The terms are interchangeable, with the favoured words differing across the Atlantic. Some universities refer to the Masters work as culminating in a thesis, and the PhD as culminating in a dissertation, while others confusingly use the converse notation. It is the level of the study which will impact on the lengths, with the PhD thesis-book being more dangerous to drop on your toes.
Thesis is the written form of a research work to get some academic degree, like master thesis, bachelor thesis, doctoral thesis. Dissertation is only another expression for the written research work to get the doctoral resp. PhD degree. So thesis is the more general expresson.
The University of Pittsburgh is obviously in the USA, and gives the US-centric definitions. The Commonwealth begs to differ.
Hussam's link points at Kerchener's short paper on 'dissertations', which does not even mention PhD (or similar qualifications).
Maybe, Hanno's response could be accepted by the Commonwealth.
Remembered I asked this question many years ago to my professors - they told me generally in UK, they call it Master dissertation and PhD thesis whereas in US, normally they call it Master thesis and PhD's dissertation i.e. totally opposite. When I read this question - I tried to do an Internet search & found the following excerpt from a website & I quote the following in italics & bold:
Although, in the USA, you write a dissertation if you are doing a PhD, while you write a thesis if you have are enrolled in a master’s program. On the other hand, in the UK, you have to write a thesis if you are doing a PhD, while you have to write a dissertation if you are enrolled in a master’s program.
http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-thesis-and-dissertation/
I have 3 questions albeit answers to them are not really critical but it is good to know if anyone can share:
1) is it correct that US & UK call Master & PhD degrees differently as mentioned above? is there a more formal source / website indicates the the above correctly?
2) How about those commonwealth countries like Australia, Canada, India, Singapore etc i.e. are they following UK way by addressing it as Master dissertation & PhD degree?
3) How about other countries like France, Germany, Greece, Spain, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand etc i.e. what do they call their Master & PhD degree? Do they call them as dissertation, thesis or something else?
In the Australian context, the word ‘thesis’ is used to refer to the document that a student creates to earn a degree at the Honours, Masters, or doctoral level. (In other countries, such as the United States or Canada, the
word ‘thesis’ is commonly used to signify work at the Honours or Masters degree level and ‘dissertation’ is generally used to refer to doctoral work.) What is the difference between the different understandings of a thesis?
At Honours level, a thesis—strictly, a ‘minor thesis’—is a work of original
research of approximately 10,000 words in length. For many students undertaking a minor thesis, it is the first time that they have conducted original research.
At the Masters degree level, there are two types of theses. One is a minor thesis, with length limits ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 words. It is completed within one or two years alongside coursework, and usually requires one or two semesters of full-time effort. Much like those at the Honours level, minor theses are assessed within the department by a set of internal criteria.
The second type is a ‘Masters by research’ thesis of 30,000 to 40,000 words. It is much more substantial than those that are written by coursework students as it is the result of full-time research over one to two years. This thesis is examined by experts in the field outside the department.
A ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ is earned by the successful completion of a PhD thesis. For PhD students, the word limit of a thesis is 1,00,000 words; most students write approximately 80,000 words. In Australia, a PhD thesis is typically produced in 3 years of full-time study. It is examined by two experts who have themselves supervised doctoral work; and they are likely to be located at an international research institution.
According to Capstone Project the main difference between a thesis and a dissertation is when they are completed. The thesis is a project that marks the end of a master’s program, while the dissertation occurs during doctoral study. The two are actually quite different in their purpose, as well. A thesis is a compilation of research that proves you are knowledgeable about the information learn throughout your graduate program. A dissertation is your opportunity during a doctorate program to contribute new knowledge, theories or practices to your field. The point is to come up with an entirely new concept, develop it and defend its worth.
However, a master’s thesis is kind of like the sorts of research papers you are familiar with from undergrad. You research a topic, then analyze and comment upon the information you gleaned and how it relates to the particular subject matter at hand. The point of the thesis is to show your ability to think critically about a topic and to knowledgeably discuss the information in-depth. Also, with a thesis, you usually take this opportunity to expand upon a subject that is most relevant to a specialty area you wish to pursue professionally. In a dissertation, you utilize others’ research merely as guidance in coming up with and proving your own unique hypothesis, theory or concept. The bulk of the information in a dissertation is attributed to you.
Finally, there is a difference in length between these two major works. A master’s thesis should be at least 100 pages in length, likely a bit beyond that. However, a doctoral dissertation should be much longer, because they involve a great deal of background and research information, along with every detail of your proposal and how you arrived at the information, according to Purdue University. A dissertation is an extremely complex work. It will likely be two, possibly even three, times the length of a thesis. You will receive guidance from a faculty member who will serve as your dissertation adviser. This adviser will be there to point you in the right direction if you are stuck, can assist in locating resources and ensure that your proposal is on the right track.
Although thesis and dissertation differ in length and contents, they are all term as dissertation in Eastern Europe like Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and others.
Thesis is compilation of PhD research while dissertation is written research document for master graduates.
In French universities, thèse is used almost exclusively to describe doctorate level works (i.e. : MD thesis, PhD thesis, etc.). Dissertation designates mostly written argumentative works, usually social sciences and philosophy. It may also connote high school - type written work.
We use the word mémoire for a master's thesis.
Both terms can be interchangeable but there is a general tendency to give the term Dissertation to the end of a PhD work and a Thesis to the end of an MA work.
In some universities, dissertation and thesis are seen as the same thing, however, there are a number of differences between the two. E.g.: Usually a thesis is submitted at the end of one's master's degree, and dissertation is submitted at the end of a PhD.
main difference between a thesis and a dissertation is when they are completed. The thesis is a project that marks the end of a master's program, while the dissertation occurs during doctoral study
I think the same, may be the name different from country to another.
Thesis is the accomplishment of a project type of research, it's a compilation of smaller sections when the work is complete. But dissertation is a research which has capacity to be continued, therefore dissertation is a conclusion of study up to that level which can be further extended as time goes by.
In some contexts, the word "thesis" or a cognate is used for part of a bachelor's or master's course, while "dissertation" is normally applied to a doctorate, while in other contexts, the reverse is true.
At universities in the United Kingdom, the term thesis is usually associated with PhD/EngD (doctoral) and research master's degrees.
Dissertation is the more common term for a substantial project submitted as part of a taught master's degree or an undergraduate degree (e.g. BA, BSc, BMus, BEd, BEng etc.)
Thesis is a Greek word meaning “proposition “ where as Dissertation a Latin word meaning “discussion”.
Yes, but your explanation is translation of older Greek and Latin. The modern version both handle the scientific procedure to get the doctor degree, and thesis is the scientific work, Desertion is the procedure.
The concepts of thesis and dissertation are used in a confused manners. Even within the same country, different universities use the two concepts differently. However, during my Doctoral programme many years ago I was taught that PhD project is known as dissertation while Master's project is called thesis. Then, read the result of my current search "According to Capstone Project the main difference between a thesis and a dissertation is when they are completed. The thesis is a project that marks the end of a master's program, while the dissertation occurs during doctoral study. The two are actually quite different in their purpose, as well."
Generally, a Dissertation Mark's the end of a Ph.D, whereas, the thesis refers to the completion of MA and MSc thesis.
In my country, these two terms of thesis and dissertation are used interchangeably.
generally in UK, they call it Master dissertation and PhD thesis whereas in US, normally they call it Master thesis and PhD's dissertation
In Brazil, the term dissertation is used for the Master's, while thesis is used for the Doctorate.
What is the Difference Between Thesis and Dissertation?
https://www.ilovephd.com/what-is-the-difference-between-thesis-and-dissertation/
The two terms are used interchangeably in the Ghanaian academic circles,however at the doctoral level,thesis is the preferred term that people use.
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