MAEN5900 Master's Thesis Course description

The master's thesis will take the form of individual, independent, supervised research or development work in one of the key subject areas of the Master's Degree Programme in Energy and Environment in Buildings. The master's thesis must apply scientific theories and methods, and the result must contain elements of new knowledge or new methods. 

The Master's thesis is based on all subjects from previous semesters or similar competences. The student must have passed at least 80 out of 90 credits and must have passed all the topics relevant to the chosen master's thesis in order to be entitled to supervision with related work requirements.

The master's thesis will be related to energy and environment in buildings by the student making the right choice of system and technology solutions. The thesis can promote the development of new solutions and technologies, and can be carried out either in an academic environment or in connection with business. The master's thesis should be a specialization in one or a synthesis between several of the core areas of the master's degree. After completing the master's thesis, the student has the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge 

The student

• has advanced knowledge of a specialised field in the area of energy and environment in buildings 

• has in-depth knowledge of relevant acts and regulations on energy and environment in buildings  

• has in-depth knowledge of theories of relevance to the topic of the master's thesis  

Skills 

The student

• is capable of using relevant scientific theories and methods in research and development projects, either in a professional context or in further studies 

• is capable of critically assessing the analytical methods and simulations chosen and their limitations, and collecting data to provide a basis for the decisions to be made  

• is capable of collecting data to provide a basis for the decisions to be made  

• is capable of carrying out an independent, limited research or development project under supervision and in accordance with applicable research ethical standards  

• is capable of formulating arguments in the field 

General competence 

The student  

• has an understanding of the importance of the indoor and outdoors environment to people's everyday lives  

• know how scientifically based knowledge can be applied in a systematic and critical way to map, formulate and analyze a current issue in the field.  

• can obtain and interpret results from recent research literature

• can present issues in the field of study, written and oral, with a view to critical analysis of measurement data and research results

• has awareness of the following factors - how research can contribute positively to the development of society - professionalism, ethical conduct and tolerance in execution of work

Project work. Individual, independent work with a scope of 750 hours, which culminates in a master's thesis (report) and an oral presentation. 

Supervision 

Each student will be assigned an internal supervisor and is entitled to up to 20 hours of supervision during the semester. Via their supervisor, students can become affiliated to groups composed on the basis of academic criteria and participate in seminars, study groups and supervision groups. The master's thesis can be related to a relevant R&D project at the university or be developed in cooperation with different disciplines and research environments, including industrial enterprises, with which the university collaborates. If the thesis is written in cooperation with an external client, an external supervisor will be responsible for supervision in cooperation with the student's internal academic supervisor at the unviersity. 

The master's thesis  

The work conducted on the master's thesis shall be based on research principles. The master's thesis shall take the form of a written report prepared in the format of a scientific report. The report must describe the research question, the work carried out and explain the results. The report has two types of adjustments compared to a scientific report:: 

• The introduction may contain a significantly longer description of the topic of the master's thesis. The discussion section may contain a significantly more comprehensive discussion. Quality-assured source references and a pertaining list of sources will be required. 

• A substantial part of the master's thesis may be linked to a client's issue, even if this is not of a directly scientific nature. The university supervisor will ensure that the thesis contains a sufficient element of scientific issues, solution methods and critical reflection. 

Prototypes and/or other products that the student has developed can be included as part of the thesis.  

The following required coursework must be approved before a student can sit the exam: 

• Two milestone Meetings 

Master's thesis, a written report of approx. 60 pages. Prototypes and/or other products that the student has developed can be included as part of the submission. Oral presentation of the thesis after which the examiners ask the candidate questions. The examiners will set the grade for the master's thesis after the oral presentation and query. 

The report, presentation, answers and eventual prototype will be graded as one unit.

Students can complain about a given grade in accordance with § 5-3 of the Act on Universities and Colleges. In case of complaint, the written report (as well as any prototype) will be reassessed. If the grade after reassessment differs from the original, the student must retake oral presentation and questioning, and the grade can be adjusted up or down, based on the presentation and answers to questions.

All aids permitted

Graded scale A-F

Two examiners, of whom at least one must be external.