Student's Guide: Final Year Project Thesis

As a final year supervisor for twelve years on the degree, masters, and PhD, I have noticed time and time again students approached their thesis confused and unsure what is expected from them; and rightly so. What is involved in the write up of the final year thesis is not something students are introduced to during their studies. The structure, content, and format of a thesis are only understood by seeing good examples. A thesis is the largest assignment a student will ever likely to do and will resemble nothing they have done before. A final year thesis has to demonstrate academic structure, content, and integrity, something that is not always presented clearly by supervisors. As a supervisor, I designed a handout to help and guide my students. This handout became very popular as students shared it with their friends. After many years of editing and improving my notes, I have decided to publish it as a book. The second edition includes even more examples to review. Taking away the fear of the writing up and having the confidence that a great thesis is achievable has helped my students focus instead on finding creative, challenging, and inspiring projects.