The final assignment is the culminating phase that every university student must undertake as a graduation requirement. Final assignments can be in the form of written papers or scientific works. Each level of higher education has a different type of final assignment.

Every academic is certainly familiar with the terms Thesis, Master's Thesis, and Dissertation. These three terms represent the levels of final assignments that students encounter in different stages of higher education, ranging from Undergraduate to Postgraduate to Doctoral education.

These three types of final assignments share similarities in that they are graduation requirements and written documents created in accordance with standard writing guidelines. They aim to explain solutions to certain problems and theories using systematic explanations based on research data (both qualitative and quantitative) and apply scientific methods as the main foundation of thought.

However, these three types of final assignments have different approaches to problem-solving and each has its own characteristics. Here are the differences between these final assignments:

1. Thesis 

As widely known, a Thesis is the final assignment completed by Undergraduate or Bachelor's (S1) students. In general, a Thesis focuses on researching specific problems using appropriate methodologies to produce conclusions based on collected data.

Theses are primarily about applying the theories students have learned during their studies. Additionally, Theses generally contain descriptive explanations, differing from the analytical depth found in Master's Theses and Dissertations.

2. Master's Thesis 

A Master's Thesis represents a higher level of research than a Thesis and is completed by Postgraduate or Master's (S2) students. Master's Theses investigate topics in greater depth compared to Theses.

While Thesis writing is based on the theories students have learned during their undergraduate studies to solve problems, a Master's Thesis delves deeper and evaluates the development of published theories. Typically, writing a Master's Thesis takes 2 to 4 years.

3. Dissertation 

Doctoral students face a final assignment in the form of a Dissertation. Unlike the previous types of final assignments, Dissertations cover very specific discussions with the aim of creating new breakthroughs and theories related to each student's field of study.

Due to their nature, which encourages the creation of new breakthroughs, Dissertations emphasize originality to provide significant and new contributions to science. Dissertations usually take a long time to complete, potentially reaching three to six years or more, depending on the complexity of the research and university requirements.

Furthermore, the support students receive through guidance varies at each stage of the final assignment.

Students working on Theses tend to receive intensive guidance from their thesis advisors. They typically have scheduled sessions for thesis supervision before proceeding to the thesis defense. As the educational level advances, the support students receive diminishes, and they are encouraged to engage more in self-directed research.

By understanding the different stages of final assignments, students can prepare themselves for the challenges presented by each type of final assignment in the future.