Recommendations for Length of Research Reports or Theses

  • 30 credit Research Reports should not exceed 10,000 words of text, excluding appendices, and bibliographies.

  • 60 credit Research Reports should not exceed 20,000 words of text, excluding appendices, and bibliographies.

  • 90 credit Theses should not exceed 30,000 words of text, excluding appendices, and bibliographies.

  • 120 credit Theses should not exceed 40,000 words of text, excluding appendices, and bibliographies.

Requirements for a thesis

The thesis should demonstrate your intellectual independence through a document of publishable quality which provides the following:

  • A critical investigation of an approved topic
  • A demonstration of expertise in appropriate research methodology and scholarship
  • A clear presentation of results, which make a contribution to the subject

Although theses may differ in structure, methods and format between disciplines and subjects, your thesis should include detailed consideration of relevant literature and methodologies. Results should be critically analysed with regard to previous research and coherent conclusions made which relate to the objectives of the research. Regardless of the nature of the results, a masters thesis should be well written, with careful argument and referencing so as to justify your methods and conclusions.

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Last updated on Monday 14 May 2018