Writing a master’s thesisis a daunting and time-consuming project. So you should have a clear idea of what your professors will be looking for and on what factors they will be basing your grade. If you do not understand what your professor and thesis committee expect from your masters thesis, you could put a great deal of energy into your work only to end up with a disappointing grade.
First of all, remember that your master’s thesis is not just any old assignment. It is not a research paper, a personal essay, or a seminar project. A well-done masters thesis, one that will earn an A, is one that demonstrates that its writer has something to contribute to his or her academic field. Your professors will be evaluating your thesis to see whether you are capable of adding intellectually to your subject area as a professional and scholar. A thesis is not a book report or a research review. Yes, surveying the research of others and then summarizing and synthesizing it require time, energy, and skill. But that is not what your professors want to see in your thesis. Your masters thesis should show originality of thought. It should showcase the unique insights that you have discovered for yourself after surveying the works of others. A thesis that does not demonstrate this type of originality will not receive a high grade. Thus, your topic should be one that allows you to be innovative. Do not select a subject area that has been written about by legions of other graduate students. You want your masters thesis to stand out and to stand out in a good way.
However, writing a thesis does require a profound understanding of your subject area and of research already done in your field. In order to think originally and intelligently about your thesis topic, you must be thoroughly familiar with the work that others have done before you. No student can write a successful masters thesis without first performing painstaking research. In order to get an A on your masters thesis, you will need to persuade your professor that the scope and focus of your research were sufficiently broad and deep. Your demonstrated understanding of your topic and your ability to convey that understanding in writing will also play a large part in determining the grade that you receive on your masters thesis.
An A thesis is one that poses a hypothesis or claim and then backs it up persuasively with convincing arguments. Your professor will also be grading your thesis based on your ability to construct arguments and support them with appropriate evidence and examples. He or she will also be looking to see how you incorporate what you have learned in your research in presenting your own unique arguments and claims about your chosen thesis topic. When you choose to discuss one of your research sources, it should have a direct and relevant relationship to the points that you are trying to make. You should select your evidence and examples from the most respected and pertinent books and articles rather than selecting from your sources randomly.
In order to earn a top grade, a masters thesis must be well-organized and, although the arguments and insights presented in the thesis should be sophisticated and original, they should be presented in such a way that the reader can easily understand and follow them. The main thesis topic should be divided into subtopics, and each subtopic should be treated in its own chapter. Chapters can be divided further into parts and sections if necessary and helpful for the reader.
Finally, no graduate student will earn an A on a master’s thesis unless it is well-written. That means using proper grammar, correct spelling, appropriate syntax (no slang or colloquialisms) and a formal, academic style. Above all, a masters thesis is an exercise in writing. To earn highest honors on a masters thesis therefore requires special attention to your writing. Turning in the best thesis you can write will require many hours of editing, revision, and rewriting. You want your professor to be impressed at the care that you have taken in writing your thesis, to marvel at the maturity of your writing style, and to be amazed at the lack of typos and grammatical errors. One sure way to get points taken off your thesis is to hand in carelessly prepared work that does not conform to the formatting requirements and that is riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. Do not make that mistake. Even if you write an astoundingly original and well-researched thesis, such carelessness could mean the difference between an A and a B.
There you have it. When grading your masters thesis, your professors will be looking for originality of thought, thoroughness of research, persuasive argumentation, excellent writing and overall organization. It sounds like a tall task, but all that is really required is care and attention as you progress through each step of the thesis. Your professors want to see that you were enthused about your topic, that you worked hard, that you paid attention to detail, and that you cared about the work that you undertook and eventually presented in your thesis. Choose a thesis topic that interests you and that you look forward to researching and working on, and meeting these standards will turn out to be a lot easier than you might think.