Admission requirements
In order to be admitted to the Bachelor class and start the Bachelor thesis project, students have to comply with the rules below at the reference date of February 1st. At the pre-reference date of September 1st it is determined whether students are allowed to participate in the matching for Bachelor thesis projects, which takes place in December.
The rules are:
1. At the reference date the student must have completed all first year courses (60 ECs) of their program.
2. At the reference date the student must have completed at least 66 ECs of the second and third year courses in their program.
3. At the reference date the student misses at most 27 ECs from second and third year spring courses (apart from the Bachelor thesis project).
4. At the pre-reference date, the student misses at most 27 ECs from second and third year spring courses (apart from the Bachelor thesis project) and expects to comply with all rules at the reference date.
5. The course "Research Methods in AI" (for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence students) or "Research Methods in Computer Science" (for Informatica, Informatica en Economie, and Bioinformatica students) has been completed. In the case of the double bachelor Wiskunde en Informatica, either “Research Methods in Computer Science” or “Seminarium Presenteren en Communiceren” has been completed.
The first rule must always be met. In exceptional cases, the study advisor can give permission to start even though the second or third rule are not met. Students who do/expect to not fully meet the rules need to contact the study advisor before December 1st.
Description
Thesis project and Bachelor class
For the Bachelor thesis project students individually conduct a study on a topic connected to the research of LIACS. The Bachelor thesis is an academic report of this study. Students are supervised by at least one researcher from LIACS during their bachelor thesis project and writing of their thesis. The Bachelor class facilitates the matching of students to supervisors. Students sometimes choose to combine their Bachelor thesis project with an internship. This is however not a standard option and not facilitated through the program or the Bachelor class. It is always necessary to have a LIACS supervisor who is involved from the start of the process. A second supervisor is always involved in reviewing and assessing the thesis and attending the final presentation, and can in addition have a role in the supervision earlier on.
Students who do their Bachelor thesis project must participate in the Bachelor class. The Bachelor class starts in November and December with lectures that introduce the Bachelor thesis project and inform students on available topics and supervisors. These lectures are mandatory for all students who wish to start with their Bachelor thesis project in the next spring semester, and open to all third year Bachelor students, including those who will start their thesis later.
The Bachelor class continues in the second semester. During the lectures of the Bachelor class students receive information on relevant skills for the Bachelor thesis project (which is largely a recap from previous courses on academic skills): searching for literature, referencing and plagiarism, writing a thesis, presenting, and career and master orientation. The progress of the students is monitored; a research proposal is written and peer reviewed and students give a short oral progress report (midterm presentation). Important deadlines are listed in the timeline below.
Timeline
Info sessions on the Bachelor thesis project and supervisors: Nov-Dec
Deadline for submitting preference form: half Dec (to be specified each year)
Matching students and supervisors: Dec-Jan
Start Bachelor thesis project: February
Research proposal: February - begin March
Student is working on research: February-March-April-May
Midterm presentation: April-May
Student writes thesis: May
Preliminary chapters receive feedback from supervisor: May
Complete thesis draft deadline (student sends thesis to supervisor): June 1
A full draft receives detailed feedback from supervisor: June
Supervisor gives go/no go based on complete thesis draft: June 15
Student completes thesis: June
Thesis deadline: July 1st
Bachelor thesis project conference: first half of July
Thesis retake deadline option 1 (only if explicitly agreed upon by supervisor): August 30
Thesis retake deadline option 2 (student submits final version to supervisor): December 1
Bachelor thesis project conference (retake): 2nd half of December/January
Components
Matching students and supervisors
During the first lectures of the Bachelor class, the LIACS research clusters present themselves and inform students on available supervisors and topics. Students then indicate their preferences for a topic, and are matched to a supervisor.
Research proposal
At the start students write a research proposal on their Bachelor thesis project, and provide one round of peer feedback on the proposal of two other students. With this feedback students then improve their proposal. The improved version of the proposal has to be approved with a pass from the thesis supervisor.
Midterm presentation
Halfway students give a brief oral presentation on the progress and current state of their project. Presentations are given in small groups of students who ask questions on each other’s presentations.
Go/no-go thesis draft
At the go/no-go deadline on June 15 the supervisors determine whether sufficient progress has been made to finish the thesis on July 1st based on the first complete draft of the thesis that was handed in on June 1. This constitutes the first hand-in opportunity.
If students receive a go, they proceed to finish the thesis to be submitted on July 1st and join in the Bachelor thesis project conference.
If students receive a no-go, then this constitutes a failing grade, meaning that the student is in the "retake phase". Supervisors decide whether the project can be finished during the extension period and be finished before August 30 (note: with limited options for feedback in July and August; see below), or the student has to continue during the next semester in the thesis retake period and finish before December 1.
Feedback
The period in which the Bachelor thesis project “runs” is clearly the Spring semester. This also means that the feedback period, i.e., the period during which the student is supported by, among others, the supervisor, is in the Spring semester. Feedback is given, e.g., by fellow students in the form of peer review and feedback on the midterm presentation in April and May, in the form of supervisor progress meetings from February to June, and through detailed thesis feedback in May and June. Note that in the period of the July/August extension, this support may not be available.
Thesis deadline
July 1st is the deadline for the Bachelor thesis project. This means the final version of the thesis, as approved by the supervisors, is submitted on Brightspace for the plagiarism check on or before July 1st. The final presentation for the project takes place after this during the Bachelor thesis project conference. Students can only finish on July 1st and join the Bachelor thesis project conference if they received a “go” on their project by June 15.
Bachelor thesis project conference
Students who finish their thesis on July 1st join the Bachelor thesis project conference for their final presentation. During parallel sessions students present their project and answer questions. For students who finish their project during the extension period in the summer the final presentation is arranged by the supervisors. Students who finish in the first semester before December 1 can join the Bachelor thesis project conference at the end of December/beginning of January.
Course objectives
The aim of the Bachelor class is on the one hand to coordinate and monitor the students in this phase of individual work and on the other hand to offer the students a framework for working on their project and thesis.
The course objectives of the Bachelor thesis project, as assessed through the individual projects and within the Bachelor class, are:
Students are able to design a research project by formulating a research question, conducting research, and evaluating the results.
Students are able to apply academic writing skills through the writing of a research proposal and thesis that is coherently structured and clearly written in their own narrative and words.
Students are able to apply presentation skills during the midterm presentation and final presentation that reflect that they are able to discuss and evaluate their research project.
Students are able to identify relevant academic literature for their topic, and critically evaluate this literature in relation to the findings of their own research project.
Students are able to plan their Bachelor thesis project and follow through on the deadlines, work independently and in good communication with their supervisor.
Students are able to provide critical feedback on their peers through peer feedback on the research proposal and discussion during the midterm presentations.
Timetable
You will find the timetables for all courses and degree programmes of Leiden University in the tool MyTimetable (login). Any teaching activities that you have sucessfully registered for in MyStudymap will automatically be displayed in MyTimetable. Any timetables that you add manually, will be saved and automatically displayed the next time you sign in.
MyTimetable allows you to integrate your timetable with your calendar apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and other calendar apps on your smartphone. Any timetable changes will be automatically synced with your calendar. If you wish, you can also receive an email notification of the change. You can turn notifications on in ‘Settings’ (after login).
For more information, watch the video or go the the 'help-page' in MyTimetable. Pleas note: Joint Degree students Leiden/Delft have to merge their two different timetables into one. This video explains how to do this.
Mode of instruction
Regular meetings in which discussions are held with, by and for the students. Attendance in the Bachelor class sessions is mandatory. In parallel, the student executes the research project under the supervision of a researcher at LIACS.
Assessment method
Assesment components
To complete the Bachelor Thesis Project, students must:
write a research proposal which is approved with a pass by the supervisor by the research proposal deadline, and
give a midterm presentation which is approved with a pass by the Bachelor class moderators
complete the thesis itself by the thesis deadline or retake deadline (see below)
The Bachelor thesis project is finalized through a public presentation at the Bachelor thesis project conference. The thesis supervisors (or in exceptional circumstances, suitable replacements arranged and appointed by the supervisors) are present for the presentation. The grade for the Bachelor thesis project is determined by the supervisors after the final presentation. Here, the components of the grade are:
Thesis (50%)
Project executation (30%)
Thesis presentation (20%)
The mandatory components of the Bachelor class (research proposal and midterm presentation) need to have been completed to finalize the Bachelor thesis project, as confirmed by the Bachelor class lecturers on the assessment form.
Regulations on deadlines
July 1st is the deadline for the Bachelor thesis project. This means the final version of the thesis, as approved by the supervisors, is submitted on Brightspace for the plagiarism check on or before July 1st. The final presentation for the project takes place after this during the Bachelor thesis project conference. Students can only finish on July 1st and join the Bachelor thesis project conference if they received a “go” on their project on June 15.
June 15 students receive a go/no go by their supervisors to finish the thesis on July 1st. This constitutes the first hand-in opportunity.
- If students receive a go, they proceed to finish the thesis to be submitted on July 1st and join in the bachelor thesis project conference.
- If students receive a no go, then this constitutes a failing grade, meaning that the student is in the "retake phase". The supervisors decide whether the thesis can be finished during the extension period and be finished before August 30, or the student has to continue during the next semester in the thesis retake period and finish before December 1.
The supervisors can decide to terminate the project, based on insufficient progress and/or it not seeming feasible that the student will manage to successfully finish the project:
- At the end of the extension period on August 30.
- At the end of the retake period on December 1.
If the project is terminated, students need to find a new project and supervisor. Deviations from the plan (e.g., still finishing the project after December 1) are not possible, unless the supervisor explicitly agrees to this. If the student and supervisor agree to still finish the project after the retake period deadline of December 1, permission from the Board of Examiners is required to continue with the project. If a new project is started students need to participate again in the Bachelor class and complete the mandatory components of a research proposal and midterm presentation.
Reading list
Does not apply.
Registration
Every student has to register for courses with the new enrollment tool MyStudymap. There are two registration periods per year: registration for the fall semester opens in July and registration for the spring semester opens in December. Please see this page for more information.
Please note that there is no joint assessment moment for Bachelor Thesis Project. So you don't have to register for that either.
This means that you only need to register for the lectures (4032BDI15H). By registering for these lectures, you will gain access to the associated brightspace page.
Extensive FAQ on MyStudymap can be found here.
Contact
Education coordinator LIACS bachelors
Remarks
In exceptional cases it is possible to do the Bachelor thesis project and participate in the Bachelor class during the first semester. This could be applicable if you are studying abroad during the second semester and/or at the start of the year only have your Bachelor thesis project left to complete.
For the fall cohort the reference date is September 1st. At the reference date the student must have completed all first year courses (60 ECs) of their program and misses at most 18 ECs from second and third year courses (apart from the Bachelor thesis project). Permission from the study advisor is necessary to participate in the fall cohort and should be obtained in May.
The first lecture of this small class takes place in June. Students in the fall cohort are expected to have been present earlier that year during the lectures in November and December on the Bachelor thesis project and potential supervisors.