Master's Degree Dissertation
Code: 44261 ECTS Credits: 15| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4317118 Global East Asian Studies | OB | 0 | A |
Contact
- Name:
- David Saurí Pujol
- Email:
- David.Sauri@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
Other comments on languages
The Master's Thesis may be submitted and defended in English, Spanish, or Catalan.Prerequisites
None.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The objective of the module is to assess the integration of the competences acquired in the master through the realization of a Master’s Thesis. The thesis is an individual academic project undertaken autonomously under the supervision of a tutor, in which the student has to demonstrate that he or she has acquired the theoretical and methodological instruments appropriate for realizing an in depth analysis on the subject selected in relation to the contents given in the program. The thesis focuses on a topic of a theoretical, methodological, or practical nature, either from a research orientation or from an institutional approach. In this last case, the thesis is developed in a collaborative institution in order to be performed in an institutional environment. In the tutorials, a series of methodological guidelines will be provided to students including all the necessary elements for the realization of the thesis.
Competences
- Apply research methodology, techniques and specific resources to research and produce innovative results in a particular area of specialisation.
- Apply the paradigms and theoretical trends in the study of sociocultural and political and economic changes which, with East Asia as a principal actor, are taking place on a global scale.
- Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
- Organise, plan and manage competitive projects in professional practice and in research.
- Plan, carry out and manage proposals, projects and strategies of research, innovation and intervention, making use of criteria of academic and professional quality and excellence.
- Reflect and argue critically on the basis of analysis and synthesis within the methodologies and theoretical approaches of the specialist area.
- Select and apply methodological instruments and analytical techniques which all a systematic and specialised understanding of the scenarios deriving from the redefinition of the presence of East Asia in the world.
- Students can communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously.
- That students are able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity and formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
- That students have the learning skills that enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.
- That the students can apply their knowledge and their ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply research methodology, techniques and specific resources to research and produce innovative results in a particular area of specialisation.
- Critically apply specific theoretical, conceptual and methodological developments to conduct research and produce innovative results in a specialist academic field.
- Efficiently use the specific research methodology, techniques and resources to conduct research and obtain results applicable to professional practice.
- Formulate original research questions to be verified and set out the research strategy to be implemented.
- Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
- Organise, plan and manage proposals and manage proposals and competitive projects in professional activity and in research activity.
- Prepare, write and present the master's degree dissertation.
- Recognise and carefully choose between different epistemological perspectives when analysing the social, cultural, political and economic transformations that characterise the global incorporation of East Asia.
- Recognise and choose appropriately between different methodological perspectives for studying the scenarios deriving from the re-definition of East Asia's place in the world.
- Reflect and argue critically on the basis of analysis and synthesis within the methodologies and theoretical approaches of the specialist area.
- Students can communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously.
- That students are able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity and formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
- That students have the learning skills that enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.
- That the students can apply their knowledge and their ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
Content
The development of the Master’s Thesis is based on tutorial sessions, as the student conducts his/her research individually and presents the thesis in front of a tribunal. The coordinator of the master’s program will assign tutors who will supervise master’s theses according to the research interests of students. In the first interview with the tutor, the terms of the follow-up sessions, the schedule of work submissions, and the characteristics of the preparation of the different tasks are determined. In this first tutorial session the topic will be specified, as will the theoretical framework and the methodological focus to be developed in the thesis. Likewise, a series of methodological guidelines with the necessary means for the completion of the thesis are provided. Right afterwards, the student will send online to the tutor the project of the thesis (title hypotheses [if applicable], objectives, structure, methodology, and basic bibliography) that will have been developed based on face-to-face tutoring. In the second tutorial session, the tutor will make comments to the student about the project, and the methodological guidelines provided in the initial tutorial will be completed in order to ensure a correct development of the thesis. In this way, in the first and second tutorial sessions, the student will work on the required methodological skills for the development of his/her research in the topic chosen. For the third tutorial session the student will send to the tutor in advance a progress draft comprising approximately the 25 percent of the thesis outlining the progress made. After face-to-face tutoring, comments by the tutor will be incorporated into the document. For the fourth tutorial session the student will send to the tutor a draft document with approximately the 75 percent of the thesis. After a new face-to-face meeting with the tutor, comments will be incorporated into a new version. For the fifth tutoring session, the student will send the tutor the 100 percent of the thesis; make the changes required and prepare for the face-to-face defense of the thesis.
In the master's calendar, the dates of the mandatory tutorial sessions for the follow-up of the thesis are established, as well as the dates of the different submissions that the student has to complete, according to the following:
First semester:
- Tutorial Session 1: Definition of the research topic, theoretical framework and methodological approach to be developed in the TFM. In this first tutorial session, a series of methodological guidelines are given in order to provide the student with the necessary research tools to carry out his/her work. Subsequently, the student submitts to the tutor a project draft with the following contents: title, hypothesis (if applicable), objectives, structure, methodology, and basic bibliography.
- Tutorial session 2: Tutor and student assess the thesis proposal and decide the details necessary for the student to initiate the thesis. Similarly, in this second tutorial the guidelines provided in the initial tutorial for the correct development of the research of the thesis are completed.
Second Semester:
- Tutorial session 3: The student submits to the tutor approximately the 25 percent of the thesis incorporating progress made. After the face-to-face meeting with the tutor, the student will incorporate comments made to continue with the development of the thesis.
- Tutorial session 4: the student submits to the tutor an amount of work proportional to the 75 percent of the thesis incorporating progress made. After the face-to-face meeting with the tutor, the student will incorporate comments made to continue with the development of the thesis.
- Tutorial session 5: the student submits the 100 percent of the thesis to the tutor and makes the changes agreed with the tutor. The student prepares with the advice of the tutor the face-to-face public defense of the thesis.
The student will have to submit four copies of the master’s thesis: one for the academic tutor and three for the members of the tribunal. Theses defenses are scheduled for the first half of July and, exceptionally for the first week of September (in this case the thesis must be submitted before 20 July). Failure to present or exceed the time limit in the submission of the thesis will imply to postpone the defense until the following edition of the master.
Methodology
The Master’s Thesis must have the following sections:
- Cover: MASTER'S THESIS, title, name of the author, name of the tutor, name of the master program, name of the university, date.
- Abstract: up to 150 words describing the thesis and the main lines of interest, written in Spanish, English and Catalan.
- Keywords: In Spanish, English and Catalan, identifying three to five words or theoretical concepts that allow placing the thesis in a particular subject area.
- Index: must contain the sections and subsections that appear in the text of the thesis along with their page number.
- Introduction: hypothesis (if applicable), objectives, topic of study, motivation, structure (with an explanation of the thesis index).
- Theoretical and methodological background, and theoretical and methodological framework applied.
- Context, analysis, case studies, etc.
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Annexes (if applicable)
The Master’s Thesis must follow the following formal aspects:
- Length: approximately 20,000 words, excluding appendices (if applicable)
- Line spacing: 1.5
- Font size: 12
- Font type: Arial or Times New Roman
- Footnotes Font: Times New Roman 10
- Bibliography cited according to APA, ISO 690, MLA or Harvard, etc.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorial work | 9 | 0.36 | 2, 1, 7, 4, 6, 12, 14, 11, 13, 8, 9, 10, 5, 3 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Thesis writing, case studies, readings, personal study | 365 | 14.6 | 2, 1, 7, 4, 6, 12, 14, 11, 13, 8, 9, 10, 5, 3 |
Assessment
Article 230.7 of the UAB Academic Regulations, title IX, "University Master's Degree Studies", states that "The master's degree must conclude with the elaboration and public defense of a master's thesis". The duration of the act of defense shall not exceed 45 minutes. The student will have 20 minutes to present the main results of his or her work. The members of the tribunal will then ask questions or make comments they deem appropriate, to which the defendant will have to answer either individually to each member of the tribunal or globally to all at the end. Finally, the members of the tribunal will give a numerical grade decided by mutual agreement.
Grades are numerical according to the following equivalences:
|
Numerical grading |
Spanish |
English |
Qualitative equivalence |
|
9.0 a 10.0 |
Sobresaliente |
Excellent |
A |
|
8.0 a 8.9 |
Notable |
Distinction
|
B |
|
7.0 a 7.9 |
C |
||
|
6.0 a 6.9 |
Aprobado |
Pass |
D |
|
5.0 a 5.9 |
E |
||
|
0 a 4.9 |
Suspenso |
Fail |
F, FX |
Grades range from Fail to Excellent. If the tribunal wishes to award the Honors Grade (Matrícula d’Honor), it must state this preference as a proposal on the qualification form and accompany it with an ad hoc argumentative report. The coordination of the master's program will decide between the various proposed Honors Grades received. If any Honors Grade is awarded in the June call, students who submit their thesis in September will not be eligible for the Honors Grade.
The main evaluation criteria will be the following:
- Suitability of contributions and results (50%)
- Structuring (15%)
- Clarity and systematization (15%)
- Correct language use (15%)
- Relevance of the bibliography (5%)
The evaluation in the final grade will be distributed as follows:
- Oral defense: 20%
- Written work: 80% (in the case the thesis is developed within the framework of a collaboration by a supporting institution, 20% of this 80% will be based on the evaluation of the tutor designated by the institution)
Irregularities in Evaluation
In case of irregularity (plagiarism, copying, impersonation, etc.) the thesis will be directly qualified as 'Fail'. A 'copy' is a work that reproduces all or most of the work of another classmate, and 'plagiarism' is the act of presenting part or all of a text by an author as one’s own, that is, without citing sources, whether published in paper or digital form. In case of copying between two students, if it is not possible to know who has copied from whom, the sanction will be applied to both.
Publication of the TFM in the Digital Repository of Documents (DDD) of the UAB
If a student with a grade of excellent wants his/her thesis to be published in the DDD of the UAB, he/she will have to fill in an authorization form for this purpose, signed by him or herself and the tutor. The authorization will indicate under which conditions the document can be accessed (by choosing one of the Creative Commons licenses offered, see: https://www.uab.cat/web/our-collections/uab-digital-repository-of-documents-1345777080660.html).
It will also be necessary for the student to previously carry out a face-to-face tutorial session with the coordinator of the master's program in which it will be verified that the thesis meets all the conditions for its inclusion in the aforementioned digital deposit of documents.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral defence of the thesis | 20% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 2, 1, 7, 4, 6, 12, 14, 11, 13, 8, 9, 10, 5, 3 |
| Thesis submission | 80% (80% / 60% + 20%) | 0.5 | 0.02 | 2, 1, 7, 4, 6, 12, 14, 11, 13, 8, 9, 10, 5, 3 |
Bibliography
Since each TFM has a specific theme, the bibliography will be equally specific for each project. The student and the tutor will decide this bibliography in the first stages of the preparation of the research (see section of “Content” of this teaching guide).