thesis word stem

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Derived terms
• 1.3.2 Related terms
• 1.3.3 Translations
• 1.4 References
• 1.5 Further reading
• 1.6 Anagrams
• 2.1 Etymology
• 2.2 Pronunciation
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2 Pronunciation
• 3.3.1 Declension
• 3.3.2 Descendants
• 3.4 References

From Late Middle English thesis ( “ lowering of the voice ” ) [ 1 ] and also borrowed directly from its etymon Latin thesis ( “ proposition, thesis; lowering of the voice ” ) , from Ancient Greek θέσῐς ( thésis , “ arrangement, placement, setting; conclusion, position, thesis; lowering of the voice ” ) , from τῐ́θημῐ ( títhēmi , “ to place, put, set; to put down in writing; to consider as, regard ” ) [ 2 ] [ 3 ] (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ( “ to do; to place, put ” ) ) + -σῐς ( -sis , suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result ) . The English word is a doublet of deed .

Sense 1.1 (“proposition or statement supported by arguments”) is adopted from antithesis . [ 2 ] Sense 1.4 (“initial stage of reasoning”) was first used by the German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814), and later applied to the dialectical method of his countryman, the philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831).

The plural form theses is borrowed from Latin thesēs , from Ancient Greek θέσεις ( théseis ) .

Pronunciation

• ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθiːsɪs/ , ( archaic ) /ˈθɛsɪs/

• ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθisɪs/
• Rhymes: -iːsɪs
• Hyphenation: the‧sis
• ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθiːsiːz/
• ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθisiz/
• Rhymes: -iːsiːz
• Hyphenation: the‧ses

thesis ( plural theses )

• ( rhetoric ) A proposition or statement supported by arguments .
• 1766 , [ Oliver Goldsmith ], “The Conclusion”, in The Vicar of Wakefield:   [ … ] , volume II, Salisbury, Wiltshire: [ … ] B. Collins, for F [ rancis ] Newbery ,   [ … ] , →OCLC , pages 218–219 : I told them of the grave, becoming, and ſublime deportment they ſhould aſſume upon this myſtical occaſion, and read them two homilies and a theſis of my own compoſing, in order to prepare them.
• ( mathematics , computer science ) A conjecture , especially one too vague to be formally stated or verified but useful as a working convention.
• ( logic ) An affirmation , or distinction from a supposition or hypothesis .
• ( philosophy ) In the dialectical method of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel : the initial stage of reasoning where a formal statement of a point is developed ; this is followed by antithesis and synthesis .
• ( music , prosody , originally ) The action of lowering the hand or bringing down the foot when indicating a rhythm ; hence, an accented part of a measure of music or verse indicated by this action; an ictus , a stress . Antonym: arsis
• ( music , prosody , with a reversal of meaning ) A depression of the voice when pronouncing a syllables of a word ; hence, the unstressed part of the metrical foot of a verse upon which such a depression falls , or an unaccented musical note .

Derived terms

• all but thesis
• bachelor's thesis
• Church-Turing thesis
• conflict thesis
• doctoral thesis
• graduate thesis
• Habakkuk thesis
• master's thesis
• Merton thesis
• private language thesis
• thesis defense
• thesis statement

Related terms

Translations.

• ^ “ thē̆sis, n. ”, in MED Online , Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan , 2007 .
• ^ “ thesis, n. ”, in Lexico , Dictionary.com ; Oxford University Press , 2019–2022 .

Further reading

• “ thesis ”, in The Century Dictionary   [ … ] , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC .
• “ thesis ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC .
• Heists , Sethis , heists , shiest , shites , sithes , thises

From Latin thesis , from Ancient Greek θέσις ( thésis , “ a proposition, a statement, a thing laid down, thesis in rhetoric, thesis in prosody ” ) .

thesis   f ( plural theses or thesissen , diminutive thesisje   n )

• Dated form of these . Synonyms: dissertatie , proefschrift , scriptie

From Ancient Greek θέσις ( thésis , “ a proposition, a statement, a thing laid down, thesis in rhetoric, thesis in prosody ” ) .

• ( Classical Latin ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈtʰe.sis/ , [ˈt̪ʰɛs̠ɪs̠]
• ( modern Italianate Ecclesiastical ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈte.sis/ , [ˈt̪ɛːs̬is]

thesis   f ( genitive thesis ) ; third declension

Descendants

• → Dutch: thesis
• → Armenian: թեզ ( tʻez )
• → Dutch: these
• → Persian: تز ( tez )
• → Romanian: teză
• → Turkish: tez
• Galician: tese
• Italian: tesi
• English: thesis
• Portuguese: tese
• Spanish: tesis
• “ thesis ”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short ( 1879 ) A Latin Dictionary , Oxford: Clarendon Press
• thesis in Gaffiot, Félix ( 1934 ) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français , Hachette.

• English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰeh₁-
• English terms inherited from Middle English
• English terms derived from Middle English
• English terms borrowed from Latin
• English terms derived from Latin
• English terms derived from Ancient Greek
• English doublets
• English 2-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• Rhymes:English/iːsɪs
• Rhymes:English/iːsɪs/2 syllables
• Rhymes:English/iːsiːz
• Rhymes:English/iːsiːz/2 syllables
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English countable nouns
• English nouns with irregular plurals
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• Dutch dated forms
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• Latin terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰeh₁-
• Latin terms borrowed from Ancient Greek
• Latin terms derived from Ancient Greek
• Latin 2-syllable words
• Latin terms with IPA pronunciation
• Latin lemmas
• Latin nouns
• Latin third declension nouns
• Latin feminine nouns in the third declension
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[ thee -sis ]

He vigorously defended his thesis on the causes of war.

Synonyms: proposal , contention , theory

• a subject for a composition or essay.
• a dissertation on a particular subject in which one has done original research, as one presented by a candidate for a diploma or degree.
• Music. the downward stroke in conducting; downbeat. Compare arsis ( def 1 ) .
• a part of a metrical foot that does not bear the ictus or stress.
• (less commonly) the part of a metrical foot that bears the ictus. Compare arsis ( def 2 ) .
• Philosophy. Hegelian dialectic

/ ˈθiːsɪs /

• a dissertation resulting from original research, esp when submitted by a candidate for a degree or diploma
• a doctrine maintained or promoted in argument
• a subject for a discussion or essay
• an unproved statement, esp one put forward as a premise in an argument
• music the downbeat of a bar, as indicated in conducting
• (in classical prosody) the syllable or part of a metrical foot not receiving the ictus Compare arsis
• philosophy the first stage in the Hegelian dialectic, that is challenged by the antithesis
• The central idea in a piece of writing, sometimes contained in a topic sentence .

Word History and Origins

Origin of thesis 1

Example Sentences

“The Saudis have been proving the thesis of the film — they do in fact have an army,” said Thor Halvorssen, founder and chief executive of the nonprofit Human Rights Foundation, which funded the movie.

It’s a hypothesis that Bush pursued in her master’s thesis, and last year she began attending virtual Goth parties in a final round of field work before defending her doctoral thesis later this year.

While this partnership was planned prior to the coronavirus outbreak, co-founder Jordana Kier said the pandemic instantly proved out the expansion thesis.

They’ve had to defend that thesis for a very, very long time in front of a variety of different customers and different people.

Over the past decade, In-Q-Tel has been one of the most active investors in the commercial space sector, with a broad investment thesis that touches many aspects of the sector.

In “Back Home,” Gil also revisits the nostalgia for the South explored in his Johns Hopkins thesis, “Circle of Stone.”

At least father and son were in alignment on this central thesis: acting “gay”—bad; being thought of as gay—bad.

Her doctoral thesis, says Ramin Takloo at the University of Illinois, was simply outstanding.

Marshall McLuhan long ago argued the now accepted thesis that different mediums have different influences on thinking.

He wrote his Master's thesis on the underrepresentation of young people in Congress.

And indeed for most young men a college thesis is but an exercise for sharpening the wits, rarely dangerous in its later effects.

It will be for the reader to determine whether the main thesis of the book has gained or lost by the new evidence.

But the word thesis, when applied to Systems, does not mean the 'position' of single notes, but of groups of notes.

This conclusion, it need hardly be said, is in entire agreement with the main thesis of the preceding pages.

Sundry outlying Indians, with ammunition to waste, took belly and knee rests and strengthened the thesis to the contrary.

Related Words

• proposition
• supposition

What Is The Plural Of Thesis?

Plural word for  thesis.

The plural form of thesis is theses , pronounced [ thee -seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -is are also formed in this way, including hypothesis / hypotheses , crisis / crises , and axis / axes . A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices . 

Irregular plurals that are formed like theses derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek.

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Definition of thesis

Did you know.

In high school, college, or graduate school, students often have to write a thesis on a topic in their major field of study. In many fields, a final thesis is the biggest challenge involved in getting a master's degree, and the same is true for students studying for a Ph.D. (a Ph.D. thesis is often called a dissertation ). But a thesis may also be an idea; so in the course of the paper the student may put forth several theses (notice the plural form) and attempt to prove them.

Examples of thesis in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

in sense 3, Middle English, lowering of the voice, from Late Latin & Greek; Late Latin, from Greek, downbeat, more important part of a foot, literally, act of laying down; in other senses, Latin, from Greek, literally, act of laying down, from tithenai to put, lay down — more at do

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a(1)

Dictionary Entries Near thesis

the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children

thesis novel

Cite this Entry

“Thesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesis. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of thesis, more from merriam-webster on thesis.

Nglish: Translation of thesis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of thesis for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thesis

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hypothetical

Something that is hypothetical is based on possible situations or events rather than actual ones.

The anti thes is of something is its opposite.

An epithet is a short description or term that usually follows and augments someone's name, such as the word "great" in "Alfred the Great."

parenthetical

A parenthetical remark further explains or qualifies information.

A syn thes is is the combination or blend of two or more things to form a new whole.

A thes is is a main idea for a paper that its author tries to prove by giving examples that support the idea.

antithetical

sharply contrasted in character or purpose

a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations

hypothesize

to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

parentheses

either of two punctuation marks (or) used to enclose textual material

parenthesis

Photosynthesis.

syn thes is of compounds with the aid of radiant energy (especially in plants)

combine so as to form a more complex, product

not of natural origin

a book containing a classified list of synonyms

an unproved statement put forward as a premise in an argument

Related Word Sums

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Definition of thesis noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• Students must submit a thesis on an agreed subject within four years.
• He presented this thesis for his PhD.
• a thesis for a master's degree
• He's doing a doctoral thesis on the early works of Shostakovich.
• Many departments require their students to do a thesis defense.
• She completed an MSc by thesis.
• her thesis adviser at MIT
• in a/​the thesis
• thesis about

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

• The basic thesis of the book is fairly simple.
• These latest findings support the thesis that sexuality is determined by nature rather than choice.
• formulate/​advance a theory/​hypothesis
• build/​construct/​create/​develop a simple/​theoretical/​mathematical model
• develop/​establish/​provide/​use a theoretical/​conceptual framework
• advance/​argue/​develop the thesis that…
• explore an idea/​a concept/​a hypothesis
• make a prediction/​an inference
• base a prediction/​your calculations on something
• investigate/​evaluate/​accept/​challenge/​reject a theory/​hypothesis/​model
• design an experiment/​a questionnaire/​a study/​a test
• do research/​an experiment/​an analysis
• make observations/​measurements/​calculations
• carry out/​conduct/​perform an experiment/​a test/​a longitudinal study/​observations/​clinical trials
• run an experiment/​a simulation/​clinical trials
• repeat an experiment/​a test/​an analysis
• replicate a study/​the results/​the findings
• observe/​study/​examine/​investigate/​assess a pattern/​a process/​a behaviour
• fund/​support the research/​project/​study
• seek/​provide/​get/​secure funding for research
• collect/​gather/​extract data/​information
• yield data/​evidence/​similar findings/​the same results
• analyse/​examine the data/​soil samples/​a specimen
• consider/​compare/​interpret the results/​findings
• fit the data/​model
• confirm/​support/​verify a prediction/​a hypothesis/​the results/​the findings
• prove a conjecture/​hypothesis/​theorem
• draw/​make/​reach the same conclusions
• read/​review the records/​literature
• describe/​report an experiment/​a study
• present/​publish/​summarize the results/​findings
• present/​publish/​read/​review/​cite a paper in a scientific journal
• The results of the experiment support his central thesis.
• Most people rejected this thesis at the time because it presumed evolution rather than creation.
• fundamental

Nearby words

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.

You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.

Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .

A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.

Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.

A good thesis statement needs to do the following:

• Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
• Answer your project’s main research question.
• Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
• Make an argument that requires support or evidence.

Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:

• Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
• Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
• Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.

As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.

If the question is:

What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?

A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:

In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.

Here is another example. If the question is:

How can we end poverty?

A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:

In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.

• The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

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Master's Thesis Workshop (STEM Focus)

Rob Ulrich, Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, Graduate Writing Consultant

This workshop will give an overview of how to write a master's thesis for students in STEM fields. It will include writing activities and discussion to help participants develop their thesis topics. We will also present strategies for organizing research and literature reviews, as well as tips for drafting and revision. (Approx. 56 mins.) This workshop was recorded in 2022.

Click here for the presentation slides:

This presentation work by the UCLA Graduate Writing Center is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License .

Workshop Slides

This file has additional slides that were added for accessibility purposes.

• STEM Masters Thesis Workshop Winter 2021_.pdf

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• How Long Is a PhD Thesis?
• Doing a PhD

It’s no secret that one of the most challenging aspects of a PhD degree is the volume of work that goes into writing your thesis . So this raises the question, exactly how long is a thesis?

Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all answer to this question. However, from the analysis of over 100 PhD theses, the average thesis length is between 80,000 and 100,000 words. A further analysis of 1000 PhD thesis shows the average number of pages to be 204 . In reality, the actual word count for each PhD thesis will depend on the specific subject and the university it is being hosted by. This is because universities set their own word length requirements, with most found to be opting for around 100,000.

To find out more about how these word limits differ between universities, how the average word count from STEM thesis differ from non-STEM thesis and a more detailed breakdown from the analysis of over 1000 PhDs, carry on reading the below.

Word Count Differences Between Universities

For any PhD student writing a thesis, they will find that their document will be subject to a word limit set by their university. In nearly all cases, the limit only concerns the maximum number of words and doesn’t place any restrictions on the minimum word limit. The reason for this is that the student will be expected to write their thesis with the aim of clearly explaining their research, and so it is up to the student to determine what he deems appropriate.

Saying this, it is well accepted amongst PhD students and supervisors that the absence of a lower limit doesn’t suggest that a thesis can be ‘light’. Your thesis will focus on several years worth of original research and explore new ideas, theories or concepts. Besides this, your thesis will need to cover a wide range of topics such as your literature review, research methodology, results and conclusion. Therefore, your examiners will expect the length of your thesis to be proportional to convey all this information to a sufficient level.

Selecting a handful of universities at random, they state the following thesis word limits on their website:

• University of Edinburgh: 100,000
• University of Exeter: 100,000
• University of Leister: 80,000
• University of Bath: 80,000
• University of Warwick: 70,000

The above universities set upper word limits that apply across the board, however, some universities, such as the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield, set different word limits for different departments. For example, the University of Sheffield adopts these limits:

• Arts & Humanities: 75,000
• Medicine, Dentistry & Health: 75,000
• Science: 80,000
• Social Sciences: 75,000-100,000

Although there’s a range of limit, it’s safe to say that the majority fall within the 80,000 to 100,000 bracket.

Word Count Based on Data from past Theses

A poll of 149 postdocs.

In mid-2019, Dr Eva Lantsoght, a published author, academic blogger and Structural Engineering Professor, conducted a poll which asked postgraduate doctoral students to share the length of their final thesis. 149 PostDoc students responded to the survey, with the majority reporting a length falling within the ‘80,000 – 120,000 words’ bracket as seen below.

Analysis of 1000 PhD Theses

Over a three-year time period, Dr Ian Brailsford, a then Postgraduate Learning Adviser at the University of Auckland, analysed 1000 doctoral thesis submitted to his university’s library. The PhD theses which formed the basis of his analysis were produced between 2008 to 2017 and showed:

• Average number of pages = 204
• Median number of pages = 198
• Average number of chapters = 7.6

We should note that the above metrics only cover the content falling within the main body of the thesis. This includes the introduction, literature review, methods section, results chapter, discussions and conclusions. All other sections, such as the title page, abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, bibliography and appendices were omitted from the count.

Although it’s impossible to draw the exact word count from the number of pages alone, by using the universities recommended format of 12pt Times New Roman and 1.5 lines spacing, and assuming 10% of the main body are figures and footnotes, this equates to an average main body of 52,000 words.

STEM vs Non-STEM

As part of Dr Ian Brailsford’s analysis, he also compared the length of STEM doctorate theses to non-STEM theses. He found that STEM theses tended to be shorter. In fact, he found STEM theses to have a medium page length of 159 whilst non-STEM theses had a medium of around 223 pages. This is a 40% increase in average length!

Can You Exceed the Word Count?

Whilst most universities will allow you to go over the word count if you need to, it comes with the caveat that you must have a very strong reason for needing to do so. Besides this, your supervisor will also need to support your request. This is to acknowledge that they have reviewed your situation and agree that exceeding the word limit will be absolutely necessary to avoid detriment unnecessary detriment to your work.

This means that whilst it is possible to submit a thesis over 100,000 words or more, it’s unlikely that your research project will need to.

How Does This Compare to a Masters Dissertation?

The average Masters dissertation length is approximately 20,000 words whilst a thesis is 4 to 5 times this length at approximately 80,000 – 100,000.

The key reason for this difference is because of the level of knowledge they convey. A Master’s dissertation focuses on concluding from existing knowledge whilst a PhD thesis focuses on drawing a conclusion from new knowledge. As a result, the thesis is significantly longer as the new knowledge needs to be well documented so it can be verified, disseminated and used to shape future research.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Related Reading

Unfortunately, the completion of your thesis doesn’t mark the end of your degree just yet. Once you submit your thesis, it’s time to start preparing for your viva – the all-to-fun thesis defence interview! To help you prepare for this, we’ve produced a helpful guide which you can read here: The Complete Guide to PhD Vivas.

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• What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

What Is a Thesis? | Ultimate Guide & Examples

Published on September 14, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on April 16, 2024.

A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.

Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation , it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct research from start to finish: choosing a relevant topic , crafting a proposal , designing your research , collecting data , developing a robust analysis, drawing strong conclusions , and writing concisely .

Thesis template

You can also download our full thesis template in the format of your choice below. Our template includes a ready-made table of contents , as well as guidance for what each chapter should include. It’s easy to make it your own, and can help you get started.

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Table of contents

Thesis vs. thesis statement, how to structure a thesis, acknowledgements or preface, list of figures and tables, list of abbreviations, introduction, literature review, methodology, reference list, proofreading and editing, defending your thesis, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about theses.

You may have heard the word thesis as a standalone term or as a component of academic writing called a thesis statement . Keep in mind that these are two very different things.

• A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay , and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay .
• A thesis is a long-form piece of academic writing, often taking more than a full semester to complete. It is generally a degree requirement for Master’s programs, and is also sometimes required to complete a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts colleges.
• In the US, a dissertation is generally written as a final step toward obtaining a PhD.
• In other countries (particularly the UK), a dissertation is generally written at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

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The final structure of your thesis depends on a variety of components, such as:

• Your discipline
• Your theoretical approach

Humanities theses are often structured more like a longer-form essay . Just like in an essay, you build an argument to support a central thesis.

In both hard and social sciences, theses typically include an introduction , literature review , methodology section ,  results section , discussion section , and conclusion section . These are each presented in their own dedicated section or chapter. In some cases, you might want to add an appendix .

Thesis examples

We’ve compiled a short list of thesis examples to help you get started.

• Example thesis #1:   “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the ‘Noble Savage’ on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807” by Suchait Kahlon.
• Example thesis #2: “’A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man’: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947″ by Julian Saint Reiman.

The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information, including:

• Your full title
• Your full name
• Your department
• Your institution and degree program
• Your submission date.

Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re not sure.

Read more about title pages

The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family. You can also choose to write a preface , but it’s typically one or the other, not both.

Read more about acknowledgements Read more about prefaces

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Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

An abstract is a short summary of your thesis. Usually a maximum of 300 words long, it’s should include brief descriptions of your research objectives , methods, results, and conclusions. Though it may seem short, it introduces your work to your audience, serving as a first impression of your thesis.

Read more about abstracts

A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your document.

Your table of contents should include all the major parts of your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the the appendices. If you used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic table Microsoft Word.

Read more about tables of contents

While not mandatory, if you used a lot of tables and/or figures, it’s nice to include a list of them to help guide your reader. It’s also easy to generate one of these in Word: just use the “Insert Caption” feature.

Read more about lists of figures and tables

If you have used a lot of industry- or field-specific abbreviations in your thesis, you should include them in an alphabetized list of abbreviations . This way, your readers can easily look up any meanings they aren’t familiar with.

Read more about lists of abbreviations

Relatedly, if you find yourself using a lot of very specialized or field-specific terms that may not be familiar to your reader, consider including a glossary . Alphabetize the terms you want to include with a brief definition.

Read more about glossaries

An introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance of your thesis, as well as expectations for your reader. This should:

• Ground your research topic , sharing any background information your reader may need
• Define the scope of your work
• Introduce any existing research on your topic, situating your work within a broader problem or debate
• State your research question(s)
• Outline (briefly) how the remainder of your work will proceed

In other words, your introduction should clearly and concisely show your reader the “what, why, and how” of your research.

Read more about introductions

A literature review helps you gain a robust understanding of any extant academic work on your topic, encompassing:

• Selecting relevant sources
• Determining the credibility of your sources
• Critically evaluating each of your sources
• Drawing connections between sources, including any themes, patterns, conflicts, or gaps

A literature review is not merely a summary of existing work. Rather, your literature review should ultimately lead to a clear justification for your own research, perhaps via:

• Addressing a gap in the literature
• Building on existing knowledge to draw new conclusions
• Exploring a new theoretical or methodological approach
• Introducing a new solution to an unresolved problem
• Definitively advocating for one side of a theoretical debate

Read more about literature reviews

Theoretical framework

Your literature review can often form the basis for your theoretical framework, but these are not the same thing. A theoretical framework defines and analyzes the concepts and theories that your research hinges on.

Read more about theoretical frameworks

Your methodology chapter shows your reader how you conducted your research. It should be written clearly and methodically, easily allowing your reader to critically assess the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, your methods section should convince your reader that your method was the best way to answer your research question.

A methodology section should generally include:

• Your overall approach ( quantitative vs. qualitative )
• Your research methods (e.g., a longitudinal study )
• Your data collection methods (e.g., interviews or a controlled experiment
• Any tools or materials you used (e.g., computer software)
• The data analysis methods you chose (e.g., statistical analysis , discourse analysis )
• A strong, but not defensive justification of your methods

Read more about methodology sections

Your results section should highlight what your methodology discovered. These two sections work in tandem, but shouldn’t repeat each other. While your results section can include hypotheses or themes, don’t include any speculation or new arguments here.

Your results section should:

• State each (relevant) result with any (relevant) descriptive statistics (e.g., mean , standard deviation ) and inferential statistics (e.g., test statistics , p values )
• Explain how each result relates to the research question
• Determine whether the hypothesis was supported

Additional data (like raw numbers or interview transcripts ) can be included as an appendix . You can include tables and figures, but only if they help the reader better understand your results.

Read more about results sections

Your discussion section is where you can interpret your results in detail. Did they meet your expectations? How well do they fit within the framework that you built? You can refer back to any relevant source material to situate your results within your field, but leave most of that analysis in your literature review.

For any unexpected results, offer explanations or alternative interpretations of your data.

Read more about discussion sections

Your thesis conclusion should concisely answer your main research question. It should leave your reader with an ultra-clear understanding of your central argument, and emphasize what your research specifically has contributed to your field.

Why does your research matter? What recommendations for future research do you have? Lastly, wrap up your work with any concluding remarks.

Read more about conclusions

In order to avoid plagiarism , don’t forget to include a full reference list at the end of your thesis, citing the sources that you used. Choose one citation style and follow it consistently throughout your thesis, taking note of the formatting requirements of each style.

Which style you choose is often set by your department or your field, but common styles include MLA , Chicago , and APA.

Create APA citations Create MLA citations

In order to stay clear and concise, your thesis should include the most essential information needed to answer your research question. However, chances are you have many contributing documents, like interview transcripts or survey questions . These can be added as appendices , to save space in the main body.

Read more about appendices

Once you’re done writing, the next part of your editing process begins. Leave plenty of time for proofreading and editing prior to submission. Nothing looks worse than grammar mistakes or sloppy spelling errors!

Consider using a professional thesis editing service or grammar checker to make sure your final project is perfect.

Once you’ve submitted your final product, it’s common practice to have a thesis defense, an oral component of your finished work. This is scheduled by your advisor or committee, and usually entails a presentation and Q&A session.

After your defense , your committee will meet to determine if you deserve any departmental honors or accolades. However, keep in mind that defenses are usually just a formality. If there are any serious issues with your work, these should be resolved with your advisor way before a defense.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

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The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.

Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:

• Plan to attend graduate school soon
• Have a particular topic you’d like to study more in-depth
• Are considering a career in research
• Would like a capstone experience to tie up your academic experience

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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STEM Education Related Dissertation Abstracts: A Bounded Qualitative Meta-study

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This article utilizes a bounded qualitative meta-study framework to examine the 101 dissertation abstracts found by searching the ProQuest Dissertation and Theses™ digital database for dissertations abstracts from 1990 through 2010 using the search terms education, science, technology, engineer, and STEM/SMET. Professional search librarians established the search criteria used to establish the database. The overarching research question for this study was: What can we learn from the examination of doctoral dissertations abstracts that focus on the STEM education found from 1990 through 2010? The study’s findings provide an overview of doctoral research related to STEM education and the discussion section focuses on quality of abstracts, questions regarding the use of the pipeline metaphor, and location of instructional innovation.

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Recruitment of the underrepresented (college and university).

Amon, J. (2010). Male students give voice to supportive campus environments: A qualitative case study of undergraduate STEM majors. Unpublished 3410467, University of Pennsylvania, United States—Pennsylvania.

Bradford, S. (2010). Patching the pipeline: Identifying salient characteristics of academic intervention programs that increase the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing graduate level biomedical research. A case study: Minority Opportunities in Research ( MORE ) programs. Unpublished 3404773, University of California, Irvine and California State University, Los Angeles, United States—California.

Buchanan, D. (2008). How is an undergraduate engineering program uniquely positioned to create a diverse workforce through the recruitment of African American students? A faculty perspective. Unpublished 3325218, University of Southern California, United States—California.

Conrad, W. (2009). Female STEM majors wanted: The impact of certain factors on choice of a college major. Unpublished 3400500, University of Phoenix, United States—Arizona.

Dimmig, H. (2007). Post - college choices of Meyerhoff Program scholars. Unpublished 3286450, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States—Maryland.

Eatman, T. K. (2001). Becoming a member of the research community in academe: Determinants of postbaccalaureate success for traditionally underrepresented students. Unpublished 3030428, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States—Illinois.

Fant, C. N. (2001). Formative evaluation of the first year of a multi - campus program designed to promote recruitment, retention, and degree completion among minority graduate students in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology fields. Unpublished 3040611, The University of Mississippi, United States—Mississippi.

Gary, S. (2010). Four portraits: The role of historically Black colleges and universities in the development of Black science, technology, engineering and mathematics Ph.D. students. Unpublished 3410468, University of Pennsylvania, United States—Pennsylvania.

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Lee, J. (2009). Understanding how identity supportive games can impact ethnic minority possible selves and learning: A design - based research study. Unpublished 3380950, The Pennsylvania State University, United States—Pennsylvania.

Recruitment of the Underrepresented (Community College)

Geist, M. (2008). A methodological examination of a focus group informed Delphi: A mixed methods investigation of female community college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students. Unpublished 3318405, University of Northern Colorado, United States—Colorado.

Recruitment of the Underrepresented (K-12)

Fadigan, K. A. (2003). A longitudinal study of the educational and career trajectories of female participants of an urban informal science education program. Unpublished 3097691, Temple University, United States—Pennsylvania.

Grisham, A. (2006). Science education for girls: A partnership between Girl Scouts and NASA. Unpublished 3226615, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States—Nevada.

Mussey, S. (2009). Navigating the transition to college: First - generation undergraduates negotiate identities and search for success in STEM and non - STEM fields. Unpublished 3355909, University of California, San Diego, United States—California.

Recruitment of the Underrepresented (Federal)

Adolfie, L. (2009). Women scientists and engineers managing national security federal research programs. Unpublished 3359203, Capella University, United States—Minnesota.

Recruitment of the Non-underrepresented (College and University)

Delaney, J. (2007). The academic consequences of state merit aid: The case of Kentucky. Unpublished 3281827, Stanford University, United States—California.

Recruitment of the Non-underrepresented (K-12)

Stanton, R. (2010). State high school graduation requirements and access to postsecondary education. Unpublished 3390456, New York University, United States—New York.

Retention of the Underrepresented (College and University)

Carmichael, K. (2007). Plugging the leaky pipeline: How academic deans support the persistence of underrepresented minority students in science and mathematics. A case study. Unpublished 3287129, University of Southern California, United States—California.

Chen, Y. (2009). East Asian American educational pursuits: Examing effect of racial barriers and cultural factors for college students. Unpublished 3373857, The University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, United States—Wisconsin.

Espinosa, L. (2009). Pipelines and pathways: Women of color in STEM majors and the experiences that shape their persistence. Unpublished 3394926, University of California, Los Angeles, United States—California.

Galloway, R. (2008). Support resources utilized by minority students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Unpublished 3322301, University of Pittsburgh, United States—Pennsylvania.

George-Jackson, C. (2009). Rethinking the STEM fields: The importance of definitions in examining women’s participation and success in the sciences. Unpublished 3406828, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States—Illinois.

Goldman, E. (2010). Lipstick and labcoats: Undergraduate women’s gender negotiation in STEM fields. Unpublished 3404540, New York University, United States—New York.

Heilbronner, N. (2009). Pathways in STEM: Factors affecting the retention and attrition of talented men and women from the STEM pipeline. Unpublished 3367359, University of Connecticut, United States—Connecticut.

Jackson, D. (2010). Transfer students in STEM majors: Gender differences in the socialization factors that influence academic and social adjustment. Unpublished 3418232, Iowa State University, United States—Iowa.

Jacquot, C. (2009). Gender differences in science, math, and engineering doctoral candidates’ mental models regarding intent to pursue an academic career. Unpublished 3369353, The University of Texas at Arlington, United States—Texas.

Johnson, D. (2007). Sense of belonging among women of color in science, technology, engineering, and math majors: Investigating the contributions of campus racial climate perceptions and other college environments. Unpublished 3297338, University of Maryland, College Park, United States—Maryland.

Lange, S. E. (2006). The master degree: A critical transition in STEM doctoral education. Unpublished 3205862, University of Washington, United States—Washington.

Lee, J. (2006). Getting out the gates: Underrepresented minority students’ search for success in introductory chemistry courses to continue on the STEM path. Unpublished 3250277, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States—Illinois.

Lowery, S. E. (2004). Gender Equity Options in Science: Effect on attitudes and behaviors of college women. Unpublished 3135266, Arizona State University, United States—Arizona.

Malcom, L. (2008). Accumulating (dis)advantage? Institutional and financial aid pathways of Latino STEM baccalaureates. Unpublished 3325041, University of Southern California, United States—California.

McAdoo, M. F. (2005). A study of the persistence of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors at five southeastern institutions of higher education. Unpublished 3173502, Auburn University, United States—Alabama.

Price, J. (2010). Essays on the economics of education and health. Unpublished 3429846, Cornell University, United States—New York.

Reid, E. (2010). Exploring the experiences of African American women in an undergraduate summer research program designed to address the underrepresentation of women and minorities in neuroscience: A qualitative analysis. Unpublished 3411031, Georgia State University, United States—Georgia.

Robinson, J. (2007). Closing the race and gender gaps in computer science education. Unpublished 3291632, Rowan University, United States—New Jersey.

Rutherford, B. (2007). Interests and attitudes of engineering students. Unpublished 3279580, Utah State University, United States—Utah.

Singh, A. (2008). Beyond gender: Taking a multi - status approach to understanding students’ positioning in STEM. Unpublished 3328730, University of Rhode Island, United States—Rhode Island.

Snead-McDaniel, K. (2010). Exploration of the lived experiences of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics minority students. Unpublished 3436670, University of Phoenix, United States—Arizona.

Stone, D. (2008). African - American males in computer science — Examining the pipeline for clogs. Unpublished 3341359, The George Washington University, United States—District of Columbia.

Thoman, D. (2008). How socially rejecting discrimination influences academic motivation, interest, and choices. Unpublished 3312100, The University of Utah, United States—Utah.

Vogt, K. E. (2005). Asian American women in science, engineering, and mathematics: Background contextual and college environment influences on self - efficacy and academic achievement. Unpublished 3202039, University of Maryland, College Park, United States—Maryland.

White, J. L. (2005). Persistence of interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: An analysis of persisting and non - persisting students. Unpublished 3169266, The Ohio State University, United States—Ohio.

Williamson, S. (2007). Academic, institutional, and family factors affecting the persistence of Black male STEM majors. Unpublished 3269188, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick, United States—New Jersey.

Wyss, V. (2008). Questioning the gender critical mass theory in physics. Unpublished 3312127, University of Virginia, United States—Virginia.

Yohannes-Reda, S. (2010). STEMming the tide: Understanding the academic success of Black male college students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors. Unpublished 3422057, University of California, Irvine and California State University, Long Beach, United States—California.

Retention of the Underrepresented (Community College)

Martinez, D. (2007). The manifestation of social capital within the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program. Unpublished 3291803, University of Southern California, United States—California.

Pina Houde, A. (2007). Portraits of Hispanic females participating in technical programs: Bridging the gap to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. Unpublished 3273253, New Mexico State University, United States—New Mexico.

Retention of the Underrepresented (K-12)

Notter, K. (2010). Is competition making a comeback? Discovering methods to keep female adolescents engaged in STEM: A phenomenological approach. Unpublished 3412882, The University of Nebraska—Lincoln, United States—Nebraska.

Retention of the Underrepresented (Federal)

Graham, E. M. (2006). The impact of the NASA Administrator’s Fellowship Program on fellows’ career choices. Unpublished 3236502, University of Southern California, United States—California.

Retention of the Non-underrepresented (College and University)

Dickerson, J. (2008). The factors that influence the graduation rates of community college transfer students and native students at a four - year public state university. Unpublished 3331220, Mississippi State University, United States—Mississippi.

Eagan, M., Jr. (2010). Moving beyond frontiers: How institutional context affects degree production and student aspirations in STEM. Unpublished 3405569, University of California, Los Angeles, United States—California.

Gresham, P. (2010). An exploratory study of the career aspirations and self - perceptions of university honors program students. Unpublished 3404438, Indiana State University, United States—Indiana.

Rion, C. (2007). Major changes: Student shifts among liberal arts, S.T.E.M. and occupational majors. Unpublished 3270276, State University of New York at Albany, United States—New York.

Yang, X. (2005). A quantitative analysis of factors that influence and predict students’ intention to major in and complete an undergraduate program in STEM or non - STEM. Unpublished 3201832, Kansas State University, United States—Kansas.

Retention of the Non-underrepresented (K-12)

Nicholls, G. (2008). An integrated multiple statistical technique for predicting post - secondary educational degree outcomes based primarily on variables available in the 8th grade. Unpublished 3349215, University of Pittsburgh, United States—Pennsylvania.

Stem Academic Focus

Stem instructional issues (college and university).

Blikstein, P. (2009). An atom is known by the company it keeps: Content, representation and pedagogy within the epistemic revolution of the complexity sciences. Unpublished 3355751, Northwestern University, United States—Illinois.

Bouwma-Gearhart, J. (2008). Teaching professional development of science and engineering professors at a research - extensive university: Motivations, meaningfulness, obstacles, and effects. Unpublished 3327743, The University of Wisconsin—Madison, United States—Wisconsin.

Donawa, A. (2009). Critical thinking instruction and minority engineering students at a public urban higher education institution. Unpublished 3396399, Morgan State University, United States—Maryland.

Gilmour, D. (2008). Effective use of technology in classrooms: Electronic interactive text and integrated technological/pedagogical environment. Unpublished 3326509, Temple University, United States—Pennsylvania.

Hernandez, J. (2007). Examining the value faculty search committee chairpersons place on formal teacher training in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields: Results of a national study. Unpublished 3282117, Michigan State University, United States—Michigan.

Hsu, Y. (2009). The effects of self - explanation and metacognitive instruction on undergraduate students’ learning of statistics materials containing multiple external representations in a web - based environment. Unpublished 3399659, The Pennsylvania State University, United States—Pennsylvania.

Maye, M. C. (2003). Study - group collaboration among high - achieving students of African descent studying mathematics at selective United States colleges. Unpublished 3091277, Columbia University Teachers College, United States—New York.

Moakler, M., Jr. (2010). The influence of self - confidence on college freshmen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics major choice. Unpublished 3426942, The George Washington University, United States—District of Columbia.

Schell, J. (2009). Venturing toward better teaching: STEM professors’ efforts to improve their introductory undergraduate pedagogy at major research universities. Unpublished 3368259, Teachers College, Columbia University, United States—New York.

Younkin, W. (2009). The intersection of discipline and roles: Dr. Pauline Mack’s story as an instrumental case study with implications for leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Unpublished 3359977, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, United States—Pennsylvania.

STEM Instructional Issues (Community College)

Landon, M. (2009). Emerging workforce trends and issues impacting the Virginia Community College System. Unpublished 3405745, Old Dominion University, United States—Virginia.

Maguire, K. (2009). Post - college earnings of Iowa community college career and technical education students: Analysis of selected career clusters. Unpublished 3355518, Iowa State University, United States—Iowa.

Moriarty, M. A. (2006). Inclusive pedagogy for diverse learners: Science instruction, disability, and the community college. Unpublished 3212745, University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States—Massachusetts.

STEM Instructional Issues (K-12)

Avery, Z. (2010). Effects of profesional development on infusing engineering design into high school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula. Unpublished 3397144, Utah State University, United States—Utah.

Boe, J. (2010). Strategies for science, technology, engineering and math in technology education. Unpublished 3420004, North Dakota State University, United States—North Dakota.

Chen, J. (2010). Implicit theories of ability, epistemic beliefs, and academic motivation: A person - centered approach. Unpublished 3423047, Emory University, United States—Georgia.

Clanton, B. L. (2004). The effects of a project - based mathematics curriculum on middle school students’ intended career paths related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Unpublished 3243483, University of Central Florida, United States—Florida.

Cruz-Duran, E. (2009). Stereotype threat in mathematics: Female high school students in all - girl and coeducation schools. Unpublished 3365692, St. John’s University (New York), United States—New York.

Degenhart, H. (2007). Relationship of inquiry - based learning elements on changes in middle school students’ science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) beliefs and interests. Unpublished 3270326, Texas A&M University, United States—Texas.

Donna, J. (2009). Surviving and thriving as a new science teacher: Exploring the role of comprehensive online induction. Unpublished 3360339, University of Minnesota, United States—Minnesota.

Flowers, R. (2008). After - school enrichment and the activity theory: How can a management service organization assist schools with reducing the achievement gap among minority and non - minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) during the after - school hours? Unpublished 3356894, Union Institute and University, United States—Ohio.

Gonzales, A. (2010). Toward achievement in the “ knowledge economy ” of the 21st century: Preparing students through T - STEM academies. Unpublished 3398579, Walden University, United States—Minnesota.

Huelskamp, L. (2009). The impact of problem - based learning with computer simulation on middle level educators’ instructional practices and understanding of the nature of middle level learners. Unpublished 3367883, The Ohio State University, United States—Ohio.

Jimarez, T. (2005). Does alignment of constructivist teaching, curriculum, and assessment strategies promote meaningful learning? Unpublished 3208658, New Mexico State University, United States—New Mexico.

Johnson, P. D. (2004). Girls and science: A qualitative study on factors related to success and failure in science. Unpublished 3130607, Western Michigan University, United States—Michigan.

Liu, F. (2010). Factors influencing success in online high school algebra. Unpublished 3436346, University of Florida, United States—Florida.

Maltese, A. (2008). Persistence in STEM: An investigation of the relationship between high school experiences in science and mathematics and college degree completion in STEM fields. Unpublished 3326999, University of Virginia, United States—Virginia.

Miller, M. D. (2006). Science self - efficacy in tenth grade Hispanic female high school students. Unpublished 3210371, University of Central Florida, United States—Florida.

Mowen, D. (2007). Impacts of graduate student content specialists serving in middle school classrooms on teachers and graduate students. Unpublished 3270372, Texas A&M University, United States—Texas.

Moye, J. (2009). Technology education teacher supply and demand in the United States. Unpublished 3371499, Old Dominion University, United States—Virginia.

Norman, K. (2008). High school mathematics curriculum and the process and accuracy of initial mathematics placement for students who are admitted into one of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs at a research institution. Unpublished 3321924, University of Minnesota, United States—Minnesota.

Obarski, K. (2007). Life after National Science Foundation fellowships: The implications for a graduate student’s professional endeavors. Unpublished 3280094, University of Cincinnati, United States—Ohio.

Oware, E. (2008). Examining elementary students’ perceptions of engineers. Unpublished 3344179, Purdue University, United States—Indiana.

Preston, S. (2009). Investigating minority student participation in an authentic science research experience. Unpublished 3380983, The Pennsylvania State University, United States—Pennsylvania.

Ricks, M. M. (2006). A study of the impact of an informal science education program on middle school students’ science knowledge, science attitude, STEM high school and college course selections, and career decisions. Unpublished 3245344, The University of Texas at Austin, United States—Texas.

Scott, C. (2009). A comparative case study of the characteristics of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focused high schools. Unpublished 3365600, George Mason University, United States—Virginia.

Terry, R. (2010). The high school redesign initiative: Teachers’ perspectives. Unpublished 3412676, Mississippi State University, United States—Mississippi.

Veeragoudar Harrell, S. (2009). Second chance at first life: Fostering the mathematical and computational agency of at - risk youth. Unpublished 3369140, University of California, Berkeley, United States—California.

STEM Program Evaluation (College and University)

Greenseid, L. (2008). Using citation analysis methods to assess the influence of STEM education evaluation. Unpublished 3310625, University of Minnesota, United States—Minnesota.

Ivie, C. (2009). National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) education 1993 – 2009. Unpublished 3394583, George Fox University, United States—Oregon.

Lee, Y.-F. (2005). Effects of multiple group involvement on identifying and interpreting perceived needs. Unpublished 3177181, The Ohio State University, United States—Ohio.

STEM Graduate Students (College and University)

DeChenne, S. (2010). Learning to teach effectively: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduate teaching assistants’ teaching self - efficacy. Unpublished 3414593, Oregon State University, United States—Oregon.

Woods, R. (2008). Training culturally responsive remedial math instructors. Unpublished 3325085, University of Southern California, United States—California.

Wyse, S. (2010). Breaking the mold: Preparing graduate teaching assistants to teach as they are taught to teach. Unpublished 3417668, Michigan State University, United States—Michigan.

STEM Mentoring (College and University)

Byington, T. C. (2006). Post - DVM educational intentions among third - year veterinary medical students: A hierarchical analysis of mentoring, gender, and organizational context. Unpublished 3218239, Washington State University, United States—Washington.

Harris Watkins, P. G. (2005). Mentoring in the scientific disciplines: Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics Engineering Mentoring. Unpublished 3164230, The Claremont Graduate University, United States—California.

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Banning, J., Folkestad, J.E. STEM Education Related Dissertation Abstracts: A Bounded Qualitative Meta-study. J Sci Educ Technol 21 , 730–741 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-011-9361-9

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UCI Libraries maintains the following  templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. If you would like to see what your manuscript should look like, PDFs have been provided. If you are formatting your manuscript using LaTex, UCI maintains a template on OverLeaf.

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STEM , field and curriculum centred on education in the disciplines of science , technology , engineering , and mathematics (STEM). The STEM acronym was introduced in 2001 by scientific administrators at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The organization previously used the acronym SMET when referring to the career fields in those disciplines or a curriculum that integrated knowledge and skills from those fields. In 2001, however, American biologist Judith Ramaley, then assistant director of education and human resources at NSF, rearranged the words to form the STEM acronym. Since then, STEM-focused curriculum has been extended to many countries beyond the United States , with programs developed in places such as Australia , China , France , South Korea , Taiwan , and the United Kingdom .

In the early 2000s in the United States , the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics became increasingly integrated following the publication of several key reports. In particular, Rising Above the Gathering Storm (2005), a report of the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, emphasized the links between prosperity, knowledge-intensive jobs dependent on science and technology, and continued innovation to address societal problems. U.S. students were not achieving in the STEM disciplines at the same rate as students in other countries. The report predicted dire consequences if the country could not compete in the global economy as the result of a poorly prepared workforce. Thus, attention was focused on science, mathematics, and technology research; on economic policy; and on education. Those areas were seen as being crucial to maintaining U.S. prosperity.

Findings of international studies such as TIMSS ( Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), a periodic international comparison of mathematics and science knowledge of fourth and eighth graders, and PISA ( Programme for International Student Assessment), a triennial assessment of knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds, reinforced concerns in the United States. PISA 2006 results indicated that the United States had a comparatively large proportion of underperforming students and that the country ranked 21st (in a panel of 30 countries) on assessments of scientific competency and knowledge.

The international comparisons fueled discussion of U.S. education and workforce needs. A bipartisan congressional STEM Education Caucus was formed, noting:

Our knowledge-based economy is driven by constant innovation. The foundation of innovation lies in a dynamic , motivated and well-educated workforce equipped with STEM skills.

While the goal in the United States is a prepared STEM workforce , the challenge is in determining the most-strategic expenditure of funds that will result in the greatest impact on the preparation of students to have success in STEM fields. It is necessary, therefore, to determine the shortcomings of traditional programs to ensure that new STEM-focused initiatives are intentionally planned.

A number of studies were conducted to reveal the needs of school systems and guide the development of appropriately targeted solutions. Concerned that there was no standard definition of STEM, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation (a philanthropical organization based in southwestern Pennsylvania) commissioned a study to determine whether proposed initiatives aligned with educator needs. The study, which was administered jointly by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the Intermediate Unit 1 (IU1) Center for STEM Education, noted that U.S. educators were unsure of the implications of STEM, particularly when scientific and technological literacy of all students was the goal. Educators lacked in-depth knowledge of STEM careers, and, as a consequence, they were not prepared to guide students to those fields.

The findings from several studies on educational practices encouraged U.S. state governors to seek methods to lead their states toward the goal of graduating every student from high school with essential STEM knowledge and competencies to succeed in postsecondary education and work. Six states received grants from the National Governors Association to pursue three key strategies: (1) to align state K-12 (kindergarten through 12th grade) standards, assessments, and requirements with postsecondary and workforce expectations; (2) to examine and increase each state’s internal capacity to improve teaching and learning, including the continued development of data systems and new models to increase the quality of the K-12 STEM teaching force; and (3) to identify best practices in STEM education and bring them to scale, including specialized schools, effective curricula, and standards for Career and Technical Education (CTE) that would prepare students for STEM-related occupations.

In southwestern Pennsylvania, researchers drew heavily on the CMU/IU1 study to frame the region’s STEM needs. In addition, a definition for STEM was developed in that region that has since become widely used, largely because it clearly links education goals with workforce needs:

[STEM is] an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community , work, and the global enterprise enabling the development of STEM literacy and with it the ability to compete in the new economy.

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Faqs: dissertation template, what format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The dissertation template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of dissertations/theses can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research projects such as dissertations or theses, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Will this work for a research paper?

A research paper follows a similar format, but there are a few differences. You can find our research paper template here .

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level thesis?

This template can be used for a dissertation, thesis or research project at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my dissertation/thesis be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. As a general ballpark, Masters-level projects are usually 15,000 – 20,000 words in length, while Doctoral-level projects are often in excess of 60,000 words.

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this dissertation template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our dissertation and thesis coaching services .

Additional Resources

If you’re working on a dissertation or thesis, be sure to also check these resources out…

1-On-1 Private Coaching

The Grad Coach Resource Center

The Grad Coach YouTube Channel

The Grad Coach Podcast

Metadichol induces CD14 Glycoprotein Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Fibroblasts

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• ORCID record for Palayakotai Rajagopalan E Raghavan
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CD14, or cluster of differentiation 14, is a glycoprotein essential to the immune system and is found primarily on monocytes, macrophages, and other immune cells. Despite its importance, there are no examples in the literature of small compounds that can induce multifold expression of CD14 in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or fibroblasts. This study addresses this gap by exploring the potential of metadichol, a nanoemulsion of long-chain fatty alcohols, to induce CD14 expression in hESCs. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT‒PCR) and Western blotting techniques, we showed that metadichol significantly upregulated CD14 expression by seventeen -fold in hESCs but downregulated it in fibroblasts . This novel finding indicates that metadichol can modulate CD14 expression in a cell type-specific manner, highlighting its potential for enhancing stem cell-based therapeutics and advancing our understanding of stem cell biology. The implications of these findings are substantial, suggesting new directions for research into the immune modulatory functions of hESCs and their potential applications in regenerative medicine. Our work highlights the potential of metadichol as a powerful tool for modulating CD14 expression in stem as well as somatic cells marking a significant step forward in the field of stem cell research and therapeutic development.

Competing Interest Statement

The author P.R. Raghavan is founder and CEO of Nanorx Inc and a major share holder.

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Trump’s Dire Words Raise New Fears About His Authoritarian Bent

The former president is focusing his most vicious attacks on domestic political opponents, setting off fresh worries among autocracy experts.

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By Michael C. Bender and Michael Gold

Donald J. Trump rose to power with political campaigns that largely attacked external targets, including immigration from predominantly Muslim countries and from south of the United States-Mexico border.

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But now, in his third presidential bid, some of his most vicious and debasing attacks have been leveled at domestic opponents.

During a Veterans Day speech, Mr. Trump used language that echoed authoritarian leaders who rose to power in Germany and Italy in the 1930s, degrading his political adversaries as “vermin” who needed to be “rooted out.”

“The threat from outside forces,” Mr. Trump said, “is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within.”

This turn inward has sounded new alarms among experts on autocracy who have long worried about Mr. Trump’s praise for foreign dictators and disdain for democratic ideals. They said the former president’s increasingly intensive focus on perceived internal enemies was a hallmark of dangerous totalitarian leaders.

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Over 5,000,000 Site Owners Affected by Critical Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Patched in LiteSpeed Cache Plugin

📢 Did you know Wordfence runs a Bug Bounty Program for all WordPress plugin and themes at no cost to vendors? Through October 14th, r esearchers can earn up to $31,200 , for all in-scope vulnerabilities submitted to our Bug Bounty Program! Find a vulnerability, submit the details directly to us, and we handle all the rest.

On August 19th, 2024, the Wordfence Threat Intelligence team discovered that a critical vulnerability was patched in Litespeed Cache , a WordPress plugin installed on over 5,000,000 sites. We found that it is possible for an unauthenticated attacker to spoof their user ID in vulnerable versions, which ultimately makes it possible for them to register as an administrative-level user and completely take over a WordPress site.

Wordfence Premium , Wordfence Care , and Wordfence Response users received a firewall rule to protect against any exploits targeting this vulnerability on August 20th, 2024. Sites using the free version of Wordfence will receive the same protection 30 days later on September 19th, 2024.

While this vulnerability was not reported to the Wordfence Bug Bounty Program , it would’ve likely been awarded a bounty of around $23,400 – $31,200 during our ongoing Superhero Challenge , given the information we know about the vulnerability.

We strongly advise users to update their sites with the latest patched version of Litespeed Cache, version 6.4.1 at the time of this writing, as soon as possible. We have no doubts that this vulnerability will be actively exploited very soon.

Vulnerability Summary from Wordfence Intelligence

The LiteSpeed Cache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in all versions up to, and including, 6.3.0.1. This is due to the plugin not properly restricting the role simulation functionality allowing a user to set their current ID to that of an administrator, if they have access to a valid hash which can be found in the debug logs or through brute force. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to spoof their user ID to that of an administrator, and then create a new user account with the administrator role utilizing the /wp-json/wp/v2/users REST API endpoint. In some environments, the crawler may be disabled making this a non-exploitable issue in those cases.

Technical Analysis

LiteSpeed cache is a very popular WordPress plugin designed for caching and optimizing a WordPress website. One feature the plugin offers is the ability to crawl and cache pages as specific authenticated users, utilizing the Crawler Simulation Settings found in the ‘Crawler’ area of the plugin’s settings. Please note that this functionality may be disabled by default on some server configurations which means those sites would be unaffected.

Unfortunately, this functionality was insecurely implemented, making it possible for any unauthenticated user to emulate this functionality and spoof their identity.

The first flaw was present in the async_litespeed_handler() function that had no capability or nonce check making it possible for a user to trigger the function which ultimately triggers a simulated crawl and generates a $hash value to be stored in the options table using the get_hash() function. This $hash value becomes important later.

The next flaw is present in the is_role_simulation() function which is triggered via an init hook. This function takes the litespeed_role and litespeed_hash cookie, and if the litespeed_hash cookie value is equal to the databases value set for litespeed_hash , then it will utilize the litespeed_role cookie value to set the current user.

Ultimately, this means that anyone with access to the value of $hash can spoof their user ID to any of their choosing, including administrators. This can be leveraged against select REST API endpoints and be used to create new administrative user accounts. It can also be leveraged against public facing pages that require authentication, such as viewing account areas from other plugins.

The $hash value that is generated through the Str::rrand() function is only 6 characters long, never expires, is limited to 1,000,000 permutations, and utilizes a loose comparison on the value, making it possible to brute force.

The following demonstrates how the $hash value is generated through the Str::rrand() function.

In addition, if debugging is enabled, it is possible for an attacker to obtain the hash value easily by triggering an error in the debug log. It is important to note that there may be other ways to obtain the valid hash through the plugin, however, we have only discovered those two methods so far.

💡 Tip for Security Researchers Participating in our Bug Bounty Program

Keep an eye out for the function wp_set_current_user() where it accepts user input, especially if the value can be set via a cookie or header making it possible to spoof the current user with specific requests. When this happens a user may be able to spoof their user ID to that of an administrator and then leverage functionality such as the WordPress REST API to steal sensitive information, install plugins, create administrative user accounts, and more.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a vulnerability like this , and we are sure it won’t be the last.

How the Wordfence Firewall Works

The following demonstrates how the Wordfence firewall works to block requests exploiting this vulnerability.

In this blog post, we detailed a privilege escalation vulnerability within the LiteSpeed Cache plugin affecting versions 6.3.0.1 and earlier. This vulnerability makes it possible for unauthenticated threat actors to spoof their user ID, making it possible for the attacker to create new administrative user accounts. This vulnerability was patched in version 6.4 of the plugin.

We encourage WordPress users to verify that their sites are updated to the latest patched version of LiteSpeed Cache as soon as possible considering the critical nature of this vulnerability.

If you know someone who uses this plugin on their site, we recommend sharing this advisory with them to ensure their site remains secure, as this vulnerability poses a significant risk and will likely become exploited.

Trust Your Site to the Leader in WordPress Security

Wordfence Security includes an endpoint firewall, malware scanner, robust login security features, live traffic views, and more. Discover why over 5 million WordPress sites put their trust in Wordfence.

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What is the probability of being successfully exploited?

Hi Lili, it's fairly likely for an attacker to be successful in exploiting this issue. While it does require brute force in most cases, the number of possibilities is limited making the chance of success much higher and the hash never expires allowing an attacker to slowly send requests trying to exploit the issue. In addition, if a site owner has debugging enabled, it may be possible to gain access to the hash without brute force.

Sounds like I moved from Litespeed Cache to Cloudflare APO just in time. 😅 It's concerning how ubiquitous the plugin is in it's outdated form; many shared hosting providers automatically install older versions of the plugin (with the auto-update flag disabled) onto websites detected as running Wordpress.

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