Is there anything wrong with doing a master's thesis on a topic that is unorthodox?

Question

I'm a little insecure about my topic because it is a little unorthodox.

Answer 1

Your idea of what is unorthodox and mine might differ quite a bit, but generally, if you are making a scholarly contribution, if there is an existing scholarly literature on your topic, if your THEORY of interpretation is defensible, and if your METHODS of research are sound, I don't see any problems for you.

However, do be sure that your area of research (as well as your theory and your method) is acceptable and appropriate within your field of study. For example, if you are in psychology, a thesis attempting to prove the veracity of parapsychological claims will go over like a lead balloon. Likewise, if you are in history, a thesis asserting that the Holocaust never happened would surely be a big mistake. Or if you are in chemistry, and are using data gathered in some unorthodox (unscientific) way, your conclusions could be quite problematic.

And of course, if you wish to PASS your thesis, make sure your thesis committee is on board with your topic, your theory, and you method! Be sure to be in constant contact with your advisor, who should be able to help you tremendously in this respect. If your advisor is not doing his or her job, talk to another professor in your program to see what s/he thinks. If the professors in your department are not being reassuring, there is probably a good reason why, and you might seriously want to rethink your project.

Finally, one helpful question you might ask yourself is what a PhD program admissions committee might think of your work.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 2

I'm a PhD who wrote a very unorthodox dissertation, with positive results. The upside of choosing an unorthodox topic is that it probably derives from a deep-seated interest. And when a big project is interesting, it's more fun ... Fun counts for a lot. Plus ... If you enjoy the process, you'll probably end up writing something that's much better.

That said, here's my more constructive suggestion. Find out exactly what the procedure is by which the thesis will be evaluated. If you know there are, for example, three faculty members who will need to approve the final product prior to degree, consider speaking to them about how they feel about the topic beforehand. (Also, consider asking other faculty members about how evaluators are likely to respond. Sometimes you'll get more honest answers that way.) If you can CHOOSE your evaluator, then you're in the best position possible. Find a mentor/professor who is willing to speak with you about the thesis while you develop it. At the end of the process, you'll then be much more likely to find yourself both successful and happy. For whatever it's worth, I encourage my students to go with the unorthodox approach. It seems likely that you'll find others out there who will share that view.

Answer 3

For me, (and I do have Graduate Degrees) -- I would be leery of doing anything that is unorthodox -- because of the process of having it reviewed and having to defend it -- why go to all that work if you sense it will NOT be approved anyway? Better to work with your thesis advisor and make sure you have a topic that is acceptable to that university in the first place.

Answer 4

Consider your audience. In your case, who will be evaluating your work. You don't want to write about a topic that they will find offensive.

Answer 5

not at all do what you feel interests you and if the university doesnt like it its their loss not yours