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EBSCO Open Dissertations

EBSCO Open Dissertations makes electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) more accessible to researchers worldwide. The free portal is designed to benefit universities and their students and make ETDs more discoverable. 

Increasing Discovery & Usage of ETD Research

EBSCO Open Dissertations is a collaboration between EBSCO and BiblioLabs to increase traffic and discoverability of ETD research. You can join the movement and add your theses and dissertations to the database, making them freely available to researchers everywhere while increasing traffic to your institutional repository. 

EBSCO Open Dissertations extends the work started in 2014, when EBSCO and the H.W. Wilson Foundation created American Doctoral Dissertations which contained indexing from the H.W. Wilson print publication, Doctoral Dissertations Accepted by American Universities, 1933-1955. In 2015, the H.W. Wilson Foundation agreed to support the expansion of the scope of the American Doctoral Dissertations database to include records for dissertations and theses from 1955 to the present.

How Does EBSCO Open Dissertations Work?

Your ETD metadata is harvested via OAI and integrated into EBSCO’s platform, where pointers send traffic to your IR.

EBSCO integrates this data into their current subscriber environments and makes the data available on the open web via opendissertations.org .

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/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="academic dissertations"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

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• Dissertation

What Is a Dissertation? | 5 Essential Questions to Get Started

Published on 26 March 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 5 May 2022.

A dissertation is a large research project undertaken at the end of a degree. It involves in-depth consideration of a problem or question chosen by the student. It is usually the largest (and final) piece of written work produced during a degree.

The length and structure of a dissertation vary widely depending on the level and field of study. However, there are some key questions that can help you understand the requirements and get started on your dissertation project.

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Table of contents

When and why do you have to write a dissertation, who will supervise your dissertation, what type of research will you do, how should your dissertation be structured, what formatting and referencing rules do you have to follow, frequently asked questions about dissertations.

A dissertation, sometimes called a thesis, comes at the end of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. It is a larger project than the other essays you’ve written, requiring a higher word count and a greater depth of research.

You’ll generally work on your dissertation during the final year of your degree, over a longer period than you would take for a standard essay . For example, the dissertation might be your main focus for the last six months of your degree.

Why is the dissertation important?

The dissertation is a test of your capacity for independent research. You are given a lot of autonomy in writing your dissertation: you come up with your own ideas, conduct your own research, and write and structure the text by yourself.

This means that it is an important preparation for your future, whether you continue in academia or not: it teaches you to manage your own time, generate original ideas, and work independently.

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During the planning and writing of your dissertation, you’ll work with a supervisor from your department. The supervisor’s job is to give you feedback and advice throughout the process.

The dissertation supervisor is often assigned by the department, but you might be allowed to indicate preferences or approach potential supervisors. If so, try to pick someone who is familiar with your chosen topic, whom you get along with on a personal level, and whose feedback you’ve found useful in the past.

How will your supervisor help you?

Your supervisor is there to guide you through the dissertation project, but you’re still working independently. They can give feedback on your ideas, but not come up with ideas for you.

You may need to take the initiative to request an initial meeting with your supervisor. Then you can plan out your future meetings and set reasonable deadlines for things like completion of data collection, a structure outline, a first chapter, a first draft, and so on.

Make sure to prepare in advance for your meetings. Formulate your ideas as fully as you can, and determine where exactly you’re having difficulties so you can ask your supervisor for specific advice.

Your approach to your dissertation will vary depending on your field of study. The first thing to consider is whether you will do empirical research , which involves collecting original data, or non-empirical research , which involves analysing sources.

Empirical dissertations (sciences)

An empirical dissertation focuses on collecting and analysing original data. You’ll usually write this type of dissertation if you are studying a subject in the sciences or social sciences.

• What are airline workers’ attitudes towards the challenges posed for their industry by climate change?
• How effective is cognitive behavioural therapy in treating depression in young adults?
• What are the short-term health effects of switching from smoking cigarettes to e-cigarettes?

There are many different empirical research methods you can use to answer these questions – for example, experiments , observations, surveys , and interviews.

When doing empirical research, you need to consider things like the variables you will investigate, the reliability and validity of your measurements, and your sampling method . The aim is to produce robust, reproducible scientific knowledge.

Non-empirical dissertations (arts and humanities)

A non-empirical dissertation works with existing research or other texts, presenting original analysis, critique and argumentation, but no original data. This approach is typical of arts and humanities subjects.

• What attitudes did commentators in the British press take towards the French Revolution in 1789–1792?
• How do the themes of gender and inheritance intersect in Shakespeare’s Macbeth ?
• How did Plato’s Republic and Thomas More’s Utopia influence nineteenth century utopian socialist thought?

The first steps in this type of dissertation are to decide on your topic and begin collecting your primary and secondary sources .

Primary sources are the direct objects of your research. They give you first-hand evidence about your subject. Examples of primary sources include novels, artworks and historical documents.

Secondary sources provide information that informs your analysis. They describe, interpret, or evaluate information from primary sources. For example, you might consider previous analyses of the novel or author you are working on, or theoretical texts that you plan to apply to your primary sources.

Dissertations are divided into chapters and sections. Empirical dissertations usually follow a standard structure, while non-empirical dissertations are more flexible.

Structure of an empirical dissertation

Empirical dissertations generally include these chapters:

• Introduction : An explanation of your topic and the research question(s) you want to answer.
• Literature review : A survey and evaluation of previous research on your topic.
• Methodology : An explanation of how you collected and analysed your data.
• Results : A brief description of what you found.
• Discussion : Interpretation of what these results reveal.
• Conclusion : Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your findings contribute to knowledge in your field.

Sometimes the order or naming of chapters might be slightly different, but all of the above information must be included in order to produce thorough, valid scientific research.

Other dissertation structures

If your dissertation doesn’t involve data collection, your structure is more flexible. You can think of it like an extended essay – the text should be logically organised in a way that serves your argument:

• Introduction: An explanation of your topic and the question(s) you want to answer.
• Main body: The development of your analysis, usually divided into 2–4 chapters.
• Conclusion: Answers to your research question(s) and summary of what your analysis contributes to knowledge in your field.

The chapters of the main body can be organised around different themes, time periods, or texts. Below you can see some example structures for dissertations in different subjects.

• Political philosophy

This example, on the topic of the British press’s coverage of the French Revolution, shows how you might structure each chapter around a specific theme.

This example, on the topic of Plato’s and More’s influences on utopian socialist thought, shows a different approach to dividing the chapters by theme.

This example, a master’s dissertation on the topic of how writers respond to persecution, shows how you can also use section headings within each chapter. Each of the three chapters deals with a specific text, while the sections are organised thematically.

Like other academic texts, it’s important that your dissertation follows the formatting guidelines set out by your university. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

Formatting guidelines concern things like:

• line spacing
• page numbers
• punctuation
• title pages
• presentation of tables and figures

If you’re unsure about the formatting requirements, check with your supervisor or department. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.

How will you reference your sources?

Referencing means properly listing the sources you cite and refer to in your dissertation, so that the reader can find them. This avoids plagiarism by acknowledging where you’ve used the work of others.

Keep track of everything you read as you prepare your dissertation. The key information to note down for a reference is:

• The publication date
• Page numbers for the parts you refer to (especially when using direct quotes)

Different referencing styles each have their own specific rules for how to reference. The most commonly used styles in UK universities are listed below.

You can use the free APA Reference Generator to automatically create and store your references.

APA Reference Generator

The words ‘ dissertation ’ and ‘thesis’ both refer to a large written research project undertaken to complete a degree, but they are used differently depending on the country:

• In the UK, you write a dissertation at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a thesis to complete a PhD.
• In the US, it’s the other way around: you may write a thesis at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a dissertation to complete a PhD.

The main difference is in terms of scale – a dissertation is usually much longer than the other essays you complete during your degree.

Another key difference is that you are given much more independence when working on a dissertation. You choose your own dissertation topic , and you have to conduct the research and write the dissertation yourself (with some assistance from your supervisor).

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

• An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
• A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
• A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.

At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.

A PhD thesis takes a longer time, as the thesis is the main focus of the degree. A PhD thesis might be being formulated and worked on for the whole four years of the degree program. The writing process alone can take around 18 months.

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Caulfield, J. (2022, May 05). What Is a Dissertation? | 5 Essential Questions to Get Started. Scribbr. Retrieved 14 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/what-is-a-dissertation/

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Other students also liked, how to choose a dissertation topic | 8 steps to follow, how to write a dissertation proposal | a step-by-step guide, what is a literature review | guide, template, & examples.

• Dissertation

Requirements, deadlines, and other information on preparing and submitting a dissertation.

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PhD candidates must successfully complete and submit a dissertation to qualify for degree conferral. It is perhaps the most important and far-reaching undertaking in the entire doctoral program, having an impact that extends well beyond graduate studies. 

Requirements and Deadlines 

Each graduate program maintains specific requirements for the content and evaluation of the dissertation. Be sure to review your program’s departmental requirements prior to beginning the process. You should also review Harvard Griffin GSAS’s dissertation policies for important information about formatting, submission, and publishing and distribution options, including embargoes.  

Degrees are awarded in November, March, and May. Dissertation submission deadlines are noted in the Degree Calendar section of Policies . 

Help with the Dissertation 

Library research .

It’s never too early to start planning for your dissertation. The Harvard Library can help! The Library maintains a guide for graduate students engaged in scholarly writing titled the Writing Oasis . They also offer access to Overleaf , which is an online LaTeX and Rich Text collaborative writing and publishing tool that makes the process of academic writing, editing, and publishing quicker and easier. Overleaf has a section on Writing Your Dissertation that you may find useful.  

Writing 

Students can find support with planning and preparing to write the dissertation from their academic advisors and programs. The Fellowships & Writing Center also offers workshops on various aspects of dissertation writing, holds brainstorming office hours during which students may discuss their dissertations, and provides written feedback on dissertation chapters.  

Dissertation Completion Fellowships 

Harvard Griffin GSAS provides a dissertation completion fellowship (DCF) for one academic year to eligible PhD students in the humanities and social sciences who anticipate completing their dissertations within the year. Find out more in Policies .

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The resources in this section are designed to provide guidance for the first steps of the thesis or dissertation writing process. They offer tools to support the planning and managing of your project, including writing out your weekly schedule, outlining your goals, and organzing the various working elements of your project.

Weekly Goals Sheet (a.k.a. Life Map) [Word Doc]

This editable handout provides a place for you to fill in available time blocks on a weekly chart that will help you visualize the amount of time you have available to write. By using this chart, you will be able to work your writing goals into your schedule and put these goals into perspective with your day-to-day plans and responsibilities each week. This handout also contains a formula to help you determine the minimum number of pages you would need to write per day in order to complete your writing on time.

Setting a Production Schedule (Word Doc)

This editable handout can help you make sense of the various steps involved in the production of your thesis or dissertation and determine how long each step might take. A large part of this process involves (1) seeking out the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding specific document formatting requirements, (2) understanding research protocol limitations, (3) making note of deadlines, and (4) understanding your personal writing habits.

Creating a Roadmap (PDF)

Part of organizing your writing involves having a clear sense of how the different working parts relate to one another. Creating a roadmap for your dissertation early on can help you determine what the final document will include and how all the pieces are connected. This resource offers guidance on several approaches to creating a roadmap, including creating lists, maps, nut-shells, visuals, and different methods for outlining. It is important to remember that you can create more than one roadmap (or more than one type of roadmap) depending on how the different approaches discussed here meet your needs.

EBSCO Open Dissertations

Search millions of electronic theses and dissertations (etds).

With EBSCO Open Dissertations, institutions and students are offered an innovative approach to driving additional traffic to ETDs in institutional repositories. Our goal is to help make their students’ theses and dissertations as widely visible and cited as possible.

This approach extends the work started in 2014, when EBSCO and the H.W. Wilson Foundation created American Doctoral Dissertations which contained indexing from the H.W. Wilson print publication, Doctoral Dissertations Accepted by American Universities, 1933-1955. In 2015, the H.W. Wilson Foundation agreed to support the expansion of the scope of the American Doctoral Dissertations database to include records for dissertations and theses from 1955 to the present.

Get involved in the EBSCO Open Dissertations project and make your electronic theses and dissertations freely available to researchers everywhere. Please contact Margaret Richter for more information.

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings . In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

You Might Also Like:

36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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Publications: Dissertations & Theses

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• Dissertations & Theses @ Walden University The database contains full text of dissertations and theses written by Walden students.
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Open Access Theses and Dissertations

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About OATD.org

OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions . OATD currently indexes 7,241,108 theses and dissertations.

About OATD (our FAQ) .

Visual OATD.org

We’re happy to present several data visualizations to give an overall sense of the OATD.org collection by county of publication, language, and field of study.

You may also want to consult these sites to search for other theses:

• Google Scholar
• NDLTD , the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. NDLTD provides information and a search engine for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), whether they are open access or not.
• Proquest Theses and Dissertations (PQDT), a database of dissertations and theses, whether they were published electronically or in print, and mostly available for purchase. Access to PQDT may be limited; consult your local library for access information.

Doctoral Theses

Academic Commons holds the full text of doctoral theses written since 2011 at Columbia and of theses written for a Doctorate of Education at Teachers College since mid 2018. A selection of dissertations from Union Theological Seminary, and from Columbia before 2011, are also available. You can start exploring theses by selecting one of the doctoral programs below.

• Anthropology (125)
• Anthropology and Education (26)
• Applied Anthropology (27)
• Applied Behavior Analysis (79)
• Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics (131)
• Architecture (36)
• Art History and Archaeology (182)
• Arts and Humanities (125)
• Astronomy (63)
• Behavioral Nutrition (32)
• Biobehavioral Sciences (25)
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (35)
• Biological Sciences (221)
• Biomedical Engineering (228)
• Biomedical Informatics (58)
• Biostatistics (66)
• Business (208)
• Cellular Physiology and Biophysics (20)
• Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies (190)
• Cellular, Molecular, Structural, and Genetic Studies (12)
• Chemical Engineering (117)
• Chemical Physics (35)
• Chemistry (269)
• Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (119)
• Classical Studies (16)
• Classics (32)
• Clinical Psychology (78)
• Cognitive Studies in Education (92)
• Communication, Media, and Learning Technologies Design (2)
• Communications (44)
• Comparative and International Education (45)
• Computer Science (252)
• Counseling Psychology (65)
• Counseling and Clinical Psychology (4)
• Curriculum and Teaching (89)
• Developmental Psychology (14)
• Earth and Environmental Engineering (89)
• Earth and Environmental Sciences (186)
• East Asian Languages and Cultures (110)
• Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology (65)
• Economics (285)
• Economics and Education (71)
• Education Leadership (17)
• Education Policy (16)
• Electrical Engineering (275)
• English Education (76)
• English and Comparative Literature (181)
• Environmental Health Sciences (47)
• Epidemiology (131)
• French and Romance Philology (50)
• Genetics and Development (66)
• Geological Sciences (1)
• Geology (1)
• Germanic Languages (45)
• Health and Behavior Studies (115)
• History (264)
• History and Education (12)
• Human Development (8)
• Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (131)
• Intellectual Disabilities-Autism (13)
• Interdisciplinary Studies in Education (26)
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• Kinesiology (14)
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• Mathematics (142)
• Mathematics Education (76)
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• Measurement and Evaluation (37)
• Mechanical Engineering (151)
• Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection (45)
• Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (73)
• Music (141)
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• Neuroscience (4)
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• Science Education (68)
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• Slavic Languages and Literatures (19)
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• Speech and Language Pathology (28)
• Statistics (103)
• Sustainable Development (60)
• Teaching of Social Studies (27)
• Theatre (29)
• Union Theological Seminary (5)
• Urban Planning (45)

OneSearch: A Research Tool for Discovery: .

About onesearch.

Advanced Search

What is OneSearch? OneSearch is a simple and fast search engine that allows you to search simultaneously for books, articles, and more. OneSearch brings together the article-level content of a large selection of our subscribed e-journals and databases, our library catalog, OSCAR, and our digital library collections in a single search interface.

Why should I use OneSearch? OneSearch can:

• save you time
• be a good starting point for interdisciplinary research
• help you to discover which specialized databases to use for further research
• display most relevant results first, whether they are books, scholarly articles, media, or digital content
• help you to discover content that you won’t find if you only search OSCAR or if you only search a single database like Academic Search Complete

How do I use OneSearch? Enter keywords in the single search box just as you would in an internet search engine. It's not unusual for searches to return thousands of results, but you can refine your search using the options on the left side of your results screen, such as content type, subject or date. For a more specific search, use the advanced search option.

What can I find with OneSearch? OneSearch includes over 1 million items, including books, journal articles, conference proceedings, audio/visual media, dissertations, reports, and other research resources in subscription journals and databases. OneSearch provides direct links to full-text items where available. You will also find:

• OSCAR records for books, journals, government documents, maps, scores, and media in all formats
• Articles from scholarly and peer-reviewed journals
• Newspaper and Magazine articles
• SCU Digital Library materials

What is the difference between OneSearch and OSCAR Simple Search? OneSearch has both more content and better functionality than OSCAR Simple Search. Like Simple Search, OneSearch orders results by relavance, but with the added benefit of including content like articles, digitized content, and other resources that until now, had to be searched separately through separate databases.

I’m a faculty member. Why should I tell my students to use OneSearch? Students often ask us questions like this: "My professor told me to read a speech Barack Obama gave in 2004 called, "Reclaiming the Promise to the People." I typed the title into OSCAR (or in Google) and I couldn't find the full-text of the speech." This is a common challenge for a student - or for anyone: If you don't start your research with the right resource, it’s easy to get frustrated and give up. With OneSearch, a student doesn't need to know which library database to go to first. A search in OneSearch for the title of the speech will take you to the link to the full-text of the speech, to which Santa Clara's University Library provides access through its paid subscriptions to the EBSCO database Business Source Complete.

Does it include everything that the library owns? At this point, OneSearch does not search all databases to which SCU subscribes. For example, it does not include non web-based databases, ones that are available on CD-ROM, or those that require access from dedicated workstations. In addition, some SCU databases are not included in OneSearch at this time due to publisher restrictions, such as WestLaw and HeinOnline. Those databases can be searched as separate resources. More content will be added to OneSearch as it becomes available. 

Who can use OneSearch? Anyone can get a list of results by using OneSearch, but access to full-text content is restricted to SCU faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students. Patrons coming from an off-campus location through a commercial Internet service provider will need to provide their SCU Network login and password.

How and why did OneSearch change on December 14, 2015? We have heard a lot of feedback about OneSearch and about both its potential and the challenges that it has presented both to students and faculty. This past year, the staff of the two libraries worked together to look at other library catalog options that might better meet the needs of our community and we've selected one that will offer some significant improvements in terms of usability. In addition, this new version will leverage our existing relationship with EBSCO (who provides many of our databases and electronic journals) to ensure that links from OneSearch to articles and databases will be substantially more likely to succeed.

What if I have some ideas on how OneSearch could be better?  We welcome and strongly encourage your  comments  to help us improve this service.

I have some more questions. Who can I ask? Ask us!   If it's been asked before, you'll get the answer immediately. If it's a new question, you'll receive a reply within 1 business day.

• Last Updated: Jan 26, 2021 2:18 PM
• URL: https://libguides.scu.edu/onesearch

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Ed.D. Leadership Program

The Doctorate

Tomorrow’s leaders will be those who thrive in a diverse, complex, technologically advanced world. The San José State University Ed.D. curriculum focuses on real-life case learning and engages in rigorous inquiry in core areas needed for leadership success in efforts to reform schools, engage communities and increase student achievement.

Program Overview

• Ed.D. Program Bylaws [pdf]
• Program Learning Outcomes

Initial Eligibility and Requirements

• Curriculum and Course Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Steps to apply.

• Doctoral Fellowship
• Checklist of Required Application Documents [pdf]
• Additional Student Resources
• Meet Our Students
• Official Title:  Ed.D., Educational Leadership
• Format: Cohort
• Length: 3 years / 9 semesters
• Units:  60
• Start term:  Summer
• Application window: November - April
• Program Modality:  Hybrid and Fully Online Options
• MA-to-EdD Program Pathway: 4 years / 10 semesters

MA-to-EdD Program Pathway

In collaboration with the Department of Educational Leadership, students in the M.A. Higher Education Leadership and M.A. Emancipatory K 12 School Leadership Programs may pursue the 4-year M.A.-to-Ed.D. Program. Students in this pathway are permitted to start the Ed.D. Program in the final summer of their M.A. Program, which will enable them to complete the Ed.D. Program in 3 years. Current M.A. students who qualify do not have to submit an application to Cal State Apply and pay the processing fee; they only need to submit all the requirements needed at the program level. If interested, please fill out the Google Form to convey your interest in this pathway. The Ed.D. Program Director will reach out to you and provide additional guidance and support for a smooth transition from the M.A. to the Ed.D. Program. Please attend an Ed.D. Program information session to learn more about the Ed.D. Program.

The Ed.D. program is designed to admit candidates who meet the academic requirements for rigorous doctoral study and who possess personal qualities and professional experiences that suggest a strong potential for success both as doctoral students and as educational leaders. Also, per CSU Chancellor's Office policy, our Ed.D. program is intended to prepare educational leaders for California’s PK-16 education system. Hence, international students are not permitted to enroll in our program since we assume that they will return to their home country and not serve California's students. However, if they intend to stay in the US and serve in California's PK-16 education system upon completion of the program, they may be admitted if they are qualified. 

Meeting the minimum requirements qualifies an individual for consideration but does not guarantee admission to the program. Additional candidate qualifications proposed by SJSU district partners include strong oral and written communication skills, organizational aptitude, and excellent problem-solving ability. The Ed.D. program requires the following of all applicants for admission to the doctoral program:

• The applicant holds an acceptable baccalaureate degree and master's degree earned at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or the applicant has completed equivalent academic preparation as determined by the Office of Graduate Studies & Research
• The applicant has attained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in upper division and graduate study combined.
• The applicant was in good standing at the last attended institution of higher education.
• The applicant has demonstrated sufficient preparation for, experiences in, and potential for educational leadership, including successful experience in school, postsecondary, community, and/or policy leadership; academic excellence, problem-solving ability, and technology proficiency; and interest in critically assessing and improving current educational policies and practices.
• The applicant, if born and educated in a country in which the native language is not English, has demonstrated English-language proficiency by achieving a SJSU-published minimum score on one of the three accepted English-proficiency exams.

Curriculum & Course Requirements

View an overview of our course requirements below. More information about each of these courses is available on the SJSU Catalog website . In addition to these requirements, our program includes an optional two-week global studies component that will provide students with an opportunity to further deepen their understanding of equity and justice from a global standpoint and learn other systems, challenges, and solutions. For a sample 3-year program roadmap, check this document . 

• Educational leadership: theory and practice
• Leadership, diversity, and culture
• Leadership, complexity, and systems thinking
• Education policy, equity, and school reform
• Organizational behavior and change in education
• Leadership for learner-centered organizations
• Communication for educational leadership
• Politics of education and financing of schooling
• Assessment, testing, and evaluation: Contexts and implications for school change
• Education and leadership in a global context, including an optional international trip
• Specialized seminar series in educational leadership
• Educational research
• Qualitative methods in educational research
• Proseminar I: Doctoral studies and research in education
• Proseminar II: Doctoral studies and research in education
• Proseminar III: Doctoral studies and research in education
• Dissertation (12 units)

Anticipated students are preferably mid-career professionals. This program is home to principals, assistant superintendents, superintendents, teacher leaders, directors in non-profits and educational foundations, community college and higher education faculty and administrators, among other professions.

The Ed.D. program is a 3-year (nine semester) doctoral program beginning in the summer semester. It is a cohort model that meets as follows:

- Year 1 summer intensive ― 3 courses that meet 5-10 weeks (2-3 days/week Monday, Wednesday, Saturday OR Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) in hybrid or fully online learning modality

- Year 1 Fall and spring classes ― 2 courses per semester, 1 evening per week and 2-4 weekends (Saturday, all day) per semester in hybrid or fully online learning modality

- Year 2 summer program - 1 course before the global trip, 2-3 days/week Monday, Wednesday, Saturday OR Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday in hybrid or fully online learning modality and the optional global experience (15 days out-of-country). Students who do not participate in the global experience take EDD 590 (seminar) and EDD 540 courses. 

- Year 2 Fall and spring classes ― 2 courses per semester, 1 evening per week and 2-4 weekends (Saturday, all day) per semester in hybrid or fully online learning modality 

- Year 3 summer program - final 2 courses, meet 5-10 weeks (2-3 days/week Monday, Wednesday, Saturday OR Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) in hybrid or fully online learning modality

- Year 3 Fall and spring classes ― no more courses, focus on dissertation research (collection, analysis, and defense) 

During the first summer, classes meet over five to ten weeks, roughly early June to end of July either on Monday, Wednesday, and/or Saturday OR on Tuesday, Thursday, and/or Saturday. Students take three courses in the first summer.

During the fall and spring semesters, students take two courses, which meet on evenings and/or on Saturdays. Students should expect to be in class about two to four times per month.

Yes, doctoral advisors are assigned during the fall semester of year one of the program.

Anticipated costs for the 2023-2024 academic year total $21,132.00 ($7,044.00 each semester; 3 semesters) plus a one-time $3,000 international travel fee. Program cost for the coursework is the same across all CSUs that offer an EdD Program. Click here to obtain a detailed list of fees. 

Yes, students may apply for scholarships, grants, and loans based on eligibility. Applicants interested in applying for admission to the doctoral program are encouraged to complete the  Free Application for Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . You can also visit the Lurie College of Education Financial Aid Opportunities webpage for an overview of scholarship and grant opporunities.

No, it is an optional part of the Ed.D. Program.

We are now accepting applications for the 11th cohort of SJSU's EdD Leadership Program which begins Summer 2024. For full consideration, please submit all documents by the April 10, 2024  deadline.

Applying to the Ed.D. Program is a two-step process. Admissions take place on a rolling basis, so we recommend that you submit the department application materials as soon as possible. Please note that the Ed.D. Application and CalState Application deadlines may be different. To consider your interest in the EdD program, please submit your Ed.D. Application by the Ed.D. deadline. All of the following must be completed by the admission deadline to be considered into the Ed.D. program:

Step 1 | Apply to SJSU Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE)

Visit  calstate.edu/apply  to create your application profile and pay the $70.00 application fee.

Submit one set of officially sealed transcripts from each college where you studied. No Professional Development Transcripts will be accepted. Transcripts must also include narrative if work was completed at a non-graded institution. Transcripts can be sent either by mail or by email. All international transcripts need to be officially evaluated for equivalency.

If your university offers official electronic transcripts, we will accept. Electronic Transcripts can be emailed to: [email protected] .

Hard copy transcripts can be mailed to: 

Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations San Jose State University One Washington Square San Jose, CA 95192-0017

Step 2 | Apply to the Ed.D. Leadership Program

Submit the following information by email to [email protected] .  

Ed.D. Application Form [pdf] .

One set of unofficial or scanned transcripts for each college or university attended.

Three (3) letters of recommendation attesting to your leadership ability and potential for success in a doctoral program.  Letters should be completed with our recommendation form [pdf] and one of the letters should be from your school district or employer indicating support for participating in doctoral studies. Recommendation letters should be submitted directly from the person writing the recommendation letter.

Current professional resume or curriculum vitae that includes leadership experience and/or leadership strengths as indicated through job experiences, administrative credentials, and/or other evidence of leadership capacity and practice; not to exceed 4 pages.

A written statement of purpose, which explains your reasons for pursuing doctoral studies in educational leadership. Please indicate your history and background and some of the core commitments and principles, which drive your career goals. Also discuss some of the challenges facing education and educational leadership in California, nationally, and globally; 2-3 pages maximum, single spaced.

A writing sample of your individually authored research, reports, and/or papers (maximum of 20 pages). Your writing sample should be single authored and include citations and references. The writing sample is intended for you to demonstrate ability to craft a meaningful argument on an education-related topic and to cite research/literature to support your view. A PowerPoint presentation does not meet this requirement. 

For full consideration, please submit all documents as soon as possible . Applications received after the April 10, 2024 deadline will be considered until the Summer 2024 cohort is filled. Documents should be submitted to [email protected] . 

Finding the Golden Mean: An Efficient Model for Improving Discovery and Access for Legacy Theses and Dissertations in a Medical Library’s Institutional Repository

Embargo lift date, committee members, degree year, journal title, journal issn, volume title.

Developing an efficient and cost-effective method for providing access to legacy print theses and dissertations is a challenge faced by many libraries that serve medical schools and other academic health science programs. The significant staff time and financial cost associated with systematically digitizing and providing complete online access to print theses and dissertations can be problematic given the potentially limited return on that investment as reflected in patron use statistics and other metrics. This presentation will describe how a medical school library improved the discoverability and accessibility of its legacy print theses and dissertations by implementing a cost-effective, selective digitization workflow that leveraged existing metadata and limited staff time. This workflow involved extracting and transforming existing metadata from the library catalog, selectively digitizing excerpts (title page, abstract, table of contents, and committee information) of all the theses and dissertations, and utilizing batch upload capabilities to add new descriptive records to the library’s institutional repository. In addition to improving the discoverability of these important scholarly resources, the medical library intends to implement a “scan-on-demand” service model in which patrons who are interested in obtaining the full text of a thesis or dissertation can do so by contacting the library directly. To date, the library has added descriptive records for more than 500 theses/dissertations to its institutional repository and has seen a tremendous return on its modest investment in the form of thousands of new page views and downloads within a few months.

Description

Item.page.description.tableofcontents, item.page.relation.haspart, series/report, sponsorship.

Alternative Title

Conference dates, conference host, conference location, conference name, conference panel, conference secretariat location, permanent link, full text available at, this item is under embargo {{howlong}}, collections.

Teen walks at graduation after completing doctoral degree at 17

Dorothy Jean Tillman II was 10 when she entered college as a freshman.

A teenager from Chicago walked in her graduation ceremony this month after earning her doctoral degree at 17.

Dorothy Jean Tillman II told " Good Morning America " that she was homeschooled in her early years before entering college at age 10.

In 2020, she said she earned a Master of Science degree, and then, one year later, at age 15, was accepted into the Doctorate of Behavioral Health Management program at Arizona State University.

In December 2023, at 17, Tillman successfully defended her dissertation to earn her doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from ASU's College of Health Solutions.

On May 6, she walked at ASU's spring commencement ceremony.

Tillman told "GMA" she has always held education in such high regard in part due to her family's background.

"People in my life like my grandmother, who was part of the Civil Rights movement, she of course harped on the importance of education and consistently learning something always," Tillman said. "But the way I always held education so high on my own, aside from being raised that way, was finding different things to be educated about."

She continued, "I feel like that urge to learn something new just never didn't exist for me."

Teen who battled leukemia and homelessness as a child graduates college at 18

Dr. Lesley Manson, a clinical associate professor at ASU, told "GMA" that Tillman is the youngest person in school history to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health.

Manson said she oversaw Tillman's dissertation for the doctoral program offered through ASU Online.

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During her studies, Tillman wrote a journal article of her dissertation and completed an internship at a university student health center, according to Manson.

"She really led change and worked on different forms of management to really reduce healthcare stigma and improve that student population there to be able to enter and accept student health services," she said of Tillman. "It was wonderful to see her and help her navigate some of those personal and professional interactions and grow through those experiences."

Manson described Tillman as an "inquisitive" and "innovative" student, and emphasized just how rare it is to accomplish what she has so far.

"It's a wonderful celebration ... but this is still something so rare and unique," she said. "She has innovative ideas and motivation, which is wonderful, and truly, I think what is inspiring is that she embodies that meaning of being a true leader."

Manson said she hopes Tillman continues to inspire people with her love of learning, saying, "That curiosity is always there, and I think all learners come with that, but it's great to be able to see it in someone so young as well."

Her inspiration and how she gives back to community

Tillman said her own journey wouldn't be possible without the support of her mom, who she said is one of her biggest motivators.

"Seeing my mother consistently work so hard to continuously uphold our family's legacy, and be that person that everyone was able to go to, if they needed anything ... always seeing [her] like [a] 'wonder woman' definitely made me want to grow up [into] an accomplished person," she said.

An advocate for education, Tillman is also the founder and CEO of a leadership institute that emphasizes the arts and STEM.

"I feel like adding art and putting a focus on it throughout science, technology, engineering and math makes the kids excited to learn all those things," she said. "And it opens them up to all of the possibilities and all the knowledge provided in that area of just STEM."

'Super dad' graduates with master's while working 3 jobs

As for her plans after graduation, Tillman said she is "just like any other teenager, still figuring out what my specific dreams and goals are."

"I'm really just grateful that the world is my oyster, and that I've done so much so young," she said. "And I have time to kind of think that through."

Tillman added that she hopes young people will take away from her story that it's OK to continually figure out what you want to do in life.

"Always remember that everyone has points in their life where they feel like they're figuring it out," she said. "And so figuring things out, not knowing what you want isn't a bad thing. But making the choice not to sit down and try to figure it out is."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional quotes from Tillman since its original publish date of May 13, 2024.

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