MAPSY5920 Master Thesis Course description

Language of instruction: Norwegian/English

Under supervision, the students will conduct an independent research, quality improvement or development project, or a literature study. Students can choose to write the master’s thesis individually or in pairs. On application, large, interdisciplinary innovation projects can be written in groups of up to four students. Students can also apply to write the master’s thesis with students from other specialisations if they so wish, provided that the scope of the master’s thesis is the same. If more than one student work on the master’s thesis together, each student’s contributions must be documented. The thesis can be written as a monograph or as a scientific article on a specialised topic.

All compulsory courses in the programme must be passed before the student can submit their master's thesis for assessment.

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 study and can identify relevant issues to clarify 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 a research, quality or development project
• can use relevant research methods 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 or development project
• can carry out a limited, independent research, quality or development project in accordance with applicable norms for research ethics

General competence

The student

• can communicate relevant issues, analyses and conclusions from their own research, quality or development project 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

Work and teaching methods used in the course are self-study, presentations at 2-3 master’s seminars and an offer of 15 hours’ supervision per thesis, regardless of whether it is written individually or in a group.

The seminars are an arena for sharing experience from all stages of the project work. Students will take part in academic discussion and practise structuring and wording academic argumentation and communicating constructive criticism. Presenting their work, giving feedback to fellow students, and receiving feedback from fellow students and teachers, are important parts of the seminars.

The supervision agreement is signed by the students and supervisors at the start of the supervision.

When a group of students work together, an overview of each student’s individual contribution must be enclosed with the assignment.

The following must have been approved in order for a student to be permitted to take the examination:

• For full-time specialisations: One oral presentation (up to 10 minutes) at the master seminar, and completion of the opponent role with critique/feedback on the presentation from fellow students.
• For part-time specialisations: Two oral presentations (up to 10 minutes each) at the master seminar, and completion of the opponent role with critique/feedback on the presentation from fellow students.

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.

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

• Monograph: Recommended scope of a monographic assignment is 13,000 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. If the maximum length is not stated in the relevant journal's author guidelines, the maximum length is 8,000 words The supplementary memo/introductory chapter to the article-based thesis ('kappen') must have a scope of 3000 words +/- 10%

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

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.

Grade scale A-F.

All examinations are assessed by an internal and an external examiner. The student's supervisor cannot be an examiner for the master's thesis.