Is the Dissertation Still Considered a Rite of Passage?

As a lecturer, I have observed increasing discussion among colleagues concerning the continuing value of the dissertation as an essential component of a degree program. Long regarded as an academic rite of passage, the pinnacle of achievement and a defining moment in a student’s learning journey, the dissertation is now under increasing scrutiny. As universities move towards more authentic and varied forms of assessment, what can dissertations offer students, and does the dissertation still hold its value?

With rise of the generative AI, there has been a move away from written assessments which are all too easy to get AI to write. Ian Pace, in his 2025 article “To respond to AI, we may need to live with lower student satisfaction,” concludes that written assessments in any format will need to be used less and less. But in leaving written assessments behind, we may also lose some of the most valuable skills students gain from them.

Writing is not just a method of assessment, it is a way of thinking. As Christopher McVey (2025) suggests, when students write they engage deeply with their subject, scribbling, drafting, reworking, and refining their ideas. Through this process, they clarify understanding and develop their intellectual voice. Similarly, Kathleen Arnold et al. (2024) show that writing encourages the reorganization and elaboration of ideas, fostering deeper comprehension. Studies have also highlighted the cognitive benefits of writing, showing that engaging both critical and creative thinking can support analytical rigor as well as originality (Dwyer, 2025).

The dissertation remains distinctive from other assessments because of the level of challenge and independence it demands. It is often the largest and most testing piece of work a student undertakes, and while this can be daunting, it is also deeply rewarding. It offers students the opportunity to explore a topic that genuinely interests them and to move beyond referencing existing knowledge, to generating it, and to see themselves as contributors to a field rather than passive consumers of information. It is also different from other assessments as it requires a discovery element, which can be exciting and open up the world of research to the student.

The dissertation is also likely to be the largest piece of work the student has ever written and this can be daunting. However with structured support and supervision, the dissertation journey helps students gradually build independence and develop a wide range of transferable skills, including time management and decision-making, to critical thinking, communication, and resilience. Structured support to help students develop these skills is very much at the heart of my book, Writing Skills for University: Day One to Dissertation. As their skills develop and their confidence grows, many students find that the process of writing the dissertation becomes the turning point, when they start to see themselves as writers, researchers, or scientists.

This does not mean the dissertation must remain a 12,000-word tome. Asking students to produce a journal paper, for instance, can still offer the same opportunity to engage in research, generate new knowledge, and develop their written voice. Similarly, capstone projects can allow students to explore a topic in depth and develop their critical thinking skills (Morreale, 2017). The key is that the assessment challenges students to produce their best work and take ownership of their learning, enabling them to experience the intellectual growth that has long made the dissertation a formative milestone in higher education.

At its best, the dissertation is not just another assessment but a threshold, a moment of transformation where students cross from learner to researcher. While universities continue to explore new forms of assessment and respond to technological change, the transformative value of the dissertation endures. It nurtures independence, critical thought, and intellectual confidence, giving students a sense of ownership over their learning and a lasting foundation for their future work.

References

Arnold KM, Umanath S, Thio K, Reilly WB, McDaniel MA & Marsh EJ. (2017) Understanding the cognitive processes involved in writing to learn. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 23,115-127.

Dwyer, C, Campbell C & Seery N (2025). An evaluation of the relationship between critical thinking and creative thinking: complementary metacognitive processes or strange bedfellows? Journal of Intelligence, 3(2):23. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence13020023 doi:10.3390/jintelligence13020023.

McVey C (2025) Why writing assignments still matter in the age of AI. Available at: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/3-key-lessons-essay-writing-ai. Accessed 1 November 2025.

Morreale C, Van Zile-Tamsen C, Emerson CA & Herzog M (2017) Thinking skills by design: using a capstone ePortfolio to promote reflection, critical thinking and curriculum integration. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7, 13-28.

Pace I (2025) To respond to AI, we may need to live with lower student satisfaction. Times Higher Education. Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/respond-ai-we-may-need-live-lower-student-satisfaction. Accessed 1 November 2025.