Dissertation vs thesis in Ireland

The usual Irish pattern

Across Irish universities and colleges, the word dissertation tends to belong to taught programmes. Final year students write an undergraduate dissertation or final year project, and taught master's students write a master's dissertation in the last part of their year. The word thesis tends to belong to research degrees, where the thesis is the main or only assessed output and is examined on its own.

You can see the split in the names of official documents. DCU, for instance, has guidelines for taught dissertations and projects and separate regulations for postgraduate degrees by research and thesis. Rules that apply to one do not automatically apply to the other.

Where the words cross over

• Some universities use thesis for taught work as well. UCD speaks of theses in graduate taught programmes, and a minor thesis can be part of a taught master's.
• In some subjects the final piece is called a project, a capstone or a research project, and is written up as a dissertation.
• Library repositories often file everything under theses, whatever the programme called it.
• In the United States, the words are often reversed: a dissertation is the doctoral work and a thesis belongs to a master's.

What actually differs

The label matters less than the level and the purpose. A taught dissertation shows that you can frame a focused question, review the literature, choose and justify a method, analyse what you find and draw conclusions that stay within your evidence. A research thesis asks for the same, at greater length, and adds an original contribution to knowledge that examiners test, often at a viva.

Expectations on supervision differ too. On a taught dissertation, supervision is usually a limited number of meetings in a fixed period; on a research degree, it runs over years. Proofreading and editing rules can also differ between the two, so read the policy that applies to your kind of work.

Which word should you use?

Use the word in your module or programme handbook, on your title page and when you write to your supervisor. If the handbook speaks of a research project or a final year project, use that. If you are applying for funding or writing a CV, describing the work accurately, as a taught master's dissertation or a research master's thesis, avoids confusion abroad, where the words can mean something else.

Where Esmond fits

Esmond evaluates a dissertation, a thesis chapter or a final year project in the same way: it reads your own text and points out where your argument, method or use of sources is weaker, and why. It does not write or rewrite any part of it. For a full doctoral thesis, see PhD thesis chapter feedback; for taught work, master's dissertation feedback and undergraduate dissertation feedback.

How it works

You upload your draft as a PDF. Most reviews are ready within minutes; a full dissertation takes a little longer. You get two things back: your own document with comments in the margin, and a separate feedback report that sets out what to tackle first. Every upload starts with a free preview, and the price depends on the length of your document and is shown before you pay. No subscription, no account.

Esmond evaluates your work and writes nothing for you. Each comment points to a passage, explains what a supervisor or examiner might question, and offers guidance on how to revise it. You decide what to change, and every sentence stays yours.

What does it cost?

A review costs from €3.99, with a free preview first. The price depends on the length of your document and you see it before you pay. No subscription, no account.

Frequently asked questions

Is a dissertation the same as a thesis in Ireland?

Not quite. A dissertation is usually the research project at the end of an undergraduate or taught master's programme; a thesis is usually the work for a research degree. Some universities use thesis for taught work too, so follow your handbook.

Is a master's dissertation a thesis?

On most taught master's programmes in Ireland it is called a dissertation, though some universities call it a minor thesis. A research master's ends in a thesis.

Why do American sources use the words differently?

In the United States a dissertation is usually the doctoral work and a thesis belongs to a master's. Irish and British usage tends to be the other way round.

Further reading

• Master's dissertation feedback
• Final year project feedback
• Dissertation at DCU