Master's thesis

• In the language specific course of  period 2 you will write the outline for the thesis. Be sure to consult with the programme coördinator or tutor in an early stage. 

• At the end of period 2 the following is set: subject, thesis statement, theoretical framework, approach, first and second reader/supervisor.

   

Who will who will be your first supervisor and second reader is based on your thesis proposal. Both will also assess your thesis proposal.

If one of your supervisors is based outside of The Netherlands, make sure their part in the supervision process is clearly agreed upon by all parties, your first supervisor included. In order to work with an international supervisor, you will be required to request approval of the Board of Examiners in advance.

You write your thesis individually, but meet regularly in meetings with a group of 3-4 students and a supervisor. You will give feedback on each other's work. Topics can differ, so you can learn from others and apply knowledge from period 1 and 2.

Your Master's thesis contains about 10,000 words, excluding any appendices containing required texts documenting your research. You will determine the final structure of your thesis with your first supervisor.

Upload your thesis proposal

Do your supervisor and second reviewer approve your thesis proposal? Then submit your proposal in Osiris > Cases > My cases > Start a new case by using the plus icon in the bottom right corner. A new window will open. Make sure your pop-up blocker is turned off for the new window to open. Choose HUM: Thesis proposal. Your supervisor and second assessor will then officially confirm that you can start your writing process. You will be notified of this by e-mail.

Upload your thesis

When your supervisor has indicated that your thesis is ready for assessment, proceed as follows:

• You upload your thesis in Osiris > Cases > My cases > Start a new case by using the plus icon in the bottom right corner. A new window will open. Make sure your pop-up blocker is turned off for the new window to open. Choose Thesis and graduation > HUM: Thesis evaluation

A Master's thesis is assessed by two lecturers. If your supervisor is one of the lecturers teaching in the Master's programme, then this person will also be the first assessor (or the 'examiner'). 

Your thesis is assessed using an assessment form (DOC). If there is a large difference of opinion between the first and second assessors, a third assessor will be engaged, who will always work with a separate assessment form (DOC).

Utrecht University takes all forms of academic deception very seriously. We expect all students to observe the ethical standards of proper academic conduct. So make sure you are familiar with the university's regulations regarding fraud and plagiarism. Lecturers or supervisors will report any suspected cases of fraud or plagiarism tot the Board of Examiners. 

Your thesis must be entirely your own work. You may not use a chatbot (ChatGPT or other generative AI) to write any part of your thesis. If you do, it will be considered fraud. If your supervisor suspects that you have committed academic fraud, they will report it to the Board of Examiners. 

This does not mean that you should avoid research on generative AI. You can discuss the generated text in your thesis, as long as the source is clearly explained and it is presented in your own words. If you are unsure about something, ask your supervisor or the thesis coordinator for more feedback on the proper use of generative AI.

In case you are doing research that involves interviewing people, submitting questionnaires or involving people in any other way, you are probably doing human-subject related research. If so, please review the checklist and discuss it with your supervisor. The checklist contains information on privacy, ethics and data management.