How to Write a Thesis Proposal for TU and KU: Structure and Common Mistakes

15 July 2026 · 7 min read

Whether you're doing an MBS thesis at TU or a research project at KU, the proposal is where most students lose the most time — not because it's long, but because supervisors send vague proposals back again and again. A strong proposal answers three questions clearly: what exactly are you studying, why does it matter, and how will you study it?

Start with a narrow, researchable title

"Impact of Social Media on Business" will be rejected — it's a topic, not a research question. "Effect of Instagram Marketing on Customer Purchase Intention in Kathmandu's Coffee Shops" can actually be researched: it names the variables, the population and the context. If you can't say what data you would collect, the title is still too broad.

The standard structure

Introduction and background — the context, and the specific problem statement.
Research questions and objectives — usually one general objective and 2–4 specific ones, each measurable.
Literature review — enough to show the gap your study fills, organised by theme.
Methodology — design, population and sample, data collection tools, and analysis plan.
Expected outcomes, limitations and a realistic timeline.
References in the style your department requires (usually APA).

Match objectives to methodology

The most common substantive rejection: objectives that promise one thing while the methodology measures another. If your objective is to "examine the relationship between X and Y," your methodology needs variables, a sample size justification and a statistical test — not just a questionnaire. Walk each objective through your method and check the data you'd collect can actually answer it.

Mistakes supervisors reject immediately

Copy-pasted literature review with no connection to the specific research question.
A sample size with no justification, or a population that's impossible to access.
Objectives written as activities ("to distribute questionnaires") instead of outcomes.
References that don't follow one consistent style, or citations missing from the list.

Before you submit

Read your department's proposal guidelines — TU faculties and KU schools each have their own format, page limits and chapter names, and following the wrong template is an automatic revision. Then have someone critical read it: if they can't restate your research question in one sentence, neither can your supervisor.

If you'd like expert feedback on your proposal draft — structure, objectives, methodology fit and referencing — Assignment Nepal's researchers can review it. Message us on WhatsApp at +977 9768768340.