MAUUD5900 Master's Thesis Course description

Master's thesis is specialized individual research work in the field of universal design of ICT.

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

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

General competence

On successful completion of this course the student:

• can apply knowledge and skills in new areas and carry out advanced projects
• can carry out comprehensive independent study
• can contribute to the innovation of universally designed ICT solutions

Presentation of possible master projects take place at the end of the 1st semester. Each student is appointed a supervisor at the beginning of the 2nd semester. The Master thesis is carried out in three phases with a progression and quality assurance. Each phase has mandatory coursework requirements that must be approved before students can proceed to the next phase. Phase I is carried out in the 2nd semester. During Phase I, students need to write a report containing a detailed literature review, a clear problem statement with specification of key research questions and a feasible and detailed project schedule/plan. The report is to be presented orally. The problem statement and research questions will form the basis for the subsequent parts of the project. Phase II is carried out in the 3rd semester and is dedicated to the project work, for example, development, data collection and analysis, depending on the specific projects. In addition to a written report, project status and the results achieved will be presented orally at an internal mini-conference affiliated with the programme. Phase III is carried out in the 4th semester, and is dedicated to final analysis 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. The Master's thesis will be presented orally.

Coursework requirements for phase I and II must be approved before students can proceed to the next phase.

Phase I (Semester 2):

• An individual written report (7000-10000 words) including a thorough literature study, a clearly defined problem statement, research questions, and a detailed project plan.
• Individual oral presentation of the project.

The oral presentation can not be appealed.

Two internal supervisors will assess the coursework requirements in Phase I.

Phase II (Semester 3):

• An individual written report (10000-15000 words) with systematically documented research, including research methodology, project results and ethical considerations, according to the project plan from Phase I.
• Individual oral presentation of results at the mini-conference.

The oral presentation can not be appealed.

Two internal supervisors will assess the coursework requirements in Phase II.

Phase III (Semester 4):

• Individual students will be assessed based on the written Master thesis (30000-40000 words in APA style 6th Edition) This part of the examination counts 90% of the final grade.
• Individual oral presentation (30 minutes). This part of the examination counts 10% of the final grade.

Use of Examiners

One internal and one external examiner will assess the Master's thesis and oral presentation.

Assessment grades

A grading scale of A (highest) to F (lowest) where A to E is a pass grade and F is a fail grade.

Syllabus

Literature related to Master thesis is chosen following the advice from supervisors.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 6th Edition, pp. 77-320, 2010.