’s completion date will be the date that the thesis or dissertation was submitted. Please contact ISSS for more information at 713-743-5065.

Deadlines to submit the thesis or dissertation to the Engineering Dean’s Office for graduation:

Submit first draft by email to mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu (mavernon-harrison[at]uh[dot]edu) for review/format check two weeks prior to defense date and latest by:	Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Last day to defend:	Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Last day to submit final copy and electronic submission:	Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Submit first draft by email to mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu (mavernon-harrison[at]uh[dot]edu) for review/format check two weeks prior to defense date and latest by:	Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Last day to defend:	Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Last day to submit final copy and electronic submission:	Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Submit first draft by email to mavernon-harrison [at] uh.edu (mavernon-harrison[at]uh[dot]edu) for review/format check two weeks prior to defense date and latest by:	Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Last day to defend:	Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Last day to submit final copy and electronic submission:	Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Last updated: July 2024

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Theses and Dissertations Guide: For Engineering Students

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[email protected]

937-229-2345 (phone)

For Students in the School of Engineering

* All theses and dissertations should be sent to [email protected]  e lectronically  for a format check at least one week prior to the final submission date. This will prevent the unnecessary reprinting of documents or other delays if errors in formatting are found.

School of Engineering students should submit their finalized thesis or dissertation to their respective departments.  If the student wants to have one or more commercially bound copies, they must submit a paper copy for each bound copy desired to Graduate Academic Affairs (St. Mary's Hall, Room 200). Up to three bound copies may be requested at no additional charge. Additional copies may be bound for a nominal fee.

Optional LaTeX Template with Accessibility Update

• Optional LaTeX Template 07/23 This is a zip file.

An optional LaTeX template has been provided by the School of Engineering. Please consult your thesis committee for assistance, if needed. The Libraries do not provide training or support for LaTeX.

Please convert any LaTeX document to PDF before submitting to Graduate Academic Affairs.

Find out more about LaTeX at  http://www.latex-project.org/

Sample Approval Page

• Sample Engineering Approval Page

All School of Engineering graduate students should construct their approval page according to the attached sample. If you have questions or concerns about constructing this page, please contact the administrative assistant in your department.

See the Sample Pages tab for information about constructing other preliminary pages.

Delaying Publication

Delaying Electronic Publication of a Thesis or Dissertation

In some circumstances, a student may wish to delay the electronic publication of a thesis or dissertation. While the University generally promotes the publication of theses and dissertations as quickly as possible, it is recognized that under certain circumstances, a delay is warranted. These may include: when the student wishes to publish an article from the thesis or dissertation in a journal whose policy is not to publish material that has already been published electronically; when the student wishes to publish the thesis or dissertation with a publisher whose policy is not to publish material that has already been published electronically; or, when the student is in the process of applying for a patent on research contained in the thesis or dissertation and does not wish to disclose its contents until a patent application has been filed.

With approval from his or her thesis/dissertation advisor and program director, a student may delay publication of their thesis or dissertation up to two years. Under no circumstances may publication be indefinitely or permanently delayed.

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• Last Updated: Jul 17, 2024 10:13 AM
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Writing Of Engineering Thesis and Dissertation: How to Ace it

Table of Contents

Engineering Importance And Engineering Thesis

Whether you buy a car or a larger vehicle or sit on the sofa watching TV,  you may not often reflect on whom you should be grateful to for having all these objects. The process of creating and manufacturing all things is not only due to single-person effort but it is teamwork with different specializations. 

The importance of engineering for manufacturing is important. Engineering is important for the development, production, and innovation of different products.

In our lives, our surroundings and environment continuously growing due to technology’s contributions and making different functional objects.

If anyone has selected engineering, it is important to have knowledge of wiring engineering thesis for getting a master’s or doctoral degree. If not sure about features to write, you can get help online site that helps Engineering thesis . 

Mechanical Engineering Dissertation And Subjects To Study

Mechanical engineering is the largest and oldest engineering in the world and it is used in different sectors. It comes with managing, developing, and installing machines, a component of systems, machines, engines, and different components of the machine.

If there is a need of any assignment, contact thesisgeek.com and you will have your tasks completed.

Let’s discuss some disciplines that help to adopt any course

• This discipline studies featues and measurements of geometric figures, space, and shapes. It is like Lego bricks used for making simple structures, It is for understanding of mechanical systems and helps to make sure components are configured accurately. Geometry is used to make accurate drawings and models of mechanical parts. 

Electronics:

• It is part of mechanical engineering, but electronics is important for integrating mechanical components with electronic components. Such as in manufacturing or robots, the knowledge of electronics is important.

Mathematical analysis :

• It helps to solve problems and make themes safe and effective. It is needed to measure forces on structures, predict the working of materials and analyze the flow of liquids and gasses in pipes.

Engineering Dissertation Writing Help

• After completing the engineering example and the last step is remaining, to write an engineering dissertation, you can analyze that engineering for the remaining work is going down. 
• On finishing studies anyone is exhausted through moments of  disorientation.
• It is time to increase effort and workload more needed. Also, small obstacles can cause significant stress. 
• The block of writing a dissertation can be based on the absence of methodology to analyze materials provided by the supervisor.
• Another condition arises when working students come with busy schedules and families that make issues in writing a dissertation. 
• You may come with starting hesitation looking towards the blank page in the world and thinking how to fill it. If anyone loses feeling and trying to find a way out of the condition, then you can get help from platforms that offer engineering dissertation writing help. 

Engineering Thesis Writing Service

• If anyone is apprehensive about finding a thesis and has lot of questions in mind for wiring, the suggestion is that visit a site that offers an engineering thesis writing service. Reading this guide helps to understand  what the thesis means and how to write it successfully. 
• The team of experts in engineering disciples makes sure that the thesis is made by experts of that field.
• Through contacting any professional, you will get personalized and collaborative features.
• It is a chance to integrate different ideas, needs, and details of the thesis
• Innovative Materials in Structural Engineering
• Engineering Efficiency: Revolutionizing Projects with RAR File
• How to Write a Great Engineering School Personal Statement
• Sustainable Engineering: Environmental Benefits and Challenges of Steel

How to write an engineering dissertation?

•  Requirements of a Dissertation
• Thorough Research. …
• Structur Dissertation.
• Identify Research Methodology.
• Write Dissertation.
• Analyse Results.
• Present findings.
• Edit and Proofread.

How to write a thesis and dissertation?

• Choose a topic wisely.
• Check what’s required
• Conduct in-depth research.
• Develop a strong thesis statement.
• Proofread and edit.
• Seek feedback and finalize.
• You can work on it for the complete of last year, or the last 6 months. It comes with formulating ideas, doing research and wiring details. The PhD thesis takes a longer time since it is the main point of degree completion

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Author:  Henry

I am a professional engineer and graduate from a reputed engineering university also have experience of working as an engineer in different famous industries. I am also a technical content writer my hobby is to explore new things and share with the world. Through this platform, I am also sharing my professional and technical knowledge to engineering students. Follow me on: Twitter and Facebook .

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• BUE Library
• Chemical Engineering:
• Dissertations & Theses

Chemical Engineering: Dissertations & Theses

• Find Printed Books & References
• Citation & Referencing
• Contact / Need Help?

Dissertations' Databases

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global- Helping Guide

Access is provided by the Egyptian Knowledge Bank - researcher's portal. (Registration is required using your National ID)

• DART The DART-Europe portal offers free access to full text European doctoral theses

Request an Article through Document Supply Service (DSS)

NOTE: Due to license agreements, some journals and/or specific issues may not be available in full-text.

Use our document supply service to obtain a full text of what is not available within our e-collection. You just need to fill in the form on this page and we will get it for you.

BUE Scholar

• University Repository

Printed Books on How to Write Dissertations & Theses

The Library Catalogue has many books on writing dissertations and theses. To find these books, use the following search methods:

Get Help from Your Subject Librarian

  Your subject librarian Miss  Wessam El Abd. can support you during your thesis or dissertation research and writing:

• Shows you the library services that you will need.
• Helps you get the most out of the resources (databases, etc.) you need for your research.
• Assists you with citation and referencing.

Writing Help

• Online Writing Resources
• Turnitin.com
• Writing Skills
• OWL: Purdue Online Writing Lab  
• The Writing Center @ The University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 12 Steps to Writing College Papers
• Writing Anxiety

Turnitin is an effective tool used for displaying and comparing texts that are similar to the submitted research across the internet and other sources. That will help students to develop their writing by using their own words rather than quoting or copying & pasting.

Usef ul Study Skills guides from Emeral d Insight include:

• Referencing
• Writing better essays
• Writing a dissertation
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• Last Updated: Jul 24, 2024 11:11 AM
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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework for identifying and organizing what educators want students to learn from a given instructional activity. It was originally conceived to create common learning objectives across courses and departments and to provide educators with standardized language to use when framing learning goals for curricula and comprehensive examinations. Now, Bloom’s taxonomy can be used as a potential model for framing educational objectives within a course and as a guide to structure activities and assessment based on learning goals.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is useful for framing writing instruction in engineering courses as it helps instructors and TAs create assignments that will enhance students’ understanding of important concepts and ideas and enable them to meet the key course objectives.

Objectives created using Bloom’s Taxonomy are based on two dimensions: 1) knowledge and 2) cognitive processes. The knowledge dimension indicates the type of content or subject matter that students will work with, while the cognitive processes dimension dictates what students will have to do with that content (the tasks they will have to perform as they think and write). Below we provide two lists that break down the knowledge and cognitive process dimensions and then a table that shows how the two dimensions work together:

Instructors and TAs can use the table shown above to create prompts that ask students to perform specific writing tasks that address different types of content or knowledge taught within the course.

When writing exercises are used in an engineering course, any standard calculation-based homework problem can be leveraged to target different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Below we provide one example, taken from a Purdue fluid mechanics course, which illustrates this expansion with the use of writing prompts:

You’ll notice that all the prompts that follow use one of the tasks from the cognitive processes dimension list, and then identify specific content (knowledge) that students should engage with.

Engineering Division: Resources and Services: Theses

• News & Events
• Engineering Databases
• Engineering eBooks
• Legal Databases
• General Reference Databases
• Technical Standards This link opens in a new window
• IP & Patents
• Citing and Referencing Materials
• InterLibrary Loan/Document Delivery

Theses/Dissertations

It is strongly recommended that you look at examples of previous theses/dissertations not only from The UWI but from counterpart researchers all over the world.

Examination of these works will give you an idea the most recent research done in your area, provide insights into the typical structure of the document, how to approach a literature review, and reveal the various methodologies used in relevant subject research.

Useful Links

• Managing Information for Research by Shamin Renwick Last Updated Jul 6, 2024 538 views this year
• Guide to the Research Process by Petra Pierre-Robertson Last Updated May 9, 2024 543 views this year
• Literature Review
• Evaluation of Websites
• Turnitin - Student Quick Start Guide
• Using Turnitin on Myelearning
• Turnitin FAQs

UWI Thesis Guides

The University of the West Indies (UWI) has specific guidelines for the writing of theses, dissertations, research papers/projects and casebooks. This  Guide  provides detailed instructions related to formatting your thesis and is used by the Librarians to scrutinize your thesis/report.

The University of the West Indies, since 2008 has allowed submission of a Manuscript-Based thesis for MPhil, PhD and DBA programmes. Please note that Manuscript-Based thesis is NOT mandatory. It is only an alternative option and students can continue to choose writing a full thesis in the traditional format for submission to examination. The  Guidelines for Manuscript-Based Theses (October 2021) provides detailed instructions related to formatting Manuscript-Based theses and is used by the Librarians to scrutinize your thesis.

Want to Learn More?

Students can visit the Graduate Studies and Research webpage for additional information or email [email protected] 

Thesis Template

This template is recommended, but not mandatory, for UWI STA postgraduates, e.g. MSc, MPhil and PhD candidates, using The  Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) (CMOS) author-date system , and submitting theses in a traditional format, with either numbered headings or unnumbered headings.

The templates are compatible with versions of Microsoft Word 2010 and onwards.

If using numbered headings use:

• Thesis Template CMOS Author-Date Traditional Numbered   Last modified 31 July 2023

If using unnumbered headings use:

• Thesis Template CMOS Author-Date Traditional Unnumbered   Last modified 31 July 2023

Supporting Documents

• Guidelines to the UWI STA Thesis Template   Last modified 31 July 2023
• Tips for Formatting UWI STA Thesis Using Microsoft Word

Thesis Checking & Binding

Thesis Checking

The Librarians of the Campus Libraries are available for advice on the technical requirements of the thesis (layout, arrangement of works etc.).   The candidate must ensure that the work complies with the  Thesis Guide  and the  recommended style manual .  For additional information and guidance throughout the process, please contact your  Faculty Liaison Librarian .

Thesis Binding

After the award of the degree has been approved by The University, the Library's Bindery can  bind a personal copy of your thesis at a cost .

This collection contains 3,866 abstracts of postgraduate theses held in the West Indiana Collection at the Alma  Jordan Library.

UWI Full Text Theses

Browse / search full-text theses and dissertations from the UWI. Note: This collection currently represents a  small percentage of the theses and dissertations that have been submitted to the UWI.

Subscription Databases

Theses on the Open Web

Ask a Librarian (Online Contact Form)

The staff of the Engineering Division of the Alma Jordan Library are ready to help you get the materials you need!

As always, you can contact:

-  Adnan Maharaj  - Library Attendant

-  Teriq Thomas  - Library Assistant II 

-  Randy Siew - Faculty Liaison Librarian - Engineering 

📧  [email protected]

☎  (868) 662-2002 ext. 82244

📅  Book Time with Us

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• Last Updated: Aug 6, 2024 3:34 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uwi.edu/Eng

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Search La Trobe

New online guide for graduate thesis writing

Get tips and strategies to enhance your academic writing and develop your skills.

If you’re a PhD, Masters by research or Honours student, the Library’s new Graduate Research and Thesis Writing Guide is for you.

Whether you’re just starting out, mid-way through your candidature, or in the final stages of writing your thesis, this new resource provides advice, tips and strategies to enhance your academic writing and develop your skills. Learn how to write for publication in academic journals, produce well-structured literature reviews and how to get started on the main chapters of your thesis.

The guide also includes links to workshops and further online resources to assist you.

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