EDU4590 – Thesis
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
During the second year students are required to write a Master’s thesis of 50-90 pages. The total number of pages does not include preliminary pages, references and appendixes. It should be understood as a guiding number.
Students are assisted in developing the proposal for their thesis through feedback from their supervisor, discussion at the summer school and the overall evaluation from the Thesis Commission Board.
Students are guided in their work by a supervisor who is appointed by the GLOBED consortium with expertise in the particular topic under investigation.
Data for the thesis are collected in the country/countries under investigation and depend on the issue under investigation. Data collection is generally completed during the third semester followed by the writing of the thesis in the fourth semester.
In addition to the written thesis, students will be required to submit an academic paper or policy report. The academic article or policy report will synthesize the main results of the thesis or develop a particular aspect of the thesis. Apart of the empirical data, the content of the article should engage with broader theoretical and/or methodological debates. It is also important that the article dialogues with previous international evidence on the same topic. A policy report differs from an academic paper. The policy paper will present the results of the thesis or of a particular component of the thesis in a way that the main aim is inform policy decisions. More information regarding the requirements for both the academic paper and policy report is provided in the GLOBED handbook.
The academic article or policy report should be between 6000 and 9000 words. The academic paper or policy report must be submitted within three weeks of the submission of the master thesis.
Learning outcome
Upon successful completion of this course the students are expected to:
Knowledge:
- demonstrate an understanding of a pertinent research issue in the context of existing literature on the topic
Skills:
- be able to apply appropriate research methods and design
- be able to understand the theoretical basis of a research issue and to design an appropriate analytical framework for application
- be able to independently collect and interpret original data
Competence:
- demonstrate a capacity to do research and analyse pertinent issues in the field
- demonstrate a capacity to produce coherent academic papers
- demonstrate a capacity to think conceptually and to work practically with original data
Admission
The course is a part of the Master Programme on Education Policies for Global Development (GLOBED). Only students formally accepted to this programme may attend this course.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
The thesis is a compulsory part of the Joint European Master’s Degree on Education Policies for Global Development. Students must have completed all other courses in the programme in order to receive supervision and hand in their thesis.
Teaching
The supervisor(s) will guide the student in the work on the thesis in individual tutorials. Each student has the right to a maximum of 30 hours of supervision. This includes the supervisor’s time for preparation and 10 hours of face to face supervision. The amount of time for supervision remains the same in case of co-supervision by several supervisors.
A supervisor agreement form, which can be obtained at the Department of Education, must be completed and signed by both supervisor(s) and student. In case the supervisor and the student cannot establish a fruitful working relationship, another supervisor can be appointed. However, the total number of hours for supervision remains the same.
According to UiO regulations, supervision of the Master’s thesis is compulsory. The supervisor and student should agree on how best to use the allocated hours of supervision. The total number of hours should not exceed 30.
Supervision is normally given at the UiO campus at Blindern unless other arrangements are made.
Examination
Course Requirement (Obligatory Activity)
- Submission of an academic paper or policy report.
The academic article or policy report should be between 6000 and 9000 words. The academic paper or policy report must be submitted within three weeks of the submission of the master thesis.
Exam
The exam consists of a written thesis. The thesis is evaluated by a commission comprised of two members, one of whom is external. The supervisor cannot be a part of the commission. The supervisor can participate in the commission meeting in order to inform commission members of the work of the student or on guidance provided during the process of supervision. The supervisor has no say in the decision of the final grade. The two commission members should jointly agree on the grade. Students will receive a written report from the commission providing feedback on the written thesis. In case of disagreement amongst the commission members, a new commission will be arranged.
Deadline for submission of the thesis to the Department of Education is June 1st or July 1st.
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
A master’s thesis that is not passed may be resubmitted only once, and then within the agreed time and in revised form. A master’s thesis that is passed may not be resubmitted in revised form.
If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.