How do I choose a topic for my Bachelor's or Master's thesis?

Choosing a thesis topic is one of the most important early steps in the research process. I encountered this decision twice — during my undergraduate studies and again at the Master’s level.

My undergraduate studies focused on sociology. Because sociology explores broad and complex issues — such as inequality, identity, culture, institutions, and social change — many students initially feel overwhelmed by the range of possibilities.

If your degree program covers a similarly broad and complex topic, you'll need to use strategies that will help you narrow your focus and manage these overwhelming feelings.

A thesis topic is the specific question or subject you research and write about, guiding the focus of your entire project.

Writing a thesis includes identifying a research topic, deciding on your specific focus, and then proceeding to develop and refine a series of questions that will inform your research. Understanding this structure helps you choose a topic that is clear, focused, and researchable.

• Introduction — Introduces your topic, explains its importance, and engages the reader. 📖

• Literature Review — Summarizes existing research and identifies gaps. 📚

• Methods — Explains how you conducted your research. 🔣

• Results & Discussion — Presents your findings and interprets their significance. 📊

• Conclusion — Summarizes your argument and highlights the importance of your research. 🔎

Understanding this framework helps you choose a topic that is clear, focused, and researchable. Note that this framework can vary depending on your discipline, level of study, and school requirements.

Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash

Choosing a thesis topic can feel exciting, but early missteps can make your project harder than it needs to be. Watch for these common pitfalls:

1. Choosing a topic that is too broad. Overly broad topics are difficult to manage and research deeply within the time limits of a graduate program. Narrow your focus to a specific population, setting, or problem so your project remains realistic and focused.

2. Not clearly defining your research question. Starting with a general interest instead of a clear question can lead to unfocused reading and unclear goals. Be able to state exactly what you are studying and why in one or two sentences.

3. Misaligning your topic and methods. Your question should match the methods you can realistically use. Consider early how you'll collect and analyze data and whether you have the time, skills, and access required.

4. Overlooking your supervisor’s expertise. Choosing a topic outside your supervisor’s area of knowledge may limit the guidance and support they can offer. Align your project with their strengths to benefit from stronger mentorship and resources.

By keeping your topic focused, your question clear, your methods practical, and your supervision aligned, you’ll set yourself up for a smoother and more successful thesis experience, setting, or problem so your project remains realistic and focused.

A thesis topic will usually involve two kinds of methodological research: qualitative and quantitative.

Qualitative

• Focus: personal experiences, meanings, and social context rather than numbers.

• Goal: Explore people’s perspectives, behaviors, or the “why” behind social patterns.

• Methods: Interviews, focus groups, observations, or content analysis.

• Sample thesis topic: How undergraduate students describe the impact of Instagram on their self-image and identity.

Quantitative

• Focus: Interpreting numbers, statistics, and measurable data.

• Goal: Identify patterns, relationships, or trends in various phenomena.

• Methods: Surveys, structured questionnaires, experiments, or analysis of existing datasets.

• Sample thesis topic: The relationship between social media use and self-reported anxiety levels among university students.

Choosing a thesis topic can feel overwhelming, but starting with the basics helps. The classic advice, “Go with what you know,” can be surprisingly useful.

Photo by UX Indonesia on Unsplash

If you’re unsure where to begin, consider these steps:

1. Reflect on your interests. Think about the courses, readings, or social issues that excite you. Ask yourself: Which topics do I care about? What questions keep coming to mind?

2. Explore existing research. Read journal articles, recent theses, or news stories in your area of interest. Identify gaps or unresolved questions—understanding what has already been studied will make your planning and execution more efficient.

3. Narrow your focus. Start broad and get more specific:

• Broad: Social media

• Narrow: Instagram and self-esteem

• Specific research question: “How does Instagram influence self-perception among undergraduate students?”

4. Consider feasibility. Ask yourself: Can I access the data I need (e.g., surveys, interviews, public datasets)? Do I have the skills and resources to complete the research? Can I finish it within the available time?

5. Align with a supervisor. Check which professors have expertise or interest in your topic area and discuss your ideas early. They can guide you to refine your focus.

To choose my graduate thesis topic, I used a standard framework to ensure it was focused and researchable. I built on a project from my undergraduate work, exploring the relocation of a local hospital and its impact on social equity and access to care.

I framed my research question: “How can the Narrative Policy Framework and utilitarian ideology evaluate the effectiveness of relocating Saint Paul’s Hospital to the Downtown Eastside?”

I confirmed feasibility by checking data availability, policy documents, and my ability to complete the analysis on time. I also attended town halls and open houses for firsthand insight.

This structured approach let me select a topic that was meaningful, practical, and grounded in both theory and real-world observation. I concluded that relocating the hospital without adequate support was not utilitarian — it caused more harm than good.

Scenario

Jordan, a first-year graduate student, is meeting with their advisor to discuss possible thesis ideas. They’re interested in student success and education but aren’t sure how focused their topic needs to be.

Jordan shares three ideas:

• Improving education for all students

• How technology affects learning in schools

• Why some students struggle academically and how teachers can help

Jordan's advisor raises concerns about their topic suggestions. Their lack of clear focus could make the research process difficult and the writing process significantly longer.

The advisor suggests that Jordan make sure their topic is:

• Specific (focuses on one specific population and learning intervention) ✅

• Measurable (includes a clear outcome and metrics) ✅

What can Jordan do?

Jordan can take a few practical steps:

1. Strengthen their thesis topic by narrowing their focus.

2. Clarify exactly what they want to study.

3. Begin with a specific research question that identifies a clear population, outcome, and feasible method for collecting data.

4. Meet with their advisor to discuss scope, available resources, and methodological options can help ensure the project is realistic and well supported.

By refining the topic early and aligning it with their supervisor’s expertise, Jordan can develop a focused, manageable study that sets them up for success.

Jordan takes this advice and drafts a new research question and thesis topic:

What is the impact of a daily 15-minute, small-group phonics intervention on the reading fluency outcomes of Grade 2 students in one urban elementary school, as measured by pre- and post-intervention standardized fluency assessments over a 10-week period?

Choosing a thesis topic is both a creative and strategic process.

Using this approach ensures your thesis topic is meaningful, manageable, and grounded in both theory and practical research.

Whether you choose to start small and expand, or begin with the big ideas and narrow your focus, there are frameworks and steps available to support you.