HGO4080 – Master Thesis 30 Credits
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
A master's thesis of 30 credits is an option for students who wish to carry out an independent academic work of a lesser scope than a 60 credit master`s thesis.
Students are required to have a member of the academic staff as their supervisor. Any external co- or main supervisor must be approved by the programme.
Getting started on a master’s thesis
Learning outcome
Undertaking a master’s thesis will prepare you to conduct independent academic work. You will also gain experience using methodology in practice, as well as experience in combining theory and research data in your writing.
Admission to the course
Admission to the course is dependent on admission to the master’s degree programme in human geography.
Students with admission to the programme must each semester register which courses and examinations they wish to sign up for in StudentWeb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see degrees and programmes of study and admission to study programmes.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
You must have passed the examination in HGO4011 - Philosophy and Methodology of Human Geography and two of the theory courses.
Teaching
During the second and third semesters of the programme, three workshops will be organized to assist students in developing their master thesis projects. The same workshops apply for both HGO4090 and HGO4080. Students are expected to participate in all workshops. The workshops are scheduled in the semester page.
Students will receive individual supervision by a member of the academic staff, the supervisor. Supervisors will be suggested for all students in the second semester of the master’s degree programme following the submission of a concept note
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Compulsory instruction and coursework
You are required to submit a concept note in the 2nd semester of programme. Failing to do so will delay the identification of potential supervisors. The completed and approved compulsory activity will be valid for the entire period the course is offered.
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Absence from compulsory tuition activities
If you are ill or have another valid reason for being absent from compulsory tuition activities, your absence may be approved or the compulsory activity may be postponed.
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Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
The length of a 30-credit master’s thesis should is maximum 24,000 +/- 25% including everything (cover page, summary, table of contents, preface, reference list, annexes, figures, acronyms, etc.). Theses that deviate from the specified maximum word limit will be rejected. The next deadline for submission will then apply. If there is a need to deviate from the specified word limit, the student is required, in consultation with her supervisor, to apply to the head of studies three weeks before the submission deadline. The application must be academically reasoned.
Following the assessment of the thesis, there will be an oral examination of the thesis and its theme that adjusts and finalizes the grade.
A high academic level is required of all master’s theses in human geography, both those of 30 and 60 credits. Lesser scope refers to how comprehensive the academic work required for the individual research project is. Independent research of a minor scope involves:
- More limited research questions and/or narrowly defined research topic.
- More focused and selective review of relevant literature and analytical framework.
- More reliance on secondary sources.
- More limited fieldwork and/or primary data collection.
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A master’s thesis that is not passed may be resubmitted only once, and then within the agreed time and in revised form. A master’s thesis that is passed may not be resubmitted in revised form.
If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Examination support material
All exam support materials are allowed during this exam. Generating all or part of the exam answer using AI tools such as Chat GPT or similar is not allowed.
Language of examination
The master’s thesis can be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
The oral examination will be held in Norwegian or English.
The oral examination will be carried out within eight weeks of the submission deadline. This is calculated from the last possible submission date, irrespective of whether the thesis is actually delivered earlier.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.