Description
Objective: 1. To deepen the understanding of theories and methods related to research on the theme of the Master Specialisation.
Objective: 2. Applying them to a specific topic as part of the student’s Master thesis project.
Content:
Students choose (one of) the thesis seminar(s) offered within their specialisation. It is strongly recommended that students start thinking about the topic of their thesis before the start of the classes. Attendance is compulsory for all classes. Detailed information about the study material and the writing process can be found on Blackboard.
General Introduction Meeting
On Wednesday 6 December 2017 there will be a general introduction meeting from 15.00-17.00h in room SA41, in which the instructors will explain and discuss the general thesis seminar procedures and expectations and students can ask questions about the thesis seminars.
Thesis Seminar Challenges to Democracy - Louwerse (act. code 10498)
Representative democracy in the twenty-first century is challenged from many angles. Observers point to a decline in political trust, the erosion of political parties, increasing electoral volatility and the advent of populist parties. This happens not just at the national level, but also at the international stage. Supranational cooperation is argued to limit democratic choice at home. To what extent can we find support for these observations: is the representative system really under pressure? What are the explanations and the consequences?
Possible themes for thesis projects include:
1. Political trust and satisfaction with democracy
2. The strength of the representative link between citizens and politicians
3. The populist challenge to party politics
4. Direct democracy and institutional reform
Additional Information
Please note that for some seminars there will be no additional substantive readings than the ones discussed in the courses they build on.
Registration
Registration in uSis for one thesis seminar is possible from Monday 18 December 2017 10.00 hrs until 28 December 10.00 hrs. Placement is on a first come first served basis and subject to availability. If more than 8 students prefer to be in this thesis seminar students will be placed on a waiting list.
Registration is open for students that started their Master in one of the Political Science specialisations, in September 2017. All other students should contact the exam committee to request permission to take this thesis seminar. Students can take the thesis seminar only once in their academic year.
Examination
Research Proposal
The research proposal includes a problem statement, theoretical foundation, conceptualization as well as a sound explanation of the methods and techniques for data collection and analysis.The proposal must be approved by the supervisor and a second reader. The second reader will be designated by the Director of Studies. Please note that teachers are not obliged to provide thesis supervision if the proposal is not approved.
Master Thesis
The MSc thesis needs to comply with high standards of academic research. The thesis must be between 8.000 and 10.000 words, including tables, footnotes and bibliography. The thesis evaluation form with the evaluation criteria will be published on Blackboard.
Students that drop or fail the course have to retake the complete thesis seminar (in the 2nd semester of the next academic year). Students should contact the Exam Committee if they are unable to complete the master thesis by the deadline due to circumstances beyond their control.