graduation thesis it

How To Write A Dissertation Or Thesis

8 straightforward steps to craft an a-grade dissertation.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020

Writing a dissertation or thesis is not a simple task. It takes time, energy and a lot of will power to get you across the finish line. It’s not easy – but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process. If you understand the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis, your research journey will be a lot smoother.  

In this post, I’m going to outline the big-picture process of how to write a high-quality dissertation or thesis, without losing your mind along the way. If you’re just starting your research, this post is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your proposal, this article which covers how to structure a dissertation might be more helpful.

How To Write A Dissertation: 8 Steps

• Clearly understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is
• Find a unique and valuable research topic
• Craft a convincing research proposal
• Write up a strong introduction chapter
• Review the existing literature and compile a literature review
• Design a rigorous research strategy and undertake your own research
• Present the findings of your research
• Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Step 1: Understand exactly what a dissertation is

This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often, students come to us for help with their research and the underlying issue is that they don’t fully understand what a dissertation (or thesis) actually is.

So, what is a dissertation?

At its simplest, a dissertation or thesis is a formal piece of research , reflecting the standard research process . But what is the standard research process, you ask? The research process involves 4 key steps:

• Ask a very specific, well-articulated question (s) (your research topic)
• See what other researchers have said about it (if they’ve already answered it)
• If they haven’t answered it adequately, undertake your own data collection and analysis in a scientifically rigorous fashion
• Answer your original question(s), based on your analysis findings

In short, the research process is simply about asking and answering questions in a systematic fashion . This probably sounds pretty obvious, but people often think they’ve done “research”, when in fact what they have done is:

• Started with a vague, poorly articulated question
• Not taken the time to see what research has already been done regarding the question
• Collected data and opinions that support their gut and undertaken a flimsy analysis
• Drawn a shaky conclusion, based on that analysis

If you want to see the perfect example of this in action, look out for the next Facebook post where someone claims they’ve done “research”… All too often, people consider reading a few blog posts to constitute research. Its no surprise then that what they end up with is an opinion piece, not research. Okay, okay – I’ll climb off my soapbox now.

The key takeaway here is that a dissertation (or thesis) is a formal piece of research, reflecting the research process. It’s not an opinion piece , nor a place to push your agenda or try to convince someone of your position. Writing a good dissertation involves asking a question and taking a systematic, rigorous approach to answering it.

If you understand this and are comfortable leaving your opinions or preconceived ideas at the door, you’re already off to a good start!

Step 2: Find a unique, valuable research topic

As we saw, the first step of the research process is to ask a specific, well-articulated question. In other words, you need to find a research topic that asks a specific question or set of questions (these are called research questions ). Sounds easy enough, right? All you’ve got to do is identify a question or two and you’ve got a winning research topic. Well, not quite…

A good dissertation or thesis topic has a few important attributes. Specifically, a solid research topic should be:

Let’s take a closer look at these:

Attribute #1: Clear

Your research topic needs to be crystal clear about what you’re planning to research, what you want to know, and within what context. There shouldn’t be any ambiguity or vagueness about what you’ll research.

Here’s an example of a clearly articulated research topic:

An analysis of consumer-based factors influencing organisational trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms.

As you can see in the example, its crystal clear what will be analysed (factors impacting organisational trust), amongst who (consumers) and in what context (British low-cost equity brokerage firms, based online).

Need a helping hand?

Attribute #2:   Unique

Your research should be asking a question(s) that hasn’t been asked before, or that hasn’t been asked in a specific context (for example, in a specific country or industry).

For example, sticking organisational trust topic above, it’s quite likely that organisational trust factors in the UK have been investigated before, but the context (online low-cost equity brokerages) could make this research unique. Therefore, the context makes this research original.

One caveat when using context as the basis for originality – you need to have a good reason to suspect that your findings in this context might be different from the existing research – otherwise, there’s no reason to warrant researching it.

Attribute #3: Important

Simply asking a unique or original question is not enough – the question needs to create value. In other words, successfully answering your research questions should provide some value to the field of research or the industry. You can’t research something just to satisfy your curiosity. It needs to make some form of contribution either to research or industry.

For example, researching the factors influencing consumer trust would create value by enabling businesses to tailor their operations and marketing to leverage factors that promote trust. In other words, it would have a clear benefit to industry.

So, how do you go about finding a unique and valuable research topic? We explain that in detail in this video post – How To Find A Research Topic . Yeah, we’ve got you covered 😊

Step 3: Write a convincing research proposal

Once you’ve pinned down a high-quality research topic, the next step is to convince your university to let you research it. No matter how awesome you think your topic is, it still needs to get the rubber stamp before you can move forward with your research. The research proposal is the tool you’ll use for this job.

So, what’s in a research proposal?

The main “job” of a research proposal is to convince your university, advisor or committee that your research topic is worthy of approval. But convince them of what? Well, this varies from university to university, but generally, they want to see that:

• You have a clearly articulated, unique and important topic (this might sound familiar…)
• You’ve done some initial reading of the existing literature relevant to your topic (i.e. a literature review)
• You have a provisional plan in terms of how you will collect data and analyse it (i.e. a methodology)

At the proposal stage, it’s (generally) not expected that you’ve extensively reviewed the existing literature , but you will need to show that you’ve done enough reading to identify a clear gap for original (unique) research. Similarly, they generally don’t expect that you have a rock-solid research methodology mapped out, but you should have an idea of whether you’ll be undertaking qualitative or quantitative analysis , and how you’ll collect your data (we’ll discuss this in more detail later).

Long story short – don’t stress about having every detail of your research meticulously thought out at the proposal stage – this will develop as you progress through your research. However, you do need to show that you’ve “done your homework” and that your research is worthy of approval .

So, how do you go about crafting a high-quality, convincing proposal? We cover that in detail in this video post – How To Write A Top-Class Research Proposal . We’ve also got a video walkthrough of two proposal examples here .

Step 4: Craft a strong introduction chapter

Once your proposal’s been approved, its time to get writing your actual dissertation or thesis! The good news is that if you put the time into crafting a high-quality proposal, you’ve already got a head start on your first three chapters – introduction, literature review and methodology – as you can use your proposal as the basis for these.

Handy sidenote – our free dissertation & thesis template is a great way to speed up your dissertation writing journey.

What’s the introduction chapter all about?

The purpose of the introduction chapter is to set the scene for your research (dare I say, to introduce it…) so that the reader understands what you’ll be researching and why it’s important. In other words, it covers the same ground as the research proposal in that it justifies your research topic.

What goes into the introduction chapter?

This can vary slightly between universities and degrees, but generally, the introduction chapter will include the following:

• A brief background to the study, explaining the overall area of research
• A problem statement , explaining what the problem is with the current state of research (in other words, where the knowledge gap exists)
• Your research questions – in other words, the specific questions your study will seek to answer (based on the knowledge gap)
• The significance of your study – in other words, why it’s important and how its findings will be useful in the world

As you can see, this all about explaining the “what” and the “why” of your research (as opposed to the “how”). So, your introduction chapter is basically the salesman of your study, “selling” your research to the first-time reader and (hopefully) getting them interested to read more.

How do I write the introduction chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this post .

Step 5: Undertake an in-depth literature review

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need to do some initial review of the literature in Steps 2 and 3 to find your research gap and craft a convincing research proposal – but that’s just scratching the surface. Once you reach the literature review stage of your dissertation or thesis, you need to dig a lot deeper into the existing research and write up a comprehensive literature review chapter.

What’s the literature review all about?

There are two main stages in the literature review process:

Literature Review Step 1: Reading up

The first stage is for you to deep dive into the existing literature (journal articles, textbook chapters, industry reports, etc) to gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of research regarding your topic. While you don’t need to read every single article, you do need to ensure that you cover all literature that is related to your core research questions, and create a comprehensive catalogue of that literature , which you’ll use in the next step.

Reading and digesting all the relevant literature is a time consuming and intellectually demanding process. Many students underestimate just how much work goes into this step, so make sure that you allocate a good amount of time for this when planning out your research. Thankfully, there are ways to fast track the process – be sure to check out this article covering how to read journal articles quickly .

Literature Review Step 2: Writing up

Once you’ve worked through the literature and digested it all, you’ll need to write up your literature review chapter. Many students make the mistake of thinking that the literature review chapter is simply a summary of what other researchers have said. While this is partly true, a literature review is much more than just a summary. To pull off a good literature review chapter, you’ll need to achieve at least 3 things:

• You need to synthesise the existing research , not just summarise it. In other words, you need to show how different pieces of theory fit together, what’s agreed on by researchers, what’s not.
• You need to highlight a research gap that your research is going to fill. In other words, you’ve got to outline the problem so that your research topic can provide a solution.
• You need to use the existing research to inform your methodology and approach to your own research design. For example, you might use questions or Likert scales from previous studies in your your own survey design .

As you can see, a good literature review is more than just a summary of the published research. It’s the foundation on which your own research is built, so it deserves a lot of love and attention. Take the time to craft a comprehensive literature review with a suitable structure .

But, how do I actually write the literature review chapter, you ask? We cover that in detail in this video post .

Step 6: Carry out your own research

Once you’ve completed your literature review and have a sound understanding of the existing research, its time to develop your own research (finally!). You’ll design this research specifically so that you can find the answers to your unique research question.

There are two steps here – designing your research strategy and executing on it:

1 – Design your research strategy

The first step is to design your research strategy and craft a methodology chapter . I won’t get into the technicalities of the methodology chapter here, but in simple terms, this chapter is about explaining the “how” of your research. If you recall, the introduction and literature review chapters discussed the “what” and the “why”, so it makes sense that the next point to cover is the “how” –that’s what the methodology chapter is all about.

In this section, you’ll need to make firm decisions about your research design. This includes things like:

• Your research philosophy (e.g. positivism or interpretivism )
• Your overall methodology (e.g. qualitative , quantitative or mixed methods)
• Your data collection strategy (e.g. interviews , focus groups, surveys)
• Your data analysis strategy (e.g. content analysis , correlation analysis, regression)

If these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these in plain language in other posts. It’s not essential that you understand the intricacies of research design (yet!). The key takeaway here is that you’ll need to make decisions about how you’ll design your own research, and you’ll need to describe (and justify) your decisions in your methodology chapter.

2 – Execute: Collect and analyse your data

Once you’ve worked out your research design, you’ll put it into action and start collecting your data. This might mean undertaking interviews, hosting an online survey or any other data collection method. Data collection can take quite a bit of time (especially if you host in-person interviews), so be sure to factor sufficient time into your project plan for this. Oftentimes, things don’t go 100% to plan (for example, you don’t get as many survey responses as you hoped for), so bake a little extra time into your budget here.

Once you’ve collected your data, you’ll need to do some data preparation before you can sink your teeth into the analysis. For example:

• If you carry out interviews or focus groups, you’ll need to transcribe your audio data to text (i.e. a Word document).
• If you collect quantitative survey data, you’ll need to clean up your data and get it into the right format for whichever analysis software you use (for example, SPSS, R or STATA).

Once you’ve completed your data prep, you’ll undertake your analysis, using the techniques that you described in your methodology. Depending on what you find in your analysis, you might also do some additional forms of analysis that you hadn’t planned for. For example, you might see something in the data that raises new questions or that requires clarification with further analysis.

The type(s) of analysis that you’ll use depend entirely on the nature of your research and your research questions. For example:

• If your research if exploratory in nature, you’ll often use qualitative analysis techniques .
• If your research is confirmatory in nature, you’ll often use quantitative analysis techniques
• If your research involves a mix of both, you might use a mixed methods approach

Again, if these words have got your head spinning, don’t worry! We’ll explain these concepts and techniques in other posts. The key takeaway is simply that there’s no “one size fits all” for research design and methodology – it all depends on your topic, your research questions and your data. So, don’t be surprised if your study colleagues take a completely different approach to yours.

Step 7: Present your findings

Once you’ve completed your analysis, it’s time to present your findings (finally!). In a dissertation or thesis, you’ll typically present your findings in two chapters – the results chapter and the discussion chapter .

What’s the difference between the results chapter and the discussion chapter?

While these two chapters are similar, the results chapter generally just presents the processed data neatly and clearly without interpretation, while the discussion chapter explains the story the data are telling  – in other words, it provides your interpretation of the results.

For example, if you were researching the factors that influence consumer trust, you might have used a quantitative approach to identify the relationship between potential factors (e.g. perceived integrity and competence of the organisation) and consumer trust. In this case:

• Your results chapter would just present the results of the statistical tests. For example, correlation results or differences between groups. In other words, the processed numbers.
• Your discussion chapter would explain what the numbers mean in relation to your research question(s). For example, Factor 1 has a weak relationship with consumer trust, while Factor 2 has a strong relationship.

Depending on the university and degree, these two chapters (results and discussion) are sometimes merged into one , so be sure to check with your institution what their preference is. Regardless of the chapter structure, this section is about presenting the findings of your research in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

Importantly, your discussion here needs to link back to your research questions (which you outlined in the introduction or literature review chapter). In other words, it needs to answer the key questions you asked (or at least attempt to answer them).

For example, if we look at the sample research topic:

In this case, the discussion section would clearly outline which factors seem to have a noteworthy influence on organisational trust. By doing so, they are answering the overarching question and fulfilling the purpose of the research .

For more information about the results chapter , check out this post for qualitative studies and this post for quantitative studies .

Step 8: The Final Step Draw a conclusion and discuss the implications

Last but not least, you’ll need to wrap up your research with the conclusion chapter . In this chapter, you’ll bring your research full circle by highlighting the key findings of your study and explaining what the implications of these findings are.

What exactly are key findings? The key findings are those findings which directly relate to your original research questions and overall research objectives (which you discussed in your introduction chapter). The implications, on the other hand, explain what your findings mean for industry, or for research in your area.

Sticking with the consumer trust topic example, the conclusion might look something like this:

Key findings

This study set out to identify which factors influence consumer-based trust in British low-cost online equity brokerage firms. The results suggest that the following factors have a large impact on consumer trust:

While the following factors have a very limited impact on consumer trust:

Notably, within the 25-30 age groups, Factors E had a noticeably larger impact, which may be explained by…

Implications

The findings having noteworthy implications for British low-cost online equity brokers. Specifically:

The large impact of Factors X and Y implies that brokers need to consider….

The limited impact of Factor E implies that brokers need to…

As you can see, the conclusion chapter is basically explaining the “what” (what your study found) and the “so what?” (what the findings mean for the industry or research). This brings the study full circle and closes off the document.

Let’s recap – how to write a dissertation or thesis

You’re still with me? Impressive! I know that this post was a long one, but hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about how to write a dissertation or thesis, and are now better equipped to start your own research.

To recap, the 8 steps to writing a quality dissertation (or thesis) are as follows:

• Understand what a dissertation (or thesis) is – a research project that follows the research process.
• Find a unique (original) and important research topic
• Craft a convincing dissertation or thesis research proposal
• Write a clear, compelling introduction chapter
• Undertake a thorough review of the existing research and write up a literature review
• Undertake your own research
• Present and interpret your findings

Once you’ve wrapped up the core chapters, all that’s typically left is the abstract , reference list and appendices. As always, be sure to check with your university if they have any additional requirements in terms of structure or content.  

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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20 Comments

thankfull >>>this is very useful

Thank you, it was really helpful

unquestionably, this amazing simplified way of teaching. Really , I couldn’t find in the literature words that fully explicit my great thanks to you. However, I could only say thanks a-lot.

Great to hear that – thanks for the feedback. Good luck writing your dissertation/thesis.

This is the most comprehensive explanation of how to write a dissertation. Many thanks for sharing it free of charge.

Very rich presentation. Thank you

Thanks Derek Jansen|GRADCOACH, I find it very useful guide to arrange my activities and proceed to research!

Thank you so much for such a marvelous teaching .I am so convinced that am going to write a comprehensive and a distinct masters dissertation

It is an amazing comprehensive explanation

This was straightforward. Thank you!

I can say that your explanations are simple and enlightening – understanding what you have done here is easy for me. Could you write more about the different types of research methods specific to the three methodologies: quan, qual and MM. I look forward to interacting with this website more in the future.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions 🙂

Hello, your write ups is quite educative. However, l have challenges in going about my research questions which is below; *Building the enablers of organisational growth through effective governance and purposeful leadership.*

Very educating.

Just listening to the name of the dissertation makes the student nervous. As writing a top-quality dissertation is a difficult task as it is a lengthy topic, requires a lot of research and understanding and is usually around 10,000 to 15000 words. Sometimes due to studies, unbalanced workload or lack of research and writing skill students look for dissertation submission from professional writers.

Thank you 💕😊 very much. I was confused but your comprehensive explanation has cleared my doubts of ever presenting a good thesis. Thank you.

thank you so much, that was so useful

Hi. Where is the excel spread sheet ark?

could you please help me look at your thesis paper to enable me to do the portion that has to do with the specification

my topic is “the impact of domestic revenue mobilization.

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Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
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How to write a masters dissertation or thesis: top tips.

It is completely normal to find the idea of writing a masters thesis or dissertation slightly daunting, even for students who have written one before at undergraduate level. Though, don’t feel put off by the idea. You’ll have plenty of time to complete it, and plenty of support from your supervisor and peers.

One of the main challenges that students face is putting their ideas and findings into words. Writing is a skill in itself, but with the right advice, you’ll find it much easier to get into the flow of writing your masters thesis or dissertation.

We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to write a dissertation or thesis for your masters degree, with top tips to consider at each stage in the process.

1. Understand your dissertation or thesis topic

There are slight differences between theses and dissertations , although both require a high standard of writing skill and knowledge in your topic. They are also formatted very similarly.

At first, writing a masters thesis can feel like running a 100m race – the course feels very quick and like there is not as much time for thinking! However, you’ll usually have a summer semester dedicated to completing your dissertation – giving plenty of time and space to write a strong academic piece.

By comparison, writing a PhD thesis can feel like running a marathon, working on the same topic for 3-4 years can be laborious. But in many ways, the approach to both of these tasks is quite similar.

Before writing your masters dissertation, get to know your research topic inside out. Not only will understanding your topic help you conduct better research, it will also help you write better dissertation content.

Also consider the main purpose of your dissertation. You are writing to put forward a theory or unique research angle – so make your purpose clear in your writing.

Top writing tip: when researching your topic, look out for specific terms and writing patterns used by other academics. It is likely that there will be a lot of jargon and important themes across research papers in your chosen dissertation topic. 

2. Structure your dissertation or thesis

Writing a thesis is a unique experience and there is no general consensus on what the best way to structure it is. 

As a postgraduate student , you’ll probably decide what kind of structure suits your research project best after consultation with your supervisor. You’ll also have a chance to look at previous masters students’ theses in your university library.

To some extent, all postgraduate dissertations are unique. Though they almost always consist of chapters. The number of chapters you cover will vary depending on the research. 

A masters dissertation or thesis organised into chapters would typically look like this: 

Write down your structure and use these as headings that you’ll write for later on.

Top writing tip : ease each chapter together with a paragraph that links the end of a chapter to the start of a new chapter. For example, you could say something along the lines of “in the next section, these findings are evaluated in more detail”. This makes it easier for the reader to understand each chapter and helps your writing flow better.

3. Write up your literature review

One of the best places to start when writing your masters dissertation is with the literature review. This involves researching and evaluating existing academic literature in order to identify any gaps for your own research.

Many students prefer to write the literature review chapter first, as this is where several of the underpinning theories and concepts exist. This section helps set the stage for the rest of your dissertation, and will help inform the writing of your other dissertation chapters.

What to include in your literature review

The literature review chapter is more than just a summary of existing research, it is an evaluation of how this research has informed your own unique research.

Demonstrate how the different pieces of research fit together. Are there overlapping theories? Are there disagreements between researchers?

Highlight the gap in the research. This is key, as a dissertation is mostly about developing your own unique research. Is there an unexplored avenue of research? Has existing research failed to disprove a particular theory?

Back up your methodology. Demonstrate why your methodology is appropriate by discussing where it has been used successfully in other research.

4. Write up your research

For instance, a more theoretical-based research topic might encompass more writing from a philosophical perspective. Qualitative data might require a lot more evaluation and discussion than quantitative research. 

Methodology chapter

The methodology chapter is all about how you carried out your research and which specific techniques you used to gather data. You should write about broader methodological approaches (e.g. qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods), and then go into more detail about your chosen data collection strategy. 

Data collection strategies include things like interviews, questionnaires, surveys, content analyses, discourse analyses and many more.

Data analysis and findings chapters

The data analysis or findings chapter should cover what you actually discovered during your research project. It should be detailed, specific and objective (don’t worry, you’ll have time for evaluation later on in your dissertation)

Write up your findings in a way that is easy to understand. For example, if you have a lot of numerical data, this could be easier to digest in tables.

This will make it easier for you to dive into some deeper analysis in later chapters. Remember, the reader will refer back to your data analysis section to cross-reference your later evaluations against your actual findings – so presenting your data in a simple manner is beneficial.

Think about how you can segment your data into categories. For instance, it can be useful to segment interview transcripts by interviewee. 

Top writing tip : write up notes on how you might phrase a certain part of the research. This will help bring the best out of your writing. There is nothing worse than when you think of the perfect way to phrase something and then you completely forget it.

5. Discuss and evaluate

Once you’ve presented your findings, it’s time to evaluate and discuss them.

It might feel difficult to differentiate between your findings and discussion sections, because you are essentially talking about the same data. The easiest way to remember the difference is that your findings simply present the data, whereas your discussion tells the story of this data.

Your evaluation breaks the story down, explaining the key findings, what went well and what didn’t go so well.

In your discussion chapter, you’ll have chance to expand on the results from your findings section. For example, explain what certain numbers mean and draw relationships between different pieces of data.

Top writing tip: don’t be afraid to point out the shortcomings of your research. You will receive higher marks for writing objectively. For example, if you didn’t receive as many interview responses as expected, evaluate how this has impacted your research and findings. Don’t let your ego get in the way!

6. Write your introduction

Your introduction sets the scene for the rest of your masters dissertation. You might be wondering why writing an introduction isn't at the start of our step-by-step list, and that’s because many students write this chapter last.

Here’s what your introduction chapter should cover:

Problem statement

Research question

Significance of your research

This tells the reader what you’ll be researching as well as its importance. You’ll have a good idea of what to include here from your original dissertation proposal , though it’s fairly common for research to change once it gets started.

Writing or at least revisiting this section last can be really helpful, since you’ll have a more well-rounded view of what your research actually covers once it has been completed and written up.

Masters dissertation writing tips

When to start writing your thesis or dissertation.

When you should start writing your masters thesis or dissertation depends on the scope of the research project and the duration of your course. In some cases, your research project may be relatively short and you may not be able to write much of your thesis before completing the project. 

But regardless of the nature of your research project and of the scope of your course, you should start writing your thesis or at least some of its sections as early as possible, and there are a number of good reasons for this:

Academic writing is about practice, not talent. The first steps of writing your dissertation will help you get into the swing of your project. Write early to help you prepare in good time.

Write things as you do them. This is a good way to keep your dissertation full of fresh ideas and ensure that you don’t forget valuable information.

The first draft is never perfect. Give yourself time to edit and improve your dissertation. It’s likely that you’ll need to make at least one or two more drafts before your final submission.

Writing early on will help you stay motivated when writing all subsequent drafts.

Thinking and writing are very connected. As you write, new ideas and concepts will come to mind. So writing early on is a great way to generate new ideas.

How to improve your writing skills

The best way of improving your dissertation or thesis writing skills is to:

 Finish the first draft of your masters thesis as early as possible and send it to your supervisor for revision. Your supervisor will correct your draft and point out any writing errors. This process will be repeated a few times which will help you recognise and correct writing mistakes yourself as time progresses.

If you are not a native English speaker, it may be useful to ask your English friends to read a part of your thesis and warn you about any recurring writing mistakes. Read our section on English language support for more advice. 

Most universities have writing centres that offer writing courses and other kinds of support for postgraduate students. Attending these courses may help you improve your writing and meet other postgraduate students with whom you will be able to discuss what constitutes a well-written thesis.

Read academic articles and search for writing resources on the internet. This will help you adopt an academic writing style, which will eventually become effortless with practice.

Keep track of your bibliography 

The easiest way to keep the track of all the articles you have read for your research is to create a database where you can summarise each article/chapter into a few most important bullet points to help you remember their content. 

Another useful tool for doing this effectively is to learn how to use specific reference management software (RMS) such as EndNote. RMS is relatively simple to use and saves a lot of time when it comes to organising your bibliography. This may come in very handy, especially if your reference section is suspiciously missing two hours before you need to submit your dissertation! 

Avoid accidental plagiarism

Plagiarism may cost you your postgraduate degree and it is important that you consciously avoid it when writing your thesis or dissertation. 

Occasionally, postgraduate students commit plagiarism unintentionally. This can happen when sections are copy and pasted from journal articles they are citing instead of simply rephrasing them. Whenever you are presenting information from another academic source, make sure you reference the source and avoid writing the statement exactly as it is written in the original paper.

What kind of format should your thesis have?

Read your university’s guidelines before you actually start writing your thesis so you don’t have to waste time changing the format further down the line. However in general, most universities will require you to use 1.5-2 line spacing, font size 12 for text, and to print your thesis on A4 paper. These formatting guidelines may not necessarily result in the most aesthetically appealing thesis, however beauty is not always practical, and a nice looking thesis can be a more tiring reading experience for your postgrad examiner .

When should I submit my thesis?

The length of time it takes to complete your MSc or MA thesis will vary from student to student. This is because people work at different speeds, projects vary in difficulty, and some projects encounter more problems than others. 

Obviously, you should submit your MSc thesis or MA thesis when it is finished! Every university will say in its regulations that it is the student who must decide when it is ready to submit. 

However, your supervisor will advise you whether your work is ready and you should take their advice on this. If your supervisor says that your work is not ready, then it is probably unwise to submit it. Usually your supervisor will read your final thesis or dissertation draft and will let you know what’s required before submitting your final draft.

Set yourself a target for completion. This will help you stay on track and avoid falling behind. You may also only have funding for the year, so it is important to ensure you submit your dissertation before the deadline – and also ensure you don’t miss out on your graduation ceremony ! 

To set your target date, work backwards from the final completion and submission date, and aim to have your final draft completed at least three months before that final date.

Don’t leave your submission until the last minute – submit your work in good time before the final deadline. Consider what else you’ll have going on around that time. Are you moving back home? Do you have a holiday? Do you have other plans?

If you need to have finished by the end of June to be able to go to a graduation ceremony in July, then you should leave a suitable amount of time for this. You can build this into your dissertation project planning at the start of your research.

It is important to remember that handing in your thesis or dissertation is not the end of your masters program . There will be a period of time of one to three months between the time you submit and your final day. Some courses may even require a viva to discuss your research project, though this is more common at PhD level . 

If you have passed, you will need to make arrangements for the thesis to be properly bound and resubmitted, which will take a week or two. You may also have minor corrections to make to the work, which could take up to a month or so. This means that you need to allow a period of at least three months between submitting your thesis and the time when your program will be completely finished. Of course, it is also possible you may be asked after the viva to do more work on your thesis and resubmit it before the examiners will agree to award the degree – so there may be an even longer time period before you have finished.

How do I submit the MA or MSc dissertation?

Most universities will have a clear procedure for submitting a masters dissertation. Some universities require your ‘intention to submit’. This notifies them that you are ready to submit and allows the university to appoint an external examiner.

This normally has to be completed at least three months before the date on which you think you will be ready to submit.

When your MA or MSc dissertation is ready, you will have to print several copies and have them bound. The number of copies varies between universities, but the university usually requires three – one for each of the examiners and one for your supervisor.

However, you will need one more copy – for yourself! These copies must be softbound, not hardbound. The theses you see on the library shelves will be bound in an impressive hardback cover, but you can only get your work bound like this once you have passed. 

You should submit your dissertation or thesis for examination in soft paper or card covers, and your university will give you detailed guidance on how it should be bound. They will also recommend places where you can get the work done.

The next stage is to hand in your work, in the way and to the place that is indicated in your university’s regulations. All you can do then is sit and wait for the examination – but submitting your thesis is often a time of great relief and celebration!

Some universities only require a digital submission, where you upload your dissertation as a file through their online submission system.

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Home > Engineering > Computer Science > Computer Science Graduate Projects

Computer Science Graduate Projects and Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

High-Performance Domain-Specific Library for Hydrologic Data Processing , Kalyan Bhetwal

Verifying Data Provenance During Workflow Execution for Scientific Reproducibility , Rizbanul Hasan

Remote Sensing to Advance Understanding of Snow-Vegetation Relationships and Quantify Snow Depth and Snow Water Equivalent , Ahmad Hojatimalekshah

Exploring the Capability of a Self-Supervised Conditional Image Generator for Image-to-Image Translation without Labeled Data: A Case Study in Mobile User Interface Design , Hailee Kiesecker

Fake News Detection Using Narrative Content and Discourse , Hongmin Kim

Anomaly Detection Using Graph Neural Network , Bishal Lakha

Sparse Format Conversion and Code Synthesis , Tobi Goodness Popoola

Portable Sparse Polyhedral Framework Code Generation Using Multi Level Intermediate Representation , Aaron St. George

Severity Measures for Assessing Error in Automatic Speech Recognition , Ryan Whetten

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Improved Computational Prediction of Function and Structural Representation of Self-Cleaving Ribozymes with Enhanced Parameter Selection and Library Design , James D. Beck

Meshfree Methods for PDEs on Surfaces , Andrew Michael Jones

Deep Learning of Microstructures , Amir Abbas Kazemzadeh Farizhandi

Long-Term Trends in Extreme Environmental Events with Changepoint Detection , Mintaek Lee

Structure Aware Smart Encoding and Decoding of Information in DNA , Shoshanna Llewellyn

Towards Making Transformer-Based Language Models Learn How Children Learn , Yousra Mahdy

Ontology-Based Formal Approach for Safety and Security Verification of Industrial Control Systems , Ramesh Neupane

Improving Children's Authentication Practices with Respect to Graphical Authentication Mechanism , Dhanush Kumar Ratakonda

Hate Speech Detection Using Textual and User Features , Rohan Raut

Automated Detection of Sockpuppet Accounts in Wikipedia , Mostofa Najmus Sakib

Characterization and Mitigation of False Information on the Web , Anu Shrestha

Sinusoidal Projection for 360° Image Compression and Triangular Discrete Cosine Transform Impact in the JPEG Pipeline , Iker Vazquez Lopez

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Training Wheels for Web Search: Multi-Perspective Learning to Rank to Support Children's Information Seeking in the Classroom , Garrett Allen

Fair and Efficient Consensus Protocols for Secure Blockchain Applications , Golam Dastoger Bashar

Why Don't You Act Your Age?: Recognizing the Stereotypical 8-12 Year Old Searcher by Their Search Behavior , Michael Green

Ensuring Consistency and Efficiency of the Incremental Unit Network in a Distributed Architecture , Mir Tahsin Imtiaz

Modeling Real and Fake News Sharing in Social Networks , Abishai Joy

Modeling and Analyzing Users' Privacy Disclosure Behavior to Generate Personalized Privacy Policies , A.K.M. Nuhil Mehdy

Into the Unknown: Exploration of Search Engines' Responses to Users with Depression and Anxiety , Ashlee Milton

Generating Test Inputs from String Constraints with an Automata-Based Solver , Marlin Roberts

A Case Study in Representing Scientific Applications ( GeoAc ) Using the Sparse Polyhedral Framework , Ravi Shankar

Actors for the Internet of Things , Arjun Shukla

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Towards Unifying Grounded and Distributional Semantics Using the Words-as-Classifiers Model of Lexical Semantics , Stacy Black

Improving Scientist Productivity, Architecture Portability, and Performance in ParFlow , Michael Burke

Polyhedral+Dataflow Graphs , Eddie C. Davis

Improving Spellchecking for Children: Correction and Design , Brody Downs

A Collection of Fast Algorithms for Scalar and Vector-Valued Data on Irregular Domains: Spherical Harmonic Analysis, Divergence-Free/Curl-Free Radial Basis Functions, and Implicit Surface Reconstruction , Kathryn Primrose Drake

Privacy-Preserving Protocol for Atomic Swap Between Blockchains , Kiran Gurung

Unsupervised Structural Graph Node Representation Learning , Mikel Joaristi

Detecting Undisclosed Paid Editing in Wikipedia , Nikesh Joshi

Do You Feel Me?: Learning Language from Humans with Robot Emotional Displays , David McNeill

Obtaining Real-World Benchmark Programs from Open-Source Repositories Through Abstract-Semantics Preserving Transformations , Maria Anne Rachel Paquin

Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) for Brand Logos , Enjal Parajuli

A Resilience Metric for Modern Power Distribution Systems , Tyler Bennett Phillips

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Edge-Assisted Workload-Aware Image Processing System , Anil Acharya

MINOS: Unsupervised Netflow-Based Detection of Infected and Attacked Hosts, and Attack Time in Large Networks , Mousume Bhowmick

Deviant: A Mutation Testing Tool for Solidity Smart Contracts , Patrick Chapman

Querying Over Encrypted Databases in a Cloud Environment , Jake Douglas

A Hybrid Model to Detect Fake News , Indhumathi Gurunathan

Suitability of Finite State Automata to Model String Constraints in Probablistic Symbolic Execution , Andrew Harris

UNICORN Framework: A User-Centric Approach Toward Formal Verification of Privacy Norms , Rezvan Joshaghani

Detection and Countermeasure of Saturation Attacks in Software-Defined Networks , Samer Yousef Khamaiseh

Secure Two-Party Protocol for Privacy-Preserving Classification via Differential Privacy , Manish Kumar

Application-Specific Memory Subsystem Benchmarking , Mahesh Lakshminarasimhan

Multilingual Information Retrieval: A Representation Building Perspective , Ion Madrazo

Improved Study of Side-Channel Attacks Using Recurrent Neural Networks , Muhammad Abu Naser Rony Chowdhury

Investigating the Effects of Social and Temporal Dynamics in Fitness Games on Children's Physical Activity , Ankita Samariya

BullyNet: Unmasking Cyberbullies on Social Networks , Aparna Sankaran

FALCON: Framework for Anomaly Detection In Industrial Control Systems , Subin Sapkota

Investigating Semantic Properties of Images Generated from Natural Language Using Neural Networks , Samuel Ward Schrader

Incremental Processing for Improving Conversational Grounding in a Chatbot , Aprajita Shukla

Estimating Error and Bias of Offline Recommender System Evaluation Results , Mucun Tian

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Leveraging Tiled Display for Big Data Visualization Using D3.js , Ujjwal Acharya

Fostering the Retrieval of Suitable Web Resources in Response to Children's Educational Search Tasks , Oghenemaro Deborah Anuyah

Privacy-Preserving Genomic Data Publishing via Differential Privacy , Tanya Khatri

Injecting Control Commands Through Sensory Channel: Attack and Defense , Farhad Rasapour

Strong Mutation-Based Test Generation of XACML Policies , Roshan Shrestha

Performance, Scalability, and Robustness in Distributed File Tree Copy , Christopher Robert Sutton

Using DNA For Data Storage: Encoding and Decoding Algorithm Development , Kelsey Suyehira

Detecting Saliency by Combining Speech and Object Detection in Indoor Environments , Kiran Thapa

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Identifying Restaurants Proposing Novel Kinds of Cuisines: Using Yelp Reviews , Haritha Akella

Editing Behavior Analysis and Prediction of Active/Inactive Users in Wikipedia , Harish Arelli

CloudSkulk: Design of a Nested Virtual Machine Based Rootkit-in-the-Middle Attack , Joseph Anthony Connelly

Predicting Friendship Strength in Facebook , Nitish Dhakal

Privacy-Preserving Trajectory Data Publishing via Differential Privacy , Ishita Dwivedi

Cultivating Community Interactions in Citizen Science: Connecting People to Each Other and the Environment , Bret Allen Finley

Uncovering New Links Through Interaction Duration , Laxmi Amulya Gundala

Variance: Secure Two-Party Protocol for Solving Yao's Millionaires' Problem in Bitcoin , Joshua Holmes

A Scalable Graph-Coarsening Based Index for Dynamic Graph Databases , Akshay Kansal

Integrity Coded Databases: Ensuring Correctness and Freshness of Outsourced Databases , Ujwal Karki

Editable View Optimized Tone Mapping For Viewing High Dynamic Range Panoramas On Head Mounted Display , Yuan Li

The Effects of Pair-Programming in a High School Introductory Computer Science Class , Ken Manship

Towards Automatic Repair of XACML Policies , Shuai Peng

Identification of Unknown Landscape Types Using CNN Transfer Learning , Ashish Sharma

Hand Gesture Recognition for Sign Language Transcription , Iker Vazquez Lopez

Learning to Code Music : Development of a Supplemental Unit for High School Computer Science , Kelsey Wright

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Identification of Small Endogenous Viral Elements within Host Genomes , Edward C. Davis Jr.

When the System Becomes Your Personal Docent: Curated Book Recommendations , Nevena Dragovic

Security Testing with Misuse Case Modeling , Samer Yousef Khamaiseh

Estimating Length Statistics of Aggregate Fried Potato Product via Electromagnetic Radiation Attenuation , Jesse Lovitt

Towards Multipurpose Readability Assessment , Ion Madrazo

Evaluation of Topic Models for Content-Based Popularity Prediction on Social Microblogs , Axel Magnuson

CEST: City Event Summarization using Twitter , Deepa Mallela

Developing an ABAC-Based Grant Proposal Workflow Management System , Milson Munakami

Phoenix and Hive as Alternatives to RDBMS , Diana Ornelas

Massively Parallel Algorithm for Solving the Eikonal Equation on Multiple Accelerator Platforms , Anup Shrestha

A Certificateless One-Way Group Key Agreement Protocol for Point-to-Point Email Encryption , Srisarguru Sridhar

Dynamic Machine Level Resource Allocation to Improve Tasking Performance Across Multiple Processes , Richard Walter Thatcher

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Developing an Application for Evolutionary Search for Computational Models of Cellular Development , Nicolas Scott Cornia

Accelerated Radar Signal Processing in Large Geophysical Datasets , Ravi Preesha Geetha

Integrity Coded Databases (ICDB) – Protecting Integrity for Outsourced Databases , Archana Nanjundarao

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221 Interesting Thesis Topics for IT Students

Did you know that one of the most important parts of writing your dissertation is finding the best topic possible? You are probably having serious problems finding a topic for your thesis. After all, the thesis topics IT students are looking for are pretty rare. The reality is that in the IT field, most topics have already been written about. There are few things left to write it seems. Well, things are a bit different. We are here to assure you that you can find thesis topics for IT students. Also, we want to assure you that it is not at all difficult to find an interesting topic that you can write an engaging paper about. We will provide you with 21 such topics shortly. College students can use our topics for free; we are very happy to help!

Writing Your Thesis and Looking for Dissertation Topics?

• Why Thesis Topics for IT Students Are Important?
• Fresh Dissertation Topics for You

Best IT Thesis Topics in Artificial intelligence

Exceptional it thesis topics in computer science and engineering, refreshing it thesis topics in communication and media, top it thesis topics on food technology, thoughtful it thesis topics on technology and human identity, top it thesis topics on pharmaceutical technologies, it thesis topic ideas on energy power technologies, it thesis topics on medical devices and diagnostics, it thesis topics on biotechnology, more interesting it thesis topics for you, need more it dissertation topics.

As you are probably already aware, the IT field is advancing rapidly. Advancements are made almost daily in technology, including information technology. This is why so many students are looking for fresh 2022 dissertation topics. They want to write about the latest technologies and the latest gadgets. Of course, one can go online and find various 2022 thesis topics IT students would find impressive. You will probably find some that are relatively decent. But be aware that the evaluation committee will most certainly not be impressed by decent topics. They want something new. They want something that can pique their interest. They want to LEARN something from you. And they want to award you with some bonus points. Why not take them?

Why Thesis Topics for IT Students Are Important

Did you ever wonder why so many people dedicate so much time to finding a great topic? Probably not. Let’s shed some light on this. College students are looking for IT dissertation topics because they want bonus points. The topic is the first thing the evaluation committee sees. It is the most important part of your paper. As such, it must be interesting, engaging, and also helpful. It must show that you have put in the effort to write the dissertation. Awe the admission committee and you will surely get bonus points. Even if your dissertation is not the best, you will still get a good score if the topic you choose is exceptional. But engaging IT dissertation topics are difficult to come by. Most of your classmates have already picked the simple ones. But you are not like the rest of your class, are you? You want to be original and you want to make a lasting impression on the professors. This is why you need to take a look at our fresh dissertation topics.

21 Fresh Dissertation Topics for You (Absolutely Free)

Without further ado, here are the 21 thesis topics for IT students that we think are the most interesting and engaging:

• Conducting virtual business in the era of 3D Internet – the business of the future
• Analyzing e-tourism services in the UK: Factors that Influence Customer Satisfaction
• Mobile government applications and their benefits
• Producing believable emotions using AI systems for e-commerce
• The future of YouTube and multimedia distribution platforms
• Analyzing the impact of media technology on child development throughout the school
• Integrating an ERP system with a cloud service
• Developing a tool to analyze keystrokes and use the data for password security
• Analyzing critical vulnerabilities of the Android mobile operating system
• Analyzing the impact of e-publishing on libraries (one of the best thesis topics for IT students)
• In-depth analysis of the fault-recovery and redundancy in modern 4G mobile networks
• The impact of full-text databases on Google as a search engine
• Creating software capable of reading human emotions using a webcam
• How effective is face recognition as a security measure?
• Analyzing critical security vulnerabilities in IT systems used at the government level
• Does curbing software piracy in developing countries have any negative results?
• Using BitTorrent systems for faster multimedia delivery and playback
• How safe are whistleblowers operating on the Dark Web? (one of the thesis topics IT students are usually reluctant to write about)
• Building a Dark Web crawler that indexes onion sites based on specific criteria
• Creating a modern Tetris game in C# using OpenGL
• The advantages brought by mobile working to IBM and its employees

If you want to write a relevant research topic, consider writing about Artificial intelligence topics (AI). AI is a relevant phenomenon, and here is a look at some ideas of artificial intelligence that you should look into.

• Is deep learning an effective way of dealing with deep learning?
• How do artificial neural networks affect deep learning?
• Discuss the areas of life machine learning that are most influential.
• Ways to select the best algorithm for machine learning.
• How does NASA use robotics?
• Discuss the process of using natural languages to create a unique language.
• How does artificial intelligence affect computer vision?
• Compare and contrast the effects of supervised vs. unsupervised machine learning.
• The effects of reinforcement machine learning algorithms.
• Model-based vs. Model-free reinforcement learning algorithms.
• Deep learning as a subject of machine learning.
• Comparison between single vs. Multi-agent reinforcement learning.
• Ways that the social robots interact with the humans
• How do chatbots aid in the natural language processing system?
• Five ways of computer vision application.
• What is the recommended systems approach?
• What is the interconnection of the Internet of things and artificial intelligence?
• What amount of data is generated by the Internet of things devices?
• Compare and contrast content-based recommendation vs. collaborative filtering.
• What makes the collaborative filtering system stand out?

Computer science and engineering combine two different yet interconnected worlds of machines. The use of computer science uses the computer’s brain. It is, in most cases, used to include areas of studies like programming language and algorithms. Here is a list of research topics in computer science and engineering that you can use.

• In what ways is the virtual and human perception connected?
• What is the future of computer science-assisted education?
• What are computer science and high-dimensional data modeling?
• The imperative vs. declarative languages.
• Explain the use of blockchain and AI algorithmic regulations.
• How has blockchain technology impacted the banking industry?
• In what way does machine architecture use to affect the efficiency of code?
• What are the languages of parallel computing?
• Explain the way that mesh generation is used for computational domains.
• The cyber-physical optimization vs. the sensor networks.
• Explain the development of computer graphics in a photorealistic rendering case.
• What are game theory and network economics?
• What are the most effective cryptographic protocols?
• An overview of the software security types.
• It is possible to eliminate phishing.
• Floating point and programming language
• In what ways is the mesh generation used for computational domains?
• How to get the persistent data structure optimization
• In what ways does computer thinking affect science?

One of the first areas that technology affected was communication. With technology, media is used for social interactions, business development, and educational purposes. Here are exciting ideas to use when researching your IT thesis paper.

• What is the impact of ethics on communication?
• How the development of communication through the computer has evolved in the past decade.
• In what ways has social media impacted communication?
• What role do media play during a disaster? Does it increase panic or help in reducing it?
• Compare and construct the authority’s media presence in different countries.
• Will people start preferring newspapers to new media again?
• In what ways has the Internet changed media?
• Discuss communication networks.
• What impact do social media have on super bowl ads?
• What are the new content marketing ideas?
• What is the impact of media exposure on adolescents?
• In what ways do people use hype in the media?
• Discuss the media and freedom of speech.
• Is it possible for people to build trustful relationships in virtual communication?
• What measures can you put to maintain privacy on social media?
• In what ways have computers changed interpersonal communications?
• What is yellow journalism in new media?
• In what ways do enterprises use ICT to get a competitive advantage?
• Is it possible to live without mass media?
• What are the impacts of mass media and morality in the 21st century?

If you are searching for a qualitative research topic about technology in the food industry, here is a list of ideas you can use.

• What are the machines used in the food industry?
• In what ways do robots improve safety in butcheries?
• 3D printing and the food industry.
• Is 3D printing the best solution to offer people with swallowing disorders?
• About drones and precision agriculture.
• In what ways does robotics help in creating eco-friendly food packages?
• Is micro packaging the future?
• Research on the development of edible cling film.
• The solution that technology has to food waste.
• How do preservatives and additives impact the human gut microbiome?
• Physicochemical levels the effect of citric acid on orange juice.
• Compare and contrast vegetable oil in mass production.
• Time-temperature indicators and food industry.
• Farming: hydroponic vs. conventional farming.
• How is food safety a policy issue in agriculture today?
• Ways you can use to limit the detection of parasites in food.
• How is the baking industry evolving?
• How technology is used to eliminate byproducts in edible oils production
• About cold plasma and biofilm.
• Ways to extract good antioxidant peptides are extracted from plants.

The ethical issues surrounding the enhancement technology are intertwined with the questions of human identity and the proper trajectory of human life. Here is a list of thesis ideas you can use in your research.

• Does technology make human life worth living than animal life?
• The dignity of human life concerning technology explained?
• In what ways should humans be observed in informational technology?
• Should tech and scientific investigations on humans have a limit?
• What is the importance of DNA information in forming our identity?
• Is Ancestry DNA testing important?
• Explain multi-racial identification.
• Can scientific investigations tell us what self-care is?
• In what ways will virtual reality technology change us?
• Should there be a limit on the research in virtual reality? The possibility of virtual reality being the future.
• What are the benefits of using virtual reality technologies?
• What is the importance of finding alternative treatments for mental illness other than drugs?
• Has the increase in technology affected the rise of mental illness?
• Ways technology can be used to control addiction.
• Pros and cons of using technology to control brains.
• 7 social dangers of the brain controlling technology.
• Does science dictate who we are?
• What has led to the increase in mental illness among tech enthusiasts?
• Can tech-related mental illness be cured?
• What is the relationship between technology and drug addiction?

Companies are using technology to search for ways they can use it to reduce costs and boost effectiveness by doing pharmaceutical technology research. Impress your lecturer by choosing one of the research topics discussed below

• What is the effectiveness of medical therapy management?
• Explain how prior electronic authorization is a pharmacy technology trend.
• Explain the medical therapy management and the health information exchanges.
• How can electronic prescribing reduce the possibility of drug abuse issues?
• Ways that pharmacists help with meaningful tech use.
• Discuss various pharmaceutical technologies.
• Pharmaceutical technology research.
• What are specialty medications?
• Vaccines for AIDS: can it be developed?
• Ways that the prescription drug monitoring program works.
• How do specialty pharmacies use NCPDP?
• Why are patients interested in real-time pharmacy?
• Phenotypic screening research.
• Impact of ERP with pharmaceutical company’s analytics.
• Pharmaceutical technologies: data security.
• About DNA-encoded library technology.
• Pro and cons antibiotics vs. superbugs.
• How does the body-on-a-chip approach be used for personalized medicines?
• Modern cannabidiol medicine and pain management.
• What is the future of cannabidiol medicine?

It is not possible to have a technology process without energy. That is the reason that scientists are always looking for ways they can improve energy power technologies. So, if you are looking for thesis topics you can use to impress your lecturer, here is a list of power technology research you can use.

• Ways that fuel cells can be used for the generation of stationary power.
• Compare the energy density of lithium-ions and lithium-air batteries.
• Gasoline vs. Lithium-air batteries.
• The pros and cons of renewable energy use.
• How does the UAE use nuclear power?
• Research on India power installation.
• Increase in gas prices and alternative energy sources.
• How can hydrogen energy be used to transform the methods or energy?
• Is hydrogen energy the future?
• About the thermal storage and AC systems.
• In what ways can you use load balance using a smart grid?
• How can distributed energy generation optimize power waster?
• Is the smart energy network a solution to climate change?
• What is the future of tidal power?
• What is the possibility of 3D printing micro stirring engines?
• In what ways can robots be used to adjust the solar panel weather?
• Explain advanced biofuel and algae.
• In what ways can photovoltaic glass be fully transparent?
• Compare the different third-generation biofuels.
• Is space-based solar power a myth or the reality of the future?

The innovation of medicine and technology helps to improve life expectancy. If you feel that saving lives is your purpose, here are some thesis topics you can use in your research paper.

• The effects of robotic surgeries.
• Explain defibrillator & cardiac resynchronization therapy.
• How smart can inhalers be used as a new solution to asthma treatment?
• Genetic counseling: ways of preventing diseases.
• What are the benefits of electronic medical records?
• How is Erythrocytapheresis used to treat sickle cell disease?
• The reason that drug-eluting stents fail.
• An overview of the dissolved brain sensors.
• What are the benefits of 3D printing for medical purposes?
• How soon will it be possible to create an artificial organ?
• Research on wearable technologies in health care.
• Precision medication based on genetics.
• The importance of using virtual medicine devices for educational purposes.
• Research on the development of telemedicine.
• How is technology impacting cancer treatment?
• Is genome editing safe?
• How is the electronic diagnosis tool evolving?
• Brain-machine interface, the future.
• How does the use of wireless communication help medical professionals in hospitals?
• Ten ways wearable technology impacts the medical industry.

The development of biotechnology allows people to cure diseases and help with new machines. Here are some ideas of interesting topics you can use for your biotechnology thesis research.

• Ten impacts of biotechnology in farming.
• How does biotechnology lead to a self-sufficient protein supply?
• Evapotranspiration vs. Evaporation.
• DNA cloning and a Southern blot.
• How are personalized drugs made?
• What is pharmacogenetics?
• Is cloning playing God?
• How is pharmacogenetics used to get cancer medicines?
• Is it possible to control our genetics?
• How much genetic control do humans have?
• Based on genetics, at what point do we cease to be human?
• Research on bioethics and stem cells.
• Definition of genetic engineering.
• Gene therapy and genetic engineering.
• Ten benefits and risks of genetic engineering.
• How does plant genetic enhancement help preserve scarce plants?
• South Africa Y-chromosome genotyping.
• Ways technology is used in the creation of new vaccines.
• How does Nanotechnology help in treating HIV?
• An overview of Genes in heavy metal tolerance.

Your IT thesis does not have to be boring. Here is a list of interesting thesis topics that will impress your lecturer.

• Ways that you can eliminate heat-resistant microorganisms with ultraviolet light.
• In what ways can pesticides be used to diagnose cancer?
• How can the smeller nuclear reactors be more efficient?
• An overview of renewable energy technologies.
• Explain electronic use in the food industry and agriculture.
• The harm of polyphenols in food.
• Hope for anticancer nanomedicine.
• Does increasing military technology make use safe?
• What is the importance of military research?
• In what ways can technology be used to gauge intelligence?
• In what ways is Google search changing us?
• Blogs vs. books.
• How is teaching IT research skills important today?
• Should parents and schools encourage or discourage social media?
• Does Google affect the attention span of young people? What is the borderline in hardware and software cloud computing?
• What will be the impact when everything moves to the cloud?
• How will virtual reality change education?
• If the computer takes over most of our tasks, what will humans do?
• What will computer language be important in the future?
• What are the benefits of robots in health care?

Of course, there are dozens of other thesis topics on which students could write a paper. Some companies specialize in providing college students with entire lists of topics on a specific subject. You just need to contact an online academic writing company and tell its writers what you need. These people have extensive experience in the IT industry and have probably written dozens of dissertations. They can help you with more dissertation topics. And the best part is that some of these online services are quite affordable. An exceptional topic is worth the money – guaranteed!

Are you stuck with writing your thesis? Just enter promo “ mythesis ” – that’s all you need to get a 20% discount for any IT writing assignment you might have!

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How to prepare an excellent thesis defense

What is a thesis defense?

How long is a thesis defense, what happens at a thesis defense, your presentation, questions from the committee, 6 tips to help you prepare for your thesis defense, 1. anticipate questions and prepare for them, 2. dress for success, 3. ask for help, as needed, 4. have a backup plan, 5. prepare for the possibility that you might not know an answer, 6. de-stress before, during, and after, frequently asked questions about preparing an excellent thesis defense, related articles.

If you're about to complete, or have ever completed a graduate degree, you have most likely come across the term "thesis defense." In many countries, to finish a graduate degree, you have to write a thesis .

A thesis is a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.

Once you hand in your thesis, you will be assigned a date to defend your work. Your thesis defense meeting usually consists of you and a committee of two or more professors working in your program. It may also include other people, like professionals from other colleges or those who are working in your field.

During your thesis defense, you will be asked questions about your work. The main purpose of your thesis defense is for the committee to make sure that you actually understand your field and focus area.

The questions are usually open-ended and require the student to think critically about their work. By the time of your thesis defense, your paper has already been evaluated. The questions asked are not designed so that you actually have to aggressively "defend" your work; often, your thesis defense is more of a formality required so that you can get your degree.

• Check with your department about requirements and timing.
• Re-read your thesis.
• Anticipate questions and prepare for them.
• Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups.
• Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.

How long your oral thesis defense is depends largely on the institution and requirements of your degree. It is best to consult your department or institution about this. In general, a thesis defense may take only 20 minutes, but it may also take two hours or more. The length also depends on how much time is allocated to the presentation and questioning part.

Tip: Check with your department or institution as soon as possible to determine the approved length for a thesis defense.

First of all, be aware that a thesis defense varies from country to country. This is just a general overview, but a thesis defense can take many different formats. Some are closed, others are public defenses. Some take place with two committee members, some with more examiners.

The same goes for the length of your thesis defense, as mentioned above. The most important first step for you is to clarify with your department what the structure of your thesis defense will look like. In general, your thesis defense will include:

• your presentation of around 20-30 minutes
• questions from the committee
• questions from the audience (if the defense is public and the department allows it)

You might have to give a presentation, often with Powerpoint, Google slides, or Keynote slides. Make sure to prepare an appropriate amount of slides. A general rule is to use about 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation.

But that also depends on your specific topic and the way you present. The good news is that there will be plenty of time ahead of your thesis defense to prepare your slides and practice your presentation alone and in front of friends or family.

Tip: Practice delivering your thesis presentation in front of family, friends, or colleagues.

You can prepare your slides by using information from your thesis' first chapter (the overview of your thesis) as a framework or outline. Substantive information in your thesis should correspond with your slides.

Make sure your slides are of good quality— both in terms of the integrity of the information and the appearance. If you need more help with how to prepare your presentation slides, both the ASQ Higher Education Brief and James Hayton have good guidelines on the topic.

The committee will ask questions about your work after you finish your presentation. The questions will most likely be about the core content of your thesis, such as what you learned from the study you conducted. They may also ask you to summarize certain findings and to discuss how your work will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

Tip: Read your entire thesis in preparation of the questions, so you have a refreshed perspective on your work.

While you are preparing, you can create a list of possible questions and try to answer them. You can foresee many of the questions you will get by simply spending some time rereading your thesis.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense:

You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions. In addition, since you will know who will be on the committee, look at the academic expertise of the committee members. In what areas would they most likely be focused?

If possible, sit at other thesis defenses with these committee members to get a feel for how they ask and what they ask. As a graduate student, you should generally be adept at anticipating test questions, so use this advantage to gather as much information as possible before your thesis defense meeting.

Your thesis defense is a formal event, often the entire department or university is invited to participate. It signals a critical rite of passage for graduate students and faculty who have supported them throughout a long and challenging process.

While most universities don't have specific rules on how to dress for that event, do regard it with dignity and respect. This one might be a no-brainer, but know that you should dress as if you were on a job interview or delivering a paper at a conference.

It might help you deal with your stress before your thesis defense to entrust someone with the smaller but important responsibilities of your defense well ahead of schedule. This trusted person could be responsible for:

• preparing the room of the day of defense
• setting up equipment for the presentation
• preparing and distributing handouts

Technology is unpredictable. Life is too. There are no guarantees that your Powerpoint presentation will work at all or look the way it is supposed to on the big screen. We've all been there. Make sure to have a plan B for these situations. Handouts can help when technology fails, and an additional clean shirt can save the day if you have a spill.

One of the scariest aspects of the defense is the possibility of being asked a question you can't answer. While you can prepare for some questions, you can never know exactly what the committee will ask.

There will always be gaps in your knowledge. But your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. You are not expected to know everything.

James Hayton writes on his blog that examiners will sometimes even ask questions they don't know the answer to, out of curiosity, or because they want to see how you think. While it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, but you would need to do [...] in order to find out.” This shows that you have the ability to think as an academic.

You will be nervous. But your examiners will expect you to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions, for example. Dora Farkas at finishyourthesis.com notes that it’s a myth that thesis committees are out to get you.

Two common symptoms of being nervous are talking really fast and nervous laughs. Try to slow yourself down and take a deep breath. Remember what feels like hours to you are just a few seconds in real life.

• Try meditational breathing right before your defense.
• Get plenty of exercise and sleep in the weeks prior to your defense.
• Have your clothes or other items you need ready to go the night before.
• During your defense, allow yourself to process each question before answering.
• Go to dinner with friends and family, or to a fun activity like mini-golf, after your defense.

Allow yourself to process each question, respond to it, and stop talking once you have responded. While a smile can often help dissolve a difficult situation, remember that nervous laughs can be irritating for your audience.

We all make mistakes and your thesis defense will not be perfect. However, careful preparation, mindfulness, and confidence can help you feel less stressful both before, and during, your defense.

Finally, consider planning something fun that you can look forward to after your defense.

It is completely normal to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions for example if needed. Slow yourself down, and take a deep breath.

Your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. James Hayton writes on his blog that it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", but he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, you would need to do [...] in order to find out".

Your Powerpoint presentation can get stuck or not look the way it is supposed to do on the big screen. It can happen and your supervisors know it. In general, handouts can always save the day when technology fails.

• Dress for success.
• Ask for help setting up.
• Have a backup plan (in case technology fails you).
• Deal with your nerves.

The graduation thesis is an important academic thesis for college students to obtain graduation qualifications and apply for a bachelor's degree. It has stricter regulations and is a comprehensive test to test students' theoretical knowledge and basic skills during school. How to write a graduation thesis? Let's take a look at my sharing.

1. Typography

The teachers of each main examination college usually give you a template for the thesis. Just add your own content on the template given by the teacher.

2. Topic selection

The advantage of a small range of topics

a. The research object is more clear

b. The article is not off topic

c. There are certain advantages in the defense link

Many students think that it is meaningful for me to write what no one has studied or written about. The first person to eat crab has an advantage, but it is also difficult. When other friends can't write, you can refer to the articles of the predecessors. Slightly modified on the basis of others, when further research. You can only write by yourself, if you can’t write, you can’t give up.

A brief summary of the main body of the review. The author should make a comprehensive evaluation of various viewpoints, put forward his own views, point out the existing problems and the direction and prospect of future development. It is not necessary to write a summary for a simple summary of the content.

5. References

An important part of the review. The number of general references reflects the breadth and depth of the author's reading of the literature. Different journals have different requirements for the number of references for review papers. Generally, less than 30 references are appropriate, and the latest literature in the last 3-5 years is the main one.

The so-called good start is half the success, and the topic selection is the beginning of a paper. Therefore, this article intends to talk a few words about how to determine the topic selection.

Regarding topic selection, the first piece of advice to art undergraduates is: don’t stare at topics that are too grand. For example, "modern transformation of Chinese painting", "art education in the period of the Republic of China", etc., these are not problems that undergraduates can study at all. Such problems not only require a high-level understanding, but also because they are too broad, almost no one If you can grasp the vast amount of information they involve in a short period of time, even if it is just a simple answer, the required text is at least the amount of a monograph.

The above is the sharing of the editor. If you need to know more related content, you can enter our website to search for keywords or contact the editor on the site.

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2023/2024 PhD Recipients Thesis Titles

2022-2023 PhD Thesis Titles    2021-2022 PhD Thesis Titles    2020-2021 PhD Thesis Titles   

2018-2019 PhD Thesis Titles    2017-2018 PhD Thesis Titles    2019-2020 PhD Thesis Titles   

2018-2019 PhD Thesis Titles    2017-2018 PhD Thesis Titles    2016-2017 PhD Thesis Titles  

2015-2016 PhD Thesis Titles    2013-2014 PhD Thesis Titles    2012-2013 PhD Thesis Titles   

2011-2012 PhD Thesis Titles  

Candidates for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy

Solomon abiola, b.s. princeton university, m.s. carnegie mellon university; translational biomedical science.

Thesis: The Rise of Temperature and Fall of Fever: A 21st-Century Translational Science Approach to Infectious Disease Forecast using Machine Learning Transformers, mHealth Application Node and Wearable Device Edge

Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Miller  

Sara Ali, B.S. Rochester Institute Of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Biophysics

Thesis: A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Identifying Structurally Conserved ncRNAs: From Prediction to Validation

Advisor: Dr. David Mathews  

Naemah Alkhars, B.S. Kuwait University, M.S. University of Rochester; Translational Biomedical Science

Thesis: Three-dimensional Maternal influence on Children at High Risk of Severe Early Childhood

Advisor: Dr. Jin Xiao  

Katherine Andersh, B.S. University Of Arizona, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: The role of proinflammatory cytokines in glaucomatous neurodegeneration

Advisor: Dr. Richard Libby  

Uday Baliga, B.S. Colorado State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Gene Delivery:  Multigenic approaches

Advisor: Dr. David Dean  

Sara Blick-Nitko, B.S. Rochester Institute of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Platelet Ido1 in Plasmodium yoelii Uncomplicated Malaria Infection

Advisor: Dr. Craig Morrell  

Zachary Brehm, B.M. SUNY College Potsdam, M.S. SUNY College Potsdam; Statistics

Thesis: Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Complex Tissue Bulk RNA-seq Data

Advisor: Dr. Matthew McCall  

Tina Bui-Bullock, B.S. The University Of Texas At Austin, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Elucidating Host Factors That Modulate Staphylococcus aureus Osteomyelitis Severity in Obesity-Related Type 2 Diabetes

Advisor: Dr. Steven Gill  

Kimberly Burgos Villar, B.A. Daemen College, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Expression and Function of SPRR1A, a Novel Marker of the Ischemic Cardiac Border Zone

Advisor: Dr. Eric Small  

Wesley Chiang, B.S. University Of California-Irvine, M.S. University of Rochester; Biophysics

Thesis: Nano for Neuro: Developing Hybrid Quantum Dot Nano-Bio Assemblies to Probe Neuroinflammatory Activation

Advisor: Dr. Todd Krauss  

Jessica Ciesla, B.S. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, M.S. University of Rochester; Biochemistry

Thesis: Mechanisms Through Which Metabolism and the Human Cytomegalovirus UL26 Protein Contribute to Anti-Viral Signaling

Advisor: Dr. Joshua Munger  

Martin Cole, B.E. The Open University, M.S. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: Scratching the Surface: Surface-Based Cortical Registration and Analysis of Connectivity Functions

Advisor: Dr. Xing Qiu  

Luke Duttweiler, B.A. Houghton College, M.A. SUNY Brockport, M.A. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: Spectral Bayesian Network Theory: Graph Theoretic Solutions to Problems in Bayesian Networks

Advisor: Dr. Sally Thurston and Dr. Anthony Almudevar  

Esraa Furati, M.B.B.S. University of Dammam, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: Insights into the Roles of Aging and Chemokine Signaling During Neuromuscular Regeneration

Advisor: Dr. Joe Chakkalakal

Erin Gibbons, B.S. University Of Connecticut, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Investigation of mTORC1-mediated genes Neutrophil Elastase and Glycoprotein-NMB  Demonstrates Tumor Promotion and GPNMB as a Serum Biomarker for  Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)

Advisor: Dr. Stephen Hammes  

Christie Gilbert Klaczko, B.S. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Translational Biomedical Science

Thesis: Oral Cross-kingdom Bacterial-fungal Interactions in a Cross-sectional Pregnant Population Living in Low Socioeconomic Status in Rochester, New York

Jimin Han, B.S. Duquesne University, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Investigating the role of CLN3 in retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction in CLN3-Batten

Advisor: Dr. Ruchira Singh  

Jarreau Harrison, B.S. CUNY Medgar Evers College, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: HSPB8 Attenuates Pathological Tau Accumulation

Advisor: Dr. Gail Johnson  

Alicia Healey, B.S. Simmons College, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis:Aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation modulates monocytic cell responses during respiratory viral infection

Advisor: Dr. B. Paige Lawrence  

Omar Hedaya, B.S. Kuwait University, M.S. University of Rochester; Biochemistry

Thesis: uORF-mediated Translational Regulation of GATA4 in the Heart

Advisor: Dr. Peng Yao  

Emma House, B.S. Wayne State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Investigating the Role of CD4+ T Cells in Flavorings-Related Lung Disease

Advisor: Dr. Matthew D. McGraw  

Yechu Hua, B.A. Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Health Services Research and Policy

Thesis: Did Greater Price Transparency of Hospital Care Lower Health Care Costs?

Advisor: Dr. Yue Li  

Feng Jiang, B.S. Wuhan University, M.S. University of Rochester; Biochemistry

Thesis: The Molecular Mechanism and Biological Impact of Cis-acting Elements and Trans-acting Factors in mRNA Translation Regulation

Amber Kautz, B.S. Cornell University, M.S. Boston University; Epidemiology

Thesis: Maternal Non-Adherence to the Dietary Fat Recommendations During Pregnancy and Neonatal Adiposity and Infant Weight Gain: The Role of Inflammation

Advisor: Dr. Diana Fernandez  

Gabrielle Kosoy, B.S. SUNY College At Geneseo, M.S. University of Rochester; Biophysics

Thesis: Understanding vaccine antibody response: high throughput measurements of equilibrium affinity constants for influenza, cross-reactivity of SARS antibodies, and asthmatic response

Thomas Lamb Jr., B.S. St Josephs College, M.S. University of Rochester; Toxicology

Thesis: Chemical Characterization and Lung Toxicity of Humectants and Flavored E-cigarettes

Advisor: Dr. Irfan Rahman  

Linh Le, B.S. Truman State University, M.S. Truman State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: The effects of microglial adrenergic signaling and microglial renewal on Alzheimer’s disease pathology

Advisor: Dr. Ania Majewska  

Jiatong Liu, B.S. Huazhong University of Science and Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: The Role of Senescent Cells in Aging Fracture Healing

Advisor: Dr. Lianping Xing  

Daniel Lopez, B.A. University Of California-Los Angeles, M.A. Stanford University. MPH Cuny Hunter College; Epidemiology

Thesis: The Neurobiological Correlates of Problematic Gaming Behaviors in Adolescents

Advisor: Dr. Edwin van Wijngaarden  

Ferralita Madere, B.S. Xavier University Of Louisiana, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology

Thesis: Elucidating Complex Transkingdom Interactions in the Female Reproductive Tract Microbiome in Health and Disease

Advisor: Dr. Cynthia Monaco  

Courtney Markman, B.S. Rochester Institute Of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: The role(s) of JAG1 during Embryonic Cochlear Development

Advisor: Dr. Amy Kiernan  

Andrew Martin, B.S. North Adams State College, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology

Thesis: Mechanism and Consequence of IFN--mediated Loss of Tissue Resident Macrophages on Host Immunity to Toxoplasma gondii

Advisor: Dr. Felix Yarovinsky  

Alyssa Merrill, B.S. Nazareth College Of Rochester, M.S. University of Rochester; Toxicology

Thesis: Pregnancy-dependent Cardiometabolic Effects of Anti-estrogenic Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Advisor: Dr.Marissa Sobolewski and Dr. Deborah Cory-Slechta  

Briaunna Minor, B.S. Xavier University Of Louisiana, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology

Thesis: Implications for Targeting Tumor Associated Neutrophils to Attenuate Estrogen Mediated Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Progression

Mostafa Mohamed, M.S. Alexandria University, M.D. Alexandria University; Epidemiology

Thesis: Association Between Chemotherapy Dosing, Treatment Tolerability, and Survival Among Older Adults with Advanced Cancer

Advisor: Dr. David Rich  

Adrián Moisés Molina Vargas, B.S. University of Alcala, M.S. University of Rochester; Genetics

Thesis: Developing Design Strategies for Efficient and Specific CRISPR Cas13 RNA-Targeting Applications

Advisor: Dr. Mitchell O'Connell  

Teraisa Mullaney, B.S. Rochester Institute Of Technology, M.S Rochester Institute Of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Health Services Research and Policy

Thesis: Understanding the Role of Navigation Capital in Health Services and Social Determinants of Health: A Health Capability Explanation

Advisor: Dr. Peter Veazie  

Daxiang Na, B.S. Peking University, M.S. Peking University, M.S. Brandeis University, M.S. University of Rochester; Genetics

Thesis: An Investigation of the Relationship between Auditory Dysfunctions and Alzheimer’s Disease Using Amyloidosis Mouse Models

Advisor: Dr. Patricia White  

Thomas O'Connor, B.S. SUNY University at Buffalo, M.S. University of Rochester; Genetics

Thesis: Adaptive and Protective Responses of Skeletal Muscle to Endurance Exercise in the Context of Aging, Juvenile Radiotherapy, and Tubular Aggregate Myopathy

Advisor: Dr. Robert Dirksen and Dr. James Palis  

Raven Osborn, B.A. University Of Missouri-Columbia; Translational Biomedical Science

Thesis: Single-cell gene regulatory network analysis reveals cell population-specific responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung epithelial cells

Advisor: Dr. Juilee Thakar and Dr. Stephen Dewhurst  

Emily Przysinda, B.A. Skidmore College, M.S. University of Rochester; Neurobiology and Anatomy

Thesis: Social processing and underlying language deficits in schizophrenia during naturalistic video viewing

Advisor: Dr. Edmund Lalor  

Emily Quarato, B.S. University Of Alabama At Birmingham, M.S. University of Rochester; Program

Thesis: High levels of mesenchymal stromal cell efferocytosis induces senescence and causes bone loss

Advisor: Dr. Laura Calvi  

Zahíra Quiñones Tavárez, B.S. Pontificial Catholic University Mother and Teacher, M.P.H. University of Rochester; Translational Biomedical Science

Thesis: Linking Exposure to Flavors in Electronic Cigarettes and Coughing

Advisor: Dr. Deborah Ossip  

Matthew Raymonda, B.S. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington, M.S. University of Rochester; Biochemistry

Thesis: Identifying Metabolic Vulnerabilities Associated with Viral Infections

Savanah Russ, B.A. SUNY Geneseo, M.P.H Yale University; Epidemiology

Thesis: Association Between Community-Level Socioeconomic Status and Spatiotemporal Variation in COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

Advisor: Dr. Yu Liu  

Cooper Sailer, B.S. University at Buffalo, M.A. University at Buffalo, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Characterization of CAR-T cell phenotypes to augment response against solid tumors

Advisor: Dr. Minsoo Kim  

Jishyra Serrano, B.S. Universidad Adventista De Las Antillas; Translational Biomedical Science

Thesis: Prenatal Maternal Stress and Inflammation: Association to Childhood Temperament

Advisor: Dr. Thomas O'Connor  

Yuhang Shi, B.A. Henan Agricultural University, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology

Thesis: Interactions Between Viruses and the Innate Antiviral Factors SERINC5, BST2 and BCA2

Advisor: Dr. Ruth Serra-Moreno  

Anjali Sinha, B.E. PES Institute of Technology, M.S. University at Buffalo, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: Role of mAChR signaling and M-current in EVS mediated responses of mammalian vestibular afferents

Advisor: Dr. J. Chris Holt  

Celia Soto, B.S. SUNY Geneseo, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Elevated Lactate in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Bone Marrow Microenvironment Dysfunction

Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Frisch  

Michael Sportiello, B.S. University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology

Thesis: Investigating CD8 T cell tissue resident memory phenotype, function, metabolic activity, and differentiation

Advisor: Dr. David Topham  

Kumari Yoshita Srivastava, B.S. National Institute of Science Education And Research, M.S. National Institute of Science Education And Research, M.S. University of Rochester; Biophysics

Thesis: Structure and Function Analysis of Bacterial Riboswitches that Control Translation

Advisor: Dr. Joseph Wedekind  

Kathryn Toffolo, B.S. SUNY College at Buffalo, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: Semantic Language Processing: Insight into Underlying Circuitry and Development using Neurophysiological and Neuroimaging Methods

Advisor: Dr. John J. Foxe  

Megan Ulbrich, B.S. University Of Pittsburgh, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: The Activity of Vibrio cholerae Effector VopX Targets Host Cell Pathways that Reorganize the Actin Cytoskeleton

Advisor: Dr. Michelle Dziejman  

Erik Vonkaenel, B.S. Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania, M.A. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: Methods for Microglia Image Analysis

Amanda Wahl, B.S. Saint John Fisher College, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: Redefining the function of salivary duct cell populations utilizing a structural, functional, and computational approach

Advisor: Dr. David Yule  

Yunna Xie, B.S. Sichuan University, M.S. Universität Heidelberg; Health Services Research & Policy

Thesis: Is Physician Expertise Working as a Barrier to the Implementation of New Clinical Interventions? A Neural Network Approach

Shen Zhou, B.S. Shanghai University, M.S. Brandeis University, M.S. University of Rochester; Genetics

Thesis: The Study of c-Cbl in Clear Cell Sarcoma

Advisor: Dr. Mark Noble

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The medical physics graduate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs, Inc. ( CAMPEP ). The program, serving both MS and PhD degrees, ensures that the students receive adequate didactic and clinical training to continue in education and research, enter clinical physics residencies or begin working as medical physicists in radiation therapy and diagnostic radiology departments. MS students are trained with an emphasis on developing skills necessary for clinical medical physicists, 

In addition to the requirement of physics minor-equivalent undergraduate coursework, the qualifications and documentation required for admission to the MS program in Medical Physics are the same as for the College of Engineering.

In general, the following four types of students are typically admitted to the MS program in Medical Physics:

• Students with undergraduate degrees in biomedical engineering and other engineering disciplines who seek advanced professional training or specialization in a particular area of medical physics
• Professional engineers with degrees in other engineering disciplines who plan to enter the field of medical physics
• Students with an undergraduate degree in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology or other fields of natural or health science who seek to diversify their career opportunities by acquiring a medical physics degree
• Students who are preparing for admission to advanced health-related or other professional programs such as medical school

Students may be given conditional admission and required to take additional undergraduate courses in engineering, physics, and/or mathematics depending on their previous course work, as specified in the admission letter. The requisite courses will be prescribed by the Department Chair or Graduate Program Director during the first advising session.

The objective of the Medical Physics program is to provide advanced knowledge in the field of medical physics with an emphasis on therapeutic medical physics, and to provide the training required for students to become licensed medical physicists. This program is coordinated by the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Radiation Oncology at the School of Medicine.

The program is opened to students enrolled in the regular MS program, as well as the dual degree (BS/MS) program. Candidates are required to have completed the physics minor equivalent coursework that must include Modern Physics ( PHY 360  or equivalent), before they start their coursework in the Medical Physics program. 

Students in the Medical Physics program must complete Human Physiology for Engineers ( BME 602 ) and one of the remaining two courses from the human physiology ( BME 601 or  BME 603 ) course series, and 23-credits in the core curriculum in the area of medical physics.

The topic of the non-thesis MS project  ( BME 707 / BME 708 ), or MS thesis must be related to medical physics. In general, the project is co-supervised by Faculty from the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Radiation Oncology

Required Core Courses 

All students enrolled in the MS program are required to complete the following core graduate courses: 

• Two human physiology courses ( BME 602 , and  BME 601  or  BME 603 )
• 23 credits in medical physics

The Human Physiology Courses ( BME 601 / BME 602 / BME 603 , 3 credits each) are designed to provide a basic understanding of organ-level physiology and anatomy, neurophysiology, and cellular and molecular biology. Students with an MD from a medical school accredited by the World Health Organization are exempted from taking these courses. Students holding advanced degrees in the life sciences, or equivalent experience in the field, may also be exempt. Each such exception requires the approval of the Department Chairperson and Faculty member responsible for the course of concern. Students who receive an exemption, must replace the exempted course(s) with another 3-credit graduate course(s) that meets the degree requirements.

Curriculum Requirements

Ms in medical physics - nonthesis option.

The MS non-thesis option is intended for students with an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering or related disciplines who seek advanced training or specialization in a specific area of biomedical engineering; for professional engineers with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines who want to enter the field of biomedical engineering; and for students who want to prepare for admission to advanced health-related or other professional programs.

Non-Thesis MS Project

General description.

All students enrolled in the MS non-thesis program must complete a two-semester 3 credit Master's project ( BME 707  and  BME 708 ), under the supervision of a project mentor and departmental project coordinator. The project must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to solve complex scientific or technical problems at the interface of engineering and medical physics.

The MS project can be a research or design project. The project must include a significant research or design component contributed by the M.S. student, including, but not limited to, the design of an experiment or process; the development of a device, instrument, or system; the development of a computer program; the analysis of experimental data. Projects cannot be limited solely to the review of literature, the development of research or design proposals, or the collection of experimental data.

At the completion of their project, students must submit a written project report and complete a public oral defense of their project.

Project Mentor

Students who select the MS non-thesis track must identify a project mentor and select a project before they register for their second semester of full-time study. The project mentor is generally a primary faculty member from the Medical Physics Graduate Program. The role of the project mentor is to help the student identify a suitable project, to monitor the progress of the student, to provide guidance and training in the relevant topics, and to review the final report and presentation.

Students may complete their project under the supervision of a faculty member from another Department at the University of Miami, or from the local biomedical industry, or from a local clinic, under the following conditions:

• The student must receive the approval of the Department Chairman and Graduate Program Director.
• The student must identify a co-mentor who must be a primary faculty member from the Medical Physics Graduate Program. The co-mentor must be familiar with the topic of the proposed project. The role of the co-mentor will be to monitor the student progress and ensure that the Master's project report and presentation satisfy all of the relevant requirements.

Project Coordinator

The project coordinator is a member of the primary faculty of the Department of Biomedical Engineering who is responsible for teaching the  BME 707 / BME 708  course. The role of the project coordinator is to:

• Help students identify a project and mentor.
• Ensure that the projects satisfy the program objectives.
• Provide general guidance and graduate scholarship training.
• Ensure that the students are making suitable progress towards the project goals.

Project Abstract

Non-Thesis MS students must submit a one-page project abstract to the Department Chairman or Graduate Program Director and to the MS Project Coordinator at the time when they register for  BME 707 / BME 708 . The abstract must include the name of the project mentor (and co-mentor, if any), the title of the proposed project, and a brief description of the goals of the project and proposed methods. The abstract must be approved by the mentor, MS Project Coordinator, and Department Chairman or Graduate Program Director before the student can start work on the project. ( Project Abstract Template )

Project Report

Non-thesis MS students must submit a detailed report describing the work completed during the project. The report must describe the objectives and significance of the work, and summarize the activities completed by the student as part of the MS project. The report must demonstrate that the work performed by the student satisfies the general project criteria. The typical length of non-thesis M.S. project reports is 20 to 30 pages. If the project resulted in the submission of a full-length peer-reviewed scientific article, the article can be submitted in lieu of a report, as long as the following conditions are satisfied:

• The student must be the first author of the article.
• The article must reflect the work performed by the student as part of the project.
• The article must be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or conference proceedings volume.
• A one to two page introduction must be submitted to summarize the project goals and main outcomes.

The report must be reviewed and approved by the project mentor (and co-mentor, if any). Once the report is approved by the mentor(s), one printed copy and one electronic version in PDF format must be submitted to the Project Coordinator by the specified deadline. The final report must be approved and signed by the Project Mentor(s), Project Coordinator and Graduate Program Director or Department Chairman. ( Signature Page Template )

Project presentation

Non-thesis MS students must give an oral presentation of their project. The oral presentation is generally scheduled during the scheduled final examination time of  BME 707 / BME 708  in the semester of graduation. 

Project grade

The final grade for the project is given by the Project Coordinator. The final grade is a combination of a grade submitted by the Project Mentor(s) assessing the overall performance of the student on the project, and a grade given by the Project Coordinator assessing the quality of the oral presentation and report.

Curriculum Requirements:

Ms in medical physics - thesis option.

The thesis option is typically selected by students who are oriented towards a career in academic or industrial research and development, or students who want to acquire an initial independent biomedical research experience before seeking admission to doctoral programs.

Thesis Option

General description.

The Master's thesis is a research monograph which describes the significance of the research and summarizes the research activities completed as part of the MS degree requirements. The objective of the thesis is to evaluate the candidate’s competence in the area of the MS research. The thesis must demonstrate that the research is original and that the candidate has the ability to solve complex scientific and/or technical problems at the interface of engineering and medicine or biology.

Thesis Mentor

Students who select the MS thesis track must identify a thesis mentor before they register for their second semester of full-time study. The thesis mentor must hold a primary or secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Exceptions can be made only with approval of the Graduate Program Director and Department Chairman.

The thesis mentor supervises the research work of the student and provides training and guidance in the relevant research topics, including design of experiments, experimental techniques, and scholarship activities. The mentor helps the student select a thesis topic and develop a plan, and chairs or co-chairs the thesis committee. The mentor works closely with the student to ensure that there is satisfactory progress towards the thesis goals.

Thesis Committee

The thesis must be approved by a thesis committee. The duties of the thesis committee are:

• to consult with and to advise students on their research;
•  to meet, at intervals, to review progress and expected results;
• to read and comment upon the draft thesis;
• to meet, when the thesis is completed, to conduct the final oral examination and to satisfy itself that the thesis work is original; that it demonstrates the candidate's ability to solve complex scientific and/or technical problems at the interface of engineering and medicine or biology; that it is written in lucid and correct English; and that it is submitted in approved format.

The thesis committee will consist of not less than three members, with the following requirements:

• The committee chair shall be a Primary Faculty member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, as well as a regular member of the Graduate Faculty. The Committee Chair is generally also the thesis mentor.
• A thesis mentor who is not a member of the Primary Faculty of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, can serve as Co-Chair of the Thesis Committee, together with a second Co-Chair who shall be a member of the primary faculty of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
• It is an additional requirement of the Department of Biomedical Engineering that at least two committee members should be primary Faculty members from the Department.
• One committee member must be from outside the Department. Outside members of the thesis committee can include part-time faculty that teach within the Department.
• At least one committee member must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Miami.

The committee is nominated by the Graduate Program Director. Usually, the student consults with his/her research mentor and with the Chairperson or Graduate Program Director to select the Committee members.

Thesis Format and Deadlines

It is the duty of the student to ensure that the thesis defense is scheduled and that a final version of the thesis approved by the Dissertation Editor is submitted to the Dissertation Editor by the required deadlines set by the Graduate School. All information pertaining to the formatting and electronic guidelines for electronic thesis submission can be found on the  Graduate School website . 

Each thesis must be accompanied by a  Certificate of Defense Approval for Master’s Thesis  signed by all members of the Committee. Forms can be downloaded from the Graduate School website.

Evaluation Forms

The student is responsible for distributing dissertation  evaluation forms  to the members of the Thesis Committee for the final oral examination. The evaluation forms are used to assess the overall quality of the graduate program at the Department, College, and University level. The evaluation forms are available on the Graduate School and Department of Biomedical Engineering websites. The completed forms must be collected by the Thesis Mentor and forwarded to the Office Manager at the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Transfer to MS Non-Thesis Program

Students enrolled in the MS thesis program who do not wish to complete their thesis can transfer to the MS non-thesis program and graduate from the MS program under the following conditions:

• The transfer must be approved by the Department Chair or Graduate Program Director.
• All requirements of the MS non-thesis option must be satisfied, including completion of a two-semester 3 credit Master's project  ( BME 707  and  BME 708 ), submission of a project report, and oral defense of project. Completed thesis credits may count towards the three credit MS project requirement.

Sample Plan of Study

Ms program in medical physics.

Typical curricula for each option of the MS program in Medical Physics are shown in the following tables. The course sequence and timeline can be adjusted based on individual needs. The minimum residence requirement for the MS degree is two semesters in full-time study or the equivalent in part-time work. Students can also complete the BS/MS program in Medical Physics.

MS without Thesis

Ms with thesis*.

*Students who are not able to complete their thesis during the 3rd semester and have completed all 30 required credits of graduate work, must enroll in 0 credits of Research in Residence ( BME 820 ) to maintain full-time student status.

The goal of the Medical Physics Graduate Program at the University of Miami is to train students to develop the necessary academic framework as well as a thorough practical understanding in medical physics, including areas of diagnostic radiologic physics, health physics, nuclear medicine, and a designated focus on radiation therapy.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering to formulate and solve relevant medical physics problems.
• Students will be able to communicate scientific and technical research effectively in writing and oral presentations.
• Students will be able to work with physicians and technicians in conducting diagnostic radiology or radiation therapy.

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05/21/24 CLASS OF ‘24 SPOTLIGHT ON MICHAEL ARIAS

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Graduating with a Master of Architecture, Michael Arias in his final thesis project transformed the simple concept of the line into a storytelling narrative, exploring how lines function in architecture physically and metaphorically. During his time at USC, Michael helped host 250+ high school students from the ACE Mentor Program and studied abroad in Japan. Moving forward, he hopes to make an impact on the current housing crisis while developing and designing his own projects.

Learn more about Michael’s journey.

Q: Tell us briefly about your background and why you chose your program at USC Architecture.

I grew up in Los Angeles and graduated with an English Literature degree from the University of California, Davis. I chose USC for the quality and breadth of student work and the talented faculty that drives the curriculum forward. I knew I wanted to come to USC after a one-on-one meeting with our Graduate Director, Alvin Huang. Taking the time to meet with admitted students on a personal level showed me the care and devotion that USC has for its students.

Q: What is the title and short description of your final thesis project?

The title of my thesis is “Archipelago of the Line.” It investigates the creative process by distilling our built world down to the most fundamental element: the line. It was an exploration of how the line manifests both in two and three dimensions and how we inhabit the spaces that line creates. In a storybook-like narrative, the protagonist travels to islands in an archipelago, each island a host to a concept of the line in architecture whether it be a physical feature or a metaphorical circumstance: a path, a barrier, an armature, a tether, an event. The story becomes a glossary of architectural concepts, a reference to evaluate form and order, and a tool to generate one’s own architectural language.

Q: What have been your best experiences during your program?

There are a few memories that stand out: studying abroad in Japan or hosting over 250 high school students from the ACE Mentor Program with our AIAS Vice President Grace Poillucci. However, I think my favorite part about the program are the experiences with the talented and passionate people I’ve met along the way, from newfound, lifelong friends to the professors that have made a serious impact on how I think about architecture and challenge the world around me.

Q: What are you hoping to pursue after graduation?

My goal is to become a registered architect and develop and design my own projects. I want to make an impact on our current housing crisis. I’m confident what I have learned here at USC from both the Master of Architecture program and the Certificate in Real Estate Development from the Price School of Public Policy has given me the skills to make a difference.

  Related Links: MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

Latest News

Teen walks at graduation after completing doctoral degree at 17

A teenager from Chicago walked in her graduation ceremony this month after earning her doctoral degree at 17.

Dorothy Jean Tillman II told " Good Morning America " that she was homeschooled in her early years before entering college at age 10.

In 2020, she said she earned a Master of Science degree, and then, one year later, at age 15, was accepted into the Doctorate of Behavioral Health Management program at Arizona State University.

In December 2023, at 17, Tillman successfully defended her dissertation to earn her doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from ASU's College of Health Solutions.

On May 6, she walked at ASU's spring commencement ceremony.

Tillman told "GMA" she has always held education in such high regard in part due to her family's background.

"People in my life like my grandmother, who was part of the Civil Rights movement, she of course harped on the importance of education and consistently learning something always," Tillman said. "But the way I always held education so high on my own, aside from being raised that way, was finding different things to be educated about."

She continued, "I feel like that urge to learn something new just never didn't exist for me."

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Dr. Lesley Manson, a clinical associate professor at ASU, told "GMA" that Tillman is the youngest person in school history to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health.

Manson said she oversaw Tillman's dissertation for the doctoral program offered through ASU Online.

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During her studies, Tillman wrote a journal article of her dissertation and completed an internship at a university student health center, according to Manson.

"She really led change and worked on different forms of management to really reduce healthcare stigma and improve that student population there to be able to enter and accept student health services," she said of Tillman. "It was wonderful to see her and help her navigate some of those personal and professional interactions and grow through those experiences."

Manson described Tillman as an "inquisitive" and "innovative" student, and emphasized just how rare it is to accomplish what she has so far.

"It's a wonderful celebration ... but this is still something so rare and unique," she said. "She has innovative ideas and motivation, which is wonderful, and truly, I think what is inspiring is that she embodies that meaning of being a true leader."

Manson said she hopes Tillman continues to inspire people with her love of learning, saying, "That curiosity is always there, and I think all learners come with that, but it's great to be able to see it in someone so young as well."

Her inspiration and how she gives back to community

Tillman said her own journey wouldn't be possible without the support of her mom, who she said is one of her biggest motivators.

"Seeing my mother consistently work so hard to continuously uphold our family's legacy, and be that person that everyone was able to go to, if they needed anything ... always seeing [her] like [a] 'wonder woman' definitely made me want to grow up [into] an accomplished person," she said.

An advocate for education, Tillman is also the founder and CEO of a leadership institute that emphasizes the arts and STEM.

"I feel like adding art and putting a focus on it throughout science, technology, engineering and math makes the kids excited to learn all those things," she said. "And it opens them up to all of the possibilities and all the knowledge provided in that area of just STEM."

'Super dad' graduates with master's while working 3 jobs

As for her plans after graduation, Tillman said she is "just like any other teenager, still figuring out what my specific dreams and goals are."

"I'm really just grateful that the world is my oyster, and that I've done so much so young," she said. "And I have time to kind of think that through."

Tillman added that she hopes young people will take away from her story that it's OK to continually figure out what you want to do in life.

"Always remember that everyone has points in their life where they feel like they're figuring it out," she said. "And so figuring things out, not knowing what you want isn't a bad thing. But making the choice not to sit down and try to figure it out is."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional quotes from Tillman since its original publish date of May 13, 2024.

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Schedule of upcoming thesis defenses for finakpo' (summer) 2024, finakpo' (summer) 2024 thesis defenses.

The candidates for master's degrees in Finakpo' 2024 will be presenting their thesis defenses at the following times. 

More coming soon!

Check back for updates in the schedule.

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