Examination arrangement

Course content

The Master's thesis is an academic in-depth work within general psychology, where the student writes a scientific document in line with relevant guidelines in regards to structure and theory. The subject of the master's thesis, which can be either experimental or purely theoretical, should be decided in consultation with a competent supervisor.

Students apply to have their thesis topic approved and a supervisor appointed by filling in a master's thesis agreement. Here the student must include a project description in which the research purpose, theoretical grounding, methodological approach and practical implementation are explained. Check with the department regarding the deadline for submitting this master's thesis agreement. The institute is responsible to assess and approve both topic and supervisor.

A master's thesis of 60 credits can either be a theoretical thesis with a significantly richer scope and depth or a study that uses research methods where the student must spend significant resources on training (e.g. advanced lab-based procedures, hospitalization).

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

The student:

• has advanced knowledge within general psychology and specialized insight into a limited area
• has in-depth knowledge of theory and method in psychological research and of how a scientific project is carried out
• has in-depth knowledge of what is required of a scientific text in psychology, including advanced knowledge of APA style
• has in-depth knowledge of conducting professional argumentation with the use of theory, research, method and method choice and own data and analysis
• has advanced knowledge of quality requirements for research, including adherence to research ethical guidelines and principles

Skills:

The student:

• can analyze and relate critically to various sources of information and use these to structure and formulate professional reasoning
• can analyze existing theories, methods and interpretations within the subject area and work independently with practical and theoretical problem solving
• can use relevant methods for research and professional development independently
• can design and carry out an independent, limited research project under supervision and in line with applicable research ethics norms
• can analyze professional issues and understand complex research data
• can communicate scientific findings - both in writing and orally.
• can find out and relate critically to various sources of information
• can familiarize themselves with literature that is relevant for carrying out research within a limited area of ​​psychology
• can communicate the research work
• The student can formulate a precise and clear problem with relevance for psychological theory or practice and present a well-considered rationale for the choice and use of method and literature
• The student can think critically and draw scientific conclusions based on research
• The student can use the APA standard for scientific publishing

General competence:

The student:

• can analyze relevant professional, professional and research ethical issues
• can apply their knowledge and skills in new areas to carry out advanced tasks and projects
• can convey extensive independent work and masters the subject's forms of expression
• can communicate about professional issues, analyzes and conclusions within psychology
• can apply their knowledge to find answers to relevant issues in psychology
• can convey extensive independent research work within psychology's forms of expression
• can communicate psychological research

Learning methods and activities

Own work with compulsory guidance.

The work on the master's thesis will be a combination of independent activity and work under supervision. The academic guidance must ensure that the student is provided with the necessary knowledge, that all parts of the work have a satisfactory quality (e.g. when collecting and processing data) and that the project as a whole takes place in line with current research ethical guidelines.

The master's thesis seminar in the second semester consists of information on how to find a topic, a presentation of potential supervisors and the design of a project description. The master's thesis seminar in the third semester consists of a lecture that gives tips and advice on the process of writing a master's thesis and a seminar where the student presents his topics and receives constructive feedback from other students and staff. Participation in the master's thesis seminars must be approved before submission of the master's thesis can take place.

Compulsory assignments

• Mandatory participation in the thesis seminar

Further on evaluation

The master's thesis is assessed with letter grades (A-F). The assignment is delivered individually or as a joint work. If the thesis is delivered as joint work, a document describing the individual candidate's contribution must be attached. This will normally involve an individual assessment of the candidates.

The students give a final oral presentation and are examined on the assignment. The oral examination consists of an explanation from the student of approx. 10 minutes and a subsequent questioning. Oral examination is used to adjust the grade. The student can choose an open or closed exam. If it is an open examination, the audience may be present during the examination, if it is a closed examination, only the committee and the student are present.

Check with the institute for the deadline for submitting the project description and master's thesis.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

All examinations in the Masters in Work and Organizational Psychology should be passed before the thesis can be submitted.