SSA5900 Master's thesis in Social Work Course description

The master's thesis is an independent work worth 45 credits.

The master's degree thesis should be an independent and analytical work with relevance to the subject areas in the programme. The students must choose a topic that will be highlighted through systematic use of qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies. The research question can be of either a theoretical or an empirical nature.

The master's thesis is submitted in the form of a monograph or an article manuscript as described below.

All compulsory exams must be passed before the student can submit his/her master's thesis for assessment.

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge of a specialised field in the area of social work
• in-depth knowledge of theories relevant to the topic of the master's thesis
• in-depth insight into a topic or phenomenon from several different perspectives
• in-depth knowledge, and application of academic requirements for analysis and written production

Skills

The student is capable of

• delimiting a large topic or phenomenon and turning it into a research object
• choosing and making use of one or several methods to explore the master's thesis research question
• developing a design for an empirical study
• analysing data material using theoretical perspectives and concepts
• carrying out a systematic and critical analysis, applying key research principles and giving a clear, academic presentation of the results
• evaluating research ethics issues related to his/her own project

Competence

The student is capable of

• reading research literature in a critical and reflective manner
• considering issues relating to academic, professional and research ethics
• communicating knowledge and own research results orally and in writing
• applying research-based knowledge and skills in areas related to social work practice and the implementation of social policy measures

I begynnelsen av andre semester arrangeres et mastertorg hvor studentene får presentert forskningsprosjekter de kan knytte seg til. I andre semester skal studentene utforme egne prosjektbeskrivelser. Prosjektbeskrivelsen danner grunnlag for tildeling av veileder. Veileder tildeles i slutten av andre semester. I emnet Masteroppgaven arrangeres det avsparkseminar og midtveisseminar. Avsparkseminaret arrangeres i slutten av andre semester, midtveisseminaret i begynnelsen av fjerde semester (deltid sjette semester). Midtveisseminaret er obligatorisk. Se egen omtale under avsnittet om arbeidskrav og under eget avsnitt om oppgaveseminarene.

Veiledningstimene skal fordeles jevnt utover, og kan ikke samles opp i ett semester. I emnet Masteroppgaven arrangeres det også to oppgaveseminarer, avsparkseminar og midtveisseminar. Avsparkseminaret arrangeres i slutten av 2. semester, midtveisseminaret i begynnelsen av 4. semester (deltid 6. semester). Midtveisseminaret er obligatorisk. Se egen omtale under avsnittet om arbeidskrav og under eget avsnitt om oppgaveseminarene.

The student must submit a progress schedule after the first supervision session by a deadline agreed with the supervisor, and by 1 October at the latest. If the student, due to illness or other weighty circumstances, is unable to submit the schedule by the deadline, a new deadline should be set immediately. A time cannot be set for the second supervision session without having submitted the progress schedule. The progress schedule will be used actively in the supervision.

In order to participate in the kick-off seminar, the student must have completed the course Research Method and Design, and have submitted the project description.

Participation in the midway seminar is compulsory. The student must take part in the seminar in order to take the exam (i.e. in order to be able to submit the master¿s thesis and take the oral exam). At the midway seminar, each student will present a written part of the master¿s thesis (15 minutes) with feedback from two student opponents. The written work must be sent to the opponents a week before the presentation at the latest. The presentation and the oral opposition must be completed in order for the participation in the seminar to be approved.

If the student cannot attend the seminar due to illness or other weighty reasons, the text submitted or that should have been submitted for the midway seminar, should be handed in to the supervisor. The text must be presented at a supervision session in the same way as in the midway seminar, and a supervision session is therefore lost. The following coursework requirement must be submitted and approved before the student can take the exam:

Thesis seminar

The kick-off seminar is held at the end of the spring semester in the second semester. The aim is to provide information that can support the individual student in their work on the master¿s thesis. Regular supervision is provided in addition to the seminar. The thesis seminar will take the form of a dialogue seminar. The students will meet a panel of professors who describe their own experiences with their research projects. The students are encouraged to be prepared with questions that they can ask the panel. Afterwards, the students will be divided into groups consisting of one professor and a handful of students. The students present their projects, and fellow students and the professor provide feedback. After the kick-off seminar, the students will start work on the progress schedule. See the chapter about coursework requirements.

The midway seminar is held in the fourth semester (in the sixth semester for those taking the course part-time), and will focus on texts from the students' work on the master¿s thesis. The seminar is compulsory and will have a high degree of contribution from the students. A written part of the master¿s thesis must be presented orally by the student (15 minutes) with feedback from two student opponents (15 minutes). See the chapter about coursework requirements.

The student is entitled to be informed of the grade before he or she presents the thesis in lecture form (30 minutes). The thesis must be passed before the student can present their thesis. The student will then take an individual oral exam. The lecture and the oral exam can adjust the grade awarded for the master¿s thesis. The final grade is then set. The final grade is included on the diploma.

When students work on the thesis in pairs, the written thesis will be awarded the same grade. Each student will present their part of the thesis in lecture form and then take an individual oral exam. However, the lectures and the oral exam will be considered the individual student¿s contribution and are used to adjust the final grade for each student as necessary. Students are allowed to submit a new or revised master¿s thesis once if they are awarded a fail grade. A reworked version of the thesis must be submitted within the given deadline. A student will not be allowed to submit a new master¿s thesis in the same programme if a pass grade has already been awarded.

The student must sign a publication agreement in connection with submission to allow the thesis to be published and made publicly available. If the student consents to this, all non-restricted master¿s theses awarded a pass grade will be published in ODA, the university¿s digital knowledge archive.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass and F for fail is used.

The exam papers are graded by one internal and one external examiner. The supervisor cannot be an examiner. If the student appeals against the grade, a new committee will be appointed and the master¿s thesis will be re-assessed. If the assessment is changed, a new oral exam will be held.