Compulsory attendance
Yes.
Admission requirements
Admission to the RMA-programme.
Description
The RMA-thesis consists of approximately 30,000+ words, and is researched and written over the course of two years.
During the 1st year, RMA-students will join the general lectures from the Thesis tutorial, which focuses on the planning and elaboration of the thesis, and aims to provide students with the required academic skills, such as writing and presenting at a professional level.
Thesis tutorial has 3 modes of instruction:
1) general lectures;
2) specialised seminars within each research section;
3) individual supervision.
1) The general lectures are centrally organised, and will include all MA, MSc and RMA students, and take place mostly during the 1st block. (For students starting in February, this will be block 3). These lectures will deal with essential academic skills, particularly the do’s and don’ts of academic writing and presenting.
2) The thesis seminar is organised by each research track, and is coordinated by its professors. During these seminar sessions, more specific discussions of the main research questions and of the thesis structure within the own field will take place, and students are expected to submit practical assignments and give presentations, on which they will receive feedback from the lecturers and each other.
3) Individual supervision by means of tutorials.
Thesis seminar coordinators per RMA research track:
Human Origins: prof. dr. J.W.M. Roebroeks.
Prehistoric Farming Communities: prof. dr. H. Fokkens.
Religion and Society: Native American Cultures: prof. dr. M.E.R.G.N. Jansen & prof. dr. C.L. Hofman.
Town and Country: Mediterranean Region and the Near East: prof. dr. P.M.M.G. Akkermans & dr. M.J. Versluys.
Transformation of the Roman World: prof. dr. F.C.W.J. Theuws.
Archaeological Heritage in a Globalising World: prof. dr. W.J.H. Willems & mw. dr. M.H. van den Dries.
Bioarchaeology: prof. dr. M. van Kolfschoten & mw. dr. A.L. Waters.
Course objectives
Knowledge of the state of the art regarding the region and discipline of thesis research;
Formulation of a research topic in the framework of modern scholarly discussions;
Exercising analytical and library research skills;
Preparation and elaboration of the thesis project exercising skills of oral presentation, discussion and writing.
Ects distribution
No ects will be awarded for the thesis tutorial; following the thesis tutorial is part of the ects awarded for the thesis.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in the RMA time schedule.
Mode of instruction
Centralised lectures;
Seminars (including assignments, discussion, presentations, with feedback);
Individual tutorials.
Assessment method
Presentation;
Thesis.
Assessment deadline
Presentation: tba.
Thesis:
- Deadline for manuscript submission: 1 May (1 November for students who started their programmes in February)
- Deadline for submission of the finished thesis: 15 June (15 December for students who started their programmes in February)
NB: both deadlines are absolute!
Registration
Register for this course via uSis.
Instructions for registration can be found in the uSis manual.
Contact information
For more information about this course, please contact C.G. Slappendel MPhil.