MERG5900 Master Thesis Course description

Language of instruction: Norwegian/English

Under supervision, the students will conduct an independent research or development project, or a literaturestudy. 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.

Development of the project description in preparation for the master’s thesis is part of the course MAVIT4070 Research Design and Project Description, 10 ECTS credits.

MAVIT4070/MAxxx4070 must be passed before the student can start to work on the master's thesis.

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 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

Work and teaching methods used in the course are self-study, three to six master’s seminars with presentations, and an offer of 20 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 Research Methodology course will serve as both the foundation, and provide some of the tools, for the work on the master’s research project and thesis. Research methodology is related to the practical craft of collecting and analysing data, grounded in a coherent theory of knowledge research paradigm (as introduced in course FLKM4210). Research methodology and specific research methods are covered in teaching activities in connection to each other, and in connection to theories of knowledge.

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 insight into the connections between r research methodology, particular methods, and theory of knowledge.
• has insight into central aspects of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in the social sciences, relevant for the program’s interdisciplinary field of international development, education, and sustainabilities.
• has knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and methods, including questions of alignment between research questions, methodology, methods, and analysis of materials to generate credible findings.
• has knowledge of ethical challenges and dilemmas in research within the field of international development, education, and sustainabilities; and associated with particular research methodologies and methods.

Skills

The student is capable of conducting independent research, including:

• writing a coherent research project proposal and design.
• formulating research questions consistent with the research methodology, and selecting and appropriate research methods, relevant to research project located within the program’s interdisciplinary fields.
• locating their project within theory of knowledge paradigms.
• preparing and carrying out qualitative and / or quantitative research methods suitable for particular research questions and projects.
• preparing and carrying out research interviews.
• analysing research material / data.
• identifying and critically analysing existing research literature and findings relevant to one’s topic.

General competence

The student:

• has the capacity to design and carry out a research project, including the collection and analysis of data, within a selected research methodology and methods.
• understands and can discuss ethical questions about their project’s design and implementation.
• can describe and apply quality criteria to assess the value of their research findings.
• understands the basic characteristics and limits of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

The work and teaching methods used in the course are characterised by lectures and dialogue and discussions, to which the students bring their own different practical experience and academic backgrounds.

Students are assigned an academic supervisor for their research project (FLKM5000) by the start of this course, with up to 10 hours (out of 50 hours in total) of supervision available for work on the development of their research project description.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• An initial draft (1,500 to 2,000 words) of individual research project descriptions.
• 80 % attendance requirement (see the programme description for more information)

The purpose of the coursework requirement is to ensure all students have developed, in consultation with their academic supervisor, a feasible research project description prior to commencing their research project in the Fall.