UCL Dissertation Victory – 10 Key Steps for Writing a Brilliant Paper

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A dissertation is a long form of original research presented by master’s and doctoral students. It is considered the final step to completing a PhD. Being a UCL (University College London) student you should add something more to make your institution prestigious. For this, you must write an award-winning UCL Dissertation to secure a position in the employment market. 

According to the QS world ranking, UCL is in 9th place among the various universities in the UK. It is a multidisciplinary university with 16,000 faculty members and approximately 50,000 students from 150 countries. The acceptance rate is 48% and stands out among the competitive universities. 

In another report published by Statista, on Jan 4, 2024, UCL holds the highest number of students. The number is 46,830 during the academic year 2021/2022, which is comparatively higher than other universities.

The increased number of students show great interest in the research activities facilitated by UCL. RIGE (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement) is a research department led by Professor Geraint Rees a UCL Vice-Provost. This research centre aims to give students good strategies for powerful dissertation writing.

Let’s explore the how and why of the UCL dissertation to make a difference in the world.

Understanding the UCL Dissertation?

As discussed above, a dissertation is long form of writing based on your research project. Specifically, the UCL dissertation has aligned criteria. It includes the basic format IMRaD – (Introduction, methodology, results & discussion). 

There are different programs such as Economics, History, Literature, Philosophy etc. So, every subject demands outstanding research skills to write a winning dissertation. To sound proficient, you can also benefit from library services at UCL. It will help you to comprehend the research concepts relevant to your subject.

On the contrary, it is difficult for many students to gather data from valid resources, make a writing plan etc. All this process becomes tiring and time-consuming. To make the process flawless, most UCL students avail of dissertation help online from legitimate writers who can assist them in the whole writing process. 

Coming to the topic, let us see the below-mentioned essential elements of writing a brilliant dissertation.

10 Essential Elements to Write a Brilliant UCL Dissertation

Crafting the UCL Dissertations is a time-consuming task. Many students often neglect the core elements that increase the proficiency of a dissertation. You should follow the steps below to make a difference among other fellows.

1. Make a Good Topic Choice

UCL provides a platform for students to write an innovative and original UCL dissertation. Select a manageable topic that typically interests you. Ensure that it requires 

• Extensive research
• Explores available resources
• Dictates feasibility

If the above-mentioned elements fulfil your topic criteria, then it’s fine to proceed. Other than this, you can also see the list of different dissertation topics.

UCL Dissertation Topics for 2024

To search for a creative topic, you can consult the UCL library. You will find different topics for the UCL dissertation. Some of the good examples of writing an outstanding dissertation are mentioned below:

1. A Comparative Study on the UK Legal System
2. Artificial Intelligence Overcoming Modern-Day Problems.
3. How Social Media Is Increasing Sales for Businesses?
4. The Lasting Effects of Drugs on Adult’s Mental Health.

2. Carry Out Effective Research

Everything demands proper planning and deep research to kickstart writing. Don’t conduct invalid research which eventually leads to false information. Dissertations for UCL students should be written crisply, focused, and topic-oriented. For this, you must review previously published work, research articles, books and documentaries. 

Different online platforms include Google Scholar, Research Gate, and the UCL library. UCL Library holds copies of dissertations from where you can get a lot of help. It has a number of copies on different subject areas:

• Ophthalmology Library
• UCL Institute of Archaeology
• Bartlett Academy
• School of Pharmacy

3. Create an Outline

Create a strong outline for writing a high-scoring UCL dissertation. Following the proper structure makes the whole writing process smooth. Some of the advised guidelines for the dissertation are mentioned below:

1. Title Page – must enclose; the student’s full name, dissertation title, institute name as UCL and degree for which submission is made.
2. Declaration Page – write the acknowledgement that this work is yours. i.e. I [full name] hereby confirm that Wok presented….
3. Abstract – of only 300 words
4. Impact Statement – not more than 500 words
5. Acknowledgements [optional]
6. Table of contents – can include figures.
7. The main body of the UCL dissertation includes five chapters:

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Results and discussion
• Summary or conclusion.

8. References 
9. Division of labour/author contribution
10. Appendices [optional]

4. Make a Writing Plan

Deadlines are difficult to handle when there is no proper action plan. Starting late and running out of the UCL Dissertation deadline is a struggle. To cope with this situation, you must adhere to a proper writing schedule. 

For example, if the deadline is two months, you must organise dissertation sections aligned with allocated time slots. This will save you time and effort. You can devote two hours to research, and two hours to writing. Switch on to these alternate patterns for logical flow. Moreover, for effective scheduling, you can also use Microsoft 365, Pro Writing Aid, and Focus Writer. These technical software will assist you a lot in developing a clear action plan.

5. Use Professional Tone

While writing a UCL dissertation, strictly follow the formal and academic tone. Write your dissertation in an active voice. The purpose and information should sound clear. So, it will be easily understood by the supervisor and committee members. 

Avoid passive voice in writing. The use of passive voice highlights the ambiguous knowledge of research. Also, do not use connectives like “but” and use the following:

• Although
• Instead
• However
• Furthermore
• Moreover
• Despite all this…
• The aim of study…
• The research investigates…
• Don’t use the figure as 0-9 write it from zero to nine

6. Follow UCL Guidelines

It is important to follow the guidelines provided by UCL and its supervisor. The set of guidelines will turn a UCL dissertation into a professional document.

UCL dissertation examples for fine arts students should fulfil the following criteria:

• Should include a written report of at least 15,000 to 40,000 words.
• It should be accompanied by a CD/DVD, and USB memory.
• Written reports can be both hard-bound and soft-bound.
• Hardbound pages must be sown in (not punched).
• Softbound pages must be glued in.
• Dissertation submitted in any other form of binding, like ring binding,

As per the devised UCL criteria, you must provide the video and photographic records, musical scores, audio works, publications, diagrams and designs.

7. Apply Proper Formatting

The UCL dissertation should be formatted using the standard provided by the university. The official formatting of a dissertation should include:

• Paper – Use A4 size paper (210 x 297 mm). plain white paper must be used. Make sure it is of high quality and use both sides of the paper.
• Layout– Use proper margins at the edge, which should not exceed 40mm (1.5 inches).  Other margins should not be less than 20mm (.75 inches). Double one-and-half spacing can be used in the writing context. Intended quotations and footnotes can be compensated by a single space.
• Pagination– the sequence of page numbers should be in chronological order. Use Arabic numerals from the title page to the last page.
• For the rest, you can follow the outline structure discussed in the outline section in this guide.
• After writing it, submit your thesis by uploading it to the UCL Dropbox. Use Word or PDF format and email it to research degrees. Include your full name and student number mentioned on the student card

8. Add Supporting Evidence

The UCL dissertation should sound authoritative and original. It can only be done by adding the numerical data. This data may include relevant figures, graphs, tables, charts, diagrams, statistical reports etc. You can gather the information from different statistical websites such as:

• Statista
• Google Public Data Explorer
• Gallup
• Statistic Brain
• Google News

All the above-mentioned resources are credible and proficient. Besides this, you can also gather supporting information from research reports, articles and books.

9. Perform Proofreading

The most important step is editing the UCL dissertation. Editing and proofreading make the dissertation more polished and structured. Before you start proofreading, analyse what are your weak spots. 

For example, grammar, spelling, passive voice and punctuation all this influence readability. When proofreading, read the whole content in a louder voice so you will spot your mistakes. Instead of doing this take appropriate breaks. Breaks help to refresh your mind and maintain the logical flow of information in writing.

10. Appropriate Referencing

Last but most important is using proper references in the dissertation. Although there are a lot of different styles for citing the references. Some of them include:

• MLA
• APA
• Vancouver
• Chicago
• Harvard

What Are the Criteria for a UCL Thesis?

The general criteria as per UCL says that it should be of,

• High quality 
• Authentic evidence
• Contribution to the subject
• Candidates own original work

How Long Is the UCL Dissertation?

The length of the UCL dissertation for different programs is mentioned below:

• PhD: 100,000 words.
• MPhil: 60,000 words.
• EngD: 100,000 words.

How Hard Is It to Get into UCL PhD?

The acceptance rate for postgraduate programs at UCL is 38% which means less than 2 applicants in 5 receive this offer. Getting accepted for a PhD at UCL is competitive. This is due to highly skilled professors and numerous applications other than UCL like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and Imperial College.

What GPA Is Required for UCL?

According to the entry requirements by UCL, you must have at least a CGPA of 3.3/4 but some subjects are competitive. So, the eligibility criteria become different. For example, to secure admission to MSc Financial Mathematics at UCL you must have a 2:1 UK honours degree.

What Is the Best Subject in UCL?

There is a list of subjects that have been named best in UCL. See the subjects below in the list.

• Education 
• Architecture and Built Environment
• Archaeology
• Anthropology
• Pharmacology
• Psychology
• Medicine

Why Is UCL Ranked So High?

UCL has an outclassed research instructor and a large research portfolio. They conduct quantitative and qualitative research to contribute to the emerging challenges.

Conclusion

From the overall discussion, now you can write a victorious UCL dissertation. Although it is an extensive and research-based task following the above steps can help in writing. No matter what your subject is this set of tips can be implemented in any subject dissertation. Incorporating numerical data, infographics, and proper citations using different styles reflects professionalism.

Also, being a doctoral student, you may find it problematic to write, attend courses, conduct research and perform jobs to afford your expenses. This routine becomes hectic and you may not write a perfect dissertation. Therefore, you can seek help from experienced dissertation writers with a vast knowledge of writing a perfect paper as per UCL dissertation requirements. This will let you manage your studies and help you achieve high scores.