What is a Dissertation Paper?

General Information

Of all the essays one may have to write during their college years, a dissertation paper is the hardest, and the most important.  This essay is the final paper you must write before receiving a your Bachelors, Masters or Doctoral degree.  Dissertation papers are often the key to landing a job in the of your degree.  It is not a standard research paper, and in fact most dissertations are published in an academic journal of some sort, usually pertaining to the subject field it was written for.  Sometimes it can take years for a person to finish their dissertation, and unless the dissertation is accepted and approved by the university, that person will not be able to receive their degree.  In short, a dissertation paper is a formal, academic research paper, that requires a lot of time and hard work to be successful. 


A dissertation paper follows the format of a thesis, but on a larger scale.  A large amount of research is required when writing a dissertation.  The average college research paper or thesis usually ranges between 5 to 10 pages long depending on what the professor requires.  A dissertation on the other hand, is usually around 200 to 250 pages, sometimes longer.  Also, a thesis only has to pass the standards of the professor teaching the class you are writing for, while a dissertation has to pass the approval of  dissertation committee that is made of professors and deans associated with the field your degree.   A dissertation is also a paper in which its approval is what you need to obtain your degree, while a thesis is only the deciding factor for a single grade. 


Universities and colleges define a dissertation as being a formal, academic document that argues in defense of a thesis.  For a regular thesis, the topic is assigned by the professor, or the student must choose the topic based upon certain requirements.  For a dissertation, the topic choice is entirely up to the student, must relate to the field in which they are trying to obtain a degree for, and then must be approved by the university dissertation panel. The dissertation also requires a thorough investigation of the subject in question in order to provide valid and accurate arguments supporting the students thesis.  Whereas the purpose of a regular thesis is to answer one question, the dissertation has many arguments which its author has to prove. 

Things to know

The information presented in a dissertation must be accurate and shown in an original context.  This is the students opportunity to provide a new insight to the topic they are researching.  While some of the evidence may not be new, it must show a critical analysis of the topic, while being presented in a new way.  In short, while a dissertation is in some ways similar to a thesis, the process of creating one is much more intense.  This is why dissertations are usually not required until a students reaches the master or doctorate level of degree, as it requires a much higher level of analysis.