Admission requirements
None.
Description
The Master’s thesis (MA or MSc) is the final component of the MA programme and serves as a demonstration of your ability to independently design, plan, and carry out an academic research project. It is your academic ‘masterpiece’—a substantial piece of work that reflects your capacity for critical thinking, methodological thoroughness, and scholarly engagement.
The thesis must contribute meaningfully to an academic debate within the field of Archaeological Science, World Archaeology, Heritage and Museum Studies or Applied Archaeology. Your research should be based on data derived from material culture, fieldwork, laboratory work, interviews, historical sources or other primary sources, and/or external or academic literature, depending on the nature of your project. You are expected to apply the skills and knowledge acquired during the programme, while also demonstrating your development as an independent researcher.
The thesis is conducted over the course of one academic year (2 semesters) and must be aligned with your chosen specialisation within the programme.
Course objectives
After completing the master’s thesis, the student is able to:
1. Design and carry out a well-defined academic research project that is methodologically sound, feasible within the one-year timeframe, and relevant to ongoing discussions in the field of Archaeological Science, World Archaeology, Heritage and Museum Studies or Applied Archaeology.
2. Formulate clear, focused, and researchable questions that demonstrate academic engagement and understanding of the field.
3. Explain the academic and, where applicable, societal relevance of the research topic.
4. Situate the research within relevant theoretical frameworks and academic literature, demonstrating the ability to critically engage with existing scholarship.
5. Reflect on the strengths and limitations of selected methods and datasets, with appropriate guidance where needed.
6. Apply basic principles of responsible data management, including awareness of ethical standards and, where relevant, the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
7. Produce academic writing that meets disciplinary standards, with a clear structure, coherent argumentation, and proper referencing in line with Faculty guidelines.
8. Organise and manage the research and writing process in a timely and independent manner, meeting required deadlines.
Course Set-up:
Students can choose between three pathways. All pathways begin with a research proposal, which forms a formal agreement between the student and their supervisor. Students need to 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. More details can be found in the proposal form.
Thesis pathways
Traditional thesis: A comprehensive research thesis of approximately 20,000 words (±40 pages), excluding figures, tables, references, and appendices.
Article-based thesis: This consists of 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..
Graduation project: This option combines academic research with a practical output. It includes:
An academic paper (10,000–15,000 words), and
An associated product that demonstrates applied research skills.
The product should be based on, or ideally commissioned by, a client and may take various forms, such as:
A policy document (e.g. evaluation, impact analysis, or management plan);
A landscape model, archaeological value map, or 3D reconstruction;
A catalogue or database from an excavation;
A public archaeology product;
Or other relevant outputs.
The product must be contextualized in a scholarly framework through the accompanying paper. This paper should address the academic relevance, research questions and goals, and include a critical reflection on the project’s framework and outcomes.
Please note that the proposal of the Graduation project needs not only approval of your supervisor but also approval by the Board of Examiners.
Supervision conditions
Each supervisor can accept a limited number of students, to make sure that the thesis distribution is equal and fair, Master students submit their top 5 of supervisors. Students are provisionally assigned a supervisor through matching or lottery with ranked preferences (deadlines below). Students also submit an explanation of their choice in Brightspace. This explanation will be consulted by the thesis allocation committee (consisting of department chairs and the education director) in case of customization of the most unfavorable matches (so-called tail amelorization). The procedure will be explained in more detail during the first lecture of the thesis tutorial.
This preliminary allocation becomes definitive upon approval of the thesis proposal (see below).
Two Semesters
Students begin their thesis either in the first or second semester of their programme. Once a supervisor has been assigned, the supervision period is available for two semesters. Supervision is offered for a maximum of two semesters. In exceptional cases, an extension of maximally one additional semester may be granted. To request this, students must submit the Thesis Extension Form, available in Brightspace.
Student progress is monitored at four key stages, based on the submission of the following documents:
1. 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.
2. First chapter, including a preliminary table of contents, bibliography, and title page
3. Full draft
4. Final version
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.
Deadlines
Deadlines for a September start:
1 October - Matching 1: Submit your preferred supervisor and explanation
7 October - Matching 2: Submit your preferred supervisor and explanation
15 October: Supervisor assigned
2.5 months after the start of the semester: Plagiarism quiz:
1 December: Proposal
1 February: First chapter
15 May: Full draft
1 July: Final version
Deadlines for a February start:
2 March - Matching 1: Submit your preferred supervisor and explanation
7 March - Matching 2: Submit your preferred supervisor and explanation
16 March: Supervisor assigned
2.5 months after the start of the semester (see Brightspace): Plagiarism quiz:
1 May: Proposal
1 July: First chapter:
1 November: Full draft
First business Monday of January: Final version
Requesting an extension
Students may request a deadline extension for submitting the final version 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
Four mandatory thesis tutorials (10 September, 30 October, 20 November and 11 December).
Individual supervision by your supervisor, feedback on drafts.
Assessment method
The proposal is assessed as Pass/Fail.
First chapter: feedback only, no grade
Full draft: feedback only, no grade
Traditional thesis and Article-based thesis grade 100%
Graduation project: 50% paper and 50% product
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
Registration for the Thesis starts at the same time as the registration for other courses and will be open for the entire academic year.
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. (Rachel) Schats.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance for the thesis tutorial;
For graduation project: examination is also possible in Dutch;
Thesis tutorial is taught in both semesters. If you start your programme in September, you participate in Semester 1. If you start your programme in February, you participate in Semester 2;
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.