MANES5900 Master's Thesis Course description

Under supervision, the students will write an independent scholarly work in the form of a master's thesis. The work must be based on the functions and areas of responsibility of the nurse anaesthetist. In the work on their master's theses, students are to apply the knowledge acquired through the rest of the programme. The master's thesis must demonstrate understanding, maturity and reflection. An approved and up-to-date project description is required before students can start writing a master's thesis.

The thesis can be written individually or in groups of up to three students. Groups of students who write together submit one joint thesis. The purpose of group work is to develop cooperation skills as described under the competence section in the learning outcomes defined for the programme as a whole. Nurse anaesthesia requires a high degree of cooperation skills in the treatment team, and this makes cooperation skills an important part of a nurse anaesthetist's action competence.

The master's thesis can be an independent research work or be included as a delimited part of an ongoing research project at the university or a cooperating institution. The thesis can also be a quality-related project in the form of professional development, quality assurance or quality control work.

The master's thesis is submitted in the form of a monograph, an article manuscript, a set of guidelines, a standard for a procedure, an information brochure or an information video. A master's thesis in article form must be written in accordance with the guidelines for a selected scientific journal (peer review). The student must be the first or second author. A master's thesis submitted in a format other than a monograph must be accompanied by a supplementary memo/introduction ('kappe'). In this supplementary memo/introduction, the student(s) shall discuss and elaborate on a delimited methodological and/or substantial topic.

The master's thesis must have a systematic scholarly structure and be based on topical and relevant scientific literature that provides an answer to the research question formulated by the student(s).

The master's thesis must be written in accordance with the master's handbook for the 2018 year group.

Admission to the programme. All other courses in the programme, theoretical as well as practical ones, must be passed before a student can submit his/her master's thesis for grading.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has in-depth knowledge of how scientific theory and methods can be sought, developed and applied
• has in-depth knowledge of the scientific theory and methods of nursing
• has in-depth knowledge of the research process
• has in-depth knowledge of research data
• has in-depth knowledge of research ethics
• has in-depth knowledge of methods used in quality-related work in the health service
• is capable of analysing problems relating to nurse anaesthesia on the basis of the discipline's history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society

Skills

The student

• is capable of planning and carrying out systematic data collection, analysing and taking a critical approach to different sources of information and using them to structure and formulate nurse anaesthesia argumentation
• is capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to existing theories and methods, and of independent work on a theoretical research question
• is capable of applying knowledge to new areas of nurse anaesthesia
• is capable of carrying out an independent, delimited research or quality-related project under supervision and in accordance with applicable research ethics standards

Competence

The student

• is capable of analysing relevant ethical issues in nurse anaesthesia based on discipline knowledge, research, experience and patient knowledge
• is capable of applying his/her knowledge and skills to new fields to carry out advanced projects in the field of nurse anaesthesia
• is capable of communicating extensive independent work and masters the forms of expression used in nurse anaesthesia
• is capable of communicating about issues, analyses and conclusions in nurse anaesthesia, both with specialists and with the general public
• is capable of contributing to new ideas and innovation processes in nurse anaesthesia

Regular seminars are organised in connection with the master's thesis at which the students present and discuss the drafts of their theses in a larger forum. Important topics relevant to work on the master's thesis will also be dealt with at these seminars as required.

Supervision is an important part of the work on the master¿s thesis and provides a necessary quality-assurance, for example that the work complies with the applicable guidelines for research ethics. The person responsible for any research work will be the supervisor. Each student/group is assigned a supervisor. Ten hours of supervision is provided per thesis. In addition, students receive supervision in connection with the master's thesis seminars. One hour of supervision on start-up of the project is compulsory.

If problems arise in the supervisor-student relationship, the student(s) shall first raise the matter with the supervisor and then, if relevant, contact the programme coordinator for the master¿s programme.

Students have a duty to keep their supervisor informed about their work. This duty also applies to practical matters that could have a bearing on the project¿s progress. Relevant ethical principles must be observed. All external correspondence must be approved by the supervisor. Applications to approval bodies, for example the Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REC) and the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD), must be approved by the supervisor before submission.

Groups/students who fail their master¿s thesis are offered three more hours of supervision.

The following coursework requirements must be met before a student can receive an assessment for the course:

• Up-to-date and approved project description
• At least one presentation of his/her own work and one acting as an opponent in relation to another student's work at master's seminars
• A syllabus of at least 2,000 pages chosen by the student must be approved by the supervisor before a student can submit his/her master's thesis for grading

A master's thesis written individually or in groups of up to three students, and an individual oral exam. The thesis must be written in accordance with the applicable master's handbook.

Monographs shall have a scope of approx. 15,000 words (+/- 20%). If the article manuscript format is chosen, the supplementary memo/introduction ('kappe') shall have a scope of approx. 3,000 words (+/- 20%). If another format is chosen, the supplementary memo/introduction ('kappe') shall have a scope of approx. 9,000 words (+/- 20%). The same requirements apply to the scope of an individual master's thesis and a master's thesis written by groups of students.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

For a thesis written by a group, all the students in the group are awarded the same grade.

The students are awarded a preliminary grade for the written master's thesis. Only students who have been awarded a pass grade (A-E) for the written master's thesis are permitted to take the oral exam. The final grade is set following an individual oral exam. The whole grade scale can be used when adjusting the preliminary grade.

The following applies when the grade F is awarded:

• Written thesis: If the master's thesis is written by a group, the whole group will be awarded this grade. The students will not be permitted to take the oral exam. The students are given one opportunity to submit a new or reworked version of the master's thesis for grading.
• Oral exam: If the grade F is awarded following the oral exam, F will be the student's final grade. In such cases, the student will have to retake the exam. The written thesis will be re-assessed in connection with the resit exam. 

Appealing against grades

The grade for the written thesis can be appealed. If the grade is changed as a result of re-grading, the student must also take the oral exam again.

All master's theses are assessed by two examiners, one of whom must be external.