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25 Thesis Statement Examples

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A thesis statement is needed in an essay or dissertation . There are multiple types of thesis statements – but generally we can divide them into expository and argumentative. An expository statement is a statement of fact (common in expository essays and process essays) while an argumentative statement is a statement of opinion (common in argumentative essays and dissertations). Below are examples of each.

Strong Thesis Statement Examples

1. School Uniforms

“Mandatory school uniforms should be implemented in educational institutions as they promote a sense of equality, reduce distractions, and foster a focused and professional learning environment.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay or Debate

Read More: School Uniforms Pros and Cons

2. Nature vs Nurture

“This essay will explore how both genetic inheritance and environmental factors equally contribute to shaping human behavior and personality.”

Best For: Compare and Contrast Essay

Read More: Nature vs Nurture Debate

3. American Dream

“The American Dream, a symbol of opportunity and success, is increasingly elusive in today’s socio-economic landscape, revealing deeper inequalities in society.”

Best For: Persuasive Essay

Read More: What is the American Dream?

4. Social Media

“Social media has revolutionized communication and societal interactions, but it also presents significant challenges related to privacy, mental health, and misinformation.”

Best For: Expository Essay

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Social Media

5. Globalization

“Globalization has created a world more interconnected than ever before, yet it also amplifies economic disparities and cultural homogenization.”

Read More: Globalization Pros and Cons

6. Urbanization

“Urbanization drives economic growth and social development, but it also poses unique challenges in sustainability and quality of life.”

Read More: Learn about Urbanization

7. Immigration

“Immigration enriches receiving countries culturally and economically, outweighing any perceived social or economic burdens.”

Read More: Immigration Pros and Cons

8. Cultural Identity

“In a globalized world, maintaining distinct cultural identities is crucial for preserving cultural diversity and fostering global understanding, despite the challenges of assimilation and homogenization.”

Best For: Argumentative Essay

Read More: Learn about Cultural Identity

9. Technology

“Medical technologies in care institutions in Toronto has increased subjcetive outcomes for patients with chronic pain.”

Best For: Research Paper

10. Capitalism vs Socialism

“The debate between capitalism and socialism centers on balancing economic freedom and inequality, each presenting distinct approaches to resource distribution and social welfare.”

11. Cultural Heritage

“The preservation of cultural heritage is essential, not only for cultural identity but also for educating future generations, outweighing the arguments for modernization and commercialization.”

12. Pseudoscience

“Pseudoscience, characterized by a lack of empirical support, continues to influence public perception and decision-making, often at the expense of scientific credibility.”

Read More: Examples of Pseudoscience

13. Free Will

“The concept of free will is largely an illusion, with human behavior and decisions predominantly determined by biological and environmental factors.”

Read More: Do we have Free Will?

14. Gender Roles

“Traditional gender roles are outdated and harmful, restricting individual freedoms and perpetuating gender inequalities in modern society.”

Read More: What are Traditional Gender Roles?

15. Work-Life Ballance

“The trend to online and distance work in the 2020s led to improved subjective feelings of work-life balance but simultaneously increased self-reported loneliness.”

Read More: Work-Life Balance Examples

16. Universal Healthcare

“Universal healthcare is a fundamental human right and the most effective system for ensuring health equity and societal well-being, outweighing concerns about government involvement and costs.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Universal Healthcare

17. Minimum Wage

“The implementation of a fair minimum wage is vital for reducing economic inequality, yet it is often contentious due to its potential impact on businesses and employment rates.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage

18. Homework

“The homework provided throughout this semester has enabled me to achieve greater self-reflection, identify gaps in my knowledge, and reinforce those gaps through spaced repetition.”

Best For: Reflective Essay

Read More: Reasons Homework Should be Banned

19. Charter Schools

“Charter schools offer alternatives to traditional public education, promising innovation and choice but also raising questions about accountability and educational equity.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of Charter Schools

20. Effects of the Internet

“The Internet has drastically reshaped human communication, access to information, and societal dynamics, generally with a net positive effect on society.”

Read More: The Pros and Cons of the Internet

21. Affirmative Action

“Affirmative action is essential for rectifying historical injustices and achieving true meritocracy in education and employment, contrary to claims of reverse discrimination.”

Best For: Essay

Read More: Affirmative Action Pros and Cons

22. Soft Skills

“Soft skills, such as communication and empathy, are increasingly recognized as essential for success in the modern workforce, and therefore should be a strong focus at school and university level.”

Read More: Soft Skills Examples

23. Moral Panic

“Moral panic, often fueled by media and cultural anxieties, can lead to exaggerated societal responses that sometimes overlook rational analysis and evidence.”

Read More: Moral Panic Examples

24. Freedom of the Press

“Freedom of the press is critical for democracy and informed citizenship, yet it faces challenges from censorship, media bias, and the proliferation of misinformation.”

Read More: Freedom of the Press Examples

25. Mass Media

“Mass media shapes public opinion and cultural norms, but its concentration of ownership and commercial interests raise concerns about bias and the quality of information.”

Best For: Critical Analysis

Read More: Mass Media Examples

Checklist: How to use your Thesis Statement

✅ Position: If your statement is for an argumentative or persuasive essay, or a dissertation, ensure it takes a clear stance on the topic. ✅ Specificity: It addresses a specific aspect of the topic, providing focus for the essay. ✅ Conciseness: Typically, a thesis statement is one to two sentences long. It should be concise, clear, and easily identifiable. ✅ Direction: The thesis statement guides the direction of the essay, providing a roadmap for the argument, narrative, or explanation. ✅ Evidence-based: While the thesis statement itself doesn’t include evidence, it sets up an argument that can be supported with evidence in the body of the essay. ✅ Placement: Generally, the thesis statement is placed at the end of the introduction of an essay.

Try These AI Prompts – Thesis Statement Generator!

One way to brainstorm thesis statements is to get AI to brainstorm some for you! Try this AI prompt:

💡 AI PROMPT FOR EXPOSITORY THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTUCTIONS]. I want you to create an expository thesis statement that doesn’t argue a position, but demonstrates depth of knowledge about the topic.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT I am writing an essay on [TOPIC] and these are the instructions my teacher gave me: [INSTRUCTIONS]. I want you to create an argumentative thesis statement that clearly takes a position on this issue.

💡 AI PROMPT FOR COMPARE AND CONTRAST THESIS STATEMENT I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that remain objective.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Number Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Word Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Outdoor Games for Kids
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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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How to Write a Thesis Statement–Examples

What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement summarizes the main idea of a paper or an essay. Similar to the statement of the problem in research, it prepares the reader for what is to come and ties together the evidence and examples that are presented and the arguments and claims that are made later. 

A good thesis statement can provoke thought, arouse interest, and is always followed up by exactly what it promises—if the focus or direction of your essay changes over time, you should go back to your statement and adapt it as well so that it clearly reflects what you are explaining or discussing. 

Where does the thesis statement go in my paper?

Your thesis statement should be placed near the end of your introduction—after you have given the reader some background and before you delve into the specific evidence or arguments that support your statement.

Can you give me a thesis statement template?

Depending on the type of essay you are writing, your thesis statement will look different. The important thing is that your statement is specific and clearly states the main idea you want to get across. In the following, we will discuss different types of statements, show you a simple 4-step process for writing an effective thesis statement, and finish off with some not-so-good and good thesis statement examples.

Table of Contents:

• Types of Thesis Statements
• How to Write a Thesis Statement Step by Step 
• Not-So-Good and Good Thesis Statements 

Types of Thesis Statements 

Depending on whether your paper is analytical, expository, or argumentative, your statement has a slightly different purpose. 

Analytical thesis statements

An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its components, evaluates the pieces, and presents an evaluation of this breakdown to the reader. Such papers can analyze art, music, literature, current or historical events, political ideas, or scientific research. An analytical thesis statement is therefore often the result of such an analysis of, for example, some literary work (“Heathcliff is meant to be seen as a hero rather than a horrible person”) or a process (“the main challenge recruiters face is the balance between selecting the best candidates and hiring them before they are snatched up by competitors”), or even the latest research (“starving yourself will increase your lifespan, according to science”). In the rest of the paper, you then need to explain how you did the analysis that led you to the stated result and how you arrived at your conclusion, by presenting data and evidence.

Expository thesis statements

An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience, such as a historical development, a current phenomenon, or the effect of political intervention. A typical explanatory thesis statement is therefore often a “topic statement” rather than a claim or actual thesis. An expository essay could, for example, explain “where human rights came from and how they changed the world,” or “how students make career choices.” The rest of the paper then needs to present the reader with all the relevant information on the topic, covering all sides and aspects rather than one specific viewpoint.

Argumentative thesis statements

An argumentative paper makes a clear and potentially very subjective claim and follows up with a justification based on evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the author’s claim is true. A thesis statement for such a paper could be that “every student should be required to take a gap year after high school to gain some life experience”, or that “vaccines should be mandatory”. Argumentative thesis statements can be bold, assertive, and one-sided—you have the rest of the paper to convince the reader that you have good reasons to think that way and that maybe they should think like that, too.

How to Write a Thesis Statement Step-by-Step 

If you are not quite sure how you get from a topic to a thesis statement, then follow this simple process—but make sure you know what type of essay you are supposed to write and adapt the steps to the kind of statement you need. 

First , you will have to select a topic . This might have been done for you already if you are writing an essay as part of a class. If not, then make sure you don’t start too general—narrow the subject down to a specific aspect that you can cover in an essay. 

Second , ask yourself a question about your topic, one that you are personally interested in or one that you think your readers might find relevant or interesting. Here, you have to consider whether you are going to explain something to the reader (expository essay) or if you want to put out your own, potentially controversial, opinion and then argue for it in the rest of your (argumentative) essay.

Third , answer the question you raised for yourself, based on the material you have already sifted through and are planning to present to the reader or the opinion you have already formed on the topic. If your opinion changes while working on your essay, which happens quite often, then make sure you come back to this process and adapt your statement.

Fourth and last, reword the answer to your question into a concise statement . You want the reader to know exactly what is coming, and you also want to make it sound as interesting as possible so that they decide to keep reading.

Let’s look at this example process to give you a better idea of how to get from your topic to your statement. Note that this is the development of a thesis statement for an argumentative essay .

• Choose a specific topic: Covid-19 vaccines 

Narrow it down to a specific aspect: opposition to Covid-19 vaccines

• Ask a question: Should vaccination against Covid-19 be mandatory?     
• Answer the question for yourself, by sorting through the available evidence/arguments:

Yes: vaccination protects other, more vulnerable people; vaccination reduces the spread of the disease; herd immunity will allow societies to go back to normal…

No: vaccines can have side-effects in some people; the vaccines have been developed too fast and there might be unknown risks; the government should stay out of personal decisions on people’s health…

• Form your opinion and reword it into your thesis statement that represents a very short summary of the key points you base your claim on:

While there is some hesitancy around vaccinations against Covid-19, most of the presented arguments revolve around unfounded fears and the individual freedom to make one’s own decisions. Since that freedom is offset by the benefits of mass vaccination, governments should make vaccines mandatory to help societies get back to normal.

This is a good argumentative thesis statement example because it does not just present a fact that everybody knows and agrees on, but a claim that is debatable and needs to be backed up by data and arguments, which you will do in the rest of your essay. You can introduce whatever evidence and arguments you deem necessary in the following—but make sure that all your points lead back to your core claim and support your opinion. This example also answers the question “how long should a thesis statement be?” One or two sentences are generally enough. If your statement is longer, make sure you are not using vague, empty expressions or more words than necessary .

Good and Bad Thesis Statement Examples

Not-so-good thesis statement : Everyone should get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Problem: The statement does not specify why that might be relevant or why people might not want to do it—this is too vague to spark anyone’s interest.

Good : Since the risks of the currently available Covid-19 vaccines are minimal and societal interests outweigh individual freedom, governments should make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory.

Not-so-good thesis statement : Binge drinking is bad for your health.

Problem: This is a very broad statement that everyone can agree on and nobody needs to read an article on. You need to specify why anyone would not think that way.

Good : Binge drinking has become a trend among college students. While some argue that it might be better for your health than regular consumption of low amounts of alcohol, science says otherwise.

Not-so-good thesis statement : Learning an instrument can develop a child’s cognitive abilities.

Problem: This is a very weak statement—”can” develop doesn’t tell us whether that is what happens in every child, what kind of effects of music education on cognition we can expect, and whether that has or should have any practical implications. 

Good thesis statement : Music education has many surprising benefits on children’s overall development, including effects on language acquisition, coordination, problem-solving, and even social skills.

You could now present all the evidence on the specific effects of music education on children’s specific abilities in the rest of your (expository) essay. You could also turn this into an argumentative essay, by adding your own opinion to your statement:

Good thesis statement : Considering the many surprising benefits that music education has on children’s overall development, every child should be given the opportunity to learn an instrument as part of their public school education.

Not-so-good thesis statement : Outer space exploration is a waste of money.

Problem: While this is a clear statement of your personal opinion that people could potentially disagree with (which is good for an argumentative thesis statement), it lacks context and does not really tell the reader what to expect from your essay.

Good thesis statement : Instead of wasting money on exploring outer space, people like Elon Musk should use their wealth to solve poverty, hunger, global warming, and other issues we are facing on this earth.

Get Professional Thesis Editing Services

Now that you know how to write the perfect thesis statement for your essay, you might be interested in our Wordvice AI Proofreader . And after drafting your academic papers, be sure to get proofreading that includes manuscript editing , thesis editing , or dissertation editing services before submitting your work to journals for publication.

We have many more articles for you on all aspects of academic writing , tips and tricks on how to avoid common grammar mistakes , and resources on how to strengthen your writing style in general.

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

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Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

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25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze

Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.

Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.

A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.

Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.

All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).

Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.

So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.

Thesis statement examples

A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.

• Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
• Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
• School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
• Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
• Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
• Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
• Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
• Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
• Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
• Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
• Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
• Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
• University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
• Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
• Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
• Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
• The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
• Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
• Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
• Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
• Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
• Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
• Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.

Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?

If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.

After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .

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Writing Tutorial Services

How to write a thesis statement, what is a thesis statement.

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the answer to the question your paper explores.

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

Here are some helpful hints to get you started. You can either scroll down or select a link to a specific topic.

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .”

A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay.

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How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned

Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

• take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
• express one main idea
• assert your conclusions about a subject

Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper.

Brainstorm the topic . Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume.

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow the topic . Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy.

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume.

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and food and beverage choices are vague.

Use specific language . You decide to explain what you mean about food and beverage choices , so you write:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to reduce sugar consumption by children, and who should do it?” When you started thinking about the paper, you may not have had a specific question in mind, but as you became more involved in the topic, your ideas became more specific. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights.

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

1. a strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand..

Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and positive aspects is vague.

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:

My family is an extended family.

This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because , since , so , although , unless , and however .

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

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How To Use a Thesis Statement for Employment

What Is a Thesis Statement for Employment?

How a thesis statement for employment works, examples of a thesis statement for employment.

Think back to when you learned to write an essay. Most likely, your teacher talked about the importance of a thesis statement, which sums up your essay. A thesis statement can also be helpful during a job search. 

Through a thesis statement, you can clarify your background as a candidate, what you want in a role, and how you'd fit in at a given company. This is, of course, valuable information for recruiters and hiring managers. 

A thesis statement for employment is a brief description of yourself, your characteristics, and your skills. 

Your thesis statement for employment is used to demonstrate your interest in a job and show how you would benefit an organization. Learn how to go about developing one. 

Key Takeaways

• A thesis statement for employment is a brief description of yourself, your characteristics, and your skills. It’s used to show how you would benefit an organization.
• You can use your thesis statement on your resume, in cover letters, in interviews, and during networking events. 
• A thesis statement should be brief, direct, and tailored to each position you apply for.

A thesis statement for employment is a one- or two-sentence statement of your qualifications.

Crafting this statement may take some time and thought. (That was likely true back when you were routinely writing essays, too.) Once you have developed a thesis statement, it'll come in handy at many points in your job search. You can use it: 

• Within your cover letters —place your thesis statement in the first paragraph, where you explain why you're applying for the role. 
• On your resume —include the thesis statement in your objective or summary section.
• During job interviews —to help explain why you're the right person for the job.
• When you're networking —with a thesis statement in mind, it's easy to respond when someone asks what type of job you want. 

Your thesis statement should intrigue potential employers, so they want to learn more about you and your credentials. Keep in mind that your thesis statement should be dynamic, evolving to fit the needs of the role at hand. 

The first step to developing your thesis statement is to think about the positions you want to apply for, what you have to offer a company, and why employers should hire you.

Here are some tips for developing a strong thesis statement:

• Be direct : Your thesis statement should be simple and to the point, as hiring managers don’t have time to figure out what you’re trying to say. This isn’t the time to show off your extensive vocabulary. The same strategies you used to craft an elevator pitch will come in handy when you're thinking through your thesis statement. 
• Tailor your statement : Start by developing a general thesis statement, and then tweak it to target the job you're applying for. You may have an IT certification and also be a strong presenter, but if you're applying for a job as a computer technician, the IT certification is more important to mention. If you're applying for a position as a sales representative at a software company, you'll want to emphasize your presentation skills.
• Frame your skills as benefits to the company : One goal of a thesis statement is to make it readily apparent to a hiring manager how hiring you will be beneficial. For example, you might say that your management skills will help you develop and train an exceptional sales team that will meet or exceed company sales goals. You may need to research a company to find its goals and priorities.

A summary statement is similar to a thesis statement, but it focuses on factual experience without the emphasis on benefits. For example, you might say, "Executive assistant with seven years of experience maintaining schedules, arranging travel, and handling correspondence."

If you’re not sure what to include in your thesis statement, these examples can help:

• I'm writing to apply for the administrative assistant position at ABC company. My strong communication and organizational skills, and my ability to create order out of chaos make me an excellent match for this position.  
• My fascination with numbers, combined with my strong accounting skills and mathematics minor, enables me to make a solid contribution in this role.
• My ability to successfully implement current web design technology, as well as develop and maintain sites for start-up IT companies, enables me to contribute to XYZ company.
• My fluency in Spanish and strong marketing and communication skills would be an asset to your company, allowing me to build trusting relationships with clients.
• I have created sales strategies that have achieved 40% revenue growth per year. I can motivate sales teams and design incentive programs to achieve short- and long-term sales goals.

The University of Arizona. " Writing a Thesis Statement ."

Chron. " Preparing a Thesis Statement Concerning a Job Interview ."

U.S. News. " What Is Your Job Fit Thesis ?"

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

50 Inspiring Examples of Career Goal Statements

By Status.net Editorial Team on February 7, 2024 — 12 minutes to read

A career goal statement is a clear and concise description of your professional aspirations: it outlines what you aim to achieve in your career path, providing direction and serving as a guide for your professional decisions. Crafting this statement requires self-reflection to identify what truly matters to you in your career.

Think of your career goal statement as a compass. It helps you navigate through opportunities and choices, aligning them with your long-term objectives. A well-defined goal statement includes specific job titles or roles, industry preferences, skills you want to acquire or use, and the values that matter to you in a work environment.

For example, your statement might be, “I aim to become a Senior Software Developer at a tech company that values innovation, in the next five years.” This statement is direct, time-bound, and reflects personal and professional values.

When writing your own career goal statement, start by asking yourself some questions:

• What am I passionate about?
• Where do I see myself in five, ten, or fifteen years?
• What skills do I need to develop to reach my goals?

Your statement can evolve as your career advances and your goals change. Remember, it’s a living document meant to grow along with you. Keep it precise, make it inspiring for yourself, and let it reflect who you are and who you want to become professionally. By doing so, you’ll create a powerful tool to steer your career decisions and help achieve your ambitions.

Components of a Strong Career Goal Statement

A strong career goal statement effectively communicates where you see yourself in the future and how you plan to get there. The keys to crafting this include clarity in your aspirations and how your current path aligns with your long-term objectives.

Clarity and Specificity

Your career goal statement should clearly articulate the position you’re aiming for and the steps you plan to take to achieve it. For example, instead of saying “I want to grow in the tech industry,” specify “My goal is to become a Senior Software Engineer at a renowned tech firm within the next five years by honing my skills in mobile applications development and leadership.”

Alignment with Career Objectives

Ensure that your statement aligns with your broader career objectives. For instance, if you’re determined to enter the field of environmental sustainability, your goal statement could specify, “I will secure a role as a Sustainability Project Manager by gaining expertise in renewable energy solutions and contributing to conservation projects.”

Brevity and Conciseness

Keep your statement concise; it shouldn’t be longer than a short paragraph. A crisp, well-worded statement would look like, “Within three years, I aim to advance to a Lead Graphic Designer position by consistently delivering innovative designs and taking on more strategic projects.”

Personal Motivation

Include a sentence about what drives you towards this goal, which gives a personal touch to your career goal statement. You might say, “I am committed to becoming an industry-recognized financial analyst by developing cutting-edge quantitative models, fueled by my passion for data-driven decision making.”

The Purpose of Career Goal Statements

A career goal statement helps you and others understand where you’re aiming in your professional life. It serves as both a guide and a benchmark for your career progression.

Professional Development

Your career goal statement is a powerful tool for professional development. It’s a declaration of your ambitions, which often falls into specific categories like acquiring new skills, achieving certifications, or reaching a new position. For example, you might aim to become a certified project manager within the next two years, highlighting the steps and skills you’ll need to get there.

Job Search Focus

When you’re on the job hunt, having a career goal statement gives you a lens to evaluate potential job opportunities. Imagine you’re an engineer seeking roles in renewable energy projects; your career goal statement would specify this preference, allowing you to target your job search and tailor your applications to match your aspirations.

Performance Management

During performance evaluations, your career goal statement offers a clear outline of what success looks like for you. It can act as a communication tool between you and your supervisor, ensuring that you’re both aligned on your targets. If your goal is to lead a team, your performance metrics might include leadership training and successful project outcomes.

Personal Reflection and Growth

Your career statement doubles as a checkpoint for personal reflection and growth. By setting specific goals like enhancing your public speaking skills or learning a new programming language, you create a framework for personal progress, tying these improvements back to your broader career objectives.

Writing Your Career Goal Statement

A career goal statement is a clear and concise description of your professional aspirations. It’s important to chart a course for your career by setting strategic goals and outlining the steps you plan to take to achieve them.

Self-Assessment

Start by evaluating your interests, strengths, weaknesses, and values. This step helps you align your career trajectory with your personal attributes and ambitions.

• If you enjoy creative problem-solving, you might aim for a role in strategic development.
• Someone with a natural talent for communication might target a career in public relations.

Research and Exploration

Learn about the industries and positions that align with your interests and skills. Find out what qualifications you may need and what career advancement may look like in those roles.

• Researching the field of data science might show you the importance of skills like programming and data analysis.
• Exploring the healthcare industry could lead you to consider roles ranging from a health administrator to a nurse practitioner.

Articulating Your Goals

Clearly state your short-term and long-term career objectives. Make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

• Short-term goal: Completing a professional certification in digital marketing within the next year.
• Long-term goal: Becoming a chief marketing officer at a technology company within the next ten years.

Revising and Refining

Your career goals are not set in stone. Periodically review and adjust them to reflect your growing skills, changes in the industry, and personal life changes.

• Revising your goal to include leadership skills if you’re aiming for management positions.
• Refining your goals to focus more on work-life balance if personal circumstances change.

Examples of Career Goal Statements

When crafting your career goal statement, be specific and align your goals with your desired career path. This section will provide examples for different career stages to guide you.

For Recent Graduates

As a recent graduate, your goal statement should reflect your eagerness to apply your education in a practical setting and grow professionally. For example:

• “My goal is to secure a role as a software developer at a forward-thinking tech company where I can contribute to innovative projects and hone my coding skills in real-world applications.”

For Mid-Career Professionals

For you in mid-career, a statement should focus on advancing your current skills and taking on larger responsibilities. For instance:

• “I aim to elevate my expertise in digital marketing to become a marketing manager, where I can lead strategic campaigns and impact the company’s growth directly.”

For Career Changers

As someone looking to change careers, your statement needs to leverage your transferable skills and express your commitment to the new field. Consider this example:

• “I intend to transition into the field of data analysis, leveraging my extensive background in market research to deliver actionable insights and drive decision-making processes.”

For Executive-Level Positions

Your executive career goal statement needs to showcase your vision for leadership and your ability to steer the company to new heights. An example could be:

• “I am determined to apply my 15 years of managerial experience to a Chief Operations Officer role, focusing on optimizing company-wide operations to boost profitability and efficiency.”

50 Examples of Career Goal Statements

• 1. “To secure a challenging position in a reputable organization to expand my learnings, knowledge, and skills.”
• 2. “Seeking a role at (…) Company where I can contribute to the team’s success while developing my skills as an accountant.”
• 3. “To achieve a lead position in software development that allows me to design innovative solutions and manage a dynamic team.”
• 4. “To become a primary school teacher that inspires young minds and fosters a love of learning.”
• 5. “Aiming to leverage my experience in customer service to become a leading sales representative within the next five years.”
• 6. “To grow into a senior role within the marketing department, contributing to the company’s strategic goals and brand development.”
• 7. “Seeking a position as a clinical practice assistant for a health organization that focuses on the development of innovative medical treatments.”
• 8. “To secure a position as a human resources manager and contribute to an organization’s employee engagement and professional development strategies.”
• 9. “My goal is to become a project manager within a progressive tech company, leading innovative projects to successful completion.”
• 10. “Aspiring to be a top journalist within a major media outlet, reporting on significant global events that shape our world.”
• 11. “To develop a career in finance, eventually becoming a chief financial officer for a well-established corporation.”
• 12. “To obtain a managerial position in the hospitality industry, providing exceptional guest experiences and leading a successful team.”
• 13. “Looking to apply my graphic design skills in a dynamic advertising agency, producing high-quality work for a variety of clients.”
• 14. “To establish myself as a leading real estate agent within the community, known for diligently serving clients and achieving their property dreams.”
• 15. “To become a senior software engineer, specializing in machine learning and artificial intelligence, contributing to cutting-edge technology advancements.”
• 16. “Aspire to join an international non-profit organization, focusing on human rights advocacy and contributing to meaningful change.”
• 17. “To earn a position as a lead researcher in a top-tier biotech firm, focusing on the development of life-saving pharmaceuticals.”
• 18. “To be recognized as an expert in environmental law, working to protect natural resources and promote sustainability.”
• 19. “To secure a role as an art director within a prestigious agency, driving creative strategy and inspiring a team of designers.”
• 20. “Aiming to become a chief operations officer, optimizing organizational processes and enhancing overall efficiency.”
• 21. “To advance my career in the field of education technology, developing innovative tools that facilitate learning and growth.”
• 22. “Seeking to become a master electrician, overseeing complex projects and mentoring apprentices in the trade.”
• 23. “To climb the ranks to a senior data analyst role, transforming data into actionable insights that drive business strategy.”
• 24. “To become a leading figure in digital marketing, known for crafting high-impact strategies that generate measurable results.”
• 25. “Aspiring to be an executive chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant, creating world-class cuisine and leading a top-tier culinary team.”
• 26. “To secure a position as a cybersecurity expert, protecting sensitive information from threats and vulnerabilities.”
• 27. “Aiming to be a respected leader in the field of public health, influencing policy and improving community health outcomes.”
• 28. “To establish a career as a professional musician, performing internationally and sharing my passion for music with diverse audiences.”
• 29. “Seeking a role as an aerospace engineer with a focus on sustainable design and innovation in air travel.”
• 30. “To become a leading architect, known for designing eco-friendly and innovative structures that enhance the urban landscape.”
• 31. “To grow into a senior role in supply chain management, optimizing logistics and contributing to the company’s profitability.”
• 32. “Aspiring to become a senior content creator, producing engaging and informative content that resonates with a wide audience.”
• 33. “To secure a position as a labor and delivery nurse, providing compassionate care and supporting families during a pivotal life event.”
• 34. “To become a principal consultant, offering expert advice and solutions to businesses in my area of expertise.”
• 35. “Aiming to be a top sales manager, driving team performance and exceeding company sales targets consistently.”
• 36. “To secure a leadership position within the field of environmental science, contributing to research and advocacy for climate change mitigation.”
• 37. “To become a recognized expert in user experience design, creating intuitive and user-friendly digital products.”
• 38. “Seeking a role as a professional event planner, executing unforgettable events that exceed client expectations.”
• 39. “To advance to a senior technical writer position, producing clear and concise documentation that supports product development.”
• 40. “Aspiring to be a chief diversity officer, fostering an inclusive workplace culture where all employees can thrive.”
• 41. “To become a lead mechanical engineer in the automotive industry, contributing to the development of innovative and efficient vehicles.”
• 42. “To secure a position as a business analyst, helping organizations to improve processes and systems for better performance.”
• 43. “Aiming to become a senior environmental consultant, providing actionable strategies for sustainable business practices.”
• 44. “To establish myself as a professional photographer, capturing moments and stories through my lens for global publications.”
• 45. “Seeking a role as an investment banker, helping companies to grow and investors to achieve their financial goals.”
• 46. “To become a thought leader in digital transformation, guiding enterprises through the integration of new technologies.”
• 47. “Aspiring to be a senior policy advisor, influencing legislation and policy decisions that impact the public sector.”
• 48. “To secure a position as a professional interpreter, facilitating communication in multiple languages for international organizations.”
• 49. “Aiming to become a leading expert in nutritional science, contributing to healthier lifestyles and dietary choices.”
• 50. “To establish a career as a professional speaker and author, sharing my expertise and inspiring others in my field.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you write an effective career goal statement for your resume.

When you write a career goal statement for your resume, start by reflecting on your strengths, skills, and experiences. Then, identify the kind of position you’re aiming for and how your career path aligns with the goals of the company. Use action words and quantify achievements where possible.

What are some examples of short-term career goals in professional development?

Short-term career goals might include obtaining a professional certification, improving specific job-related skills such as public speaking or technical proficiency, or networking to connect with industry leaders. These goals are typically achievable within a few months to two years.

What should be included in a personal career goal statement?

Your personal career goal statement should include your career interests, the competencies you wish to utilize, the type of environment you thrive in, and how you see your career progressing. It gives employers a glimpse into your aspirations and professional philosophy.

Can you give examples of comprehensive goal statements for students?

An example for a student might be: “Graduate with a degree in Environmental Science and secure an internship with a leading sustainability organization, to contribute to effective climate change solutions.” This states the education aim and the practical, immediate objective after graduation.

How do you frame a career goal statement for entry into graduate school?

A career goal statement for graduate school should express your academic interests, how the program aligns with your career plans, and what you intend to accomplish professionally with the advanced degree. This could be working towards a specific research field or role in academia.

What elements make up a compelling and succinct one-sentence career goal?

A compelling one-sentence career goal is specific, mentioning the desired industry or role, is realistic, and includes a timeframe. For example, “To become a certified project manager within the next year and lead technology-related projects in a Fortune 500 company.”

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"Choosing a Career is very difficult"; thesis statement

OP nuhaz87 1 / 1   Jun 19, 2013   #3 ok.i'll keep that in mind thanks

Peer Review reports

An increasing shortage of physicians

Germany, like many other developed countries, is facing a shortage of physicians, not only in primary care, but also in the hospital sector. The medical profession is ageing in reflection of society as a whole. The burden of multiple and chronic diseases requires more medical attention and complex care coordination, which in turn puts pressure on the healthcare system [ 1 ]. The shortage of physicians has resulted in an increased workload for existing doctors and, in the worst-case scenario, longer waiting times for patients and reduced access to medical care in rural and underserved regions [ 2 , 3 ]. Patients often face the hurdle of long distances to travel, resulting in delays in care and compromised health outcomes [ 4 ]. According to a study by The Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen; ASHIPs), the current shortage of practicing physicians in Germany is estimated to be around 4,100 full-time equivalents in general practice, and approximately 1,000 in specialist care as of 2021 [ 5 ]. If no measures are taken, these numbers are expected to increase in the coming years.

The causes of physician shortage are multifactorial. One of the main factors is the capacity of medical schools in Germany to produce medical graduates. In addition, there is a generational shift, as a significant number of physicians approach retirement age [ 6 ]. Other factors include high workload and a stressful work environment, which can lead to medical leave and burnout. This, in turn, may result in a desire for part-time work, early retirement, and in the worst-case scenario, leaving clinical practice altogether [ 7 , 8 ]. Finally, to improve work-life balance, many doctors nowadays choose not to work full-time voluntarily. As a result, statistically, it takes 1.2 young doctors to replace one retiring physician [ 9 ].

Various measures have been proposed to address the shortage of physicians in Germany. Increasing the number of medical graduates is a logical step to tackle the growing demand [ 10 ]. In addition, strategies are being developed to improve working conditions and reduce administrative workloads, in order to enhance the value of the medical profession [ 11 ]. Further actions include financial incentives for physicians, and investing in technology and infrastructure to improve patient access to care and to ease the provision of healthcare, particularly in rural areas [ 12 , 13 ]. However, implementing these measures requires a concerted effort from various stakeholders, including policymakers, medical associations, and healthcare providers.

Relative scarcity of physicians across different specialties and regions

In addition to the absolute shortage of physicians, there is the issue of relative scarcity, which describes an imbalance in the distribution of physicians across disciplines and geographical regions. There is a potential mismatch between the interests of graduates and trainees, and the future needs of the population [ 14 ]. As such, the distribution of physicians among different (sub-)disciplines in medicine needs to be reviewed to ensure that all the needs in the healthcare system are covered [ 15 ]. Nevertheless, this requires qualified and suitable doctors in the first place. So far, the new system of needs-based planning has already partially improved the situation for general practitioners [ 16 ]. However, it remains crucial to highlight that this imbalance in both professional and geographical distribution poses a significant challenge in all fields of outpatient and inpatient care. Furthermore, shortages in certain medical specialties can lead to an over-reliance on specialists and suboptimal care coordination, further exacerbating the problem [ 17 ].

Young doctors’ decisions regarding their career choices and job opportunities

Understanding the factors that influence the choice of specialty by students can be instrumental in attracting and retaining physicians in underserved fields, as well as addressing the aforementioned workforce shortage and uneven distribution [ 18 ]. However, the decision to pursue a specific medical career is complex and influenced by a wide range of elements. These include various personal, social, and professional factors such as gender, origin, personal characteristics, and interests including lifestyle and work preferences; the perceived needs of society; and exposure to the medical curriculum encompassing clinical experiences [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].

Admission to medical school in Germany is highly competitive owing to the capacity being regulated centrally. The allocation of places to study medicine ab initio is coordinated by the Foundation for University Admission (Stiftung Hochschulstart). The two main criteria for admission into medical school comprise the grade of the German university entrance qualification (or equivalent school-leaving certificate), as well as the score attained in the Test for Medical Degree Courses [ 22 ]. Additionally, some German federal states introduced a quota attempting to increase the numbers of rural doctors (‘Landarztquote’) by providing an additional pathway to medical school, contractually obliging students to pursue a career in general practice on graduation [ 23 , 24 ].

Research questions

In a sample of multiple cross-sectional surveys conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg (Germany), we investigated factors that influence career choices made by students. The objective of this study was to examine the following research theses:

Student preferences of specialty change during the progression of their medical studies and are influenced by course-related aspects.

Admission characteristics, motives to study medicine, and role models are associated with career choice.

Ideas concerning future practice/working conditions are perceived differently depending on choice of specialty.

Personality traits (Big Five) and gender are also associated with the preference towards specific specialties.

Materials and methods

Questionnaire.

The authors designed the 159-item questionnaire, based on previous studies, to which we refer in the following. In the first part, general data were collected as individual biographic and demographic items, school leaving certificate grades, motives, and the influence of role models in choosing to study medicine [ 25 ]. Of note, the school leaving certificate passing grade in Germany ranges from 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (worst). To study medicine, the absolute point score is taken into account, which leads to fictitious grades of < 1.0 for point scores > 822. Personality traits were assessed using the 21-item short version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-K) [ 26 ], measuring the widely known five-factor model for describing human personality [ 27 ]. The BFI-K includes five broad dimensions of personality: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Finally, participants were asked to indicate their current first-choice specialty, to rate specific aspects related to their study of medicine (e.g., exam grades), and to provide ideas regarding their future practice of medicine [ 28 ].

The questionnaire utilized a combination of single or multiple-choice options, binary scales, five or seven-step Likert scales, and semantic differentials with a neutral option. It was mandatory for participants to respond to all items in order to complete the survey. However, if they did not wish to or were unable to provide a specific response, the option “not specified” could be selected. Voluntary free-text response questions were included to allow participants to add additional information.

As the questionnaire was designed in a cross-sectional manner, we incorporated filters to display only relevant questions, such as the number of vocational training courses. Additional questions regarding students working as student assistants or embarking on working towards a doctoral thesis were only applicable to students beyond their second year of studies, which reduced the total number of responses. Therefore, the precise sample size is indicated in the figures.

An excerpt of questions relevant to this study is added as supplement.

Participants and study design

The prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg follows a standard six-year curriculum, which includes two preclinical years of teaching, three clinical years, and one practical year of work-place based training. During the clinical years, students must choose four one-month clinical clerkships, including a mandatory clerkship in general practice. After the final state examination, graduates apply for their medical license (Approbation) and then choose a specialty for postgraduate training.

Students were requested to fill in the questionnaire using EvaSys ® (Lüneburg, Germany), an online survey service, and links were distributed via e-mail to different cohorts of undergraduate students between May 2021 and April 2023. The survey was managed electronically, with six reminders (on average) being sent out to non-responding participants at one to two-week intervals. To complete the quantitative study, the questionnaire was distributed to different groups, aiming to pool the data: first year = start of the degree course (three surveys), third year (two surveys) and fifth year (one survey) both during the clinical phase. The survey was completed after the final practical year and just before the final state examination = on graduation (three surveys).

In order to ensure sufficient data for analysis, only specialties that had a selection rate of at least 5% on average were included in the study. Statistical analyses were performed using R 4.3.1 [ 29 ], and logistic regressions between the first choice and various factors were performed using the R package mfx [ 30 ]. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the choice of specialty across different study stages and between different genders (Fig.  1 ).

Odds ratios (OR) were normalized using Yule’s Q formula [ 31 ], which transforms the OR values to a range between − 1 and 1, which is more intuitive in regard to the many different scales used. A value of 0 indicates no association between variables. Lollipop plots (Figs.  2 , 3 and 4 ) represent the mean values of each relevant factor for either the group of students selecting the distinct specialty or not (shown in different colour). By displaying Q values for each mean difference, one can directly assess the quantity of association. A dashed line represents the mean value of the whole cohort for each factor.

Significant OR/ANOVA results are indicated as * ( p  < 0.05), ** ( p  < 0.01), *** ( p  < 0.001), and **** ( p  < 0.0001). Given the fact, that our study is explorative, we did not adjust for multiple comparisons.

Data management, data protection, anonymity

The data protection officer of the University of Würzburg was consulted in preparation of the study. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All data were collected and processed in an anonymised manner. To ensure anonymity, only the year of birth was requested instead of the complete date of birth. The collected data are currently stored by the Office of the Dean of Studies and will be deleted ten years after completion of the overall study in which the survey was conducted.

Descriptive statistics of respondents

A total of 683 out of 1406 students completed the survey, of whom 481 were female (70%), resulting in an overall response rate of 49%. The characteristics of respondents are summarised in Table  1 . On average, participants were 24 years old (standard deviation of 4 years). The majority of students were German nationals (637, 93%, multiple answers were allowed).

Student preferences of specialty and changes during medical studies

Figure  1 A presents the ranking of first-choice specialties based on study phases and gender differences. Out of 35 options, only seven exceeded 5%: internal medicine (15%), surgery (14%), general practice (13%), paediatric and adolescent medicine (11%), anaesthesiology (9%), obstetrics and gynaecology (7%), and “undecided” (6%) – representing 75% of all students in the sample. As students progressed through their studies, the level of uncertainty declined (ANOVA for full sample: p  < 0.0001) with more students opting for disciplines other than surgery ( p  < 0.05). These effects remained significant when conducting a separate analysis specifically for female students. Furthermore, their preference for paediatrics and adolescent medicine increased throughout the curriculum ( p  < 0.05). On the other hand, men’s’ specialty preferences remained more or less stable with only negligible change within the choice of surgery.

Throughout the course of the study, the gender distribution (see Fig.  1 B) mostly remained unchanged with the proportion of women exceeding two-thirds (70% in the entire sample). Exceptions were found using ANOVA for specialties in distinct study phases: internal medicine (chosen by more male students at the outset), surgery (chosen by more male students during the clinical phase), paediatric and adolescent medicine (chosen by more female students during the clinical phase), and obstetrics and gynaecology (chosen only by female students throughout all study phases). OR analyses of gender effects on the choice of specialty for the entire cohort are depicted in Fig.  5 , which reveal significant variations for internal medicine and paediatric and adolescent medicine.

Relative distribution for first choice of the specialisation field in descending order of occurrence including the option “undecided”. Changes in specialty choice according to study stage for the full sample as well as for male and female subgroups ( A ) and gender distribution in each specialty choice at different stages of study (outset, clinical phase, and on graduation) ( B ). Asterisks (*: p  < 0.05, **: p  < 0.01, ***: p < 0.001) mark significant ANOVA results for distribution depending on (A) study phase and (B) field of specialisation

The establishment of specialty choices in students was significantly associated with various aspects related to their course of studies (Fig.  2 ). Students who reported having made their choice prior to the start of their studies were more likely to choose surgery or paediatric and adolescent medicine. Conversely, not having established the choice before starting medical school was associated with obstetrics and gynaecology, as well as being undecided. Clinical clerkships in a specific (freely chosen) specialty aligned with the career choice, except for general practice, which was a mandatory clerkship. The final practical year did not have any impact on career choice. However, the frequency with which the option “undecided” was chosen substantially decreased at such an advanced stage of medical school. Higher proportions of support from institutions or foundations, either financial or otherwise, were significantly associated with the choice of internal medicine as a specialty. Conversely, a lower proportion of institutional support was associated with the choice of surgery. Working as a student assistant was significantly associated with choosing paediatric and adolescent medicine. Not having started a doctoral thesis was highly associated with being indecisive as a student.

Portrayal of student preferences during their medical studies and course-related characteristics. Mean values for groups having chosen (black circle) vs. not chosen (grey circle) the respective specialty as first choice, as well as overall mean value for the whole sample (dashed black line). Normalized Odds Ratios (Yule’s Q) quantify the strength of association (ranging from − 1 to 1, where 0 indicates no association). Significant results are indicated as * ( p  < 0.05), ** ( p  < 0.01), *** ( p  < 0.001), and **** ( p  < 0.0001)

Admission characteristics, motives to study medicine, and role models

Figure  3 provides a summary of students’ admission characteristics, their motives, and role models prior to medical school. Students who graduated from high school in small towns or rural areas, with lower grades in their university entrance qualification (mean difference: 0.2 to 0.3), or had completed a higher number of vocational training placements were statistically more likely to choose anaesthesiology and general practice as their specialty. Higher grades in university entrance qualification (mean difference: 0.2) were significantly associated with choosing obstetrics and gynaecology or paediatric and adolescent medicine. Students opting for paediatric and adolescent medicine were less influenced by prestige in their motivation to study medicine, while those choosing internal medicine were more strongly influenced. A greater presence of positive role models in general practice increased the likelihood of selecting that specialty. A scarcity of positive role models was associated with a higher likelihood of choosing surgery. Positive role models within the family had less influence on choosing anaesthesiology or paediatrics and adolescent medicine.

Admission characteristics, motives, and role models influencing the choice to study medicine and choice of specialty. The school leaving certificate passing grade in Germany ranges from 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (worst). A number of vocational training placements prior to medical school exceeding two was recoded as three (only two incidences). For a detailed description of the lollipop plot, see Fig.  2

Ideas concerning future practice/working conditions

Figure  4 illustrates students’ ideas regarding their future practice of medicine. High ratings of regulated working time were significantly associated with the choice of general practice, as well as the importance of work-life balance. On the other hand, lower ratings of these two items were associated with surgery. Surgery, along with anaesthesiology, associated more strongly with the hospital environment, whereas general practice was more associated with work in a practice setting. Furthermore, surgery was found to be more closely associated with urban areas, while general practice had a stronger association with rural areas. Students choosing general practice and anaesthesiology placed less emphasis on research. Undecided students rated research higher. Of note, no significant association was found between the choice of specialty and collaboration, which was rated at high levels towards “in a team” across all specialties.

Students’ ideas concerning future practice/working conditions as medical professionals and influence on career choice. For a detailed description of the lollipop plot, see Fig.  2

Personality traits (big five) and gender

Figure  5 portrays the influence of personality factors and gender on the first choice of students. Higher levels of agreeableness were associated with a greater likelihood of selecting paediatric and adolescent medicine as first choice, while surgery was attributed to individuals with lower agreeableness. Conversely, lower levels of neuroticism and openness were linked to choosing anaesthesiology, and lower levels of extraversion were associated with opting for internal medicine. Higher levels of neuroticism were found to be linked with the choice of obstetrics and gynaecology. No significant association was observed between conscientiousness and the selected specialty, which was generally rated at very high levels. Notably, male students proved to be significantly more likely to choose internal medicine (62% male vs. 38% female), whereas paediatric and adolescent medicine was chosen predominantly by female students (86% female vs. 14% male); only female students chose obstetrics and gynaecology, which was shown to be statistically insignificant on OR and ANOVA analyses (see also Fig.  1 ).

Impact of personality factors (Big Five) and gender on the choice of specialty. For a detailed description of the lollipop plot, see Fig.  2

The concept of our survey was specifically to probe factors that influence students in their first choice of specialty.

The top specialties chosen by the respondents across all semesters of the medical degree course in Würzburg were internal medicine, surgery, general practice, and paediatric and adolescent medicine, ranging between 10 and 15%. Anaesthesiology, and obstetrics and gynaecology followed closely behind. Not surprisingly, a few students (6%) were undecided with ever decreasing proportions during the progression of their degree courses. Even though international comparisons should be approached with caution, students across various medical schools in the USA also expressed high interest in paediatrics (20%) and surgery (15%) [ 32 ]. In accordance with our findings, most students amended their specialty choices, regardless of initial interest. In the aforementioned study, a significant proportion of 30% remained in primary care, that is, in general practice and paediatric and adolescent medicine.

We noticed a significant decline in surgery as students progressed through their degree course. However, analysing student groups divided by gender, this effect did not remain significant, except for the gender distribution during the clinical phase and a general difference between study phases for the female group (see Fig.  1 ). The observation of low student interest in pursuing a surgical career upon completion of medical school is not uncommon and has been noted previously [ 33 ]. However, a longitudinal study from another German medical school (Jena) could not confirm this [ 34 ]. Therefore, further investigation, especially with longitudinally tracked students, is necessary. Students’ career choices and changes are most likely influenced by their educational experiences. Students discover different specialties, interact with healthcare professionals, engage in clinical experiences and learn from role models, thus shaping their interests and priorities. In our study, we found significant results indicating a strong alignment between career choices and the clinical clerkships that students freely select during their studies. This alignment reflects the regulations in place, according to which students are required to complete a minimum of four clinical clerkships, each one lasting one month. Clerkship in general practice is mandatory for all students; thus, there was no association between career choices and this clerkship. In the literature, clinical clerkships in surgery [ 35 ] and exposure to rural places of work with primary care are commonly known to affect the attitude of medical students [ 36 , 37 ]. Some authors report the importance of engaging students as early as possible even before starting clinical placements [ 38 ]. In our study, we were able to observe additional effects related to the curriculum, such as support, work experience as student assistants, and engagement in research activities. The concept of career decision-making is a dynamic and evolving process, which can be modulated when there is awareness. Therefore, promotion programmes in Germany that include elective courses in general practice during the final practical year, mentorship during the clinical phase of studies, and social events in specific areas, as well as offers for finding a scientific project have already proven to be effective in generating interest [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ].

Admission characteristics, such as background and high school grades of the university entrance qualification (the German Abitur), have an impact on the choice of specialty as well. In our study, we demonstrated that students who originated from small towns at the time of graduating from high school, or had lower grades in the university entrance qualification, or had completed vocational training placements were statistically more likely to choose anaesthesiology and general practice. There is evidence that rural origin is a major predictor of medical students intending to work in primary care [ 44 ]. The willingness to study medicine and pursue a career is also often fostered by previous training in closely related areas of healthcare, such as nursing, physiotherapy, or paramedics [ 45 ]. In Germany, the factor of vocational training comes into play, as it is used as a selection criterion in certain admission quotas, especially for candidates not categorized as top performers in high-school examinations [ 23 , 46 ]. In particular, the introduction of the rural doctor quota requires a vocational qualification as a condition for a state-bound selection procedure. The aforementioned aspects well reflect the socio-demographic background and training prerequisites, which can influence students’ perceptions of certain specialties and their likelihood of choosing them [ 47 , 48 ]. The findings of our study support the notion of socio-cultural factors in shaping career aspirations.

We also demonstrated that students’ preferences for workstyle and location play a role in career choices. Not surprisingly, there were contrasting views on regulated working hours and work-life balance between general practice and surgery, with students who chose the surgical discipline rating the two items lower. This is consistent with the literature, as personal values, such as the desire of a favourable work-life balance, are known to influence specialty choice among medical students in favour of non-surgical disciplines [ 49 ]. A restrictive statement must however be made that, although the differences were statistically significant, students with surgical preferences still highly rate the working desires of the current generation of young physicians. Moreover, we observed that students have a good understanding of specialisation being bound to work environments (hospital versus practice) and the urban-rural distribution of facilities. In fact, surgery and anaesthesiology require hospital settings with advanced technological equipment, which can be found in larger hospitals or high-volume centres mostly situated in urban locations [ 50 , 51 ]. General practice, on the other hand, serves the purpose of providing primary care, with a focus on outpatient settings and a broad distribution across the country, including rural areas. In summary, our exploration of students’ ideas about their future medical practice aligns with the growing recognition of work-life balance and available healthcare infrastructure. Previous research has highlighted the impact of working conditions, job satisfaction, and adherence of career choices [ 52 , 53 ]. Our findings underscore the need for healthcare institutions and policymakers to create supportive and desirable work environments, to improve the transparency of decision-making processes.

On the interpersonal level, several studies have revealed that medical students’ career decisions are influenced by role models and mentoring opportunities [ 54 , 55 ]. In our study, positive role models were associated with general practice. In contrast, role models within the family were even negatively associated with anaesthesiology, and paediatric and adolescent medicine. Positive as well as negative interactions with practicing physicians or other personal experiences with specific specialties can inspire and motivate students to pursue or avoid particular specialties [ 56 ]. This highlights the need for effective mentorship programmes and exposure to diverse role models to promote interest and engagement in various specialties [ 57 , 58 ].

Numerous studies into the influence of personality characteristics on choice of specialty have been published in the medical education literature [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. Personality traits have been shown to play a role in career decision-making, with certain traits being particularly aligned [ 63 , 64 ]. Our findings indicate, both in positive and negative aspects, that personality factors such as agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness influence the choice of specialty among medical students. Agreeable students tended to choose paediatric and adolescent medicine, while neuroticism was associated with a preference for obstetrics and gynaecology. However, lower levels of neuroticism and openness were associated with the choice of anaesthesiology. Recently, the predilection of clinical medicine was also found to be associated with agreeableness and openness [ 65 ]. In an earlier study, higher values of neuroticism were associated with the preference of obstetrics and gynaecology and even connected to higher values for females in comparison with males [ 66 ]. Interestingly, we did not find any significant personality traits associated with the preferences for further specialisation in general practice.

Gender differences in specialty choices have indeed been widely observed, with women known to opt for general practice, paediatrics, or obstetrics and gynaecology [ 67 , 68 , 69 ]. Our study confirmed that female students predominantly chose paediatrics and adolescent medicine. Contrary to existing data, we could not confirm any gender preference regarding general practice or surgery. Only during the clinical phase significantly higher interest of male students for surgery could be confirmed. However, any findings of gender bias underscore the importance of promoting diversity and addressing gender disparities in medical specialties [ 70 , 71 ].

Limitations

The survey was conducted at a single and traditionally oriented medical school in Germany, which may limit the range of student backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives included. Factors specific to the institution, such as the curriculum, focus on specialties, or institutional culture, may have influenced students’ specialty preferences and career choices. The characteristics and preferences of students in different regions or countries may vary, and therefore caution should be exercised when extrapolating the results. Furthermore, the sample size and composition impacts the representativeness of our findings. It is possible that certain subgroups of students were underrepresented or not adequately captured. The data collected relied on self-reporting measures, which are subject to potential biases, such as social desirability bias or recall bias. Students’ responses are known to be influenced by their perception of what is expected or desired, leading to over- or under-reporting of certain factors influencing their career choices. Finally, the study employed a cross-sectional design, capturing data at a specific point in time.

The findings of our study offer valuable insights into the factors that influence specialty choice among medical students. By identifying and addressing the factors, we will be able to explore strategies that support and enhance the decision-making process as needed. It is also particularly important to understand when the decision is taken during medical studies, to ensure effective education policies and strategies. No doubt, training and accompanying programmes have to be created to illustrate the possibilities, resources, and support services available [ 2 ]. By adopting this approach, comprehensive patient care can be provided across different specialties, with the goal of delivering high-quality and equitable healthcare to individuals of all needs and populations.

Further research is needed to develop deeper insights to monitor student preferences as a longitudinal approach. Exploring the impact of educational interventions, mentoring programmes, and career guidance initiatives could support students in making well-informed choices aligned with their interests and those of healthcare system needs.

Data availability

The datasets used and analysed during the study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We would like express our deepest gratitude to all the students who participated in this study. We would also like to thank the student representatives as well as Joy Backhaus for the critical review of the questionnaire and conceptual aspects of the study. Furthermore, we would like to thank Andrew Entwistle for his assistance with proofreading the manuscript.

This study was conducted with partial funding support from the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care as part of the ‘Beste Landpartie Allgemeinmedizin’ research project, a funding and support programme aimed at motivating medical students to complete specialty training in general practice in rural areas in Bavaria.

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Institute of Medical Teaching and Medical Education Research, University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2/D6, Würzburg, 97080, Germany

Tobias Leutritz & Sarah König

Institute of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2/D7, 97080, Würzburg, Germany

Maike Krauthausen & Anne Simmenroth

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TL, MK, AS, and SK played significant roles in the development and design of the questionnaire used in this study, as well as the interpretation of the results. SK developed the survey methodology for the study.TL acquired and analysed the data. SK and TL wrote the paper, while MK and AS revised it. All authors reviewed and approved the final submitted version of the paper.

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Correspondence to Sarah König .

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Ethics approval and consent to participate.

The local institutional review and ethics board approved the study protocol as not deemed to represent biomedical or epidemiological research [20210118 03]. Participation in the study was voluntary, and participants provided informed consent upon submitting the questionnaire. Data collection and retrieval was performed anonymously via EvaSys ® . However, students were requested to provide their matriculation number to match the evaluation data with examination results. It is important to note that this matching was not part of the present study.

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Leutritz, T., Krauthausen, M., Simmenroth, A. et al. Factors associated with medical students’ career choice in different specialties: a multiple cross-sectional questionnaire study at a German medical school. BMC Med Educ 24 , 798 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05751-1

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Published : 24 July 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05751-1

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Student Spotlight: Alyssa Columbus

Alyssa Columbus is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Biostatistics with an interest in public health informatics and data science, including educational interventions, ethical considerations, and policy implications.

Alyssa Columbus, a second-year PhD student in the Department of Biostatistics, is a Vivien Thomas and CERSI Scholar . Alyssa has over seven years of statistical industry and research experience, including as a data scientist, information security analyst, and consultant. 

Alyssa is a member of the NASA Datanaut corps and recently gave a talk at the Year of Open Science Culminating Conference , hosted by the Center for Open Science (COS) and NASA, about the duality of openness and security and how to enhance open science with robust standards and guidelines for protecting sensitive information. 

• Hometown:  Southern California
• Previous Degrees Earned: BS in Mathematics, University of California-Irvine; MS in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering
• Current Program:  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Program Entry Year:  2022
• Area of Focus:  Public health informatics and data science, including educational interventions, ethical considerations (e.g., privacy and security), and policy implications.

What led you to Hopkins and choosing to study biostatistics? 

At the beginning of my undergraduate studies, I was fascinated by the vast array of quantitative approaches one could use to analyze raw data, draw statistical inference, and ultimately improve people’s lives with more robust forms of evidence. This motivated me to take as many statistics courses as I could, gain professional experience working with data across a broad range of use cases via internships, and participate in research projects that used statistical methods to advance our understanding of our collective health, including one led by an epidemiologist and a biostatistician. The intellectual stimulation and personal fulfillment I found from these research experiences, along with my full-time career (in data science and information security/privacy) and my master’s thesis (on neural survival models), led me to decide to pursue a PhD in biostatistics. I was thrilled when I was admitted to this program because many of the methods that I had been using or reading about in my research were developed by professors in this department, and several of the resources I used to build my computational skillset were made by members of the Department’s Johns Hopkins Data Science Lab (DaSL) . 

Have you had any internships or jobs that have been helpful in your biostatistics learning journey?

I think all of the research experiences, internships, and jobs I’ve had across different disciplines have been helpful in their own ways because they’ve enabled me to have a more holistic view of what biostatistics is and could be. That being said, I think that the parts of my career where I’ve learned the most have been (1) my first research experiences that exposed me to critically thinking about the limitations of applying particular statistical methods to complex problems, (2) my hands-on experiences in working with large, messy datasets, and (3) my experiences educating others about various aspects of data science as a result of the NASA Datanauts program .

What do you like most about the Biostatistics Department?

It would have to be the culture–specifically its unique blend of intellectual prowess and a fun and friendly sense of community. I’m grateful to be a part of a department that has such a rich history of influential methods development (e.g.,  generalized estimating equations ) and educational firsts (e.g.,  Coursera Data Science MOOCs ) yet is also down-to-earth enough to the point where I, as a graduate student, can regularly have hallway conversations or eat lunch in the Genome Café with the professors who first came up with these ideas.

What has been your favorite class so far at Hopkins? 

I liked all of the classes in the statistical programming and computing series, but my favorite had to be Statistical Programming Paradigms and Workflows , taught by Stephanie Hicks . I appreciated how thorough each of her lectures were, how she occasionally brought in subject matter experts to give guest lectures to the class, and how each project developed a skill that I would later use in my research. I was also honored to have the opportunity to give a guest lecture on SQL and relational databases the following year and relay my experiences with SQL’s many flavors to other students.

Tell us about a project you are currently working on that you are excited about.

For the past few months, I’ve been working on a qualitative study I designed with my two co-advisors ( Brian Caffo and Stephanie Hicks ) and Roger Peng that aims to answer the question, “When is a data analysis done?”  I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons so far by interviewing experienced data analysts from different fields and sectors. After conducting a few more interviews, I look forward to writing about their perspectives on what criteria they use to determine when an analysis can be considered complete (if ever). With 15 interviews in total, the rich dataset collected for this project will enable us to identify potential areas for improvement in data analysis practices and contribute to the development of more universally applicable analytical strategies.   

I’m grateful that this Department has fostered such a supportive environment where I’ve been able to learn so much from so many faculty members, all of whom I hope to emulate in different ways as I advance in my career.

Can you share why the Biostatistics program is important to your career trajectory?

As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve realized that I feel the most fulfilled when conducting research and educating others about what I’ve learned through writing, speaking, and teaching. Although I’ve been fortunate to have many opportunities to develop these skills before starting my Biostatistics PhD at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, I feel privileged that, in this program, I’ve had the chance to learn from professors who are leaders at the forefront of both statistics and their respective scientific fields. From receiving guidance on accomplishing my research aims from my co-advisors and Scott Zeger , to mentorship on my teaching skills from Marie Diener-West and John McGready , I’m grateful that this Department has fostered such a supportive environment where I’ve been able to learn so much from so many faculty members, all of whom I hope to emulate in different ways as I advance in my career.

What do you enjoy most about Baltimore? 

While I appreciate many aspects of Baltimore, I enjoy the city’s eclectic mix of modern innovations and traditions the most. Since 2014, Mr. Trash Wheel and the three other trash interceptors in his family have provided clever and humorous ways to remove pollutants from the waters around Baltimore Harbor, increase awareness about environmental stewardship, and release open data that can inform waste reduction legislation. Also, the annual Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race and Hampdenfest events are quirky and fun, and they further show how passionate many Baltimoreans are about serving their local community.

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Brorsen receives ferguson college of agriculture award for excellence in graduate student advising and mentoring.

Monday, July 29, 2024

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Dr. Wade  Brorsen , a Regents Professor in the Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Economics , is the 2024 recipient of the Excellence in Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring Award. He was recognized at the annual Ferguson College of Agriculture Scholarships and Awards Banquet in April.

Since joining the agricultural economics faculty in 1991, Brorsen has advised 36 doctoral students and more than 20 master’s students. He has served on dozens of dissertation and thesis committees.

Brorsen has coauthored 230 articles with 97 graduate students and also developed 217 paper and poster presentations with graduate students at professional meetings. Dr. Cheryl DeVuyst , agricultural economics department head, said Brorsen’s mark of success as a graduate student advisor is that all his master’s and doctoral students have published at least one research article in an academic journal.

“Dr. Brorsen has spent his career working with graduate students, challenging them to constantly reach for higher quality and to give careful attention to research relevance, communication and methodological support,” DeVuyst said. “His advising and mentoring have made us better and have also strengthened the discipline of agricultural economics around the globe.”

When working with graduate students, Brorsen said he encourages them to choose their own research topics and take ownership of projects.

“I usually ask students what their goals are and try to design a research project that helps them meet those goals,” he said. “Everyone is different, and you can’t treat everyone the same, so it’s important to design a project that fits each student.”

Brorsen also hosts weekly group meetings attended by all his students.

“The group meetings help them set small goals and establish some peer effects,” he said. “It is also a time to celebrate their successes. Students always request we continue the group meetings.”

In addition to working with students, Brorsen has helped implement significant changes to the agricultural economics department’s graduate program, including revising the curriculum, adding a research methodology course and designing the Master of Agriculture in Agribusiness degree program. He serves on the department’s graduate curriculum committee, graduate admissions committee and Ph.D. preliminary examinations committee.

“In Dr. Brorsen’s 33 years of service to OSU, he has made a profound impact not only on the department of agricultural economics but also on graduate student mentorship in our college,” said Dr. Cynda Clary , associate dean for academic programs. “With each student, he is generous with his time and resources and is committed to making graduate education accessible to all.”

Brorsen said his passion for research allows him to integrate his skillset into working with students and helping them complete their own research projects. He said he aims to teach students the scientific method to help them solve problems and understand how they solved them.

“In managing myself, I benefit from working with other people in order to be motivated,” Brorsen said. “I found that working with graduate students is what I like and what I care about.”

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