Master's Thesis?

[thecat00]

I'm in an MA program now. I'll be entering my second year this Fall. I'm also applying to PhD programs this next application season. I'm seeking advice on a rather crucial question.

My MA program doesn't require a thesis option for me to graduate. It's possible to just do coursework and a portfolio instead. Right now, I'm in the non-thesis track.

Question: How important is it for an MA student to complete a master's thesis if they wish to get admitted to a PhD program? Is it weird if I just do coursework with an independent study instead of a thesis? Will the non-thesis option raise red flags when admissions committees review my application?

Any other advice on this topic would be greatly welcome. It could influence whether I decide to try for the thesis track or not. Thank you.

 

[labradoodle]

(Just a disclaimer: I'm not very familiar with non-thesis options, nor have I already gone through a PhD application season, but I am a big fan of theses haha)

I think one of the main questions would be why you're in the non-thesis track. Of course, work like that of your thesis will be closest to PhD work, so it probably will at least raise questions of why you decided against doing so. If it is impossible due to circumstances for you to do a thesis, that might be worth mentioning in your application/having it mentioned in a letter of recommendation, if it says somewhere which track you're in. However, if it doesn't mention that on your transcript, they may not even have to know, if you're applying before you would be writing your thesis? (though if you were to re-apply in a later year, they probably would.)

Regardless of whether they will necessarily exclude you or whatever, I do personally think that writing a thesis is a really valuable experience, especially if you're thinking of pursuing a PhD, and unless you have really good reasons for being in the non-thesis track, I personally would try and see if you can switch - it really allows you to do in-depth research, as well as get a better grasp on your research period/topic. If you don't, make sure your application still provides answers to the questions: why are you interested in doing research, and how do you know you're capable of doing so?

Edited June 27, 2021 by labradoodle

[WomanOfLetters]

I don't think it's weird if you're planning to apply for PhD programs but not writing a thesis. I think what really matters is you handing in a good writing sample when you apply. I myself don't plan on submitting my MA thesis as the writing sample for my applications, as I will be applying to a different field from my previous studies. You might ask why I didn't write my thesis in the area I plan to pursue in my PhD. That is because when you write your thesis you typically want to work in same research areas as your advisor. Not many professors were available for advising during my studies (and in fact, I heard quite a few students from my cohort didn't get to do the thesis option because they were late in finding an advisor). I think as long as you can come up with a good reason for why you are doing a portfolio instead of a thesis (and this is for your preparation when you get invited to an application interview only), you will be fine!

[Glasperlenspieler]

I'm inclined to agree with @EverBetter. If you have a strong writing sample and can clearly articulate a research agenda, PhD programs will be interested in that and not whether or not you wrote a thesis. The other thing to note is that Masters Theses are tricky to turn into writing samples.  For one thing, they often end up in the awkward length of 50-100 pages which is much too long to be a writing sample but not yet a monograph. For that reason, you may be better off using your time to revise your strongest seminar paper that best shows your skills and interests and using that for your writing sample (try as much as possible to model it on articles in your field). If you do decide to write a thesis, it's probably best to make it such that it has a 20-30 page chapter that can easily enough stand on its own without the added context of the rest of the thesis. Otherwise you're left with the difficult task of condensing a much longer argument into a short space or trying to add the necessary context for a part of it. The other issue with a masters thesis is that you will typically complete it during the spring. But PhD applications are usually due over winter break. So, unless you are planning on taking a gap year, the masters thesis won't actually be done by the time you need to submit it as a writing sample.

At the end of the day, you should listen to your advisors at the MA program. It's possible that there's a tacit expectation that strong students will write a thesis, in which case not writing one might alienate professors and/or reflect in your letters of recommendation. But if your advisors seem fine with you not completing a thesis, I think using the fall to polish a seminar paper into the best writing sample you can muster is probably a better use of your time.