Heriot-Watt 45,000 Word Thesis for DBA - How many pages is that?

I am considering the DBA at Heriot-Watt. It looks like a good program and I also liked that they have an OPE-ID number which means they participate in the FFEL program. I don't plan to use financial aid to pay for it, but I may be able to defer my other loans while I'm in the program.

But my question is: How many pages would their 45,000 word thesis be for the DBA program?

Thanks for any info in advance.

 

As a rule....

In 12 pic, I figure 500 words per fully typed page. This allows for paragraph and title spacing.

That would be 90 pages, but would more likely be over 100....

 

Well , it depends on font size, margins, etc. but I use a general estimate of 250 words per page. That will give you a 180 pages of text if it's 45,000 words.
Jack

 

I would also guess about 90-100, but you will also be including charts, graphs and other representations of data.

Rhonda

 

Thanks folks!

 

My dissertation had a total of 149 pages, including tables and figures. In using the word count feature of Microsoft Word, I had a total of 23,691 words for the entire diss. This translate to 159 words per page.

So, I would guess that a 45,000-word diss would translate to 283 total pages, based on my diss format of 159 words per page. Thank you.

 

Something that isn't clear to me when reading this one and the one at U. of Leicester's DocSoSci page: are these word requirements minimums or maximums? Or are they mid-points in some unspoken range?

 

My thesis is on A4, with standard margins. The body of the thesis, not including front and back matter, is 64K words. With back and front matter, about 82.5K words.

With 1.5 spacing, that makes it 228 pages in length for the main body. That includes over 100 tables, and just under 100 figures, 17 or so theorems/proofs. 293 pages from cover to cover, including all back and front matter.

Just using the body portion (which is usually what one considers when one speaks of word lengths, I should think), that makes it roughly 280 words/page at 1.5 spacing, and under the same parameters would make 45K words 160 pages of body text.

There are many tables, however, and those are single spaced -- so the mileage may vary.

 

My dissertation proposal at Touro is 182 pages in APA, double-spaced, 8.5 x 11.0 inches and just under 47,000 words.

Dave

 

Re: Re: Heriot-Watt 45,000 Word Thesis for DBA - How many pages is that?

Yeah, that fits the calculation I made, if one considers the 8.5x11 to A4 factor, and the fact that mine's 1.5 spacing. I tried it at double spacing, but found that, with so many tables and figures, it left too many pages with blank-ends, since I use a Word style with lead ins to the tables and figures that keeps the lead in on the same page as the table/figure, to avoid pages ending with colons.

It looks funny to say something like:

... as seen in the figure below:

And then have this end the page. There are still a few pags that end 75% into the page -- but manipulating the text so they fit nicely requires too many text changes, and might introduce pilot error.

So, anyway -- 250-280 words per page seems about right, all other things considered.

 

Re: Re: Heriot-Watt 45,000 Word Thesis for DBA - How many pages is that?

As a followup, my doctoral project for the DBA at California Pacific University was 109 pages double-spaced and a little over 31,000 words.

Dave

 

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, they are usually the maximum length. There always used to be some amount of leeway if you came in at 85,000 rather than 80,000 (or whatever the notional limit was), but that seems to be going the way of the dodo, especially as departments now seem to ask what the actual world count is. Another sin to be set at the feet of modern word-processing software, I fear. The other thing to note is whether the word count excludes footnotes, appendices and bibliographies; some do, some don't and some exclude one or two but not the other.

Angela

 

By the way, the most interesting thing that I've read today is that one can use a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline to gain entrance into the Heriot Watt DBA program...! If one had earned a Ph.D., it might be more realistic to earn an MBA for business leverage or one could use the new Heriot Watt DBA to gain entrance into an established Ph.D. program, rather than vice versa...

Still, didn't somebody once state that the desire to earn multiple doctorates was an indicator of the onset of dementia?

Dave

 

Re: Re: Heriot-Watt 45,000 Word Thesis for DBA - How many pages is that?

My next one will be entitled:

"Quantitative Methods towards Knowing whether that Little Piece of Paper is a Goose or a Gander: On the Therapeutic Uses of Origami (Done with Mauve Paper) by the South American Only Residents of 151st Street, Peoria, Odd Numbered Rented Houses Painted Green"

Which to say -- my next one will be much, much more relevant than the current, and with a much narrower scope. Should help keep the word count down.

 

This little formula was posted on Degreeinfo a few years ago but I don't remember when or by whom.

80,000 word =

375 pages =

5 Chapters =

215 words per page,

double spaced,

12 pic type.


RXI

 

I did not post the figures above, but I just ran a check on an average page of text on my dissertation (APA style, double-spaced, 1.5 inch left margin, 12 point bookman font). There were 215 words. The whole thing is 267 pages, however, many of my 48 ANOVA and Sheffe tables (thank you SPSS!) are single- spaced with 7 point font, so there are about 60,000 total words.

 

Re: Re: Heriot-Watt 45,000 Word Thesis for DBA - How many pages is that?

Maybe. Some of you may remember DRMarion from this board.....

From EBS Newsletter:

Dr.James Marion, is the 100th DBA student

Biography:

Jim Marion joined Panasonic Mobile Communications Development Corporation of USA in 1999 as Chief Operation Officer and was promoted to President and member of the board in 2002.

Jim has over 20 years of wireless messaging experience. Prior to Panasonic, Jim held the position of President & General Manager for Glenayre Electronics in Vancouver, BC.

His educational background complements Jim's experience. In March 2004, he completed his PhD in Organisation and Management from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN. The Director of the PhD programme, Dr Martha Hollis, described his thesis as one of the leading pieces of applied research at Capella University. Jim also obtained an MBA by self-study from Edinburgh Business School in 1998.

James gave his reasons for choosing the EBS DBA over others that are available as follows "Of course I am impressed with the quality of the institution - that's a plus. But the primary reason is the curriculum. Most advanced business programmes tend to be very general. I know as I have done much distance learning study from many different institutions. The EBS DBA curriculum puts the focus right where it needs to be for top executives - how to set a path for success, and actually implement and execute. I am hungry for this type of instruction at this point in my career - when it is all about results and execution."

I was looking through the EBS DBA student guide, and I was surprised it actually had a HEALTH WARNING about doing doctoral study!

 

Interesting thread with great posts, all.

Angela's point is well-taken: many programmes set limits.

It's funny how one starts out wondering how one will ever be able to write enough, and at some later point begins (when there are limits set) wondering how to cram and condense everything to obey the limits, leeway or no.

I recall an 800+ page diss submitted and approved at an RA uni in a humanities field. Positively Maoic grandiosity.

 

Interestingly, I recall that Highland Theological College (in Scotland) mentions in their College Handbook that while a word count which is significantly less than the stipulated amount will be penalized, so also will be a word count which is more than 10% of the stipulated amount. For example,

They also warn students about trying to get around this by developing new arguments through lengthy footnotes! I wonder if this would be representative of the general guidelines expected in a British university.

Peace,

Matt

 

Good evening!

According to the course information guide and the University of Leicester Handbook and Regulations for Research Students, the maximum length of the thesis for the doctorate in social science (including appendices and footnotes) should not normally exceed the stated limit of 50,000 words. Exceptions may be allowed under extraordinary circumstances, and the approval of one's supervisor and the Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences would be required. The Handbook notes further that "Candidates will be required to state the approximate number of words in their thesis when submitting it for examination."