Basic Thesis and Dissertation Differences

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.

 the thesis is to show your ability to think critically about a topic and to knowledgeably discuss
the information in-depth.  while

in the dissertation, you utilize others' research merely as guidance in coming up with and proving
your own unique hypothesis, theory or concept.

 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. A dissertation is an extremely complex work.


An essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper or thesis. In most cases, your
assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write.
Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12
pages.

In the literary sense, a composition (from the Latin "to put together") is the way a writer
assembles words and sentences to create a coherent and meaningful work. Composition can also
mean the activity of writing, the nature of the subject of a piece of writing, the piece of writing
itself, and the name of a college course assigned to a student. This essay focuses on practicing
how people write.