Research Master's Thesis (cand.oecon. and cand.scient.oecon.) / Research Master's Thesis (cand.oecon. and cand.scient.oecon.)

Studyboard of Market and Management Anthropology, Economics, Mathematics-Economics, and Environmenta, Odense
Teaching activity id: 9112001T.
Teaching language: English.ECTS / weighting: 5 ECTS / 0.083 full-time equivalent.
Examination language: English.
Exam activity id: 9112002T.Approved: 03-10-17.
Period: Autumn 2017 to Spring 2018.
Grading: External examiner.
Assessment: 7-point scale.
Offered in: Odense.

Subject director:
Associate Professor Meltem Daysal, Department of Business and Economics.

Prerequisites:
Offered in the EconTalent only.

Academic prerequisites
  • Acceptance in the EconTalent.
  • Passing the Research Course. The Research Course involves participation in the seminars at the Department of Business and Economics.
  • Enrollment in the regular Master Thesis.

General study skills
  • Students are expected to be comfortable with presenting and writing in English.
  • Students are expected to have knowledge of academic writing skills.
  • Students are expected to be familiar with the University’s digital learning platform.
  • Students are expected to be familiar with the Academic Integrity policy at SDU.


Purpose:
Research is one of the most important components of graduate education. The Master’s Thesis is the culmination of graduate work and the final product in the program. Master’s projects represent students’ independently conducted original research and critical analysis. The Research Master's Thesis is intended for students who want to document scholarly activity at a higher academic level. While the students submit a single thesis (through enrollment in the regular Master Thesis), the work is required to demonstrate the ability to produce knowledge on a higher level than the regular Master Thesis. In particular, the Research Master's Thesis must document the following skills in addition to the regular Master’s

Thesis course description:
  • Independently formulate a well-defined problem that contains an element of genuine research (either theoretical, methodological or empirical) and argue for the relevance and importance of studying this problem statement.
  • Develop/apply advanced methods and explain their relevance and limitations for the problem defined.
Projects that are empirical in nature are required to apply advanced econometrics methods to real-life data. Projects that are theoretical/methodological/experimental in nature are required to offer an original extension to an existing model/method/experiment or develop a completely new model/method/experiment.



Content - Key areas:
Topic of the Research Master's Thesis must be approved through the same form as to the regular Master’s Thesis. It must be related to the profile in which the student is enrolled; as described in the profile description section 3 (Description of the profile focus). Topic must be approved by the supervisor and the profile responsible (supervisor agreement). Supervisor is chosen among the internal lecturers teaching at the master's programme in economics in Odense. Supervisor agreement follows the regular Master’s Thesis.


Goals description (SOLO taxonomy):
The objective of the Research Master's Thesis is in addition to the objectives of the regular Master’s Thesis:
  • Demonstrate skills in being able to select, analyze and identify a problem that is novel and relevant for the profile.
  • Demonstrate elements of genuine research.
  • Demonstrate academic writing skills. 


Literature:
Literature on a high academic level which reflects the scientific knowledge that is available at the time of the writing of the Research Master's Thesis and that is adequate for the solving of the assignment set.


Time of classes:
Fourth semester of the master's programme.

Scheduled classes:
Teaching activity is done through supervision.

Form of instruction:
Similar to the regular Master’s Thesis.

Workload in addition to the regular Master’s Thesis is 135 hours (5 ECTS). The workload is allocated though the months of writing the thesis. Students can only be enrolled to this by applied to the offered department.

Time of examination:
1st examination attempt: Follows the regular Master’s Thesis.

There is no second attempt for the Research Mater’s Thesis. If the student does not pass first attempt he or she is no longer allowed to write a Research Master’s Thesis and has to take the second attempt as a regular Master’s Thesis.


Examination conditions:
Follows the regular Master’s Thesis.

Form of examination for the certificate:
Written report with oral exam. The report is submitted through the regular Master’s thesis and the oral exam is coinciding with the oral defense of the Master’s thesis. Hence, no additional submissions are expected.
One grade is given.


Supplemental information for the form of examination:
The Research Master’s Thesis must be written individually (or by permission of the subject director in groups of 2) and has to be in English.
Hand In: Electronic submission only via SDUassignment in Blackboard.

The Research Master’s Thesis should cover 30-50 pages and must be written as a journal article (working paper format). Submission for a working paper series is recommended.

The defense coincide with the regular Master’s Thesis.


Comments:
The thesis supervisor is never obliged to read an unfinished report in its full length, before the finished written report has been submitted defense officially. The supervisor can as part of the supervision read parts of and give comments to the unfinished report.  The submitted manuscript must always be in print, unless otherwise agreed with the supervisor.
 

Programmes:
cand.oecon. - All profiles
All Semesters, special course. Offered in: Odense
cand.scient.oecon. (Matematik-Økonomi)
All Semesters, special course. Offered in: Odense