MAERN5900 Master Thesis Course description

No prerequisite knowledge required.

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

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of and insight into the international education field
• has knowledge of and insight into different conceptualisations of and theories about development
• has knowledge of and insight into the contributions of education to development in general, and in the Global South in particular

Skills

The student

• is capable of competently explaining relevant topics in the field
• is capable of comparing research-based knowledge of the topic of the course
• is capable of writing according to academic standards

General competence

The student

• is capable of explaining and problematising relevant theory in the research fields of international education and development
• is capable of using the new knowledge in an independent manner
• is capable of communicating academic issues relating to education and Development

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

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of their area of specialisation and can analyse academic problems to identify the need for research and professional development
• has in-depth knowledge of the research process

Skills

The student

• can analyse relevant theories and issues to initiate and carry out a limited research, quality improvement or development work
• can use relevant methods for research, quality improvement or development work in their own work
• can analyse and deal critically with various sources of information and use them in scholarly arguments in their own research, quality improvement or development work
• can carry out an independent, limited research, quality improvement or development work in accordance with the approved project description and the applicable norms for research ethics

General competence

The student

• can communicate relevant issues, analyses and conclusions from their own research, quality improvement or development work to both the general public and academia
• can contribute to new thinking, innovation processes and evidence-based practice in the health services and in health-promoting work

This course module consists of lectures and seminars. Academic discussion is encouraged throughout the course module, and a range of activities are included to facilitate students’ engagement with the curriculum materials and central ideas of the course. Training in academic writing is an integrated part of the course. Please see the general programme description for further details.

No coursework requirements.

The master’s thesis written by one or two students. Large, interdisciplinary innovation projects can be written in groups of up to four students on application. Individual oral examination where the grade can be adjusted.

The content and scope of different forms of master's theses:

• Monograph: Recommended scope of a monographic assignment is 22,000 words +/- 10%

• Scientific article: The thesis must include a manuscript in the form of at least one article that is in accordance with the author guidelines for a relevant scientific journal, and a supplementary memo/introductory chapter to the article-based thesis ('kappe') that elaborates on the theoretical and methodological considerations underlying the article. The layout, structure and scope of the article must comply with the guidelines of the journal in question, and the introductory chapter to the article-based thesis can be a maximum of 10,000 words.

The thesis can be written in English or a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish or Danish).

The written thesis must be awarded a grade of A-E (preliminary grade) in order for a student to take the oral examination. The final grade is set after the oral examination. The whole grade scale can be used when setting the final grade.

An individual oral examination lasting up to 40 minutes based on the master’s thesis. The candidate gives a 10 - 15 minutes presentation of their master’s thesis at the start of the oral examination.

Students can appeal against the grade set for the written part of the examination in accordance with the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with. There is an opportunity to reuse self-produced text from MAVIT4070 in the master's thesis without self-citation.

Examination support material is permitted.

The grades pass/fail are used.