how long should an engineering thesis be

How Long Does An Engineering Bachelor’S Thesis Take?

Table of Contents:

A thesis is a crucial component of engineering education, requiring students to write a thesis for high honors. The process involves self-driving and paced over at least a year, with the goal of completing it within 10 weeks. There is no mandatory length for a thesis, but most well-written master’s theses typically have between 50 and 80 pages. Bachelor’s theses typically have between 40 and 60 pages, depending on the topic and writing style.

Depending on the degree program, 6 to 12 credits may be awarded for the preparation of a bachelor’s thesis, which can be equivalent to a workload of approximately 60 to 100 pages. The thesis should be self-reading, balanced, and concise, with relevant proofs, data, and programs added as needed.

The start of all theses projects is at the beginning of each semester, with an information meeting in the first week of the semester followed by a mandatory, usually full thesis. The typical thesis length is 40-60 pages, with chapters containing between 15 and 30 pages, although they may be as short as 10 pages or as long as 50 or more pages.

In engineering and designing qualifications such as BTech, a thesis will range in length depending on the requirements. An undergraduate thesis typically has around 10,000 words, while a graduate thesis typically has around 80 pages. The language of the thesis must be written in English.

There are 10 weeks to complete the thesis, with one week extra for processing feedback if necessary. The BSc Thesis Assignment is an individual assignment that requires a strong understanding of the subject matter and the requirements of the thesis.

📹 How long I took to write a Masters Thesis

How long should it take to write a thesis for a masters in English Language and Literature or any other major research paper?

Can I finish my thesis in 2 weeks?

The dissertation writing process is a challenging task, but with dedicated time, significant progress can be made. The average dissertation is 200 pages, with 250 words per page, resulting in approximately 50, 000 words. To speed up your writing, focus on the number of words you can write in a day. Aim to write at least 1 page (250 words) per hour, based on the number of hours you work. Some people write best in long, uninterrupted periods (6-8 hours), while others do better with short, 1-2 hour writing blocks.

For Ph. D. candidates with full-time jobs and families, 8 hours of weekly writing is the sweet spot. This balance and avoidance of burnout is crucial, as eight hours of writing should result in about 8 pages (2000 words) each week. It’s important to avoid burnout and focus on the task at hand rather than focusing on factors beyond your control.

How long is the average PhD thesis?

A PhD thesis typically consists of 60, 000 to 120, 000 words, organized into chapters, divisions, and subdivisions. The structure varies depending on the discipline, location, and institution. Examples and guides to structure can be found online, such as the University of Salford’s list of titles, declarations, abstracts, tables, figures, tables, abbreviations, chapters, appendices, and references. A scientific-style thesis typically includes an introduction, literature review, materials and methods, results, discussion, bibliography, and references.

How long should a bachelor’s thesis be?

The length of a thesis varies depending on the department, faculties, and field of study. Bachelor’s and master’s theses typically range from 40-60 pages, with doctorates being called Dissertation or Doktorarbeit. Habilitationssch, an academic qualification, is called Habilitationsarbeit. Doctoral degrees often come with multiple levels of Latin honors remarks, ranging from summa cum laude (best) to rite (duly). Theses can also be rejected with a Latin remark.

Bachelor’s and master’s theses receive numerical grades from 1. 0 (best) to 5. 0 (failed). In India, the thesis defense is called a viva voce examination, with two examiners: one academic from the candidate’s own university department and the other from a different university.

Is it possible to write a bachelor thesis in a month?

The author shares her experience of writing a thesis in a month and outlines eight tips to help her complete the task. She has written two Masters’ theses, a PhD dissertation, and a draft of a book. She emphasizes that it is possible to write a thesis in 30 days and finish it without emotional distress. She also mentions that she doesn’t pay anyone to write a thesis, but rather writes it herself. The author’s tips include:

• Start by brainstorming ideas and brainstorming ideas.
• Choose a topic and research the topic thoroughly.
• Develop a thesis structure and structure.
• Write a draft of the thesis.
• Edit and revise the thesis.

How long is a Harvard thesis?

Social Studies Senior Theses must be between 20, 000 and 30, 000 words in length, with over 30, 000 words potentially penalizing up to half a grade. Theses that do not meet the minimum length may not receive honors. A word count must be attached to the thesis, typed out on a blank page and included as the last page. The thesis must be submitted electronically to the Social Studies office and uploaded to the Social Studies 99 Canvas site. If a joint concentrator is involved, one copy should be submitted to both departments. Theses should be double-spaced, except for quotations and footnotes.

Can I write master thesis in 3 months?

The research project for a taught master’s degree typically takes 3-4 months, covering literature review, research, analysis, and writing up. The project typically consists of 13, 000 to 20, 000 words. While the writing up part is do-able, collecting data and analyzing it can be a challenge. A successful student who completed their 40, 000-word MA dissertation in a month, while working full-time, raising a child, and commuting 2 hours a day, achieved a GPA of 4. 0 and passed their dissertation with “Merit”. This demonstrates the potential for successful completion of a master’s degree.

Can I write a thesis in 4 weeks?

A thesis can be written within 4 weeks, with a good thesis being acceptable if following the principles, activities, and steps provided. Parkinson’s law applies, as writing a thesis takes as long as expected. Students in institutions with three semesters for their theses typically take three semesters to complete their work.

Can I finish thesis in 3 days?

This article discusses the possibility of completing a dissertation in just three days, despite students often procrastinating. The article provides tips on how to complete a dissertation in this timeframe, focusing on the steps to follow.

Determine the time frame for the dissertation. If you have only three days, you can write over 200 pages of academic content in 72 hours.

Create a schedule. Make sure to prioritize tasks and allocate time accordingly.

Write the dissertation in a clear and concise manner. This will help you avoid failure and ensure a successful completion.

Can I write my thesis in 2 months?

This article provides information on completing a Masters thesis in two months, emphasizing the importance of having all necessary data and figures, consistent writing, and securing supervisors’ approval for drafts. It emphasizes the need for diligent and consistent work, and the belief that completing the thesis in two months is possible with the right approach and support.

How long is a typical engineering thesis?

In sciences and engineering, typical thesis lengths range from 40, 000 to 60, 000 words for a PhD, 20, 000 to 40, 000 words for a masters by research, and 12, 000 to 20, 000 words for a major undergraduate project or thesis component of a masters by coursework. In humanities, word counts are higher but fewer images are used. It is crucial to establish the expected thesis length early in the project to gauge the magnitude of the task.

How long does it take to write a 40,000 word thesis?

A PhD is not a dissertation, but a research and analysis document that can be written in two months. It should include a literature review to align with the results and analysis. A concise thesis is essential for a polished and impressive achievement.

📹 Different Types Of Degrees Explained: (Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Professional)

———- These videos are for entertainment purposes only and they are just Shane’s opinion based off of his own life experience …

Related Articles:

• How To Write An Engineering Master’S Thesis?
• How Long Does A Master’S Thesis In Aerospace Engineering Take?
• What Is The Length Of An Engineering Undergraduate Thesis?
• Should I Write An Aerospace Engineering Thesis?
• How Long Do Buttons On Bachelors Last?
• How To Develop Buttons For Bachelors?

Martin Broadhurst

Martin Broadhurst is the President of The Royal Aeronautical Society, a leading professional institution dedicated to individuals involved in all aspects of the aerospace industry. The society promotes the advancement of aeronautical and aerospace knowledge, supporting education, research, and innovation in these fields. It also provides a platform for industry professionals to connect, share expertise, and collaborate on shaping the future of aerospace technology and aviation.

You may also like

In Ghana, How Many Credits Are Required For An Undergraduate Degree?

How Much Does A Bachelor’S Degree Earn Radiology Technicians?

How Many Sophomores At Wsu Reside On Campus?

How To Apply For Undergraduate Computer Science At Stanford?

How Large Is The Campus Of The University Of Minnesota?

How Many Binghamton University Students Live On Campus?

Add comment, cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Latest Publications

Can Someone With An Associate’S Degree Work As A Respiratory Therapist?

How To Write Better On The Toefl In Magoosh?

Which Zakir Hussain College Campus Is It?

• Other 23104

Latest Comments

• jellhool7041 on Who Established The Foundation For Fellowships?
• dottietruthseeker4546 on What Is The December Cycle Of Fellowship?
• dawgdog-j3z on Is Watching Anime On A High School Campus Acceptable?
• beachstreet101 on What Was Jeffrey Dahmer’S High School Graduation Year?
• akywongster on What Is The Optimal Network Topology For A University Campus?

Random article

Netherlands Bachelor’S Degree Credit Count?

• StumbleUpon

Pin It on Pinterest

• How Long Is a PhD Thesis?
• Doing a PhD

It’s no secret that one of the most challenging aspects of a PhD degree is the volume of work that goes into writing your thesis . So this raises the question, exactly how long is a thesis?

Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all answer to this question. However, from the analysis of over 100 PhD theses, the average thesis length is between 80,000 and 100,000 words. A further analysis of 1000 PhD thesis shows the average number of pages to be 204 . In reality, the actual word count for each PhD thesis will depend on the specific subject and the university it is being hosted by. This is because universities set their own word length requirements, with most found to be opting for around 100,000.

To find out more about how these word limits differ between universities, how the average word count from STEM thesis differ from non-STEM thesis and a more detailed breakdown from the analysis of over 1000 PhDs, carry on reading the below.

Word Count Differences Between Universities

For any PhD student writing a thesis, they will find that their document will be subject to a word limit set by their university. In nearly all cases, the limit only concerns the maximum number of words and doesn’t place any restrictions on the minimum word limit. The reason for this is that the student will be expected to write their thesis with the aim of clearly explaining their research, and so it is up to the student to determine what he deems appropriate.

Saying this, it is well accepted amongst PhD students and supervisors that the absence of a lower limit doesn’t suggest that a thesis can be ‘light’. Your thesis will focus on several years worth of original research and explore new ideas, theories or concepts. Besides this, your thesis will need to cover a wide range of topics such as your literature review, research methodology, results and conclusion. Therefore, your examiners will expect the length of your thesis to be proportional to convey all this information to a sufficient level.

Selecting a handful of universities at random, they state the following thesis word limits on their website:

• University of Edinburgh: 100,000
• University of Exeter: 100,000
• University of Leister: 80,000
• University of Bath: 80,000
• University of Warwick: 70,000

The above universities set upper word limits that apply across the board, however, some universities, such as the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield, set different word limits for different departments. For example, the University of Sheffield adopts these limits:

• Arts & Humanities: 75,000
• Medicine, Dentistry & Health: 75,000
• Science: 80,000
• Social Sciences: 75,000-100,000

Although there’s a range of limit, it’s safe to say that the majority fall within the 80,000 to 100,000 bracket.

Word Count Based on Data from past Theses

A poll of 149 postdocs.

In mid-2019, Dr Eva Lantsoght, a published author, academic blogger and Structural Engineering Professor, conducted a poll which asked postgraduate doctoral students to share the length of their final thesis. 149 PostDoc students responded to the survey, with the majority reporting a length falling within the ‘80,000 – 120,000 words’ bracket as seen below.

Analysis of 1000 PhD Theses

Over a three-year time period, Dr Ian Brailsford, a then Postgraduate Learning Adviser at the University of Auckland, analysed 1000 doctoral thesis submitted to his university’s library. The PhD theses which formed the basis of his analysis were produced between 2008 to 2017 and showed:

• Average number of pages = 204
• Median number of pages = 198
• Average number of chapters = 7.6

We should note that the above metrics only cover the content falling within the main body of the thesis. This includes the introduction, literature review, methods section, results chapter, discussions and conclusions. All other sections, such as the title page, abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, bibliography and appendices were omitted from the count.

Although it’s impossible to draw the exact word count from the number of pages alone, by using the universities recommended format of 12pt Times New Roman and 1.5 lines spacing, and assuming 10% of the main body are figures and footnotes, this equates to an average main body of 52,000 words.

STEM vs Non-STEM

As part of Dr Ian Brailsford’s analysis, he also compared the length of STEM doctorate theses to non-STEM theses. He found that STEM theses tended to be shorter. In fact, he found STEM theses to have a medium page length of 159 whilst non-STEM theses had a medium of around 223 pages. This is a 40% increase in average length!

Can You Exceed the Word Count?

Whilst most universities will allow you to go over the word count if you need to, it comes with the caveat that you must have a very strong reason for needing to do so. Besides this, your supervisor will also need to support your request. This is to acknowledge that they have reviewed your situation and agree that exceeding the word limit will be absolutely necessary to avoid detriment unnecessary detriment to your work.

This means that whilst it is possible to submit a thesis over 100,000 words or more, it’s unlikely that your research project will need to.

How Does This Compare to a Masters Dissertation?

The average Masters dissertation length is approximately 20,000 words whilst a thesis is 4 to 5 times this length at approximately 80,000 – 100,000.

The key reason for this difference is because of the level of knowledge they convey. A Master’s dissertation focuses on concluding from existing knowledge whilst a PhD thesis focuses on drawing a conclusion from new knowledge. As a result, the thesis is significantly longer as the new knowledge needs to be well documented so it can be verified, disseminated and used to shape future research.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Related Reading

Unfortunately, the completion of your thesis doesn’t mark the end of your degree just yet. Once you submit your thesis, it’s time to start preparing for your viva – the all-to-fun thesis defence interview! To help you prepare for this, we’ve produced a helpful guide which you can read here: The Complete Guide to PhD Vivas.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

FAQS Posed By Students While Writing Engineering Dissertation

1. how many pages should the engineering dissertation be.

The maximum number of pages for Dissertation Writing for students depends on the following:

• The maximum number of pages should be around 70 pages, including references.
• In Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering , it should be around 90-115 pages.
• For photovoltaic and solar energy, it should be 70 pages.

2. What should be the length of each section in dissertation?

Though it is not easy to fix the length of each section, some University/Colleges have quite certain guidelines.  For example:

• Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science (BABS)
• Introduction part including Literature Review must be within 15%.
• Methods should be 15%;
• Length of result section should be 35%.
• Discussion part should comprise 15%.
• Conclusion should not exceed above 2%.
• References should make 15% of the thesis.

For Engineering:

Engineering Dissertation should have the following range:

• Introduction part should form 3%-10% of the topic.
• Literature Review should be around 8%-30%.
• Methods in dissertation should cover 8%-20%.
• The Result section should be 15%-60%, and
• Discussion part should comprise 0%-10%.
• Conclusions should be crisp with only 1%.
• References part is the main part which should be 2%.

3. How should I arrange my results in dissertation?

The result should be organized from the most important point to the least important one or it should be arranged by answering each research question.

4. What kind of information should the methods section include?

• The method should describe the process of identifying the hypothesis.
• The strategies carried out and the reason for using that strategy.
• The Research Instruments that are used in the methodology should be briefly described.
• The procedure and then the statistical behavior should be described.
• How should I arrange the data in the methods part?
• Experimental overview.
• Experimental involvement;
• Investigation of data.
• What is the difference between an abstract section and intro part?

5. An abstract  section should contain 200-300 words and should explain about the following:

• Should introduce about the topic.
• Should state the goal and the motivation of the study.
• Explain briefly about the findings of the thesis.
• Should include some suggestion for the result found.

6. An introduction  part is generally lengthier than an abstract part and should contain the following:

• Should explain the topic clearly
• Assessing the knowledge in the field.
• Specifying issues/problems faced in the recent research.
• Should explain the goal of the research and how it is emerging.
• Should give outline of all chapters.

7. Which referencing method should be used in the dissertation?

The supervisor of your thesis will probably let you to follow the referencing system that has been used in the Research Papers in your field. The reference method should be followed precisely, and the journal style that has been followed should be cited at the top of the reference list, so that the examiners won’t disapprove for following this style.

8. What is the dissertation clock?

It is the period of first registration which is nine academic quarters. This clock begins when students start writing dissertation. It will be for around 2 years. All engineering students should register for writing dissertation. The dissertation process starts usually after they finish the Coursework. Students who wish to do registration should contact the research coordinator. If the work does not get over by the end of the initial registration period, students can extend their registration for additional time period for writing.

9. When should I start the dissertation writing?

This varies according to various programs. In some fields, students can register for Writing Dissertation once they have completed all the prerequisites successfully and have got approval. In the other case, students can do their registration once they complete their coursework. Additionally, the students must possess a minimum of 3.0 GPA without fail grades on their record and must be good in their financial standing. Students can do registration for dissertation writing four times in a year.

1o. When should I gather my dissertation committee?

It is always a good initiative to have casual conversations with the committee members. Discuss with the committee members about your topic. It is better to know about their availability to discuss in the future.

11. When can I hear feedback from the committee members?

Committee members can take up to six to eight weeks to review the dissertation and provides feedback. Students should prepare on at least 4 months for reviewing the whole work of both the proposal and the final document. If the committee members need any changes in the work, and wish to review the document again before the approval, the students will be given another six weeks time to submit the new draft.

12. Is it all done when I get approval for my final draft?

No. The committee should approve the draft and, sometimes they will warn the students to correct minor problems like spelling mistakes, grammar errors, punctuation errors, and errors in style formatting like APA or MLA formatting. Before the dissertation is considered as completed, the proofreader will proofread the draft, and they will convey the students about the necessary corrections if there are any. It improves the Quality of the Dissertation .

13. What should I do if I miss my deadline?

If a student fails to submit before deadline, the student has early clearance option in the subsequent semester. They will have a chance to submit their work and clear their thesis and dissertation work. Early clearance is nothing but that if the student completes the thesis and dissertation before the deadline, there is no need for the student to pay the registration fee for that semester.

14. Can I add an article in my dissertation that has been published already?

If there is an article that is already published by you and if you wish to add that in your dissertation, you will have to get the publisher’s permission to include it in your thesis work.

Quick Contact

• Adversial Attacks
• Artificial Intelligence
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ML ( Machine Learning )
• Big Data Analysis
• Business and Management
• Categories of Research methodology – PhDAssistance
• Category of Research Proposal Services
• coding & algorithm
• Computer Data Science
• Category of Machine Learning – PhDassistance
• Computer Science/Research writing/Manuscript
• Course Work Service
• Data Analytics
• Data Processing
• Deep Networks
• Dissertation Statistics
• economics dissertation
• Editing Services
• Electrical Engineering Category
• Engineering & Technology
• finance dissertation writing
• Gap Identification
• Healthcare Dissertation Writing
• Intrusion-detection-system
• journals publishing
• Life Science Dissertation writing services
• literature review service
• Machine Learning
• medical thesis writing
• Peer review
• PhD Computer Programming
• PhD Dissertation
• PhD dissertation Writing
• Phd Journal Manuscript
• Annotated Bibliography
• PhD Publication Support
• Phd thesis writing services
• Phd Topic Selection
• Categories of PhdAssistance Dissertation
• Power Safety
• problem identification
• Quantitative Analysis
• quantitative research
• Recent Trends
• Referencing and Formatting
• Research Gap
• research journals
• Research Methodology
• research paper
• Research Proposal Service
• secondary Data collection
• Statistical Consulting Services
• Uncategorized

We offer complete assistance for PhD scholars that comprises topic selection, research services, pilot study to a full thesis writing. We help you at any part or any phase of your dissertation, partially or completely, and we strive for perfection in it. Our services are diverse and standardised, but not limited.

Main Services

PhD Dissertation PhD Topic Selection Editing Services Literature Review Data Analysis Coursework

Quick Links

Blog Insights Our Sample works Faq

UK : +44-7537 144372

India : +91-9176966446

Landline : +91-44-42124284 (Between 9.00 am – 6.00 pm IST)

For existing clients: +91-8754446693

Customer Care: +91-9384672299

Email: [email protected]

© 2024 PhD Assistance. All rights reserved.

How long is a Thesis or Dissertation? [the data] PhD, Masters +

Writing a thesis for your undergraduate, master’s, or PhD can be a very daunting task. Especially when you consider how long a thesis can get. However, not all theses are the same length and the expected submission length is dependent on the level of study that you are currently enrolled in and the field in which you are studying.

An undergraduate thesis is likely to be about 20 to 50 pages long. A Master’s thesis is likely to be between 30 and 100 pages in length and a PhD dissertation is likely to be between 50 and 450 pages long.

In the table below I highlight the typical length of an undergraduate, master’s, and PhD.

It is important to note that this is highly dependent on the field of study and the expectations of your university, field, and research group.

If you want to know more about how long a Masters thesis and PhD dissertation is you can check out my other articles:

• How Long is a Masters Thesis? [Your writing guide]
• How long is a PhD dissertation? [Data by field]
• How to write a masters thesis in 2 months [Easy steps to start writing]

These articles go into a lot more detail and specifics of each level of study, including master’s and doctoral degrees.

Let’s take a more detailed look at the length of a thesis or dissertation. We’ll start from the very basics including what a dissertation or thesis really is.

What exactly is a thesis or a dissertation?

A thesis or a dissertation is a research project that is typically required of students in order to gain an advanced degree.

A dissertation is usually much longer and more detailed than a thesis, but they both involve extensive research and provide an in-depth analysis of their given subject.

Many people use the term interchangeably but quite often a Masters level research project results in a thesis. While a PhD research project results in a much longer dissertation.

Thesis work is usually completed over the course of several months and can require multiple drafts and revisions before being accepted. These will be looked over by your supervisor to ensure that you are meeting the expectations and standards of your research field.

PhD Dissertations are typically even more involved, taking years to complete. My PhD took me three years to complete but it is usual for them to take more than five years.

Both a thesis and a dissertation involve researching a particular topic, formulating an argument based on evidence gathered from the research, and presenting the findings in written form for review by peers or faculty members.

My Master’s thesis was reviewed by the chemistry Department whilst my PhD thesis was sent to experts in the field around the world.

Ultimately, these experts provide a commentary on whether or not you have reached the standards required of the University for admittance into the degree and the final decision will be made upon reviewing these comments by your universities graduation committee.

There are several outcomes including:

• accepted without changes – this is where you must make no changes to your thesis and is accepted as is.
• accepted with minor changes this is where your thesis will require some minor changes before being admitted to the degree. Usually, it is not sent back to the reviewers after the thesis defence.
• Major changes – this is where the committee has decided that you need to rework a number of major themes in your thesis and will likely want to see it at a later stage.
• Rejected – this is where the dissertation or thesis is rejected and the recommendation to downgrade your degree program is made.

What is the typical length of a thesis or dissertation?

The length of a thesis or dissertation varies significantly according to the field of study and institution, especially in social sciences.

Generally, an undergraduate thesis is between 20-50 pages long while a PhD dissertation can range from 90-500 pages in length.

However, longer is not necessarily better as a highly mathematical PhD thesis with proofs may only be 50 pages long.

It also depends on the complexity of the topic being studied and the amount of research required to complete it.

A PhD dissertation should contain as many pages and words as it takes to outline the current state of your field and provide adequate background information, present your results, and provide confidence in your conclusions. A PhD dissertation will also contain figures, graphs, schematics, and other large pictorial items that can easily inflate the page count.

Here is a boxplot summary of many different fields of study and the number of pages of a typical PhD dissertation in the field, including social sciences.  It has been created by Marcus Beck  from all of the dissertations at the University of Minnesota.

Typically, the mathematical sciences, economics, and biostatistics theses and dissertations tend to be shorter because they rely on mathematical formulas to provide proof of their results rather than diagrams and long explanations.

On the other end of the scale, English, communication studies, political science, history and anthropology are often the largest theses in terms of pages and word count because of the number of words it takes to provide proof and depth of their results.

At the end of the day, it is important that your thesis gets signed off by your review committee and other experts in the field. Your supervisor will be the main judge of whether or not your dissertation is capable of satisfying the requirements of a master’s or doctoral degree in your field. 

How Many Pages Should a Master or PhD Thesis Have? Length of a thesis?

The length of a master’s thesis can vary greatly depending on the subject and format.

Generally, a masters thesis is expected to be around 100 pages long and should include:

• a title page,
• table of contents,
• introduction,
• literature review, 
• main test and body of work, 
• discussions and citations,
• conclusion,
• bibliography
• and (sometimes) appendix.

Your supervisor should provide you with a specific format for your dissertation or thesis that you are expected to follow.

Depending on your field of study and the word count specified by your supervisor, these guidelines may change. The student must ask their advisor for examples of past student thesis and doctoral dissertations. 

For example, if there is a limited number of words allowed in the thesis then it may not be possible to have 100 pages or more for the thesis.

Additionally, if you are including a lot of technical information such as diagrams or tables in the appendix of your dissertation or thesis, then this could increase the page count as well. For example, my PhD thesis contained a page like the one below.

This page only contains images from atomic force microscopy. Because my PhD was very visual, many pages like this exist.

Ultimately it is important to consult with your supervisor and determine how many pages your master’s thesis or PhD dissertation will be expected to have.

How long does it take to write a graduate thesis? Write your thesis quickly

Writing a graduate thesis can be a daunting task.

It is typically expected to take anywhere from one to three years, depending on the subject and scope of the project.

However, this is not just writing. A typical thesis or dissertation will require you to:

• formulate a research question
• do a literature review
• create research methodology
• perform original research
• collect and analyse results
• write peer-reviewed research papers
• write a PhD/masters thesis
• submit thesis and respond to examiners comments.

The actual writing component of a thesis or dissertation can take anywhere from one month to 6 months depending on how focused the PhD student is.

The amount of time it takes to write a thesis or dissertation can vary based on many factors, such as the type of research required, the length of the project, and other commitments that may interfere with progress.

Some students may have difficulty focusing or understanding their topic which can also add to the amount of time it takes to complete the project.

Regardless, writing a thesis is an important part of obtaining a graduate degree and should not be taken lightly.

It requires dedication and determination in order for one to successfully complete a thesis or dissertation within an appropriate timeframe.

In my YouTube video, below, I talk about how to finish your thesis or dissertation quickly:

It is full of a load of secrets including owning your day, managing your supervisor relationship, setting many goals, progress over perfection, and working with your own body clock to maximise productivity.

Wrapping up

This article has been through everything you need to know about the typical length of a dissertation or thesis.

The answer to this question is highly dependent on your field of study and the expectations of your supervisor and university.

Frequently Asked Questions: How Long is a Thesis

How long is a thesis.

A thesis is typically a document submitted in support of an academic degree, presenting the author’s research and findings. The length of a thesis can vary depending on the level of study and specific requirements of the institution. It can range from 60 – 100 pages for a master’s thesis to several hundred pages for a doctoral dissertation.

What is the difference between a thesis and a dissertation?

While the terms thesis and dissertation are often used interchangeably, they can have different meanings depending on the region or academic context. In some countries, a thesis is associated with a bachelor’s or master’s degree, while a dissertation is typically required for a doctoral degree.

Is there a specific word count for a thesis?

While there is no universal word count for a thesis , institutions may provide guidelines on the expected length based on the type of degree and academic discipline. It’s essential to adhere to the specified word count to meet academic standards.

How does the length of a thesis vary across different fields of study?

The length of a thesis can differ based on the field of study and the nature of the research being conducted. For example, a thesis in the social sciences may be shorter compared to one in a scientific or technical field that requires extensive data analysis and documentation.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

Thank you for visiting Academia Insider.

We are here to help you navigate Academia as painlessly as possible. We are supported by our readers and by visiting you are helping us earn a small amount through ads and affiliate revenue - Thank you!

2024 © Academia Insider