The master's thesis (we will discuss the topics of such works later) is a continuation of the diploma, a path to science and teaching. All students are required to complete the thesis and defend it. Not everyone is writing a dissertation. Firstly, it will be associated with teaching. Secondly, it will be necessary to continue to study even more intensively, which not everyone can do.
Past and present
Higher education institutions are loyal to choosing the topic of a master's thesis, providing the right to independent decisions. The topic is usually agreed upon and approved.
Important availability:
- supervisor;
- at least three publications;
- a certain amount of merit that can be attributed to scientific.
The main thing is to have desire, knowledge and skills. This means that the future applicant for the master's degree approaches with several years of experience in the chosen direction, with a range of publications and speeches at scientific conferences, with methods and results of his own research.
Change the topic is difficult, but possible. In fact, the choice of topic is determined by previous experience. If the successful defense of the diploma took place, then the topic of the master's thesis is practically defined.
The decision to continue training means that ongoing work and research take on a new meaning, greater novelty and deeper relevance. In fact, the applicant plans to work with students and continue his research on topics identified several years earlier.
Qualification transition
Higher education is not necessary, but the defense of a diploma is a mandatory stage and the basis for obtaining a diploma. Continuing education and a master's thesis is a qualification work, which should have novelty, relevance, social significance. The issue of research autonomy is not even discussed here. The fact of the approval of the topic by the department and the academic council (according to the rules of the educational institution) means: the application has been submitted and it has been accepted.
It is possible that the previous scientific research of the applicant will lie on the side of the chosen topic, but knowledge and skills are not correlated with one task, work or direction of research. Qualification can be verified and confirmed in any field of knowledge.
Variants of topics and their authorship
The topic of the master's thesis can be chosen by the applicant himself, can be determined by the list of topics of the department or commission for admission to the magistracy. More often, the desired is consistent with the recommended.
The variety of specialties and educational institutions forms a specific range of options. From the standpoint of logic and systemicity, regardless of the area of interest of the applicant, there are not many basic formulas for choosing a topic:
- object of study (enterprise, company division, mechanism ...);
- process analysis (phenomenon, data dynamics, industry position ...);
- problem solving (theory, mathematics, fields, forces ...);
- modernization (there was one program, another became, there was one foundation of knowledge, but it is obvious that a completely different one is in demand).
It is fundamentally important that a master's thesis is a work to confirm the qualifications, and not to obtain the degree of a candidate or doctor of science. Science does not tolerate upstarts, but respects consistency in achieving the goal. If you rely on genius, then to uncover a complex and extremely interesting topic, you will have to storm the consciousness of venerable scientists and specialists. Failure can end a scientific career.
The best decision when choosing a topic is to base the list of the department (academic council, commission for admission to the magistracy) and combine the topic you like with your own version of its sound and wording.
The author is always pleased when he is quoted and developed. Let authorship be cathedral, and execution - developing. A variant of the topic of one’s own but not on the list of the department and not closely associated with it is not a sin, but it will be necessary to defend your position more seriously.
Examples of master's thesis topics
Classical university consciousness believes that the topics of dissertations are grouped by object of purpose:
- analysis of the existing situation;
- substantiation of a narrow problem;
- extension of existing knowledge.
A different view of these groups of names chooses the terms:
- an object;
- process;
- decision;
- development.
In fact, all exemplary topics of master's theses (standard) allow the study of objects and processes, the achievement of specific solutions and further indefinite (initially) development.
Classical wording of proposed topics:
- analysis and control of activities (institutions, companies, private business ...);
- strategic analysis (cash flows, labor resources ...);
- investment assessment tools (mining, engineering ...);
- budget analysis and performance audit ...;
- marketing development tools ...;
- causes and development of crisis situations in ...;
- development of a strategic management system ...;
- financial enhancement tools ...
Specialties in heavy industry, topography, climate research, the study of the natural environment, ecology, etc. appeal to their specificity in the same syntactic constructions.
Reprofiling a topic
In the world of information and the rapid development of information technology, spending “master’s time” on your development in the specialty is promising, but a much better option is to combine business with pleasure and choose a topic that will accompany the future candidate or doctoral topic.
The specificity of a young scientist is always such that there are many thoughts, but little time. There is no risk to report back and defend on the topic of their work. But it’s more practical to turn to the topic of information, and then the question of how to choose the topic of a master's thesis and how to coordinate it will not only not be a problem, but the department, scientific adviser or educational institution will be very interested in it.
Any research is related to the processing of information. There are still many blank spots in the field of automation of information processes, although there are many positive results.
Information on the specialty circulates in the subject of the main work of the applicant. Nothing prevents to transform the topic of information processing from one area of knowledge to another, where it has not yet been embodied.
It is difficult to give advice in such a way, but the general rule is known. A simple axiom: if the mathematical apparatus was used in the dissertation on the resistance of materials and a program was created or an algorithm for comparing data on materials was proposed, then why not use it in the study of public opinion or the analysis of cash flows?
Digital data has no nature; it exists in the economy, in society, and in the resistance of materials. You can find general patterns in objects, and in processes, and in solutions. Even knowledge develops equally. The philosopher, physicist, chemist and mining engineer use common logic, but they manipulate different objects.
Utility
The topic of the master's thesis should be selected taking into account its novelty, relevance, social significance and real usefulness for science, society or company. Perhaps the development of the chosen topic will be simply useful in the sense of popularizing knowledge and will lead to the emergence of new knowledge in a completely different field or in another dissertation.
Often, the department’s lists of proposed topics contain one or two formulations specifically for the purpose of popularizing research areas. It is rare when such topics become the basis for a dissertation, but the very fact of their presence allows the applicant to make the necessary emphasis in the wording.
The choice of the topic of the master's thesis in the field of analysis and information processing in the specialty is usually welcomed by the department. This is interesting to the supervisor, useful to the applicant and has social significance.