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Tutapana Posted 21 years ago
Linguistics Studies

Difference between "Thesis" and "Dissertation"

Could someone please help me find the difference between these two words: Thesis / Dissertation.

Thanks ever so much,

Tutapana [K]
  

Top answer

The two terms are sometimes interchangeable. Both are written discourses on a given subject. Thesis implies that original research is involved.

  • The two terms are sometimes interchangeable.
  • Both are written discourses on a given subject.
  • Thesis implies that original research is involved.
  • Dissertation implies that you have looked into something and are setting down what you have found and are perhaps including your thoughts on it.
  • Thus a Thesis is what you will write to obtain a higher degree, but a dissertation is more likely to be a small part of a first degree.
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44 Answers
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The two terms are sometimes interchangeable. Both are written discourses on a given subject. Thesis implies that original research is involved. Dissertation implies that you have looked into something and are setting down what you have found and are perhaps including your thoughts on it. Thus a Thesis is what you will write to obtain a higher degree, but a dissertation
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TutapanaCould someone please help me find the difference between these two words: Thesis / Dissertation.

Thanks ever so much,

Tutapana [K]

I believe that in most American institutions of higher learning, one writes a Master's thesis and a Doctoral dissertaion. Can't speak for all, but that's true
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Thanks for the information, it sure is of great help.

[K]
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I agree, Philip. But in Hong Kong, even B.A. students can write dissertations, it seems.
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Hi,

Another approach is to define these words thus:

A thesis is a proposition, which needs to be maintained or proved, eg

All men are created equal.

AIDS is caused by a virus.

A dissertation is a detailed and comprehensive speech, or written document, about a subject, eg

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0It is hard to use the two words right because here in China we call them with the same term Lun Wen.0-
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0A Thesis is a scholarly written document of a smaller study on a particular topic in consistent with every details of Research Methodology. It's written usually for obtaining a Masters Degree.02br
02br
00A Dissertation is a scholarly document of a larger study on a particular topic in consistent with every details of research Methodology. It's wriiten usually to obtain a Doc
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Anonymous12cite12br
10A Thesis is a scholarly written document of a smaller study on a particular topic in consistent with every details of Research Methodology. It's written usually for obtaining a Masters Degree.12br
12br
10A Dissertation is a scholarly document of a larger study on a particular topi
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A thesis is for an M.S.

A dissertation is written for a PhD.
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American English speakers are being a bit pedantic and stubborn in this thread. The words are used fairly interchangeably if you are not a bookish American (and if you are only considering the sense of "long essay for a university", which is the only sense the word dissertation has).

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