thoughts about school.

[fox]

I've been getting conflicting advice about the necessity and/or wisdom of writing a master's thesis.

I'll be able to finish my coursework this fall, so if I wanted to write a thesis, I could spend the whole spring on it. That's not a bad concept, apart from I've been having trouble even beginning to think of what to write the thing on. And on the one hand, it really seems like not writing a thesis will hurt my master's degree (it can't really hurt my chance of getting into a PhD program, because I'd have to submit those applications before I'd even begun writing it, due to the university's requirement that a student not even submit a thesis proposal until passing her comps). There are people who agree with me on this. On the other hand, though, there are those who tell me that a thesis-less MA is worth no less than an MA with a thesis, and that killing oneself to get a master's thesis written is a waste of time and energy that ought better to be saved for one's doctoral thesis. If you don't need to write a thesis, they say (and I don't; that is, I can get the master's without it, and there's no topic burning a hole in my thoughts, singing to me and begging to be written about), then don't. The don't-write-a-thesis crowd tends overwhelmingly to be senior to the write-a-thesis crowd.

Anyone have more thoughts? I'd feel a lot better about making a decision either way if I already knew where I was going for the PhD.

Comments

hmmm

[thermidor.livejournal.com]

I don't think there is an established "right" opinion on this. Are you gonna do a PhD program?

[datlowen.livejournal.com]

Writing a thesis can't hurt, and if you've never written a major research paper it might be a good idea to get some experience with it before your dissertation.

But an MA is an MA, it doesn't say anywhere on the piece of paper whether or not your wrote a thesis, and it can be awfully tough to get a thesis written in one semester. Even if it's the only thing you're doing.

For what that's worth.

[king-chiron.livejournal.com]

What do your professors say about it?

Knowing nothing about linguistics, I have heard that schools want a master's thesis primarily so they can see if the candidate can do doctoral-level research.

But if the decision will be made before the thesis is due then I guess that's not an issue.

[glasshouseslive.livejournal.com]

If you decide to get a PhD at a different Uni, they will probably want to see your MA thesis, no?.

Do the thesis

[wholenother.livejournal.com]

A lot of my colleagues did not do theses and they are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to thinking about the dissertation work, even if they did an undergrad one, if for no other reason than the whole thing really freaks them out. But beyond that, it really does help get you ready for the doctorate.