How long is a dissertation?

It’s a tricky question, indeed. Look:

The dissertation length depends on several factors: your major, type of research, institutional guidelines, and more. From the number of words and pages, to the proper length for every chapter—in this blog post, you’ll find the answers to all questions on the topic.

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As for the rest of you, let’s get this show on the road!

Dissertation Length: Pitfalls to Know

When you start writing a dissertation, it’s critical to understand that this academic paper has no strictly prescribed length. But we can speak about the average dissertation length. It depends on many factors, including:

• Your study level
• Discipline
• Type of your research
• Number of chapters you’ll cover in your dissertations
• Specific institutional guidelines

The overall average dissertation length is around 10,000-12,000 words for undergraduates, 15,000-25,000 words for master’s degree students, and around 50,000 words at the Ph.D. level. Some dissertations, at 70,000–100,000 words,  look like massive books!

So, How Long Is a Dissertation?

A more common way to count a dissertation length is by number of pages, not words. 

When you craft a dissertation outline, you’ll see an approximate number of chapters for your future work. Each dissertation chapter also has a prescribed length (average), so you can count the number of pages for your document.

How long should a dissertation be?

Let’s start with dissertations by the type of research you’ll do. Here are four types:

1. Empirical involves collecting data from the real world (surveys, experiments, observations); the length of such dissertations ranges from 150 to 300 pages, depending on the depth of your collected data.
2. Non-empirical, i.e., based on existing data; these dissertations are usually 100-250 pages long.
3. Theoretical, which either develops new theories or analyzes existing ones; the length ranges from 120 to 270 pages, depending on the complexity of the theory and the depth of your exploration.
4. A case study focuses on an in-depth analysis of one specific situation (case, individual, event) and provides detailed insights into it; the length here ranges from 130 to 300 pages, depending on the depth of the analyzed case.

How Many Pages Is a Dissertation?

Now that we know the average length by the type of research, let’s go on to another critical factor: your major.

Each discipline has its methodologies and expectations, which determine the research depth and the dissertation’s structure. For example, psychology dissertation topics and dissertation topics in education are often 150-250 pages. Papers in medicine can reach 350 pages, and dissertations in social sciences like history, literature, or philosophy have 400+ pages.

So, how long is a dissertation by major?

Major	Specifics	Page Count
Humanities/Social Sciences	These include disciplines like literature, philosophy, sociology, or history. Such works require deep investigations, comprehensive analysis, and extensive literature reviews.	200-400 pages
Engineering	These could be in biology, physics, engineering, or chemistry. They require detailed explanations of methods and results but are less extensive with literature reviews or discussions.	100-300 pages
Business/Management	The topics and types of research in this field are diverse, ranging from surveys of business fields to case studies of small companies. Empirical research is the most common type.	150-250 pages
Arts and Design	These papers combine theoretical and practical research, and they include supplementary materials (exhibits, portfolios, etc.) and appendices.	100-300 pages
Medicine/Health	Empirical research is standard for medical education dissertation topics, requiring detailed methodologies, extensive explanations, and data analysis. Appendices like tables will be here, influencing the overall length of such dissertations.	150-350 pages
Law	These papers require understanding and explaining numerous legal principles or precedents. Such dissertations often involve case studies, analysis, policy implications, and theoretical discussions.	150-300 pages
Education	Here, you may analyze educational trends, policies, or methods by empirical research. Get ready for extensive data collection and literature review.	150-250 page

As you can see, the average page count for a dissertation is 250 pages. Another factor to consider is the number of chapters your document will have.

How Long Is a Dissertation? Let’s See by Chapters

If you look at psychology dissertation examples, you’ll see that the length of the entire document also depends on its author’s study level. It stands to reason that master’s will be shorter than Ph.D. dissertations.

Look:

A dissertation is a complex document with a highly organized structure. When writing, you include particular chapters, each with its own prescribed length. 

How long is a dissertation paper by chapters?

Let’s see.

Abstract

A dissertation abstract is a separate page of your document, summarizing the whole paper for the audience. It highlights your research problem, describes your objectives and methodology, and presents findings, specifying the importance of your research for a scientific community.

In plain English, it’s a mini-version of your dissertation for readers to understand if your dissertation is relevant to them.

Dissertation abstracts are 150-300 words on average for undergraduates. The master’s level requires a more detailed overview, so abstracts expand to 200-500 words. At the Ph.D. level, get ready to write 300-600 words per chapter.

Introduction

It’s the start of your document. Here, you gain readers’ interest and provide background information on your topic. You’ll share the scope and importance of the subject matter, terms related to the issue, and the hypothesis you’ll reveal through your research.

What about the length of this chapter?

• Undergraduate dissertation: 500-1,000 words
• Master’s: 1,000-2,000 words
• Ph.D. dissertations: 2,000-4,000 words

Literature Review

This chapter is a crucial element of all dissertations. It showcases your knowledge of theoretical frameworks and ability to synthesize and analyze existing research in conjunction with yours.

For undergraduate dissertations, write 1,500-3,000 words in your literature review. If master’s, expand it to 3,000-6,000 words.

Are you a Ph.D. dissertation writer? Go further and present a comprehensive overview of scholarly work; write about 6,000-10,000 words for your literature review.

Methodology

This chapter describes your approach to the research, the data collection methods you used, and the analytical techniques you employed. It will showcase your ability to conduct research with valid and reliable findings to a supervisor.

The length of this chapter:

• Undergraduate: 800-1,500 words
• Master’s: 1,500-3,000 words
• Ph.D.: 3,000-6,000+ words 

Results, Analysis, and Discussion

In some institutional guidelines, this dissertation component goes as two separate chapters. Here, you present and interpret your research findings, support them with relevant analysis, and encourage a discussion about their contribution to the field.

This chapter will be 1,000-2,000 words long for undergraduate papers. At the master’s level, it expands to 2,000-4,000 words, and Ph.D. dissertations have 4,000-8,000 words or more.

Conclusion

This chapter is a summary of your research and a reflection of your findings. It gives a reader a clear understanding of your argument and proves how your research provides a new perspective to the existing scholarly work in your field of study.

How long is a dissertation conclusion?

• Undergraduate: 500-800 words
• Master’s: 800-1,500 words
• Ph.D. dissertations: 1,500-2,500+ words 

How Long Should a Dissertation Be?

Important:

Your dissertation is about content depth, not word count. While educational institutions provide length requirements, please note they are approximate: 

Don’t write for the word count; craft a concise document that covers all the necessary information without irrelevant digressions or repetitions.

How long is a dissertation? Yours will be enough with these writing tips:

• Remove ambiguous interpretations or those unrelated to your findings
• Eliminate idioms or any other sophisticated, lengthy phrases
• Say no to redundant adverbs and fancy adjectives
• Omit findings that lack data support
• Use tables to organize repetitive information in the text

Also, provide only the necessary background information and write clear sentences without nested phrases. This will help readers digest and understand your research and perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long are dissertations?

The overall length depends on several factors and varies across different fields and institutions. The average dissertation length is 200-250 pages.

• How long does a dissertation have to be?

There are no strict rules on dissertation length. Your institution will prescribe an approximate word (or page) count for this document, so use it as a guide to follow.

• How many pages is a dissertation?

It depends on your study level. Undergraduate dissertations are 10,000-12,000 words, and master’s are around 15,000-25,000. If you write or buy dissertation for a Ph.D., it will be 50,000 words or more.

• How long does it take to write a dissertation?

Dissertations are complex and substantial projects. They are lengthy papers based on your research, data analysis, and scientific contribution to the field. Given that, it can take from a few months to a year to write a dissertation, and some researchers spend years completing theirs.

Takeaways

How long is a dissertation? Consider your institution’s requirements, major, research type, and study level. The average length for a Ph.D. is 50,000 words (or 250 pages), but everything will depend on your topic and the depth of your research. Get ready to spend between six months and two to four years to complete a dissertation.

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