General provisions

The course is part of the Master's Programme in Social Science, Digital Media and Society. The course is normally taken as the fourth semester of the programme.

Entry requirements

Admitted to the Master Programme in Social Sciences, specialising in Digital Media and Society, with 37.5 credits at Master's level, of which 22.5 credits are in Media and Communication Studies, 7.5 credits cover qualitative methods and 7.5 credits cover quantitative methods/statistics.

Learning outcomes

The purpose of the thesis course is to deepen understanding and knowledge of a component of Media and Communication Studies, as well as develop the skills and abilities required to plan, conduct and defend an academic research project.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• demonstrate a comprehensive overview, or good knowledge of a component of the main area of interest;

• demonstrate a comprehensive insight into contemporary research within the area of student central to the thesis;

• illustrate significant methodological knowledge within the main area of interest.

Competence and skills

• independently identify and formulate a workable, clearly articulated research question;

• plan, and with appropriate methodology, conduct and write a qualified academic research project within a given time frame;

• independently locate and use relevant information/data as the basis for the study;

• comprehensively analyse the empirical material via the use of selected theories;

• present and discuss (in both written and oral form) their results, as well as the arguments that make up the basis of the study.

Judgement and approach

• deal with ethical problems and relate how these problems were addressed during the thesis work;

• evaluate their own contribution and identify the need for further knowledge and/or intellectual development.

Content

The work is presented in a thesis, which is defended at a pre-determined thesis defence/seminar.

Instruction

The thesis course is made up of two parts. The first contains relevant introductory material as well as a number of project proposal assignments. General research questions, theoretical framework and methods are drafted in research proposals that will be evaluated by both course instructors and fellow students for the purpose of further refinement and editing. The goal is that the selection of the basic topic, theory and methodology for the thesis will be made as quickly as possible. During the second half of the course students are given individual thesis advising with an assigned advisor. Advising is offered during the term that the thesis student is registered (the first time) for the course.

Assessment

In this course the grades offered are Fail (U), Pass (G) and Pass with Distinction (VG). The grade evaluation is made primarily on the basis of the completed thesis. A certain weight is also given to the thesis defence and opposition. Attendance and active participation in a number of thesis seminars (scheduled each term), as well as acting as the opponent on/to the thesis of another student, are required to pass the course.