Thesis

The Master’s Thesis is the critical and final test of this programme. Writing the thesis completes the empirical cycle and constitutes the final test of your academic skills, theoretical, conceptual and anthropological knowledge, ethical responsibility, scientific integrity, methodological training and ethnographic research capabilities.

Goals

You demonstrate your ability to:

  • formulate an innovative research question that addresses a major anthropological debate or opens up a new area of scientific inquiry
  • find a suitable field site
  • select the most appropriate field method to gather data
  • use current anthropological theories to analyse the data
  • write a scientific text that communicates the research findings to an academic audience
  • write a summary of the research outcomes for a general public

Thesis defence

You will defend your thesis during the Thesis Defence at the end of your second year. During this defence for your fellow students and teachers, a member of the Board of Studies will also be present. They will present you with several questions regarding your thesis.

Grade

The final grade for your thesis is given by the Boards of Studies, after consultation with the supervisor, second, and third examiner, and is based on the degree of it being publishable in an international journal. A standard form for the evaluation of the thesis has been developed by the Board of Studies and can be found in the course manual of CASTOR12: Masters' Thesis.

Ethical review

All students must have their thesis project ethically reviewed by the FERB (Faculty Ethics Review Board) through the online tool UU-SER. More information about the procedure and associated protocols can be found on the Student Ethics Review & Registration Site (UU-SER) website.

Submitting your thesis

As soon as you have successfully completed your thesis, you will receive an invitation from your programme to start up your case in Osiris Case. If you have any questions about the archiving of your thesis, please contact the educational support office (ca@uu.nl).

Methodology and Statistics Support

Encountering difficulties with methodology and statistics in your thesis? The Methodology & Statistics department helps you refresh or improve your understanding of methodological and statistical techniques. Book a methodology and statistics consult or check out the knowledge clips on YouTube.