ECON4091 – Master Thesis
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
In this course students engage in the analysis of a substantive economic question. They do this by independently producing an original written piece of research at an academic level.
This involves formulating a research question, developing an approach that allows answering this question using economic methods, and implementing this approach in a scientific manner which leads to a structured analysis which is reported both in writing and orally.
The topic of the thesis can be chosen freely, although it is recommended to coordinate plans with a (potential) supervisor at an early stage.
Learning outcome
- in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the research question
- formulate a scientific research question develop a research design
- conduct an economic analysis (theoretical and/or empirical)
- use relevant economic literature
- the ability to report orally and in writing
- be able to critically reflect on research in a systematic and argumented manner
- complete a project from idea to finish
Admission to the course
Students must be admitted to one of the master`s programmes at the Department of Economics.
A supervisor must be assigned before the student can start writing the master`s thesis.
In order to be assigned a supervisor, the student must have passed at least 190 credits (5-year master’s programme) / 20 credits (2-year master’s programme) in the programme.
Supervisors will be formally appointed in the 3rd semester of the 2-year master’s programme, or in the 9th semester of the 5-year master’s programme. This guarantees supervision throughout the process of writing the thesis.?
All master students must hand in a project plan for the thesis and a contract of supervision one semester before they are to submit their thesis.
An overview with the specific deadlines for each semester can be found here
Overlapping courses
- 30 credits overlap with ECON4090 – Master's Thesis (continued).
Teaching
Access to teaching
Individual academic supervision is compulsory for all students who write their Master`s thesis in Economics.
Examination
The thesis and an oral exam.
Master Thesis
The thesis should represent an independent contribution and should address a clearly stated problem. For further information please read Choosing a topic
- The thesis must have the format specified by the Department of Economics
- It is not permitted to submit a thesis that is part of a previous degree
See more information about rules and regulations, formal requirements, deadlines and submission
Oral Exam
- The oral exams will be arranged after the submission of the theses
- The date and place for the oral exam will be announced and sent to the students UiO-email at least 7 days before the date of the oral exam
Students present the master thesis (15 min) which is followed by a questions and answers session (20 min).
The presentation may be held using slides, for example a PowerPoint presentation. Prepared manuscripts are allowed.
The purpose of the oral exam is threefold:
- to confirm that students indeed wrote the thesis themselves
- to investigate students` understanding of the topic and research methods
- to test their ability to critically reflect on the strength and weaknesses of the work
The questions that will be posed during the oral exam will be linked to the thesis and will inquire about the relevant knowledge, skills and competencies of the student. They may, for example, relate to the research question, the structure of the thesis, comprehension of the relevant economic theory and methods and possible improvements of the thesis.
The oral exam is open to the Public.
How the master thesis is assessed
- The examination committee will consist of two examiners and at least one of them will be external, i.e. not hold a position at the University of Oslo
- Prior to the oral exam, the examination committee will award a preliminary grade to the master thesis
- The performance at the oral exam will be used to adjust the grade of the master thesis. Once the committee has determined the grade following the oral exam, the student will be notified of the final grade and given a short explanation
- If the committee decides that the thesis do not meet the minimum requirements to qualify as a master thesis in economics from the University of Oslo, the student will be notified before the oral exam
Submit your thesis in Inspera and DUO
You submit your thesis in Inspera and to DUO.
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
You may submit your thesis and attend the oral exam in Norwegian or English.
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.
Prior to the oral exam, a preliminary grade will be awarded to the master thesis. The performance at the oral exam will be used to adjust the grade of the master thesis.
Resit an examination
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.