Examination arrangement

Course content

The master thesis is a research, innovation and/or development project, with the objective of showing you can work independently on an advanced level, on acquiring and creating new knowledge within your field of specialisation. The project includes defining objectives and goals, gathering relevant background information about the knowledge frontier, doing novel work using relevant methods and documenting and critically evaluating the work and contribution.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: Insight in how knowledge, services and technology are created and reported within the student's master specialty area, and understanding of advanced theory and practice within this topic. Awareness of important principles of research ethics, and academic/professional honesty.

Skills: Ability to acquire in-depth knowledge in the chosen topic using established working methods, e.g. getting knowledge from literature search and combine this with own previous knowledge and results of own investigations.

General competence: Be able to complete a larger, independent project, including defining a project plan with milestones, reporting partial results and writing a master thesis according to established standards.

Learning methods and activities

The course could be conducted as a combination of meetings with supervisor(s) and clients (if relevant), and self-study, as well as work on the master's thesis document.

Each master's thesis is connected to a main supervisor and in some cases a co-supervisor.

Normally the master's thesis is completed individually, but it can be completed in groups of up to 2 students.

Further on evaluation

It must be made explicit in the master's thesis to what extent it builds on and/or includes elements (text, images, code, data or other parts) from the students´ earlier work, e.g. from TDT4501 - Computer Science, Specialization Project.

The thesis must reflect on the sustainability relevance of the thesis based on the UN's sustainability goals.

If the letter grade "F" is given after the master's thesis has been graded at the final exam, the thesis can be submitted again in a new or reworked thesis with significant changes. Students who want this must notify the faculty within three months. The department must, in consultation with the supervisor and examiner, assess whether it is possible to rework the student's master's thesis or whether a new thesis must be written.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

Requires passed Specialization Project