Hi All

I am currently at the stage of choosing my Masters dissertation topic and am wondering if I should be worrying as much as I am about the impact my selection may have on my chances in a PhD selection process.
Basically I have spotted a very attractive studentship at a DTC which I will apply for when the process opens. At my current university we were offered the chance to do industry based projects for our dissertation, one of which involved assessing micro-renewable and energy demand reduction potential at a new build community building. This, I feel, would have looked excellent on my application to the DTC but I wasn't successful in getting that project.
Now I am really worried that my application to the DTC will be mortally damaged unless I do a dissertation on a similar topic, as I am sure the application process will be very competitive.
Am I over reacting, or does the choice of Masters dissertation topic have a big bearing on PhD applications?

Thanks

Nick

I would imagine it would help to do it in a similar subject, but for me, it only mattered it was a good project and well written. My supervisor looked through it before my PhD and said she liked my writing style. Its in the same area as my PhD i.e. psychology, but is nothing about my PhD subject.

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If it helps I did a research masters in stats etc and my PhD is on a totally different topic and totally qualitative. It did come up in my interview for my PhD but it was only only one or two questions. I think once you can come up with a decent proposal on whatever topic, it shouldn't really matter if your masters and phd are poles apart. If you are going to go for a PhD with an unrelated topic, well at least you can be ready for a question about it at the interview.

Good luck with your decision

A