WRITING A MASTER’S THESIS
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, participants are expected to have a strong grasp and command of research and other skills considered essential to write a MA thesis in International Relations.
Course Contents
The purpose of this course is to provide participants with the competence related to the writing of a MA dissertation. This is very much a practical course, which will provide students with fundamental elements and tips that apply to almost all dissertations in the MA degree in International Relations. We will cover a series of topics such as the format and structure of a dissertation, research design and research question, theory, literature review, methodological options, and practicalities (length, time, and interaction with supervisor).
Reference Books
No text is required. Handouts will be distributed as appropriate
Teaching Methods
Lectures, discussions, workshop.
Assessment Method
This is a pass/fail course. There are no formal assignments or grades.
Thesis assignment criteria
Not applicable
Week 1
Introduction, formal requirements, interaction with supervisor, structure and format of a dissertation, how to cite and quote properly, plagiarism.
Week 2
Why we need theory and how to write a literature review.
Week 3
From concepts to operationalizati, methodological pluralism, qualitative and quantitative methods
Week 4
Workshop
Week 5
Not applicable
Week 6
Not applicable
Week 7
Not applicable
Week 8
Not applicable
Week 9
Not applicable
Week 10
Not applicable
Week 11
Not applicable
Week 12
Not applicable