How difficult is it to write a dissertation?

Question

I am considering obtaining a PhD, but I'm not sure of the research that is entailed. Approximately how long should the dissertation be? Do PhD students actually attend classes or are the classes just time to work on the dissertation? Any suggestions/advice/experience welcome. Thank you

Answer 1

As usual, Taranto's answer is very good. My story is a little different. I had a MS and several years work experience when I started my PhD at a respected state university. I took about 8 regular graduate courses and then spent two years doing my research -- that is, 24 months every day in the lab all day working on experiments and trying to figure a new way to deal with a tough problem. I eventually did figure out a way to do things that no one had figured out before.

While I was working on the problem, I had to read basically every article that had ever (and I mean, ever) been written about my subject in the history of the world. That was maybe 2000 technical articles. In my dissertation, I explained what these other guys had done, and why their ideas didnt work, and why my solution did work.

I had to do a presentation before a committee of the faculty and repeat it before the public, lots of profs and other grad students came to the presentation and asked technical questions -- those questions would have been impossible to answer if I hadnt just spent two years learning every single detail of this topic so that I knew as much or more about it than anyone else alive.

My dissertation was about 200 pages long (not counting the bibliography), which was a bit longer than most of the dissertations in my area.

I suggest you go to the library of the university you are considering attending. They have all the PhD dissertations that have been written in that school You can sit down and read through a few of them and see whether you think you would enjoy doing that sort of thing the rest of your life.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Writing a dissertation is a little bit difficult for almost everyone as you need to do some in depth analysis before you write it. So, in this case, a little professional hep can get you the best out of it. You can contact the dissertation writing services online for help.

Answer 4

Depends. I'm writing my masters' thesis right now, and it will probably be about 60 pages. My undergrad thesis was 100 pages, and my Ph.D will be more like 100 pages again. That's in the science, I don't know what you're going for.

You usually get a masters' en route to a Ph.D. By the time you finish your masters, you should be pretty much done with classes, except some electives, but it's usually a good two years of coursework after your BA/BS.

Advice? Start saving. If you're in a science program, they will pay you to teach or do research, but any other program will cost you. Even programs that pay don't pay too much. And be prepared not to have a lot of social time or free time. Find an adviser you can live with and get along with - I'm two years behind in my program because my adviser and I got along so badly I ended up transferring schools and changing the focus of my degree just so I'd never end up having to see him again. Be more careful than I was. My new adviser is fantastic.

Answer 5

The length of a dissertation differs by discipline. My dissertation in Finance was about 110 pages. That is similar to what you will find in the sciences.

In the arts, a dissertation is usually several hundred pages.

Most PhD students take classes for two to three years. They usually have a written exam at the end of the second year and an oral exam at the end of the third. Then they write a dissertation. Most schools require a Dissertation Defense to graduate.

In the sciences, a PhD generally takes four or five years. In the arts, it usually takes six to eight years.

You should not get a PhD unless you love doing research. The PhD is the beginning of your life in research, not the end.

Here are my specifics:

For my PhD in Finance, I took three semesters of classes (I had already taken several Finance, Economics and Mathematics classes before). At the end of my second year, I took a two day written exam where I had to answer questions on topics taught in six graduate level courses. In my third year, I started writing my dissertation. My oral exam was a presentation of my first research paper. My dissertation was made up of three separate essays. I finished them near the end of my fourth year. The university I went to (Berkeley) did not require a dissertation defence. Instead, I had to get the members of my committee to sign a form indicating that I had completed the dissertation.

Answer 6

I can only answer for my field, philosophy (and sort of for humanities in general, as most follow similar formats as this field)... though different schools have different precise rules...

for a degree in the humanities, you can figure a 5-7 year commitment, though the average time it takes to complete a doctoral degree is currently at about 9 years for a humanities student --- this is thrown off by a bunch of people who do all their coursework but take 15 years to write their dissertation...

For students at my university's program (i'm an MA student now) they do about 2 years coursework, take a sort of qualifying exam, and then have a few more years funding to write their dissertation, though some of them take a year or so longer than that... most of them seem to finish before year 7 here.
but here's how you find out specifics: go to websites of the programs!
i'll link two in sources just to show you what i mean -- every program lists its requirements that are additional to the dissertation itself...

the dissertation itself usually has specific length requirements that are listed on the department website (if it's informative enough)... but for the program here it's a minimum of 100 pages, i believe...
and basically, you have to be ready for an isolated, non-partying lifestyle that is totally focused on research.

talk in depth face to face with some phd students and ask them for this sort of thing, it's hard to relate in type -- but i've been investigating for the last two years and it definitely is for almost no one. You have to have a very strong desire to learn to research and learn to be an expert on your topic in order to survive.

here are some basic numbers for you (approximated):
50% of students who apply to phd programs are accepted
50% of those accepted make will finish their program
50% of those who finish their program will get a job in the field.

this is not for business, engineering, or sciences - it's limited to the current trends in the humanities.

basically you have to be absolutely sure you want to do it, you have to go to a top 30 program if you want a job, then you have to be totally committed to being there -- because it would suck to get five years into it and realize you don't want to be there- --- and then you have to be somewhat lucky to get a job at all...

and if you decide to apply, be sure you get funding. if you're not good enough to get funding you're not going to be good enough to get a job afterwards and you'll have a **** ton of debt to work off with no well-paying job to cover it.

think long and hard, but if you think it's for you, go for it.
I've totally loved my MA, even with the insane amount of work it's been to complete it in one year.

Answer 7

I think it depends on what you are obtaining a Ph.D. in
Someone who lives below me is working on his Ph.D. in engineering and said its more research and getting articles published compared to going to class.
My english professor is working on his ph.d and has classes.
I think science-based ph.d's are more research, and liberal arts is more classes.