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.

The purpose of the master’s thesis is for the student to conduct an independent, scholarly work. During the work on the master’s thesis, students need to investigate a delimited topic using social sciencemethods over a limited period of time. The thesis must be based on one or several issues within the thematic field of the master’s programme: the relationships between international development, education, and sustainabilities in the Global South and relations between the North and the South.

The work on the master’s thesis forms the core of the programme, and the academic training must be seen in light of this. The master’s thesis gives the student the opportunity to document their competence at a higher level and make a contribution to the production of knowledge in the field. The work on the thesis is intended to help the student to read research results in a critical and reflective manner, develop methodological skills in the social sciences, and encourage independent research work. This should enable the student to see their work and its potential contribution in a wider context, to develop their ability to assess and take a stance on other scholarly contributions, including towards those that use other methods and theoretical approaches than those they have chosen to use themselves.

All the courses in the first year of the programme must be passed and all required coursework must be approved before the students can submit the master’s thesis and take the oral exam as the final assessment. This applies for students starting the programme until/including the academic year 2022-2023.

The following applies for students starting the programme in the academic year 2023-2024 and onwards:Students must have passed all of the courses in the first year of their study programme (FLKM4110, FLKM4210, FLKM4310/FLKM4320, and FLKM4410) before they can commence the course FLKM5000.

In very special cases and by application, partial deviation from these requirements may be considered.

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 online, asynchronous classes 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.

The basis for assessment is an individual master’s thesis of 30,000 to 38,000 words (excluding the cover page, summary, table of contents, reference list and appendices), followed by an individual oral exam lasting 45 to 60 minutes. The oral exam consists of an examination/conversation about the master’s thesis and its strengths and weaknesses.

Written thesis are evaluated, followed by the oral exam. One final grade is awarded for the master’s thesis, based on these two components. The final grade is set after the oral exam.

If the written master’s thesis does not meet the specified formal requirements, the submission will be registered as ‘failed’. An oral exam will then not be held for the candidate.

Assessment criteria

The master’s thesis will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• The clarity, relevance and/or originality of the research questions or issues in relation to international education and development
• Ability to think independently and critically
• Documentation and use of relevant theory and research, and systematic approach to use of sources
• Connections between the main issues, research questions, choice of method, discussions and conclusions
• Ability to collect, systematise, interpret and present knowledge in a logical and easy-to-follow manner in relation to selected theories and perspectives
• Reflection on ethical issues in the research process
• Written presentation, clear table of contents, accurate literature references, reference list and appendices

Examination Report

A structured, written, evaluation report from the examiners will be provided to all candidates after the completion of the oral exam component.

Resit/rescheduled exams

A student will not be allowed to submit a new master’s thesis in the same programme if a pass grade has already been awarded. If a fail grade is awarded for the master’s thesis, the student can submit a new or revised thesis once only (see the Regulations Relating to Studies and Examination at OsloMet. Resit/rescheduled exams are organised in the same way as ordinary exams.

Right of appeal

If a student appeals the grade, both components of the exam must be re-assessed together. A new oral exam will be held.

Support material is permitted for the written part.

Letter grades ranging from A to F are used, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade, and F being a fail grade.

One internal and one external examiner are used.