How Many Chapters Should An Undergraduate Dissertation Include?

To say that a dissertation is important to an undergraduate is an understatement. This is a major piece of work that may decide whether or not the degree is conferred. Students will be very concerned about how many chapters are needed. Frankly, it’s better idea to think about what you absolutely have to have in that dissertation.

Here are chapters you must have in the dissertation:

1. Introduction;
2. The Literature Review;
3. Methodology;
4. Findings;
5. Evaluation;
6. Discussion;
7. Conclusions and Any Recommendations You May Have.

That last chapter is based on all the research that you have accomplished. Given these necessary chapters you may want to look at what topics will better clarify the subject of the dissertation. These additional chapters will most probably be placed in the Findings and Discussion area of the document. What you should keep in mind is that simply adding chapters to the work is not going to make it any more impressive. It could even have a detrimental effect. Those who are reading your work do not want to be bored out of their minds. If you introduce chapters that really have no immediate relevance, it is not going to look good for the rest of your work. You do want to be as concise as possible.

Any additional chapters should add to the relevance of what you have done. These may include some very interesting observations that better clarify the findings of your research. You may make special note of challenges faced in the methodology, and how you overcame them. Be careful about being verbose in the composition. People only want to read as much as what makes the document both interesting and informative.

You may want to ask your advisor what he or she would suggest to be the maximum number of chapters. You also should take a very close look at the directions you were given in the beginning. These rules need to be followed.

Should you decide that the seven mentioned above are enough chapters for your project, concentrate on developing the content of each chapter. Always be willing to proofread and edit what you have written. You also should not rely on spellcheck but look for grammatical errors yourself and perhaps have somebody else look as well. The dissertation is a major project for any undergraduate undertake. If you concentrate on writing the best you can. You will be rewarded by the approval of the faculty advisors and review board.