Master´s Thesis (one year), 15 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Course offered for

• Master´s Programme in Child Studies

Entry requirements

For admission to the course the student must have:

successfully completed a minimum of 30 credits within the master’s programme in Chiild Studies, at least 5 of which from the course Research Methods in Child Studies in the second semester,

and

a bachelor’s degree in the humanities, social sciences or the behavioural sciences with a major (or its equivalent) in a field relevant to the programme, e.g. anthropology, communication studies, education, history, language studies, media studies, political science, psychology, social work and sociology, 

and

documented knowledge of English equivalent to "Engelska B"/”Engelska 6”. 

Intended learning outcomes

After completion of the course, the student should on an advanced level be able to:

- independently identify and formulate a research problem relevant to the field of Child Studies; 
- identify, evaluate, integrate and describe relevant previous research concerning the research problem;
- design a research plan for how the research problem can be studied within a given time frame using adequate methods;
- conduct research, including gathering and analysing empirical material and evaluating one’s own results;
- describe and apply ethical principles in the research process;
- describe and argue for the study in an academic manner both orally and in writing;
- critically read and evaluate other studies using the qualitative criteria for scientific work. 

Course content

The student will write a thesis dealing in depth with a problem in Child Studies, and will conduct supervised research leading to the completion of a thesis. The choice of subject, methods and literature will be discussed in dialogue with the student’s supervisor. The thesis is to be presented and defended at a seminar. Both the process and the result – the thesis – should be characterized by a high degree of insight into theory and method. Students will also learn to act as critical discussants (peer reviewers) in relation to each other’s projects.

Teaching and working methods

Independent individual study and active participation in seminars, both online and on campus, are the teaching methods used. Individual online tutoring is an integrated part of the course. In addition to the scheduled time, the student is expected to engage in self-study.
The student must have access to e-mail and Internet. The course is presented in various multi-media formats. In order to guarantee a positive learning situation online, and, in order for the student to be able to actively participate in the course and communicate with fellow students and the teacher, it is therefore important that the student have access to the correct hard- and software. Information concerning the specifications of the equipment necessary for the course can be found in the study guide.
English is the language of instruction.

Examination

The independent individual study will be presented and defended at a seminar on campus. The student is also required to act as discussant for another student’s work and actively participate in at least one additional seminar at which papers are presented. More detailed information on the examination can be found in the study guide.

Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course twice are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination.

Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

Grades

Department