What is the difference between a dissertation and a thesis?

Question

I'm doing a Masters degree and am preparing a 20,000 word assessed piece of work, which is research based on a novel topic. Is this a thesis or a dissertation? What is the difference?
Thanks!!

Answer 1

A dissertation is a thorough study to complement a Bachelors degree (BSc, BA, BEng etc...) and it is around 10,000 words, but this can be varied. If you do an HND (Higher National Diploma), you only have to do 5,000, for example. People doing a teaching degree will do two of 5,000 words, one to do with their chosen course of study (Maths, English, Science History, at primary or secondary level), and another to do with child psychology or similar.

A thesis is a much more in-depth study, where you really get into the core of your topic, and are free to give your opinion (you cannot really do so in a dissertation). This is around 20-30,000 words.

Good luck, and don't be like me and leave it till the last minute! :P God, how I HATED doing mine! :(

By the Way: If you have dyslexia or a similar learning difficulty, you are given leeway with your word count. My old housemate's ex-boyfriend, who graduated last year, only had to do about 7,000 words for his Architechture degree dissertation

Answer 2

There are two main criterions: the difference between a Masters and a PhD and the difference between British and U.S. university studies.
Most universities in North America call a PhD a dissertation and the masters a thesis, while most British universities call the PhD the thesis and the masters the dissertation. Some universities also use the word ‘dissertation’ for masters research and ‘thesis’ for doctorate research.
Hope that helps,

Answer 3

Strictly speaking a thesis is a presentation of a theory that is then discussed and tested - i.e. it is an answer to a question. A dissertation is a discussion about a topic.

E.g. a thesis might have the title "Is Yahoo answers any good?" and then present evidence one way or another. A dissertation might have the title "Yahoo answers" and would be a discussion about what the service offers.

In practice though they are often used interchangeably.

Answer 4

I believe that a Dissertation is factual proven results from research, as in Disseminating the results.
Thesis is theoretical, in that you think this is what's going on / will / might happen rather than proven fact.

But I could be wrong because I went to a good University, The University of Life :-)

Google is your friend, try using define dissertation and then compare with define thesis

Answer 5

Projectsdeal.co.uk can surely help. Popular Dissertation Writing Service in UK Since 2004

Answer 6

I think a dissertation is the proven results of work against a thesis which is a theory based upon the work that you have done.

Answer 7

In terms of academia, a dissertation gets you a doctorate, a thesis gets you a masters, and an essay allows you to explore or express an opinion, but gets you bupkus.

Answer 8

I`ve read that a Thesis, is a line of argument, and dissertation the paper or essay

Answer 9

I have no idea, but that is probably because I left university without having done my dissertation.

Answer 10

I usually hear the two words used interchangeably. I suppose we could look the words up in a dictionary... :-)