Master Thesis in Gender Science, 30 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Course offered for

• Master´s Programme in Gender Studies - Intersectionality and Change

Intended learning outcomes

Through completion of the master thesis, the students should, on advanced level within the field of Gender Studies – Intersectionality and Change, be able to:
- critically and independently define a relevant research problem, to make an in-depth and complex analysis and assess the problem in a scholarly way,;
- in a well-grounded way argue for and critically reflect on the project design and the choice of theoretical frameworks, methodological tools, empirical materials and ethical approaches in a scholarly way;
- give a broad overview as well as a considerable degree of specialized in-depth knowledge of the sub-field within which the master project is defined;
- in a relevant scholarly way argue for the possibilities and limitations of their research project and relate the arguments to the more overarching role of research in society and individual responsibility for its used;
- clearly position themselves in relation to the research questions of the thesis and show in-depth knowledge and understanding of the epistemological role of self-reflection in scholarly knowledge production;
- critically examine and assess other students’ and their own scholarly work ;
- produce a coherent, independently formulated, written documentation of their research (master thesis of 60 to 80 pages or equivalent) in a style and genre that demonstrates academic accountability and competence with a use of relevant scholarly, social and ethical aspects, and which is written in an adequate style and genre with appropriate use of scholarly citations, references and sources.
- Plan and carry out an independent work based on the given frame of time- and resources

Course content

The course provides:
- tools for critical and independent definition of a relevant research problem and knowledge for making analysis of it in a scholarly way, based on a project design that very well founded, which includes reflections on choice of theoretical frame work, methodological tools, ethical approaches, empirical material and collection methods;
- specialized in-depth knowledge of the sub-field within which the master project is defined;
- knowledge about relevant scholarly arguments can be formulated and how the more overarching role of research affects the society and individual responsibilities for how it is used;
- knowledge about how to give constructive feedback when acting as an opponent.

Teaching and working methods

- The student’s work with their Master’s thesis is supervised online.
- The students choose a subject for the Master’s thesis in an online dialogue with their supervisor.
- In addition to individual sessions for supervision, joint feedback sessions will be organized online.
- The individual as well as the group supervision sessions support the students’ independent learning process.
- The student also learn to act as critical discussants (peer reviewers) in relation to each other’s projects
- The Master’s thesis will be examined and assessed at a face-to-face seminar organized at campus.

Examination

The Master’s thesis is gradually examined in various steps during the writing process. The final Master’s thesis is examined and evaluated in a face-to-face seminar organized at campus. The seminar includes a peer-review procedure, where students comment and peer review the work of one another.
Detailed information about 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 reexamination. Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

Grades

Other information

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. 

The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.

Department