Master's thesis topic

[Noegenesis]

I've heard that the best type of support you can get for a master's thesis is if you work on a topic that is of interest to one of your advisers, e.g., an unexplored area of research that is part of the adviser's larger research.

How would I go about asking one of my professors for such a topic? "Is there something within your research I can study for my master's thesis?" -- Something like that?

Many thanks!

(On a side note, I feel like I lack the cultural capital that is needed to navigate in academia. Is there a book or resource I can reference to help me learn how to approach professors, ask for LORs, acquire research experience, etc.? I'm know that this forum is a great resource, too.)

Edited December 26, 2011 by Noegenesis

[robot_hamster]

Does your adviser have any publications? You may be able to figure out their interests that way, plus your adviser would be more impressed if you did some research on them first before simply asking them what they are interested in.

I'm not really sure what you mean by best type of support. Your adviser should be willing to help you with whatever your thesis interests are, so don't let what you think they are only interested in deter you from pursuing something you would really enjoy doing.

Edited December 26, 2011 by robot_hamster

[Noegenesis]

Thanks, Mocha! Yes, I will study my professor's CV.

[eco_env]

This book is a bit antiquated, but could be useful:

The Ph.D. Process: A Student's Guide to Graduate School in the Sciences by Dale F. Bloom, Jonathan D. Karp and Nicholas Cohen

[ktel]

If you have an advisor already, they are there to help you find a thesis topic. Talk to them about it.