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Managing Writing

At this point, you should be making some good progress towards the work that will ultimately become your actual thesis document, and you may be starting to get a little anxious to start actually WRITING something. You have been using your calendar to manage your time , your outline  to manage your content , and Evernote to manage your materials .

Now it is time to start to focus on your writing process. There are several things that we need to do to get prepared for this and make it a manageable process. Remember, the goal here is to find ways to break down a project that at first seems insurmountable into smaller pieces and a process that is doable — Mind like water.

Before we jump into writing, we need to do a bit of prep work. We are going to need to do some planning, tool set-up, and some goal setting.

Setting your Writing Goals

As I’ve stated previously, the goal of our system is to continually be breaking down the task of doing the thesis process in manageable chunks. When we are looking at other people’s finished theses and seeing 200 page documents, it is still too overwhelming. There is too much psychological friction to the idea of being able to do that much.

We are in luck though because there is yet another level to how formulaic the thesis is. While different sources vary by a few percentage points, all that I found, along with all the thesis documents I have personally inspected, seem to hover right around these marks.

  • Introduction – 5%
  • Background – 20%
  • Methodology – 15%
  • Results & Analysis – 45%
  • Synthesis – 15%

I needed to put this into a more measurable goals so that I could track, and see my progress when it came to writing. So what I did was I found two theses from the recent past in the department and counted their words. I found one that seemed pretty short but accomplished the task, and one that was pretty long compared to most of the others. I downloaded the PDFs from the library’s database. I copied from the title of the first chapter to the last word of the last chapter and pasted that into two respective word-processor documents, then ran the word count function. This also helped control for differing amounts of images, formatting choices, etc… that just counting pages would not have.

What I found was that the Short Thesis was just shy of 17,000 words and the Long Thesis just crossed over the 47,000 word mark. This gave me a range to work within. Under-achievers (yet successful) write 17,000 words… over-achievers write 47,000 words.

Now it was a simple math game to get me going on some more concrete goals. I somewhat arbitrarily set 30,000 words as my total word goal for my first draft of my thesis. I figured that I have always been a bit of an over-achiever, I am a pretty good writer, but there is no reason to break the mold here. 30,000 words seemed like a length I could be proud of. You can set your mark where you want. You are the one that has to be happy with the outcome. I will use the 30,000 word goal for my examples though, as I already did this math and it was sitting in my Evernote account for easy reference.

With 30,000 words as my goal, the math game played out like this:

  • Introduction: 1500 words – Easy peasy lemon squeesy! In 12pt double spaced Times New Roman, this is just a little over six pages. We have all written six pages before, sometimes even on topics we know very little about. You are going to know A LOT about your thesis topic.
  • Background: 6,000 words – Just shy of 25 pages, spread between at least 2, maybe 3 chapters, certainly manageable.
  • Methodology: 4500 words – 18 1/2 pages, a good chance that this will be one chapter, but it will predominantly be a rehashing of everything you will have prepared for your IRB Proposal. When it comes time to write, the first draft of this chapter will already be extremely close thanks to the IRB.
  • Results & Analysis: 13,500 words – about 56 pages. I will give it to you. This one still seems pretty big, but remember, this will be once again spread out over probably 3 chapters. That is less than 19 pages per chapter. Reminder, we are talking double spaced pages too! Single spaced, this would only be less than 10 pages per chapter. That is a bit of a mind game, but 10 pages is once again… easy peasy!
  • Synthesis (Discussion & Conclusions): 4500 words – 18 1/2 pages. I guarantee that by the time you get to this phase of writing you will know so much, have discovered so much, that your biggest challenge will be keeping your writing DOWN in this range. You will hit 4500 words and think to yourself “Oh Snap! I haven’t even touched on three of my key ideas yet.”

Word Count vs. Page Count

I have just been giving you page counts to help you visualize the word counts. I want to clarify this because most of us are not really accustomed to thinking in word counts, but I STRONGLY believe that word counts are a much better way to set your writing goals. Pages are malleable. You put a couple nice charts or figures in a chapter and your page count goes up automatically. You set your type in a different typeface, page count changes. You know this. You’ve done this. Your history prof wants a ten-page paper… but has not specified the font. You know she probably expects Times New Roman. You write and write and then you have nothing left. You look down and you’ve barely broke the 9 page mark. Select all, VERDANA… BAM! Ten pages. Done. But look at that word count. You wrote 2300 words! That is why we set writing goals in word counts and not page counts. Page counts mean nothing.

These word counts will become more important and more refined as your outline develops and when we get to the writing portion ahead. So do this math for your total word count goal and write it down somewhere. Ideally, you will create a new note for these goals in Evernote and put it in your zz.Admin notebook. It will be safe there and we will reference it again very shortly.

Writing Software

Now you need a tool to help you write. You could use a pencil or pen I suppose. If this is your preferred option… umm go for it and I apologize, because I am sure that this entire site has been a complete bore for you. I would not recommend pen or pencil as your primary writing tool.

Ten-to-one, you are going to want to use a word-processor program of some sort. A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material.

There are lots of options here. LOTS. The big three though tend to be:

  • MS Word on Windows or Mac. You all know this one. You are probably currently planning on using this app, and I fully understand why you might be. Word has made itself the so to speak “Gold-Standard” of Word Processors. That stated, I hate MS Word. It is a ridiculously large, bloated application and because there are so many versions out there, when I USED word, I always ran into issues with compatibility. Your milage may vary, but I am going to tell you not to use it and I am sorry that you spent $140 on this application.
  • Pages on Mac and iOS. This is my go to for shorter documents. If you are running Mac OS and only planning on a straight-forward piece of writing that is less than, lets say about 10 pages, it is great. It has all the features you need and very few of the ones you do not. I am a Mac fanboy though too, so there is that.
  • Open Office is the big one on Linux, but also a cult following on Mac and Windows. I like its politics of being Open Source, but in my experience it can be a little buggy at times.

There are a lot of others out there and because I am really nerdy about these sorts of things I have used many at one point or another. Especially when you start bringing iOS into the mix, there are many more options to consider and I use other things for other purposes.  They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I am emphasizing how much I tinker with word processors and text editors only so that you believe me when I state that there is really only one application that I would recommend using for complex, really long-form writing like your thesis.

You need Scrivener (http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php) .

Why Scrivener ? ->

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Thesis word count and format

Three months ago you considered whether you required a restriction to the access of your thesis, and you submitted your ‘Approval of Research Degree Thesis Title’ form. You’ve now finished writing up your thesis and it’s time to submit. We require your thesis to be presented and formatted in a certain way, so it’s important you read through the requirements below, before submitting your thesis. Find out more about thesis submission policy  (.pdf)

The completed thesis should be saved in PDF format. Once saved, please review the file to ensure all pages are displayed correctly.

Page layout

  • Double line spacing should be used for everything except quotations, footnotes, captions to plates etc.
  • It is desirable to leave 2.5cm margins at the top and bottom of the page.
  • The best position for the page number is at the top right 1.3cm below the top edge.
  • The fonts of Arial or Times New Roman should be used throughout the main body of the thesis, in the size of no less than 12 and no greater than 14

Illustrations (Graphs, diagrams, plates, computer printout etc.)

Illustrations embedded within the thesis should be formatted, numbered and titled accordingly:

a) Illustration upright - Caption at the bottom, Illustration number immediately above the

Illustration.

b) Illustration sideways - Caption at right-hand side with Illustration number above it.

Numbers for graphs, diagrams and maps are best located in the bottom right hand corner.

For further advice, please consult your supervisor.

Word counts

The following word counts are the maximum permitted for each level of award*:

What's excluded from the word count

*In all cases above, the word count includes quotations but excludes appendices, tables (including tables of contents), figures, abstract, references, acknowledgements, bibliography and footnotes (as long as the latter do not contain substantive argument). Please note these are word limits, not targets.

Specific requirements

For degrees which involve Practice as Research (PaR), no less than 50% of the research output should be the written thesis. The written thesis for PaR degrees may be comprised of a range of written elements including, but not limited to, a critical review, a portfolio, and/or a statement on theoretical discourse or methodology.

**In cases of practice-based PhD’s or MPhil’s these suggested word counts may be different. It is normally expected that the written component would comprise no less than 50% of the overall output.

Each copy of the thesis should contain a summary or abstract not exceeding 300 words.

As an example, see how the  layout of your title page (.pdf) should be.

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Word limits and requirements of your Degree Committee

Candidates should write as concisely as is possible, with clear and adequate exposition. Each Degree Committee has prescribed the limits of length and stylistic requirements as given below. On submission of the thesis you must include a statement of length confirming that it does not exceed the word limit for your Degree Committee.

These limits and requirements are strictly observed by the Postgraduate Committee and the Degree Committees and, unless approval to exceed the prescribed limit has been obtained beforehand (see: Extending the Word Limit below), a thesis that exceeds the limit may not be examined until its length complies with the prescribed limit.

Extending the Word Limit

Thesis word limits are set by Degree Committees. If candidates need to increase their word limits they will need to apply for permission.

Information on how to apply (via self-service account) is available on the ‘ Applying for a change in your student status’  page. If following your viva, you are required to make corrections to your thesis which will mean you need to increase your word-limit, you need to apply for permission in the same way.

Requirements of the Degree Committees

Archaeology and anthropology, architecture and history of art, asian and middle eastern studies, business and management, clinical medicine and clinical veterinary medicine, computer laboratory, earth sciences and geography, scott polar institute, engineering, history and philosophy of science, land economy, mathematics, modern and medieval languages and linguistics, physics and chemistry, politics and international studies, archaeology and social anthropology.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words (approx. 350 pages) for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MSc or MLitt degree. These limits include all text, figures, tables and photographs, but exclude the bibliography, cited references and appendices. More detailed specifications should be obtained from the Division concerned. Permission to exceed these limits will be granted only after a special application to the Degree Committee. The application must explain in detail the reasons why an extension is being sought and the nature of the additional material, and must be supported by a reasoned case from the supervisor containing a recommendation that a candidate should be allowed to exceed the word limit by a specified number of words. Such permission will be granted only under exceptional circumstances. If candidates need to apply for permission to exceed the word limit, they should do so in good time before the date on which a candidate proposes to submit the thesis, by application made to the Graduate Committee.

Biological Anthropology:

Students may choose between two alternative thesis formats for their work:

either in the form of a thesis of not more than 80,000 words in length for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MSc or MLitt degree. The limits include all text, in-text citations, figures, tables, captions and footnotes but exclude bibliography and appendices; or

in the form of a collection of at least three research articles for the PhD degree and two research articles for the MSc or MLitt degree, formatted as an integrated piece of research, with a table of contents, one or more chapters that outline the scope and provide an in-depth review of the subject of study, a concluding chapter discussing the findings and contribution to the field, and a consolidated bibliography. The articles may be in preparation, submitted for publication or already published, and the combined work should not exceed 80,000 words in length for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MSc or MLitt degree. The word limits include all text, in-text citations, figures, tables, captions, and footnotes but exclude bibliography and appendices containing supplementary information associated with the articles. More information on the inclusion of material published, in press or in preparation in a PhD thesis may be found in the Department’s PhD submission guidelines.

Architecture:

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD and 60,000 words for the MSc or MLitt degree. Footnotes, references and text within tables are to be counted within the word-limit, but captions, appendices and bibliographies are excluded. Appendices should be confined to such items as catalogues, original texts, translations of texts, transcriptions of interview, or tables.

History of Art:

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD and 60,000 words for the MLitt degree. To include: footnotes, table of contents and list of illustrations, but excluding acknowledgements and the bibliography. Appendices (of no determined word length) may be permitted subject to the approval of the candidate's Supervisor (in consultation with the Degree Committee); for example, where a catalogue of works or the transcription of extensive primary source material is germane to the work. Permission to include such appendices must be requested from the candidate's Supervisor well in advance of the submission of the final thesis. NB: Permission for extensions to the word limit for most other purposes is likely to be refused.

The thesis is for the PhD degree not to exceed 80,000 words exclusive of footnotes, appendices and bibliography but subject to an overall word limit of 100,000 words exclusive of bibliography. For the MLitt degree not to exceed 60,000 words inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of bibliography and appendices.

The thesis for the PhD is not to exceed 60,000 words in length (80,000 by special permission), exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices. Double-spaced or one-and-a-half spaced. Single or double-sided printing.

The thesis for the MPhil in Biological Science is not to exceed 20,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices. Double-spaced or one-and-a-half spaced. Single or double-sided printing.

For the PhD Degree the thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words, EXCLUDING bibliography, but including tables, tables of contents, footnotes and appendices. It is normally expected to exceed 40,000 words unless prior permission is obtained from the Degree Committee. Each page of statistical tables, charts or diagrams shall be regarded as equivalent to a page of text of the same size. The Degree Committee do not consider applications to extend this word limit.

For the Doctor of Business (BusD) the thesis will be approximately 200 pages (a maximum length of 80,000 words, EXCLUDING bibliography, but including tables, tables of contents, footnotes and appendices).

For the MSc Degree the thesis is not to exceed 40,000 words, EXCLUDING bibliography, but including tables, tables of contents, footnotes and appendices.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words including footnotes, references, and appendices but excluding bibliography; a page of statistics shall be regarded as the equivalent of 150 words. Only under exceptional circumstances will permission be granted to exceed this limit. Candidates must submit with the thesis a signed statement giving the length of the thesis.

For the PhD degree, not to exceed 60,000 words (or 80,000 by special permission of the Degree Committee), and for the MSc degree, not to exceed 40,000 words. These limits exclude figures, photographs, tables, appendices and bibliography. Lines to be double or one-and-a-half spaced; pages to be double or single sided.

The thesis is not to exceed, without the prior permission of the Degree Committee, 60,000 words including tables, footnotes and equations, but excluding appendices, bibliography, photographs and diagrams. Any thesis which without prior permission of the Degree Committee exceeds the permitted limit will be referred back to the candidate before being forwarded to the examiners.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD degree and the MLitt degree, including footnotes, references and appendices but excluding bibliography. Candidates must submit with the thesis a signed statement giving the length of the thesis. Only under exceptional circumstances will permission be granted to exceed this limit for the inclusion of an appendix of a substantial quantity of text which is necessary for the understanding of the thesis (e.g. texts in translation, transcription of extensive primary source material). Permission must be sought at least three months before submission of the thesis and be supported by a letter from the supervisor certifying that such exemption from the prescribed limit of length is absolutely necessary.

The thesis is not to exceed, without the prior permission of the Degree Committee, 80,000 words for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MSc or MLitt degree, including the summary/abstract.  The table of contents, photographs, diagrams, figure captions, appendices, bibliography and acknowledgements to not count towards the word limit. Footnotes are not included in the word limit where they are a necessary part of the referencing system used.

Earth Sciences:

The thesis is not to exceed, without the prior permission of the Degree Committee, 275 numbered pages of which not more than 225 pages are text, appendices, illustrations and bibliography. A page of text is A4 one-and-a-half-spaced normal size type. The additional 50 pages may comprise tables of data and/or computer programmes reduced in size.

If a candidate's work falls within the social sciences, candidates are expected to observe the limit described in the Department of Geography above; if, however, a candidate's work falls within the natural sciences, a candidate should observe the limit described in the Department of Earth Sciences.

Applications for the limit of length of the thesis to be exceeded must be early — certainly no later than the time when the application for the appointment of examiners and the approval of the title of the thesis is made. Any thesis which, without the prior permission of the Degree Committee, exceeds the permitted limit of length will be referred back to the candidate before being forwarded to the examiners.

The thesis is not to exceed, without the prior permission of the Degree Committee, 60,000 words including tables, footnotes, bibliography and appendices. The Degree Committee points out that some of the best thesis extend to only half this length. Each page of statistical tables, charts or diagrams shall be regarded as equivalent to a page of text of the same size.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD and EdD degrees and 60,000 words for the MSc and MLitt degrees, in all cases excluding appendices, footnotes, reference list or bibliography. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will permission be given to exceed the stated limits. In such cases, you must make an application to the Degree Committee as early as possible -and no later than three months before it is proposed to submit the thesis, having regard to the dates of the Degree Committee meetings. Your application should (a) explain in detail the reasons why you are seeking the extension and (b) be accompanied by a full supporting statement from your supervisor showing that the extension is absolutely necessary in the interests of the total presentation of the subject.

For the PhD degree, not to exceed, without prior permission of the Degree Committee, 65,000 words, including appendices, footnotes, tables and equations not to contain more than 150 figures, but excluding the bibliography. A candidate must submit with their thesis a statement signed by the candidate themself giving the length of the thesis and the number of figures. Any thesis which, without the prior permission of the Degree Committee, exceeds the permitted limit will be referred back to the candidate before being forwarded to the examiners.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words or go below 60,000 words for the PhD degree and not to exceed 60,000 words or go below 45,000 words for the MLitt degree, both including all notes and appendices but excluding the bibliography. A candidate must add to the preface of the thesis the following signed statement: 'The thesis does not exceed the regulation length, including footnotes, references and appendices but excluding the bibliography.'

In exceptional cases (when, for example, a candidate's thesis largely consists of an edition of a text) the Degree Committee may grant permission to exceed these limits but in such instances (a) a candidate must apply to exceed the length at least three months before the date on which a candidate proposes to submit their thesis and (b) the application must be supported by a letter from a candidate's supervisor certifying that such exemption from the prescribed limit of length is absolutely necessary.

It is a requirement of the Degree Committee for the Faculty of English that thesis must conform to either the MHRA Style Book or the MLA Handbook for the Writers of Research papers, available from major bookshops. There is one proviso, however, to the use of these manuals: the Faculty does not normally recommend that students use the author/date form of citation and recommends that footnotes rather than endnotes be used. Bibliographies and references in thesis presented by candidates in ASNaC should conform with either of the above or to the practice specified in Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England.

Thesis presented by candidates in the Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics must follow as closely as possible the printed style of the journal Applied Linguistics and referencing and spelling conventions should be consistent.

A signed declaration of the style-sheet used (and the edition, if relevant) must be made in the preliminary pages of the thesis.

PhD theses MUST NOT exceed 80,000 words, and will normally be near that length.

A minimum word length exists for PhD theses: 70,000 words (50,000 for MLitt theses)

The word limit includes appendices and the contents page but excludes the abstract, acknowledgments, footnotes, references, notes on transliteration, bibliography, abbreviations and glossary.  The Contents Page should be included in the word limit. Statistical tables should be counted as 150 words per table. Maps, illustrations and other pictorial images count as 0 words. Graphs, if they are the only representation of the data being presented, are to be counted as 150 words. However, if graphs are used as an illustration of statistical data that is also presented elsewhere within the thesis (as a table for instance), then the graphs count as 0 words.

Only under exceptional circumstances will permission be granted to exceed this limit. Applications for permission are made via CamSIS self-service pages. Applications must be made at least four months before the thesis is bound. Exceptions are granted when a compelling intellectual case is made.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MLitt degree, in all cases including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography. Permission to submit a thesis falling outside these limits, or to submit an appendix which does not count towards the word limit, must be obtained in advance from the Degree Committee.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MSc or MLitt degree, both including footnotes, references and appendices but excluding bibliographies. One A4 page consisting largely of statistics, symbols or figures shall be regarded as the equivalent of 250 words. A candidate must add to the preface of their thesis the following signed statement: 'This thesis does not exceed the regulation length, including footnotes, references and appendices.'

For the PhD degree the thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words (exclusive of footnotes, appendices and bibliography) but subject to an overall word limit of 100,000 words (exclusive of bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter). Figures, tables, images etc should be counted as the equivalent of 200 words for each A4 page, or part of an A4 page, that they occupy. For the MLitt degree the thesis is not to exceed 60,000 words inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of bibliography, appendices, table of contents and any other preliminary matter. Figures, tables, images etc should be counted as the equivalent of 200 words for each A4 page, or part of an A4 page, that they occupy.

Criminology:

For the PhD degree submission of a thesis between 55,000 and 80,000 words (exclusive of footnotes, appendices and bibliography) but subject to an overall word limit of 100,000 words (exclusive of bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter). Figures, tables, images etc should be counted as the equivalent of 200 words for each A4 page, or part of an A4 page, that they occupy. For the MLitt degree the thesis is not to exceed 60,000 words inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of bibliography, appendices, table of contents and any other preliminary matter. Figures, tables, images etc should be counted as the equivalent of 200 words for each A4 page, or part of an A4 page, that they occupy.

There is no standard format for the thesis in Mathematics.  Candidates should discuss the format appropriate to their topic with their supervisor.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MLitt degree, including footnotes and appendices but excluding the abstract, any acknowledgements, contents page(s), abbreviations, notes on transliteration, figures, tables and bibliography. Brief labels accompanying illustrations, figures and tables are also excluded from the word count. The Degree Committee point out that some very successful doctoral theses have been submitted which extend to no more than three-quarters of the maximum permitted length.

In linguistics, where examples are cited in a language other than Modern English, only the examples themselves will be taken into account for the purposes of the word limit. Any English translations and associated linguistic glosses will be excluded from the word count.

In theses written under the aegis of any of the language sections, all sources in the language(s) of the primary area(s) of research of the thesis will normally be in the original language. An English translation should be provided only where reading the original language is likely to fall outside the expertise of the examiners. Where such an English translation is given it will not be included in the word count. In fields where the normal practice is to quote in English in the main text, candidates should follow that practice. If the original text needs to be supplied, it should be placed in a footnote. These fields include, but are not limited to, general linguistics and film and screen studies.

Since appendices are included in the word limit, in some fields it may be necessary to apply to exceed the limit in order to include primary data or other materials which should be available to the examiners. Only under the most exceptional circumstances will permission be granted to exceed the limit in other cases. In all cases (a) a candidate must apply to exceed the prescribed maximum length at least three months before the date on which a candidate proposes to submit their thesis and (b) the application must be accompanied by a full supporting statement from the candidate's supervisor showing that such exemption from the prescribed limit of length is absolutely necessary.

It is a requirement within all language sections of MMLL, and also for Film, that dissertations must conform with the advice concerning abbreviations, quotations, footnotes, references etc published in the Style Book of the Modern Humanities Research Association (Notes for Authors and Editors). For linguistics, dissertations must conform with one of the widely accepted style formats in their field of research, for example the style format of the Journal of Linguistics (Linguistic Association of Great Britain), or of Language Linguistic Society of America) or the APA format (American Psychology Association). If in doubt, linguistics students should discuss this with their supervisor and the PhD Coordinator.

The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MLitt degree, both excluding notes, appendices, and bibliographies, musical transcriptions and examples, unless a candidate make a special case for greater length to the satisfaction of the Degree Committee. Candidates whose work is practice-based may include as part of the doctoral submission either a portfolio of substantial musical compositions, or one or more recordings of their own musical performance(s).

PhD (MLitt) theses in Philosophy must not be more than 80,000 (60,000) words, including appendices and footnotes but excluding bibliography.

Institute of Astronomy, Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, Department of Physics:

The thesis is not to exceed, without prior permission of the Degree Committee, 60,000 words, including summary/abstract, tables, footnotes and appendices, but excluding table of contents, photographs, diagrams, figure captions, list of figures/diagrams, list of abbreviations/acronyms, bibliography and acknowledgements.

Department of Chemistry:

The thesis is not to exceed, without prior permission of the Degree Committee, 60,000 words, including summary/abstract, tables, and footnotes, but excluding table of contents, photographs, diagrams, figure captions, list of figures/diagrams, list of abbreviations/acronyms, bibliography, appendices and acknowledgements. Appendices are relevant to the material contained within the thesis but do not form part of the connected argument. Specifically, they may include derivations, code and spectra, as well as experimental information (compound name, structure, method of formation and data) for non-key molecules made during the PhD studies.

Applicable to the PhDs in Politics & International Studies, Latin American Studies, Multi-disciplinary Studies and Development Studies for all submissions from candidates admitted prior to and including October 2017.

A PhD thesis must not exceed 80,000 words, and will normally be near that length. The word limit includes appendices but excludes footnotes, references and bibliography. Footnotes should not exceed 20% of the thesis. Discursive footnotes are generally discouraged, and under no circumstances should footnotes be used to include material that would normally be in the main text, and thus to circumvent the word limits. Statistical tables should be counted as 150 words per table. Only under exceptional circumstances, and after prior application, will the Degree Committee allow a student to exceed these limits. A candidate must submit, with the thesis, a statement signed by her or himself attesting to the length of the thesis. Any thesis that exceeds the limit will be referred back to candidate for revision before being forwarded to the examiners.

Applicable to the PhDs in Politics & International Studies, Latin American Studies, Multi-disciplinary Studies and Development Studies for all submissions from candidates admitted after October 2017.

A PhD thesis must not exceed 80,000 words, including footnotes. The word limit includes appendices but excludes the bibliography. Discursive footnotes are generally discouraged, and under no circumstances should footnotes be used to include material that would normally be in the main text. Statistical tables should be counted as 150 words per table. Only under exceptional circumstances, and after prior application, will the Degree Committee allow a student to exceed these limits. A candidate must submit, with the thesis, a statement signed by her or himself attesting to the length of the thesis. Any thesis that exceeds the limit will be referred back to candidate for revision before being forwarded to the examiners.

Only applicable to students registered for the degree prior to 1 August 2012; all other students should consult the guidance of the Faculty of Biological Sciences.

Applicable to the PhD in Psychology (former SDP students only) for all submissions made before 30 November 2013

A PhD thesis must not exceed 80,000 words, and will normally be near that length. The word limit includes appendices but excludes footnotes, references and bibliography. Footnotes should not exceed 20% of the thesis. Discursive footnotes are generally discouraged, and under no circumstances should footnotes be used to include material that would normally be in the main text, and thus to circumvent the word limits. Statistical tables should be counted as 150 words per table. Only under exceptional circumstances, and after prior application, will the Degree Committee allow a student to exceed these limits. A candidate must submit, with the thesis, a statement signed by her or himself attesting to the length of the thesis. Any thesis that exceeds the limit will be referred back to candidate for revision before being forwarded to the examiners.

Applicable to the PhD in Psychology (former SDP students only) for all submissions from 30 November 2013

A PhD thesis must not exceed 80,000 words, and will normally be near that length. The word limit includes appendices but excludes footnotes, references and bibliography. Footnotes should not exceed 20% of the thesis. Discursive footnotes are generally discouraged, and under no circumstances should footnotes be used to include material that would normally be in the main text, and thus to circumvent the word limits. Statistical tables should be counted as 150 words per table. Only under exceptional circumstances, and after prior application, will the Degree Committee allow a student to exceed these limits. Applications should be made in good time before the date on which a candidate proposes to submit the thesis, made to the Graduate Committee. A candidate must submit, with the thesis, a statement signed by her or himself attesting to the length of the thesis. Any thesis that exceeds the limit will be referred back to candidate for revision before being forwarded to the examiners.

A PhD thesis must not exceed 80,000 words, and will normally be over 60,000 words. This word limit includes footnotes and endnotes, but excludes appendices and reference list / bibliography. Figures, tables, images etc should be counted as the equivalent of 150 words for each page, or part of a page, that they occupy. Other media may form part of the thesis by prior arrangement with the Degree Committee. Students may apply to the Degree Committee for permission to exceed the word limit, but such applications are granted only rarely. Candidates must submit, with the thesis, a signed statement attesting to the length of the thesis.

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  • Thesis Format

Format of thesis and Binding

  • Title page – including the thesis title, the student's full name and the degree for which it is submitted
  • Abstract - of up to 5,000 words
  • Table of contents – including any material not bound in the book, and a list of tables, photographs and any other materials

Word limits

  • PhD - not to exceed 100,000 words
  • MPhil - not to exceed 60,000 words
  • MD(Res) - not to exceed 50,000 words
  • MPhilStud - not to exceed 30,000 words
  • Professional Doctorates - at least 25,000 words and not to exceed 55,000 words

Thesis word limit inclusions and exclusions The thesis word count includes everything from the start of chapter 1 up to the end of the last chapter. This means: Including all words included within:

  • Footnotes/Endnotes
  • Table/figure legends
  • Tables of contents/of figures/of tables/ of acronyms
  • Acknowledgements/dedications
  • References/Bibliography
  • 'Editions of texts (except where the edition or editions themselves constitute the thesis under examination)'
  • Students are only required to submit an electronic thesis for their examiners, in PDF format, this should be emailed to [email protected] no later than your deadline
  • If examiners have requested a printed copy  a member of the Research Degrees Examinations team will get in touch with you
  • Margins - as we no longer require printed copies of the thesis, the margin edge is at the student's discretion, however bear in mind if  examiners prefer a printed copy then it may need to be spiral bound
  • Spacing - Double or 1.5 spacing (except for indented quotations or footnotes which can be single spaced)
  • Font size - It is recommended to use font size 12 to ensure examiners are able to read it
  • Page numbering - All pages must be numbered in one continuous sequence, i.e. from the title page of the first volume to the last page of type, from 1 onwards. This sequence must include everything in the volume, including maps, diagrams, blank pages, etc.

Illustrative materials -  May include: audio recordings and photographic slides, these can be emailed to  [email protected]

  • Additional material - Any material which cannot be included in the PDF thesis maybe emailed separately to the [email protected]  

Some examiners may prefer to work from a printed version of the student's thesis rather than the PDF, if this is the case:

  • The Research Degrees Examinations team will in the first instance check with the examiner if they would be happy to print the thesis themselves. If the examiner is happy to do this and is able to, they can claim back the expenses following the examination
  • If the examiner is unable to print the thesis, the Research Degrees Examinations team will contact the student to make arrangements for a print version to be posted directly to the examiner(s) or via a binders
  • It is the students' responsibility to get their thesis printed and bound if examiners require a copy. Students may only claim back postage costs.

PRINT COPIES MUST NOT BE POSTED PRIOR TO OFFICIAL DISPATCH BY THE RESEARCH DEGREES EXAMINATION TEAM

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Committee on Degrees in Social Studies

  • Thesis Formatting

Social Studies Senior Theses should be between 20,000 and 30,000 words of text. Theses that exceed 30,000 words may be penalized by up to half a grade for excessive length. Theses that do not reach the minimum required length may fail to receive honors. You are required to attach a word count to your thesis. To do so, type out the word count on an otherwise blank page and include it as the last page in your thesis. Theses will not be accepted without a word count.

One copy of your thesis is to be submitted electronically to the Social Studies office, uploaded to the Social Studies 99 Canvas site. If you are a joint concentrator, you should submit one copy of your thesis to Social Studies and one to your joint concentration.

Apart from quotations of more than 50 words and from foot­notes, theses should be double-spaced.   

Pages must be numbered.

The margins should be one inch at the top and bottom of each page, with one inch at the left edge and one inch at the right.

Follow the foot- or end-noting conventions of the discipline with which the essay is most closely associated.  

Here is an example of the text that should be appro­priately centered and spaced on the title page:

(title of essay)

An Essay Presented

(first name, middle name, and last name of author)

The Committee on Degrees in Social Studies

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree with honors of Bachelor of Arts

Harvard College (month and year)

Acknowledgements  

When the thesis is submitted, please leave out an acknowledgements page. If your thesis is accepted for archives, you will be contacted to provide an acknowledgements page and any minor updates you wish to include.

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Hourigan & Co.

How much does it cost to edit a PhD or master’s thesis?

by Ben Hourigan | Aug 30, 2014 | Editing | 2 comments

30000 word thesis

One of the most frequent search terms leading visitors to Hourigan & Co., as well as one of our most common client questions, is how much does it cost to edit a PhD thesis?

You might want to sit down for this, because the answer is usually some version of “more than you think.” The first thing to remember is that a PhD thesis (or even an MA thesis) is a long piece of work—it takes time to read and even longer to edit. Editing a PhD thesis will usually be no less than a full week’s work, and often the process can continue for several weeks if we have queries for you or your supervisor asks you to make further revisions. In the meantime, us editor types have to eat and pay our rent and so on. Trust me: nobody is getting rich off this.

Here’s the short answer: editing a PhD thesis could cost you between $1,800 and $3,600. An MA thesis could cost you between $750 and $1,800.

When we do a full edit of a novel or a similar book-length work, we often charge around $600 (in Australian dollars, but it’s roughly equal in USD) to edit each 10,000 words. For a full edit of a thesis, we charge the same rate per 10,000 words, so a full edit of a 60,000-word PhD thesis could be up to $3,600. A master’s thesis of 30,000 words might be up to $1,800.

This is a significant investment, and for some graduate students who are from non-English-speaking backgrounds, it’s worthwhile spending this much on getting their degree. We’ve even had one Chinese-speaking client here whose PhD examiners required him to get a professional edit before they would pass the thesis.

The good news is that most PhD or master’s candidates won’t need this level of work done. When I talk about a full edit , I mean that we not only correct mistakes in spelling and grammar, but rewrite poorly worded or ambiguous sentences, point out obvious factual errors, offer commentary on methodology and standards of argument, format the thesis to departmental requirements, and check that the referencing is correct. This can be a lot of work, especially if the author isn’t a confident writer.

But for PhD students especially, it’s expected that your graduate studies will involve a significant amount of education in academic writing. You’ll redraft multiple times on your own and with your supervisors, and after a long candidature you should already be a pretty good writer.

As a result, what we recommend to most graduate students is that we do proofreading and formatting. For this we charge $300 per 10,000 words, so a 60,000-word thesis would cost $1,800.

In this process, we correct errors only (no rewriting for clarity or style), check that your citations and reference list are written out correctly, and format the thesis to your departmental requirements, putting on a little extra polish from our expert knowledge of typographical conventions.

We actually find that formatting is one of the areas where students need the most help with their theses. Microsoft Word doesn’t make it that easy for the average user to format a document consistently over 30,000 to 60,000 words, and we will usually spend three to four hours on formatting alone. For most students, the result is a dramatic overhaul of their thesis’s appearance, which makes it much more attractive and readable.

Here’s a few final tips:

Things to watch out for

  • Be wary of low-cost editing. Often these edits will be performed by staff whose English is non-standard (e.g. in India or the Philippines), or the price will not give the editor adequate time to review your document thoroughly and attend to all errors and formatting and referencing issues. At Hourigan & Co. we have seen many clients that paid for an edit elsewhere and then had to pay a second time for us to correct the remaining issues.
  • Don’t forget that the word-count you need to give to your editor includes your bibliography or reference list, and your appendices, if you want these to be professionally formatted and error free like the rest of your document.

How to help your editor and keep costs down

  • Make sure your entire thesis, including appendices, is contained in a single document.
  • Use heading styles to mark chapter and section titles.
  • Tell the editor up-front which English you are using (US, UK, Canadian, Australian), which style guide you are using (e.g. APA, Chicago), and where they can find your department’s thesis formatting guidelines.

Do you need our help or have a question? Contact us today.  

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Peter

I am looking for someone who will be editing my Master project.

Ben Hourigan

Hi, Peter. It’s been a while, and you may already have found help. But if you’re still looking, please head over to https://hourigan.co/contact to send us a quick message, and we’ll organise a quote for you.

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Mick Cooper Training and Consultancy

The Methods Section: Some Pointers

The Methods Section: Some Pointers

The following blog is for Master’s or doctoral level students writing research dissertations in the psychological therapies fields. The pointers are only recommendations—different trainers, supervisors, and examiners may see things very differently.

What should go into the Methods chapter of a thesis, and how much should you write in each area? The headings, below, describe the typical sections, content areas, and approximate length . The suggested word lengths are in the context of a 25,000-30,000 word thesis, and may be a bit more expanded for a longer dissertation (and obviously more condensed for a shorter one).

Epistemology

(Approx. 2,000-3,000 words).

This is often a requirement of Master’s or doctoral level theses, and is a key place in which you can demonstrate the depth and complexity of your understanding. This may be a separate chapter on its own, or placed somewhere else in the thesis.

Critical discussion of epistemology adopted (e.g., realist, social constructionist)

Links to actual method used

Consideration/rejection of alternative epistemologies. 

(Approx. 50-500 words).

Formal/technical statement of the design: e.g., ‘this is a thematic analysis study drawing on semi-structured interviews, based in a critical realist epistemology’

Any critical/controversial/unusual design issues that need discussing/justifying.

Participants

(Approx. 500 words).

Site of recruitment: Where they came from/context

Eligibility criteria: inclusion and exclusion

Demographics (a table here is generally a good idea: can by one participant per row if small N, or one variable per row if large N)

Age (range/mean)

Socioeconomic status/level of education

Professional background/experience: training, years of practice, type of employment, orientation

Participant flow chart/description of numbers through recruitment: e.g., numbers contacted, number screened, numbers consented/didn’t consent (and reasons). Also organisations contacted, recruited, etc.  

Measures/Tools

Interview schedule

Nature of interviews: e.g., structured/semi-structured? How many questions?

Give key questions

(Full schedule can go in appendix)

Measures (including any demographics questionnaire): a paragraph or two on each

Brief description

What it is intended to measure

Example item(s)

Psychometrics:

reliability (esp. internal reliability, test/retest)

validity (esp. convergent validity)

(Approx. 500-1000 words).

What was the participants’ journey through the study: e.g., recruitment, screening, information about the study, consent, interview (how long?), debrief, follow up

Nature of any intervention: type of intervention (including manualisation, adherence, etc), practitioners…  

Statement/description of formal ethical approval

Key ethical issues that arose and how they were dealt with 

(Approx. 1,000-2,000 words).

What method used

Critical description of method (with contemporary references)

Rationale for adopting method

Consideration/rejection of alternative methods

Stages of method as actually conducted (including auditing/review stages) 

Reflexive statement

(Approx. 250 words).

Remember that the point of your reflexive statement here is not to give a short run-down of your life. It’s about disclosing any biases or assumptions you might have regarding your research question. We will all have biases, and by being open about them you can be transparent in your thesis and all the reader, themselves, to judge whether your results might be skewed in any way.

What’s your position in relation to this study?

What might your biases/assumptions be? 

Ask - /faq/3267/phd-thesis-word-limit/

Phd thesis word limit, what is the word limit for a phd thesis.

You should aim to write a thesis of 80,000 words. The word limit is exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit.

If you need to exceed 100,000 words, you must submit a request to the Chair of the Higher Degrees Research Comittee via the Graduate Research Examinations Office before you submit your thesis. This must include:

  • your justification for the request
  • the expected length of your thesis
  • support by your supervisor(s) and Head of Department, who must also certify that the proposed examiners do not object to examining a longer thesis

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MPhil by Thesis (MLM9)

The MPhil by Thesis is for students whose knowledge of linguistics is already substantial, and who already know the area which they wish to research for their thesis. It allows students to carry out focussed research on a specific topic in a way that foreshadows a potential PhD. To be eligible for consideration for the MPhil by Thesis, a student will need:

  • a broad foundation in linguistics, with depth in at least some subfields
  • a clear idea of the area in which the thesis will be written.

Students taking the MPhil by Thesis will follow some elements of the MPhil by Advanced Study as agreed with their supervisor, but formal assessment is by a 30,000 word thesis alone, submitted in early June. Progress will be monitored through the year by work submitted according to a schedule specified by TAL.

It is important that you only apply to a course in our section if your interests are properly represented by the research interests of our staff. Applicants may find it useful to look at the following lists of people to find out more about potential supervisors in their fields of interest:

  • Staff and their Research Interests
  • Full Section Staff List
  • Members of the Faculty
  • Current PhD Students

Please direct any enquiries regarding entry requirements and academic matters to the Postgraduate Secretary i n the MMLL Postgraduate Office, and any general admissions enquiries.  Applicants should apply online through the central  Postgraduate Admissions Office . 

Our English language requirements are absolute . Note that this course starts in October and submission falls in early June, and as a result it is quite intensive. Therefore there is no time or provision for improving one’s proficiency in English. We only accept candidates whose command of English meets the language test requirement in order to ensure that students can follow advanced lectures, often using specialist terminology, and formulate well-expressed, sophisticated arguments in their written work. The language test requirements stated in the eligibility criteria are the absolute minimum and are not negotiable. They must be met in full before admission to the course.

Michaelmas term

All students are required to follow a course in research methods and a statistics course to acquire skills needed for research and 'transferable' skills. Beyond that, each student will follow his or her own 'training plan', which allows the individual interests, needs, and strengths of the student to be met. At the start of the course the student draws up a Training Plan for the Michaelmas and Lent Terms (October to March), with advice (if needed) from the Course Director of the MPhil and subject specialists.

In the Lent Term students research forums, which might be PhD seminars, MPhil seminars, or other appropriate research seminars and courses in Linguistics or elsewhere in the university, as agreed with their supervisor.  

A proposed title and summary for the 30,000 word thesis, formulated in discussion with the supervisor, must be submitted in mid-February, and this will be subject to approval by the Linguistics Section, the supervisor, and the Faculty's Degree Committee. The thesis demands independent study under the guidance of the supervisor and will involve a substantial piece of original research. 

Easter Term

The thesis is submitted in early June, and about two to three weeks later there is an oral examination (viva) on the thesis.

The examination process is very similar to that of the PhD, and consists of two parts: scrutiny of the thesis by one internal and one external examiner, and a viva involving both examiners and the candidate. Some candidates may be asked to carry out corrections to their thesis which may mean graduating in October rather than in July.

Supervisions

Students following the MPhil by Thesis   will   normally have discussed their proposed research in advance with a staff member specialising in the relevant subject area, and this person or an equivalent will be appointed as supervisor throughout the year. It is expected that a student will be capable of largely independent work. For equity, there are norms for the amount of supervision each student can expect to receive.  Seven hours of supervision throughout the course is provided.  The University of Cambridge publishes an annual  Code of Practice  which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision.  

Students receive the overall outcome of pass/fail.   No mark is awarded for the MPhil By Thesis.

Part-time students

It is also possible to take a part-time route for the MPhil By Thesis course, and the expected timeframe would be 21 months, with a thesis submission date of early June in the second academic year of study.

Students taking the course over the period of two academic years will be required to attend the General Seminar and the Research Methods seminar (including statistics) in their first year. At least one of the two subject-specific Lent Term courses should also be attended in the first year. Monitoring can take place over the period of two years, except for the detailed plan of research which is to be submitted by Thursday of week 3 of Lent Term of the first year. Assessment will take place in the second year. 

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Philosophical Studies MPhil Stud

London, Bloomsbury

Immerse yourself in the world of academic philosophy through this programme designed to give you a rigorous understanding of the discipline. The Philosophical Studies MPhil Stud is one of the most esteemed research Master’s degrees in the UK, giving you valuable academic skills and a solid foundation to progress to future PhD research. Delivered at UCL, you’ll also benefit from access to renowned academics and renowned philosophy institutions.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

Applications closed

  • Entry requirements

A first-class UK Bachelor's degree in Philosophy or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. All applicants for research degrees must submit two short pieces of work, of about 2,000 words each, with their application.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

In REF 2021 our research activity was assessed as among the best in the country : 60% of our activity was assessed as world-leading (4*). The department has a lively and flourishing postgraduate community, and enjoys collaborative connections with other London universities, and the activities of the nearby Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Aristotelian Society, and the University of London Institute of Philosophy.

Who this course is for

This programme has been specifically designed for Philosophy graduates who wish to develop a career in academic philosophy. The diverse range of modules and specialised compulsory research elements ensure a breadth and depth of study that enables our research students who enter doctoral work do so with a deep general understanding of the discipline.

What this course will give you

The MPhil Stud degree is a rigorous training programme for two years which includes a 30,000 word thesis examined by viva with external examiners. The programme has been devised to better prepare students for doctoral work. This is achieved by giving a breath of study before future specialization, providing specialised compulsory research modules and the undertaking of a significant research project in Philosophy.  By providing students with this breadth and depth of study we ensure that our research students who enter doctoral work do so with a deep general understanding of the discipline.

The foundation of your career

The range of pre-doctoral graduate-level modules included in UCL's MPhil Stud programme is exceptional when compared to UK philosophy departments. This ensures that our research students who go on to enter doctoral work do so with a deep general understanding of the discipline. The department has an outstanding job placement record in a highly competitive academic market that values a range of areas of competence in addition to an area of specialisation. UCL PhD graduates in philosophy have secured lectureships, fellowships and postdoctoral placements in the UK and elsewhere (University of Oxford, University of Toronto, University College Dublin, York University, Southampton University, Cambridge University, Sheffield University, University of Antwerp and the Institute of Philosophy, UNAM, Mexico).

Employability

Of the students we admit to the MPhilStud each year, around half progress to study a PhD. Some are offered full fees and maintenance grants (e.g. at UCL, Oxford, Cambridge, and other UK and US universities). Students who do not continue to academic work beyond the MPhilStud enter a range of professions including law, public policy, and publishing.

The department has links with US universities (Berkeley, Columbia and Yale). Academic staff are involved in the running of the Aristotelian Society, the main philosophy society in the UK. Others are involved in running the Institute of Classical Studies lecture series, and the Keeling Colloquia and Lectures in ancient philosophy. Philosophy graduate students host a philosophy conference at the start of every year, and co-organise an annual graduate philosophy conference with graduate students at Berkeley. Finally, the Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series, co-ordinated by the Institute of Philosophy at Senate House, is open to our graduate students.

Teaching and learning

Over the two years of the MPhil Stud students complete coursework across a range of areas, and produce a substantial research thesis. The programme as a whole has been devised to better prepare students for doctoral work in the subject. This is achieved by:

• Giving a breath of study as a foundation before future specialization

• Providing specialised compulsory research modules in both years of the course (Practical Criticism / Recent Philosophical Writings & Thesis Preparation)

• Undertaking a significant research project in Philosophy with the 30,000 word thesis which begins in term three of the first year.

By providing students with this breadth and depth of study we ensure that our research students who enter doctoral work do so with a deep general understanding of the discipline.

The programme is taught through a combination of seminars and supervisions. Your performance is assessed through presentations, coursework, supervision and the thesis.

Each research training module has a two-hour seminar each week. Students should plan to put aside at least eight hours per week excluding the seminar time for each research training module being taken.

Research areas and structure

Research areas:

  • Ancient Philosophy
  • Epistemology
  • History of Twentieth Century Philosophy
  • Metaphysics
  • Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy 
  • Nineteenth Century German Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Language
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Philosophy of Perception
  • Political Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Science

Research environment

The Philosophy MPhilStud is one of the pre-eminent UK research Master's degrees in philosophy. Over two years you complete research training modules (similar to coursework) across a range of areas, and produce a substantial research thesis. When you have successfully completed the MPhil Stud you will have sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge to progress to the two-year (minimum) PhD.

When you study the MPhilStud you will take five compulsory modules and ten optional modules during your two-year programme.

The ten optional modules are subject to a breadth requirement: all optional modules available to you are classified as falling into one of three broad philosophical areas

(A)     Theoretical (metaphysics, language, epistemology etc.)

(B)     Practical (in the Kantian sense; ethics, politics, aesthetics) and

(C)    Historical (ancient, continental, early modern, early analytic etc.)

You must take at least two courses from each of these three areas.

In the first year, you will take two compulsory modules plus eight optional modules. You will receive supervision on your thesis in term three. In the second year, you will take the remaining compulsory modules plus the other two optional modules. Your supervision continues throughout the year. You will submit your thesis in early September.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules, accessibility.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions).

The wealth of departmental seminars / colloquiums / symposiums and student organised work in progress sessions give ample opportunities to present research, receive feedback and participate in discussion. Furthermore, the department’s membership to the University of London’s Institute of Philosophy enables participation in intercollegiate conferences and workshops where the above opportunities can be experienced with a wider audience.

Lastly, the department has some funds which can be applied for to help offset the cost of travel to conferences in the UK or overseas.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

The department has a set of funds to offer awards to research students which are allocated on the basis of academic merit. These include the Jacobsen Scholarship, a one-year award of £9,000 & one or two S V Keeling Scholarships each year in philosophy or ancient philosophy, covering UK/EU fees and maintenance matching AHRC funding for both years of the MPhil Stud.

There are also the Ayer, Dawes Hicks, Melhuish and JS Mill Scholarships, each worth £200 to £4,500. Other scholarships and sources of funding may be available; please check our Scholarships and Funding website. You should take note of funding application deadlines as these will differ from programme application deadlines.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 26 January 2024 Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

The MPhil Stud start date is September each year. Applications close on 10th January each year and early submission is recommended. Please include two samples of your written work (2,000 words each). There is no need for a research proposal for MPhil Stud applications as the thesis work does not begin until the end of the first year. For more information see our How to apply page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

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How to write 10,000 words a day

One of the most popular posts on the Thesis Whisperer is How to write 1000 words a day and not go bat shit crazy . Last year a Twitter follower brought to my attention a post called How I went from writing 2000 words to 10,000 words a day by the fiction writer Rachel Aaron.

I did a double take.

Can you really write 10,000 words a day? Well, Rachel says she can, with three conditions:

1) Know what you are going to write before you write it 2) Set aside a protected time to write, and 3) Feel enthusiastic about what you are writing

I read the post with interest. Much of what Rachel did conformed with what I suggest in my earlier post, but I couldn’t bring myself to really believe Rachel’s productivity claims. To regularly write 10,000 words: It’s the dream, right? Imagine if you could reliably write 10,000 words a day, how long would it take to finish your thesis… A week? How about a journal paper – a day?

Impossible!

Or so I thought.

Screen Shot 2015-01-16 at 3.06.29 pm

The Thesis Bootcamp formula was developed by Liam Connell and Peta Freestone of the University of Melbourne. Thesis Bootcamp (and the veteran’s days which follow) is a total program designed to help late stage PhD students finish their thesis document (In some countries this document is called the ‘dissertation’, but I will use the Australian term ‘thesis’ here). The Thesis Bootcamp concept is simple – put a whole lot of PhD students in a room for a whole weekend and set them the goal of writing 20,000 words each.

Yes – you heard me right.

At every Thesis Bootcamp we have run, at least one student will achieve this goal, and many write many more words than they thought they would. In a previous post Peta Freestone and Liam Connell wrote about the ideas behind Thesis Bootcamp . In this post I want to reflect on Rachel Aaron’s threefold advice and put in the context of thesis writing.

1) Know what you are going to write before you write it

Composing a Thesis requires you to do different types of writing. Some of this writing is ‘generative’ in that it helps you form and articulate ideas by… just writing as much as you can, not as well as you can. It works best when you don’t second-guess yourself too much. The philosophy is ‘make a mess and then clean it up’. Perfectionist writers have a problem doing this, which is why we see so many perfectionists at our Bootcamps.

At Bootcamp we teach our students to focus the generative writing energy to productive effect. An important step in this process is for the student to spend at least a week making a ‘Thesis map’  before they come to Bootcamp. The map is essentially a series of sub-headings which the students use as prompts for composing new text, or re-using existing text.

Students, particularly those in the humanities and arts, tend to agonise over the Thesis document ‘structure’. I think the anxiety stems from the idea that ‘Thesis structure’ is some kind of perfect platonic form they need to discover.

It’s important to realise that structure is made, not found. Thesis structure is strongly influenced by disciplinary precedent and the content of the Thesis itself. A history PhD it might follow a timeline from the past to the present; a science PhD might echo the order of the experiments that have been performed. But multi-disciplinary PhDs, or PhDs in ‘polyglot’ disciplines like education, do not have comfortable traditions. This means you’ll have to make the structure up. Try the following technique:

  • This Thesis contributes to knowledge by…
  • This Thesis is important because…
  • The key research question is….
  • The sub-questions are….
  • Decide how long your Thesis will be. Most universities have a maximum word count. Aim for your Thesis to be at least 2/3 of this total (it’s likely you will write more than this, but this gives you some wriggle room).
  • Make a document with chapter headings and word counts next to them. Include an introduction of 2000 – 3000 words followed by up to seven chapters of equal length and a conclusion of around 4000 – 5000 words.
  • Under the conclusion heading write a rough list of points you think will go in there (hint – these should be answers to the research questions you have posed). Study these closely – have you got data, theories, evidence and arguments to support these conclusions? These concluding points, singularly or in combination, will form the ‘key learnings’ of the Thesis – the knowledge and ideas you want your readers to absorb.
  • Each chapter should have at least one key learning in it, maybe more. Under each chapter heading note the key learnings in the form of a brief synopsis of up to 300 words. This synopsis is like a mini abstract that explains what the rest of the chapter will be about.
  • Then make a list of the material you will include in the chapter as dot points. Don’t worry about the gaps and stuff you haven’t written yet – just make a note of them. These should be short sentences that will act as subheadings
  • Now ask yourself: If, at the end of the chapter, I want the reader to be convinced of the validity of this key learning, what needs to appear first? What comes next? And so on. Rearrange or write new subheadings as you go until you have arranged all the subheadings of the chapter in a way that tells the research story.

Following these steps will help you to create the Thesis map – but it’s important to remember that this is merely an aid to writing, not a plan set in stone. You can change, add and move stuff around as you write.

In our Thesis Bootcamps we ask students to just pick a spot on this map and start writing as fast as they can, not as well as they can. Does this generate perfect thesis ready text? Not necessarily, but many students say that the writing they produce at Bootcamp is clearer than the writing they did before it, when they are worrying over every word. I think the thesis map is a big part of this clarity because it keeps the focus tight.

This organising technique works best for very late stage thesis students, but it can be a way of creating order at any time in your journey and working out what you need to find out or write more about. I’ve made a downloadable cheat sheet which shows you my own Thesis map, generated by the above method so you can make one of your own.

2) Set aside a protected time to write

I’ve written so much about this, so I wont rehash it all here. If you are interested in some techniques and ideas for creating protective writing time, have a look at the following posts:

  • Another way to write 1000 words a day
  • Office or cafe?
  • Shut up and Write!
  • Detox your desk
  • A visit from the procrastination fairy

3) Feel enthusiastic about what you are writing

I think this is the ‘secret sauce’ in the 10,000 words a day recipe. Rachel Aaron did some deep analysis of her productive writing days and compared these to the occasional not-so-productive days. The days Rachel was able to write 10,000+ words were the days she was writing scenes she had been ‘dying to write’ – she called these the ‘candy bar scenes’. Days where she found it hard to muster 5000 words a day she was bored with what she was writing:

This was a duh moment for me, but it also brought up a troubling new problem. If I had scenes that were boring enough that I didn’t want to write them, then there was no way in hell anyone would want to read them. This was my novel, after all. If I didn’t love it, no one would.

In the fiction world the answer to Rachel’s dilemma was simple – make the boring scenes more interesting! Unfortunately in Thesis World this is not always possible. There will always be parts that are functional and unexciting; I call these the ‘dry toast’ sections – you need to do a lot of unproductive chewing before you can swallow.

There’s a term that describes this process in gamer culture – ‘grinding’. Grinding is being forced to perform the same action over and over again before you can ‘level up’ in the game and get more powers / weapons / armour or whatever. The level up is the pay-off.

One of the most genius ideas Liam and Peta incorporated into Bootcamp was the squeezy lego blocks. We give these out for each 5000 words written in a particular colour order: green, blue, red and gold. The blocks clip together to make a little lego ‘wall’ that the students can display at their writing station. When first presented with the idea of the blocks the students laugh, but all too soon, they are typing furiously with single minded purpose – to get the next block. We have a little ceremony every time someone gets a block, clapping them as they walk up to write their name on the board. It’s cheesy, but it works to turn writing from a source of pain to a celebration. So think about how to reward yourself for every 5000 words written.

Up for the challenge? Have a look at the testimonials on our ANU You Tube channel . I’d love to hear about other ways of doing writing marathons and what you think about this kind of ‘binge writing’.

If you are an ANU student, click this link to find out how to get involved in Thesis Bootcamp on campus .

If you are in the UK, Dr Peta Freestone is available to run Thesis Bootcamp in your university.

Related Posts

Rachel Aaron’s post ‘How I went from writing 2000 words to 10,000 words a day ‘

“How to write 1000 words a day and not go bat shit crazy”

Video testimonials on the ANU Youtube channel

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The Thesis Whisperer is written by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University . New posts on the first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe by email below. Visit the About page to find out more about me, my podcasts and books. I'm on most social media platforms as @thesiswhisperer. The best places to talk to me are LinkedIn , Mastodon and Threads.

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Research in your postgraduate degree

What you need to know about undertaking research for honours, masters and postgraduate diplomas.

Working with your supervisor

The responsibility for the research, writing, and submission of your dissertation or thesis is yours, however your supervisor will help you determine your topic and methodologies and will read your work and comment on drafts.

Students and supervisors will likely have different expectations of supervision, so it is important to discuss these early on and make agreements for how you will work together.

If your research involves human or animal participants in any way, you must obtain approval from the ethics committee. Your supervisor or Graduate Adviser will be able to help you with this.

Academic integrity

The University's policies on plagiarism also apply to postgraduate research. In any submitted work, unacknowledged copying (or plagiarism) is regarded as a form of cheating.

How to format your thesis or dissertation

Word limits.

120-point masters thesis: 40,000 words 90-point masters thesis: 30,000 words 60-point dissertation: 20,000 words 45-point dissertation: 15,000 words 30-point dissertation: 10,000 words

The word lengths noted above include appendices, footnotes and the bibliography/reference list. The minimum word limit is 10 per cent below the maximum limit. Appendices, if needed, should not be more than 10 per cent of total pages.

Content, structure and formatting

The content, structure and formatting of your thesis is at your discretion, however the Faculty of Arts generally expects that a research project will use a standard referencing system, such as Chicago or APA, and follow a logical scheme that is consistent throughout the work.

Chapters with subsections are the most common form of division. Any logical system of subdivision within chapters or sections appropriate to the field or discipline may be used, but the scheme must be consistent throughout the thesis.

It is expected that students discuss their methodology, and note if ethics approval was granted, where appropriate.

Guide to Theses and Dissertations . Size: 579.8 kB. Type: PDF .

Document Description: A general guide to the presentation and submission of theses and dissertations.

Download this PDF file. Size: 579.8 kB .

Submitting your thesis

Your thesis should be submitted on or before the due date.

Initial submission requires one PDF copy submitted to arts-thesis@auckland.ac.nz .

Some degrees or specialisations may have additional requirements; you will be notified if this applies to you.

Related links

  • Postgraduate policies, guidelines and forms
  • Ethics applications
  • Academic integrity and copyright
  • Extensions, suspensions, deletions and withdrawals

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BPhil in Philosophy

The BPhil is an intellectually demanding postgraduate course, presupposing an undergraduate and/or graduate background in philosophy (or equivalent). It is not suitable as a conversion course for students changing to philosophy from another subject and it cannot be studied part-time or externally. It is regarded both as training for the DPhil and as a basis for teaching a range of philosophical subjects and requires sustained and focused work over two years.

For information on how to make an application please see our Admissions Procedure and Entry Requirements webpage .

Candidates admitted for the BPhil are taught through a combination of classes and one-to-one supervisions. Each candidate will be required to submit six assessed essays (of no more than 5,000 words each) across at least five subjects (with no more than two essays on any one subject), together with a thesis of up to 30,000 words.

The assessed essays must be chosen from three broad subject Groups: one essay must be on a subject from Group 1 (“Theoretical Philosophy”), one on a subject from Group 2 (“Practical Philosophy”), and two on a subject or subjects from Group 3 (“History of Philosophy”), of which at least one must be concerned with philosophy written before 1800. The precise list of subjects in the three groups is published at the beginning of each year and may be tailored to the particular strengths of the Faculty members who will be teaching that year, but a typical list might be as follows:

Group 1 : Epistemology; Logic and Philosophy of Logic; Metaphysics; Philosophy of Action; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Mathematics; Philosophy of Mind; Philosophy of Physics; Philosophy of Probability and Decision Theory; Philosophy of Psychology and Cognitive Science; Philosophy of Religion; Philosophy of Science.

Group 2 : Aesthetics; Feminist Philosophy; Meta-Ethics; Normative and Applied Ethics; Philosophy of Law; Political Philosophy.

Group 3 : Ancient Philosophy; Medieval Philosophy; Early Modern Philosophy; History of Philosophy from 1800.

There will be provision for candidates to apply to submit up to two essays on at most one subject not included in the list of approved subjects.

During their first four terms of study, students normally receive one-to-one supervision on two chosen subjects: two supervisions per term, four supervisions per subject in total. During their first year of study, BPhil students are required to attend the compulsory Pro-Seminar plus one other graduate class per term. The Pro-Seminar covers Theoretical Philosophy in Michaelmas Term, Practical Philosophy in Hilary Term and History of Philosophy in Trinity Term. In the fourth term of their studies they are required to attend two graduate classes. In every term, there will also be a wide range of specialised graduate classes on offer. 

Students will be assessed continuously over the first four terms of study, with two essays due for submission at the beginning of the third, fourth and fifth term. The thesis is submitted at the end of the sixth (and final) term. Students will be allocated a thesis supervisor, and can expect to receive two one-to-one supervisions on their thesis in each of their final two terms of study (four in total).

To be awarded the BPhil degree, students must achieve (i) a passing mark in six essays, which collectively must meet the distribution requirement described above; and (ii) a passing mark in the thesis. The lowest passing mark for the essays and the thesis is 50. Details of arrangements for the resubmission of failed work will be set out in the Graduate Student Handbook.

Admission to the BPhil in Philosophy

Admission procedure and entry requirements.

For information on admissions to the BPhil in Philosophy please check the Admissions Procedure and Enry Requirements page .

FAQs about Admission to the BPhil in Philosophy

Please find answers to frequently asked questions about admissions to the BPhil in Philosophy here .

Opportunities for Specialisation

Ancient philosophy track.

Oxford is widely acknowledged to contain one of the leading groups, arguably the leading group, of ancient philosophers in the world; ancient philosophy at Oxford is ranked top in the Philosophical Gourmet Report's breakdown of programmes by speciality.

For students interested in specialising in Ancient Philosophy there is a possibility of following the “Ancient Philosophy track” in the BPhil in Philosophy. This is not a separate degree, but a way of studying Ancient Philosophy in particular within the existing BPhil structure.

Specifically, it is envisaged that a student on the Ancient Philosophy track would write two of their six assessed essays on Ancient Philosophy, and the thesis would be written on some aspect of Ancient Philosophy. They would also tailor their other essays on some of their chosen topics for Theoretical Philosophy and Practical Philosophy appropriately, to match their interest in issues arising from ancient metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, etc.

Those applying for the Ancient Philosophy track should state their intention clearly in their Statement of Purpose when applying.

The Oxford Network for Ancient Philosophy (ONAP)

ONAP brings together  faculty and students  specializing in ancient philosophy across the University of Oxford. Oxford is an extraordinarily rich environment for the study of ancient philosophy, with leading researchers working on ancient  Chinese ,  Greek ,  Indian ,  Roman  philosophy, and more across a range of Humanities faculties, including the Faculties of Philosophy, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Classics, and Theology and Religion. This forum seeks to support the vibrant community of staff and students working in all areas of ancient philosophy by providing up-to-date, cross-departmental resources and information geared to the  study and teaching  of ancient philosophy within Oxford. More details can be found on the  website .

Philosophy of Physics Track

For students interested in specialising in Philosophy of Physics there is a possibility of a “Philosophy of Physics track” in the BPhil in Philosophy.  This is not a separate course, but a way of studying Philosophy of Physics within the existing BPhil structure.  It is suitable for students who also have a very strong physics background and wish to move into the philosophy of physics or science, as an alternative to the MSt in Philosophy of Physics.

Specifically, it is envisaged that a student on the philosophy of physics track would study primarily philosophy of physics/science during the first two terms, study more general philosophical topics in the third and fourth term, and write a 30,000-word thesis on philosophy of physics or philosophy of science in the final two terms. 

Those applying for the Philosophy of Physics track should state their intention clearly in their Statement of Purpose when applying.

After the BPhil in Philosophy

Progression to the dphil in philosophy.

Some students take the BPhil without the intention of proceeding to the DPhil at Oxford. However, most BPhil students do apply for progression to the DPhil in Philosophy . To apply for admission as a DPhil student, you will be asked to submit a re-admissions application form and the requisite supporting documents by the Faculty admissions deadline in early January. Further guidance on how to apply will be provided at the beginning of the second year of the BPhil in a special information session on applying to doctoral programmes both here and abroad.

BPhil students are eligible to apply for a place to study for the DPhil, although progression is not guaranteed. Candidates who achieve an overall distinction on the BPhil in Philosophy are automatically eligible to progress to the DPhil, provided that the Philosophy Graduate Studies Committee is satisfied that their proposed thesis topic and outline indicate that they can be adequately supervised by members of the Philosophy Faculty. Candidates who pass the BPhil without a distinction can be admitted to the DPhil at the discretion of the Philosophy Graduate Studies Committee.  To achieve a distinction, students must obtain an average of 67 or above across their five highest essay marks, with no essay mark falling below 55, and a mark of 70 or above on the thesis.

It should be noted that BPhil students who progress to the DPhil in Philosophy may bypass the first year as a “Probationary Research Student” and as such will only have two years of fee liability instead of the usual three. Moreover, students progressing from the BPhil are permitted (but are not required) to incorporate the contents of their entire BPhil thesis of 30,000 words into their 75,000 word DPhil thesis.

BPhil Alumni Information

The majority of BPhil students go on to doctoral studies either in Oxford or at another institution. However, many BPhil graduates go on to exciting careers outside of philosophy. For information on what previous BPhil graduates are doing now, please visit our BPhil Alumni Information page .

Entry Requirements

For a detailed description of the entry requirements for the BPhil in Philosophy, please visit the BPhil in Philosophy page on the central university’s Graduate Admissions webpages.

We hold a Graduate Open Day in March each year, for applicants who receive an offer of a place. If your application is successful, you will receive further information about this in due course.

For the latest information on fees charged by the University, and living costs, please visit the Fees and Funding page .

Please visit our Graduate Funding page to identify various sources of funding for the Philosophy Faculty’s graduate programmes.

Please read through our applicant  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)  regarding Admission to our courses.

IMAGES

  1. How to Write a 3000-Word Essay and How Long Is It? Structure, Examples

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  2. Thesis Template Examples

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VIDEO

  1. UNSW 3 Minute Thesis 2023 WINNER

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  3. How to Write Your Thesis Using MS office Word

  4. Using Heading Styles in Thesis Formatting

  5. Definition of the word "Thesis"

  6. Microsoft Word: 03

COMMENTS

  1. Managing Writing

    What I found was that the Short Thesis was just shy of 17,000 words and the Long Thesis just crossed over the 47,000 word mark. This gave me a range to work within. ... You are the one that has to be happy with the outcome. I will use the 30,000 word goal for my examples though, as I already did this math and it was sitting in my Evernote ...

  2. How long was your Master's thesis? : r/AskAcademia

    36-37 pages, double-spaced, not including bibliography. In other words, somewhere in the 8000 word count. Most other people in my department said they came up to only 20-30 pages of actual main text (so, not including the 80 pages of appendices that many of them have). I didn't even do appendices.

  3. Thesis word count and format

    What you need to know about thesis word counts as well as laying out and printing your thesis. ... 30,000: What's excluded from the word count *In all cases above, the word count includes quotations but excludes appendices, tables (including tables of contents), figures, abstract, references, acknowledgements, bibliography and footnotes (as ...

  4. How I Wrote My Masters' Thesis in One Week

    The equation of giving a crap. So, I found myself in the unenviable position of having 8 days to write at least 30,000 words. Words that had to be somewhat intelligible and were able to convey a ...

  5. Word limits and requirements of your Degree Committee

    The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words for the PhD degree and 60,000 words for the MLitt degree, both excluding notes, appendices, and bibliographies, musical transcriptions and examples, unless a candidate make a special case for greater length to the satisfaction of the Degree Committee.

  6. King's College London

    Word limits. PhD - not to exceed 100,000 words; MPhil - not to exceed 60,000 words; MD(Res) - not to exceed 50,000 words MPhilStud - not to exceed 30,000 words; Professional Doctorates - at least 25,000 words and not to exceed 55,000 words; Thesis word limit inclusions and exclusions The thesis word count includes everything from the start of chapter 1 up to the end of the last chapter.

  7. Thesis Formatting

    Word Count Social Studies Senior Theses should be between 20,000 and 30,000 words of text. Theses that exceed 30,000 words may be penalized by up to half a grade for excessive length. Theses that do not reach the minimum required length may fail to receive honors. You are required to attach a word count to your thesis. To do so, type out the word count on an otherwise blank page and include it ...

  8. What would be the fast and smart strategy for writing a 40,000 word PhD

    To write a PhD thesis of 40,000 words or more within 1-2 months is not systematic for carrying research. Research follows a methodology and there are several steps to be done which need a suitable ...

  9. How much does it cost to edit a PhD or master's thesis?

    For a full edit of a thesis, we charge the same rate per 10,000 words, so a full edit of a 60,000-word PhD thesis could be up to $3,600. A master's thesis of 30,000 words might be up to $1,800. This is a significant investment, and for some graduate students who are from non-English-speaking backgrounds, it's worthwhile spending this much ...

  10. publications

    My thesis is about 30,000 words, about 50 percent more than the minimum at my institution. I have 27 secondary sources and six primary sources. The institution requires 20 sources, I don't if that's 20 secondary or 20 total, but what I did will give you and idea what you need to do.

  11. PDF Introduction to Thesis Formatting Guidelines

    Word Count A Phd thesis should not normally exceed 100,000 words of text (including your appendices and additional material). ... Master's by Research / MLitt / MPhil: 30,000 to 40,000 words. (Equivalent to between about 120 and 200 pages.) In all cases, you should consult your supervisors as to length. In the College of Social Sciences, you ...

  12. The Methods Section: Some Pointers

    The headings, below, describe the typical sections, content areas, and approximate length . The suggested word lengths are in the context of a 25,000-30,000 word thesis, and may be a bit more expanded for a longer dissertation (and obviously more condensed for a shorter one). Epistemology (Approx. 2,000-3,000 words).

  13. ask.unimelb: FAQ / PhD Thesis Word Limit

    You should aim to write a thesis of 80,000 words. The word limit is exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit. If you need to exceed 100,000 words, you must submit a request to the Chair of the Higher Degrees Research Comittee via the Graduate Research Examinations Office ...

  14. MPhil in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics by Thesis

    A proposed title and summary for the 30,000 word thesis, formulated in discussion with the supervisor, must be submitted in mid-February, and this will be subject to approval by the Linguistics Section, the supervisor, and the Faculty's Degree Committee.

  15. Philosophical Studies MPhil Stud

    The MPhil Stud degree is a rigorous training programme for two years which includes a 30,000 word thesis examined by viva with external examiners. The programme has been devised to better prepare students for doctoral work. This is achieved by giving a breath of study before future specialization, providing specialised compulsory research ...

  16. How to write 10,000 words a day

    The sub-questions are…. Decide how long your Thesis will be. Most universities have a maximum word count. Aim for your Thesis to be at least 2/3 of this total (it's likely you will write more than this, but this gives you some wriggle room). Make a document with chapter headings and word counts next to them.

  17. Research in your postgraduate degree

    90-point masters thesis: 30,000 words. 60-point dissertation: 20,000 words. 45-point dissertation: 15,000 words. 30-point dissertation: 10,000 words. The word lengths noted above include appendices, footnotes and the bibliography/reference list. The minimum word limit is 10 per cent below the maximum limit. Appendices, if needed, should not be ...

  18. Distribution of words in a 20,000 words thesis?

    Master Thesis/dissertation = more than 10,000 up to 20,000 words but the average word length that was practices in most thesis was 15000-17000 words. M.Phil thesis - more than 30,000 words up to ...

  19. How Long Is a 3000-Word Essay? Length and Formatting Tips

    A 3000-word essay can take anywhere between six and 24 hours to write, depending on the topic and the writer's proficiency. When single-spaced, a 3000-word essay is approximately 6 pages long, whereas double-spacing can extend it to 12 pages. Factors such as font type, margin size, and paragraph spacing can affect the length of the essay.

  20. BPhil in Philosophy

    Specifically, it is envisaged that a student on the philosophy of physics track would study primarily philosophy of physics/science during the first two terms, study more general philosophical topics in the third and fourth term, and write a 30,000-word thesis on philosophy of physics or philosophy of science in the final two terms.

  21. Chapter length/word-count issues on PostgraduateForum.com

    Hey all, I'm a little concerned about the word count/length of my chapters. I'm writing a 95-100k thesis, and have 8 chapters, and they are very different lengths (7,000 to over 30,000). I'm a little concerned about the 30,000 word chapter (which may end up around 35,000 words) - in my opinion, it's simply to long, and may annoy the examiners.

  22. I don't give a sh*t about my thesis anymore because I'm likely ...

    I'm currently doing a masters by research - so one 30,000 word thesis due in in late August/early September - and have done no work on it for the last 3-4 months. I've only done 1 month of work since I started the course. The reason is simple: I don't give a sh*t about my work anymore. It feels utterly meaningless.

  23. [NeedAdvice] I have a undergraduate 10,000 word dissertation ...

    Now to take this knowledge to start writing a 30,000 word thesis. Should only take 18 days, right? ... I just wrote a 20,000 word masters thesis and like three days. (I researched all year). Writing a 10,000 word paper even in two days is absolutely possible Reply reply