what is a dissertation timeline

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How to Create a Dissertation Timeline (With Examples + Tempate)

When it’s time to start thinking about writing your dissertation, it is vital to put together a dissertation timeline. This will help you map out the months you will be spending on your dissertation, and ensure that you’re staying on track. A specific and detailed dissertation timeline will serve as an outline to guide you, step by step, through what can be a long and challenging process. 

While we often refer to a dissertation in a way that makes it sound like a monolith, in reality, a dissertation consists of many moving parts. A dissertation timeline includes a series of milestones that leads up to the dissertation defense , revisions, and final submission of your dissertation. Constructing an outline of every step in the dissertation process , including rough estimates of how long each will take, will give you a realistic picture of where you are in the process at any given time. 

Before embarking on your dissertation, it is a good idea to meet with your dissertation advisor and sketch out a dissertation timeline that is realistic for the size and scope of your project and includes deadlines. This will provide you with much-needed structure and a sense of what will happen next. To get an idea of what a completed dissertation looks like and the components your program requires, ask to see samples from recent graduates in your department. 

These are a few frequently asked questions about crafting a dissertation timeline: 

• What does a dissertation timeline look like?
• What goes in a dissertation timeline? 
• How structured should a dissertation timeline be?
• What do you do with a dissertation timeline? 

What Does a Dissertation Timeline Look Like? 

One way to think about a dissertation timeline is as a kind of outline. While the outlining process is unique to each writer, there are commonalities shared by all of them. Likewise, when writing a dissertation timeline, you’ll want to include all of the basic elements of your dissertation as well as the amount of time you think you’ll need to execute them. 

The best dissertation timeline format is the one that works for you. Though I’ve reformed somewhat over the years, for a long time I wasn’t a fan of intensely detailed outlines. Many people don’t like outlines. And that’s okay! However, writing a dissertation is not the time to be flying by the seat of your pants. To get started, a simple, linear timeline that projects the amount of time you think you’ll need to write your dissertation will suffice. 

Example Dissertation Timeline

Below, you’ll find an example of a dissertation timeline, which you can view as an image in your browser or download as a spreadsheet. Feel free to use the spreadsheet as a template as you build your own dissertation timeline.

Or download the spreadsheet below:

Inclusion in a Dissertation Timeline

When constructing your dissertation timeline, include every element of the dissertation from the abstract to the conclusion. Keep in mind that you may not be writing your chapters in chronological order. For instance, after completing their first round of research and writing their research question, most graduate students will tackle their literature review next, even though it comes after the abstract and introduction in the final document. 

Depending on the field being studied, most dissertations will also include sections for methodology, results, and discussion. Many programs also require a detailed conclusion that alludes to future research possibilities. Every dissertation also has an extensive list of references (pro tip: write this as you’re writing your dissertation), as well as appendices for charts, graphs, and other ephemera. And don’t forget your acknowledgments! 

Dissertation Timeline Structure

The structure of your dissertation timeline will take shape once you’re engaged in the research process. While a road map may seem like an apt metaphor for a dissertation, once you get started you may notice a lot of starts and stops and circling back. After you’ve begun researching, you may realize that you need to allot more time for digging through the databases, or you may discover that you need to reformulate your research question entirely. 

I’ve seen many of my own graduate students use calendars to great effect, giving themselves hard and fast deadlines to meet. Many students also build out their dissertation timelines as they progress, attaching working drafts of their abstract, introduction, and literature review to their timeline within a giant spreadsheet that links to multiple documents and sources. All of these methods are valid. Devise one that works for you. 

Using a Dissertation Timeline

So once you have a thoughtful, soundly-constructed dissertation timeline, what do you do with it? First, and most importantly, try your best to adhere to it. Check in with your dissertation timeline regularly, and use it to keep yourself on track. Also, make adjustments to it as needed. If you find yourself breezing through your preliminary research but needing a bit more time for your literature review, consult your timeline and adjust accordingly. 

While meeting your deadlines is important, also construct your dissertation timeline with an understanding that many graduate students face delays once they start working on their dissertation. These can include hold-ups at the department or university level in the form of late IRB approval or limited lab space or grant funding that gets cut. Anything can happen, but having a dissertation timeline will help you get back on track as soon as the storm passes. 

In my own experience, I also found my dissertation timeline to be a great document to share and discuss with my dissertation chair and committee. Once I finished my comprehensive exams, I met with members of my dissertation committee and got feedback on my rough dissertation timeline to make sure my goals for submitting my dissertation and graduating were realistic. This also ensured that we were all on the same page. 

When writing a dissertation, timing is everything. Creating a dissertation timeline gives you definitive time limits for research and writing, and it also influences several other major decisions that you’ll need to make. These include preparation to go on the job market, which often coincides with writing your dissertation. There is no doubt that this will be a hectic time in your graduate school career, but having a well-organized dissertation timeline is a good way to keep everything in perspective. 

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Courtney Watson, Ph.D.

Courtney Watson, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of English at Radford University Carilion, in Roanoke, Virginia. Her areas of expertise include undergraduate and graduate curriculum development for writing courses in the health sciences and American literature with a focus on literary travel, tourism, and heritage economies. Her writing and academic scholarship has been widely published in places that include  Studies in American Culture ,  Dialogue , and  The Virginia Quarterly Review . Her research on the integration of humanities into STEM education will be published by Routledge in an upcoming collection. Dr. Watson has also been nominated by the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Rising Star Award, and she is a past winner of the National Society of Arts & Letters Regional Short Story Prize, as well as institutional awards for scholarly research and excellence in teaching. Throughout her career in higher education, Dr. Watson has served in faculty governance and administration as a frequent committee chair and program chair. As a higher education consultant, she has served as a subject matter expert, an evaluator, and a contributor to white papers exploring program development, enrollment research, and educational mergers and acquisitions.

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How to Create a Research Timeline for Your Thesis

• 5-minute read
• 21st May 2023

Beginning a dissertation can feel both thrilling and overwhelming. One of the best things you can do to prepare for the exciting journey of doing a dissertation is to design a comprehensive timeline as your guide. Here we will take you step by step through creating your thesis timeline and provide some example templates, so you’ll be well-prepared to begin your dissertation work.

Reasons for Creating a Timeline

There are many benefits to crafting a detailed dissertation timeline. In addition to helping with time management and meeting crucial deadlines, your timeline will also help you stay motivated by reviewing the tasks you have completed as you progress. A thorough timeline will be valuable during your dissertation proposal and useful if you are applying for grants or other additional funding.

Ste0ps for Creating a Timeline for Your Thesis:

• Research and record all requirements and deadlines.

Before you write out your timeline, ensure you know all of your program’s requirements and deadlines. Academic institutions often require you to complete your dissertation within a specified timeframe.

There are likely several recommended or mandatory deadlines for approval of certain items by your adviser (and possibly the rest of your committee members). Gather all these dates beforehand so you can allot an appropriate amount of time to meet your deadlines.

It will be beneficial to meet with your adviser to understand when you are expected to complete the major phases of your dissertation work and to confirm that there aren’t any other requirements or deadlines that you may not be aware of.

• List all of your tasks and bundle them into phases.

Now that you’ve assembled your dates, working backward from your deadlines is a good rule of thumb. List all of the required tasks that must be completed to meet each milestone, from coming up with your research questions to writing each chapter of your dissertation .

Even though your list will be unique to your research project, it can help to refer to a thesis checklist . It’s also helpful to assemble tasks into different phases (e.g., dissertation proposal, research recruitment). Grouping tasks into phases gives anyone looking at your timeline a quick overview of your research plan.

• Organize your tasks into a schedule and assign task deadlines.

Now it’s time to build your timeline. There are many different free templates available online, from straightforward lists of deliverables to colorful options with room for notes and customization.

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A popular organizational approach for thesis timelines is a Gantt chart , which is a type of bar chart often used in project management in which the length of the bar corresponds to the time the task will take. The best choice for you will depend on the specifics of your research study and personal preferences. Whichever option you select, make sure you can easily edit and revise it as need be.

Sanity-Saving Tips:

●  Pay attention to your work style. Some people are more productive when writing in short bursts, while others write better after taking time to get into the zone. Some people choose to start writing parts of their thesis while still conducting research, while others prefer to focus on one phase at a time. Set yourself up for success by reflecting on what type of schedule will help you create the best quality work.

●  Schedule breaks. Almost everyone will work better after a well-deserved break. Make sure to schedule regular breaks into your timeline, as well as provide enough time to sleep, eat well, and do anything else you need to do to safeguard your well-being. 

●  Always have a plan B. Your dissertation is an extensive endeavor with many moving parts. It’s impossible to anticipate and plan for every conceivable event, but it’s helpful to expect something may occur that will cause a deviation from your original timeline. Perhaps study recruitment takes longer than you expected, or one of your committee members gets sick and you have to postpone your dissertation proposal. After you draft your timeline, check that it is not so strict that any disruption will cause a total derailment of your plan. Aim to strike a balance between goals that will inspire you to progress steadfastly and have some leeway in your timeline for the inevitable curveball that life will throw at you somewhere along the way.

Following these three steps will help you draft a timeline to steer the course of your dissertation work: research and record all requirements and deadlines; work backward from your dissertation deadline and assemble your task lists; and organize your tasks into a timeline.

Don’t forget to include ample time for editing and proofreading your dissertation . And if you are interested in any help from us, you can try a sample of our services for free . Best of luck in writing your dissertation!

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Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings? In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

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36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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Library Guides

Dissertations 1: getting started: planning.

• Starting Your Dissertation
• Choosing A Topic and Researching
• Devising An Approach/Method
• Thinking Of A Title
• Writing A Proposal

Planning Your Time

The dissertation is a large project, so it needs careful planning. To organise your time, you can try the following:  

Break down the dissertation into smaller stages to complete (e.g., literature search, read materials, data collection, write literature review section…). 

Create a schedule. Working backwards from your deadline, decide when you will complete each stage. 

Set aside time to regularly work on the dissertation. 

Consider what times of day you are most alert and what makes a suitable space to study. 

Identify a specific task to work on. 

If overwhelmed, try to identify one task that needs doing rather than focusing on the larger project. 

Leave time to redraft, proof-read, format, and complete the reference list. 

Gantt Charts

As the dissertation project involves certain processes to take place simultaneously, rather than in a sequence, you can use a Gantt chart to organise your time.  

A Gantt chart is a bar chart which shows the schedule for a project. The project is broken down into key tasks/elements to be completed. A start and finish date for each task/element of the project is given. Some tasks are scheduled at the same time or may overlap. Others will start when a task has been completed. 

To produce a Gantt chart, you can use Word, Excel (see example in the attachment) or an online planner.

• Tom's Planner . There's  an example  for you to use to complete your plan. 
• Excel:  example of Gantt Chart in Excel . This is an example of a Gantt chart which can be used to generate a plan of work (timeline) for your dissertation. You can download and edit it as you please. The chart has been created by the University of Leicester. 

Research Data Management

This video helps you to understand the importance of research data management and how you can plan, organise, store, preserve, and share your data.

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Dissertation Checklist and Timeline

Completing all of the crucial steps to the dissertation process can be complicated. Time and task management will be key to your success. Review the suggested tasks and print out this checklist to assist you in your dissertation journey.

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Trapped in dissertation revisions?

Dissertation timeline, published by steve tippins on june 26, 2022 june 26, 2022.

Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 05:21 am

So, you’re writing a dissertation? Amazing! Congratulations! (Also, I’m sorry. And good luck.). 

If you’re embarking on this difficult journey, you need to go where you’re going. Every treasure hunt begins with a good map. (This particular treasure hunt happens to be for information that fills an extremely specific gap in the scholarly literature ).

Your dissertation timeline is the map you’ll rely on as you navigate the stormy waters of your dissertation journey. It will tell you what you need to be working on at any given stage of the process, and what you should prepare for when you’re done with your current task.

Expect the Unexpected

Remember that the map is not the journey. You can plan everything out perfectly, but life happens. Life even happens to doctoral students, who have ostensibly given up having a life.

The point is, don’t beat yourself up when your experience doesn’t match up with your dissertation timeline. The timeline is there to guide you and provide useful goals, but it can be adapted along the way as things come up. 

Perhaps your proposal needs five rounds of revision instead of the one or two you planned for (a common occurrence, except for those who have the foresight to hire a dissertation editor ). Maybe your committee chair decides to take an unexpected vacation. Maybe an unexpected family event happens.

All of these bumps are normal parts of the dissertation process. Don’t worry if you don’t live up to your own expectations as far as how quickly you finish. The important thing is not to go quickly, but to get to completion. 

Here are the major steps you’ll need to take when writing your dissertation, from ideation to graduation.

Over 50% of doctoral candidates don’t finish their dissertations.

Step 1: Prospectus

The timeline for a dissertation begins with the generation of your idea. This usually takes the form of a prospectus . A prospectus explains, What are you planning to do? Then, you get your chair and committee to agree that it’s a reasonable topic. Most people go through more than one idea before settling on their topic, and that can take some time. 

It may take you a month to come up with your idea because you’re going to be looking for a gap in the research. Once you find a gap in the research, see whether you could complete a relevant study within a reasonable time period. 

A tip – most students try to tackle topics that are entirely too broad. Look at past dissertation topics in your department, and you’ll see just how specific you need to be. 

Step 2: Proposal (Chapters 1 to 3)

After your prospectus, you move on to the proposal stage. At most universities, that means writing Chapters 1, 2, and 3. These three chapters are going to be about 60 to 70 pages total. You are going to have to do a lot of writing and research and get committee approval. 

A timeline might say you can do your dissertation proposal in three to four months, but that is only true as long as what you’re submitting is well-written and your committee approves it. For argument’s sake, we’ll say it takes four months. The next level of your dissertation is to collect data. But before you can collect data, you have to get IRB approval. 

Step 3: Institutional Review Board Approval

Approval from the Institutional Review Board, or IRB, states that what you’re going to be doing will not harm any participants in your study. IRB approval is usually relatively quick, depending on what type of research you’re doing. If you want to research small children, for example, it’s going to take longer to get approval. There must be safeguards in place to protect those children. Once you have IRB approval, you move on to collecting your data. 

Step 4: Data Collection

Collecting data can be as short as a couple of hours if you are accessing data for a quantitative study from a secondary data source . In that case, you would just be getting the data you need from the database. Then, take that data, make sure it’s in the format you need, and enter it into the appropriate statistical software package. If you need help with this, check out our quantitative data analysis services.

On the other hand, if you’re doing a qualitative study and you have to track people down, it can take several months in order to just find and interview them. Then, you can process those interviews by transcribing and entering them into the appropriate statistical or software program to come up with themes. 

Step 5: Analysis and Conclusion (Chapters 4 and 5)

Once you have statistical results and themes, you can write Chapter 4 and report your findings. Then, write Chapter 5 , in which you analyze your findings. Say what they mean and how it fits in the literature. Compare your findings to the literature you used to begin your study and address what future research should be done. 

This phase could take anywhere from three to nine months, depending on how quickly you can collect your data. It is conceivable that you could finish your dissertation within a year or a year and a half. All of these time periods we’ve presented so far assume you’re working on your dissertation full-time. If you have a job and a family and are also working on a dissertation, it can take longer.

Step 6: Defense

Once you have finished your dissertation (Chapters 1 through 5) you have to go back to your committee, get approval, and then do your dissertation defense. This process can be as short as a month. But if your committee has problems with what you’ve done or it needs more work, it could take several months. 

Variables in the Dissertation Timeline

There are a number of variables outside your control. For example, you might finish in July and then one or two of your committee members are off on research projects of their own and won’t be back until September. But in an ideal timeline, a year to a year and a half is reasonable.

While we can present ideals and hypotheticals, you do have a lot of control over the timeline. If you dedicate yourself and work ahead, you can minimize the amount of time it will take to have “Dr.” in front of your name. 

Dealing With Unexpected Events

Unexpected things can come up as well. First of all, if you’re not a full-time student, life can throw many things in your way. Somebody could become sick, a pandemic could come about, or your job could increase its demands on you. 

You don’t control your committee’s time, and they may have other things going on that prevent them from responding quickly. Funding interruptions can also happen. Being good at handling details is going to help you stay on track as much as possible. 

That’s where a dissertation timeline comes in. Get this together from the very beginning, and you’ll be better-equipped to deal with unexpected events and finish your dissertation in as little time as possible.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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What Is a Dissertation? | Guide, Examples, & Template

A dissertation is a long-form piece of academic writing based on original research conducted by you. It is usually submitted as the final step in order to finish a PhD program.

Your dissertation is probably the longest piece of writing you’ve ever completed. It requires solid research, writing, and analysis skills, and it can be intimidating to know where to begin.

Your department likely has guidelines related to how your dissertation should be structured. When in doubt, consult with your supervisor.

You can also download our full dissertation template in the format of your choice below. The template includes a ready-made table of contents with notes on what to include in each chapter, easily adaptable to your department’s requirements.

Download Word template Download Google Docs template

• In the US, a dissertation generally refers to the collection of research you conducted to obtain a PhD.
• In other countries (such as the UK), a dissertation often refers to the research you conduct to obtain your bachelor’s or master’s degree.

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Table of contents

Dissertation committee and prospectus process, how to write and structure a dissertation, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your dissertation, free checklist and lecture slides.

When you’ve finished your coursework, as well as any comprehensive exams or other requirements, you advance to “ABD” (All But Dissertation) status. This means you’ve completed everything except your dissertation.

Prior to starting to write, you must form your committee and write your prospectus or proposal . Your committee comprises your adviser and a few other faculty members. They can be from your own department, or, if your work is more interdisciplinary, from other departments. Your committee will guide you through the dissertation process, and ultimately decide whether you pass your dissertation defense and receive your PhD.

Your prospectus is a formal document presented to your committee, usually orally in a defense, outlining your research aims and objectives and showing why your topic is relevant . After passing your prospectus defense, you’re ready to start your research and writing.

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The structure of your dissertation depends on a variety of factors, such as your discipline, topic, and approach. Dissertations in the humanities are often structured more like a long essay , building an overall argument to support a central thesis , with chapters organized around different themes or case studies.

However, hard science and social science dissertations typically include a review of existing works, a methodology section, an analysis of your original research, and a presentation of your results , presented in different chapters.

Dissertation examples

We’ve compiled a list of dissertation examples to help you get started.

• Example dissertation #1: Heat, Wildfire and Energy Demand: An Examination of Residential Buildings and Community Equity (a dissertation by C. A. Antonopoulos about the impact of extreme heat and wildfire on residential buildings and occupant exposure risks).
• Example dissertation #2: Exploring Income Volatility and Financial Health Among Middle-Income Households (a dissertation by M. Addo about income volatility and declining economic security among middle-income households).
• Example dissertation #3: The Use of Mindfulness Meditation to Increase the Efficacy of Mirror Visual Feedback for Reducing Phantom Limb Pain in Amputees (a dissertation by N. S. Mills about the effect of mindfulness-based interventions on the relationship between mirror visual feedback and the pain level in amputees with phantom limb pain).

The very first page of your document contains your dissertation title, your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date. Sometimes it also includes your student number, your supervisor’s name, and the university’s logo.

Read more about title pages

The acknowledgements section is usually optional and gives space for you to thank everyone who helped you in writing your dissertation. This might include your supervisors, participants in your research, and friends or family who supported you. In some cases, your acknowledgements are part of a preface.

Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces

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The abstract is a short summary of your dissertation, usually about 150 to 300 words long. Though this may seem very short, it’s one of the most important parts of your dissertation, because it introduces your work to your audience.

Your abstract should:

• State your main topic and the aims of your research
• Describe your methods
• Summarize your main results
• State your conclusions

Read more about abstracts

The table of contents lists all of your chapters, along with corresponding subheadings and page numbers. This gives your reader an overview of your structure and helps them easily navigate your document.

Remember to include all main parts of your dissertation in your table of contents, even the appendices. It’s easy to generate a table automatically in Word if you used heading styles. Generally speaking, you only include level 2 and level 3 headings, not every subheading you included in your finished work.

Read more about tables of contents

While not usually mandatory, it’s nice to include a list of figures and tables to help guide your reader if you have used a lot of these in your dissertation. It’s easy to generate one of these in Word using the Insert Caption feature.

Read more about lists of figures and tables

Similarly, if you have used a lot of abbreviations (especially industry-specific ones) in your dissertation, you can include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations so that the reader can easily look up their meanings.

Read more about lists of abbreviations

In addition to the list of abbreviations, if you find yourself using a lot of highly specialized terms that you worry will not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary. Here, alphabetize the terms and include a brief description or definition.

Read more about glossaries

The introduction serves to set up your dissertation’s topic, purpose, and relevance. It tells the reader what to expect in the rest of your dissertation. The introduction should:

• Establish your research topic , giving the background information needed to contextualize your work
• Narrow down the focus and define the scope of your research
• Discuss the state of existing research on the topic, showing your work’s relevance to a broader problem or debate
• Clearly state your research questions and objectives
• Outline the flow of the rest of your work

Everything in the introduction should be clear, engaging, and relevant. By the end, the reader should understand the what, why, and how of your research.

Read more about introductions

A formative part of your research is your literature review . This helps you gain a thorough understanding of the academic work that already exists on your topic.

Literature reviews encompass:

• Finding relevant sources (e.g., books and journal articles)
• Assessing the credibility of your sources
• Critically analyzing and evaluating each source
• Drawing connections between them (e.g., themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps) to strengthen your overall point

A literature review is not merely a summary of existing sources. Your literature review should have a coherent structure and argument that leads to a clear justification for your own research. It may aim to:

• Address a gap in the literature or build on existing knowledge
• Take a new theoretical or methodological approach to your topic
• Propose a solution to an unresolved problem or advance one side of a theoretical debate

Read more about literature reviews

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework. Here, you define and analyze the key theories, concepts, and models that frame your research.

Read more about theoretical frameworks

Your methodology chapter describes how you conducted your research, allowing your reader to critically assess its credibility. Your methodology section should accurately report what you did, as well as convince your reader that this was the best way to answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

• The overall research approach ( quantitative vs. qualitative ) and research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study )
• Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment )
• Details of where, when, and with whom the research took place
• Any tools and materials you used (e.g., computer programs, lab equipment)
• Your data analysis methods (e.g., statistical analysis , discourse analysis )
• An evaluation or justification of your methods

Read more about methodology sections

Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. You can structure this section around sub-questions, hypotheses , or themes, but avoid including any subjective or speculative interpretation here.

Your results section should:

• Concisely state each relevant result together with relevant descriptive statistics (e.g., mean , standard deviation ) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics , p values )
• Briefly state how the result relates to the question or whether the hypothesis was supported
• Report all results that are relevant to your research questions , including any that did not meet your expectations.

Additional data (including raw numbers, full questionnaires, or interview transcripts) can be included as an appendix. You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results. Read more about results sections

Your discussion section is your opportunity to explore the meaning and implications of your results in relation to your research question. Here, interpret your results in detail, discussing whether they met your expectations and how well they fit with the framework that you built in earlier chapters. Refer back to relevant source material to show how your results fit within existing research in your field.

Some guiding questions include:

• What do your results mean?
• Why do your results matter?
• What limitations do the results have?

If any of the results were unexpected, offer explanations for why this might be. It’s a good idea to consider alternative interpretations of your data.

Read more about discussion sections

Your dissertation’s conclusion should concisely answer your main research question, leaving your reader with a clear understanding of your central argument and emphasizing what your research has contributed to the field.

In some disciplines, the conclusion is just a short section preceding the discussion section, but in other contexts, it is the final chapter of your work. Here, you wrap up your dissertation with a final reflection on what you found, with recommendations for future research and concluding remarks.

It’s important to leave the reader with a clear impression of why your research matters. What have you added to what was already known? Why is your research necessary for the future of your field?

Read more about conclusions

It is crucial to include a reference list or list of works cited with the full details of all the sources that you used, in order to avoid plagiarism. Be sure to choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your dissertation. Each style has strict and specific formatting requirements.

Common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA , but which style you use is often set by your department or your field.

Create APA citations Create MLA citations

Your dissertation should contain only essential information that directly contributes to answering your research question. Documents such as interview transcripts or survey questions can be added as appendices, rather than adding them to the main body.

Read more about appendices

Making sure that all of your sections are in the right place is only the first step to a well-written dissertation. Don’t forget to leave plenty of time for editing and proofreading, as grammar mistakes and sloppy spelling errors can really negatively impact your work.

Dissertations can take up to five years to write, so you will definitely want to make sure that everything is perfect before submitting. You may want to consider using a professional dissertation editing service , AI proofreader or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect prior to submitting.

After your written dissertation is approved, your committee will schedule a defense. Similarly to defending your prospectus, dissertation defenses are oral presentations of your work. You’ll present your dissertation, and your committee will ask you questions. Many departments allow family members, friends, and other people who are interested to join as well.

After your defense, your committee will meet, and then inform you whether you have passed. Keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality; most committees will have resolved any serious issues with your work with you far prior to your defense, giving you ample time to fix any problems.

As you write your dissertation, you can use this simple checklist to make sure you’ve included all the essentials.

Checklist: Dissertation

My title page includes all information required by my university.

I have included acknowledgements thanking those who helped me.

My abstract provides a concise summary of the dissertation, giving the reader a clear idea of my key results or arguments.

I have created a table of contents to help the reader navigate my dissertation. It includes all chapter titles, but excludes the title page, acknowledgements, and abstract.

My introduction leads into my topic in an engaging way and shows the relevance of my research.

My introduction clearly defines the focus of my research, stating my research questions and research objectives .

My introduction includes an overview of the dissertation’s structure (reading guide).

I have conducted a literature review in which I (1) critically engage with sources, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of existing research, (2) discuss patterns, themes, and debates in the literature, and (3) address a gap or show how my research contributes to existing research.

I have clearly outlined the theoretical framework of my research, explaining the theories and models that support my approach.

I have thoroughly described my methodology , explaining how I collected data and analyzed data.

I have concisely and objectively reported all relevant results .

I have (1) evaluated and interpreted the meaning of the results and (2) acknowledged any important limitations of the results in my discussion .

I have clearly stated the answer to my main research question in the conclusion .

I have clearly explained the implications of my conclusion, emphasizing what new insight my research has contributed.

I have provided relevant recommendations for further research or practice.

If relevant, I have included appendices with supplemental information.

I have included an in-text citation every time I use words, ideas, or information from a source.

I have listed every source in a reference list at the end of my dissertation.

I have consistently followed the rules of my chosen citation style .

I have followed all formatting guidelines provided by my university.

Congratulations!

The end is in sight—your dissertation is nearly ready to submit! Make sure it's perfectly polished with the help of a Scribbr editor.

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What Is a Dissertation? | 5 Essential Questions to Get Started

Published on 26 March 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 5 May 2022.

A dissertation is a large research project undertaken at the end of a degree. It involves in-depth consideration of a problem or question chosen by the student. It is usually the largest (and final) piece of written work produced during a degree.

The length and structure of a dissertation vary widely depending on the level and field of study. However, there are some key questions that can help you understand the requirements and get started on your dissertation project.

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Table of contents

When and why do you have to write a dissertation, who will supervise your dissertation, what type of research will you do, how should your dissertation be structured, what formatting and referencing rules do you have to follow, frequently asked questions about dissertations.

A dissertation, sometimes called a thesis, comes at the end of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. It is a larger project than the other essays you’ve written, requiring a higher word count and a greater depth of research.

You’ll generally work on your dissertation during the final year of your degree, over a longer period than you would take for a standard essay . For example, the dissertation might be your main focus for the last six months of your degree.

Why is the dissertation important?

The dissertation is a test of your capacity for independent research. You are given a lot of autonomy in writing your dissertation: you come up with your own ideas, conduct your own research, and write and structure the text by yourself.

This means that it is an important preparation for your future, whether you continue in academia or not: it teaches you to manage your own time, generate original ideas, and work independently.

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During the planning and writing of your dissertation, you’ll work with a supervisor from your department. The supervisor’s job is to give you feedback and advice throughout the process.

The dissertation supervisor is often assigned by the department, but you might be allowed to indicate preferences or approach potential supervisors. If so, try to pick someone who is familiar with your chosen topic, whom you get along with on a personal level, and whose feedback you’ve found useful in the past.

How will your supervisor help you?

Your supervisor is there to guide you through the dissertation project, but you’re still working independently. They can give feedback on your ideas, but not come up with ideas for you.

You may need to take the initiative to request an initial meeting with your supervisor. Then you can plan out your future meetings and set reasonable deadlines for things like completion of data collection, a structure outline, a first chapter, a first draft, and so on.

Make sure to prepare in advance for your meetings. Formulate your ideas as fully as you can, and determine where exactly you’re having difficulties so you can ask your supervisor for specific advice.

Your approach to your dissertation will vary depending on your field of study. The first thing to consider is whether you will do empirical research , which involves collecting original data, or non-empirical research , which involves analysing sources.

Empirical dissertations (sciences)

An empirical dissertation focuses on collecting and analysing original data. You’ll usually write this type of dissertation if you are studying a subject in the sciences or social sciences.

• What are airline workers’ attitudes towards the challenges posed for their industry by climate change?
• How effective is cognitive behavioural therapy in treating depression in young adults?
• What are the short-term health effects of switching from smoking cigarettes to e-cigarettes?

There are many different empirical research methods you can use to answer these questions – for example, experiments , observations, surveys , and interviews.

When doing empirical research, you need to consider things like the variables you will investigate, the reliability and validity of your measurements, and your sampling method . The aim is to produce robust, reproducible scientific knowledge.

Non-empirical dissertations (arts and humanities)

A non-empirical dissertation works with existing research or other texts, presenting original analysis, critique and argumentation, but no original data. This approach is typical of arts and humanities subjects.

• What attitudes did commentators in the British press take towards the French Revolution in 1789–1792?
• How do the themes of gender and inheritance intersect in Shakespeare’s Macbeth ?
• How did Plato’s Republic and Thomas More’s Utopia influence nineteenth century utopian socialist thought?

The first steps in this type of dissertation are to decide on your topic and begin collecting your primary and secondary sources .

Primary sources are the direct objects of your research. They give you first-hand evidence about your subject. Examples of primary sources include novels, artworks and historical documents.

Secondary sources provide information that informs your analysis. They describe, interpret, or evaluate information from primary sources. For example, you might consider previous analyses of the novel or author you are working on, or theoretical texts that you plan to apply to your primary sources.

Dissertations are divided into chapters and sections. Empirical dissertations usually follow a standard structure, while non-empirical dissertations are more flexible.

Structure of an empirical dissertation

Empirical dissertations generally include these chapters:

• Introduction : An explanation of your topic and the research question(s) you want to answer.
• Literature review : A survey and evaluation of previous research on your topic.
• Methodology : An explanation of how you collected and analysed your data.
• Results : A brief description of what you found.
• Discussion : Interpretation of what these results reveal.
• Conclusion : Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your findings contribute to knowledge in your field.

Sometimes the order or naming of chapters might be slightly different, but all of the above information must be included in order to produce thorough, valid scientific research.

Other dissertation structures

If your dissertation doesn’t involve data collection, your structure is more flexible. You can think of it like an extended essay – the text should be logically organised in a way that serves your argument:

• Introduction: An explanation of your topic and the question(s) you want to answer.
• Main body: The development of your analysis, usually divided into 2–4 chapters.
• Conclusion: Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your analysis contributes to knowledge in your field.

The chapters of the main body can be organised around different themes, time periods, or texts. Below you can see some example structures for dissertations in different subjects.

• Political philosophy

This example, on the topic of the British press’s coverage of the French Revolution, shows how you might structure each chapter around a specific theme.

This example, on the topic of Plato’s and More’s influences on utopian socialist thought, shows a different approach to dividing the chapters by theme.

This example, a master’s dissertation on the topic of how writers respond to persecution, shows how you can also use section headings within each chapter. Each of the three chapters deals with a specific text, while the sections are organised thematically.

Like other academic texts, it’s important that your dissertation follows the formatting guidelines set out by your university. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

Formatting guidelines concern things like:

• line spacing
• page numbers
• punctuation
• title pages
• presentation of tables and figures

If you’re unsure about the formatting requirements, check with your supervisor or department. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

How will you reference your sources?

Referencing means properly listing the sources you cite and refer to in your dissertation, so that the reader can find them. This avoids plagiarism by acknowledging where you’ve used the work of others.

Keep track of everything you read as you prepare your dissertation. The key information to note down for a reference is:

• The publication date
• Page numbers for the parts you refer to (especially when using direct quotes)

Different referencing styles each have their own specific rules for how to reference. The most commonly used styles in UK universities are listed below.

You can use the free APA Reference Generator to automatically create and store your references.

APA Reference Generator

The words ‘ dissertation ’ and ‘thesis’ both refer to a large written research project undertaken to complete a degree, but they are used differently depending on the country:

• In the UK, you write a dissertation at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a thesis to complete a PhD.
• In the US, it’s the other way around: you may write a thesis at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a dissertation to complete a PhD.

The main difference is in terms of scale – a dissertation is usually much longer than the other essays you complete during your degree.

Another key difference is that you are given much more independence when working on a dissertation. You choose your own dissertation topic , and you have to conduct the research and write the dissertation yourself (with some assistance from your supervisor).

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

• An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
• A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
• A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.

At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.

A PhD thesis takes a longer time, as the thesis is the main focus of the degree. A PhD thesis might be being formulated and worked on for the whole four years of the degree program. The writing process alone can take around 18 months.

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Dissertation Essentials

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The Dissertation Essentials area houses guides, manuals, and templates to assist you in your doctoral journey.  There is also a section specifically for rubrics for each of the chapters as well as the proposal and manuscript.  Along with these items, there are additional resources provided for the ASC, Library, technology, accessing published dissertations, and even some school specific resources.

• DSE Manual (Previously Handbook) Use this guide throughout the dissertation process to support you in understanding the courses, deliverables, and expectations of students and the dissertation committee.
• Dissertation Proposal/Manuscript Template You will use this templates to write all chapters of the dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Revision Timeline Use this template to create a timeline for deliverable revisions in the dissertation.
• SOBE Best Practice Guide for Qualitative Research and Design Methods
• SOBE Best Practice Guide in Quantitative Research and Design Methods

If you are working on your CMP course, your course will provide information on how to format your prospectus/portfolio.

• DSE Chapter 1 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 1 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 2 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 2 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 3 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 3 of your dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Proposal Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when combining Chapters 1-3 into the Dissertation Proposal.
• DSE Chapter 4 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 4 of your dissertation.
• DSE Chapter 5 Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when writing Chapter 5 of your dissertation.
• DSE Dissertation Manuscript Rubric Use this rubric to guide you when combing all five of your dissertation chapters to produce your Dissertation Manuscript.

Not yet at the Dissertation phase?  Getting ready for your CMP course?  Check out the CMP Course Frequently Asked Questions document below:

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Library Dissertation Toolbox Workshop Series

The  Library Dissertation Toolbox Workshop Series  consists of engaging, skill-building workshops designed specifically for doctoral students. Students will learn how to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information relating to their dissertation research topics. Each toolbox session features a new research focus- sign up for the entire series, or just those that most appeal to you:

• Research Process Guide by NU Library Outlines important steps in the research process and covers topics such as evaluating information.
• Managing and Writing the Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation Dr. Linda Bloomberg's newest edition Completing Your Qualitative Dissertation: A Road Map From Beginning to End is out now. This resource includes an interview between Methodspace and Dr. Bloomberg.

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How to Build an Ideal Dissertation Timeline – Don’t Be Stressed, Be Scheduled

When you start your dissertation writing, making an ideal dissertation timeline is essential for stress-free work. Researching and writing a dissertation takes a lot of time and effort, often several months to a year. That’s why it is essential for students to plan their workload carefully to avoid last-minute stress and anxiety.

A study from Scientific Research shows that students who follow proper timelines to do their tasks achieve great success in their academics. Various scientists collectively reached the point that: “Time management skills have been shown to positively impact student learning and student outcomes.”

While dissertation writing is a lengthy and daunting task, constructing a proper timeline will give you a realistic picture of what you are doing and where you are. We understand that students find it very challenging to complete their dissertations, and that’s why we have made a proper guideline to help you in this regard.

In this article, we will discuss a step-by-step guide on how to set your interactive dissertation timeline to make you organised and keep on track. We will also share some top tips that will help you customise your time plan for your dissertation.

What’s a Dissertation Timeline?

A dissertation timeline is like a roadmap for completing your research project. It’s important to plan out key steps, from reading up on existing studies to gathering and analysing your own data. Managing your time well is key to getting it all done smoothly within the given deadline.

Yet, writing a dissertation is not as easy as it seems. Students mostly don’t understand how to manage their time well during this demanding phase. If they don’t complete their dissertation on time, they suffer failure. To avoid such a situation, some students prefer to get dissertation writing services from experts. These professionals have the expertise to handle every situation and complete your dissertation on time with the best-guaranteed results.

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Plan Your Dissertation Timeline

Starting with zero ideas, a blank sheet, and a lot of workload stress to complete your dissertation on time is a tiring phase. The timeline for dissertation completion is crucial because it helps students start their journey at the perfect time and then lead it towards completion before the deadline comes. Following a dissertation timeline plan ensures that you are working on the right path and completing each stage effectively.

We understand that every student’s situation is unique, but by following these strategies, you can make the most of your time to submit an excellent dissertation on schedule.

Step 1: Know Your Deadlines and Requirements

Before starting your dissertation timeline-building journey, get some crucial information. Your dissertation committee or academic advisor should be your first port of call at this time. They will assist you by providing important details and support you throughout this difficult journey. The information that you will get from your institute includes:

• Word count, formatting and citation guidelines
• Dissertation draft review date
• Final dissertation submission deadline
• Defence date

You can more effectively allot time for each step if you are aware of these in advance. The University of Edinburgh presented some suggestions for proper time management from the previous students in the following way:

Step 2: Schedule Your Research Time Well

After getting all the guidelines from your institute, it is time to dive deeply into the research phase. This is not similar to research for an essay or an assignment; it is a long process that requires you to design a proper dissertation timeline for research methodology. So, let’s proceed to the actual research process here.

• Calculate the approximate length of time needed for the research
• Look for how long it would take to collect all the necessary data.
• Look at successful dissertations in the area you work to gain important insights into it.
• Create your own timeline by looking closely at their chapter breakdowns and structures.

Keep in mind that an ideal dissertation timeline plan is crucial during each phase, whether it is research or writing one. Furthermore, by underestimating the amount of time needed for research, you will only get a disorganised mess afterwards.

Step 3: Break Down the Dissertation into Chapters

It’s time to divide the intimidating dissertation into smaller, more doable tasks. We are all aware of the dissertation chapters and the steps for writing a dissertation. Here, we will only discuss these steps of the dissertation timeline by allocating proper time for each.

Topic Selection and Proposal Submission

The process of topic refinement and proposal writing and then its submission on time is a very critical stage. It needs a lot of hard work to put the final touches on your research question. From formulating a concise thesis statement to creating a strong proposal that will win over your adviser, you need to properly manage your time.

For example, set a few weeks to work on topic research and selection. Similarly, set your dissertation writing timeline for a proposal to one or two months.

Review of Literature

This is the stage where you need to spend a lot of time setting your dissertation timeline. Compiling a list of previous studies on the subject during the literature survey and finding out the relevant theories take time. Here, students spend most part of their time evaluating pertinent theories and arguments and note any knowledge gaps that their research will fill.

Develop your Methodology

After doing research, you will get enough information to design your methodology in a short time. Here, you should define your research techniques and your data collection plan while working right according to the dissertation timeline.

Data Collection and Analysis

This is the phase in which you carry out your research strategy and collect the information that will serve as the basis for your dissertation. You should set popper time for both these phases separately as both have their individual importance in dissertation writing. Convert your unprocessed data into insightful knowledge. This could entail coding qualitative data, analysing statistical data, or deciphering transcripts of interviews.

Writing Chapters

This is the magic part, where your research findings are transformed into chapters that are coherent, well-organised, and clear. Set your dissertation timeline like a selected number of weeks for each chapter writing.

Editing and Revisions

Consult your advisor, committee members, or reliable peers for their opinions and set proper days for consulting them. Make sure you have enough time to incorporate this input and do a comprehensive revision of your work. If you do not have enough time to revise and edit your papers, it would be better to get assistance from a dissertation editing service for perfection.

Formatting and Last-Minute Details

Make sure your dissertation timeline also has set a proper time for rechecking the essential details like formatting and citations. Recheck everything from formatting specifications to the reference list and bibliography, and take a sigh of relief with satisfaction!

Step 4: Customise Your Schedule According to Your Speed

Now, with the help of the dissertation process timeline, you can tailor your timeline to match your work rate and research approach. Here are some important things to think about:

• Your Availability: Do you work as a professional and manage several responsibilities, or are you a full-time student? Regarding the amount of time you may commit to your dissertation each day or each week, be responsible while setting your dissertation timeline.
• Your Method of Research: How do you like to conduct your research in a short way or in a longer run? Make appropriate time in your schedule accordingly.
• Outside Obligations: Take into consideration any events that could interfere with your research timetable, such as conferences, exams, and holidays. Then add those number of days into your timetable so that your already set deadline won’t miss out.

Step 5: Make Your Dissertation Timeline Flexible

In our happening lives, anything special can happen at any moment. You may face an unexpected tragedy or an event that is compulsory to attend. In this scenario, the beauty of your well-designed schedule is that it is flexible, and you can adjust it according to your needs.

Here are some pointers for handling unforeseen situations:

• Add some free days to your schedule.
• Stay in touch with your supervisor to tell them the situation you have come across.
• Explain the circumstances to the committee and suggest an updated schedule.
• Reorder your priorities and modify your dissertation timeline according to the situation.
• Don’t forget to enjoy your accomplishments side by side.

Step 6: Make Use of Time Scheduling Tools

It’s time to put your customised plan into practice with the help of some top trending useful dissertation timeline generator tools. To help you stay on schedule, consider these scheduling tools:

• Digital Calendars: Digital calendars on your preferred platform, such as Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar. Make use of these to arrange writing assignments, revision times, and research projects. To remember deadlines, set alerts and reminders.
• Project Management Apps: Trello and Asana are great examples of tools that can help you visualise your research process. Make digital boards for every chapter, use cards to graphically track your progress, and, if necessary, work with your adviser or committee.
• Time-tracking Applications: These can be useful in determining how much time you actually spend on research. It is possible to improve your productivity and timeline by pinpointing locations where you may be stalling. For example, the following is the dissertation timeline template showing the progress of a dissertation through a dissertation timeline Gantt chart provided by WPS Academy:

Factors Affecting Dissertation Timelines

Students often wonder how long their dissertation will take to complete. Well, there are various things that we can count on which your dissertation completion time depends. But some of them are more crucial to discuss here:

Academic Support

Students who get full support from their supervisors are most likely to complete their projects on time. Their guidelines help students to keep going on the right track and finish it within the given deadline.

Employment Status

Students who don’t do any part-time or full-time jobs usually complete their dissertation within the required time framework. However, most doctoral students who do work must carefully act upon their dissertation timeline for great work.

Time Management

Successfully completing a dissertation requires careful planning and scheduling. Students who stick to their schedules and work efficiently are more likely to finish their dissertations sooner.

Choice of Topic

Keep in mind that your well-chosen dissertation topic that is right according to your interest can keep you working on it with the proper dissertation timeline. However, changing topics midway through the process often requires additional research time.

What is a Timeline Diagram?

A timeline diagram is like a visual story of events happening over time. It could be about history, a crime investigation, business growth, or even a project’s progress. It’s basically a line that moves from past to future, with dots or bars marking important events or steps. In projects like setting dissertation timelines, it’s handy for showing key moments and deadlines.

What are the Two Types of Timelines?

The following are some types of timelines that you can use in your dissertation:

●       Linear Timeline

It is organised chronologically, with each step (literature review, topic refinement, etc.) documented in order to show how the research has progressed. It is a commonly used type that is mostly used in dissertation timelines.

●       Gantt Chart Timeline

This tool could be helpful for organising a dissertation as well. Tasks (writing chapters, research stages) are visually represented on a Gantt chart by a horizontal bar, the length of which indicates the projected duration of the job. The graphic can then be divided into time periods (weeks, months) by vertical bars, which show you how tasks overlap or fit into the larger timeline.

What is a Timeline in Research?

A research timeline is like a map that shows all the steps and goals of your project. It helps you stay organised and lets you share your progress with others. By breaking your work into smaller tasks and goals, a timeline ensures you don’t bite off more than you can chew or end up with unclear goals that could hurt your research quality.

How to Create an Ideal Dissertation Timeline?

Start by making a plan for your dissertation. You can use a timeline, calendar, or mind map to mark down the important stages, milestones, and deadlines. It’s helpful to schedule meetings with your supervisor early on. The timeline will guide you through each step, prompting you to manage your time effectively. Plus, there’s room for you to add your own notes and ideas along the way.

From topic selection to research and writing, this dissertation journey is full of ups and downs and demands a lot of work and time to invest in it. For stress-free work, you must schedule your dissertation timeline according to your needs and the deadline. We understand that it is a very time-consuming task, and students mostly have no idea how to do it effectively. So, we have presented a step-by-step guide in this article to help you build an ideal dissertation timeline.

In addition to the above guide, if you have a very short time to complete your task and cannot complete it before the deadline, you can seek assistance from native UK dissertation writers . They are professionals in this field who can complete your task within the shortest deadlines without compromising on quality. So, it is always beneficial to consult them for the best results in your dissertation.

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Scheduling the Dissertation and Producing a Timeline

Scheduling the Dissertation and Producing a Timeline Although some doctoral candidates will reject the idea of a rigid schedule, hoping instead for their research and writing to rush ahead at their own speed towards a satisfactory conclusion, the fact is that PhD degrees need to be completed within a certain period of time, scholarly research and writing are incredibly time-consuming and the situations presented by daily life are not always conducive to efficient progress. Even if your supervisor, committee, department or university does not require a dissertation timeline, it is therefore a very good idea to look ahead, design a schedule, write it up neatly, share it with your supervisory committee and keep it close to hand as you work towards your degree. A dissertation timeline is essentially a chronological schedule of your anticipated progress in the research and writing you will be doing for your dissertation. The way in which a timeline is organised can vary, and your university or department may have an example or template that you can use as a model as you design your own, or your supervisor and perhaps your other committee members may be able to offer helpful advice. Most timelines are arranged by weeks, by months or by academic terms or semesters, and some will go all the way back to the beginning of a doctoral candidate’s course work, though this is not usually necessary. The primary concern is to outline a schedule for completing the main stages in the dissertation process (the drafting and revision of individual chapters, for instance). Your timeline may take the form of an extremely detailed table with information about your research and writing activities every week, or it may be a simple list of dates indicating the aspects or parts of your research and writing that you plan to have finished by those dates. Whether long and complex or short and simple, however, your timeline should definitely contain details and dates regarding the completion and final examination of your dissertation, and it is also important to include any bureaucratic or administrative procedures that may require extra time and effort. PhD Thesis Editing Services It can be very helpful, by the way, to indicate in a diplomatic way in your timeline any necessary consultation with and feedback from your supervisor and other committee members: for example, ‘Week of 14 Jan.: meeting with supervisor to discuss draft of results chapter’ or ‘Month of March: revising chapters 2 and 3 in response to committee feedback.’ Your timeline is an informal contract of sorts which tells your supervisory committee that you will do your very best to meet the goals and deadlines that you have set for yourself, and while your responsibilities and obligations are therefore the main point, it is also wise to give those busy scholars the information they need to know just how important it is to your schedule and ultimately your progress and success that they do their very best to meet those deadlines as well. Sharing such a timeline with your committee members can also identify and prevent potential problems and conflicts. For example, perhaps one of your committee members will be away precisely when you, according to your timeline, will very likely require feedback on a freshly drafted chapter of your dissertation. If the committee member reads your timeline, he or she can inform you of the problem, and adjustments can be made to ensure that your progress continues unhindered. Your supervisor and other committee members may also have comments about the possibility or probability of your meeting the dates and deadlines you indicate: if so, remember that they have more research and writing experience than you do, and their comments should always be seriously considered. A carefully planned timeline has the added benefit of helping you proceed efficiently with your research and writing by providing you with a firm schedule within which to work, and if you are prone to procrastination, you may even find it helpful to print up a copy of your timeline and attach it to the wall above your computer. Constructing a dissertation timeline can in itself be time-consuming, of course, as well as challenging, and you need to be both realistic and demanding in assessing your efficiency and future progress, but as an effective tool for keeping you on track and enabling a successful working relationship with your dissertation committee, a timeline is well worth the effort it requires.

Why Our Editing and Proofreading Services? At Proof-Reading-Service.com we offer the highest quality journal article editing , phd thesis editing and proofreading services via our large and extremely dedicated team of academic and scientific professionals. All of our proofreaders are native speakers of English who have earned their own postgraduate degrees, and their areas of specialisation cover such a wide range of disciplines that we are able to help our international clientele with research editing to improve and perfect all kinds of academic manuscripts for successful publication. Many of the carefully trained members of our expert editing and proofreading team work predominantly on articles intended for publication in scholarly journals, applying painstaking journal editing standards to ensure that the references and formatting used in each paper are in conformity with the journal’s instructions for authors and to correct any grammar, spelling, punctuation or simple typing errors. In this way, we enable our clients to report their research in the clear and accurate ways required to impress acquisitions proofreaders and achieve publication.

Our scientific proofreading services for the authors of a wide variety of scientific journal papers are especially popular, but we also offer manuscript proofreading services and have the experience and expertise to proofread and edit manuscripts in all scholarly disciplines, as well as beyond them. We have team members who specialise in medical proofreading services , and some of our experts dedicate their time exclusively to PhD proofreading and master’s proofreading , offering research students the opportunity to improve their use of formatting and language through the most exacting PhD thesis editing and dissertation proofreading practices. Whether you are preparing a conference paper for presentation, polishing a progress report to share with colleagues, or facing the daunting task of editing and perfecting any kind of scholarly document for publication, a qualified member of our professional team can provide invaluable assistance and give you greater confidence in your written work.

If you are in the process of preparing an article for an academic or scientific journal, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in a new book, Guide to Journal Publication , which is available on our Tips and Advice on Publishing Research in Journals website.

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How to write a doctoral thesis.

If you are in the process of preparing a PhD thesis for submission, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in the book, How to Write a Doctoral Thesis , which is available on our thesis proofreading website.

PhD Success: How to Write a Doctoral Thesis provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

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This timetable will help you plan your project. Aside from the rows with dates (projects database opening, deadline for supervisors, poster presentation and dissertation hand-in) the rest is for advice only. You should discuss and agree appropriate activities and milestones with your supervisor.

The timetable is based on the principle of working towards the dissertation, rather than undertaking a project that you will write up at the end. As the dissertation is the thing that's marked, anything you don't include cannot be taken into consideration. Therefore, plan and draft the dissertation at an early stage. It is better to have a draft that you can change than nothing - and don't be afraid to change your mind, especially if an unrealistic plan is preventing progress.

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As to Create a Dissertation Timeline (With Browse + Tempate)

When it’s time to start reasoning learn writing your dissertation, it is critical to put together a dissertation timeline. On will help i map out the months you will be spending on the dissertation, and ensure that you’re staying on track. A specific plus detailed final timeline will servings as the outline to guide you, step by step, through what can be a long and challenging process. 

While we often refer to adenine dissertation included a manner that makes it sound like a monolith, on reality, a dissertation consists of many moving parts. AMPERE dissertation timeline includes a class of milestones this leads up for of graduation security , revisions, and final submission of owner dissertation. Constructing one outline of every step in the degree process , including rough estimates of how long each will take, will gifts you a realistic picture of where it are is the process under either given time. 

Befor embarking on your dissertation, it is a good idea to meet with your dissertation advisor and sketch out a dissertation timeline that is realistic for of size and scope of you project and contained deadlines. This will provide you with much-needed tree and a sensation of what determination happen next. To get an idea off what a locked dissertation looks like and the components owner program requires, inquire to see samples off recent previous in your department. 

These are a few frequently asked questions about crafting a dissertation timeline: 

• What does a dissertation timeline look same?
• What goes int a dissertation timeline? 
• Like structured should a dissertation scroll be?
• What do you do by a dissertation timeline? 

What Make a Thesis Scroll Look Like? 

One way go think about a dissertation timeline is as ampere artist of outline. While the outlining action is unique till each writer, there are commonalities shared by all of them. Likewise, when writing a dissertation timeline, you’ll want to include show of this basic elements of your essay as well-being as the billing in time you think you’ll need till execute them. 

The best dissertation timeline format is the one ensure works for you. Though I’ve former somewhat over the years, by a long time I wasn’t a fan of intensively in-depth draft. Many people don’t like contour. And that’s right! However, writing a dissertation is not of time to be flying by the seat of your pants. To receive started, a simple, straight chronology that projects the amount of time you think you’ll need to write your treatise will suffice. 

Example Dissertation Timescale

Below, you’ll find somebody example of a graduate timeline, which him can show as an image in your browser or downloadable more a spreadsheet. Feel free to use of spreadsheet as a sample as you build your own discourse watch. Study Paper Planner | Notion Template

Or download the spreadsheet bottom:

Inclusion includes a Graduate Timing

When designing your thesis timeline, include every element of the dissertation from the abstract into one conclusion. Keep is mind that you may not be writing your chapters in chronological place. Available instance, following completing their first round away research and writing their research question, most graduate students will tackle their books consider next, even though it comes after the abstract and introduction in that final document. 

Depending on the field being studied, largest dissertations will furthermore include sections for methodology, result, and diskussion. Many programs moreover require a detailed conclusion that alludes to save research possibilities. Everyone dissertation also has an extensive list of references (pro tip: write this for you’re writing your dissertation), as well as appendices for schedules, graphing, and other ephemera. Real don’t forget yours acknowledgments! 

Graduate Timeline Structure

Which structure of your discourse timeline wishes take shape once you’re engaged in one research process. Time adenine road map may seem similar an apt metaphor for a dissertation, once to get started yourself may get a lot of starts and stopp and circling past. After you’ve begun researching, she may create that you need to allot more time for digging through the databases, or you allow detect this you need in reformulate to research question entirely. 

I’ve seen many of my proprietary graduate students application calendars to greater effect, giving selbste hard real fast deadlines to meet. Many pupils or build out their dissertation timelines as they progress, attaching working drafts von their abstract, get, and literature review to his timeline during a giant spreadsheet that linking to multiple documents furthermore sources. All to these methods are valid. Devise on ensure works for you. 

Using an Dissertation Timeline

So once you have a thoughtful, soundly-constructed theses timeline, what do you go for items? First, the most important, try your your to adhere to it. Check in to your dissertation timeline regularly, and use it to keep yourself upon track. Moreover, make customized to it as needed. If you find yourself breezing through choose preliminary research but needing a bit more time for their reference review, consulted your timeline and adjust accordingly. 

While gather your deadlines a essential, also construct your degree timeline with an understanding that many graduate students face delays once they start working on their dissertation. These can include hold-ups along the department conversely university level in the vordruck of late IRB approval or limited test space oder give funding that gets cut. Anything can happen, but having a dissertation timing will help you get back to tracks than soon as the blustery passes. 

In my personalized experience, EGO also found my dissertation timeline to be a wide document to percentage and discuss with mys phd chair and committee. Once I ended own comprehensive exams, I met with our of my dissertation committee both got feedback on my rough dissertation timeline to make safety my purposes for submitting my graduation and graduating were realistic. This also ensured this we were all on that just page. 

When writing a dissertation, timing is everything. How ampere dissertation history gives you definitive time perimeter for research real writing, and it including influences several other major decisions that you’ll need into make. These include preparation to go on the job market, which often coincides with print my dissertation. There is no express that this will are a hectic time in your graduate school career, but having adenine well-organized dissertation timeline is adenine good way to keep everything in perspective. 

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Courtney Watson, Ph.D.

Courtney Watson, Ph.D. is an Gesellschafter Faculty of English under Radical Colleges Carilion, in Roanoke, Virginia. Her areas of expertise include undergraduate and graduate classroom development for writing courses in the heath sciences and American literature with a focus on literary travel, tourism, and heritage economies. Her composition or academic grant has been extensive published in places that include  Study in American Culture ,  Dialogue , and  The Virginia Monthly Review . Her research go the site of humanities on STEM education desires be published according Routledge in an upcoming collection. Dr. Watson has also been nominee by the State Council for Greater Education of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Rising Star Award, and she shall a past winner off the National Society of Artists & Letters Region Short Story Prize, like well as institutional awards for scholarly research and excellence in teaching. Throughout ein career in larger schooling, Dr. Watson has served in faculty governance plus administration as a frequent council armchair also program chair. As a higher education consultant, she has service as a subject matter expert, an valuer, and a contributor to white papers learn program development, enrollment research, and educational mergers and mergers.

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• K-State home
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April 02, 2024

Graduate school bulletin, table of contents.

Click on a category name to view that section or click on a headline to read the full announcement.

Articles of interest

• It’s Time to Start Teaching Your Students How to Be a student

Faculty and Staff

Graduate school town hall session, spring strategic planning session to be held may 1, grad faculty memberships for fall 2024 semester, accelerated programs – use of the l-code, april slate showcase: the progress of the slate implementation.

• Nine-month salary payment schedule change for 2024-2025 academic year
• You're invited to th e Graduate Student and Faculty Recognition Celebration

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

Recruitment, upcoming webinars for students interested in pursuing graduate education, slate crm implementation for graduate school - update, graduate student success.

• Master’s/Education Speci alist program of study update
• Degree Analyst response times

Graduate Student Appreciation Month

Graduate students receive awards for outstanding research presentations at k-state grad forum.

• Two graduate students recognized for their poster presentations at the Capitol Gradua te Research Summit (CGRS)

Opportunities for Graduate Students

K-state and the university press of kansas to host event on book publishing, opportunity for stem graduate students to teach in k-12 schools, funding and awards for graduate students, the advanced research projects agency – energy (arpa-e), it’s time to start teaching your students how to be a s tudent.

A recent article in Chronicles of Higher Education details the role o f a pro fessor in today’s college classrooms . The article details what behaviors and habits professors should introduce and reinforce to develop successful college students.

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If you come across an article that would be of interest to other graduate programs, please send it to Michael Sellman , Graduate School communication specialist, at [email protected] , to have the article featured in a future Bulletin!

The Graduate School will be hosting a Town Hall session on April 10th from 3:00-4:30pm in Room 114, Leadership Studies Town Hall. In the “Building GS Strategic Leadership Role” Dean Petrescu will discuss the initiatives launched this academic year, the outcome of these initiatives and our plan for the next year. The event is for all graduate constituents. To accommodate schedules, we have set up a Zoom option. However, we encourage you to attend in person if possible.

Please RSVP your attendance. We look forward to seeing you all at the Town Hall!

The Graduate School will host the Spring Strategic Planning Session on May 1, 2024, from 11:00am – 2:00 p.m. in the Flint Hills Room of the Student Union. Please save the date on your calendars.

In this session, we will review, discuss and finalize the draft Graduate School Strategic Plan. This draft will be shared with the graduate constituents before the May session. The format will be similar to the session that was held in the Fall semester. Please visit the registration website to RSVP for the Planning Session.

G raduate faculty nomination materials should be submitted to [email protected] by April 10 if you intend to renew Associate memberships, nominate for regular membership, or request that non- grad faculty teach graduate courses for the Fall 2024 semester . The last opportunity for the Graduate Council to approve memberships before the summer hiatus is May 7. F ind nomination forms and guidelines on the Graduate School website . Please contact Timon Smock ( [email protected] ) at the Graduate School if you have questions regarding nominations .

The Registrar’s Office created a new code to track students enrolled in accelerated programs. Each participating graduate program has an associated L-code. For example, LMBA will be used for accelerated programs leading to the MBA regardless of the undergraduate program participating in the accelerated program (e.g., Chem/MBA and MNE/MBA will both have the LMBA code). When a student applies to and is accepted into an accelerated program, the L-code will be added to their record and appear as a non-degree seeking graduate program along with their undergrad degree code (e.g., BME). This addition allows the student to enroll in their 9-credits of overlapping coursework for graduate credit by using their L-code.

Students admitted to an accelerated program before the L-code was available require special handling. The Graduate School is creating a process in which Fall 2023 admits will be assigned the correct L-code thus designating them as an accelerated student. Students admitted before Fall 2023 may be treated the same way, but their treatment will depend on the term in which they were admitted and the procedures and policies at that time. Two FAQ pages are also available to answer common questions about accelerated programs. Any additional questions can be addressed to Dr. Michael Young, [email protected] .

The April Slate Showcase will be held April 22 from 2:30 to 3:30 pm via Zoom . This session will cover the progress of Slate implementation as the new application and CRM for the graduate school.

As the contract with implementation partner, Carnegie, comes to a close, this showcase will detail the progress that has been made on the application, CRM, and the recruitment process for the graduate school.

Please RSVP for this session by April 18 th at 5 pm.

Nine-month Graduate Assistantships salary payment schedule change for the 2024-2025 academic year

The nine-month salary payment schedule for the 2024/2025 academic year will be delayed until August 18. A memo was sent earlier this month to all units from HR and Provost office.

The nine-month contracts begin with the pay period that coincides with the first paycheck issued in September. In 2024, the contracts will begin August 18 and will move forward 20 pay periods until they end on May 24, 2025 .

In addition, there will be seven pay periods during the summer. Please refer to the University Handbook available on the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President website for more information.

You a re invited to the Graduate Student and Faculty Recognition Celebration

All K-State graduate students and graduate faculty are invited to the Graduate Student and Faculty Recognition Celebration, April 28, 5-7pm, College of Business Atrium . Sponsored by President Linton’s Office in partnership with the GSC and the Graduate School, we’ll celebrate the academic year and recognize graduate student achievements. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. RSVP by April 18 .

The Graduate School is hosting webinars for students interested in pursuing graduate education, respectively graduate certificate, master's and doctoral. Students can attend one or all webinars. The Graduate School is also promoting the webinars to prospective students.

The following webinars will be held in US Central Standard Time.

Please visit the Graduate School Webinars and Fairs website for more information .

• We are one month out from the completion of our implementation contract with Carnegie. We will continue to work with them on the KSIS integration but the contract for building the application and workflow will be completed.
• We gathered feedback on the application view from the implementation team, Faculty Task Force, and Graduate School for review and are implementing the approved updates.
• We are updating forms for Slate including Pre-Review by the Graduate School, Faculty Feedback to the GPD, GPD Recommendation, Graduate School Review, and Assistantship/Scholarship Award.
• We are finalizing the processing and immigration workflow based on feedback.
• We worked with Carnegie to develop a new review process that can handle simultaneous form submissions for both faculty feedback and recommendation. Previously we had to break that into multiple bins, and we were able to reduce that to one.
• The Graduate School has been updating the decision letters and is making updates based on feedback.
• Carnegie has been helping us to build a standard GPA calculator for the last 60 hours .

The current timeline is as follows:

• Phase 1- Completed by November 6, 2023
• Building Records, Forms, Events, and Communications
• Phase 2- Completed by January 22, 2024
• The Application form developed
• Phase 3- Complete by April 15th
• Workflows designed
• Final Implementation goal: April 29th
• Historical Data Migration into Slate by May 31st

Master’s/Education Specialist program of study update

The master’s/education specialist program of study has an update . The prior program of study option for non-thesis/non-report option listed as “a ll cour sework . ” This option has been updated to “coursework . ” The reason for the update: to make the more clearer to students and faculty.

Degree Anal yst response times

For those who have tried to contact degree analysts, and are still waiting for a response, please be aware that the degree analysts are slow to respond to emails, calls, etc. Please be patient as they work through a large number of approval s to schedule final examination forms . Please be assured that they will reply as soon as they can .

This April, the Graduate School is celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of graduate students. The first week of April is nationally recognized as Graduate Student Appreciation Week. This is an opportunity to show appreciation to graduate students for their hard work and dedication to research, scholarly and creative work, teaching, leadership and service. A schedule of events celebrating and recognizing graduate students can be found on the Graduate School website .

Ten graduate students were presented with awards for outstanding presentations of their research and scholarly work to the K-State community and the public during the annual K-State Graduate Research, Arts and Discovery (K-GRAD) forum held March 20 and 21 in the K-State Student Union.

The following students were selected as award recipients of the 2024 K-State GRAD Forum:

Poster presentations:

• Sabreena Ayoub Parray , master’s student in agronomy, “ Pre-breeding evaluation of Pearl millet germplasms for drought tolerance in diverse environments. ” Parray’s faculty mentors are Ramasamy Perumal, professor of agronomy, and P.V. Vara, university distinguished professor of agronomy.
• Nirajan Piya, master’s student in biological and agricultural engineering, “ System development for application and testing of spray-on biodegradable mulch. ” Piya’s faculty mentor is Ajay Sharda, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
• Pedro Henrique Goncalves Pereira de Souza, master’s student in grain science, “E xploring the impact of xylanase sources and dosage on rheological properties of flour and baked product quality. ” De Souza’s faculty mentor is Elisa Karkle , assistant professor of grain science and industry.
• Adi Siegmann, master’s student of human development and family science, specializing in couple and family therapy, “ Relational factors associated with the likelihood of male therapy attendance. ” Siegmann’s faculty mentor is Chelsea Spencer, research assistant professor of applied human sciences.
• Brian Wolfe, master’s student in veterinary biomedical science, “ Biological sex differences in disease severity, lethal doses, and antibody responses after infection with h1n1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses in a mouse model. ” Wolfe’s academic faculty mentor is Santosh Dhakal, assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.

Oral Presentations:

• Tucker Graff, doctoral student in grain science, “Effect of grain source on extruded feed characteristics and growth performance of rainbow trout.” Graff’s faculty mentor is Sajid Alavi, professor of grain science industry.
• Nicole Kucherov, doctoral student in entomology, “ What's bugging you, from a landscape point of view. ” Kucherov’s faculty mentor is Tania Kim, assistant professor of entomology.
• Roselle Barretto, doctoral student in biological and agricultural engineering, “ Bind and Grind: hemp protein takes on adhesive challenges. ” Barretto’s faculty mentor is Donghai Wang, professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
• KaCee James, doctoral student in curriculum and instruction, “ A twenty-year comparison of traditionally and alternatively licensed school-based agricultural education teacher retention in Kansas. ” James’s faculty mentor is Gaea Hock, assistant professor of communications and agricultural education.

Two graduate students recognized for their poster presentations at the Capitol Graduate Research Summit (CGRS)

Ramona Weber, doctoral student in health and human sciences specializing in kinesiology and Jaymi Peterson, doctoral student in food, nutrition, dietetics and health, wer e recognized for their outstanding research poster presentations at the annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit , or CGRS, held at the State Capitol in Topeka on March 21.

Both Peterson and Weber received $500 scholarships from the Graduate School for their presentations.

Please read the CGRS press release for more information about their presentations and this year’s summit.

K-State and the University Press of Kansas will be hosting an informative event focused on finding publishers, revising dissertations and an authors’ roundtable.

The following events will be April 11 in the Hemisphere Room in Hale Library (HL581):

• 1:00 – 2:00pm: University Press of Kansas Editor in Chief Joyce Harrison will discuss how to find the right publisher for your book project, and how to revise your dissertation for publication.
• 4:00 – 5:00 pm: The Author Roundtable will include Jess Falcone, Michael Haddock, Michael Krysko, and Colby Moorberg. They will discuss how to navigate the publication process.
• 5:00 pm: Michael Haddock will host a book launch social hour for his book, “Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas: A Field Guide, Revised and Expanded Edition.

Registration is required for the event. Please email [email protected] for more information, or visit the University of Kansas Press website .

The Graduate School is partnering with the Kansas Department of Education to offer an opportunity for science, technology, engineering, math, finance, and accounting (STEM) graduate students who are interested in teaching STEM courses in K-12 schools.

All STEM graduate students, both domestic and international, are eligible to participate. Students are not required to have a teaching license at this point in time. The Department of Education will work with the Graduate School to address the licensing requirement through one of their licensing programs.

The following informative webinars will be hosted by Shane Carter, Director of Teacher Licensure, Kansas Department of Education:

• April 10, 4:30 – 5:30pm, Zoom - please register by April 9
• April 15, 1:00 – 2:00pm, Zoom - please register by April 14

While both webinars will cover the same information, participants can register for both if they choose. Please visit the registration form website to register for each or both webinars. The registration form also gives you the opportunity to ask questions about this program. Your questions will help Mr. Carter prepare for the webinars.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) is currently recruiting new Fellows ! The ARPA-E is an agency within the Department of Energy. Its purpose is to fund high-risk, high-impact energy technologies. The Fellowship is a prestigious, two-year, full-time, paid federal position in Washington D.C. that is responsible for identifying technological whitespaces and conducting independent research and analysis.

Creative early-career scientists and engineers are invited to apply for the ARPA-E Fellowship and help direct the future of American energy innovation.

Visit the ARPA-E website for more information, and to apply.

• Updated: 4/2/24

Upcoming Events

Luncheon with michael rodríguez-muñiz and jonathon acosta.

Friday, April 12, 2024

12:00-1:30 p.m.

Kim Koo Library (328), 111 Thayer

RSVP required. Attendance will be capped at 20. Click here to RSVP at Events@Brown

Please join CLACS for a luncheon with sociologist Michael Rodríguez-Muñiz, University of California, Berkeley. Conversation facilitated by State Senator Jonathon Acosta, PhD candidate in Sociology. RSVP required at link above.

Please note: On Thursday, April 11, the day before the luncheon, Prof. Rodríguez-Muñiz will give a talk, " Figures of the Future: Latino Civil Rights and the Politics of Demographic Change . 

About the Speakers Jonathon Acosta is a PhD candidate in sociology at Brown University where he focuses on political sociology, migration, inequality, race and ethnicity. He’s currently a graduate fellow and trainee at the Population Studies and Training Center. He was previously an interdisciplinary fellow at the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America. His dissertation is a community study of a postindustrial economically declining city that has been sustained via foreign-born migration. In his spare time, Acosta is a State Senator for Rhode Island District 16 representing Central Falls and Pawtucket. His election in 2020 made him the first Latino to represent Central Falls in the Rhode Island Senate.

Michael Rodríguez-Muñiz  is Associate Professor of Sociology, UC Berkeley. He was born and raised on Chicago’s northwest side. Prior to graduate school, he led and participated in several Puerto Rican-focused grassroots and activist projects in the Humboldt Park/West Town area. He has published on censuses, poverty knowledge, Latino identity formation, and the relationship between critical sociologies of race and science and technology studies. He is currently engaged in a collaborative interview-based project on race and political trust. His next book project will explore the history and afterlives of political repression against Chicago’s anti-colonial Puerto Rican movements. This project involves efforts to create a community-based archive.

Doctoral Oral Exams for April 8-12, 2024

The graduate dean invites all graduate faculty to attend the final oral examinations for the doctoral candidates scheduled as follows:

Jeremy Levine , Ph.D., English, Monday, April 8, 2 p.m., South College. Dissertation: “Students Writing Under Rules, Teachers Negotiating Standards: Contextualizing the Standards System in Writing Development from High School to College.” Rebecca Lorimer Leonard, chair.

Chuchu Wei , Ph.D., Biostatistics, Monday, April 8, 1 p.m., Arnold house 330 and via Zoom. Dissertation: “Improved Use of Compositional Data Subject to Self-reporting Errors in Bayesian Models with Applications to the Estimation of Family Planning Indicators.” Leontine Alkema, chair.

Duc Hien Nguyen , Ph.D., Economics, Wednesday, April 10, 2 p.m., Crotty Hall 308 and via Zoom. Dissertation: “Three Essays on Gender and Sexuality: Heteronormativity, Femininity and Intersectionality.” M.V. Lee Badgett, chair.

Nathan Huff , Ph.D., Psychology and Brain Sciences, Wednesday, April 10, 9 a.m., Tobin Hall 423. Dissertation: “The Psychometric, Theoretical, and Experimental Contributions Toward an Integrated Understanding of Mental Health Stigma Over Time and Across Disciplines.” Linda Isbell, chair.

Josiah Foster , Ph.D., Mathematics, Wednesday, April 10, 11 a.m., Lederle 1685. Dissertation: “The Lefschetz Standard Conjectures for Varieties of Generalized Kummer Deformation Type.” Eyal Markman, chair.

Jessica McGoy , Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Biology, Thursday, April 11, 1 p.m., Lederle 1681. Dissertation: “The Role of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in the Regulation of Chromosome Segregation.” Thomas Maresca, chair.

April Burrage , Ph.D., Economics, Thursday, April 11, noon, via Zoom. Dissertation: “Three Essays on Innovation Policy and Inequity.” Ina Ganguli, chair.

Nader Akoury , Ph.D., Computer Science, Friday, April 12, noon, via Zoom. Dissertation: “Three Essays on Innovation Policy and Inequity.” Ina Ganguli, chair.

Thomas Cook , Ph.D., Statistics, Friday, April 12, 11 a.m., Lederle 143. Dissertation: “Sequential Experiment Design via Investing.” Patrick Flaherty, chair.