FYB3900 Bachelor’s Thesis Course description

Within a rapidly changing health and welfare system, physiotherapists are expected to contribute by critically evaluating services and participating in systematic quality improvement initiatives. Through the work on the bachelor’s thesis, students gain experience in exploring a specific area in depth and have the opportunity to develop the competence necessary to collaborate in groups that contribute to professional development. The course also provides students with training in expressing themselves in writing using professional terminology and within the framework of basic scientific work. Detailed guidelines for the bachelor’s thesis are published on the university’s learning platform.

Passed first and second years of study or equivalent.

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

Knowledge

The student

• can describe theory and results from updated research related to the topic of the bachelor's thesis
• can explain the purpose and characteristics of qualitative and quantitative studies and syntheses of studies, e.g. systematic reviews
• understands the principles of critical assessment and knows how to use checklists for different study designs

Skills

The student can

• prepare a project outline that specifies the timetable and how the bachelor's project will be carried out with available resources
• formulate a clear research question that is possible to answer within the framework of the project
• elaborate on the relevance of the research question to physiotherapy, and as a background for the project, account for the status of knowledge and knowledge gaps within the thematic area to which the problem is related
• formulate specific research questions based on the research question and present theory to be used in the discussion
• answer the research question in a clear conclusion based on the presentation of empirical material, and active use of empirical data and theory in the discussion of the research question/research questions
• justify the choice of method for data collection and choice of sources (databases/literature), and document systematic literature searches or other methods for collecting data
• carry out the project in accordance with scientific criteria and guidelines for research ethics and privacy
• discuss personal data processing with the supervisor and carry out a risk assessment of the data handling if personal data is to be handled
• for each type of clinical question, identify the preferred study design

General competence

The student can

• account for the implications of the conclusion for physiotherapists' professional practice, reflect on the need for knowledge in the field, and present issues for future projects within the thematic area
• communicate the project in written academic form and in line with current criteria for transparency about the methodological implementation of the project
• reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the application of chosen methods in the project implementation
• document the implementation of the project and reflections on the collaboration in a project log

The bachelor’s theses are normally written in groups of 2-3 students. If the project’s topic is interprofessional, the project group can also include a student from another bachelor’s programme, subject to the approval of the person responsible for the course at both programmes.

The work and teaching methods include lectures, seminars, supervision and self-study in the project group. At the start, project sketching seminars are arranged, including a half-day seminar with presentation of the project sketch and feedback on fellow students' project sketching. Halfway into the project, students meet to present the preliminary project status and provide input to fellow students for use in the completion of the projects.

Students are assigned a supervisor after submitting a project outline. The supervision is based on written project material and specific questions submitted by the student group ahead of the supervision session. Each group receives two (2) hours of supervision on the project outline during the seminars, and three (3) hours of individual project supervision.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• Participation in a seminar in connection with the presentation of the project outline (half day).
• Project outline according to applicable criteria. The project outline is subject to professional assessment and must be approved before the project work is initiated.
• a presentation at the midway seminar on project status and, if relevant, a risk assessment of personal data processing

Written bachelor’s thesis in groups of 2-3 students, 6,000 words (+/- 10%)

Resit exam: If the bachelor’s thesis is awarded a fail grade, the students have the right to submit a reworked version for the thesis once.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for the referencing sources are followed.

Grade scale: A-F

All answers are assessed by two examiner.An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third ordinary examination. If selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 10 answers. The external examiner’s assessment shall form the basis for the assessment of the remaining answers.