Writing the Conclusion for Your Bachelor's Thesis
The conclusion is the final chapter of your bachelor's thesis — and your last chance to convince the examiner. Here you summarize your key findings, answer the research question, and provide an outlook on future research. Yet many students find it difficult to write a strong conclusion. In this article, we show you the structure, give you concrete phrasing tips, and clarify the difference between a conclusion and a summary.
What Belongs in the Conclusion?
The conclusion is more than a repetition of what you have already written. It draws conclusions from your results and places them in a broader context. The following components should be included.
- Summary of key findings — Summarize the most important insights of your thesis concisely without describing them in detail again.
- Answering the research question — Explicitly revisit the research question stated in the introduction and answer it based on your results.
- Limitations — Honestly and reflectively identify the boundaries of your work, such as methodological constraints or a limited sample size.
- Outlook — Provide recommendations for further research or practical implications of your findings.
Dos and Don'ts for the Conclusion
In the conclusion, you should not introduce new arguments, theories, or sources — everything you write here must be grounded in the previous chapters. Avoid phrases like "In summary, it can be said" if you use them merely as an opener for repetition. Be specific and analytical instead. A good conclusion weighs arguments, reflects critically, and draws well-founded conclusions. Make sure it is written at the same linguistic level as the rest of your thesis and forms a fitting end to your work.
This thesis examined the influence of digital teaching formats on the examination results of business students at the University of Mannheim. The analysis of 200 exam results from the period 2020–2023 demonstrated that hybrid teaching models — combining in-person and online instruction — lead to significantly better examination results than purely digital formats. This finding is consistent with the research of Smith (2023) and Johnson (2022), who similarly demonstrated positive effects of hybrid models. It should be noted that this study was limited to a single department and university. Future research should extend the investigation to other departments and types of institutions.
Phrasing Tips for the Conclusion
For the summary, phrases such as "The investigation has shown that..." or "The results indicate that..." work well. For answering the research question: "With regard to the research question formulated in the introduction, it can be stated that..." For limitations: "The present study is subject to certain limitations that should be considered when interpreting the results." For the outlook: "Future research could investigate the extent to which..." You can use these phrases as a scaffold and adapt them to your specific topic.
Conclusion vs. Summary — What Is the Difference?
Many students confuse the conclusion with a summary. A summary merely recounts the content of the thesis in abbreviated form. A conclusion goes further: it interprets the results, answers the research question, identifies limitations, and provides an outlook. The conclusion is therefore analytical, while the summary is purely descriptive. Some examination regulations require both as separate sections — check the guidelines of your university.
Conclusion
A strong conclusion rounds off your bachelor's thesis and leaves a lasting impression on the examiner. Take sufficient time for the formulation, explicitly revisit your research question, and do not shy away from openly naming limitations. With myessay.io, you can ensure that your conclusion fits the rest of your thesis both linguistically and formally.
