We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Research

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a PhD Thesis?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: Mar 02, 2024
Views: 22,728
Share

The explanation of what a PhD thesis isn’t clear because the term "dissertation" is more often used. Even then, understanding the distinction between dissertation and thesis isn’t easy. Sometimes to get a PhD, people write a thesis and other times they write a dissertation, and the terms may be switched elsewhere. In places like the US, the convention is that students gaining a master’s degree write a thesis and PhD candidates write a dissertation. Such complexities are best understood by explaining that the written production of the PhD student is generally more complex, longer, and has several key features.

US readers, when they see the term PhD thesis, should refer to it as a PhD dissertation for easiest understanding. In PhD programs, a lengthy written or researched project is key to earning a degree. Length may vary per school requirement, but it’s not uncommon to need to write about 200-300 typed pages of material. This material is a thorough treatment of a topic in some way that is novel and that contains original research so that new scholarship is added to the topic or something is discovered that was hitherto unknown.

Not only does a PhD thesis need to be logical, present something new, and add to scholarship on an issue, but it must show knowledge in all present and past scholarship on the issue. A tremendous amount of research is required, and once the thesis/dissertation is completed, the faculty reviews it. A student will have to defend it orally by taking questions, and it is only by the decision of faculty that the dissertation is accepted.

Not all people are successful when they first write a dissertation. They have to rewrite, do more research or possibly throw out a topic and start over. Having a supportive faculty advisor to help with dissertation formation is very useful to avoid this.

The features of the master’s thesis, which is sometimes confusingly called a dissertation, are different. This work is normally a shorter one, less than 100 pages, and not all master’s programs have a thesis requirement. The thesis is usually a novel or interesting approach to a topic that doesn’t require original research. People writing a thesis need to have strong knowledge of all prevailing research on their topic and they can use this knowledge to present supporting arguments. As with the PhD thesis, people presenting a master’s thesis usually have it reviewed by faculty members and must defend their thesis in a public setting.

The complexity of the PhD thesis or dissertation explains why doctoral studies can take so long to finish. In order to really perform original research, people may need to examine documents that are at a distance, create original clinical projects, or in other ways spend time creating a piece of original scholarship. The length and rigors of research required may take several years to complete, and some people will take as many as four years or more after finishing classes before they are able to present a successful dissertation.

Share
Practical Adult Insights is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a Practical Adult Insights contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a Practical Adult Insights contributor...
Learn more
Share
https://www.practicaladultinsights.com/what-is-a-phd-thesis.htm
Copy this link
Practical Adult Insights, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Practical Adult Insights, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.