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MA Thesis European Union Studies

Vak
2016-2017

Admission requirements

Admission to the MA International Relations, track European Union Studies and completion of the course Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research.

Description

The thesis will be based on original research and will be 13.000 – 15.000 words in size (excluding footnotes and bibliography, including annexes) and contain an integrated interdisciplinary approach (for students of the February 2014 intake and earlier: 20.000 words).
Students are guided in writing their thesis by thesis supervisors. Students are also expected to follow the course Thesis Seminar and Methods in International Relations Research during the semester prior to the one in which they plan to write the Thesis. This seminar consists of a number of meetings in which students are given the opportunity to present their work and to comment on the work of others.

Course objectives

The thesis is a written report of research which the student has carried out under supervision by a lecturer but with a high degree of independence. In principle, the thesis must be of sufficient quality (possibly following some modifications) to be published in an academic journal in the relevant field. The thesis must demonstrate among others that the student is
able to:

  • a. completely independently formulate a research question which displays insight into the methodological principles, central issues and state of the art of his or her field of research;

  • b. independently formulate a realistic research plan which fulfills the criteria set in the relevant field of research;

  • c. critically and analytically report on existing academic debates and propose creative solutions based on secondary literature;

  • d. apply the more complex concepts/methods of his or her field to a corpus of primary source material (whether existing or collected during the student’s own research);

  • e. formulate ideas clearly and correctly.

Also see the regulations concerning the procedure surrounding the master’s thesis.

Timetable

Not applicable.

Mode of instruction

  • Coaching by supervisors

Assessment method

  • Thesis

Blackboard

Yes, see Blackboard.

Registration

Via uSis.

Contact information

The co-ordinator of studies and thesis supervisors.