How Long Is a Dissertation? A Complete Dissertation Writing Guide!

How long is too long when it comes to a dissertation? If you’re a graduate student preparing to write a dissertation, you’ve probably asked yourself this more than once. Dissertation length isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. It varies significantly by academic field, research scope, and degree level. For PhD dissertations, the word count is often between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Undergraduate dissertations might be closer to 8,000 to 12,000 words. But the length is only one part of the bigger picture.