bachelor thesis concept art

Framing the Value of Concept Art An insight into the applicability and development of concept art in the game industry

• Thesis for: Master of Science
• Advisor: Zoran Arizanovic

• Breda University of Applied Sciences

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Best Concept Art Schools & Colleges For Top-Notch Training

If becoming a professional concept artist is your life’s dream, or if you’re just starting to look into career options, you’ve probably considered art school.

You probably have a lot of questions too.

You might be wondering: what is concept art and how is it different from other types of creative art or entertainment art ?

What skills does a concept artist need?

Do you need to go to art school to make it in the industry?

And if you really prefer schooling, what’s the best art school for you?

We get it. The concept art industry is competitive and artists need to be at the top of their game to stand out. Formal training and academic credentials can definitely help a lot.

So let’s try answering these questions and examine some of the top concept art schools out there to see which path might fit best for you and your career.

Do You Need A Degree To Get Into Concept Art?

The short answer is no.

Most game and film studios care more about your experience and your portfolio.

However, a lot of working artists in the field have a degree in a relevant field like fine arts, illustration, graphic design, or film. Some studios will specifically look for potential hires with degrees, and others won’t care.

Many artists choose to pursue a degree or diploma program just to expand their options.

And perhaps the biggest benefit of art school is the connections you make along the way. Who you know is a big factor in breaking into the industry.

Still, you’ll need a killer portfolio and art school can definitely help with that.

Why Go To School For Concept Art?

Some concept artists are self-taught, but many find that it’s more efficient to learn from someone else who has already mastered the art.

Additionally, many aspiring concept artists appreciate the structure and accountability that comes with the classroom.

A good concept art program will give you a solid, well-rounded education in the skills you’ll need as a concept artist and will help you build a strong portfolio.

You’ll encounter opportunities you might not otherwise. Learning directly from the best will put you in contact with some of the top artists in the industry, which will give you an edge against the competition.

Many studios also specifically look for graduates from schools with track records of turning out strong artists. Examples of these schools are listed below.

Whether you decide to attend school for formal education in concept art is entirely up to you. It’s definitely an investment, and only you can decide if that investment is right for you.

We’ve identified some of the top schools for concept art in the world. They vary from accredited universities with traditional undergrad and graduate degrees to smaller private schools that specialize in concept art and offer shorter, concentrated classes or even à la carte courses.

Hold up, what does it mean for a school to be accredited?

Accreditation means that a school has been evaluated by a review board and is deemed to be a high quality education experience.

What does that mean for you?

Accreditation means that your credits and degree will be recognized at other schools, should you decide to transfer to another college or university. Keep in mind that different schools have different graduation requirements, so some credits may not transfer even if you did go to an accredited school.

This doesn’t mean that accredited schools are better than unaccredited ones, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re concerned about credits transferring or if you plan to go after a graduate degree.

Most game studios that care about traditional degrees will prefer that your degree come from an accredited university. But remember, the vast majority of studios do not care how you get good .

They just want to hire someone who can do the job.

Accreditation statuses and requirements change, so if you are concerned about your credits or degree being recognized by other schools makes sure to check with each school’s admissions office.

Now let’s jump into the list!

Note : Tuition prices are listed in local currency and USD. USD prices are based on exchange rates as of 2018.

FZD School of Design

Check Out FZD

Just to give you an idea of how incredible FZD School of Design is, here’s a fun tidbit for you.

According to FZD, 90% of their graduates are currently employed and working in entertainment design. 90%!

That’s an insane number compared to most other higher education programs.

This famous school specializes in concept art and their program is only a year long, so this is an excellent choice is you’re ready to go all-in on your concept art dreams.

Located in Singapore, FZD focuses on building the foundations before diving into a rigorous program that’s known for turning out incredibly skilled artists. The foundations set your framework for developing long-term skills related to 2D or 3D concept art(or even both!)

The year-long program is broken into 3 trimesters of 15 weeks each, with two weeks of break in between.

The first term is all about the fundamentals and focuses on sketching, visual communication concepts, elements and principles of art & design, working with digital programs, and general studio time.

You’ll get intensive training in vital skills like perspective, rendering different materials, value, light, etc.

The second term steps things up with more challenging design projects, introducing limitations and goals similar to what you’d encounter working in a real studio. Learning to design amazing work within the constraints of a project is a crucial skill to develop.

You’ll also sharpen your skills in visual communication and learn to curate your own visual library .

Third term students narrow their focus and start building their professional portfolios. This is where artists really develop their style and skills in design presentation.

The focus here is on professionalism, quality, and independence. Students learn how to handle big projects on their own and how to present their work during a job interview.

Though this school is located in Singapore, many find it worth relocating because it produces such incredible, industry-ready artists that have an edge over the competition. Plus it’s only a one year program so it’s not a lengthy commitment.

If you want to get a genuine perspective of what it’s like studying here check out this interview we published with alum Darius Kalinauskas. He shares every tidbit from his experience at FZD and offers an honest take on what it’s like attending as a new student.

Entrance requirements here are strict.

FZD requires a portfolio, an interview process, professional recommendation letters, a test, and applicants are required to be deemed mentally and physically well enough to attempt the program.

It sounds scary, but it’s just because this is an intense art program that can only take so many students.

That being said, this is not the school for casual concept artists who aren’t sure what they want. It is intense. Think boot camp for concept artists. No wonder so many students land jobs.

Alumni currently work in companies such as Dreamworks and Arkane Studios, and were concept artists on projects like Ghost in the Shell, Call of Duty, Red Sparrow, Star Wars Battlefront, and many others.

Important Info:

Location : Singapore

Tuition(Singapore residents) : 35,000 SGD ($25,650 USD) Tuition(international students) : 42,000 SGD ($30,700 USD) Equipment, Visa, and administrative fees not included.

Program Length : 1 year

Accredited? FZD is registered with the Council of Private Education, but credits may or may not transfer to US schools. Make sure to check with any prospective US schools to be sure.

Check Out ArtCenter

Pasadena’s ArtCenter offers several different undergrad degrees centered on art and design. The best option for a would-be concept artists is their entertainment design program .

The entertainment design program offers three tracks: Concept Design, Animation, and Game Design.

All three of these programs cover digital art and concept design so any would be an excellent choice for aspiring concept artists, just depending on their career aspirations.

For most concept artists the concept track is a solid choice. But it’s worth looking into the others if you want to learn 3D work or get into movies vs video games.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these tracks.

The concept track focuses on foundational art skills such as drawing and sculpting, illustration, industrial design, and 3D rendering.

Students on this track take lots of drawing, painting, and sculpting courses as well as classes on designing subjects like characters, costumes, props, and vehicles. Business and art direction courses are included, and students finish off their degree with a senior project.

Unlike the other tracks, the game design track covers programming which will be useful if you’re interested in the whole pipeline of game development.

In addition to learning all aspects of game design and game building, students learn concept art specifically for games.

Courses in this track include art and drawing courses, but mostly focus on game design and development, storytelling, and audio/VFX stuff. Students finish the program with their own game project.

The animation track includes some drawing courses, but focuses more on 2D and 3D mechanics, storytelling , acting, and 3D modeling. Plus it covers a whole lot of animating too.

All students finish their degree with a thesis project.

Since this is an accredited four year school, all undergrads must also earn general education credits in areas such as English, math, science, humanities, and so on.

Location : Pasadena, California.

Undergraduate Tuition : $21,408 (per term) Graduate Tuition : $22,625 (per term) ArtCenter offers some scholarships. They’re an accredited school so you can also fill out a FAFSA for financial aid.

Program Length : Traditional four-year undergrad degrees. Program length varies depending on full time or part time enrollment.

Accredited? Yes

Concept Design Academy

Check Out Concept Design Academy

CDA’s curriculum puts heavy emphasis on drawing and the fundamentals of art.

Courses include anatomical drawing, portrait drawing, animal drawing, perspective, lighting, landscape painting, vehicle design, creature design, and a whole lot more.

You can actually find a really great list on their curriculum page or contact the school directly if you want to get more details on anything.

Students can enroll in as few or as many courses as they like. Since this is a private school without accreditation, the courses are meant for skill building and portfolio development only .

This may sound like a lesser option than a larger school like ArtCenter. But you have to remember two of the most important factors when getting a job as a concept artist:

• Quality of portfolio
• Who you know

Concept Design Academy will help you develop a rock-solid portfolio and you’ll likely meet some great people along the way.

There is no specific path to follow but it’s worth taking a look at their suggested curriculum tracks to get an idea of which courses would suit your goals.

CDA has outlined a general concept art track, a character design track, an environmental design track, and a storyboard track.

In many cases the entertainment industry cares more about your portfolio and experience than an accredited degree, and this school will definitely give you a killer portfolio.

This is also a nice option if you already have a degree and want to build some new skills to further your education or make a career change.

Location : Pasadena, California

Tuition : Varies depending on which courses you take. Each ten week course ranges from $700-$1100, while shorter half-day workshops are usually less than $100.

CDA has a tuition reimbursement program if you are part of the Animation Guild, Costume Designer’s Guild, or Art Director’s Guild.

There’s also a multi-course discount.

Rough estimated tuition to follow any of their pre-designed tracks would range between $10,000-$20,000 USD.

Program Length : Average length ranges between 1-2 years. But it varies heavily based on your needs and level of attendance. Students enroll in courses based on a pick & choose system rather than participating in a set program, although CDA does offer suggestions for curriculum for certain focuses.

Accredited? No

Academy of Art University

Check Out AoAU

Academy of Art University offers several programs in art and design, but the best choices for aspiring concept artists are their Illustration program and their Visual Development program.

Both of these are offered on campus in San Francisco as well as online.

Since these are accredited four year degrees they also include general-ed studies like language, science, and humanities.

This is a very good choice if you want if you want a traditional bachelor’s degree with actual value to concept art work.

Since this is an accredited school your credits and degree will transfer to other accredited schools if you ever want to switch or go to grad school.

It’s also a good option if you’re at a beginner level and want a comprehensive start-to-finish program to bring your work up to a professional level.

The illustration and visual development programs both focus on art foundations, tools and techniques, presentation ability, and creative skills on working within a client’s specifications.

This college also works with students to develop a career plan and offers courses that teach the necessary skills to land work in the industry.

In addition to creating high-quality portfolios, students in both programs develop their own signature style which can make them a more sought-after professional in the industry.

Overall the education is superb and this is certainly one of the better accredited options much like ArtCenter.

Location : San Francisco, California.

Tuition : Undergrad full-time per academic year: $23,757 (does not include housing).

You can fill out a FAFSA like you would for any other accredited school to apply for grants, loans, and work study positions. The university also offers scholarships and grants of their own.

Program Length : 4 years

Check Out Syn Studio

Syn Studio Art School Montreal is located in the downtown core of the city, a famous hub for art and game studios.

The school organizes events such as student art shows and portfolio reviews which help students get their art in front of the public and people in the industry looking for new hires.

Students begin with studies in concept sketching, anatomy , and visual communications, then move into more specific instructions related to specialties in concept art.

These include creature design, character design, environmental design, props, vehicles, and how to develop creative skills to craft any of these subjects for a real project.

Syn Studio’s program finishes with a course specifically geared towards helping students succeed in the industry.

Also this includes one-on-one coaching with industry professionals along with professional studio tours, demos from famous concept artists, and access to industry parties. It’s a fantastic school for developing art skills and getting your name out there.

Syn Studio prides itself on its friendly atmosphere, cozy art studio feel, and an environment where students are free to explore and grow as artists. Yet there’s also a clear learning structure that helps students understand deadlines and project requirements.

Syn Studio demands a high level of commitment but promises a world of positivity, opportunity, and support.

Graduates are currently employed at major studios like Warner Brothers, Ubisoft, Cartoon Network, and Gameloft.

Location : Montreal, Canada

Tuition : $35,995 CAD total for the entire program ($27,260 USD)

Program Length : 18 months

Accredited? Syn Studio is accredited by The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Research of Quebec, but credits may not transfer to US schools. Make sure to check with any prospective US schools to see if they’ll accept Syn Studio course credits.

CG Spectrum

Check Out CG Spectrum

CG Spectrum is a completely online school that specializes in personalized education from industry professionals.

This is not a brick and mortar school so it’s not exactly a “college” in this sense. But it still deserves a spot on our list because it’s an excellent choice if you want to get into professional concept art and develop your skills for a career, but you aren’t able relocate or attend school full time.

The school bases its learning system on exercises and homework from industry mentors . Students can enroll in the courses alone and receive one-on-one attention from their mentor that runs the course, or they can enroll in a group course with others studying online in a classroom setting.

Even if students take courses solo they’ll have opportunities to interact with other students, so they get the best of both worlds! However it does cost more for private lessons.

CG Spectrum offers diploma programs in VFX, game design, 3D animation & modeling, and concept art .

The best part is that each diploma program comes with a prior “intro” course to prepare newbies for more advanced learning. This means you can get started with almost no experience and learn everything you need right from CG Spectrum.

Now their structure is a little unusual. The intro courses run for six months which are divided into two periods with a break in between.

The diploma programs last ten months and are divided into three periods with breaks in between.

So instead of taking a bunch of different classes in different subjects, students take one big course that covers all the necessary elements on a week-by-week schedule.

For both intro courses and diploma programs, assignments are given on a weekly basis and critiqued. Each week students log into the learning dashboard to watch pre-recorded lectures and get the assignments for that week.

Students can do this on their own time which makes CG Spectrum a viable option for artists who already work a full-time job and cannot commit all day to studying.

So after each lesson the students complete a first pass of the assignment and submit it to their mentor for feedback.

After that students do a second pass of the assignment and submit their final draft by the end of the week. They’ll receive a recorded video of the instructor’s critique on that which is very detailed.

Most instructor/mentor(same thing) critiques include recorded videos of the instructor fixing the student’s working file . This is huge since you can actually see how a professional would approach each exercise, fix mistakes, and handle such a project in an industry setting.

This way, students get a firsthand look at a professional workflow and thought process.

This pattern of submitting drafts and receiving critiques mimics the structure of most industry projects too.

Although these courses aren’t fully self-paced, the lectures and projects can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection and they can be completed on your own time. As long as you’re meeting deadlines for assignments you’re good.

This makes the classes easy to fit around a hectic work schedule.

We wrote a very detailed review of CG Spectrum’s concept art diploma course if you wanna check that out. You can see previews of the exercises and how the learning process works.

Large studios specifically look to CG Spectrum for new applicants to fill their junior positions. Alumni are employed at studios like Dreamworks, Sony Animation, Ubisoft, and Riot Games.

And it should be mentioned that every single mentor that teaches for CG Spectrum has industry experience . Every single one.

Mentors have worked on big name projects like James Cameron’s Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, Frozen, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Incredibles, and the Harry Potter movies.

Location : Online

Tuition : $2895 for a 6 month group intro course $7795 for a 10 month group diploma program

Payment plans are available for all courses so you can pay upfront or on a monthly schedule.

Program Length : 6-12 months

Author: McKella Sawyer

McKella is an artist and freelance writer from Salt Lake City, Utah. When she isn't painting or writing for clients she loves to write fiction, travel, and explore the mountains near her home either on foot, horseback, or a mountain bike. You can view her art on Etsy and her writing services at TheCafeWordsmith.com .

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Home > Student Work > Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios Collections > DMAC Theses & Portfolios > 146

Digital Media Arts College (DMAC) Theses and Portfolios

A concept art thesis.

Christopher Perez , Lynn University

Date of Award

Document type, degree name.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Degree Program

Computer Animation

Digital Media Arts College (DMAC)

Content Description

2 DVDs; Image Profile (Print); 1st DVD contains: Unable to open up DVD. 2nd DVD contains: 2 MOV Files w/ simple background music; Final Thesis w/ illustrations (Print, PDF, & Word).

Please contact the Lynn University Archives to view.

Recommended Citation

Perez, Christopher, "A Concept Art Thesis" (2010). Digital Media Arts College (DMAC) Theses and Portfolios . 146. https://spiral.lynn.edu/dmac_etds/146

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Studiengang

Game design.

Four explorative levels based on shaders by Walter Sänger.

This artistic-technical work evaluates the use of shader technologies for the creation of interactive spatial structures. 

2014, Supervisor: Brandhorst

Visual development for a 3rd-person game by Sebastian Gromann

The concepts of this bachelor thesis unfold before us the magical world of a fictional Africa. Here you can see the wooden walkways that lead the players across the grassland.

2015, Supervisor: Brandhorst

"The Adventures of Isaac Belarsky", Philipp Scherer

One who stirs up dirt - that's Isaac Belarsky. The authentic-looking world transports us to the America of the 1910s. A bachelor's thesis that shines with numerous visualisations of the game world and uses the latest production methods.

CONCRETE MEMORY

Concept, design and realisation of a level by Daniel Wunderlich.

Ruins of radical, modern architecture in the midst of a dominating landscape - A cleverly designed Guidance enables the exploration of the world with ever new sensations and viewpoints of the architectural complex.

PANTU‘S SMEAR

Visual Development, Production Design and Realisation by Caty Davis Blättermann

Japan in the 60s in low-poly style - This bachelor thesis shows the development of a mobile-compatible environment using the example of a street scene.

"A journey across Kamakura", Pham Hac Hai Pham 

This artistic bachelor thesis deals with game-like compositions for keyframes and concept illustrations using the example of a Japan setting.

Visual development for a 3rd-person game with a focus on prop design by Kirill Barybin.

An icy landscape in which the protagonist can only survive with the help of his snowmobile. This piece of work visualises the character, his game world and numerous pieces of equipment.

2015, Supervisor Brandhorst

EXPERIMENTAL GAME DESIGN

"Exploration of Nonlinear Systems, Swarm Behaviour and Genetics for Game Mechanisms", Sven Gorholt

This bachelor thesis shows the possible use of agent-based programming for game systems in several explorative prototypes.

2015, Supervisor: Bremer

"Conception, visualisation and implementation of props for a defined setting" by Aljona Bulgar.

This bachelor thesis focuses on the 3D workflow for games with high-visual content. The fictional research centre ARC functions as a test environment for a game environment.

"The dynamic representation of ageing processes by means of texture blending" by Neda Rajaeean 

The subject of this artistic-technical work is the creation of a 3D scenery for which an ageing process is dynamically represented over several years by means of a shader and associated textures. 

Bachelor thesis

The GAME DESIGN degree programme concludes with a Bachelor's thesis on the subject area of games. As a rule, the work is started in the 7th semester. In the module Design Project (B24), a work piece is worked on, which is subsequently elaborated and documented with the Bachelor's Thesis (B25). Finally, students organise a joint exhibition (B26) to present the workpieces and the documentation to their fellow students and the public. In the context of this exhibition, the so-called defence (final colloquium) before the examination board also takes place.

The processing time for the Bachelor's thesis comprises a total of 18 weeks for the design project and the Bachelor's thesis.

Themes and types

The Bachelor's thesis can be written as a scientific paper or as an artistic or technical-artistic paper.

The scientific thesis deals with a question in the form of a written paper, which is submitted with a length of approx. 80,000 characters. Exemplary topics: Game system analysis, conception and evaluation of game thinking applications or comparison of monetisation concepts and others.

The artistic or technical-artistic work consists of a workpiece, its visual presentation and an accompanying written documentation with a volume of approx. 30,000 characters. We recommend submitting this in the form of a so-called Art Book, in which the written part is integrated or attached as a separate written supplement. Exemplary topics: Visual development and production design for games, conception and implementation of module systems, game prototypes, conception and development of shaders and environments and more.

QUICK LINKS

Social media.

Bachelor Thesis Survey (Concept Art - Game Dev 2D Assets)

Additionally you get a chance to look at the final product through a Unity Webplayer

I hope you’ll enjoy what you see and we kindly appreciate any kind of feedback. (:

I’m surprised webplayer played in my browser at all! OP - are you using an older version of Unity - pre Unity5?

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For discussion of all things Malazan and their authors Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont

I did concept art of Darujhistan for my bachelor thesis. Here's the main view on the city, what do you think?

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How to Choose an Undergraduate Architecture Thesis Topic

• Written by Suneet Zishan Langar
• Published on September 11, 2017

As architecture students head to their final year of BArch, half-crazy from years’ worth of scraped fingers, ghastly juries, sleepless nights, and a general lack of social life, they encounter the mighty problem of choosing a thesis topic. There are many subjects to choose from, but a personal interest in a particular subject is just one of the many factors that should influence this decision. Students need to ask themselves several other questions: Is the topic significant enough? Is it expansive enough? Is the project realistically doable?

The process can be daunting, for the decision has many consequences; sometimes, the choice of topic alone can mean the difference between the success and failure of a thesis. With so many factors to consider and deadlines closing in, students easily end up making decisions that they regret later. Here are eight tips to help you make an informed choice on the matter:

1. Dare to Be Un original

Thesis work at the undergraduate level strongly differs from that at the graduate or doctoral level, and it is important to understand the rationale behind its inclusion in the curriculum. Work at the graduate or doctoral level usually asks for the identification of a “gap in existing knowledge” about a subject and an original proposal to bridge that gap, but the expectations of an undergraduate student are less demanding. This means that you don’t necessarily have to go out of your way to be innovative at the undergraduate level. Choosing a simple unoriginal topic but executing it in a way that exhibits all the knowledge you’ve acquired in college will also do the trick.

2. Choose a Topic that Personally Interests You

With your peers picking varied topics and schedules, this year will be lonesome; the most you will have for company on an average day is a drawing board, your laptop, some books, and coffee. You will find yourself routinely getting distracted by Buzzfeed ’s latest video on Youtube or the cool new Drake track. Choosing a topic that you’re passionate about will make sure that you stay inspired and motivated to work, which should ultimately result in a great final project.

3. Set Your Scope Small

Many students give in to the natural temptation to do too much by picking topics or issues that are too expansive, and therefore almost impossible to execute in a short time-frame. A tip would be to start with the simplest version of a topic and add in extra complexity later if the circumstances allow it.

4. Recognize What You’re Good at

Every student possesses a unique set of skills and abilities which they’ve acquired through their experiences and by following their interests. No one is good at everything. An unbiased understanding of your creative and technical capacities and their limits thereof will allow you to choose a topic that best employs your expertise.

5. Is There Enough Existing Literature on the Topic?

A thesis project requires an enormous amount of reading and analysis before the beginning of the design process, and the primary source of reference information for an undergraduate student is usually existing studies or research. Hence, it makes sense to choose an area of study where a substantial amount of previous work exists. The availability of such work will enable you to analyze, compare, draw conclusions, and employ the knowledge gained to suggest an informed proposal.

6. Strike a Balance Between Art and Science

Architecture students dig themselves a grave when they begin to romanticize their thesis projects. It is hard to blame them, however, when you consider that the thesis project is viewed as the culmination of a multi-year program which is rooted as deeply in art and theory as it is in building technology. But it’s imperative to find a topic that is a balance of the two. A topic that seems too abstract might make it difficult for a jury to ascertain a student’s understanding of tangible issues.

7. What Do You Want to Do in the Future?

The thesis project is the single most important part of your portfolio as a fresh architecture graduate looking for a job in the industry or applying for a graduate program. The choice of topic will reflect your interest in or experience with a particular specialized subject. Hence, when choosing a thesis topic, you should try to align it with your plans for the near future.

8. Aim to Solve a Real World Problem

While there are many wide-ranging opinions about architecture’s ideal role in society, there is a general agreement that an architect’s work does influence how a society functions and evolves. In a world that is grappling with myriad serious issues like climate change, population growth, and an inequitable distribution of resources, it benefits young architecture students to acquaint themselves with the larger picture, and to choose a topic that at least aims to solve a current socio-environmental problem through a design intervention.

• Sustainability

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• Dissertation

How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Introduction

Published on September 7, 2022 by Tegan George and Shona McCombes. Revised on November 21, 2023.

The introduction is the first section of your thesis or dissertation , appearing right after the table of contents . Your introduction draws your reader in, setting the stage for your research with a clear focus, purpose, and direction on a relevant topic .

Your introduction should include:

• Your topic, in context: what does your reader need to know to understand your thesis dissertation?
• Your focus and scope: what specific aspect of the topic will you address?
• The relevance of your research: how does your work fit into existing studies on your topic?
• Your questions and objectives: what does your research aim to find out, and how?
• An overview of your structure: what does each section contribute to the overall aim?

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Table of contents

How to start your introduction, topic and context, focus and scope, relevance and importance, questions and objectives, overview of the structure, thesis introduction example, introduction checklist, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about introductions.

Although your introduction kicks off your dissertation, it doesn’t have to be the first thing you write — in fact, it’s often one of the very last parts to be completed (just before your abstract ).

It’s a good idea to write a rough draft of your introduction as you begin your research, to help guide you. If you wrote a research proposal , consider using this as a template, as it contains many of the same elements. However, be sure to revise your introduction throughout the writing process, making sure it matches the content of your ensuing sections.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Begin by introducing your dissertation topic and giving any necessary background information. It’s important to contextualize your research and generate interest. Aim to show why your topic is timely or important. You may want to mention a relevant news item, academic debate, or practical problem.

After a brief introduction to your general area of interest, narrow your focus and define the scope of your research.

You can narrow this down in many ways, such as by:

• Geographical area
• Time period
• Demographics or communities
• Themes or aspects of the topic

It’s essential to share your motivation for doing this research, as well as how it relates to existing work on your topic. Further, you should also mention what new insights you expect it will contribute.

Start by giving a brief overview of the current state of research. You should definitely cite the most relevant literature, but remember that you will conduct a more in-depth survey of relevant sources in the literature review section, so there’s no need to go too in-depth in the introduction.

Depending on your field, the importance of your research might focus on its practical application (e.g., in policy or management) or on advancing scholarly understanding of the topic (e.g., by developing theories or adding new empirical data). In many cases, it will do both.

Ultimately, your introduction should explain how your thesis or dissertation:

• Helps solve a practical or theoretical problem
• Addresses a gap in the literature
• Builds on existing research
• Proposes a new understanding of your topic

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Perhaps the most important part of your introduction is your questions and objectives, as it sets up the expectations for the rest of your thesis or dissertation. How you formulate your research questions and research objectives will depend on your discipline, topic, and focus, but you should always clearly state the central aim of your research.

If your research aims to test hypotheses , you can formulate them here. Your introduction is also a good place for a conceptual framework that suggests relationships between variables .

• Conduct surveys to collect data on students’ levels of knowledge, understanding, and positive/negative perceptions of government policy.
• Determine whether attitudes to climate policy are associated with variables such as age, gender, region, and social class.
• Conduct interviews to gain qualitative insights into students’ perspectives and actions in relation to climate policy.

To help guide your reader, end your introduction with an outline  of the structure of the thesis or dissertation to follow. Share a brief summary of each chapter, clearly showing how each contributes to your central aims. However, be careful to keep this overview concise: 1-2 sentences should be enough.

I. Introduction

Human language consists of a set of vowels and consonants which are combined to form words. During the speech production process, thoughts are converted into spoken utterances to convey a message. The appropriate words and their meanings are selected in the mental lexicon (Dell & Burger, 1997). This pre-verbal message is then grammatically coded, during which a syntactic representation of the utterance is built.

Speech, language, and voice disorders affect the vocal cords, nerves, muscles, and brain structures, which result in a distorted language reception or speech production (Sataloff & Hawkshaw, 2014). The symptoms vary from adding superfluous words and taking pauses to hoarseness of the voice, depending on the type of disorder (Dodd, 2005). However, distortions of the speech may also occur as a result of a disease that seems unrelated to speech, such as multiple sclerosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This study aims to determine which acoustic parameters are suitable for the automatic detection of exacerbations in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by investigating which aspects of speech differ between COPD patients and healthy speakers and which aspects differ between COPD patients in exacerbation and stable COPD patients.

Checklist: Introduction

I have introduced my research topic in an engaging way.

I have provided necessary context to help the reader understand my topic.

I have clearly specified the focus of my research.

I have shown the relevance and importance of the dissertation topic .

I have clearly stated the problem or question that my research addresses.

I have outlined the specific objectives of the research .

I have provided an overview of the dissertation’s structure .

You've written a strong introduction for your thesis or dissertation. Use the other checklists to continue improving your dissertation.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

The introduction of a research paper includes several key elements:

• A hook to catch the reader’s interest
• Relevant background on the topic
• Details of your research problem

and your problem statement

• A thesis statement or research question
• Sometimes an overview of the paper

Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.

This is because it can be easier to introduce your paper once you’ve already written the body ; you may not have the clearest idea of your arguments until you’ve written them, and things can change during the writing process .

Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.

They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.

Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .

To define your scope of research, consider the following:

• Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
• Your proposed timeline and duration
• Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
• Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

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George, T. & McCombes, S. (2023, November 21). How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Introduction. Scribbr. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/introduction-structure/

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