Here are a few ideas for the graduate student in need of proposal topics for their Ph.D. dissertation or Master’s Thesis; they are categorized by several of the more popular departments (English, Political Science, History, etc.) and by difficulty, the more simplistic topics most appropriate for a Master’s Thesis.
English/ Literature
Fairly Simple:
- The Lasting Influence of the Beat Generation: How Their Literature Speaks to Posterity
- Decadence in American Literature
- The Macabre of Edgar Allen Poe
Moderate:
- How the English Language Has Evolved Over the Last 20 Years Due to Improvements in Technology
- Masochism and Sadism in British Gothic Literature
- The Pointlessness of Poetry in the 21st Century
Difficult:
- The Long-Lasting Effects of Individualism in British Romantic Literature
- Environmental Ethics in American and American Indian Literature from the 17th Century to the Present
- The Pretentiousness of British Literature and its Exclusion of the American Reader
History
Fairly Simple:
- How History Helps Humanity Avoid Making the Mistakes of Old
- Women’s Right and Women’s Suffrage
Moderate:
- Imperialism through Asian Eyes
- The Geographical Limitations of the Roman Empire
Difficult:
- The Fall of the Roman Empire
- Eastern Europe Before, During and After Communism
Political Science
Fairly Simple:
- Inner-Workings of the European Union
Moderate:
- Changes in Diplomacy After World War II
- The History of Diplomacy Since the Middle Ages
Difficult:
- Malaysian Foreign Policy in the Post-Mahathir Era, (2003-Present)
- The Haitian Crisis of 1991-1994: Constraints and Asymmetry in United States-Latin American Relations
Religion/Theology
Fairly Simple:
- Christianity in the American South
- Buddhism in the 21st Century
Moderate:
- Spirituality of the Native American Indian
- Interpreting the Bible in the 21st Century
Difficult:
- The Diverging Views of Christianity in Europe
Education
Fairly Simple:
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Standardized Testing the United States
- 21st Century Approaches to Education
Moderate:
- Job-embedded Learning: How Teachers Learn from One Another During the Workday
Difficult:
- A Review and Analysis of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Philosophy
Fairly Simple:
- Applications and the Relevance of Existentialism in the 21st Century
- Deficient Causation in Leibniz
Moderate:
- Rational Hope in Kant’s Moral Religion
- Heidegger’s Critique of the Cartesian Problem of Skepticism
Difficult:
- The Prescriptivity of Conscious Belief
- Aristotle on Modality and Determinism
Psychology
Fairly Simple:
- The Effect of Positive Thinking on Life Success
- Identifying Predictors of Aggression in Children
Moderate:
- Anger, Aggression, and Irrational Beliefs in Adolescents
- Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Victimization Among Adolescent Males
Difficult:
- Rational Emotive Behavior Play Therapy vs. Client Centered Therapy
- Utilizing a Psycho-Educational Intervention to Reduce the Effects of Exposure to Media Images of Body Image in Young Adolescent Girls
Criminal Justice
Fairly Simple:
- Adolescent Deviance Within Families and Neighborhoods
- Procedural Justice During Police-Citizen Encounters
Moderate:
- Meta-Analysis of Early Life Influences on Behavior in Criminals
Difficult:
- The Effects of Individual Vulnerability and Lifestyle/Routine Activities on Fear of Crime and Perceptions of Risk in the School Setting
- The Adoption of Crime Prevention Technologies in Public Schools
Journalism
Fairly Simple:
- A Look at How Objective Journalism and Free Speech Sustains Democracy – and How the Absence of Both Promotes Autocracy
Moderate:
- Publicity Matters: How Promotional Journalism and Public-Relations Marketing Can Go Hand in Hand
- New Journalism: How the Incorporation of Narrative and Fiction Techniques Brought Forth an Innovative Approach to Conveying the News and News-Worthy Topics
Difficult:
- The Transition from Print Media to Online/Digital Media and the Role of Both Moving Forward
