Prospectus

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Thesis Seminar Arts and Culture

Course
2016-2017

Admission requirements

Not applicable.

Description

The Thesis Seminar will introduce students to the requirements and processes of writing a Master Thesis. Students will be guided through the process of designing a research project and preparing a thesis outline, including practical aspects of academic writing (reference systems; bibliography). Special focus will be given to the formulation of the main research question. Part of the Seminar consists of finding the main relevant literature to your thesis topic and writing a critical review paper.

Course objectives

Students will be able to:

  • develop a thorough knowledge of the ways of writing an academic research proposal and presenting it to an audience;

  • the necessary skills for writing a Master Thesis:

    • being able to analyse their research interests and formulate a pertinent research question;
    • being able to put together an up-to-date relevant bibliography;
    • being able to critically reveiw the relevant literature;
    • being able to design a thesis outline/proposal.

Timetable

Please consult the timetable on the MA Arts and Culture website.

Mode of instruction

  • Lecture

  • Seminar

Course Load

Total course load for the course 5 ec x 28 hours = 140 hours (5 ec):

  • seminar meetings 5 × 2 hours = 10 hours;

  • compulsory readings/seminar preparations: 10 × 2 = 20 hours;

  • assignments (incl. preparation of presentation and critical review paper: 110 hours.

Assessment method

  • Presentation of thesis topic; research question (25%);

  • Critical review paper (75%).

Weighing

The final grade for the course is established by determination of the weighted average.

Resit

Re-write of critical review paper.

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used throughout the course for announcements; assignments and literature.

Reading list

  • Wayne C. Booth; Gregory G. Colomb; Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago & London, 2008 (3rd ed.)

Registration

Students are required to register for this course via uSis, the course registration system of Leiden University. General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch.

Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs

Not applicable

Remarks

None.

Contact

Mw. Dr. M. (Marika) Keblusek
Administrations Office Huizinga