Introduction
 Writing your graduate thesis is probably the most important thing you will do as a graduate student; it is also one of the most challenging. Over the next several pages, we will show you what you need to have in a strong thesis, where students usually run into difficulties, what you can do to speed up the research and writing process, and what you should bear in mind when constructing your magnum opus. In the end, writing a good thesis is hard work – but it is hard work that, if done properly, is well worth it in the end.
You’re not alone: Graduate Students in America
As of 2003, there were more than 3 million graduate students in American schools – more than half of them female. More significantly, roughly half-a-million new Masters degrees and more than 40,000 PhDs are handed out each year in America. And, just as you would expect, PhDs earn more, on average, than those with Masters degrees. To give just one example, H1-B visa-holders in the United |
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States with a PhD degree earn as much as 25 percent more in base salary than H1-B visa holders holding a Masters degree. To put it mildly, if the good life is what you are after, then the more letters you have after your name, the better-off you will be.
So what is significant about all of these numbers and why are we mentioning them? Well, contrary to what you might think, there are a lot of people across America grappling with theses and dissertations just like you are right now – and they probably have many of the same questions you do. More than that, each year plenty of Americans find a way to get that coveted advanced degree despite all sorts of challenges; there is no reason why you cannot be one of them. Given the financial rewards involved in getting that Masters degree – and especially that PhD – a lot is at stake when you finally put pen to paper and begin crafting your final thesis/dissertation. With that in mind, we think we can help you achieve your dreams by offering a few simple, but valuable, tips.
Part A: The Parts of a Thesis/Dissertation
Chapter One – the Introduction:
Introduction to the problem.
If you want to write a good thesis or dissertation, you must start off by introducing the problem you are seeking to explicate. Basically, this is the “who, what, when, where, and why” part in which you illustrate the problem you want to discuss and explain why it is worth writing about. Many
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