Dissertation vs thesis: Differences, examples and tips.

A thesis and a dissertation have a lot in common – they’re both forms of academic writing, for a start. Many people often get them confused, especially because they mean different things in UK and US English, so it’s important to get it right.

In this handy guide, we’ll explore the key similarities and differences between a thesis vs a dissertation in the UK. We’ll also provide some tips on how Adobe Express can help you get started writing. So, if you’re struggling to get off the starting line, or just want to be well-prepared, we’ve got everything you need.

What is a dissertation?

In the UK, a dissertation is a long piece of academic writing that people complete in their final year of studying for an undergraduate or master’s (MA) degree. It’s often around 5,000 to 15,000 words long – depending on whether you’re an undergraduate or postgraduate – and uses original research to answer a question.

The purpose of writing a dissertation is for the student to illustrate their capabilities compiling data, utilising learned methods and knowledge, and carrying out their own research. A huge part of a dissertation is using both existing literature and the student’s own findings to analyse, criticise and develop an argument.

Regular essays tend to be much shorter and have less strict structuring and citation rules. Meanwhile, dissertations often follow a specific narrative and are much more reliant on analysis, review, and methodology. For example, a basic dissertation structure might look like this:

• Introduction and abstract – what are you setting out to do?
• Literature review – what has been said about this argument previously, and how effective do you think this is?
• Methodology – how did you plan to disprove/prove your argument?
• Results – what were the results of your own methodology?
• Final discussion and conclusion – how does everything tie together to present your final argument?

What is a thesis?

For UK students, a thesis is another long piece of academic writing completed to achieve a doctorate degree (PhD). As it’s being written to achieve a more substantial diploma, a thesis itself is often more substantial than a dissertation.

Theses often include more independent research. When writing a thesis, you must illustrate a strong, leading understanding of your studies and the subject at hand. Therefore, you’re expected to carry out your own methods of data collection as the main source for your writing, rather than relying on a hefty literature review (as in a dissertation).

The research question a thesis answers is often much more complex, meaning the paper itself is naturally longer – around 70,000 to 100,000 words. Yes, this is novel-length research and, most of the time, it doesn’t include citations and footnotes. But, keep in mind, it does take years to write and achieve.

Finally, remember that ‘thesis statement’ is often shortened to just ‘thesis’ – but this is not the same thing. A thesis statement is a brief, one or two-sentence snippet that succinctly describes what your paper sets out to achieve. You’re not getting off the hook that easily – just another 99,950 more words to go!

What are the differences between a thesis and a dissertation?

While both a thesis and a dissertation are academic papers, they do have some important differences. Read on to explore these in more depth:

• Length of paper. A thesis is usually much longer than a dissertation, and more depth and detail is expected (up to 100k words). Meanwhile, a dissertation is much shorter (up to 15k words).
• Intent and degree. A thesis is used to prove a much more complex research question to achieve a PhD. It will have taken many years of research to complete. Meanwhile, a dissertation answers a less in-depth question to achieve an undergrad or postgrad degree and takes around six to 12 months to complete.
• Depth of research. A thesis is much more reliant on detailed, independently gathered data and research. A dissertation relies on this too, but it’s often equally weighted with a literature review of existing information.

What are the similarities of a thesis and a dissertation?

While dissertations and theses are very different, it’s easy to understand why people often get them confused. Here are a few similarities:

• Final projects. Both a thesis and a dissertation are often the final project of an overall degree. They’re used so students can illustrate their gathered knowledge over the course of their studies.
• Require in-depth understanding of a topic. Both require you to be knowledgeable and passionate about what you’re writing about. They’re both long, in-depth papers, so you need to have a sharp understanding of the topic at hand.
• Use academic writing. Theses and dissertations are long, academic papers. This means they both use similar, formal styles of writing. You’ll be asked to follow similar grammatical, footnote and citation guidelines depending on the organisation you’re writing under.
• Relies on independent research and literature analysis. While being weighted differently, both papers require independently gathered data, plus literature analysis. The difference is that a thesis is more reliant on original research.
• Similar structure. While a thesis is much more in-depth, both papers follow a similar skeleton structure. For example: introduction/abstract, methodology, results, review, discussion, conclusion.