ACIT5930 Master's Thesis, Phase 3 Course description

The master's thesis is a specialized individual research project. Phase 3 (MT-3) is dedicated to final analysis and/or prototype development and writing the Master's thesis. Prototypes and/or other products that are developed as part of the project can also be part of the final thesis. 

In addition, there will be a series of workshops on the academic writing and effective communication of the thesis project, building on the workshops in Phase 1 and 2. Students will develop an awareness of the conventions of academic writing and the writing process and use a range of analytical tools and methods to develop their writing and writing practices as part of writing their thesis.

Master's Thesis - MT1 (Phase 1) and Master's Thesis - MT2 (Phase 2) must be passed before starting on MT3 (Phase 3).

All courses must be passed before the written Master's thesis can be assessed and the oral presentation conducted. 

A student who has completed this course should have the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

On successful completion of this course the student:

• has specialized knowledge on the specific areas of their Master thesis
• has a deep understanding of scientific writing as a process of both constructing and communicating meaning.
• is familiar with the structures and conventions of methods and results chapters.

Skills

On successful completion of this course the student:

• can clearly define and limit problem areas
• can connect his/her own project to relevant research literature
• can plan and carry out limited research or development projects
• can identify types and scopes of results which are required to ensure the claims and conclusions are scientifically valid
• can reflect on the decisions made and their consequences for the project
• can effectively draft, revise and develop the written communication of their research

General competence

On successful completion of this course the student:

• can apply knowledge and skills in new areas and carry out advanced projects
• can analyse and deal critically with developed products or collected data
• can carry out comprehensive independent study
• can contribute to the innovation of their field
• can apply effective writing strategies to diverse academic writing situations, including the writing of academic research articles.

The academic writing workshops will cover topics such as 

• Article genre conventions and structures, including IMRAD
• Understanding of the main elements of the writing process and management of writing projects
• Audience, purpose and context (rhetorical situation)
• Variations in academic style
• Disciplinary identity
• Patterns of paragraph development
• Coherence and cohesion
• Directness and formality
• Audience analysis
• Analysing, discussing and responding to academic texts

Successful completion of MT-1 (Phase 1) and MT-2 (Phase 2) forms the basis for MT-3. The work is carried out under the guidance of the supervisor appointed at the start of MT-1.

In addition to the project work, there will be a series of working during which students will be provided with a range of analytical tools and methods to help develop their writing skills. Students will also receive formative feedback on draft versions of their texts from the course instructor and their peers, with a focus on the final master's thesis and draft research article. 

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

1. A draft text of the masters thesis or draft research paper 
2. A peer review of another students draft text of the masters thesis
3. A Process Memo (reflection on the feedback received) 

The final assessment will be based on the following four deliveries:

• A written Master thesis (Length: 20,000-30,000 words, using one of the available document templates).
• A draft research paper (Length: 3,000-6,000 words)
• Individual oral presentation (30 minutes).
• Any physical or digital artefact that has been developed by the student as part of the research project. The mode of submission must be approved by the supervisor beforehand and the artefact must be made available in such a way to be inspected by the examiners. In the case of a physical artefact, video and images may be used to document the properties of it, eliminating the need for a physical inspection.

The master's thesis is assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• The originality and / or relevance of the issues or research questions to the field of study.
• Clarity in the development of issues or research questions being addressed.
• Documentation and use of relevant theory and research, as well as systematic use of sources.
• Clarity in the relationship between issues / research questions being addressed, the method choices / methodologies employed and the resulting discussions / conclusions.
• Ability to collect, systematize, interpret / deconstruct and present knowledge in a clear way.
• Reflection on ethical issues in the research process.
• Written presentation (clear table of contents, accurate literature references, bibliography and appendices).

Theses are written in Norwegian or English. The oral exam can be taken in Norwegian or English, regardless of which language the thesis was written in.

All exams must be passed in order to pass the course. 

Students can appeal against the grade set for the written part of the exam. If the grade is changed after an appeal against the grade, and the oral exam has already been held, the oral exam must be retaken.

New/postponed exam

In case of failed exam or legal absence, the student may apply for a new or postponed exam. New or postponed exams are offered within a reasonable time span following the regular exam. The student is responsible for applying for a new/postponed exam within the time limits set by OsloMet. The Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet.

All aids are permitted.

Grade scale A-F.

The written thesis must be awarded a grade of A-E (preliminary grade) in order for a student to take the oral exam. The final grade is set after the oral exam. The grade can be adjusted up or down by one grade based on the oral exam.

Two external examiners will be used for the assessment.

Assistant professor Sigrun Pahr Maennling