Admission requirements
Admission to the Research Master Archaeology programme.
Description
The Research Master’s thesis (RMA/RMSc) is the culmination of the RMA programme: a substantial academic treatise on a specific research topic. It demonstrates that the student is capable of independently designing, planning, conducting, and writing an innovative research project of high academic standard. The thesis may serve as a foundation for future PhD research.
The research should be grounded in data derived from material culture, fieldwork, laboratory research, or historical sources, and should be contextualised within relevant academic literature. Conducted over the course of two years, the thesis must align with the student’s chosen research track.
The thesis must include original and critical analysis of complex data and should contribute to new theoretical or methodological insights, engaging with broader academic debates.
Course objectives
After completing the Research Master’s thesis, the student is able to:
1. Independently design an original and high-quality research project that is methodologically sound, feasible within the two-year timeframe, and contributes meaningfully to academic discourse.
2. Formulate clear, focused, and researchable questions that meet high academic standards and demonstrate critical engagement with the field.
3. Explain and justify the academic and societal relevance of the research.
4. Critically position the research within relevant theoretical frameworks and literature, demonstrating depth of understanding.
5. Assess and reflect on the limitations and strengths of selected datasets and methodologies, with minimal guidance and a high degree of methodological awareness.
6. Apply responsible data management practices, including awareness of ethical considerations, and adhere to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), where applicable.
7. Produce academic writing that meets disciplinary standards, including logical structure, coherent argumentation, and correct referencing in line with current Faculty guidelines.
8. Plan and manage the research process independently, meeting essential deadlines and demonstrating self-directed project management skills.
Course Set-up:
Year 1 and year 2 (15 + 20 EC)
Students can choose between two pathways, both totaling 35 EC, and structured in two main phases Year 1: 15 EC and Year 2: 20 EC.
Both pathways begin with a research proposal, which forms a formal agreement between the student and their supervisor. For this students use the standard proposal form (available in Brightspace), which includes sections on research design and a timeline.
The proposal is usually 2–3 pages long, but requires substantial effort and typically results from a brainstorming session and multiple rounds of feedback with the supervisor. Once approved, the final version—explicitly approved by the supervisor—must be uploaded in Brightspace.
The Year 1 proposal should cover both parts (15 EC + 20 EC). If the project proceeds according to plan, the Year 2 proposal may remain largely unchanged. If significant changes are needed, they must be documented in the Year 2 proposal. Students may only switch from a traditional thesis to an article-based thesis with formal approval from their supervisor, submitted in the form of a revised proposal.
Thesis pathways
Traditional thesis: A comprehensive thesis of approximately 30,000 words (±60 pages), excluding figures, tables, references, and appendices.
Article-based thesis: With supervisor approval, students may choose to write an article-based thesis. This format includes:
Part 1 (15 EC): An introduction and extended literature review (~10,000 words)
Part 2 (20 EC): A research article (approximately 5,000–8,000 words) written to meet the standards for submission to an international peer-reviewed journal. This option is only available to students who are conducting a project in which new and original research data are collected and only with the explicit permission of the supervisor (clearly stated in the research proposal). Submission to a journal is not required, but the article must be of publishable quality. Substantial supplementary data is typically included. The relationship between the two parts must be made explicit in an introductory and concluding section (cf. an article-based PhD thesis). Part 1 and Part 2 will be graded with one final grade.
Supervision and proposal approval
Each supervisor can accept a limited number of students. RMA students are provisionally assigned a supervisor upon admission to the RMA. Within the first week of the semester, students must upload a Factsheet to Brightspace, including the name of their supervisor. This preliminary allocation becomes definitive upon approval of the thesis proposal.
The proposal is a go/no-go moment. Failure to submit a proposal, submitting an incomplete one, or receiving a rejection due to major concerns may result in the loss of a supervisor. In such cases, contact the course coordinator.
Progress monitoring and Procedure for missed deadlines
Each thesis phase includes fixed sub-deadlines (see below). The steps for missed deadlines are as follows:
1. If the student misses a deadline without any notice, the supervisor may reach out.
2. If the student does not respond, the supervisor may inform the study advisors.
3. If there is still no response, thesis supervision may be suspended. The student will need to contact the course coordinator and find a new supervisor.
All official communication will be sent via the university email account (umail). Please check it regularly.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button.
RMA students have to attend Lectures 2, 3, and 4 of the regular MA thesis tutorial. Lecture 1 focuses on supervisor matching, which is not relevant for RMA students who already have an assigned supervisor. Instead of attending lecture 1 of the MA thesis tutorial, a dedicated meeting for RMA thesis procedures will be hosted by the coordinator.
Deadlines
Year 1 for September starters:
1 Week after the start of the semester (see Brightspace): Factsheet
2.5 months after the start of the semester (see Brightspace): Plagiarism quiz
1 December: Proposal
1 February: First chapter
1 June: Full draft (15 EC part)
1 July: Final version (15 EC part)
Deadlines Year 1 for February starters:
1 week after the start of the semester (see Brightspace): Factsheet
2.5 months after the start of the semester (see Brightspace): Plagiarism quiz
1 May: Proposal
1 July: First chapter
1 November: Full draft (15 EC part)
First business Monday of January: Final version (15 EC part)
Deadlines Year 2 for September starters:
1 November: Proposal Year 2
1 February: A chapter
15 May: Full draft thesis (15+20 EC part)
1 July: Final version (15+20 EC part)
Deadlines Year 2 for February starters:
1 April: Proposal Year 2
1 July: A chapter
1 November: Full draft thesis (15+20 EC part)
First business Monday of January: Final version
During the summer and winter recesses, supervisors are unavailable for feedback or thesis evaluation.
Requesting an extension
Students may request a deadline extension for submitting the final 20EC part of the thesis. The extension deadlines are:
23 August (for the summer submission deadline)
23 January (for the winter submission deadline)
Students may also request an extension for an entire semester, in which case they must meet the deadlines of the following semester. Extension requests must be submitted using the Thesis Extension Form, available in Brightspace. Guidelines and conditions are outlined in the document
Requesting Thesis Extension.
Please note that receiving an extension may affect your graduation timeline and eligibility for the diploma ceremony. These implications are described in the extension request form.
If a student fails to submit the thesis after the approved extension, the process will start over with a new research topic and a new supervisor.
Mode of instruction
Mandatory thesis tutorials. Individual supervision by your supervisor, feedback on drafts.
Assessment method
The proposal is assessed as Pass/Fail;
First chapter: feedback only, no grade;
The final version of the 15 EC part is assessed as Pas/Fail;
The proposal year 2 is assessed as Pass/Fail;
The final grade is based on the quality of the full thesis. Assessment forms and criteria are available here: Leiden University Thesis Assessment Forms – Archaeology;
Further details on the assessment procedures can be found in the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Examiners, specifically in Chapters 4.11 and 4.12.
Reading List
Registration
Students are required to register themselves for all components of a course, including lectures, tutorials, practicals, exams, and resits through MyStudymap. This applies to both compulsory elements and elective credits. If you are not enrolled, you may not participate.
General information about registration can be found on the Course and exam enrolment page.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact dr. R.M.R. (Roos) van Oosten.
Remarks
More information can be found in the Brightspace module and on the webpage Thesis and paper writing;
The course coordinator is available throughout the process for general questions or in case of supervision issues.