Admission requirements
This course is intended for MA students in North American Studies.
Description
Students will be guided through the process of writing their MA thesis through group discussions in a thesis seminar and regular individual meetings with their thesis supervisor. The thesis seminar will be held four times in each of the two semesters. In the first semester, we will discuss digital databases for research (some of which are unique for Leiden), citation styles, research methods, avoiding plagiarism, and thesis planning and supervision. The main purpose of the thesis seminar in the first semester is for you to find and narrow down a thesis topic and, under the guidance of your thesis supervisor, to produce a draft thesis proposal by November 21 (May 1 for February starters). The final thesis proposal is due Feb. 1 (July 1 for February starters). In the second semester, there will be four seminar meetings to discuss a.o. and academic writing skills, drafts of introductions and individual chapters, which students are asked to submit digitally on Brightspace for in-class discussion and peer-feedback. Throughout the two semesters, you will also meet regularly with your thesis supervisor to discuss progress and feedback on draft chapters. The Brightspace module for the thesis seminar will also be used as a resource for information about internships and career prospects.
Course objectives
Students learn:
to practice research methods and skills, including use of digital databases to locate primary and secondary sources and correct use of citation styles (MLA, Chicago/Turabian);
how to write a thesis research proposal;
thesis planning and academic writing skills in English.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Assessment method
Students have to submit (draft) thesis proposals, thesis introductions, and thesis chapters for in-class discussion.
Reading list
Not applicable.
Registration
Via uSis.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Contact
Semester 1:
Semester 2:
Remarks
Attendance is required for MA students in North American Studies. Class attendance and active participation will be taken into account in the assessment of the MA thesis.