EricBoll
New member
I just stumbled on a detail that completely blew my mind, and I’m eager to hear what you think about it. In the United Kingdom the word “thesis” is reserved for work done at the doctoral level, whereas in the United States a master’s‑level research project is called a thesis and a doctoral‑level project is called a dissertation.
The distinction never occurred to me until I mentioned to my friends that I was writing a “master’s thesis.” I could already hear the British ears twitching: “A master’s what?”
. After a quick clarification today, the puzzle fell into place. When a Brit hears “thesis,” the first thing that pops into their head is a PhD‑level piece of original research, so they instinctively ask, “So you’re doing a dissertation then?”
For me, the term dissertation has always meant the heavyweight, PhD‑type manuscript, while thesis has felt like the appropriate label for my master’s work. Knowing that the two terms swap meanings across the Atlantic clears up a lot of the confusion and saves me from unintentionally speaking two different academic languages at once.
What’s your experience with this trans‑Atlantic terminology clash? Have you ever found yourself in a similar “thesis vs. dissertation” misunderstanding? I’d love to read your stories and thoughts!
The distinction never occurred to me until I mentioned to my friends that I was writing a “master’s thesis.” I could already hear the British ears twitching: “A master’s what?”
. After a quick clarification today, the puzzle fell into place. When a Brit hears “thesis,” the first thing that pops into their head is a PhD‑level piece of original research, so they instinctively ask, “So you’re doing a dissertation then?”For me, the term dissertation has always meant the heavyweight, PhD‑type manuscript, while thesis has felt like the appropriate label for my master’s work. Knowing that the two terms swap meanings across the Atlantic clears up a lot of the confusion and saves me from unintentionally speaking two different academic languages at once.
What’s your experience with this trans‑Atlantic terminology clash? Have you ever found yourself in a similar “thesis vs. dissertation” misunderstanding? I’d love to read your stories and thoughts!
