SIW5901 The Master's Thesis Course description

The student submits a thesis that investigates a research question using one or several relevant research methodologies.

All other courses within the master's degree must be passed before submitting the master's thesis.

A student who has completed his or her qualification has the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has advanced knowledge of

• research designs relevant to the investigation of a particular research question
• a particular area of social or health policy of relevance to their degree
• relevant research literature on the subject matter of the master-s thesis
• theories and methodological approaches relevant for the chosen subject matter
• basic conceptual tools applied to the discussion of critically examining, explaining and understanding a social or health research questions

Skills

The student can

• conduct a review of the state of scientific knowledge related to a research question in social and health policy
• conduct a limited, independent research project under supervision
• choose a methodology that is relevant for a specific health and social welfare research question
• apply research methods in a reflective manner
• critically evaluate relevant quantitative or qualitative methods used in reports, books or articles investigating a particular social welfare or health policy problem

General Competence

The student can

• read and critically assess academic literature
• present specialised knowledge and research findings in the form of academic writing
• apply advanced skills and knowledge in the field of social welfare and health policy
• evaluate issues related to the academic, professional and research ethics

 A thesis should be approximately 16.000 words (+ / - 10 percent), in Times New Roman 12 with spacing 1.5. The thesis is to be written individually.

A supervisor will be appointed by the programme director. Supervision is a crucial component in the preparation of the thesis. The supervisor is to assist the student when he or she is acquiring the necessary and relevant knowledge, as well as, when collecting and analysing data. The supervisor must ensure that the student-s research activity comply with accepted ethical standards within social research, including standards defined by the Norwegian Data Protection Official and the National Committees for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities  .

Every student is entitled to approximately 10 hours of face-to-face consultation, individually or in groups, or the equivalent if part of the supervision is conducted via email.

A contract between the student and the supervisor must be agreed upon and signed by both parties to ensure that rights and obligations are understood. The student and the supervisor may request a substitute if either party fails to meet the obligations outlined in the contract.

The research work (analysis of qualitative and/or quantitative data or systematic literature review) is conducted during the fourth semester. Norwegian students are encouraged to carry out their data collection abroad. International students often collect their data in their home countries.

At the end of the second semester, a two page project description must be submitted and approved before the student gets a supervisor. A master thesis preparation seminar will help the student to produce the two page project description.

A contract between the student and the supervisor, as well as a progress plan, must be prepared in the beginning of writing the master's thesis.

The master's thesis will be assessed by an internal and an external examiner. Neither examiner will be involved in the supervision of the master's thesis in question.

All referenced material can be used.

Students are awarded grades on a descending scale from A to E for pass and F for fail.

The master's thesis will be assessed by an internal and an external examiner. Neither examiner will be involved in the supervision of the master's thesis in question.