Yes, everyone may write and submit papers. Nobody can stop you from writing, but it will not be a thesis. You will lack supervision from an adviser, making it far more difficult to perform a decent work, and even if you do do a good job, the department will not recognize it as a thesis. Papers are written by students as part of their degree program, so they can take as much time as they need. In most cases, students should try to find a supervisor/adviser who is willing to act as a co-author on the paper. This person does not have to be in the same department or at the same university; as long as they can communicate effectively by email or some other means, they can be anywhere in the world. The role of this person is to provide advice on content and style, to read through and approve the final version, and to sign off on its accuracy. They can also help with ideas for further research that may lead to additional papers being written. Students should try to find someone who is interested in what they are doing and who can guide them along the way. All master's degrees require a thesis or dissertation for completion. This is usually a piece of original work requiring extensive study and preparation that is published by a university press. It can be as simple as creating a literature review or as complex as designing and conducting a clinical trial.