Thesis and papers
When writing a thesis or paper you must make good use of the insights you have gained during your lectures and studies so far. You should also refer to relevant literature and carry out your own research on the topic.
One of the most important things you will learn during an academic study programme is how to write an interesting piece of work that meets the criteria of scientific quality, whilst also being accesible to the broader public.
Refer to our Study skills pages for more information on academic writing skills.
Master Thesis Lab
The Master Thesis Lab is a facility open to all FSW master's students who are preparing their master thesis or master's project. The Master Thesis Lab offers various facilities, like computer work spaces, books and advice.
Master Thesis
As part of the MA programme, students write a master’s thesis. This thesis is based upon literature as well as data collected during three months of fieldwork.
Thesis details
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Thesis (15 EC): minimum of 22,500 words, maximum 30,000 words (excl. list of references, and excl. text that has been used in the research proposal – calculation via TurnitIn) based on fieldwork or internship data and literature study.
Language: English (and in some cases and upon request the Exam Board may allow the thesis to be written in Dutch).
Assessment
MA theses are reviewed by using five points of assessment, which are determined by the CA-OS Education Committee.
Every student will have a thesis supervisor. Aside from this supervisor, an appointed second assessor will also review the thesis.
Students of Visual Ethnography as a Method
For students following the Visual Ethnography as a Method track different rules apply. They will write a shorter thesis combined with an audiovisual project (mostly a film). The points of assessment for the MA thesis for the Visual Ethnography as a Method track can be found here.
Every year, the award commission of CA-OS will nominate the best MA thesis for the Faculty Thesis Award or the Prof.dr. J.D. Speckmann Award.