Admission requirements
Bachelor Archaeology first year obtained, plus 60 ec from the remaining BA Archaeology programme.
Description
The bachelor thesis is an expanded essay that presents your own interpretation, evaluation or argument on a small problem-oriented research on an archaeological or heritage topic. It forms an academic argument of about 40 pages.
A thesis project can consist of a critical literature review, but may also be based on the analysis of archaeological material or anthropological data linked to heritage research. It always contains an academic research question and a clear methodology, since this is the base of academic research.
Please note that an undergraduate thesis can be written in English and in Dutch.
All students that have signed up to this course will be assigned to a supervisor, who will coach the student during the whole process. The topic should therefore be linked to the expertise of the supervisor, to allow adequate feedback, but interdisciplinary topics that need assistance of another staff member can always be discussed
As of September 2023 the thesis procedure has changed.
The new procedure also includes all delayed students that have not yet uploaded an approved proposal.
Students will be assigned to a thesis supervisor. All students that plan to write their thesis within this academic year can choose their top 5 supervisors from a list of available supervisors, that together offer a wide variety of possible subjects. Students can base their preference on their electives (BA2 seminars) or fieldwork since those are usually based on their interests.
Not all staff members will be available for supervision, since this number is related to the number of master students that they are supervising. Note that a supervisor may require a specific course as a prerequisite and will have a maximum number of thesis students.
Students need to plan their thesis writing carefully and should therefore only start when they have finished most of the BA2 courses, because supervision will limited to 2 semesters.
Course set-up
Students will have the option to apply for a supervisor 2x per year: in October 2023 and in February 2024. In both instances the trajectory for the thesis will take a maximum of 12 months
There will be two main (strict) deadlines, this allows you to finish your thesis in time:
The thesis proposal needs to be approved by the supervisor at the end of the semester in which you have started (December 15th 2023/June 15th 2024;
The final thesis needs to be finished at the end of the second semester:
-When supervision starts in semester 1, the thesis has to be handed in at the end of semester 2 (June 15th 2024).
-When supervision starts in semester 2, the thesis has to be handed in at the end of semester 1 (December 15th 2024.
When the thesis proposal is not approved at the end of the first semester of their thesis trajectory a student will have to reapply for a new supervisor.
When the final thesis is not submitted at the end of the second semester of their thesis trajectory, the student also has to reapply for a new supervisor.
Students with special circumstances can request a longer time path to the Board of Examiners. Please contact the study advisers for more information on the exact procedure. Also contact them when there are exceptional circumstances which lead to a delay.
In semester 1 two meetings will be offered on campus, that will also be streamed and recorded to accommodate students abroad or following minor courses at that time.
15 September 2023:
Introduction to thesis writing
Explanation of the new procedure
4 October 2023:
Potential topics
Plagiarism and referencing
Explanation of the questionnaire
Any other meetings will be with your supervisor.
Course objectives
After finishing the thesis, a student:
Has learned to set up and plan a small research project and is able to report on it;
Is able to put a small project into a broader theoretical framework and understands its academic relevance;
Is able to write (under supervision) a clear and well-structured academic argument in compliance with the Faculty's guidelines;
Is able to find relevant academic literature, review this critically, and integrate relevant parts into their research.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button.
Mode of instruction
Individual supervision. Meetings can be online or in person, but are always based on text submitted prior to the meeting.
First semester:
Initial meeting to discuss the research topic;
Meeting to discuss the supervisor’s feedback on the research plan.
If the proposal is not approved or not handed in, you will have to reapply for a supervisor in the next semester (which can be the next academic year).
Second semester:
Meeting to discuss the supervisor’s feedback on chapters and the thesis outline;
Meeting to discuss the student’s progress;
Meeting to discuss the supervisor’s final feedback on the complete first draft.
Assessment method
The final deadline for the thesis is 15 June 2024.
A retake of the thesis is possible only once, and has a strict deadline. Should you receive a fail for your thesis, you have 6 weeks after receiving your result to make improvements. The new grade will have a maximum of 7.0.
If you fail or did not hand in a thesis, you need to write a new thesis on a new subject (see the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Examiners, article 4.9.4 for the complete procedure.) and will be assigned to a new supervisor in semester 1 of the next academic year.
Your thesis will be individually assessed by your supervisor (the first examiner) and an independent second examiner who was not involved with your research, and is appointed by the Board of Examiners (BoE).
Both assessments will be sent to the examiners and discussed, after which a final grade and assessment will be given. This will be sent to the student by the Administration Office.
If the first and second examiner cannot come to an agreement, or in case the difference between the two grades is larger than 2 points, a third examiner is appointed by the BoE. Based on the assessments of the first and second examiners and the thesis, they will compile the final grade and assessment. This grade is final and will be communicated to the student.
The assessment forms can be found on Brightspace.
Deadlines:
There will be two timelines, The second timeline can be used by students who were unable to meet the first deadline, but the list of potential supervisors will be restricted.
October: Students submit their top 5 list of available supervisors. A supervisor will be assigned, plan a meeting to discuss a topic.
December: Submission of your research proposal to your supervisor.
January: Upload your approved research proposal on Brightspace.
February – May: Thesis writing.
You will send your supervisor progress updates and ask for regular feedback.
1 May 2024: submission of the draft version in Brightspace (you will receive feedback of your supervisor in three weeks).
15 June 2024: Final version, which will be graded by your thesis supervisor and an independent staff member.
Students who decide to start in February 2024 will have the following deadlines:
February: Students submit their top 5 list of potential supervisors (that are still available). A supervisor will be assigned, plan a meeting to discuss a topic.
May: Submission of your research proposal to your supervisor.
January: Upload your approved research proposal on Brightspace.
June – October: Thesis writing.
You will send your supervisor progress updates and ask for regular feedback.
1 November 2024: submission of the draft version in Brightspace (you will receive feedback of your supervisor in three weeks)
15 December 2024: Final version, that will be graded by your thesis supervisor and an independent staff member.
All students receive a grade after 12 (or 18 months for students with special circumstances, approved by the Board of Examiners). Supervision in all circumstances is limited to 18 months.
In case of a Fail, the student will have to join the procedure again at the start of the following year.
Reading list
Depends on the chosen thesis subject, but includes:
Style: see the Faculty Guidelines 2022-2023 (APA7) and the official APAstyle website.
Lida, P., Rachael, R., de Boer, M., Naoko Araki, M., & Agnello, F. (2020). The Concise APA Handbook: APA 7th Edition. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. E-book is available in the library.
Registration
Enrolment for the Thesis will open as of October 1st.
For lectures, tutorials, and exams, enrolment through MyStudymap is mandatory.
You are also required to confirm your exam in MyStudymap. No confirmation = no participation!
General information about registration can be found on the Course and Exam Enrolment page.
Contact
For more information about the BA3 thesis, please contact dr. R.M.R. (Roos) van Oosten.
Remarks
Attendance is not compulsory, but you are advised to attend the meetings (online or on campus). They will also be recorded.