ØAMAS5900 Master's Thesis Course description

The master's thesis is a final independent, limited research project that shall be based on the knowledge, skills and competence that the student has acquired during the programme. The master's thesis is an independent work of 30 credits and must be written within the student's major. Preparations for work on the master's thesis should begin at an early stage of the programme, but the work starts in earnest in the third semester. A start-up meeting is held where students are expected to participate, and students have to submit a project description for their master's thesis. Each group of students is then assigned an academic supervisor. However, it is not uncommon for the students to have been in contact with one or more potential supervisors already during the preparation of the project description.

See "Content and Structure" in the Programme description.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge of a specialised field in the area of business administration
• in-depth knowledge of theories relevant to the topic of the master's thesis

Skills

The student is capable of

• using social science methods and/or questionnaire surveys and applying theories in analysis work based on a research question formulated by the student him/herself
• carrying out an independent, limited research or development project under supervision and in accordance with applicable research ethical standards

General competence

The student

• has advanced knowledge and skills in carrying out scientific investigations
• can communicate in writing about professional issues, analyzes and conclusions within the subject area

The master's thesis is an independent project carried out in groups of two students. Students with significant a reason such as health issues may apply to write an individual thesis. The students will receive about ten hours of individual or group-based supervision. This supervision helps students to acquire the necessary knowledge and entails a necessary quality assurance of the collection and processing of data and that these activities comply with research ethical standards.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to be able to deliver the master's thesis:

• Coursework 1: A project plan of maximum 10 pages must be approved before work on the master's thesis begins in the fourth semester. The project plan shall describe the research question and plan for the thesis. It also forms the basis for the allocation of an academic supervisor. The deadlines for submission of the project plan are announced at the beginning of the third semester.
• Coursework 2: Participation in one mandatory seminar at the start of the work on the master's thesis in the second year. The course coordinator will inform about the date.

If the project plan is not approved, students will be given one opportunity to submit an improved version.

The exam in the course consists of submission of the written master's thesis and an oral exam.

The master's thesis has a scope of normally 60-100 pages. Font and font size: Arial / Calibri 12 points. Line spacing: 1.5. The scope is discussed and agreed in more detail with the supervisor. Especially for assignments with a large amount of quantitative analysis, the number of pages may be less important.

The master's thesis is submitted at the end of the spring semester. The final deadline for submission will be stated in the plan for examinations.

If the master's thesis is considered passed (grade A to E), an oral exam will be conducted.

The oral exam consists of a professional discussion about the thesis, including a short presentation of the assignment of 5-8 minutes, and feedback to the students. The two students who have written the master's thesis together will take the oral examination together. It is expected that the two students will contribute equally during the oral examination.

The length of the oral exam varies, but usually lasts up to 40 minutes.

The oral exam allows for adjustment of the grade of the master's thesis up or down by two grades. The final grade is included in the diploma.

Students who have completed a master’s thesis together are given the same grade.

Normally, the oral exam will take place in physical presence at OsloMet's campus. If necessary, an external examiner can participate digitally.

In the event of an appeal against the grade, a new commission will be appointed to assess the thesis. If the grade is changed, a new oral examination will be held.

Students may appeal the final grade. In the event of an appeal, a new examination committee will be appointed to assess the written master's thesis. If the grade is changed from the final grade, a new oral examination will be held.

Students are allowed to submit a new or revised master's thesis once if they are awarded a fail grade for either the written master's thesis or the final grade (F). Students specializing in Accounting and Auditing who have received a grade of D or E for the master’s thesis after completion of the oral examination may submit a new master’s thesis once.

For students who are entitled to a new or postponed examination, a new submission deadline will be set. Submission will be at the end of August/beginning of September. The deadline will be stated in the plan for examinations. For students who failed the ordinary examination, one hour of extra supervision may be given by agreement with the supervisor.

All aids are permitted, as long as the student follows the rules for examinations, source use and referencing, and OsloMet's guidelines for using artificial intelligence (AI) in student assignments.

Grade scale A-F

All master's theses are assessed by one internal and one external examiner, including the oral exam.

Erik Døving