Admission requirements
Students can start writing their thesis only after they have successfully completed the MA Thesis seminar Translation in the first semester, culminating in an approved annotated bibliography and thesis proposal.
Description
Aim of the Master’s Thesis
A thesis is an academic essay, written by the student in consultation with the supervisor. The thesis must show that the student is capable of summarizing and analyzing existing literature in a critical manner, formulating one or more well-defined and motivated research questions and of conducting independent research.
At the heart of a Master’s thesis lies a research question, together with the answer to that question. Before a research question can be formulated, the student first has to do preparatory reading. The student then suggests an approach to arrive at possible answers to the research question. The research can be done by comparing views found in the literature and/or by collecting and analyzing data.
Submitting the Thesis Proposal
Once the student has successfully passed the thesis seminar (i.e. has an approved annotated bibliography and thesis proposal) and been assigned to a supervisor (by the seminar instructors), the final thesis proposal can be submitted to the Board of Examiners using the Thesis Proposal form. The Thesis Proposal form should include the title of the thesis and a description of the topic.The form must be submitted to the Board of Examiners before 15 February. The Board will then inspect the thesis proposal to ensure that it is of an appropriate academic level. They will also appoint a second reader.
Deadline for submission complete draft: 1 June 2024
Deadline for submission final version: 1 July 2024
Deadline for resit: 30 August 2024
Please note that there is no supervision in July and August.
Students with extensions can continue writing without supervision in the first semester of the following academic year and submit before 1 November 2024.
After this deadline, students have to start over with a new topic and new supervisor.
Handing in the Thesis
It is advisable to hand in the chapters of the thesis one by one and request feedback from the supervisor. Once the thesis has been approved by the supervisor, the final electronic version can be sent to both the supervisor and the second reader. When doing so, please include the e-mail address mathesis@hum.leidenuniv.nl in cc. Check with the supervisor if there are any specific guidelines regarding formatting and referencing.
Assessment
In assessing the quality of the thesis, the following aspects play an important role:
The originality of the research question
Explaining the background of the research question
The critical analysis of source materials
Integration of secondary literature into the argument
Language use, structure and style
The degree of independence displayed during the research and supervision process
Also see: Regulations Linguistics
Course objectives
Ability to independently formulate a clear, concise, original and relevant research question that demonstrates knowledge and understanding of central debates and methods in Translation Studies
Ability to critically analyze the selected materials using a well-chosen and well-justified research methodology
Ability to synthesize secondary sources aimed at an advanced academic readership
Ability to write a coherent and consistent discussion that presents clear arguments and conclusions that follow logically from the presented materials
Ability to reflect critically on the research carried out, its limitations, and its contribution to existing and future research
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Independent research and writing
A maximum number of 4 individual meetings of 30 minutes
Feedback is only provided on completed chapters that have been handed in in a timely manner (deadlines are agreed beforehand with the supervisor)
Assessment method
- MA Thesis (100%)
The thesis has to be at least 6.0 in order to pass. Resits are submitted before 1 September 2024. There is no supervision in July and August.
Reading list
Not applicable.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Reuvensplaats.
Remarks
Not applicable.