Complete overview
Do you want to be kept informed about upcoming courses, workshops, groups etc.? Then sign up for our interest list and you will receive an email up to 6 times a year about what is on offer in the field of thesis support.
Registration interestlistIndividual support
One-on-one help from a trained fellow student.
At Skills Lab, you can get free writing tutoring. A trained student (peer tutor) will discuss your academic writing assignment with you. The writing tutor will help you, for example, to find a more efficient approach, to formulate your core message more clearly, to write a better structured text or to improve your writing style.
Topics in brief:
- Approach
- Structure of the thesis
- Structure of chapters
- Writing style
- Argumentation
- Guidance
Practical information
Costs: free
Language: English and Dutch
Format: individual
Duration and frequency: year round
Provider: Skills Lab
Go to writing tutoring for more information and to make an appointment.
At Skills Lab you can get free study coaching. With a trained student (peer tutor) you can discuss the questions you have about studying. The coaching is accessible and gives you more insight into your own situation. After the conversation you are better able to determine what is not going well and what is needed to improve your (study) approach. The study coach can help you plan your studies and time management, for example, or how you can read and study efficiently or how you can prepare for exams. This can reduce study stress and increase study enjoyment.
Topics in brief:
- Planning
- Motivation
- Self-management
Practical information
Costs: free
Language: English and Dutch
Class format: individual
Duration and frequency: year round
Provider: Skills Lab
Go to study coaching for more information and to make an appointment.
A language assistant can help you with writing and speaking in their mothertongue(s) by providing you with peer feedback. This language assistance can be used for papers, portfolios, assignments or presentations as part of a course, as well as your bachelor/master theses. You can decide together how many times you want to use the assistance.
Practical information
Costs: free
Language: English
Format: individual
Duration and frequency: year round
Provider: Academic Buddy Programme
You can now (temporarily) take advantage of free statistics support for your thesis.
This statistics support can help you to:
- think about the methodology and the statistical functions you will use in your research;
- look at how you can apply the tests and calculations;
- review the results of your research;
- to interpret the results in the light of your research question.
It is important to know that the supervisor has a supporting role. The supervisor will not carry out the calculations for you, but will help you to make your own decisions.
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: English
Format: Individual
Duration and frequency: Year round
Provider: NPO (National Education Program)
Working together
Working on your thesis by sharing experiences and tips with other students, under the guidance of a (peer) coach.
Many students find their graduation research quite a tough assignment. You are often left to your own devices and it can be difficult to get going or to stay motivated. During the thesis week, you will work hard on your research together with other students for one week (five days). Do you need more structure in your day and your head? Do you want tips, personal coaching and inspiration workshops to make a big difference? Then the Thesis Week is definitely for you.
Topics in brief:
- Week-long work on your thesis
- Workshops and coaching
- Working together with others
- Concentrated and focused work
Practical information
Costs: € 25,-
Language: English
Course format: group
Duration and frequency: One week a year
Provider: Skills Lab
Next thesis week: The next thesis week will be from May 8 till May 12, 2023.
Go to Thesis Week for more information.
The thesis groups are intended for all students (regardless of program or stage of study) who are working on their thesis and would like to have more regular contact with other students. This can be for various reasons: for example because you want to learn to plan better, to work more concentrated and motivated, because it is nicer and more sociable not to work alone or because the writing of your thesis does not really go smoothly.
Topics in brief:
- Sharing experiences with fellow students
- Weekly meetings
- Coaching by Skills Lab writing tutor
- Working on planning, goals, motivation
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: Dutch and English
Class format: Group
Duration and frequency: Start in periods 2, 3 and 4, 4x weekly meeting
Provider: Skills Lab
Next groups:
- Start period 3: from February 20th.
- Start period 4: from May 1st.
- Start July till August (Summer groups).
Go to Thesis Groups for more information and registration.
Do you enjoy working on your thesis simultaneously with other students or could use some peer pressure to get started (together) in the University Library? Join the 'Thesis Community' on the Uni-Life app! Post something in the chat or hook up with other students in this group and get to work together.
The community in brief:
- Working on your thesis simultaneously with other thesis writers in an accessible way
- Motivate each other by working together
- For and by thesis writers
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: Dutch and English
Class format: Group
Frequency: Ongoing
Platform: Uni-Life app
Courses
Multi-day training with the opportunity to practice what you have learned and receive feedback on your progress.
Do you want to make a good start with your thesis? Make sure you invest in designing a clear thesis proposal. In this course you will be working towards a solid proposal for your own research through assignments – on which you will receive individual feedback.
Topics in brief:
- delineating the subject
- formulating the question
- choosing the sub-questions
- determining the content structure
- theoretical framework
- relevance
- research planning
- supervisor
Practical information
Costs: € 15,-
Language: English
Course format: group
Duration and frequency: 4 meetings of 1 hour and 45 minutes
Provider: Educational Development & Training
Upcoming dates: This course/workshop has not been scheduled yet.
Go to 'Desiging your thesis proposal' for more information and to register.
Do you think your command of English or Dutch is not sufficient for writing your thesis? Do you want to work on your spelling, grammar or vocabulary? Course center Babel, partner of Utrecht University, offers various courses to improve your language skills. Because mastering a language takes time, we recommend you start with the course well before you start with your thesis.
Check out the overview of the courses offered by Babel. UU students get a 15% discount on the course fee at Babel.
Examples of language courses at Babel:
- Brush up your English
- English for academic purposes
- Dutch Spelling and Grammar
Workshops
Meeting in which information and examples are shared and you (briefly) get to practice what you have learned.
Have you just started your Bachelor's or Master's thesis? Then join the Thesis kick-off! Attend two workshops, provided by UU staff, obtain useful tips and get your thesis off to a good start.
The thesis kick-off consists of two workshops:
- My thesis: where do I start?
- Designing your thesis and setting a schedule
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: Dutch and English editions
Class format: Group
Duration and frequency: 1 hour and 45 minutes per workshop
Provider: Cooperation between Skills Lab and Educational Consultancy & Professional Development.
Upcoming dates:
- Tuesday, February 14th, from 09.00 till 12.45h (Dutch)
- Tuesday, February 21st, from 13.15 till 17.00h (English)
Go to the Thesis Kick-off for more information.
How do you ensure that your efforts are effectively and efficiently directed while at the same maintaining your well-being under the onslaught? This interactive training will help you work with a purpose and reduce your stress levels into the bargain. Conscious and effective! Note: this workshop is not specifically aimed at thesis writers, but can certainly be valuable, because writing a thesis usually requires a lot of self-discipline.
Topics in brief:
- Time management
- Setting priorities
- Ordering tasks
- Determine your working style
Practical information
Costs: Free
Languages: Dutch and English
Format: Class
Length and frequency: 3 hours
Provider: Career Services
Upcoming dates (English editions):
- Tuesday December 6 - Bestuursgebouw
- Wednesday January 11 - Androclus gebouw
- Tuesday January 24 - Ruppertgebouw
Go to the workshop 'Working consciously and effectively' for more information and registration.
Webinars
Live online lecture in which a lot of information is shared and where there often is the opportunity to ask questions via the chat.
Thesis supervisors are important. They coach you and evaluate your work. How do you make the most of them? In this workshop we will explore questions like: What can you expect from your supervisor and what do they expect from you? When is it best not to bother your supervisor? We will look at thesis conversations, discuss the pitfalls in those meetings and share tips on how to avoid them.
By Joy de Jong, coordinator of Skills Lab
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: English
Class format: online
Duration and frequency: 1 hour
Provider: Skills Lab
Dates and registration:
English version: March 14th from 11.00 till 12.00h.
Doing research starts with making a clear outline and ends with a well-written scientific paper. All kinds of problems can arise between choosing a research topic and submitting your thesis. Many of these pitfalls can be avoided if you know how the research and writing process works; what do you do when and how? In this webinar you will learn the building blocks to generate a strong problem statement and which steps will help you to get your ideas down on paper in a structured way.
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: English
Class format: Online
Duration and frequency: 1 hour
Provider: Educational Development & Training
Dates and registration:
English edition: Wednesday February 22, 2023. From 13.15 till 14.15h. Register directly below:
Are you in the last phase of your thesis and is your deadline at the end of the academic year? This webinar is here for you! During the webinar you will get tools to create a realistic study plan for the last bit of your thesis and what you need to stick to it. Aside from providing you with tips and tools, you will create your own planning during the webinar. Do you know when your important deadlines are? How much time you can spend on your thesis? And how you can find a balance between effort (things you have to do) and relaxation (enjoying free time without guilt)? Get a grip on the last phase of your thesis with this webinar.
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: English
Class format: Online
Duration and frequency: 1 hour 45 minutes
Provider: Educational Development & Training
Dates and registration:
The next webinar has not yet been planned.
Writing a thesis can be a lonely business. It provides less structure than a subject with lectures and tutorials. It requires a lot of self-regulation. And of course you have to deliver, there is no escape. When you have participated in this webinar, you will know some tips and tricks on how to motivate yourself whilst writing your thesis and why it works. You will exchange good practices with peers. You will have formulated some intentions for yourself. And of course, there will be room to ask questions.
Practical information
Costs: Free
Language: Dutch and English
Class format: Online
Duration and frequency: 1 hour
Provider: Educational Development & Training
Dates and registration:
English edition: It has yet to be decided when the next edition will take place.
E-learnings
An online tool where you can work through all the information and exercises at your own pace.
In this online course you will improve your English language skills at the B1/B2 level at your own pace. This is a total package of 3 online courses in one. Each course lasts 8 weeks (if you spend 2 hours per week on it), but you have access to the course for a period of 3 months.
The 3 different courses cover:
- Vocabulary
- Grammar: verb tenses
- Grammar: word order, combinations with prepositions, adjectives and adverbials.
Practical information
Costs: €144.50*
Language: English, Dutch
Class format: online
Duration and frequency: at your own pace
Provider: Babel
Go to Babel for more information and registration.
*Please note: this price includes a student discount of 15%.
In the Compass online training course, you will learn the basics of searching for, accessing, managing, referencing, and using scientific information.
There are four modules you can take:
- Finding and accessing information
- Setting up your search
- Evaluating your sources
- Saving and using sources
Practical information
Costs: free
Language: English, Dutch
Class format: online
Duration and frequency: at your own pace
Provider: Utrecht University Library
Go to Compass for more information and to start the e-learning directly.
Grasple is an e-learning platform used for statistics education within the UU. However, it also contains a large database of general modules and assignments on all kinds of topics within statistics. In this way you can practice independently and in your own time.
Some of the topics offered:
- Descriptive statistics
- SPSS
- Graphs (visualization)
- Relationships, regression and probability
- Hypothesis testing
- T-tests and ANOVA calculations
Practical information
Costs: free
Language: English, Dutch
Class format: online
Duration and frequency: at your own pace
Provider: Educate-it (Utrecht University)
Go to the Grasple log in page and log in with your university account. Use your UU student number and password and get started right away. Your results are for your own use only and will not be used for any other purpose.
Tips, tools en websites
Helpful writing tips and websites to help you move forward independently.
Methodology and statistics can be an important part of your thesis. Would you like to receive tutoring for any of the methodolody, techniques and statistics courses? Do you need advice on how to perform a statistical analysis with SPSS? Are you getting stuck in the area of methodology and statistics while conducting your undergraduate or graduate research?
The Department of Methodology & Statistics offers additional support in various ways, in addition to the regular education program:
- Tutoring in methods and statistics
- Help with SPSS
- Consultation on research for your bachelor thesis (only available for students of the faculty Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Go to 'Methodology and Statistics' for more information.
LibGuides are created by information specialists and subject specialists at Utrecht University Library to support teaching and research across Utrecht University.
Search strategy
A search strategy is a way to efficiently find the information you need to answer your research question. With a search strategy you work systematically to find relevant information. By doing a targeted search you get targeted results and spend less time reading irrelevant material.
Go to the LibGuide on search strategies.
Evaluating sources
The sources you use when writing a scientific text (such as a thesis, paper etc.) determine the quality of that text for a large part. You will have to evaluate the relevance and scientific quality of found sources before using them. You will find the different methods and tools you can use to do this in this LibGuide.
Go to the LibGuide on evaluating sources.
LibGuides are created by information specialists and subject specialists at Utrecht University Library to support teaching and research across Utrecht University.
Citing: using sources
When writing your own text you will (almost) always make use of the work of others. You may do this in three ways:
- Quoting
- Paraphrasing
- Summarizing
In each of these cases you must refer to the work of the original author (your 'source'), regardless of where the information comes from; from a scientific journal, a thesis, a conference report or directly from the Internet. If you reuse material without citing the source you are committing plagiarism and that can have serious consequences.
Go to the LibGuide on citation.
Reference Management
Reference management is the systematic collection and organization of concrete sources and/or the bibliographic data ('references') of sources, usually for the purpose of (re)use at a later date. You can use a reference tool for this purpose. Good reference management enables you to work more effectively and efficiently.
Go to the LibGuide on reference management.
Skills Lab has listed some writing tips to get you started. Check out the Skills Lab writing tips.
Utrecht University has received a license for KU Leuven's online Writing Tool!
This tool helps you to look at your work critically. You paste your Dutch or English text in the writing tool and then choose which aspects of the text you want to 'check'. After that, it is up to you to edit your text.
Some of the features of the writing tool:
- Spelling check
- Style (informal language use)
- Structure (signal and reference words)
- Frequently used words
You can request log in details for English texts and for Dutch texts.