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Key Takeaways
- Acknowledgements sit between the title page and the abstract, and should generally stay within one page.
- Thank professional contacts first, such as your supervisor, committee, and funders, before moving on to personal thanks.
- Use warm, first-person language, but keep it organized: group people by how significant their contribution was.
What Is the Acknowledgements Section of a Dissertation?
The acknowledgements section is a short, personal page where you thank the people, institutions, and organizations that supported you during your research. Unlike the rest of the dissertation, it does not need to follow strict academic conventions: it is your space to express genuine gratitude.
It is separate from the dedication, which is typically a single line honoring one person, and from the abstract, which summarizes your research rather than your relationships.
Where Do Acknowledgements Go in a Dissertation?
Acknowledgements are placed right after the title page and before the abstract. This order is standard across most universities, though it is worth checking your institution’s formatting guidelines, since some place acknowledgements after the abstract or table of contents instead.
How Long Should Dissertation Acknowledgements Be?
Most acknowledgements sections run between 200 and 500 words and should not exceed one page. There is no required minimum: a few warm, well-chosen sentences are perfectly acceptable, and brevity is often more effective than a long list of names.
Who Should You Thank in Your Dissertation Acknowledgements?
There are two broad categories: professional and personal. Most guidance recommends placing professional acknowledgements first, followed by personal ones, then ranking each group from most to least significant contribution.
Professional Acknowledgements
These cover anyone who contributed directly to your research or academic progress. As a rule, avoid skipping anyone who helped you formally, since omissions can read as a snub.
- Your supervisor, advisor, or chair, even if you feel their input was limited
- Your defense or dissertation committee members, by full name and title
- Funding bodies, grants, fellowships, or scholarships that supported your work
- Collaborators, co-authors, or colleagues from your cohort or department
- Librarians, lab technicians, research assistants, or study participants, named individually or as a group
- Editors or proofreaders who polished the final manuscript
Personal Acknowledgements
You do not need to thank every relative or friend. Reserve this space for people who offered meaningful encouragement, patience, or practical help during the process.
- Parents, partners, children, or siblings who provided emotional or practical support
- Friends who read drafts, listened to frustrations, or kept you motivated
- Pets, mentioned briefly and lightly, if they genuinely kept your spirits up
If you wish to honor someone who has passed away, many students name them first, even before professional acknowledgements, or use a separate dedication line.
Suggested order of thanking:
| Rank | Who to Thank | Typical Tone |
| 1 | Supervisor, chair, or defense committee | Formal, specific |
| 2 | Funding bodies and grants | Formal, names the grant |
| 3 | Colleagues, cohort members, collaborators | Warm, professional |
| 4 | Editors, proofreaders, librarians, research assistants | Appreciative |
| 5 | Family, friends, and pets | Personal, informal |
How to Write Dissertation Acknowledgements: A Step by Step Approach
- List everyone who supported you, professionally and personally, without worrying about order yet.
- Sort the list into three tiers: major thanks, big thanks, and minor thanks, based on the size of their contribution.
- Draft one to three sentences per person or group, naming what they specifically did for you.
- Arrange the tiers from major to minor, with professional acknowledgements first and personal ones last.
- Read the draft aloud to check that the tone feels genuine rather than mechanical, and trim anything that feels excessive.
- Proofread carefully: this page is often the first thing a committee member or external examiner reads.
What Sentence Starters Can You Use for Each Tier?
Varying your opening phrases keeps the section from sounding repetitive; the table below groups common starters by how significant the contribution was.
| Major Thanks | Big Thanks | Minor Thanks |
| I am deeply indebted to | Many thanks to | I would like to acknowledge |
| I would like to express my deepest gratitude to | Special thanks to | I’d like to recognize |
| This work would not have been possible without | I am also grateful to | I had the pleasure of working with |
| Words cannot express my gratitude to | Thanks should also go to | I would be remiss not to mention |
Once your draft is complete, it helps to have a language expert review the wording for tone and clarity. Services such as Editage’s Dissertation Editing and Proofreading Service can refine grammar, flow, and formatting across your entire dissertation, including the acknowledgements page, so the very first impression your readers get is a polished one.
Dissertation Acknowledgements Examples
Below are four examples in different styles. Use them as templates, adapting names, titles, and specific contributions to your own experience.
Example 1: Traditional and Formal
Words cannot express my gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Jane Caldwell, for her invaluable patience, feedback, and mentorship throughout this project. I am also deeply indebted to my dissertation committee, Dr. Michael Reyes and Dr. Amara Singh, who generously provided their expertise at every stage. This research would not have been possible without the financial support of the National Science Foundation, grant number 2021045, which funded my fieldwork.
I am also grateful to my colleagues in the Department of Sociology, especially my cohort, for their feedback during seminars. Thanks should also go to the staff at the university library for their assistance in locating archival materials.
Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention my parents and my partner, whose unwavering belief in me kept my spirits high during this long process.
Example 2: Short and Concise
I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Thomas Reed, for his guidance and constructive criticism throughout this project, and my committee members for their thoughtful feedback. I am grateful to the University Graduate Fellowship for funding this research. Finally, thank you to my family and friends for their patience and encouragement.
Example 3: Personal and Warm
This dissertation is dedicated to my late grandmother, who always believed I would finish what I started. I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Professor Elena Vasquez, for her endless patience and sharp feedback, even at midnight before deadlines. I could not have undertaken this journey without my partner, who kept the household running while I disappeared into data analysis, and my children, who learned to whisper when the office door was closed. I would also like to thank my dog, Biscuit, for the many necessary walking breaks.
Example 4: STEM and Lab Based
I am extremely grateful to my principal investigator, Dr. Sarah Whitfield, for her mentorship and for trusting me with this project from its earliest stages. Special thanks to the members of the Whitfield Lab, particularly the postdoctoral researchers who trained me on instrumentation and troubleshooting. This research was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, award number R01GM123456. I would also like to recognize the participants in this study, whose time and openness made this work possible.
What Tone and Style Should You Use in Your Acknowledgements?
Acknowledgements allow a more informal style than the rest of your dissertation, including first-person pronouns and conversational phrasing. Even so, professional thanks should remain polished and specific, while personal thanks can be warmer and more casual.
- Write in the first person, using I and we where appropriate
- Use full names and titles for professional acknowledgements
- Name what each person or body specifically contributed, rather than a generic thank you
- Anonymize study participants appropriately, such as referring to them as the interviewees
- Keep humor light and avoid slang, inside jokes, or anything that might not age well
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Dissertation Acknowledgements
| Do | Don’t |
| Thank your supervisor, even briefly, to avoid appearing to snub them | Skip your supervisor or committee, even if their involvement felt minimal |
| Name funding bodies and the grant or award they provided | Forget to mention financial or institutional support |
| Keep the page to roughly one side, organized by tier | Let the section run several pages with excessive detail |
| Proofread closely, since this is often the first page a reader sees | Submit with typos, inconsistent titles, or misspelled names |
Because this page sets the tone for the entire dissertation, many students choose to have it checked alongside the rest of their manuscript through a professional editing partner. Editage’s dissertation editing service pairs subject matter editors with academic writing specialists, which helps catch tone mismatches, missing names, and formatting inconsistencies before submission.
Acknowledgements Checklist
- I checked my university’s formatting guidelines for acknowledgements
- I thanked my supervisor and committee members by full name and title
- I named funding bodies and what they supported
- I included colleagues, librarians, or research assistants who helped directly
- I added personal thanks for family, friends, or pets, without an exhaustive list
- My section is no longer than one page
- I proofread the page for names, titles, and tone
Frequently Asked Questions About Dissertation Acknowledgements
Do I have to thank my supervisor in my dissertation acknowledgements?
Yes, it is standard practice to thank your supervisor, even briefly, since omitting them can be seen as a snub regardless of how much direct help they provided.
Can I thank God or my faith in my dissertation acknowledgements?
Yes, many students choose to acknowledge their faith or a higher power, as long as this is followed by thanks to academic, family, and professional supporters as well.
How many people should I thank in my dissertation acknowledgements?
There is no fixed number, but most sections name between five and fifteen people or groups, organized from professional to personal, while staying within one page.
Is it okay to use first person pronouns in dissertation acknowledgements?
Yes, first person pronouns such as I and we are expected here, even though they are usually avoided elsewhere in formal academic writing.
Should I mention my funding source in the acknowledgements section?
Yes, naming your funding body, grant number, or fellowship is considered standard practice and is sometimes required by the funder’s own terms.
Can I include a joke or informal comment in my dissertation acknowledgements?
Light humor is acceptable, especially in personal thanks, but it is best kept brief and tasteful, since the page becomes a permanent part of the published record.
What is the difference between acknowledgements and a dedication in a dissertation?
A dedication is usually a single line honoring one person, while acknowledgements are a longer page thanking everyone who supported the research, both professionally and personally.
Do acknowledgements count toward my dissertation word count?
Most universities exclude front matter, including acknowledgements, from the official word count, but it is worth confirming this in your institution’s specific guidelines.
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