MINT5900 Master's Thesis Course description

Under supervision, the students will write an independent scholarly work in the form of a master's thesis. The work must be based on the functions and areas of responsibility of the intensive care nurse. In the work on their master's theses, students are to apply the knowledge acquired through the rest of the programme. The master’s thesis must demonstrate understanding, maturity and reflection. An approved and up-to-date project description is required before students can start writing a master’s thesis.

The thesis can be written individually or in groups of up to three students. Groups of students who write together submit one joint thesis. The purpose of group work is to develop cooperation skills as described under the competence section in the learning outcomes defined for the programme as a whole. Intensive care nursing requires a high degree of cooperation skills in the treatment team, and this makes cooperation skills an important part of an intensive care nurse's action competence.

The master’s thesis can be an independent research work or be included as a delimited part of an ongoing research project at the university or a cooperating institution. The thesis can also be a quality-related project in the form of a piece of quality improvement or quality control work. The students can also prepare a systematic overview of research on a relevant topic.

The master’s thesis is submitted in the form of a monograph, an article manuscript, a set of guidelines, a standard for a procedure, an information brochure or an information video. A master’s thesis in article form must be written in accordance with the guidelines for a selected scientific journal relevant to the discipline (peer review). The student must be the first or second author. A master’s thesis submitted in a format other than a monograph must be accompanied by a supplementary memo/introduction (‘kappe’). In this supplementary memo/introduction, the student(s) shall discuss and elaborate on a delimited methodological and/or substantial topic.

The master's thesis must have a systematic scholarly structure and be based on topical and relevant scientific literature that provides an answer to the research question formulated by the student(s).

The master’s thesis must be written in accordance with the master's handbook for the 2021 year group.

Bacheloroppgaven er et selvstendig arbeid. Mulige tema for bacheloroppgaven presenteres tidlig i høstsemesteret.

I tillegg vil det holdes metode- og søkeseminar, noe undervisning/ forelesning, samt individuell veiledning med tildelt veileder.

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

;

Knowledge

The student

• has in-depth knowledge of how scientific theory and methods can be sought, developed and applied
• has in-depth knowledge of the scientific theory and methods of nursing
• has in-depth knowledge of the research process
• has in-depth knowledge of research data
• has in-depth knowledge of research ethics
• has in-depth knowledge of methods used in quality-related work in the health service
• is capable of analysing intensive care nursing problems on the basis of the discipline’s history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society

;

Skills

The student

• is capable of planning and carrying out systematic data collection, analysing and taking a critical approach to different sources of information, and using them to structure and formulate intensive care nursing argumentation
• is capable of analysing and taking a critical approach to existing theories and methods, and of independent work on a theoretical research question
• is capable of applying knowledge to new areas of intensive care nursing
• is capable of carrying out an independent, delimited research or quality-related project under supervision and in accordance with applicable research ethics standards

;

Competence

The student

• is capable of analysing relevant ethical issues in intensive care nursing based on discipline knowledge, research, experience and patient knowledge
• is capable of applying his/her knowledge and skills to new fields to carry out advanced projects in intensive care nursing
• is capable of communicating extensive independent work and masters the forms of expression used in intensive care nursing
• is capable of communicating about issues, analyses and conclusions in intensive care nursing, both with specialists and with the general public
• is capable of contributing to new ideas and innovation processes in intensive care nursing

Vurderingsformen er en bacheloroppgave. Bacheloroppgaven utføres vanligvis individuelt, men kan også utføres i grupper på inntil tre studenter. Oppgaven skal ha et omfang på 60000-110000 tegn med mellomrom (skrifttype og skriftstørrelse: Arial/ Calibri 12pkt. Linjeavstand: 1,5). Studenter som ikke består ordinær eksamen, må ved ny/utsatt eksamen levere en omarbeidet besvarelse. Studenten har krav på begrunnelse og én times ekstra veiledning. Hvis besvarelsen fortsatt ikke er bestått etter ny/ utsatt eksamen, må det leveres en helt ny besvarelse med ny problemstilling ved neste ordinære eksamen. Studenten har da ikke krav på veiledning.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.

Gradert skala A-F.

Alle oppgavene blir vurdert av en intern og en ekstern sensor.

Grade scale A-F.

For a thesis written by a group, all the students in the group are awarded the same grade.

The students are awarded a preliminary grade for the written master's thesis. Only students who have been awarded a pass grade (A-E) for the written master's thesis are permitted to take the oral exam. The final grade is set following an individual oral exam. The whole grade scale can be used when adjusting the preliminary grade.

The following applies when the grade F is awarded:

Written thesis:

If the master’s thesis is written by a group, the whole group will be awarded this grade. The students will not be permitted to take the oral exam.

;The students are given one opportunity to submit a new or reworked version of the master’s thesis for grading.

;

Oral exam:

If the grade F is awarded following the oral exam, F will be the student's final grade. In such cases, the student will have to retake the exam by submitting a new or reworked master’s thesis for grading. If a pass grade is awarded for the written thesis, the candidate can take the oral exam.

Appealing against grades

The grade for the written thesis can be appealed. If the grade is changed as a result of re-grading, the student must also take the oral exam again.

All master's theses are assessed by two examiners, one of whom must be external.