Admission requirements
Course for students enrolled in master program Crisis and Security Management.
Description
In the course ‘Thesis Preparation’ students will be provided with concrete advice and practical tools to conduct their own thesis research.
The course starts off with two lectures. During the first lecture, students are explained the setup of both the course itself, and the general thesis process. This is concluded with a Q&A with the thesis coordinator. In the second lecture, students present their own research proposals, and critically assess the proposals of their peers, focusing on potential challenges and the feasibility of the research project.
The two lectures are followed by ‘method labs’: intense workshops during which students gain more insight into specific research methodologies (i.e. interviewing). This latter part of the course has a modular outline, which means that every student have to choose two labs that are relevant for his or her own thesis research.
Based on the knowledge that students obtain during ‘Thesis Preparation’, they are required to fine-tune their research proposal, which has to be approved by both their thesis supervisor and the second reader before they are granted access to the thesis submission.
Course objectives
After the course, students have:
- Learned to critically discuss and (peer) review research proposals, signalling both the strong and weak points of a research design, and practical challenges and limitations in terms of feasibility
- Gained profound knowledge in specific methodological skills, relevant to the thesis project..
- Fine-tuned their research proposal for their thesis project enabling them to start implementing their research
Timetable
On the right side of CSM front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Blackboard.
Mode of instruction
This course consists of two initial lectures, which are followed by two sets of intense method labs (which consist of two sessions each). In week 5 students are asked to sit together with their supervisors instead of a thesis preparation class. Participation in lectures, discussions, skills labs and exercises is required in order to obtain a grade. Being absent more than once may likely lead to expulsion from the course.
Course Load
Total study load 140 hours
contact hours: 22 (one session of two hours, five sessions of 4 hours)
self-study hours: reading, preparing skills labs, working on thesis proposal, etc: 118
Assessment method
Two assignments that are part of the two method labs (each assignment counts for 50% of total grade)
Final research proposal (pass/fail supervisor and second reader)
Blackboard
The corresponding Blackboard course will become available one week prior to the first lecture.
Reading list
To be announced on blackboard.
Registration
Use both uSis and Blackboard to register for every course.
Register for every course and workgroup via uSis. Some courses and workgroups have a limited number of participants, so register on time (before the course starts). In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results. Registration in uSis is possible from four weeks before the start of the course.
Also register for every course in Blackboard. Important information about the course is posted there.
Contact
Dr. Joery Matthys
Turfmarkt 99
2511 DP Den Haag
Room: 4.03
Phone number: +31 (0)71 527 6688