Master's thesis

Writing a Master’s thesis is a compulsory part of the programme. You must complete all the pre-required courses before starting on your final research project. The Master’s thesis and the research internship are closely interlinked. Together they form the final part of the programme, earning you a total of 30 EC.

Your research

You write your Master’s thesis based on the research you conduct during your research-oriented internship, under guidance of your supervisor after your return to Utrecht. The research is frequently related to the knowledge needs of the partner organization. It is then your task to conduct an in-depth analysis, guided by your IDS supervisor. Your research can relate for example to the impact of a project, the analysis of a process and the role of the stakeholders involved, or the impact of a policy.

More information

To find out about the learning objectives and assessment of your thesis, please see the Study Guide. For examples of theses take a look in Master’s Theses Online. To assist you with your thesis, the programme organises a Return Day and various workshops on thesis writing and analysis. 

Uploading thesis

After your thesis has been approved, it must be uploaded into the thesis archive. Within one month after registration of your grade in OSIRIS, the student will receive a request by email to upload the reviewed thesis (in PDF format) through OSIRIS Case.

When you log in to OSIRIS Student, the Case "Archive/publication of thesis" is displayed on the homepage. Make sure the pop-up blocker of your browser is off. The thesis archive is only accessible to employees.

In the same OSIRIS Case, you can decide to get your thesis published on the Google/Worldcat platform of the Utrecht University Library. It is possible to upload a specific version of your thesis that meets the requirements for public publication. Other students and staff can thereby benefit from your research work.