bachelor thesis project

THESIS INSPIRATION

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The go-to thesis inspiration platform to find thesis topic ideas and examples for students. Explore 150+ Bachelor and Master thesis topic examples.

138 thesis topics

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Collaboration and communication between different departments in a medium-size or larger company.

Many different companies experience conflicts of interest between their various departments and issues in collaboration ...

Franchise fatigue

In this thesis, we will explore the complex phenomenon of franchise fatigue within today's film industry. Franchise fati...

Merge and Acquisition and Business Innovation

In the course of my seminar work on "Current Issues of Business Administration," I found the topic of "Mergers and Acqui...

Impacts of COVID-19 on CO2 global reduction

How the pandemic lockdowns affected global CO2 levels by 'pausing' a lot of carbon emitting activities, such as transpor...

Effect of climate change on energy consumption

How climate change has affected energy consumption for countries, companies and the general public? How the economy of p...

Social acceptance of wind power

What are the obstacles that onshore and offshore wind power installation faces in modern day societies.

The relative acce...

Knowledge Sharing Web Application Development Project

Are you seeking a collaboration for developing a brand new or refine an already existing web based application? Then loo...

Motivation for Organizational Change

"I want to investiugate the motivation  from employees for organizational change within the organization. I could either...

Economic Dynamics of Precision Medicine: Exploring Business Opportunities and Implications

"Disclaimer: The following thesis proposal outlines an initial idea, but I remain open to alternative proposals related...

Valuation of given company

"The main goal of this thesis is to determine the value of a given company. It does not matter wheter the company is loo...

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Thesis topic ideas and examples for students.

Explore good ideas and examples of thesis topics in 24 different research areas and themes. All thesis topics examples and ideas are created by students to find a Bachelor or Master thesis collaboration through Excelerate.

Ready to kickstart your thesis writing? Follow our guide below on how to choose a thesis topic or find tips on choosing the perfect topic for your thesis.

Step-by-step guide

How to choose a good thesis topic.

Choosing a thesis topic is a difficult but essential step on your thesis journey. Your choice of topic not only determines the direction of your research but is also what needs to keep you motivated and satisfied throughout your thesis writing process.

To help you choose a good topic for your Bachelor’s or Master’s, here is our step-by-step guide on choosing a good thesis topic.

• Step 1: Reflect and identify your research interests

At the beginning of your thesis journey reflect upon your research interests and personal passions.

What interesting research topics and subjects have consistently fascinated you throughout your studies? Think about your courses, readings, previous projects, and research papers that have inspired and sparked your curiosity in the past.

Use online thesis topic databases like Excelerate.dk to search for interesting topics created by other students and researchers. This way you explore new perspectives and ideas for your thesis project.

Remember, you’ll be spending a huge amount of time investigating and delving deep into your topic. It’s important that your topic genuinely excites you to keep you motivated while writing your thesis.

• Step 2: Explore the current research landscape of your interest

Once you’ve identified your research topic interests, conduct a thorough literature review in your chosen research field.

Familiarise yourself with the existing research, ongoing debates and discussions, and potential gaps in the current knowledge. Look at recent publications, research paper topics, and emerging trends in the field.

This approach will not only help you gain a deeper understanding but also identify potential research questions or areas that require further exploration. Perhaps a thesis topic you could dig deeper into in your project?

• Step 3: Consult with your academic supervisors and peers

By now you hopefully have a rough idea of the direction your thesis project is going. Discuss your research ideas and initial thoughts with your academic supervisor, professors, and fellow students to receive constructive feedback.

You shouldn’t hesitate to ask your academic advisors and peers for suggestions and recommendations. Their research expertise and knowledge can give you valuable insights to help you get started with your thesis.

• Step 4: Define the research goals and objectives for your thesis

It’s time to clearly outline your project’s research goals and objectives. What are the specific questions you want to answer? What is the scope of your thesis? It’s essential that you are realistic about the resources and time available for your research.

You only have 6 to 12 months to write your thesis. Ensure that your thesis topic is not too broad or too narrow. Try to strike a balance that allows you for in-depth analysis within the scope of your research.

• Step 5: Consider the practicality and feasibility of your thesis topic

At this point in the process, it’s time to assess the practicality and feasibility of your chosen thesis topic.

Are the necessary resources and data available to you? Do you for example have access to libraries, databases, laboratory equipment, search materials, and archives? Consider also your methodology for collecting the data. Will you need to conduct surveys, interviews, experiments, or collect historical data?

Data collection is time-consuming. It’s crucial that you have a clear plan for your data collection so you realistically obtain the data you need within the time frame of your thesis project.

• Step 6: Get your thesis topic approved and begin writing

That’s the way to go! You’re now at the final step of choosing the best thesis topic for your project.

All you have to do now is consult with your thesis supervisor to make any final adjustments and get your thesis topic approved.

We wish you the best of luck with your thesis writing. We root for you!

3 simple steps

How to find the best topic for your thesis.

What is the best topic for your thesis? That depends on your interests, passions, and future goals. Here are questions to consider and tips on finding the best thesis topic.

1. Your topic should align with your personal interests

The best topic for your thesis aligns with your personal interests and passions. Pursuing research on a topic that genuinely intrigues you will keep you motivated throughout your thesis writing and lead to a more meaningful project. Think about what excites you within your field and explore research questions that pique your curiosity.

2. Your topic should be relevant and contribute to your research field

The best thesis topic is relevant to your field of study. Your research topic should address a specific issue or contribute to a broader conversation within your discipline. Pick a topic that is meaningful and has the potential to advance knowledge, challenge existing theories, or offer practical solutions to real-world problems. Think about how your research can fill a gap in current knowledge.

3. Your topic should align with your academic and career goals

The best research topic for your thesis is aligned with your future academic and/or career goals. Ask yourself: What are your short-term and long-term goals and aspirations? Your thesis project provides you with invaluable experience and expertise in your chosen research field and industry. The best topic for you is used as a stepping stone towards your future endeavours and career.

10 questions to consider to find the best thesis topic

• What are my key interests – both personally and academically?
• What are the areas my personal passions and academic discipline overlap?
• What courses excited me the most during my studies?
• What theories and concepts did I enjoy working with?
• What do I want to avoid during my thesis writing process?
• What resources and data do I need to obtain?
• What research methods do I like to use?
• What are my academic goals after my thesis?
• What are my career goals?
• What industry do I want to work in?

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our 8 tips for finding the perfect thesis topic .

EXCELERATE BLOG

Useful articles on thesis writing.

Below you will find articles related to thesis writing.

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June 22, 2024

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How to Write a Bachelor’s Thesis: A Step-by-Step Guide

The bachelor’s degree is an important milestone in your academic life, and creating a successful bachelor’s thesis is an essential part of this process.

Although it can be a challenge, with a structured approach and a clear timetable, a well-researched, informed, and organized bachelor’s thesis can be created.

In this article, we explain how to write a bachelor’s thesis.

11 Facts About Bachelor’s Theses

• The average length of a bachelor’s thesis is about 30-60 pages.
• Most bachelor’s theses are written in the field of economics.
• The average processing time for a bachelor’s thesis is 3-6 months.
• Typically, bachelor’s theses are supervised by a professor or lecturer.
• Most bachelor’s theses are still written and submitted on paper.
• A bachelor’s thesis is always written within the framework of a study program and is an important part of the degree completion.
• The topic selection for a bachelor’s thesis is usually free, as long as it falls within the field of study.
• Adherence to citation rules and source references is an important part of a bachelor’s thesis.
• Submission of a bachelor’s thesis is usually combined with an oral examination.
• The bachelor’s thesis is the first longer scientific work that a student writes during their studies and therefore represents an important hurdle.
• In 2021, approximately 260,000 students achieved their bachelor’s degree.

Scientific Formulations in Minutes Seconds

11 Tips for Academic Writing (Bachelor’s Theses)

• Start your bachelor’s thesis early to have enough time for research, writing, and revision.
• Choose an interesting and relevant topic that fits well with your field of study.
• Create a detailed work plan to keep track of your steps and deadlines.
• Use trustworthy and current sources to underpin your work.
• Write clearly and precisely, avoid using unnecessarily complicated sentences.
• Use a consistent citation style and pay attention to the correct source citation.
• Logically structure your bachelor’s thesis and ensure that the common thread is recognizable.
• Revise and polish your work multiple times to ensure that it is free from spelling and grammar errors.
• Have your work read by others and seek feedback to recognize areas for improvement.
• Consider publishing your bachelor’s thesis to make it accessible to others and to present your work.
• Have your text scientifically rephrased by Mimir. Sample input : Potatoes are healthy… ➔ Result : Potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals and can contribute to a balanced diet.

The Process of Writing a Bachelor’s Thesis: Step by Step Guide

The writing process of a bachelor’s thesis is a challenge for many students. In this section, we give an overview of the most important steps and tips to successfully master the process.

• Determine the topic of the bachelor’s thesis and discuss it with the supervisor.
• Conduct comprehensive research and collect relevant sources.
• Create an outline and divide the topic into individual sections.
• Write the main part of the paper by processing and summarizing the insights gained from the research.
• Compose the concluding part, summarizing the main findings of the work and outlining possible further steps or implications.
• Proofread the work and check for formal requirements.
• Submit and defend the bachelor’s thesis.

Choosing a Topic: How to Find the Perfect Topic for Your Bachelor’s Thesis

The first step in creating a bachelor’s thesis is selecting the topic. It’s important that your topic is specific and answers a clear research question. If your topic is too general, it will be harder to achieve meaningful results.

Why is the topic important?

An interesting and relevant topic not only captivates your readers but also gives you the motivation to successfully complete the work.

The topic of your bachelor’s thesis is crucial for the success of your work.

A difficult or boring topic, on the other hand, can lead to you finding the writing process frustrating and ultimately not successfully completing the work. Therefore, it’s important to think carefully about which topic you choose for your bachelor’s thesis.

If you have difficulty finding a topic, you can turn to your supervisors and present your ideas to them.

Research & Study: The Right Way to the Perfect Bachelor’s Thesis

Once the topic is set, it’s time to collect the necessary information. This can be done by searching through libraries and databases, reading specialist literature, and interviewing experts. It’s important to carefully organize and document the collected information so that it’s easily accessible when writing the work.

It’s also important that your sources are current, as research and opinions in your subject area are constantly changing.

Possible Sources

• Academic Publications
• Professional Journals
• Reputable Websites (you should consult your supervisor beforehand)

Structure: Setup and Organization of the Bachelor Thesis

It is important to have a clear structure for your bachelor thesis. This should include an introduction, a main part, and a conclusion. Within the main part, you can divide your arguments into different sections. This helps you to structure your thought process and ensure a smooth and logical flow.

Introduction

• Summary of the research thesis
• Definition of the main terms
• Explanation of the research question and area of interest
• Conduct literature research
• Develop arguments and hypotheses
• Draw conclusions and results
• Cite sources
• Summary of the results
• Comparison of hypotheses and results
• Explanation of the implications of the results
• Recommendations for further research

Writing: Tips and Tricks for the Writing Process

After you have completed your research and established your structure, it is time to write.

It is important that you write your work in simple, academic German/English.

Avoid using too many technical terms and ensure that each sentence conveys a clear thought.

Compose a clear introduction that explains your topic and presents your argumentation. In the main part of your work, you should provide your arguments and examples to prove your thesis. Make sure that your arguments are logical and understandable.

• Write a simple and clear introduction
• Compose the main part of your work
• Ensure that each sentence conveys a clear thought
• Provide your arguments and examples to prove your thesis
• Ensure logical and understandable argumentation
• Avoid too many technical terms
• Avoid vague formulations
• Avoid subjective opinions

Tip: Let Mimir formulate your bullet point ( Example input : Running is great ➔ Result (1/3) : Running is a healthy and effective form of physical activity that can contribute to improving cardiovascular fitness, mobility, and mental health.)

Formatting: How to Properly Format Your Bachelor Thesis

It is important that you adhere to your university’s guidelines when formatting your bachelor thesis. Check the requirements for margins, line spacing, font size, and font type prescribed by your university.

It is also important to format your work consistently to achieve a professional look.

• Adhere to your university’s guidelines
• Check margins, line spacing, font size, and font type
• Consistently format your work
• Create a professional layout

Citing and Referencing: Rules for Citing and Referencing in the Bachelor Thesis

When referring to the ideas of other authors in your work, it is important to cite and reference them correctly. There are various citation styles you can use, but most universities use the Harvard or APA style.

Make sure to properly cite and reference all sources you refer to, to avoid plagiarism.

• Use the Harvard or APA style
• Cite and reference all sources you refer to
• Avoid plagiarism

Proofreading: Error Sources and Tips for a Flawless Bachelor Thesis

After you have written your bachelor thesis, it is important to thoroughly review it. Check the content for correct grammar, spelling, and structure. Also ensure that your arguments are clear and logical and that your statements are supported by your research.

It is important to proofread and edit your work several times. Make sure to correct all spelling and grammar errors so that your work looks professional.

• Read your work aloud to detect errors in grammar, sentence structure, and pronunciation.
• Use a dictionary or an online proofreading program to find errors in spelling and punctuation.
• Have someone else read your work and ask for feedback to gain additional perspectives and suggestions for improvement.
• Carefully review and revise your work to improve its quality and content. This can be done by adding examples, removing unnecessary information, or refining arguments.

Tip: Have your text checked by Mimir (Unscientific words, gender conformity, and more…)

Submission: How to Safely Submit and Defend Your Bachelor Thesis

Writing a bachelor thesis can be a challenging task, but if you follow the steps mentioned above, you will complete your work in a professional manner.

Don’t forget to adhere to the guidelines of your university.

Once you have reviewed and revised your bachelor’s thesis, it’s time to submit it. Make sure your work meets the requirements of your examiner and contains the correct information. If possible, have a friend or family member review it before you submit it.

Earning a bachelor’s degree is a great achievement, and creating a successful bachelor’s thesis is an essential part of this process. Remember, choosing a topic, conducting research, and writing a bachelor’s thesis can be a laborious process. However, if you have a clear schedule and follow the steps mentioned above, you can create a well-researched, informed, and organized bachelor’s thesis.

And last but not least: Congratulations!

Two Practical Examples of the Process

To better understand the steps and tips mentioned above, here are two examples from different academic areas:

• A psychology student writes a bachelor’s thesis on the effects of social media on the mental health of adolescents. She chooses this topic because it combines her personal interest and her expertise in psychology. She gathers information by reading textbooks and conducting interviews with adolescents and experts. She creates an outline consisting of an introduction, three main chapters, and a conclusion, and writes her paper accordingly. She makes sure to use quotes and references and to adhere to the APA formatting requirements. Finally, she carefully corrects her work and has it read by her teacher and a fellow student for improvement suggestions.
• A computer science student writes a bachelor’s thesis on the development of a new algorithm for machine learning. He chooses this topic because it reflects his expertise in computer science and his curiosity about new technologies. He gathers information by reading academic articles and communicating with other experts in his field. He creates an outline consisting of an introduction, three main chapters, a section on results, and a conclusion, and writes his paper accordingly. He makes sure to use citations and references and to adhere to the IEEE formatting requirements. Finally, he carefully corrects his work and has it read by his supervisor and a reviewer from a professional journal for improvement suggestions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start writing a bachelor’s thesis.

Before you start writing your bachelor’s thesis, you should first plan the topic and structure of the paper. This also includes researching relevant sources and creating an outline. Once you have an overview of the structure of the paper, you can start writing.

How quickly can you write a bachelor’s thesis?

The duration of writing a bachelor’s thesis can vary greatly and depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the topic, the size of the paper, and the time spent on research. However, you should generally plan several weeks or even months for the actual writing of a bachelor’s thesis.

How do you properly write a bachelor’s thesis?

1. Start by selecting an interesting and relevant topic for your bachelor’s thesis. 2. Create a clear and detailed research plan that outlines the goals, methods, and timeline for your work. 3. Gather comprehensive and reliable sources to support your arguments and substantiate your theses. 4. Compose a clear and structured introduction that highlights the topic and significance of your work. 5. Develop your arguments in the main chapters of your bachelor’s thesis and use examples and evidence to support your statements. 6. Conclude your findings and conclusion in a conclusive and detailed section that summarizes the significance and implications of your work. 7. Thoroughly correct and revise your bachelor’s thesis to ensure it is logical, coherent, and error-free.

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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.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Anchoring bias
• Halo effect
• The Baader–Meinhof phenomenon
• The placebo effect
• Nonresponse bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
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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.)

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, November 21). Dissertation & Thesis Outline | Example & Free Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/dissertation-thesis-outline/

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Writing a Bachelor Thesis step-by-step instructions

Writing a bachelor thesis: step-by-step instructions for your top grade

Step 1: Choosing a topic

Choosing a suitable topic is the first and one of the most important steps in writing a Bachelor's thesis. A well-chosen topic can make the entire work process easier and keep motivation high. You should consider several aspects when choosing a topic:

• Interest and passion: choose a topic that really interests and excites you. Since you will be spending a lot of time on the work, it is important that you can commit to the topic.
• Subject relevance: Make sure your topic is relevant and current within your field of study. It should include a question that is significant in the scientific discussion.
• Feasibility: Check whether the topic can be dealt with within the time and resources available. Make sure that there is sufficient literature and data material available to produce a well-founded paper.
• Supervision: It is helpful to choose a topic that can be supervised by a lecturer who specializes in this area. Good supervision can make all the difference and provide valuable support.

Once you have found a topic, you should narrow it down and specify it clearly. This makes it easier to create a structured research question and a concrete work plan.

If you would like to learn how to write a term paper, then take a look at our dedicated page:

Step 2: Find a supervisor

Choosing a suitable supervisor is a crucial step in writing your Bachelor's thesis, as they can make a significant contribution to the success of the project. Here are some tips for finding the right supervisor:

Once you have selected a supervisor, you should formally request and present your topic and a rough plan. Be open to suggestions and willing to make adjustments to further refine the topic. A good working relationship with your supervisor can provide valuable support and guidance throughout the writing process.

Step 3: Selecting the methodology

Choosing the right methodology is a key step in writing your Bachelor's thesis, as it determines how you systematically investigate and answer your research question. A well thought-out methodology ensures that your results are valid and reliable. Here are the essential steps for choosing the right methodology:

• Understanding the research question: Your research question largely determines which methodology is most suitable. Consider whether your question requires a qualitative, quantitative or mixed method. A clear and precise research question makes it easier to decide on the appropriate methodology.
• Qualitative methods are suitable if you want to gain deeper insights into complex phenomena, opinions or behaviors. Typical qualitative methods are interviews, case studies or content analyses.
• Quantitative methods are ideal if you want to collect numerical data and analyze it statistically. These are often used when it comes to testing hypotheses or recognizing patterns in large amounts of data. Surveys, experiments and statistical analyses are all quantitative methods.
• Mixed methods: In some cases, it can be useful to combine qualitative and quantitative approaches. This is called a mixed methods approach and allows you to capture both detailed insights and general patterns.
• Availability of data: Consider what data you need and whether it is accessible. For example, if you are planning a survey, you need to make sure that you can reach a sufficient number of participants. For qualitative studies, you should check whether you have access to the required information or interview partners.
• Resources and time management: Your method should be feasible in the time frame and with the resources available. Some methods, such as experiments or extensive interviews, can be very time-consuming and require careful planning.
• Ethical considerations: Ensure that your methodology meets ethical standards. This is especially important if you are working with personal data or interacting directly with people. Approval from ethics committees is often required.

Once you have decided on a methodology, you should describe it in detail in your methods section of the paper and explain why it is the best choice for your research question. A transparent presentation of the method increases the credibility of your research and enables others to understand your work.

Step 4: Time planning & time management

Writing your bachelor thesis Step 4: Scheduling & time management

How long it takes you to write a bachelor thesis depends on various factors, such as your topic, the time available, your working style and the complexity of the research. However, effective time management is crucial to make the process smooth and stress-free. This is an overview of how you can plan the time frame for your Bachelor thesis. With well thought-out time management, you can effectively manage the writing process of your bachelor thesis and minimize stress. Realistic planning, regular reviews of your progress and taking breaks are key to success.

Step 5: Structure and outline of the bachelor thesis

The structure and outline of a Bachelor's thesis are crucial for presenting your research findings in a structured and comprehensible way. A clear and logical outline helps the reader to recognize the common thread of your argument and to quickly grasp the most important findings. Here is a proven structure that is used in many disciplines:

1. Cover sheet

• Title of the thesis
• Name and matriculation number of the author
• Name of the supervisor
• Name of the university and degree program
• Date of submission

2. Abstract/Summary

• Short summary of the work (approx. 150-300 words)
• Description of the research question, methodology, main results and conclusions
• The aim is to give the reader a quick overview of the content of the thesis

3. Table of contents

• Overview of all chapters and subchapters with page numbers
• Should be clearly and logically structured so that the reader can follow the structure of the work

4. List of figures and tables (if applicable)

• List of all figures and tables used in the work with page numbers
• Numbering and labeling according to the formal requirements

5. List of abbreviations (if applicable)

• List of all abbreviations used in the work with explanations

6. Introduction

• Introduction to the topic of the paper
• Presentation of the problem and relevance of the topic
• Formulation of the research question or hypothesis
• Objectives of the thesis
• Overview of the structure of the thesis (brief description of the chapter structure)

7. Theoretical framework

• Presentation and explanation of the theoretical foundations and concepts relevant to the topic
• Overview of the current state of research
• Definition of central terms and concepts
• Presentation of models or theories used in the thesis

8. Methodology

• Description of the research methods used
• Justification of the choice of methods
• Description of the research design (e.g. qualitative or quantitative methods, data collection, sample selection)
• Explanation of the procedure for data collection and analysis
• Notes on possible limitations of the method
• Presentation of the research results
• Presentation of the data and its analysis
• Use of figures, tables and diagrams for illustration
• Objective and factual presentation of the findings without interpretation

10. Discussion

• Interpretation of the results in the context of the research question
• Comparison of the results with the existing literature and the theories presented in the theoretical framework
• Discussion of possible causes and implications of the results
• Indications of limitations of the study and suggestions for future research

11 Conclusion

• Summary of the most important findings of the study
• Answering the research question
• Presentation of the significance of the results for the field of research
• Outlook for further research or practical applications

12. Bibliography

• Complete list of all sources cited in the paper
• Formatting according to the specifications of the chosen citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
• Alphabetical order according to the authors' surnames

13. Appendix (optional)

• Additional materials that are relevant to the understanding of the paper but would interrupt the main text too much (e.g. questionnaires, raw data, additional tables or figures)
• Each appendix should be numbered and titled

14. Affidavit

• Declaration by the author that the work was prepared independently and without unauthorized help
• Statement that all sources used have been cited
• Signature and date

This structure may vary slightly depending on the subject area and specific requirements, but in general these elements should be included. A clear and well-thought-out structure not only makes it easier to write, but also to read and understand your work.

Step 6: Literature research

Literature research is a key step in writing your Bachelor's thesis, as it forms the basis for your academic work. Thorough research will give you an overview of the current state of research on your topic and enable you to place your own research question in a scientific context. Here are the steps you should follow when researching the literature:

Thorough literature research lays the foundation for a scientifically sound bachelor thesis. Through a systematic approach, critical analysis and targeted selection of relevant sources, you create the basis for a convincing and well-founded thesis.

Step 7: Scientific writing

Scientific writing is a central aspect of your Bachelor's thesis, as it is not only about presenting your research findings, but also formulating them clearly, precisely and comprehensibly. A good scientific style lends credibility to your work and demonstrates your ability to explain complex issues in an understandable way. Here are the most important steps and tips for academic writing:

• Prefer simplicity: Use clear and precise wording. Avoid unnecessarily complicated sentences and technical jargon that is not absolutely necessary.
• Concise expression: Formulate your thoughts as precisely and to the point as possible. Long and convoluted sentences often lead to confusion.
• Logical structure: Ensure a clear structure and logical flow in your argumentation. Every statement should be comprehensible and well-founded.
• Red thread: Make sure that your work follows a common thread and that the individual chapters and sections build on each other in a meaningful way.
• Objective presentation: Formulate your statements objectively and factually. Avoid judgmental or subjective formulations that are not supported by scientific evidence.
• Supporting statements: Every claim should be supported by literature or your own research findings. Avoid unproven or speculative statements.
• Adhere to citations: Make sure you cite correctly according to your university's guidelines. This applies to both direct quotations and paraphrases.
• Avoid plagiarism: Make sure that all sources used are cited correctly to avoid plagiarism. Accusations of plagiarism can have serious consequences.
• Consistent style: adhere to the formal requirements for academic papers, such as font, font size, line spacing and margins.
• Structure and headings: Use a clear structure with meaningful headings that provide orientation for the reader.
• Smooth transitions: Ensure smooth transitions between sections and chapters to maintain the flow of reading. Avoid abrupt jumps in the argumentation.
• Coherence of arguments: Make sure that your arguments are coherent and consistent.
• Spelling and grammar: Pay attention to correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Errors can affect the professional impression of your work.
• Avoid redundancies: Do not repeat arguments unnecessarily. Each paragraph should present a new aspect of your argument.
• Multiple read-throughs: Read through your work several times and revise it to eliminate linguistic inaccuracies and logical errors.
• Get feedback: Have your work proofread by other people, such as fellow students or your supervisor. External feedback can help to discover blind spots.
• Fluent language: Aim for a fluent and readable writing style that captures the reader's interest without losing academic rigor.
• Active vs. passive voice: Preferably use the active voice to make your sentences more lively and direct. The passive sentence should only be used when the focus is on the action and not on the actor.
• Honesty in presentation: Present your results and their interpretation honestly. Distortions or concealment of data is unethical and can undermine the credibility of your work.
• Scientific responsibility: Consider the ethical implications of your research and write in such a way that your work makes a responsible contribution to the scientific debate.

By observing these principles, you ensure that your Bachelor's thesis is not only convincing in terms of content, but also in terms of language. A clear, precise and factual style is the hallmark of a good scientific paper and contributes significantly to its success.

Step 8: Strategies for motivation and writing flow

Motivation and the flow of writing (writing flow) are decisive factors in writing your Bachelor's thesis efficiently and with a good result. Many students struggle with writer's block or the feeling of not making progress. Here are some strategies to stay motivated and maintain a constant writing flow:

Overview: Strategies for motivation and writing flow

This graphic shows an overview of the strategies that help you maintain your motivation and writing flow.

Explanation: Strategies for motivation and writing flow

By applying these strategies, you can improve your motivation and writing flow, which will help you to write your Bachelor's thesis efficiently and successfully.

Setting goals and celebrating progress

• Small milestones: Set yourself realistic, daily or weekly goals, e.g. a certain number of pages or sections. Small successes motivate you and make your progress visible.
• Document your progress: Keep a record of what you have achieved. Visualized progress (e.g. in the form of a checklist or a bar chart) can be very motivating.
• Rewards: Reward yourself when you have achieved a goal, be it with a break, a snack or a leisure activity.

Develop a routine

• Fixed writing times: Establish set times for writing. A daily routine helps to maintain the flow of writing and turn work into a habit.
• Create a working environment: Create a pleasant and distraction-free workplace. Make sure you have a tidy environment in which you can concentrate.
• Rituals: Develop small rituals before writing, such as a cup of tea, a short warm-up with brainstorming or going over the last thing you wrote.

Overcome writer's block

• Free writing: If you're stuck, try to just write away without worrying about the perfect wording. It often helps to get the flow of writing going by writing down your thoughts freely.
• Mind maps and sketches: Use mind maps or outlines to organize your ideas and see more clearly how you want to proceed.
• Change topics: If you are stuck on a certain section, temporarily switch to another part of your work. Sometimes it helps to continue writing another chapter.

Breaks and self-care

• Regular breaks: Plan regular breaks to maintain your concentration. Short exercise breaks or a walk can work wonders.
• Get enough sleep: Make sure you get enough sleep to stay mentally fit and creative. Exhaustion often leads to a loss of motivation and writer's block.
• Diet and exercise: A balanced diet and regular physical activity support your mental performance and motivation.

Positive mindset

• Self-motivation: Remind yourself why you chose the topic and what significance the Bachelor's thesis has for your academic and professional career. Focus on the positive aspects of your work.
• Self-talk: Positive self-talk can help you overcome doubts and negative thoughts. Tell yourself that you are capable and well prepared.
• Visualization: Imagine yourself successfully completing and handing in your work. This visualization can have a motivating effect.

Feedback and exchange

• Get feedback: Exchange ideas with fellow students or your supervisor to get feedback. Constructive feedback can help to eliminate uncertainties and provide new motivation.
• Writing groups: Consider joining a writing group where you can motivate and support each other.

Understand writing as a process

• Allow drafts: Accept that the first draft doesn't have to be perfect. Knowing that you can revise later takes the pressure off.
• Step-by-step approach: See writing as a process that takes time. Start with rough drafts and refine them as you go.

Techniques for the flow of writing

• Pomodoro technique: Work in short, intensive sections (e.g. 25 minutes) with subsequent breaks. This promotes concentration and writing flow.
• Morning pages: Write three pages every morning on anything that comes to mind. This helps to promote the flow of writing and to clear your head for the actual work.

If you need more help with motivation and writing flow, then take a look at our pages on study strategies and learning types, for example.

Step 9: Proper citation

Writing a bachelor thesis Step 9: Correct citation

Correct citation is an essential part of academic work and serves to make the sources on which your argumentation is based transparent and to give due credit to the authors of the ideas. Errors in citation can have serious consequences, including accusations of plagiarism. These are the most important steps and rules you should follow when citing correctly. By citing carefully and correctly, you show respect for the work of other scientists and ensure the scientific quality and integrity of your own work. It is therefore advisable to familiarize yourself with the citation rules at an early stage and to apply them consistently.

Step 10: Proofreading

Proofreading is the final step before submitting your Bachelor's thesis and is crucial to ensure that your work is error-free, clear and well-structured. In this step, you not only check spelling and grammar, but also the coherence of the content and compliance with the formal requirements. Here are the most important steps for effective proofreading:

• Buffer time: Allow sufficient time for proofreading, ideally at least a week. Avoid putting this step off until the last minute to avoid stress and careless mistakes.
• Several passes: Proofreading requires several passes, each of which should focus on different aspects of the work.
• Gain distance: Take a short break of a few days after writing before you start proofreading. A little distance will help you to look at your work with fresh eyes and recognize errors more easily.
• Automatic tools: Use spelling and grammar checkers such as those built into word processing programs. Be careful, however, as these don't always catch all errors or make sensible suggestions.
• Manual checking: Read each sentence carefully and look for common errors such as missing commas, typos or incorrect sentence structure.
• Read backwards: Read paragraphs or sentences backwards (from back to front) to focus on spelling without being distracted from the content.
• Red thread: Make sure that your argumentation is logical and stringent. Each section should clearly lead to the next and the entire paper should follow a common thread.
• Coherence: Make sure that all parts of your work are consistent with each other, especially the introduction, the research question, the methodology and the conclusion.
• Citation style: Check the consistency and accuracy of your citations and bibliography. Make sure that all sources are formatted correctly and consistently.
• Formatting: Check compliance with the formal requirements of your university, such as font, font size, margins, line spacing and page numbers.
• Figures and tables: Ensure that all figures and tables are correctly numbered and labeled and that they are properly referenced in the text.
• Clarity: Revise sentences that are unclear or too complicated. The aim is to make your arguments clear and understandable.
• Remove redundancies: Delete repetitions and unnecessary repetitions. Each piece of information should only be presented clearly and concisely once.
• Active voice: Use the active voice rather than the passive voice to make your statements more dynamic and precise.
• External proofreaders: Ask friends, fellow students or family to read your work. They can spot errors that you may have missed and give you feedback on the clarity and logic of your argument.
• Professional proofreaders: If possible, also consider professional proofreading services that specialize specifically in academic papers.
• Headings: Make sure the headings are consistent and the hierarchy is clearly recognizable.
• Paragraph structure: Make sure that the paragraphs are clearly and sensibly structured. Each paragraph should express a clear idea and lead logically to the next.
• Page numbering: Check the page numbering and the correct allocation of the table of contents, list of figures and bibliography.
• Plagiarism check: Use plagiarism software to ensure that all cited sources are correct and that you have not unknowingly included any plagiarism.
• Overall impression: Read through the entire paper again to check the overall impression. Pay attention to the readability and flow of the text.
• Final changes: Make final adjustments and corrections before printing or submitting the paper.

Careful proofreading ensures that your bachelor thesis is of the highest standard in terms of language and content and makes a professional impression. It is the final but crucial step to ensure that your hard work is presented in the best possible way.

Checklist: Bachelor thesis tips

Writing your bachelor's thesis is a challenging task that requires both academic rigor and ethical integrity. Here are some important tips to help you successfully navigate the process, including advice on plagiarism checking, the use of ghostwriters and artificial intelligence (AI).

By following these tips, you can ensure that your Bachelor's thesis is not only convincing in terms of content, but also meets the formal and ethical requirements. Take the opportunity to master this challenge independently and successfully in order to grow both academically and personally.

Similar Study Guide Topics:

Writing a term paper Study strategies Learning types Studying in Munich

Is ghostwriting bachelor thesis legal?

No, ghostwriting for a Bachelor's thesis is not legal. If you submit a thesis that you did not write yourself, this is against the examination regulations and can have serious consequences such as the withdrawal of your degree.

How do I write the methodology in the Bachelor's thesis?

In the methodology of your Bachelor's thesis, describe which research approaches and methods you have chosen and why. Explain how you collected and analyzed data and show that your approach is appropriate to answer the research question. Make sure to be clear and precise so that your work is comprehensible.

Is it difficult to write a Bachelor's thesis?

It can be challenging to write a Bachelor's thesis, but with good planning and motivation it is doable.

Can you write your Bachelor's thesis in English?

Yes, you can write your Bachelor's thesis in English if your university allows it. At Munich Business School , for example, it is permitted and often happens that papers, including the Bachelor's thesis, are written in English.

In which program should I write my bachelor thesis?

It is best to write your bachelor thesis in Microsoft Word or LaTeX.

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• Honors Undergraduate Thesis
• Program Resources

Thesis Proposal Examples

The Honors Undergraduate Thesis program requires students to submit a research proposal to the Office of Honors Research prior to advancing to the Thesis semester.

Generally, a scientific research proposal will include a brief introduction to the research topic, a literature review, and a methodology that will explain how the student plans to meet the objectives of the research. A proposal in the Arts and Humanities will generally include an introduction and a creative work (e.g. screenplays, short stories, artwork) or theoretical analysis.

Students will create a signature cover page for the thesis proposal that will list the entire committee and HUT Liaison. The Thesis proposal cover page template can be found here .

The following are examples of substantially researched, properly formatted research proposals and their respective signature pages. These examples should be used for reference only and not necessarily as templates. Students should his or her Thesis Chair and committee regarding the structure of the proposal, information that should be present, and documentation style.

What is a Thesis Proposal?

A thesis proposal is a document that outlines the thesis topic, defines the issues that the thesis will address, and explains why the topic warrants further research. It should identify a problem and provide a proposed solution to that problem.

Proposals representative of the sciences (both hard sciences and social sciences) should generally include the following:

• A brief introduction, which will define the thesis topic and explain the purpose of the thesis.
• A literature review that outlines the most relevant readings and theories which pertain to the thesis topic.
• A methodology section, which should include the research questions, hypotheses, participants, materials, and procedures.
• A bibliography or reference list. Most of the sources should be from peer reviewed articles or books. As with other academic papers, the use of internet sources should be limited.

For students conducting more theoretical or comparative analyses, the structure could also take the form of chapters that define and specify each concept, and a concluding chapter that brings all of these ideas together.

For students in the arts, a proposal and thesis may take the form of a creative project. In this instance, the proposal may include:

• A brief introduction, which includes the thesis statement, general intent of project, what the project should accomplish, and justification for considering the project a legitimate endeavor.
• A literature review, which includes any supporting literature that justifies the intention of the project.
• A method for accomplishing the project. Include any necessary background or equipment needed for the project, where the project will be conducted, and a proposed timeline for completion.
• A bibliography or reference list.

An alternative structure would be for students who are writing their own short stories, novellas, or screenplays.

Here, the thesis should include a clear mastery of the skill set by producing chapters of the novella, poetry selections, or the working/final screenplay. [/accordion-item][/accordion]

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Thesis examples.

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At this point in your college career you are probably most used to projects that can be completed in the span of one semester. Your thesis project will likely span multiple semesters and may be larger than any project you’ve taken on in the past. For those reasons alone, it’s important to look at examples.

Examples can also help you:

• Learn about potential topics
• Think creatively and reflectively about your interests and how you will contribute to your field
• Determine scope and scale of an Honors thesis (as opposed to a Master’s thesis or Doctoral dissertation)
• Identify potential thesis supervisors
• Understand methods that may be beneficial in completing your thesis

There are two ways to search:

• UConn’s Open Commons contains many recent Honors theses.
• by author’s last name
• by author’s major
• by thesis supervisor
• by the thesis supervisor’s department

If a thesis is available in Open Commons, the title will be hyperlinked within the above PDF files.  Hard copy theses from and 2019 are currently stored in the Honors Program office but are moving soon to the Archives.  Theses from 2018 and older are in the University Archives located at the Dodd Research Center. If you wish to see an older thesis, you must make arrangements through Betsy Pittman at the University Archives Office.

Thesis from 2020 and newer are not available for viewing. They would only be available if the author posted it to Open Commons and it was linked in the PDF’s above.

Note: Questions about the PDFs may be directed to the Honors Program Office .

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• Senior Thesis Writing Guides

The senior thesis is typically the most challenging writing project undertaken by undergraduate students. The writing guides below aim to introduce students both to the specific methods and conventions of writing original research in their area of concentration and to effective writing process.

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How to choose a thesis topic

• Fear of failure
• Perfectionism
• Procrastination
• Relationship with your supervisor
• Stress Management
• Time Management
• Writer’s block
• Thesis bookshelf

Criteria to help you decide

Choose a topic you like.

This may be the most important criteria. It is often not an easy decision and requires time you have to invest in order to decide on your topic. Your (quality of) life will be much better if the hours spend on your project are spent enjoyably. What’s more, the quality of your research, writing, and arguments will be much better if you feel a genuine passion for your work. Choose a topic you find both fascinating and significant.

Seek feedback

Discuss your ideas with peers and others, make your ideas explicit and seek feedback. Know that the thesis is a major project, but it isn’t your life’s research. Adequate feedback should help you narrow down your topic to realistic proportions.

Consider your future career

Select a topic that will be helpful in your career path. If your goal is an academic career, pick a topic that you can easily modify into journal articles and maybe lends itself well to future research. If you are going into industry, choose a topic that will make you more marketable.

Select a manageable topic

Use the expertise you have gained in you study and avoid exploring a completely new idea. Do your research and find a topic that fits into existing bodies of literature, but that builds upon theory and expands it. In doing so make sure this topic has not been done before. Finally; think carefully before you choose a controversial topic, think carefully about whether it might restrict your employment, tenure, or publishing opportunities.

Theoretical background

A simplified but very usable technique based on this theory consists of listing the advantages and disadvantages of each option. The list will result in a T-model in which you indicate all the positive points of an alternative on the left side and all the negative points on the right side. Subsequently, you value each aspect by grading it with a number. Eventually, you count the numbers together for the two lists and you will see directly whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Questions to ask yourself

• What are my major interests?
• What major personal experience relative to my discipline do I have?
• What courses were most exciting?
• What theories and concepts are interesting?
• What do I want to avoid?
• What data do I need?
• What research methods do I like?
• What are my career goals? (Articulate and answer your individual questions too.)

Otto Taborsky model

The following model by Otto Taborsky displays stages you should go through while choosing your thesis topic.

• Realise you have to choose
• Accept the uncertainty of the decision you will have to make
• Freely explore
• Make a decision
• Execution of your decision

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The Thesis Process

The thesis is an opportunity to work independently on a research project of your own design and contribute to the scholarly literature in your field. You emerge from the thesis process with a solid understanding of how original research is executed and how to best communicate research results. Many students have gone on to publish their research in academic or professional journals.

To ensure affordability, the per-credit tuition rate for the 8-credit thesis is the same as our regular course tuition. There are no additional fees (regular per-credit graduate tuition x 8 credits).

Below are the steps that you need to follow to fulfill the thesis requirement. Please know that through each step, you will receive guidance and mentorship.

1. Meet with Your Research Advisor

Upon admission to the program, set up an introductory meeting with your Research Advisor to discuss potential thesis topics as well as course selections that can support your thesis path. 

When you have completed between 24 and 32 credits, you work more intensively with your assigned Research Advisor to determine a specific thesis topic.

Log in to MyDCE , then ALB/ALM Community to schedule an appointment with your assigned Research Advisor via the Degree Candidate Portal.

Failure to work with your Research Advisor initially and then more intensively may result in your Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) Application not being approved (see below) and/or the selection of a different thesis topic.  

Thesis Topic Selection Guidelines

Every effort is made to support research interests that are grounded in your ALM course work, but faculty guidance is not available for all possible projects. Therefore, revision or a change of thesis topic may be necessary.

• The above point about topic selection is particularly pertinent to scientific research (e.g., biology) that is dependent upon laboratory space, project funding, and access to private databases.
• This point is also critical for our candidates in ALM, liberal arts fields (i.e., anthropology, English, government, history, international relations, psychology, and religion) who are required to have Harvard faculty direct their thesis projects. Review Harvard’s course catalog online ( My.Harvard.edu ) to be sure that there are faculty teaching courses related to your thesis topic. If faculty are not available, you will need to choose an alternative topic.
• Your topic choice must be a new area of research for you. You cannot re-purpose prior research. If you want to draw or expand upon your own previously written scholarship for a small portion of your thesis, you need to obtain the explicit permission of your research advisor and cite the work in both the proposal and thesis. Violations of this policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

We’ve put together this guide  to help frame your thinking about thesis topic selection.

While it is natural to follow your interests in selecting a thesis topic, it is important to avoid choosing a topic where your own passions might produce insurmountable biases and assumptions. A thesis is not a piece of advocacy work where you are out to prove something that you already believe. Thesis projects must take a fair and balanced stance by bringing in differing points of view from respected scholars in the field. 

2. Prepare Your Crafting the Thesis Proposal Application

Once you and your Research Advisor have confirmed your thesis topic, the next step in the process is to prepare and submit the CTP Application in order to gain registration approval for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course.

The CTP Application process confirms that you have done enough prior reading and thinking about your thesis topic to generate a pertinent and answerable research question. Pre-CTP preparation is critical as it helps to ensure that you will benefit from and succeed in the CTP.

Application Approvals and Denials. Your Research Advisor will provide feedback on your CTP Application.  If your application is not approved after 3 submissions, your Research Advisor cannot approve your CTP registration. 

If not approved, you’ll need to take additional time for further revisions and submit a new CTP Application during the next CTP submission cycle (if your five-year degree completion date allows).

Application Eligibility Requirements. To be eligible to submit a CTP Application, you need to (1) be in good standing and (2) have completed a minimum of 32 degree-applicable credits, including the research methods/statistics and Engaging in Scholarly Conversation requirement, if required for your field.

Advising Note for Psychology Candidates View More

Students in psychology sometimes face difficulty securing necessary IRB approvals for certain projects. For this reason, Research Advisors will not approve proposals that raise significant concerns about feasibility. Such concerns include cases where projects would require the researcher to possess a level of expertise or experience exceeding documented capabilities, as well as instances where the researcher is unlikely to be able to obtain appropriate faculty supervision for a proposed topic, question, method, or procedure. You must schedule an appointment with your Research Advisor at least three months in advance of the CTP Application deadlines to discuss potential research projects to ensure adequate time for assistance in developing a viable project idea.

Advising Note for Biology and former Biotechnology and Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Candidates View More

Thesis projects in these fields are designed to support ongoing scientific research happening in Harvard University, other academic institutions, or life science industry labs and usually these are done under the direction of a principal investigator (PI). Hence, you need to have a thesis director approved by your research advisor  prior  to submitting CTP Application. Your CTP Application is then framed by the lab’s research. Schedule an appointment with your research advisor a few months in advance of the CTP Application deadlines in order to discuss potential research projects and thesis director assignment.

The CTP Application is sent to our central email box:  [email protected] by the following firm deadlines:

• June 1 for fall CTP
• November 1 for spring CTP.  
• September 1 for the three-week January session (ALM sustainability candidates only)
• International sustainability students who need a student visa to attend Harvard Summer School must be officially admitted to the degree program before February 1, must submit the CTP Application on February 1, and must register for the CTP course on March 1 in order to submit timely I-20 paperwork. See international students guidelines for more information.

3. Register and Successfully Complete Crafting the Thesis Proposal

Once your CTP Application is approved, you register for the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP) tutorial or course as you would any other degree requirement.

The goal of the CTP is to produce a complete, well-written draft of a proposal containing all of the sections required by your Research Advisor. Creating an academically strong thesis proposal sets the foundation for a high-quality thesis and helps garner the attention of a well-respected thesis director.

Thesis proposals typically include approximately 15 to 20 pages of text, in addition to any required reference sections, such as bibliographies and glossary/definition of terms.

Tutorial experience. The fall and spring CTP  tutorials are not courses in the traditional sense. Although there will be assignments for you to complete during the CTP, with due dates, and there will be times when you and your classmates meet as a group with your Research Advisor, there won’t be a regularly scheduled class meeting time for the CTP. 

The main work for the CTP will consist of your working independently on your proposal with your Research Advisor by submitting multiple drafts and scheduling individual appointments.

Grading. You need to make self-directed progress on the proposal without special prompting from the research advisor. You receive a final grade of SAT or UNSAT (failing grade).

You are expected to incorporate all of your Research Advisor’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong proposal leading to a thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your Research Advisor, follow directions, or produce an acceptable proposal, you will not pass the CTP.

The CTP for sustainability is a three-week course in the traditional sense and you receive a letter grade, and it must be B- or higher to receive degree credit for the course.

Academic Integrity. Successful CTP completion also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our academic integrity guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

Maximum of two attempts . If you don’t pass the CTP, you’ll have — if your five-year, degree-completion date allows — just one more attempt to complete the CTP before being required to withdraw from the program. If you fail the CTP just once and have no more time to complete the degree, your candidacy will automatically expire. Please note that a WD grade counts as an attempt.

If by not passing the CTP you fall into poor academic standing, you will need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before enrolling in the CTP for your second and final time, but only if your five-year, degree-completion date allows. If you have no more time on your five-year clock, you will be required to withdraw from the program.

Human Subjects

If your thesis, regardless of field, will involve the use of human subjects (e.g., interviews, surveys, observations), you will need to have your research vetted by the  Committee on the Use of Human Subjects  (CUHS) of Harvard University. Please review the IRB Lifecycle Guide located on the CUHS website. Your research advisor will help you prepare a draft copy of the project protocol form that you will then finalize with your thesis director to send to the CUHS. 

Given the amount of time that can be required for IRB review, drafting of the required CUHS project protocol forms need to be started with your Research Advisor during the CTP tutorial, before a thesis director has been assigned.

4. Post-CTP Proposal Approval, Thesis Director Assignment, and Registration

Successfully completion of the CTP means you have completed a well-written full draft proposal. Ordinarily, this full draft is not a final accepted proposal. Most students reach the final accepted proposal stage by submitting additional changes and edits to their RA post-CTP.

Post-CTP Changes and Edits Deadline. We expect you to work diligently and quickly with your RA post-CTP to move from full draft to final proposal stage. Indeed, you should have an approved final proposal and be registered in the thesis soon after CTP completion, within weeks, but no later than 3 months. You cannot delay. If you take longer than 3 months after the CTP to register for the thesis, you may be required to retake the CTP.

Thesis Director Assignment. Once your RA has determined that your draft has reached the final proposal stage, you move to the thesis director assignment stage. The Research Advisor places you with a thesis director by sending out your final proposal to prospective Thesis Directors.

Do not approach faculty to ask about directing your thesis.  You may suggest names of any potential Thesis Directors to your Research Advisor, but it must be the Research Advisor who makes contact with them. (If they are eligible/available to direct your thesis, after you have an approved thesis proposal.) You are not permitted to approach faculty to ask them about directing your thesis. The decision of your Research Advisor regarding the appointment of your Thesis Director is binding.

Registration. When a Thesis Director has been identified or the thesis proposal has been fully vetted by the preassigned life science Thesis Director, you will receive a letter of authorization from the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs officially approving your thesis work and providing you with instructions on how to register for the eight-credit master’s thesis. The letter will also have a tentative graduation date as well as four mandatory thesis submission dates (see Thesis Timetable below).

When registering for the thesis, you will have two weeks to pay in full.  This is an eight-credit course, so be sure to have the necessary funds available when you register.

You must be good academic standing to register for the thesis. If not, you’ll need to complete additional courses to bring your GPA up to the 3.0 minimum prior to registration.

Thesis Submission Deadlines and Graduation Timetable

The thesis is a 9-to-12-month project that begins after the Crafting the Thesis Proposal (CTP); when your Research Advisor has approved your proposal and identified a Thesis Director.

The date for the appointment of your Thesis Director determines the graduation cycle that will be automatically assigned to you:

As you can see above, you do not submit your thesis all at once at the end, but in four phases: (1) complete draft to TD, (2) final draft to RA for format review and academic integrity check, (3) format approved draft submitted to TD for grading, and (4) upload your 100% complete graded thesis to ETDs.

Due dates for all phases for your assigned graduation cycle cannot be missed.  You must submit materials by the date indicated by 5 PM EST (even if the date falls on a weekend). If you are late, you will not be able to graduate during your assigned cycle.

If you need additional time to complete your thesis, you need to formally request an extension by emailing that petition to:  [email protected] .  Regardless of when you started, the maximum allotted time to complete your thesis, including any granted extensions of time is 12 months.

Advising Tip to Meet Your Five-Year Deadline: The last possible time you can register for the CTP to meet your five-year deadline date is the fall term two years prior or, if a sustainability student, in the January session one year prior. It is not, however, recommended to wait this long. Indeed, it is vigorously discouraged.

For example, if your five-year deadline is May 2026:

• Complete the CTP in fall 2024 (or in January 2025, if a sustainability student)
• Be assigned a Thesis Director (TD) in March/April 2025
• Begin the 9–12-month thesis project with TD
• Submit a complete draft of your thesis to your TD by February 1, 2026
• Follow through with all other submission deadlines (April 1, April 15 and May 1 — see table above)
• Graduate in May 2026

5. Working with Your Thesis Director

You must work diligently and independently, following the advice of your Thesis Director in a consistent, regular manner equivalent to full-time academic work to complete both the research and the writing phases of your thesis by your required timeline.

You are expected to incorporate all of your Thesis Director’s feedback and be fully committed to producing an academically strong thesis worthy of a Harvard degree. If you are unable to take advice from your Thesis Director, follow directions, or produce an acceptable scholarly thesis product, you will not receive a passing grade.

You are required to produce at least 50 pages of text (not including front matter and appendices). Chapter topics (e.g., introduction, background, methods, findings, conclusion) vary by field.

Once registered in the thesis, we will do a 3-month check-in with you and your Thesis Director to ensure progress is being made. If your Thesis Director reports little to no progress, the Dean of Academic Programs reserves the right to issue a thesis not complete (TNC) grade (see Thesis Grading below).

6. Thesis Template, Format Review, and Academic Integrity Check

All ALM thesis projects must written in Microsoft Word and follow a specific Harvard Extension School format. A properly formatted thesis is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without it.

You are required to use the Extension School  ALM Thesis Template  or the Extension School ALM Thesis Template for Creative Writing  (specifically designed for creative writing degree candidates). The template has all the mandatory thesis formatting built in.

Besides saving you a considerable amount of time as you write your thesis, the template ensures that your submitted thesis meets the mandatory style guidelines for margins, font, title page, table of contents, and chapter headings. If you use the template, format review should go smoothly, if not, a delayed graduation is highly likely.

Your Research Advisor will complete the format review  prior  to submitting your thesis to your Thesis Director for final grading according to the Thesis Timetable (see above).

Academic Integrity. Format review also includes a check on the proper use of sources according to our  academic integrity  guidelines. Violations of our academic integrity policy will be referred to the Administrative Board.

7. Mandatory Thesis Archiving

Once your thesis is finalized, meaning that the required grade has been earned and all edits have been completed, you must upload your thesis to Harvard University’s electronic thesis and dissertation submission system (ETDs).

Uploading your thesis ETDs is an explicit degree requirement; you cannot graduate without completing this step. Furthermore, no changes to the thesis are allowed once it has been graded and archived in ETDs.

The thesis project will be sent to several downstream systems:

• Your work will be preserved using Harvard’s digital repository DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard).
• Metadata about your work will be sent to HOLLIS (the Harvard Library catalog).
• Your work will be preserved in Harvard Library’s DRS2 (digital preservation repository).

By submitting work through ETDs @ Harvard you will be signing the Harvard Author Agreement. This license does not constrain your rights to publish your work subsequently. You retain all intellectual property rights.

For more information on Harvard’s open access initiatives, we recommend you view the Director of the Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC), Peter Suber’s brief introduction .

Thesis Grading

You need to earn a grade of B- or higher in the thesis. If you fail to complete substantial work on the thesis, you will earn a grade of TNC (thesis not complete). If you have already earned two withdrawal grades, the TNC grade will count as a zero in your cumulative GPA.

If you earn a grade below B-, you will need to petition the Administrative Board for permission to attempt the thesis for a second and final time. The petition process is only available if you are in good academic standing and your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time. Your candidacy will automatically expire if you do not successfully complete the thesis by your required date.

If approved for a second attempt, you may be required to develop a new proposal on a different topic by re-enrolling in the CTP and being assigned a different thesis director. Tuition for the second attempt is calculated at the current year’s rate.

If by not passing the thesis you fall into poor academic standing, you’ll need to take additional degree-applicable courses to return to good standing before re-engaging with the thesis process for the second and final time. This is only an option if your five-year, degree-completion date allows for more time.

The Board only reviews cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the successful completion of the thesis.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

Project Ideas for Bachelor/Master/PhD theses

The key to a successful Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. thesis is an interesting topic. Ideally, your supervisor has an inspiring idea, but if not, free to browse through the following ideas. If you choose one of the ideas, please attribute the author of the idea when writing your thesis.

Also, have a look at our list of ‘hot’ research topics . You won’t find specific research projects there, but a general overview of interesting sub-disciplines within recommender-systems.

If you are a researcher and would like to present some of your ideas, please contact us . We need from you

• Short 1-3 paragraph description
• Link to a more comprehensive description if available
• Details on whether you might be interested in co-supervising, or if you just want the idea to be listed here hoping that someone will use it (without further input from your side).

It’s Time to Consider Time in Recommender-System Research

Suggested by: Prof Joeran Beel, Trinity College Dublin (interested in co-supervision)

Recommender-system evaluation is an actively discussed topic in the recommender-system community. Discussions include advantages and disadvantages of evaluation methods such as online evaluations, offline evaluations, and user studies [1–4]; the ideal metrics to measure recommendation effectiveness [5–8]; and ensuring reproducibility [9–11]. Over the last years, several workshops about recommender-system evaluation were held and journals published several special issues [11–14]. An issue that has received (too) little attention is the question if presenting results as a single number is sufficient or if metrics should be presented for time intervals. Typically, researchers calculate a few metrics for each algorithm (e.g. precision p , normalized discounted cumulative gain nDCG , root mean square error RMSE , mean absolute error MAE , coverage c , or serendipity s ). For each metric, they present a single number such as p = 0.38, MAE = 1.02 , or c = 97% , i.e. the metrics are calculated based on all data available. Hence, the metrics express how well an algorithm performed on average over the period of data collection, which is often rather long. For instance, the data in the MovieLens 20m dataset was collected over ten years [15]. This means, when a researcher reports that an algorithm has e.g. an RMSE of 0.82 on the MovieLens dataset, the algorithm had that RMSE on average over ten years.  

We argue that presenting a single number that expresses the overall average is problematic as an average provides only a broad and static view of the data. If someone was asked how an algorithm had performed over time – i.e. before, during, and after the data collection period, the best guess, based on a single number, would be that the algorithm had the same effectiveness all the time. We argue that such assumptions are naïve, as many algorithms’ effectiveness is not stable over time. It is well known that the effectiveness of many recommendation algorithms depends on the number of users, items, and ratings as well as algorithm’s parameters such as neighborhood size or user model size [16–19].

We propose that, instead of a single number, recommender-systems researchers should present metrics for time series, i.e. each metric should be calculated for a certain interval of the data collection period, e.g. for every day, week, or month. This will allow to gain more information about an algorithm’s effectiveness over time, identify trends, make better predictions on how an algorithm will perform in the future, and hence to make more meaningful conclusions on which algorithms to deploy in a recommender system.

Read more: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319349809_It’s_Time_to_Consider_Time_when_Evaluating_Recommender-System_Algorithms_Proposal

User Interfaces for Recommender-Systems

User Interfaces can have a major impact on user satisfaction with a website or application. This is well known, and researched, in many disciplines like search engines. It is also acknowledged in the recommender-system community that user interfaces may have an impact on user satisfaction. However, empirical evidence how strong this impact may be, is rare.

Your task would be to implement different user interfaces in our recommender-system as-a-service Darwin & Goliath , and A/B test how the interfaces affect e.g. click-through rate and other KPIs.

Meta-Learned Algorithm Selection for Machine Learning, Information Retrieval or NLP Systems

We recently presented the idea of a “macro recommender system”, and “micro recommender system” respectively. Both systems can be considered as a recommender system for recommendation or machine learning algorithms. A macro recommender system recommends the potentially best performing recommendation algorithm to an organization that wants to build a recommender system. This way, an organization does not need to test dozens or even more algorithms to find the best one for their particular platform (e.g. a news website or digital library). A micro recommender system recommends the potentially best-performing recommendation algorithm for each individual recommendation request. This proposal is based on the premise that there is no single-best algorithm for all type of users, items, and contexts. For instance, a micro recommender system might recommend using algorithm A when recommendations for an elderly male user in the evening should be created. When recommendations for a young female user in the morning should be given, the micro recommender system might recommend a different algorithm. Please read here for more details https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322138236_A_MacroMicro_Recommender_System_for_Recommendation_Algorithms_Proposal

Deep Citation Proximity: Learning Citation-Based Document Relatedness for Uncited Documents

n this project, you will train a deep neural network — probably a Siamese Neural Network — to learn how related two documents are. The training will be based on co-citations as ground truth. By doing this project, you will gain advanced knowledge in machine learning as well as recommender systems. This project can be done in the context of a recommender system for research papers, or in the context of a recommender system for websites (websites in general, or Wikipedia, or news…).

To learn more about this project, please read this proposal:  https://www.aclweb.org/anthology/2020.wosp-1.1.pdf

AutoRecSys/AutoIR/AutoNLP: Automated Recommender Systems / Information Retrieval / Natural Language Processing

In recent years, the AutoML (Automated Machine Learning) community has made huge advances in automating the entire machine learning pipeline, including algorithm selection and configuration. The recommender-systems and information-retrieval communities, and to some extent the NLP community, have fallen behind when it comes to optimizing and automating their workflows.

The goal of this project would be to transfer the tools and methods from AutoML to RecSys (AutoRecSys), IR (AutoIR), or Natural Language Processing (AutoNLP). The outcome could be new/enhanced recommendation/IR/NLP frameworks similar to AutoWEKA or AutoScikit-learn, or simply methods and strategies to automatically select and configure recsys/IR/NLP algorithms.

A very simple strategy could be: Take an existing framework, e.g. Mahout or http://surpriselib.com/ , identify the best algorithm configurations for a number of datasets (take results e.g. from Kaggle competitions; or run various algorithms and parameters yourself), and create kind of a dictionary. If a user later wants to run the library on dataset x, the new framework recommends the configuration that has been best before. of course, ideally, this would not be a dictionary but a meta-learning approach.

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How to Choose an Undergraduate Architecture Thesis Topic

• Written by Suneet Zishan Langar
• Published on September 11, 2017

As architecture students head to their final year of BArch, half-crazy from years’ worth of scraped fingers, ghastly juries, sleepless nights, and a general lack of social life, they encounter the mighty problem of choosing a thesis topic. There are many subjects to choose from, but a personal interest in a particular subject is just one of the many factors that should influence this decision. Students need to ask themselves several other questions: Is the topic significant enough? Is it expansive enough? Is the project realistically doable?

The process can be daunting, for the decision has many consequences; sometimes, the choice of topic alone can mean the difference between the success and failure of a thesis. With so many factors to consider and deadlines closing in, students easily end up making decisions that they regret later. Here are eight tips to help you make an informed choice on the matter:

1. Dare to Be Un original

Thesis work at the undergraduate level strongly differs from that at the graduate or doctoral level, and it is important to understand the rationale behind its inclusion in the curriculum. Work at the graduate or doctoral level usually asks for the identification of a “gap in existing knowledge” about a subject and an original proposal to bridge that gap, but the expectations of an undergraduate student are less demanding. This means that you don’t necessarily have to go out of your way to be innovative at the undergraduate level. Choosing a simple unoriginal topic but executing it in a way that exhibits all the knowledge you’ve acquired in college will also do the trick.

2. Choose a Topic that Personally Interests You

With your peers picking varied topics and schedules, this year will be lonesome; the most you will have for company on an average day is a drawing board, your laptop, some books, and coffee. You will find yourself routinely getting distracted by Buzzfeed ’s latest video on Youtube or the cool new Drake track. Choosing a topic that you’re passionate about will make sure that you stay inspired and motivated to work, which should ultimately result in a great final project.

3. Set Your Scope Small

Many students give in to the natural temptation to do too much by picking topics or issues that are too expansive, and therefore almost impossible to execute in a short time-frame. A tip would be to start with the simplest version of a topic and add in extra complexity later if the circumstances allow it.

4. Recognize What You’re Good at

Every student possesses a unique set of skills and abilities which they’ve acquired through their experiences and by following their interests. No one is good at everything. An unbiased understanding of your creative and technical capacities and their limits thereof will allow you to choose a topic that best employs your expertise.

5. Is There Enough Existing Literature on the Topic?

A thesis project requires an enormous amount of reading and analysis before the beginning of the design process, and the primary source of reference information for an undergraduate student is usually existing studies or research. Hence, it makes sense to choose an area of study where a substantial amount of previous work exists. The availability of such work will enable you to analyze, compare, draw conclusions, and employ the knowledge gained to suggest an informed proposal.

6. Strike a Balance Between Art and Science

Architecture students dig themselves a grave when they begin to romanticize their thesis projects. It is hard to blame them, however, when you consider that the thesis project is viewed as the culmination of a multi-year program which is rooted as deeply in art and theory as it is in building technology. But it’s imperative to find a topic that is a balance of the two. A topic that seems too abstract might make it difficult for a jury to ascertain a student’s understanding of tangible issues.

7. What Do You Want to Do in the Future?

The thesis project is the single most important part of your portfolio as a fresh architecture graduate looking for a job in the industry or applying for a graduate program. The choice of topic will reflect your interest in or experience with a particular specialized subject. Hence, when choosing a thesis topic, you should try to align it with your plans for the near future.

8. Aim to Solve a Real World Problem

While there are many wide-ranging opinions about architecture’s ideal role in society, there is a general agreement that an architect’s work does influence how a society functions and evolves. In a world that is grappling with myriad serious issues like climate change, population growth, and an inequitable distribution of resources, it benefits young architecture students to acquaint themselves with the larger picture, and to choose a topic that at least aims to solve a current socio-environmental problem through a design intervention.

• Sustainability

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如何选择建筑学毕业论文题目

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What makes a Bachelor's thesis different from Master's and PhD theses? [duplicate]

All the three types of research revolve around an argument, a thesis. They of course differ in terms of student level, that is complexity.

But, what makes a bachelor's thesis different from master's and PhD theses in terms of procedures of researching given that all of them may follow the same process of research, questions or hypotheses, review of the literature, methodology, results and discussion?

• research-process
• research-undergraduate

• 13 In a bachelor thesis you are usually not expected to expand the existing body of human knowledge in contrast to a PhD. Bachelor theses are closer to literature reviews. –  Marc Claesen Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 9:08
• 1 I see what you meant but I'm not really convinced. Concerning the contribution to human knowledge, I think this depends on whether the thesis is innovative. If an undergraduate thesis is genuine, it can be published in a respectable academic journal. In that case, it would expand existing body of human knowledge. Concerning its similarity with literature reviews, how can it be similar if the literature review is but a chapter of the thesis? –  EasternRiver Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 10:26
• 5 You are very unlikely to do anything really innovative as a BA, unless you just happen to be lucky to be working in a very new field, or under a very, very good mentor. The idea that you're going to make a meaningful contribution to some well established, famous open problem at 22 is really, really low. –  user10636 Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 12:00
• 2 A PhD thesis requires original research, a master's does not required it, and a bachelor's thesis ... they just do assignments. –  Philip Gibbs Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 15:25
• 6 This graphic is a bit instructive: An illustrated guide to a Ph.D. –  Matthew G. Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 16:37

3 Answers 3

The PhD thesis should be on a much higher level than the Honours/Masters thesis, offering a contribution to human knowledge that is of a sufficient level of "significance" to warrant publication in a respected journal.

Significance is highly subjective, and you also do not necessarily have to publish to be awarded the PhD (sometimes the peer-review delay means that they come out afterwards, or there may be some intellectual property issues that make it beneficial to refrain from publication). It is awarded based on your supervisors consent and a review of academics in your field. So the "significance" would probably be judged by them in terms of how much original work they see as a reasonable expectation at that stage of your development (first 3 years of serious/committed research). Unfortunately it also means that some people who probably do not deserve PhD's are awarded them anyway for fulfilling grunt work for their easy-going supervisors.

It is possible that some Honours/Masters thesis might even be more significant/higher quality than a PhD thesis. Unfortunately, this does not mean that the submission of the thesis will award the degree that they deserve. The university may have a policy to upgrade the student's enrolment if the supervisor senses that such progress is being made. However, it is impossible to upgrade to a PhD without completing Honours and I believe nearly every single university has a policy of a minimum period of enrolment before submission is allowed. A subsequent question that you may have is how to gain a PhD without enrolling in one, which is another level of achievement completely.

As for the difference between Honours/Bachelor and Masters it would depend on your university, but both have no requirement for publication quality research and are usually small tasks/ideas that are not worth the supervisors time to think about alone, or involve a lot of labor. In fact, in my school, many Honours thesis are of a higher level than the Masters, because the smart Honours students will either graduate into the work force or go straight into a PhD. The Masters students are usually those who cannot find a job and are not suited to research. However, I believe some other universities may require a mandatory Masters degree to start the PhD.

You may get a better idea by looking at some titles/abstracts of completed theses. The PhD level will be something like a new method/observation/application whereas the Masters/Honours will be an application specific set of measurements/simulations or even simply a literature review to gauge the needs of future work. The word limits are also typically different (although note that quality is NOT proportional to the number of words), with PhD at 100K, Masters at 50K and Honours at 30K at my university.

Go back to basic definitions... In history of university degrees (500 years ago)

A bachelors degree is about learning existing knowledge. Historically from the book(s) written by the univ staff.

A masters degree, after you have learnt what is already known and in books in your topic area, is about learning evolving knowledge - that is near recent and current literature in academic journals and conference presentations.

A doctorate degree is about creating new knowledge by research.

So it is now easy to understand a thesis/dissertation for each degree.

A bachelors degree should be a critique of existing knowledge, often looking for inconsistencies in view points from different sources and synthesising arguments or positions in a DISSERTATION )that is you disserting !

A masters thesis (thesis is Greek for 'I believe') can be either an assembly of new knowledge from new published research or simply a critique and integration. It might have propositions (not hypotheses) that the masters student offers as a conclusion from bringing together new knowledge from different sources.

A doctoral thesis is where the author undertakes research, usually collecting primary new data which is presented as both factual findings and conceptual findings and thus new knowledge in the form of a new model or theory. Also possible, is to challenge existing knowledge and show earlier published knowledge is invalid.

Well that's what they all should be. In practice there is some overlap and different universities and faculties have their own custom and practice. It all starts to break down about 40 years ago when a masters degree become post graduate in time rather than post graduate in level. Thus engineers with a bachelor degree might take an MBA to make them more employable and did more a less a bachelor degree in business in 18 months rather than 3 years as they were already a graduate.

But still thinking in the above categories can help students today focus on the overall agenda.

I have examined over 55 PhD theses. And several hundred masters theses and I base my approach to assessment on the above.

Prof Peter Woolliams, B.Sc(hons), B.A., PhD, Emeritus professor, Anglian Ruskin College Cambridge, U K

• Your answer is very clear. However, I have come across many Bachelor's and especially Master's theses following the processes of research. personally, I am writing my Bachelor's thesis. I've followed the same of research. Specifically I've used online ethnography, collected data through participant observation and interviews, and trying to analyze data through constant comparative method. My supervisor did not impose this on me, but students have to follow the processes of research, literature review, data collection and analysis and discussion, etc. I really wonder if I am doing it wrong. –  EasternRiver Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 20:51
• 1 As I said, many units and supervisor have their local specific requirements, peter –  Prof Peter Woolliams Commented Mar 30, 2014 at 10:14

Roughly speaking, there are three levels of tasks:

• Application

For a Bachelor's thesis, you would only expect 1 and 2, that is the student should do something (e.g. solve a well-defined problem) with the knowledge they have aquired during their studies.

For Master's thesis, you would want to have a non-trivial amount of 3, that is the student should transfer the competences aquired during studies to new problems. This usually includes (more) extensive literature research.

A formal difference that (imho) derives from the above is volume; Bachelor's theses typically award less credits than Master's theses and should thus take up less time and fewer pages.

• 1 Note that excellent students will often move to 3 in their Bachelor's thesis and on to independent research in their Master's thesis. That's fair, encouraged even, but should by no means be required. –  Raphael Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 14:26

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged phd research-process masters research-undergraduate .

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Bachelor's project.

The Bachelor's Thesis is the final part of the programme and is usually carried out in the sixth semester (2018 regulations). During the thesis, students will gain initial experience in the independent solution of a technical-scientific problem by applying the acquired specialist and social skills.

Bachelor's theses are supervised by a professor of the Department (including adjunct professors) or by a Download professor associated with the Department (PDF, 97 KB) . Most theses are carried out under the guidance of, and in close contact with, a PhD student of the supervising professor.

A Bachelor's Thesis should take about half of a student's time during one semester, i.e., about 300-400 hours and usually has a duration of 14 weeks. The thesis includes an oral presentation and a written report, and it is graded. Before starting, the project must be registered in myStudies ("Projects/papers/theses").

Semester project, bachelor's and master's thesis offers at D-ITET:

If projects are taken, sometimes related projects may be available. Often, labs are willing to customize a project to match the students' interests. Where bachelor's theses are not clearly advertised, it is advisable to search for topics for semester projects and ask about the possibility of working on them as a bachelor's thesis. Many labs welcome students' own ideas for projects.

An overview of the labs that offer bachelor's, semester and Master's theses can be found on the page of the master programme.

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Bachelor thesis or Bachelor's thesis

During my final year at university, I wrote what I thought was a "bachelor thesis". Right before printing it I stumbled upon several documents stating the name "bachelor's thesis". (Here we do not call it a dissertation just yet, so this question is only about the possessive bachelor's vs. bachelor .) A couple of Google search queries later, I had not found out which of these terms is correct. Which should I use?

• word-choice
• differences

• 2 It's a master's thesis and a doctoral thesis. Going by these, it should be a bachelor's thesis or a bacheloral thesis . Except bacheloral isn't a word. What is the adjective form for bachelor? Oh, it's bachelor. So by analogy, it's either a bachelor's thesis or a bachelor thesis . I think both should be fine. –  Peter Shor Commented Jul 19, 2012 at 16:06

4 Answers 4

First off, I would mimic the term that your university uses. Does that give you a satisfactory resolution? (Or are they inconsistent in their use?)

If not, do you use the full term "Bachelor of Arts" or "Bachelor of Science" in your thesis title? If so, you don't need the apostrophe s (and you should capitalize the words as indicated). However, if you are referring to the degree program more informally, then I think you should use "bachelor's thesis." ( See this Wikipedia entry in which bachelor's is used throughout.)

Also, the Associated Press Styleguide has these guidelines for Academic Degrees:

• Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc.
• There is no apostrophe in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.

I think that would apply to bachelor's thesis as well.

• Inconsistency is the problem. I have seen both versions come up, so it's not about being correct with respect to the university, it's more a question of my curiosity. As BA/BSc is concerned, we do not distinguish between them, we're simply bachelors. I read through some style guides, but none of them address theses specifically, so I was not sure about its application based on "bachelor's degree" and other uses. So your implication may or may not be correct. Still it's the closest I got to a backed answer. –  Ondrej Commented May 10, 2012 at 10:25

In some countries/universities, the word "thesis" or a cognate is used as part of a bachelor's or master's course, while "dissertation" is normally applied to a doctorate, while in others, the reverse is true.

In USA and Canada,

• Research-based papers presented as the final empirical study of a bachelor with honours (honors) degree are normally called bachelor thesis or honours thesis (in USA, "thesis" is in more commonly use).
• Major papers presented as the final project for a master's degree are normally called thesis .
• Major papers presenting the student's research towards a doctoral degree are called theses or dissertations .

In Germany,

• A bachelor's thesis is often 40–60 pages long, other theses are usually even longer.
• The required submission for the doctorate is called a Dissertation or Doktorarbeit.

• 4 1) This does not address my issue at all. As I said, it's not about thesis/dissertation, regional specifics, ..., it's only about the first word of the term. 2) The whole answer is only a compilation of excerpts from the "Thesis" Wikipedia entry. Don't worry, read that already. –  Ondrej Commented May 10, 2012 at 10:19
• Ahem... I double-checked Mac's Oxford dictionaries and they confirm that "thesis" is singular and "theses" is plural; your answer suggests a semantic difference. I've suggested a minimal edit to make the answer consistent with this. –  Blaisorblade Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 15:07

As I understand it, you are the bachelor (or at least the bachelor candidate) by virtue of being on the course, and the thesis is yours, so bachelor's thesis is the correct way to go.

On the thesis/dissertation thing, a thesis is your argument or proposition, and a dissertation is the discourse you defend it with.

At the college I attended, we used the terms Senior Paper or Senior Thesis to describe that it occurs in the final year of schooling. There are no post-graduate programs at the college in question, which avoided confusion with doctoral or master's level work.

Nomenclature of this final year thesis will vary depending on the institution.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged word-choice differences or ask your own question .

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Bachelor thesis & project

General information.

This module is a mandatory graduation requirement for all undergraduate students. It consists of two components in the major study program guided by a faculty member:

1. A research project (5 ECTS)

2. The Bachelor thesis (10 ECTS)

The workload for the project component is about 125 hours and for the thesis component about 250 hours. The title of the thesis will be shown on the transcript.

Within this module, students apply knowledge they have acquired about their major discipline, skills, and methods to become acquainted with actual research topics, ranging from the identification of suitable (short-term) research projects, preparatory literature searches, the realization of discipline-specific research, and the documentation, discussion, and interpretation of the results.

Research results obtained from the Research project can be embedded in the Bachelor thesis.

Intended learning outcomes

1. Research project This module component consists of a guided research project in the major study program. The well-defined research task must be completed and documented according to the scientific standards in the respective discipline. It involves a high degree of independence, supported by individualized instructor feedback and guidance.

2. Bachelor thesis With their Bachelor thesis, students should demonstrate mastery of the contents and methods of the major-specific research field. Furthermore, students should show the ability to analyze and solve a well-defined problem with scientific approaches, a critical reflection of the status quo in scientific literature, and an original development of their own ideas.

Both, the Research project and the Bachelor thesis can also have an inter- or transdisciplinary nature - with the explicit permission of the supervisor.

Supervision

Both module components can be performed with the same Constructor University faculty member, or different ones, the latter in order to allow a broader research experience. Students are required to choose a supervisor, at the latest, by the end of the drop-add period of the semester in which the module component is taken. The selected supervisor(s) must approve the project topic and bachelor thesis topic before the student starts to work towards the module component. The respective study program coordinators will assist in the search for prospective supervisor(s).

Registration

World track students register for both components, at the earliest, in their 6th semester. Campus track students register for the Project component in the 5th and for the bachelor thesis component, at the earliest, in their 6th semester.

The registrations must be made before the end of the respective drop/add periods.

Later enrolment is possible for those students pursuing a second major or those who graduate late for other reasons. These students perform their (second) thesis earliest in the 7th semester of their studies. They have to contact the student records office for individual registration.

Students are allowed to extend their thesis related work into the intersession or summer break upon approval of the thesis supervisor and student records. Students are not allowed to register for different bachelor thesis courses in the same semester.

Formal regulations

Timing The Thesis work has to be generated within the semester of registration. The semester period has 14 weeks.

Extent The document must be between 15-25 pages in length, including references, but excluding appendices or supporting information. Deviations in length and format can be determined within individual study programs and should be communicated to all registered students by the study program coordinator.

Cover page The cover page must show the title of the bachelor thesis, the university’s name, the month and year of submission, the name of the student and the name of the supervisor.

Statutory Declaration Each Bachelor Thesis must include a statutory declaration signed by the student confirming it is their own independent work and that it has not been submitted elsewhere. The respective form can be found here .

The bachelor thesis must be submitted to Moodle(link is external) . The login information is the same as your Campusnet login.

The deadline for submission of the Bachelor thesis is May 17, 2022

Students who want to participate in the graduation ceremony before having completed all graduation requirements do a so-called “walkthrough”. In order to be eligible for a walkthrough, students must provide written confirmation(s) from the respective Instructor(s) of record that they are expected to finish all graduation requirements by no later than August 31 of that academic year. The confirmation must be submitted to the Student Records Office until the grade submission deadline for graduating students.

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Bachelor Thesis Project

The form of the final project at BISLA is a written academic paper – the bachelor thesis (30 to 40 norm pages). The format follows from the academic tradition in Slovakia, however, at BISLA, the final project has more importance, and more space and time is devoted to its completion than is the norm elsewhere. The final bachelor thesis is based on thorough academic research, required orientation in the literature within the selected field, and close long-term collaboration with the thesis advisor.

Goals of the bachelor thesis

The thesis is the most important output of students‘ work during their time at BISLA. It is founded on the same goals and focus on skills, independence, multiperspectivity, which are central to the philosophy of teaching and learning at BISLA. Among the main goals of the bachelor thesis are:

• Independent scientific research

Each student has to plan and carry out an independent research within his chosen field. Bachelor thesis topics are formulated in a way to support original academic research;  students are encouraged to conduct interviews, surveys, carry out archival research, participant observation, etc., to master the field research skills and habits and learn to interpret data;

• To master the process of writing a long format academic paper

BISLA students write academic essays from their first semester of studies. However, the bachelor thesis introduces them to a long-term research and writing, thus one goal is to go through the process of planning and carrying out a longer term research and writing, from planning to its defense;

• Style and format

Part of academic writing is acquiring correct habits of consistent citation style and formatting on an advanced level, as to experience a process of editing equivalent to preparing a paper for publication;

• Finding, evaluating, integrating sources of literature

During research, student gets oriented within his or her chosen topic and collects a multitude of sources of academic literature, in cooperation with his or her thesis advisor. The aim is to automatize the habits of online and offline search for academic literature, ability to evaluate sources, and to integrate them along with original research outputs and primary data into the thesis;

• Close cooperation with thesis advisors

Meetings with the thesis advisor on a weekly basis provides student with a unique opportunity to experience the research process with the guidance of an expert in the field first-hand, get feedback and guidance on the research and writing process.

• Publishable quality

BISLA puts quality of the bachelor theses high among its priorities and supports students in publishing the outcomes of their research in student academic journals and presenting them at conferences at home and abroad.

The final project process

A lot of time and attention is devoted to the bachelor thesis at BISLA. Students start preparing for their theses in their third semester. At the beginning of the fourth semester, students choose their thesis advisor and broader topic. With their advisor the plan of research is outlined and during this semester, substantial part of their research is carried out, particularly literature research. In their fifth semester, all students take part in a Bachelor Thesis Seminar, where together they learn and write individual parts of their theses – from initial annotated bibliographies, through literature reviews, abstracts, to drafts of individual chapters. During the course, students also produce a detailed Bachelor Thesis Proposal. The proposal is evaluated by their advisor, as well as by a designated opponent, who also offers feedback, and evaluates particularly sources of literature, theoretical framework, methodology. In December, students present their bachelor thesis to the community of BISLA students and professors, as a mock thesis defense. In January, students are finalizing the process of writing and submit the thesis to their advisors for a final round of feedback, editing, and preparation for printing. Edited and printed, bachelor theses are submitted by February 15. This date coincides with the beginning of the Spring semester and thus students have the time and space to focus on their studies without interruption. Theses are defended during the students’ final exams in the second week of June.

Collaboration with thesis advisors

• Selection of topics

The 106 submitted and successfully defended bachelor theses to date reflects the broad spectrum of subjects offered at BISLA. Topics of bachelor theses are primarily centered around political science, international relations, and political theories, but liberal arts focus allows students to choose also from a broader scope within the fields of philosophy, anthropology, arts, business, anthropology, and more. A range of topics is listed by internal and external teachers at BISLA; students select from a compiled list of topics, which then get narrowed down and specified in cooperation of the student with the thesis advisor. In case of a specific interest, BISLA will reach out to experts in the field outside the BISLA academic community, provided they are academically equipped to supervise the process of research and writing. Selection of topics and advisors is subject to the approval of the Academic Council, which reviews brief outlines of the planned research.

• Consultations

Intensive collaboration of students with their thesis advisors is a required and core part of the process of the final project completion. During their fifth semester, students meet with their advisors on a weekly basis

Thesis advisor offers the student feedback and guidance on a weekly basis. It is a crucial part of the process, giving students the opportunity to gain correct academic habits, plan, outline, get oriented in a vast amount of literature, master the process of writing, revising, and editing and thus improve research and academic writing skills in close collaboration with an expert in the field.

Evaluation criteria

Criteria for evaluation of the bachelor theses are set in correspondence with the goals of the final project. Written works are evaluated on theoretical and methodological aspect, on the breadth and usage of primary and secondary sources, originality of research, its implication for the field or utility for practice. These elements of the bachelor thesis are evaluated by the thesis advisor as well as the designated opponent, along with a written evaluation and questions for the author of the thesis. The breakdown of a 100 points scale of evaluation is following:  Relevance of the topic, its reflection of current social and political issues or of a problem debated in the field – 5 points

Bachelor Thesis Defense

Bachelor thesis defense is the core part of the students’ final exam at BISLA. Defense consists of a brief presentation of the topic, goals and hypotheses of the bachelor thesis, outline of the methodology, major findings, and implications of research in front of a defense committee consisting of three BISLA faculty, one external faculty, the thesis advisor and opponent. Thesis advisor then evaluates the process of collaboration with the student and the content of the thesis. Designated thesis opponent then presents his or her evaluation and questions for the student, which the student can react to. Students receives both the advisor’s and the opponent’s written evaluation at least three days before the defense. After the evaluations and discussion of the raised questions and issues, the floor is open for general discussion with the defense committee.

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