Course content

The master’s thesis consists of an academic text resulting from an independent research project, carried out in the final semester of the program. The thesis is a mandatory component of the master’s degree and must be relevant to research in MPED - Education and upbringing. The work is based on the plans the student has developed in the Project Development course. The thesis can be written as either a monograph or in article-based form.

If written as a monograph by one student, the thesis should be between 18000 and 27000 words from the first to the last chapter. If two students write a monograph together, the length should be 25,000 to 34,000 words. An article-based thesis consists of two parts: a draft article for a scientific journal and an introduction (kappe) that frames the article. Articles typically have a length of 5000 to 8000 words. If one student writes an article-based thesis, the introduction should be 5000 to 10000 words. If two students write together, the introduction should be 8500 to 13500 words.

Learning outcome

After completing the master’s thesis, the student should be able to:

• Carry out an independent research project based on a chosen research question that is relevant to the discipline.
• Situate the thesis within a relevant academic context by presenting previous research, discussing key concepts, and establishing a theoretical framework.
• Identify an appropriate method to address the research question, justify the choice of method, apply the method correctly, and reflect on methodological limitations.
• For empirical studies, analyze the collected data.
• Communicate research findings and draw academically sound conclusions.
• Comply with applicable research ethics guidelines.

Learning methods and activities

The student receives supervision from an appointed advisor throughout the process. The advisor and student will discuss the formulation and delimitation of the topic and research question(s), the student’s engagement with the academic literature, methodological approaches and quality, results/findings and their analysis, as well as the structure and design of the thesis. The advisor must inform the student about relevant research ethics guidelines and ensure that all necessary approvals are obtained before the project begins.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

The main rule is that all courses in the study program must be passed before starting of the master's thesis. Upon application, a maximum of one course of 7.5 credits can remain outstanding. The condition is that the remaining course is not considered essential for the completion of the master's thesis.