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Graduate-Level Writing Tips: Definitions, Do’s and Don’ts

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Debra Davenport, PhD

In your communication master’s program, you will be expected to demonstrate well-honed writing skills in your essays. Your courses will require proficiency in real-world business communications, as well as scholarly writing and the use of APA formatting.

Real-world written business communications may include:

  • Executive summaries
  • News releases
  • Media advisories
  • Company fact sheets
  • Business reports

Academic papers are those you will write in your courses that:

  • Review and discuss the scholarly literature
  • Synthesize theories, models and course readings
  • Present critical analysis, research and scholarly insight in an objective manner
  • Are formatted according to APA standards
  • Are written in the scholarly voice

What Is the Scholarly Voice?

Essentially, the scholarly voice is unbiased, high-level and evidence-based writing that reflects the epitome of good grammar, syntax and tone. Follow the do’s and don’ts below to excel at this format in your graduate school essays.

Scholarly Resources:

  • https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/683/1/
  • http://blog.apastyle.org/
  • http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice
  • http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/tone

The “Do’s” of Scholarly Writing

1. Use proper syntax. Syntax is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.” Syntax is an important aspect of writing that helps to ensure clarity. Incorrect syntax often results in sentences and paragraphs that do not make sense, and this can pose serious perceptual issues for professional communicators. See this article for a number of examples.

2. Follow the rules of punctuation. Common errors include incorrect placement of quotation marks and erroneous use of the semicolon. As an example, note that quotation marks follow periods and commas, (“The sky is blue.”)

3. Include references, citations and /or footnotes, no matter what kind of document you’re writing. Taking the time to locate sources that substantiate your statements demonstrate your proficiency as a scholar-practitioner and your commitment to excellence. Citations are required in your academic papers, but clients also appreciate this attention to detail. When pitching a project or campaign, the inclusion of reputable sources will support your recommendations and boost your own credibility.

4. Proofread and edit your work. Many errors are missed during the first proofread; be prepared to review your work multiple times.

The “Don’ts” in Scholarly Writing

1. Don’t write in the second person narrative. The second person voice is typically used in articles like this one, where the writer is intending to inform and instruct. According to WritingCommons.org , “writing from the second person point of view can weaken the effectiveness of the writing in research and argument papers. Using second person can make the work sound as if the writer is giving directions or offering advice to his or her readers, rather than informing [them].”

Here is a comparison of second and third person perspectives from WritingCommons.org:

  • Weak: You should read the statistics about the number of suicides that happen to your average victim of bullying! (2nd person)
  • Stronger: The statistics from a variety of research reports indicate that the suicide rate is high among victims of bullying; they are under so much psychological pressure that they may resort to taking their own lives. (3rd person)

2. Don’t rely on software to correct your writing. Certainly, tools such as spell check, grammar check and grammarly have some benefit, but they cannot replace firsthand knowledge and mastery of proper writing. I recall one particular paper I received several years ago that was, quite literally, gibberish. When I inquired about the content of the student’s paper, she replied, “Well, I used grammar check!”

Don’t hesitate to seek writing coaching if you have questions or concerns about any aspect of good writing. As graduate students in a masters-level communication program, writing excellence should be a top priority.

By taking an informed and proactive approach to your writing, you will strengthen your academic performance, hone your professional and communication skills and enhance your career.

Dr. Debra Davenport is an online faculty member for Purdue’s online Master of Science in Communication degree program. The program can be completed in just 20 months and covers numerous topics critical for advancement in the communication industry, including crisis communication, social media engagement, focus group planning and implementation, survey design and survey analysis, public relations theory, professional writing, and communication ethics.

Find out more about what you can do with a MS in Communication from Purdue University. Call us today at 877-497-5851 to speak to an admissions advisor, or request more information .

*The views and opinions expressed are of the author and do not represent the Brian Lamb School of Communication.

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APA Writing Guide: Formatting for Graduate Students

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Writing Center

The Liberty University Writing Center is available to provide writing coaching to students. Residential students should contact the  On-Campus Writing Center  for assistance. Online students should contact the  Online Writing Center  for assistance.

General Rules

Liberty University has determined that graduate students will use APA 7’s formatting guidelines for professional papers. To assist you, Liberty University's Writing Center provides a template paper and a  sample paper .

For professional papers, the following four sections are required: 

  • Title Page with Running Head
  • Abstract with Keywords
  • Reference List

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you format your paper:

  • Fonts  - LU recommends that papers be typed in 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri fonts.  
  • Use only one space at the end of each sentence in the body of your paper.
  • In general, APA papers should be double spaced throughout. A list of exceptions can be found here.
  • To make sure that your paper is double spaced throughout,  select the text ,  right click , select ' Paragraph ,' and look under the section ' Line Spacing ' as shown below:

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  • Margins/Alignment  - Your paper should use 1-inch margins on standard-sized paper (8.5' X 11'). Make sure that you use  Align Left  (CTRL + L) on the paper, except for the title page.  
  •   Indentation – The first sentence in each new paragraph in the body of the paper should be indented a half inch. The abstract, however, should not be indented. References use hanging indentation .  
  • Headings:   Please note that all headings are in title case. Level 1 headings should be centered (and in bold), and Level 2 and 3 headings should be left-aligned (and in bold or bold italic, respectively). Level 4 and 5 headings are indented like regular paragraphs. An example of formatting headings in a paper is available here

Title Page: When setting up the professional title page, please note the following elements should be present on the page:

  • There is no limit to the number of words in the title.
  • Add an extra blank double-spaced line between the title and author’s name.
  • Name of each author (centered)
  • Name of department and institution/affiliation (centered)
  • Place the author note in the bottom half of the title page. Center and bold the label “Author Note.” Align the paragraphs of the author note to the left. For an example, see the LU Writing Center template for graduate students here .
  • Page number in top right corner of the header, starting with page 1 on the title page
  • The running head is an abbreviated version of the title of your paper (or the full title if the title is already short).
  • Type the running head in all-capital letters.
  • Ensure the running head is no more than 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
  • The running head appears in the same format on every page, including the first page.
  • Do not use the label “Running head:” before the running head.
  • Align the running head to the left margin of the page header, across from the right-aligned page number.

Abstract Page: The abstract page includes the abstract and related keywords.

The abstract is a brief but comprehensive summary of your paper. Here are guidelines for formatting the abstract:

  • It should be the second page of a professional (graduate level) paper.
  • The first line should say “Abstract” centered and in bold.
  • The abstract should start one line below the section label.
  • It should be a single paragraph and should not be indented.
  • It should not exceed 250 words.

Keywords are used for indexing in databases and as search terms. Your keywords should capture the most important aspects of your paper in three to five words, phrases, or acronyms. Here are formatting guidelines:

  • Label “ Keywords ” one line below the abstract, indented and in italics (not bolded).
  • The keywords should be written on the same line as and one space after the label “ Keywords ”.
  • The keywords should be lowercase (but capitalize proper nouns) and not italic or bold.
  • Each keyword should be separated by a comma and a space and followed by a colon.
  • There should be no ending punctuation.
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  • Last Updated: Aug 29, 2023 11:29 AM
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Student staring at laptop screen as they try to write an assignment

5 tips on writing better university assignments

how to write an assignment at masters level

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

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Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

Hands on a keyboard using the Ctrl C copy function

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

Young woman sitting at desk with laptop and checking notes for assignment

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

Hand holding red pen to edit paper.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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How to write a graduate-level essay

Understand the assignment, 1. identify the verbs in the instructions, 2. identify the key terms, 3. consider the practical instructions for the assignment, 4. consider all this information within the framework of the expectations for academic writing.

  • 2. Create a preliminary document plan
  • 3. Draft your thesis statement
  • 4a. Become familiar with the information landscape
  • 4b. Select the appropriate search tool
  • 4c. Develop effective searches
  • 4d. Beyond keyword searching
  • 4e. Find statistical information
  • 4f. Evaluate the resources you find
  • 4g. Read, absorb, and organize the information you find
  • 5. Finalize your document plan
  • 6. Double-check your research
  • 7. Start writing the first draft
  • 8. Overcome writer's block
  • 9. Revise the draft
  • 10. Edit the draft
  • 11. Prepare the final version
  • 12. Submit the assignment

Word cloud in the shape of a question mark

Assignment descriptions usually contain a lot of information. Often, there is a preamble that establishes the context for the assignment, the actual directions, and then suggested areas of consideration or additional information. As you write more essays, you will develop the skill of understanding what is being asked of you, but when you're first writing papers, deciphering the instructions can sometimes be challenging. To help you break the assignment down, please try the following steps:

Image credit: Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

What are you being asked to do? For example, are you supposed to analyze, consider, compare, reflect, argue, or explain? Identify the verbs in the assignment description, which will help you to determine the type of paper you have to write, such as a personal reflective piece or an analytical or argumentative essay. For more information on how to identify the type of essay your professor expects, as well as information on four essay types, please see Essays .

You have identified the verbs, but now you need to know what you're going to do with those action words. For example, are you supposed to analyze a theory? Apply a philosophy? Compare ideas? Reflect on an experience? Argue a stance? Explain a position?

The assignment description will provide keywords as cues for the direction you should take. Focus on those key words to assist you with developing the framework of what you need to deliver.

  • How many words/pages are expected?
  • Are there specific expectations regarding formatting and referencing sources, such as the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ?
  • How many resources should you refer to in your paper? Should they be course texts, or should you be using other research? Are you restricted to scholarly literature, or can you also use popular sources?
  • What is the deadline for your assignment? For help with budgeting your time to complete the assignment, check out the Assignment Calculator   as well as  I Never Have Enough Time in the Anxiety About Writing guide.
  • Has your instructor provided the learning outcomes for the assignment? Use the description(s) of the outcomes to give you direction in your writing process.

If you're new to academic writing, or it's been a while since you've been in school, please look at Qualities of Academic Writing, which is a section of the Introduction to Academic Writing video.

Want more information?

Visit Examples on the next page of this guide to view two practical examples of how these steps can help to break down an assignment question to its essential elements.

If you're still unclear about the assignment expectations, please speak with your professor.

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  • Last Updated: Feb 6, 2024 4:02 PM
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how to write an assignment at masters level

Writing Masters Level Assignments

A Master’s degree is critically different from a Bachelor’s degree. Though similar on some, Master’s degree will involve a lot of different aspects than a Bachelor’s.

At Master’s level you could be studying one of the many specialised courses offered by Robert Kennedy College, as MBA International Health Management , LLM – Master of Law International Business Law  , MBA Leading Innovation and Change or Master of Science Project Management .

Taught Master’s are usually modular in form, featuring a range of optional modules the student can choose from, with a final dissertation at the end of the course, usually produced over the final semester.

how to write an assignment at masters level

Writing assignments at Master’s level

You must use language appropriate to the academic environment, and a coherent and strong structure to your work is essential. Assignments will be longer at Master’s level, even for unassessed pieces of work. Do not be overwhelmed by larger word counts. Remember, you made a large step up in intensity of work from school to university, so another step-up is well within your capabilities.

Clarity is important. Do not use over-elaborate vocabulary and grammar just because you think you have to. It is more important to be understood.

Time management is crucial for the Master’s student – with a heavier workload you will find that a good weekly plan, and a firm grasp of deadlines, is essential. This is especially true with the dissertation which will be the longest assignment you will have done yet at university, usually covering a period of several months. It is important to set yourself deadlines for drafts.

how to write an assignment at masters level

Here are the various aspects of writing skills that Master’s students should be concentrating on in order to succeed.

THE MASTERS LEVEL

One of the first things most Master’s students notice once they have started is how much more intense a Master’s degree is than an undergraduate degree. It is a less passive experience; you will not be guided as much by the lecturers, and will be expected to think for yourself more.

Master’s requires a new way of approaching academic work, all the groundwork has been done at undergraduate level. Let’s look at the features of a Master’s more closely.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

A Master’s degree is geared towards the delivery of a piece of original research. For research Master’s students this will be your primary focus. For those doing taught Master’s this will form part of all aspects of your degree, not just the final dissertation.

In your original research you should also aim for originality where possible. You are being asked to look at your subject in a fresh and innovative way, and finding a new or underdeveloped area of your subject, or a new way of looking at an established area, will help you gain better marks.

Master’s are not exercises in description. You will need to find a theoretical basis for your work. Many Master’s will run modules on the subject of theory, it is advisable to attend all available classes on the subject of theory as it will help you to form an idea of the theory which surrounds your subject. Theory forms a useful framework to hang your research on.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Another important part of Master’s writing is critical analysis. A critical analysis is one which assesses the quality and usefulness of the sources which you are using in your assignments. This process involves considering all aspects of the source and its contents.

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How to write a Master's Essay

How to write master's  essays like a pro

In view of writing a master’s essay, if academic writing is strange to you or you have never done it before, the prospect of choosing a topic, researching on it, and writing an academic essay can be daunting.

While some imagine that they can take their undergraduate-level writing skills and turn them into a magic wand to ace master’s level assignments, sometimes it doesn’t just cut it. A master’s level essay, for instance, requires a deeper level of independent reasoning, which is best achieved through the tips that we’ve tested, applied, and scored better grades ourselves.

Writing a master’s level assignment follows a step-by-step approach that commences from understanding the assignment to submitting the assignment. Each step is very significant, so try and take some of your time to skim through.

However, if at this point all you want is master’s essay writing help, you can trust our experienced essay writers. They are well-versed in research, writing, and polishing graduate-level assignments.

Undergraduate essay writing vs. Master’s Essay Writing

This guide can be used as an academic essay writing bible for postgraduates. We have refined everything to help you draft, craft, and revise essays at that level when completing your Master’s degree.

We intend to make you write outstanding master’s level essays that meet the expectations of your professors. Remember, when writing your essays, you should draw intellectual findings from texts written by authority researchers in your field, primary data gathered and manipulated by yourself, and logical reasoning.

Besides that, you also need to ensure that your writing demonstrates a high level of mastery, dominance, and intellectual acuity.  Here are some things your essay should portray to differentiate it from undergraduate level work:

1. Show mastery

At the graduate level, it is vital that your writing demonstrated mastery of your subject. For this reason, ensure that you have contextualized the topic and arguments as you meticulously reference scholarly academic sources. In addition, refer to theoretical propositions, paradigms, norms, and themes within your chosen discipline.

2. Let the scope of your paper be known off the bat

It is also helpful that you define and delineate the scope of your graduate paper early enough. While a thesis statement ideally does this, your introduction should conclusively point out your position given the topic or subject area.

A well-defined scope shows that you’ve mastered your academic writing and possess appropriate knowledge in the field – it announces your mastery. Therefore, you must contextualize a given idea when defining your scope.

3. Display independence of thought

Although you need to ensure that your graduate essay has a flow of ideas and demonstrates proficiency, you can only achieve that through the lucid description, evaluation, arguments, and analysis. Doing so shows that you can interpret, understand, critique, and present issues from a peculiar perspective.

As you put your fingers to the keys to write that piece, ensure that you challenge any assumptions and explain the rationale for your stance.

4. Use conceptual thinking and critical reasoning.

While the temptation of critiquing academic literature might creep in, avoid the temptation. Instead, ensure that your arguments are well-interpreted, devoid of bias, and show genuine conceptual engagement from the word go.

5. Have a compelling conclusion

When making claims – persuasive or argumentative, ensure that you draw plausible conclusions. There is no reason to write an entire essay, only to realize later that it is not balanced and ideas are stiff. Instead, by weighing evidence, you can analyze the arguments, develop and defend your position. Then, once you can read your master’s level essay and convince yourself you have nailed it – your audience will be convinced too.

6. Maintain substantial originality/authenticity

As a rule of thumb, you are supposed to acknowledge your sources. Therefore, when writing a graduate and postgraduate essay, you need to display your field knowledge.

One way of doing so is through reading and reporting what is written. You can also achieve the same through evaluating and criticizing, where appropriate.

You can cite publications in your field through summarizing or direct quotations, which entails acknowledging the sources by providing in-text citations and references or bibliography at the end of your assignment.

Although citing and referencing is both arbitrary and complex, it makes you develop better arguments and avoid plagiarism. On the other hand, you do not want to present another person’s work as your own because it is not helpful, you need to develop your conclusion based on research, and it is against the academic regulations.

In as far as master’s level essay is concerned, avoid:

  • Changing some sentences off a text while maintaining vocabulary and structure of the original text
  • Paraphrasing ideas but mixing original content from a text
  • Using phrases or quotes of a text because they are sound
  • Using an argumentative organization of an author because it seems plausible
  • Direct copying of content from a source
  • Making small changes to a paragraph drawn from a source
  • Fixing phrases from a source and piecing them to make an argument

Any of the above revokes the authenticity and originality of your essay. Some of the verbs you can use when reporting the findings or ideas from authors include: claim, speculate, hold, opine, assume, assert, comment, contend, suggest, discuss, report, note, argue, state, show, demonstrate, refute, point out, and many other essay and assignment words and phrases as we have outlined elsewhere in our blog.

At the undergrad level, you scored top grades on essays due to evidence of genuine originality. On the other hand, at a master’s level, you must routinely show originality. It is a means of showing academic perspicacity. Therefore, ensure that you present ideas as per the academic norms.

7. Display excellent research skills

Your academic paper must demonstrate that you researched well. When writing a master’s essay, ensure that you support the arguments with recent research. Maintain using recent sources unless you need primary research conducted in the past for relevance. Sometimes trends do change, and referencing old studies could lead to inaccurate conclusions.

You can extend your scope of reading beyond the list provided by your lecturers. Find scholarly sources that support or refute your arguments and incorporate them as well.

8. Maintain all the academic standards

Academic writing has its conventions : always strive to achieve them. Use the appropriate tone, language, and referencing style. If a paper requires that you use Harvard, APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian format, stick to the tenets of each citation.

9. Observe the 3 Cs

When writing your essay, stick to the 3 Cs: clarity, conciseness, and consistency. Ensure that your main points in the essay are clear. Ensure that you use the concise presentation of ideas instead of using long run-on sentences that make no sense. Avoid fillers and keep your writing as simple as possible. If possible, you can use headings and subheadings but maintain academic conventions.

10. Immaculate organization and presentation

Although trivial, a disorganized and poorly presented essay can cost you your grades. Therefore, ensure that you demonstrate professionalism by maintaining a good flow from introduction to conclusion.

Balance ideas in your paragraphs by maintaining each idea per paragraph. Use transition words to knit together the various paragraphs and maintain flow. You can as well use signal words to make your essay academically sound.

11. Strong editing and proofreading skills

Finally, after all, is said and done, edited and proofread, the essay scores better grades than that which is hurriedly submitted. Check for all the punctuation mechanistic, grammatical, and spelling mistakes. Although basic, such errors can cost you big time. A linguistically sound master’s essay will score the best grades; that’s a given. You can use editors and proofreaders to polish your essay if you are not confident.

Step-by-step process of writing a master’s level essay (assignment)

steps when writing a master's level essay

In a nutshell, while writing a graduate-level essay essentially follows the steps you took during your undergraduate, you need to go the extra mile to convince your professor to give you top grades. The process begins by reading the instructions, internalizing them, researching and drafting, and finally editing and submitting. Below is a detailed step-by-step process to write your Master’s, MBA, or Ph.D. essay and get a good grade.

Step 1 – Understand the instructions.

It would help if you commenced writing the essay by understanding the instructions for the assignment. To do so, read the prompt, rubric, and any accompanying material from your instructor. The assignment description files have everything you will need. If something is not clear, you are always encouraged to ask your instructor early enough before the deadline. In most cases, the class announcements will have clarifications for various assignments. While reading the instructions, identify the verbs, key terms, and referencing instructions.

Step 2 – Create an outline or plan.

With the description decoded, you must take your time to get immersed into your paper. Of course, by now, you have settled for a topic or made a selection of the question that your essay or paper is going to handle.

Therefore, you need to decide what your main argument, the paper's focus, will be about. With this information, you then create a preliminary thesis statement. You need to ask yourself:

  • What are my main ideas in this paper?
  • How do these ideas support my main argument or the thesis statement?

Doing this helps contextualize research, determine the scope of your paper, and know what to put where in your essay.

Along with the thesis, plan on the type of hook you will integrate into the introduction to enthuse your audience to want to read your essay. 

It would help if you then created an outline for your essay, noting down the main points that fall in your essay's introduction, body, and conclusion. Note that, as you become skilled in academic writing, you might often get the temptation of ignoring the planning aspect and going straight to looking for resources for your paper. When such happens, overcome it and do the step.

Step 3 – Come up with a thesis statement.

When creating the preliminary essay or research paper plan, you already have a preliminary thesis statement. Therefore, you only need to polish it to define the scope and direction of your paper strongly.

Remember, a strong thesis statement gives your readers and yourself clear scope of what you are discussing in the paper. For instance, if you are writing about why a certain municipality should eliminate feral cats from the arboretum, you need to identify the ethical method to be used and justifiable reasons for the method.

To write a great thesis statement, think about how you would describe the paper to a layperson or total stranger in one or two sentences. If you have a hard time doing so, you probably need to revisit and refine the thesis.

Step 4 – Research your topic.

As you advance through writing your essay, you need to determine the type of essay that you’ll be writing. For example, is it expository , argumentative , persuasive, analytical, narrative , compare and contrast , or descriptive?

Understanding the type of paper you are writing further helps you know the resources to use when supporting or refuting your stance/arguments. Some papers require gathering and analyzing primary data; make sure you have factored in that one too.

You can then look for books, journal articles, policy briefs, statistical data, newspapers, blogs, legislation, white papers, conference proceedings, periodicals, government documents, and organizational publications. Understand what is scholarly and non-scholarly when searching for sources to use. Also, understand whether a source is primary, secondary, or tertiary and determine its suitability for your paper.

You can begin your search in Google, then proceed to Google Scholar, institutional database, and specialized databases, in that order. This enables you to understand your research, add to your outline to refine it further, and develop better arguments.

Step 5 – Refine your outline.

Now that you’ve gathered the correct data and organized the references using either Word Document or online referencing tools like Citation Machine, BibMe, Citefast, or citethisforme, you need to finalize your outline.

You will be adding flesh to it using the new information from your thinking and research. As you fill in the outline, ensure consistency and sound logic, and flow in your plan from sentence to paragraph level.

Remember, academic paragraphing demands that you discuss only one idea per paragraph. You should also have topic sentences, conclusion sentences, and supporting facts. You also have to use transitions.

Step 6 – Revisit the research.

You then need to double-check your research resources to determine if they still support the thesis. For example, if you rephrased and changed the thesis statement, you need to do further research. As you do this, ensure that your paper is flowing well. Do not mix ideas in the name of filling the pages; this might affect your grades.

Step 7 – Write the first draft.

With the refined outline, you can start writing the first draft of your essay. But, first, ensure that you have all the information needed to organize the flow of your paper.

As you write the paper at this point, do not perfect it so much for later. A draft is supposed to be what its name is, a piece that will be refined later.

Most of your time will be spent drafting the paper. Be wary of writers’ block because it is at this point that it creeps into you uninvited.

Step 8 – Be wary of writer’s block (plan well).

Now, everybody suffers writers’ block when they are working on a paper. How each person handles theirs is what differs. However, when you realize that writer’s block has affected you:

  • Take a break from writing. You can do other things like walking, riding a bike, taking a nap, or swimming to relieve the thought and pressure of a paper.
  • Manage your time well so that you do not stress over a last-minute essay.
  • Check whether you have sufficient information or too much information and come up with a strategy.
  • Seek help from a trustworthy writing website – one where you and the writer work hand-in-hand.
  • Listen to music
  • Brainstorm on how to improve your writing
  • Spend time with people who bring the best out of you
  • Brew some coffee
  • Ask help from your writing center; they can help you get relevant material

The goal is to stay focused. Any way you can achieve these counts at the end of the day.

Step 9 – Revise the draft.

With the preliminary draft in place, you need to revise and edit it to make it a final draft. Here, you should check:

  • Flow of ideas
  • Logic and arguments

This means that you will be mostly rewriting, rewording, paraphrasing, and adding as well as deleting sections. As you revise, ask yourself:

  • Is the essay answering the questions in the prompt?
  • Do I meet the higher band in the essay rubric?
  • Does the paper require a major revision such as deleting, moving, reworking, or paraphrasing a section?
  • Does the content support the thesis statement?
  • Is there a logical flow in the paper?
  • Is the paper grammatically sound?
  • Are the paragraphs logical?
  • Does each paragraph maintain only one idea?
  • Is the work well-cited?
  • Are all the direct quotes balanced and cited?

Step 10 – Edit your Draft

You need to edit the paper for a top grade. Otherwise, all the effort will be in vain. Here are some things to do when editing your master’s essay:

  • Highlight the thesis statement. It is either the last sentence or the last two sentences.
  • Check whether the topic sentences of each paragraph support, expand, or explain the thesis statement.
  • Review the assignment instructions and determine whether your written piece meets the requirements.
  • Sparingly use direct quotations. For example, for a 1000-words essay, you can use one or two direct quotes. However, use parenthetical citations as they show your level of analysis and critical thinking.
  • Ensure that the in-text citations are consistent with your chosen formatting style.
  • Ensure that the cover page follows the chosen format.
  • Make use of spell-checker and grammar checkers to refine the arguments and maintain flow.
  • Reword all the sentences that begin with there is; there are, this is, it is, they are… etc. Reword these sentences to make them begin with a stronger subject. For example, “There are five critical factors to consider” can be better stated as “Five important factors require consideration.” The second sentence is stronger because it has a specific subject and verb. Some sentences cannot be reworded, so leave those as they are.
  • Edit random paragraphs in the paper to focus on what is actually on the page versus what you think is there.
  • Read each paragraph aloud. You will be surprised how many minor errors you can catch with this method of self-editing. For example,  errors like mistyping “form” instead of “from” or “hen” instead of “then” are easier to find when you read out loud.

When editing the paper, focus on the thesis, purpose, audience, organization and flow, ideas (examples, citations, and evidence), sentence structuring, punctuation, word choice, spelling, and grammar.

Step 11 – Prepare the Final Draft

Now that everything is in its rightful place, you need to do the last ritual before submitting the paper.

  • Create a relevant cover page for your essay
  • Compare the final essay against your outline or essay plan
  • Check if the changes you made still make the paper relevant to the instructions
  • Fix all the minor errors
  • Read the paper loud
  • Allow someone to revise, edit, and proofread your paper. Gradecrest has the best editing and proofreading services .
  • Ensure that the paper reflects your understanding and knowledge of the subject matter

Step 12 – Submit the Right Assignment

Countercheck your assignment to ensure that the instructions are followed. Also, check that every detail is covered as per the rubric. For example, your personal information should be on the first page, as per your recommended cover page and format.

If everything is okay, click on the submit button. Most institutions have integrated plagiarism checkers to check every submission. If you wrote your essay from scratch or had help from an expert, you need not worry about plagiarism. Otherwise, avoid pre-written essays as they are full of plagiarism.

There you go, sit back, relax, and wait for that good grade.

Parting Shot

Writing a master’s essay is not a walk in the park. At first, it might seem like a distant idea, but soon as you master the steps above, you can even write an 8-page essay in a day. It is possible; our expert essay writers do this when you pay them to write your essays.

Now, we hope that these insights will enable you to perfect your essay writing skills. You can as well check our general essay writing guide for details we probably missed in this guide.

Otherwise, if you have any questions or need help, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

how to write an assignment at masters level

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

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5 Tips for writing a critical essay

The following table provides a helpful summary of key questions you should ask yourself as you prepare an essay that demonstrates the level of criticality expected at postgraduate level. The suggestions in the ‘do’ and ‘don’t’ columns are equally important so pay attention to suggestions.

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How to Write a Perfect Assignment: Step-By-Step Guide

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Table of contents

  • 1 How to Structure an Assignment?
  • 2.1 The research part
  • 2.2 Planning your text
  • 2.3 Writing major parts
  • 3 Expert Tips for your Writing Assignment
  • 4 Will I succeed with my assignments?
  • 5 Conclusion

How to Structure an Assignment?

To cope with assignments, you should familiarize yourself with the tips on formatting and presenting assignments or any written paper, which are given below. It is worth paying attention to the content of the paper, making it structured and understandable so that ideas are not lost and thoughts do not refute each other.

If the topic is free or you can choose from the given list — be sure to choose the one you understand best. Especially if that could affect your semester score or scholarship. It is important to select an  engaging title that is contextualized within your topic. A topic that should captivate you or at least give you a general sense of what is needed there. It’s easier to dwell upon what interests you, so the process goes faster.

To construct an assignment structure, use outlines. These are pieces of text that relate to your topic. It can be ideas, quotes, all your thoughts, or disparate arguments. Type in everything that you think about. Separate thoughts scattered across the sheets of Word will help in the next step.

Then it is time to form the text. At this stage, you have to form a coherent story from separate pieces, where each new thought reinforces the previous one, and one idea smoothly flows into another.

Main Steps of Assignment Writing

These are steps to take to get a worthy paper. If you complete these step-by-step, your text will be among the most exemplary ones.

The research part

If the topic is unique and no one has written about it yet, look at materials close to this topic to gain thoughts about it. You should feel that you are ready to express your thoughts. Also, while reading, get acquainted with the format of the articles, study the details, collect material for your thoughts, and accumulate different points of view for your article. Be careful at this stage, as the process can help you develop your ideas. If you are already struggling here, pay for assignment to be done , and it will be processed in a split second via special services. These services are especially helpful when the deadline is near as they guarantee fast delivery of high-quality papers on any subject.

If you use Google to search for material for your assignment, you will, of course, find a lot of information very quickly. Still, the databases available on your library’s website will give you the clearest and most reliable facts that satisfy your teacher or professor. Be sure you copy the addresses of all the web pages you will use when composing your paper, so you don’t lose them. You can use them later in your bibliography if you add a bit of description! Select resources and extract quotes from them that you can use while working. At this stage, you may also create a  request for late assignment if you realize the paper requires a lot of effort and is time-consuming. This way, you’ll have a backup plan if something goes wrong.

Planning your text

Assemble a layout. It may be appropriate to use the structure of the paper of some outstanding scientists in your field and argue it in one of the parts. As the planning progresses, you can add suggestions that come to mind. If you use citations that require footnotes, and if you use single spacing throughout the paper and double spacing at the end, it will take you a very long time to make sure that all the citations are on the exact pages you specified! Add a reference list or bibliography. If you haven’t already done so, don’t put off writing an essay until the last day. It will be more difficult to do later as you will be stressed out because of time pressure.

Writing major parts

It happens that there is simply no mood or strength to get started and zero thoughts. In that case, postpone this process for 2-3 hours, and, perhaps, soon, you will be able to start with renewed vigor. Writing essays is a great (albeit controversial) way to improve your skills. This experience will not be forgotten. It will certainly come in handy and bring many benefits in the future. Do your best here because asking for an extension is not always possible, so you probably won’t have time to redo it later. And the quality of this part defines the success of the whole paper.

Writing the major part does not mean the matter is finished. To review the text, make sure that the ideas of the introduction and conclusion coincide because such a discrepancy is the first thing that will catch the reader’s eye and can spoil the impression. Add or remove anything from your intro to edit it to fit the entire paper. Also, check your spelling and grammar to ensure there are no typos or draft comments. Check the sources of your quotes so that your it is honest and does not violate any rules. And do not forget the formatting rules.

with the right tips and guidance, it can be easier than it looks. To make the process even more straightforward, students can also use an assignment service to get the job done. This way they can get professional assistance and make sure that their assignments are up to the mark. At PapersOwl, we provide a professional writing service where students can order custom-made assignments that meet their exact requirements.

Expert Tips for your Writing Assignment

Want to write like a pro? Here’s what you should consider:

  • Save the document! Send the finished document by email to yourself so you have a backup copy in case your computer crashes.
  • Don’t wait until the last minute to complete a list of citations or a bibliography after the paper is finished. It will be much longer and more difficult, so add to them as you go.
  • If you find a lot of information on the topic of your search, then arrange it in a separate paragraph.
  • If possible, choose a topic that you know and are interested in.
  • Believe in yourself! If you set yourself up well and use your limited time wisely, you will be able to deliver the paper on time.
  • Do not copy information directly from the Internet without citing them.

Writing assignments is a tedious and time-consuming process. It requires a lot of research and hard work to produce a quality paper. However, if you are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty understanding the concept, you may want to consider getting accounting homework help online . Professional experts can assist you in understanding how to complete your assignment effectively. PapersOwl.com offers expert help from highly qualified and experienced writers who can provide you with the homework help you need.

Will I succeed with my assignments?

Anyone can learn how to be good at writing: follow simple rules of creating the structure and be creative where it is appropriate. At one moment, you will need some additional study tools, study support, or solid study tips. And you can easily get help in writing assignments or any other work. This is especially useful since the strategy of learning how to write an assignment can take more time than a student has.

Therefore all students are happy that there is an option to  order your paper at a professional service to pass all the courses perfectly and sleep still at night. You can also find the sample of the assignment there to check if you are on the same page and if not — focus on your papers more diligently.

So, in the times of studies online, the desire and skill to research and write may be lost. Planning your assignment carefully and presenting arguments step-by-step is necessary to succeed with your homework. When going through your references, note the questions that appear and answer them, building your text. Create a cover page, proofread the whole text, and take care of formatting. Feel free to use these rules for passing your next assignments.

When it comes to writing an assignment, it can be overwhelming and stressful, but Papersowl is here to make it easier for you. With a range of helpful resources available, Papersowl can assist you in creating high-quality written work, regardless of whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing draft. From conducting research to creating an outline, and from proofreading to formatting, the team at Papersowl has the expertise to guide you through the entire writing process and ensure that your assignment meets all the necessary requirements.

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how to write an assignment at masters level

how to write an assignment at masters level

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CIPPET Study Support: Writing at level 7

  • University jargon-buster
  • 2. Library resources
  • 3. Literature searching
  • University policy and penalties
  • How to avoid plagiarism
  • Using EndNote
  • Developing your ideas and argument
  • Structuring your work and paragraphing
  • Writing at level 7
  • Writing at level 6
  • Reflective models and language
  • 8. Understanding feedback
  • 9. Preparing for exams and OSCEs
  • 10. Presentations

Introduction

Books

When at studying level 7 ( Masters Level ), your academic writing must reflect the level of critical analysis, synthesis and application to practice commensurate with this level of study.  

Studying at level 7 means developing your studying practices from those suited to being an independent  learner  to those suited to being an independent  practitioner . You will be working at a more complex and sophisticated level, with a need for broader and more independently sourced resources. You will need not only to evaluate what other people have found but also to put your own knowledge and research into context. You will be expected to be meticulous and professional and show higher standards of scholarship. The advice on this page aims to explain some of the differences between undergraduate and Masters level study.

The full marking criteria for taught postgraduate study can be found at the link below, the information in this section of the guide interprets this information to the context in which you are doing your studies.

  • Assessment handbook See the section on Marking. In particular Annex 2 of this section for detailed marking and assessment criteria for postgraduate work.

Tips for writing coursework at Masters level

Guidance on the requirements for assessments are included in the individual module handbooks.  Some overarching principles will apply across all the assessments for all practitioners:

  • Consider how you can analyse what you are writing to critique your role, the evidence and/or the outcome to show self-awareness of the implications to your practice
  • Avoid simple descriptions and presentation of ideas; try questioning each step in the process, and then use these questions to challenge your practice
  • When analysing situations ensure you consider the opinions of others, either through your workplace-based learning communication and/or the available evidence to produce an outcome i.e. an argument for what you perceive happened/should happen
  • Consider the accuracy, relevance, validity and contribution of evidence i.e. critically appraise the evidence
  • Ensure you bring in reflective elements to your writing, especially in your reflective accounts, remembering these sections should usually be written in the first person
  • When writing reflectively consider how your history/experiences have shaped your career and professional values i.e. how have you been influenced by the circumstances you are describing
  • Think about how you can show critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in  professional practice

how to write an assignment at masters level

Key concepts of level 7 writing

Achievement of level 7 study includes:

  • ability to deal with complex problems, integrating theory to professional practice
  • make sound judgements and communicating your conclusions clearly
  • demonstrating self-direction in problem-solving
  • acting autonomously, using own initiative and taking personal responsibility for professional practice
  • critical awareness of professional practice, including self-reflection

A focused approach to your evidence

Not only are your assignments longer, but you are also expected to refer to a wider range of reading; it takes practice to integrate more sources and refer to them skillfully in your writing. You may find that even with a higher word count it is difficult to fit all you want to say in. Itis important to make every source work for you in backing up your points, and not waste words in describing unnecessary parts of the source.

You do not have to refer to each piece of evidence in the same depth. Sometimes you need to show that you understand the wider context of the issue, and a short summary of the key issue and key researchers is all that is needed.

For example:

A significant amount of reading and in-depth understanding of the field is demonstrated in those sentences above. The summary maps out the state of current research and the positions taken by the key researchers.

Sometimes you need to go into greater depth and refer to some sources in more detail in order to interrogate the methods and standpoints expressed by these researchers. For example:

Even in this more analytical piece of writing, only the relevant points of the study and the theory are mentioned briefly - but you need a confident and thorough understanding to refer to them so concisely.

  • Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources.

Accuracy and awareness of complexity

how to write an assignment at masters level

If English is not your first language, there is more specialised support and advice available: see the International Study and Language Institute website for more details (link below).

At level 7 you cannot get away with writing about something that you only vaguely understand, or squeezing in a theory in the hope it will gain extra marks - your markers will be able to tell, and this does not demonstrate the accuracy or professionalism of a researcher.

Imagine you write the sentence: "Freudian psychoanalysis demonstrates how our personalities are developed from our childhood experiences."

At level 7, the word 'demonstrates' becomes very loaded and potentially inaccurate. This is because you are expected to interrogate the assumptions, boundaries, and way in which knowledge is constructed in your subject. With this in mind, the sentence above raises a lot of contextual questions: To what extent could Freud's theory of psychoanalysis really be said to 'demonstrate' the origins of our personalities? What part of Freud's many theories are you referring to when you write 'psychoanalysis'? What about the developments in psychoanalysis that have happened since Freud, and the many arguments against his theories? Your writing needs to take these questions into account, and at least be aware of them, even if you don't address all of them.

Do not just stop at discussing the pros and cons of a debate; academics rarely agree on interpretations of theories or ideas, so academic knowledge is more like a complex network of views than two clear sides.

  • International Study and Language Institute Courses and resources to support the learning of English as a second language.
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  • Next: Writing at level 6 >>
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How to Write a Masters Assignment

Writing a Masters level assignment is all about explaining complex ideas in depth. Although it might seem like complicated terms are needed to make it effective, that is not the case. What it does require, is conveying difficult concepts in a clear manner. And for that the writer needs to be adept at the basics of academic writing. Planning, a good structure and flawless referencing are all the ingredients that make for great assignment writing. We bring to you the master tips for assignments which help take your papers to a whole new level.

  • Know where you are heading

Have a plan and structure in mind when it comes to a project as long as a Masters assignment. It is vital to both the writer and the reader. The ideas attain a logical form and you get a guiding outline to follow. The whole paper is more organized and flows smoothly through this method.

An assignment or dissertation takes the readers on a research journey. It shows them the reason you decided to explore the topic. References to the studies which pursued it before and their results. Your research methodology and the outcomes of that. And finally, what conclusion did it help you reach about the topic. These are all the essential milestones that the journey must comprise of.

Of course, the actual journey that you went through during the study will feel vastly different. Researches can contain detours that are interesting to look into yet not immediately relevant to the topic. But do not think of them as a waste of time because they help create understanding and provide context. From these detours, you get a unique and original perspective to find your arguments.

The writing part though needs to be more concise and direct for the sake of the readers. Sift through the information you have acquired and select the most suitable one. A first draft must be crafted in order to get an idea of how it will pan out. This helps identify the elements you want to include and reach towards the conclusion. The next step is redrafting the document to ensure everything is linked and a satisfactory result is achieved.

  • A focused approach towards evidence

Along with getting lengthier assignments at Masters Level, you are also expected to study a wider range of materials. The practice is the key to integrating the best sources in your work while referring skillfully to them. Make every source work in supporting your arguments. However, do not waste time describing any unnecessary parts of the source material.

It is not important to address each of the evidence with the same level of depth. Sometimes you only need to demonstrate that a wider context is comprehended by you. In this case, a brief summary of the basic issues is the only thing needed. Even within a summarized version, you can convey an understanding of the topic in question. It needs to map out the current state of the research topic and positions taken by researchers on it.

According to the nature of the topic though, you have to get into more detail when referring to sources. This usually happens when an interrogation of the research methods is needed. Make sure though that you remain to the point and relevant all the time. Whether longer or brief you need to give a clear explanation of the ideas. Irrelevant details can make things complicated and difficult to understand.

  • Accuracy and awareness

Appropriate and accurate use of language is another essential element of academic writing. A more thoughtful approach is required to string each word into a well-meaning sentence. It is best to practice refining your writing skills to meet the rigors of Masters level assignments.

To accomplish that, the most effective way is to immerse in well-written material. Read journals and all forms of academic content. But keep in mind that the style which appeals most to readers is one that is clear and concise. Unnecessarily complicating things will quickly lose the interest of the audience.

Here concludes our guide to help you write a top-grading Masters assignment . Regardless of the field or research topic, if you follow it you will be able to submit a remarkably well-written assignment. All that is needed is some hard work and attention to detail.

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Look at sample assignments to help you develop and enhance your academic writing skills. 

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This page features authentic sample assignments that you can view or download to help you develop and enhance your academic writing skills. 

PLEASE NOTE: Comments included in these sample written assignments  are intended as an educational guide only.  Always check with academic staff which referencing convention you should follow. All sample assignments have been submitted using Turnitin® (anti-plagiarism software). Under no circumstances should you copy from these or any other texts.

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how to write an assignment at masters level

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Properly Write Your Degree

The correct way to communicate your degree to employers and others is by using the following formats:

Degree - This is the academic degree you are receiving. Your major is in addition to the degree; it can be added to the phrase or written separately.  Include the full name of your degree, major(s), minor(s), emphases, and certificates on your resume.

Double Majors - You will not be receiving two bachelor's degrees if you double major. Your primary major determines the degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science). If you're not fully sure which of your majors is primary, check CheckMarq or call the registrar's office.

Example: Primary Major: Psychology ; Secondary Major: Marketing
  • Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology & Marketing

Primary Major: Marketing ; Secondary Major: Psychology

  • Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing & Psychology

In a letter, you may shorten your degree by writing it this way:

  • In May 20XX, I will graduate with my Bachelor's degree in International Affairs.
  • In December 20XX, I will graduate with my Master's degree in Counseling Education.

Not sure which degree you are graduating with? Here is a list of Undergraduate Majors and corresponding degrees:

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  • College of Communication
  • College of Education
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Health Sciences
  • College of Nursing  

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How to do a good masters assignment

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Master’s assignment is the result of research or experiment, valid results, and conclusions. How to write a master’s assignment correctly, without any mistakes? By the way, the question “how to write the Master’s assignment?” is really popular in web searching systems. That’s why we are here to help you with this type of scientific work.

How to start Master’s assignment?

Scientists, first of all, want to see the scientific potential of the young author, revealed in work, the manifestation of professional skills and competence – the ability to observe, analyse, ask questions and respond to them. So how to write this scientific work? Before you start writing this type of work, it is recommended to familiarize with the available methodological recommendations.

Don’t waste your time! Order your assignment!

First of all, choose a topic for your assignment. Be ready to determine the field of science that interests you, select a topic from the list you got or consult with the lecturer, for example. Sometimes a student initially knows what question he will investigate, so in this case, confirm your own topic of the future thesis from the teacher. Initiative and scientific enthusiasm, as a rule, is encouraged by lecturers and scientists.

The second stage in the preparation of the master’s assignment is the study of theoretical material on the chosen topic. Examine existing publications, prepare a base of different sources.The understanding of the subject will help formulate hypotheses for substantiation and draw a clear outline of the structure of the future thesis. It is important to disclose the essence of the problem, to demonstrate the lack of research on the issue.

Thirdly, think about and formulate a way to solve this problem. The method does not need to be innovative; it is likely that existing research options will help you to achieve the goal. Select the appropriate one and proceed directly to the experiment. And finally, record the progress of the research and the results and present in the master’s assignment.

Summarize the conclusions. Also at this stage of work, it is recommended to write an introduction.  The style of presentation in work should be academic, do not add rhetorical questions, refer to the reader. It is required to write from a third person. The description of the current state of affairs at the time of the study is recommended to be reported within the present time. While the results of any author’s research are reported using the past tense. It is especially important to mention in the introduction of the master’s assignment on the availability of publications in accordance with the chosen topic of the thesis. The presented conditions will allow fulfilling the established requirements regarding the proper writing of the master’s degree work.

What if the deadline for writing a master’s assignment is short

The listed stages of preparation can be shortened in time if you have a task to write a master’s degree work for a month. The sequence of actions will continue, but the time allotted for the study will be significantly reduced. Remember that when writing science-intensive work in a short time, you haven’t the chance to dedicate some time to sleep. Without recovery, your brain cannot cope with the increased load and very quickly refuse to work at all. Plan your vacation days in advance and do not get lost at the beginning of the schedule. Set a clear mode, highlighting the daily time for writing a dissertation. Here you should adjust to your main schedule. If you study or work at the same time, most likely, in the daytime, it will be difficult for you to allocate time for the scientific work. While working on the thesis, try to concentrate as much as possible and not be distracted by phone calls, empty conversations, watching television programs and so on. Even if you do not engage in an unrelated business for a long time, you will be distracted. So, then you will need to adjust again and look for the thought on which you are staying. Try not to stop until you have finished the chapter to the end. Depending on the size of the dissertation, you need to divide your work in such a way that in three weeks it will be finished. The rest of the week you will read, add and correct. Be sure that the text is consistent, beware of repetition and duplication of information.

Four pieces of advice for writing a good assignment for masters

  • To save time, before submitting your work, you need to study the literature carefully on similar topics and studies of other authors.
  • In your assignment try not to use the sources that are not directly related to the issue under the  study. The content should correspond to the purpose of writing. Otherwise, the study will not be of interest to scientists who will become acquainted with it afterwards. As a rule, they will be people who are well acquainted with this area and have a certain experience.
  • Choosing the correct question for research will facilitate further information searches and save time. Therefore, in order to avoid difficulties with writing, it is desirable to study the appropriate topics before carrying out the research carefully.
  • The help of more experienced students or teachers will also be useful. People who have already obtained a master’s degree can give good advice and support at the time of writing the work.

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  1. PDF WRITING POSTGRADUATE ASSIGNMENTS

    Academic Essay Writing for Postgraduates is designed to help you plan, draft and revise the assignments you will be doing for your Master's degree at Edinburgh. We focus on. the criteria used to evaluate Master's-level writing. the typical components of academic texts. the way those components are organised in texts.

  2. PDF Writing at Masters Level

    Writing assignments at Master's level All rules which apply at Bachelor's still apply at Master's. You must use language appropriate to the academic environment, and a coherent and strong structure to your work is essential. You must reference, and be extremely careful to ensure your

  3. Graduate-Level Writing Tips: Definitions, Do's And Don'ts

    The "Don'ts" in Scholarly Writing. 1. Don't write in the second person narrative. The second person voice is typically used in articles like this one, where the writer is intending to inform and instruct. According to WritingCommons.org, "writing from the second person point of view can weaken the effectiveness of the writing in ...

  4. APA Writing Guide: Formatting for Graduate Students

    Add an extra blank double-spaced line between the title and author's name. Place the author note in the bottom half of the title page. Center and bold the label "Author Note.". Align the paragraphs of the author note to the left. For an example, see the LU Writing Center template for graduate students here.

  5. 10 Tips for Graduate Level Writing for Academic Papers

    Graduate Level Writing Tip #5: Avoid using casual language and cliches. Keep your writer's "voice" professional, academic in tone, and cliche-free. Use simple, straight-forward, and thoughtful words and sentences. Many people mistake "academic tone" for big words, vague ideas, and heady data. An academic tone is conscious, intentional ...

  6. Preparing for Graduate Writing

    Preparing for Graduate Writing. The Graduate-Level Writing Refresher is a great way to prepare yourself for the writing you'll be expected to do as a graduate student. Go through each step below to improve your graduate writing skills. We strongly encourage you to review the Academic Writing Refresher and the Advanced Writing Skills Refresher.

  7. Writing at Masters' level

    Taught postgraduates. Writing at Masters level means being able to explain more complex ideas at a greater length and depth. This doesn't mean sounding 'more academic' and using more complicated sentences to impress your readers. It does mean being able to communicate more developed ideas in a clear way, and one of the best methods of ensuring ...

  8. How to write a graduate-level essay

    Steps 1-3: Plan your work. Understand the Assignment. Create a Preliminary Document Plan. Draft Your Thesis Statement. Step 4: Research the Topic. Research is a complex process in its own right! This step contains several. sub-steps with their own pages. Become Familiar With the Information Landscape.

  9. 5 tips on writing better university assignments

    Here are five tips to help you get ahead. 1. Use available sources of information. Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often ...

  10. 1. Understand the assignment

    Identify the verbs in the assignment description, which will help you to determine the type of paper you have to write, such as a personal reflective piece or an analytical or argumentative essay. For more information on how to identify the type of essay your professor expects, as well as information on four essay types, please see Essays .

  11. Writing Masters Level Assignments

    Writing assignments at Master's level. You must use language appropriate to the academic environment, and a coherent and strong structure to your work is essential. Assignments will be longer at Master's level, even for unassessed pieces of work. Do not be overwhelmed by larger word counts. Remember, you made a large step up in intensity of ...

  12. How to Write a Master's Level Essay : A Definitive Guide

    When writing your essay, stick to the 3 Cs: clarity, conciseness, and consistency. Ensure that your main points in the essay are clear. Ensure that you use the concise presentation of ideas instead of using long run-on sentences that make no sense. Avoid fillers and keep your writing as simple as possible.

  13. 5 Tips for writing a critical essay

    8 Understanding the assignment brief. 9 Writing at postgraduate level - general characteristics. 10 Academic language - useful phrases. 11 English language requirements at Master's level. 12 Summary and reflection. 13 This session's quiz. 14 Closing remarks. References. Acknowledgements.

  14. How to write a master's essay

    Compelling conclusions. When considering how to write a master's essay, you need to ensure that your arguments and conclusions are plausible; try throughout to make them properly convincing. Weigh evidence, analyse arguments and develop your own position. If on reading you have successfully convinced yourself, you will more likely convince the ...

  15. PDF Graduate School Writing Samples

    A writing sample for graduate school primarily serves an evidentialfunction: its purpose is to give evidence of your qualifications to enter graduate school at the program you're applying to. Of course the central ... Master's program. Graduate school admissions committees in the US will look for students who can take advantage of the

  16. How to Write a Perfect Assignment: Step-By-Step Guide

    To construct an assignment structure, use outlines. These are pieces of text that relate to your topic. It can be ideas, quotes, all your thoughts, or disparate arguments. Type in everything that you think about. Separate thoughts scattered across the sheets of Word will help in the next step. Then it is time to form the text.

  17. Master's Capstone Writing

    Our Goal Setting pages offer suggestions about how to set and achieve your writing goals as you work on longer projects, like the master's capstone. Our Prewriting pages include tips for critical reading, taking notes, organizing ideas, and outlining. The Prewriting Techniques: Taking the First Steps recorded webinar will also give you ...

  18. Academic Guides: Common Assignments: Journal Entries

    This guide includes tips on writing common course assignments. Both in traditional and online classrooms, journal entries are used as tools for student reflection. By consciously thinking about and comparing issues, life experiences, and course readings, students are better able to understand links between theory and practice and to generate ...

  19. CIPPET Study Support: Writing at level 7

    Key concepts of level 7 writing. Achievement of level 7 study includes: ability to deal with complex problems, integrating theory to professional practice. make sound judgements and communicating your conclusions clearly. demonstrating self-direction in problem-solving. acting autonomously, using own initiative and taking personal ...

  20. How to Write a Masters Assignment

    Know where you are heading. Have a plan and structure in mind when it comes to a project as long as a Masters assignment. It is vital to both the writer and the reader. The ideas attain a logical form and you get a guiding outline to follow. The whole paper is more organized and flows smoothly through this method.

  21. How to Write Essays at Masters Level 7

    Some guidance on writing at Level 7 - more videos to follow. This is episode 1 of a planned 4-part series.Writing Education essays https://amzn.to/2KcZf3wS...

  22. Sample written assignments

    This page features authentic sample assignments that you can view or download to help you develop and enhance your academic writing skills. PLEASE NOTE: Comments included in these sample written assignments are intended as an educational guide only. Always check with academic staff which referencing convention you should follow. All sample ...

  23. Properly Write Your Degree

    The correct way to communicate your degree to employers and others is by using the following formats: Degree - This is the academic degree you are receiving. Your major is in addition to the degree; it can be added to the phrase or written separately. Include the full name of your degree, major(s), minor(s), emphases, and certificates on your ...

  24. Detailed instruction on how to write the assignment for masters

    Select the appropriate one and proceed directly to the experiment. And finally, record the progress of the research and the results and present in the master's assignment. Summarize the conclusions. Also at this stage of work, it is recommended to write an introduction. The style of presentation in work should be academic, do not add ...