Thesis & Graduation

Thesis Acknowledgements Examples

A bank of original example acknowledgements sections across registers—to read and adapt, not copy verbatim. These examples are illustrative only; you must adapt them to your actual advisors, institutions, and funding sources.

On This Page

What an acknowledgements page conventionally includes, in order

A thesis acknowledgements page follows a traditional sequence that signals gratitude in order of academic hierarchy and role. This order is widely used in Anglo-American thesis format, though your institution may prefer variations. Always confirm the order against your own graduate school handbook before finalizing.

  • Thesis advisor or chair. Named first. Use their full name and title (e.g., "Professor Jane Chen, my thesis advisor"). If you had multiple advisors, list all of them in this position.
  • Committee members. Named next, in the order they serve (typically chair, then members in reverse seniority or as listed on the title page). Omit their full titles; "Professor" and last name suffice.
  • Funding sources and grants. Named explicitly by their official title (not a shortened version) if the funder requires specific acknowledgement wording. Generic mention of "financial support" or the department name comes here if no funder wording applies.
  • Department or laboratory colleagues. Briefly acknowledge lab members, research assistants, or departmental staff who contributed to your research, if applicable.
  • Research participants. If your thesis involves human subjects, thank participants for their time and candor. Keep this professional; do not identify individuals unless they have explicitly consented.
  • Family and close friends. A brief, genuine sentence about personal support. This is the place for warmth—the earlier items are institutional.
  • A closing personal line. One final sentence that reflects your own voice and the meaning the degree holds for you. This is optional but strong when it's honest.

This structure is not rigid—a short thesis may condense items 3 and 4, and a purely desk-based project may skip research participants. But the hierarchy (advisor, committee, funders, colleagues, people, closing reflection) is the convention.

Formal academic register example

This example is in the formal, institution-centered register appropriate for STEM, engineering, and traditional humanities thesis formats. It names roles before people, uses present tense sparingly, and positions the advisor as the primary guide.

I am deeply grateful to Professor Marcus Webb for his guidance and mentorship throughout this research. His critical feedback and innovative approach to experimental design shaped every stage of this work. I thank the members of my thesis committee—Professor Elena Okafor and Dr. Robert Schiller—for their incisive questions and sustained engagement with my findings.

This research was supported by a grant from the Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Research Fund and a fellowship from the National Foundation for Advanced Scientific Research (Award No. 2024-BIO-881). Their financial support made extended laboratory work possible.

I acknowledge the technical assistance provided by the laboratory staff, particularly Michelle Chen and David Kwon, who maintained equipment and helped troubleshoot protocols. I am grateful to my fellow graduate researchers for their collaborative spirit and willingness to discuss methodology and results.

Finally, I thank my family for their patience and encouragement during the demanding final months of writing and defense preparation. To my parents, who first instilled in me the belief that rigorous thinking matters—this degree is for you.

Word count: 167 words. This example names the advisor first and most formally, mentions the committee without editorializing, specifies grant numbers and sources (realistic wording), acknowledges support staff, and closes with family and reflection.

Warm personal register example

This example uses a more conversational tone while remaining professional. It is common in social sciences, education, and some humanities programs, or when the author's voice plays a visible role in the thesis itself.

I owe tremendous thanks to Professor Sandra Oladele, my advisor, whose door was always open to half-formed ideas and late-night panic about missed deadlines. More than any single piece of feedback, her belief that this work mattered kept me going.

I am equally grateful to my committee members, Professor Hamish Grant and Dr. Priya Malhotra, whose suggestions fundamentally reshaped my argument in the final year. They read multiple drafts, asked the right uncomfortable questions, and modeled what careful, generous scholarship looks like.

This thesis was made possible by support from the Graduate College Fellowship and the Center for Social Research. I thank the staff and fellow researchers at the Center for creating an intellectually stimulating and kind community.

My research participants gave generously of their time and shared stories that were sometimes difficult to tell. Their trust is the foundation of this work; I hope this thesis honors their voices.

My friends and my partner have sustained me through late nights, self-doubt, and the peculiar loneliness of research. My mother, who worked several jobs to put herself through school, has been my greatest model. This is for all of us who refuse to stop reaching.

Word count: 198 words. This version is more personal in tone (e.g., "whose door was always open"), celebrates relationships, and ends with a reflection that feels earned by the author's voice throughout.

Short version

Some programs enforce strict page limits or prefer a minimal acknowledgements section. Here is the same thesis condensed to 60 words—enough to honor key people without sacrificing courtesy.

I thank my advisor, Professor Webb, and my committee, Professors Okafor and Schiller, for their guidance. This research was supported by the Department Graduate Research Fund and National Foundation for Advanced Scientific Research (Award 2024-BIO-881). Michelle Chen and David Kwon provided technical support. I am grateful to my family and fellow researchers for their encouragement and collaboration.

This compressed version still follows the hierarchy (advisor, committee, funders, staff, family) but omits descriptive language and reflection. If your program caps the acknowledgements page to 300 words or fewer, this model scales down without cutting gratitude entirely.

Funding acknowledgement sentence bank

Many funders require a specific acknowledgement statement. Here are templates for common phrasings. Always check your funding agreement or the funder's website for the exact wording they require—this is often mandatory and deviation may disqualify your work from citing that funding.

Funder type Example wording (verify your funder's policy)
U.S. federal grant (NSF, NIH, etc.) This work was supported by the [Agency] under Grant No. [number], awarded to [PI name]. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the [Agency].
Private foundation This research was generously supported by a grant from the [Foundation Name].
University or departmental fellowship I am grateful for support from the [University/Department] Graduate Fellowship.
Industry or corporate sponsor This research was conducted in collaboration with [Company Name], which provided [resource/funding].
Critical note on funder wording

Federal funders (NSF, NIH, DOE) often require a specific statement that includes a disclaimer about the opinions expressed. Some foundations require their name to appear in a particular grammatical form. Check your funder's acknowledgement policy before you finalize your thesis—it is usually available on their website or in your grant agreement. Using incorrect wording may trigger a compliance issue during submission.

What to avoid

The acknowledgements page is part of your thesis and reflects your judgment. Readers (including potential employers and future colleagues) will read it. A few conventions are worth respecting:

  • Inside jokes or casual asides. "I would also like to thank Prof. X for not failing me out of spite" or "my committee for not being as harsh as they could have been" will read as unprofessional or ungracious. Save humorous notes for a toast after the defense.
  • Criticism or disparagement of individuals. Never use the acknowledgements to settle scores. If someone hindered your work, omit them; don't air the grievance publicly.
  • An exhaustive roll call. "I also thank Emily, Rajesh, Dr. Torres, Tom, the lab manager Sarah, and everyone else I've met in four years" dilutes genuine thanks. Name a few people meaningfully or use category language ("my lab colleagues") instead.
  • Romantic or personal relationship content. The acknowledgements page is not the place to declare your feelings for a partner or thank someone for a relationship. If family support matters, it belongs here; romantic declarations belong in a personal note or dedication page, if your institution allows a separate one.
  • Unverified claims about funding or titles. Double-check the official names of grants, awards, and institutions. A misspelled funder name or incorrect grant title can trigger compliance issues during final submission.
  • Vague gratitude. "Thanks to everyone who helped me" or "thanks to my committee" without naming them or saying how they helped feels hollow. Specificity—even brief—shows that you paid attention and care.

Frequently asked questions

Should acknowledgements go before or after the abstract?
In most American and British university thesis formats, the acknowledgements page appears after the title page and abstract, within the front matter. Some programs place it after the table of contents; a few place it after all front matter, at the start of chapter one or the introduction. Check your graduate school's thesis formatting guidelines—this is one of the rare elements that varies by institution. Do not assume a universal order.
Do I need to acknowledge my funder by exact required wording?
Yes, if your funder specifies a required statement in your grant agreement or on their website. Federal funders in the U.S. (NSF, NIH, DOE) require a standard disclaimer. Private foundations often have specific requirements too. Failing to use the exact wording can create a compliance issue during manuscript or thesis submission. When in doubt, email your grant administrator or check the funder's acknowledgement policy page.
Can I combine acknowledgements and dedication into one page?
Some institutions allow a combined "Acknowledgements and Dedication" page; others distinguish the two as separate front-matter sections. A dedication page is typically a single sentence or short passage dedicating the thesis to a person or group. Check your graduate handbook. If you have both acknowledgements and a dedication, most formats place the dedication first, then acknowledgements. When in doubt, ask your department's graduate coordinator—they oversee thesis formatting compliance.
Is it okay to keep my acknowledgements very short?
Yes. A brief, genuine acknowledgement is always better than padding or artificial elaboration. If you have a few key people to thank, a single focused paragraph (5–7 sentences) is perfectly acceptable. Some dissertations have a half-page acknowledgements; others have two pages. Length signals scope of collaboration and funding, not merit. Quality of gratitude matters more than word count.
What if my advisor was not helpful or I disliked working with my committee?
You still need to thank them in the acknowledgements, but you can do so in a way that is honest without being critical. For example: "I thank my advisor for their feedback and my committee for their time." A bare acknowledgement of their role is enough—you don't need to praise them. If your relationship was genuinely hostile, consult your graduate coordinator about whether you can request a format exception. In almost all cases, however, the acknowledgements can be gracious without being dishonest.

Sources

The conventions described on this page reflect standard practices in American and British academic publishing. They are drawn from widely used thesis formatting guides and university handbooks:

  • Purdue OWL Research Basics — foundational guides to thesis structure and front matter
  • University thesis formatting guides (e.g., Harvard, MIT, Oxford) — institution-specific but consistent on front-matter order and acknowledgements placement
  • Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) — standard for humanities thesis formatting
  • Council of Graduate Schools — graduate thesis standards and best practices

Specific funder acknowledgement requirements mentioned in the Funding Acknowledgement Sentence Bank table are based on standard practices of U.S. federal agencies (NSF, NIH). Always verify your own funder's required wording by consulting their website or your grant agreement.

Why no specific institutional examples? Because degree requirements, thesis format, and acknowledgements placement differ by institution. This page is a browsing guide and a reference for adaptation, not a replacement for your own graduate school handbook. Before you finalize your thesis, confirm the front-matter order and any funding acknowledgement requirements with your graduate coordinator.