Writing a dissertation/thesis is a requirement for all undergraduate, postgraduate or doctorate students before graduation. It is a way students contribute to existing research on their field of students or develop their own hypotheses in an uncharted area. 

That notwithstanding, coming by a topic can be very difficult. If you find yourself in that situation, then this article is just for you. Here are some tips to consider when writing your dissertation.

1. Write about something you find interesting 

It can take a pretty long time to write my dissertation. This can be weeks or months depending on your commitments towards it, hence; the need to choose something that you are passionate about. Your interest in the topic would keep you going even when there is no motivation. It would provoke your intuition to research more on the subject to develop one of the best pieces in your field of studies. Secondly, the topic should be something that has benefits for your future career. 

2. The uniqueness of the topic

 Please don’t follow the masses when writing your academic work because it would ultimately define you. Staying unique and exploring new areas in your field of study could be exciting. It enables you to conduct your own research, secure your data, and come up with a conclusion. Some may argue that finding a new topic can be very difficult. Rightly so, but it is possible. That said, you can still choose an already researched topic and pursue it differently. 

3. Stay within your limit 

Your dissertation may have some restrictions depending on your university’s rules and regulations governing it. Among other things, you may have a restricted word count or level or research. Imagine choosing a broad topic, and you later find out it would exceed the required pages or word count? Or a subject you cannot explore in totality due to lack of data. In order not to alter the structure of your work, choose what fits your standard.

4. Don’t narrow yourself 

In as much as you wouldn’t want to broaden your scope of work overly, try not to make it too narrow. Don’t select a topic likely to be challenging to expand; otherwise, it will affect your entire project’s quality. Remember that you have a word count to meet.

5. Research the topic

The best way to determine whether you’ve chosen the right topic or not is to research. You need to find out whether the subject under consideration has enough resource materials in case you want to expand your dissertation. Remember that choosing a topic with limited resources can get you stuck along the way. 

6. Seek advice 

In times of academic trouble, the best person to consult is your tutor. So if you find it challenging to come up with a theme, don’t hesitate to talk to them. They will be ready to discuss your topic ideas and probably direct you on what to choose.

After high school, most students’ next academic ambition is to attain a university degree in their preferred study course. This is a great idea, however, you also neeed to consider the grade requirements for the desired course from your preferred university.

Four Types of Colleges Degrees

The four main types of university degrees are Associate, Bachelor, Masters, and Doctoral, and each demands different skills set. Hence, you need to research the various programs and choose one that fits your academic and career goals. After pursuing a 2-year associate course, you can then apply for a bachelor’s degree. You can then apply for other degrees until you attain a doctorate.

Undergraduate degrees

The two types of undergraduate degrees are associate and bachelor. Courses under these degrees range from two to four years duration. In some universities, Bachelor courses are meant for associate students who wish to further their education.

1. Associate degrees in courses

Unlike the others, it takes two years to complete the associate degree, making it the shortest program. It comes with many benefits such as; knowledge in a vocation, technology, design or nursing by merging studies with work. It is advised that people who have an interest in nursing and designing consider offering an associate degree. Apart from that, it is cheaper compared to BA, MA, and Ph.D. courses. Below are positions that can be occupied by students who offer these courses:

• Nurse
• Support specialist
• Dental hygienist
• Air traffic controller

The above-mentioned positions are essential and sort for professionals across the world.

2. Bachelor degrees

Bachelor’s degree takes four to five years based on the program and the university you are studying. A bachelor grade conducts general education subjects like English, history, psychology, math.

Masters and doctoral degrees

A doctoral grade, also referred to as a Ph.D. and is the most honorable grade that will make you a professional in research or business. It takes up to eight years of intense studies if you decide to study medicine or law. To be an expert in this area, you should be ready to witting a dissertation or a dissertation proposal. Before applying for a doctoral course, the applicant must hold a master‘s grade. Some universities may demand students to sit for exams and pass or provide recommendation letters from the university they had their master’s degree from. You can opt for and obtain it in courses like engineering, medicine, dental surgery, law, philosophy and a range of doctoral degrees.

To be awarded a master grade doesn’t come with ease. Even though the journey is tiring, it is interesting too.

Professional degrees

Professional degrees are mainly medicine and law courses. These programs demand in-depth knowledge, accurate skills, and years of experience, not forgetting the thesis’s writing. The following are job opportunities that come with the program;

• Doctor of dental surgery
• Juris doctorate
• Doctor of pharmacy
• Medical doctor

You need to consider the following points when choosing a dissertation topic: the requirements of your institution and department, your area of interest and field of study, the relevance of the proposed topic, availability of relevant resources, word requirements, and timeframe of your dissertation. 

Do you have any dissertation ideas? If no, it may be hard to start, but here are a few steps to begin. 

Step 1: Check the requirements:

Before choosing any topic, you need to check the requirements – the word count and submission deadline. If you do not know there are any requirements to meet, inquire from your instructor. 

Step 2: Choose a broad field of research:

After knowing the requirements, select a broad field of research – this will enable you to have enough things to write. However, you should pick a topic from your field of study because you already have foundational knowledge about it. 

Step 3: Look for relevant resources:

Go to academic libraries to look for resources that can help you in your dissertation writing. If you have read some articles before and are relevant to your topic, check the articles’ reference lists to see more relevant resources that you can further use.

Step 4: Find a niche

When the steps above have been followed, you need to narrow down your broad ideas. Ensure your topic is specific, build on the main idea of the study. Pick a topic that not many researchers have researched about and if there aren’t any, check for subjects that require further discussions and share your opinions.

Step 5: Consider the type of research

We have different research types. Hence, you need to know the kind of research you are writing as this will influence the aspects of the topic that need to be addressed as you narrow down your ideas.

Step 6: Determine the relevance

While ensuring that your proposed topic interests you, it must also be relevant academically, socially, or practically. To be sure your topic has relevance in any of those three areas, the topic must be connected to current issues in your field of study or society. Hence, the relevance should be stated when defining your research problem. 

Step 7: Make sure it is realistic and believable.

Suppose you have carefully followed the steps above. In that case, you are almost good to go but before finalizing on a particular topic to choose, ensure the topic is realistic and hold your interest for the research process’s length. 

Step 8: Get your topic approved

In most institutions, a research proposal is required to be submitted before your topic is approved. Hence, it would help if you discussed your ideas with your instructor before you proceed to write your research proposal. However, do not forget to change your topic if it is not as broad as you thought it would be to avoid getting stuck while writing.