MIED4190 – Master Thesis
Course content
The Master's thesis is a written, independent scientific product with relevance to the selected area of specialisation. The thesis must be written according to scientific criteria.
The Master's thesis is based on an approved thesis proposal and will document knowledge and understanding of research, theories and methods relevant to the thesis research questions. The master thesis can be a practice-based, an empirical or a theoretical work in the selected area of specialisation.?
The master thesis is to be submitted for the final assessment of the Master in Education study programme.
Learning outcome
Upon successful completion of your master thesis you are expected to be able to:?
Knowledge
have a deep understanding of the research process in the selected area of specialisation.
have a thorough knowledge of the scientific rules for privacy, research ethics requirements and guidelines
demonstrate understanding of how to apply research methods and design in order to complete a master thesis project.
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Skills
be able to organize your work on the Master thesis, taking into account your role in relation to the role of the supervisor(s), the aims of the process of producing a Master thesis as well as limitations in terms of resources
be able to plan, implement, assess and report on practice-based, empirical or theoretical scientific work in the field of study
be able to produce a clear, consistent and coherent research-based thesis.
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General competences
have acquired the ability to understand the relationships between choice of research questions, theoretical perspective, research design and choice of method for analyzing your data.
be able to use scientific criteria in a systematic review and analysis of relevant, historical and / or current educational research
have acquired the ability to present, discuss and relate critically to your own and others' research work in the selected area of specialisation
have acquired the ability to develop and strengthen your understanding, knowledge and reflection on research in the selected area of specialisation.
Admission to the course
This course is compulsory for students enrolled in the Master in Education study programme and reserved for this student group only.?
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
All courses in the programme must be passed before the master's thesis can be submitted for assessment.?
Teaching
The course starts in the second semester of the Master programme and the workload is divided between the three final semesters.
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First semester of MIED4190:
You will attend an introductory course for the master thesis. The course addresses various aspects of the research process, research ethics and privacy issues. You familiarize yourself with UiO's guidelines for reporting research projects and GDPR regulations and must complete a compulsory online course in research ethics.
During this semester, you will develop a thesis proposal that must be approved. Participation in the course and submission of the thesis proposal is compulsory.
All students will present and discuss their thesis proposal during the second semester.?
This semester workload corresponds to 5 credits.
The work on the master thesis will be carried out under supervision. Once your thesis proposal is approved, the department will assign you a supervisor, and if appropriate, a co-supervisor. You must sign a supervision contract with your supervisor(s).
Details of deadlines and requirements for the various compulsory activities are announced on the semester page before the start of the semester.
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Second semester of MIED4190:
Supervision starts formally during this semester. It is compulsory to be formally supervised during your work on the master thesis. You will receive a maximum of 40 hours of supervision. This includes the supervisor's preparation and reading of texts. You and your supervisor(s) agree on how the time should be allocated during the 3rd and 4th semester of the programme.
The focus during the this semester is on the development of a literature review that will be used in the thesis, as well as developing a plan for data collection. ?
This semester workload corresponds to 10 credits.
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Third semester of MIED4190:
In this semester, you are expected to write and complete your master thesis within the given deadline.?
This semester workload corresponds to 30 credits.
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Compulsory components:
A portfolio of the following obligatory activities which take place in the first semester (1 term) of MIED4190:
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Participation in lectures and completing the GDPR online course
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Submission and approval of your thesis proposal
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Presentation and discussion of the project in a research seminar
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According to UiO regulations it is compulsory to receive formal supervision by a supervisor, and if appropriate, a co-supervisor, assigned by the department.
Examination
Examination:
The exam consists of two parts, a written and an oral part:
1)?? ?Assessment of the master thesis
2)?? ?Oral exam: a professional discussion of 45 minutes on central aspects of the thesis work and submitted master thesis.?The oral exam aims at discussing and clarifying issues arising from the submitted master thesis.
The master thesis should be between 70-100 pages, exclusive of bibliography and possible attachments/appendices.
All the compulsory components within the master thesis course must be approved in order for you to be allowed to submit the master's thesis for assessment.
Examination support material
You are allowed to take a copy of your thesis with you during the oral exam. You may also use your own notes and other material that may be relevant.?
Language of examination
Language of examination
- The thesis must be written in English
- The oral exam will be conducted in 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.
The grade given for the Master Thesis course is based on an overall evaluation of the written thesis and the oral exam.
A commission is set up to assess both the written thesis and the oral exam. The commission has two examiners, one of whom is external to the University of Oslo and the other is normally part of the academic staff at the University of Oslo (internal examiner).
How is the grade determined?
The commission will determine, before the oral exam, a preliminary grade for the master thesis. This grade is tested by the external and internal examiners against the student?s performance during the oral defense of the thesis.?
No information of the preliminary grade is given to the student before the oral exam. The full grading scale (A-E/Fail) will be used in the assessment of the master thesis and oral exam, but the final grade will normally deviate at most only one grade from the preliminary grade for the written thesis. The student is informed of the final grade after the oral exam. The oral exam normally takes place within 6-8 weeks of submission.
The final grade is jointly agreed by the commission members. In case of disagreement about the grade, the thesis will be examined by a new commission.
The main supervisor must be available to the commission while it is assessing the thesis in order to provide pertinent information to the commission members on the work of the student or on guidance provided during the process of supervision. The supervisor has no say in the final grade awarded for the thesis by the commission.
Resit an examination
If the commission judges the Master thesis to Fail, you is not permitted to sit for the oral defense. You are, however, permitted to hand in a revised master thesis. Deadline to submit a revised version will be the following semester within the regular deadlines.
Normally, you will not be awarded new supervision during the process of revising the master thesis unless there is surplus time remaining from the total time allocated for supervision. If no hours remain, the student can only apply for additional hours of supervision if the delay is due to situations beyond the student’s control.
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.