Thesis

The kick-off event for each master's program is usually organised in November, but deviations are possible. You will be informed about:

• Potential thesis topics
• Potential supervisors and second readers
• Guidelines in case you want to propose your own topic
• Opportunities for a research internship in combination with your thesis

Matchmaking with your supervisor and the second reader takes place in December-January. The second reader will be involved in the process to (i) to grade and provide feedback on the research proposal and set up of the thesis, and (ii) read and independently grade the final manuscript. Grades for both will be based on the independent assessments of the supervisor and second reader; the supervisor consults with the second reader to establish a final grade that will be made available to the student.

At the end of period 3 you are supposed to have written a full research proposal. This implies you have done extensive literature research, addressed a research gap, drafted research questions, and develop a plan for empirical data analysis. You are usually also supposed to have collected the empirical  material for your thesis, or at minimum, developed a plan for data collection.

Final week Period 3 (dates see course manual)
You present and/or discuss your draft research proposal with your supervisor and second reader. The dates for the presentation sessions are shared in the USEMT course manual that has been made available from December (during Period 2). The exact date & time for your thesis proposal presentation will be shared by your supervisor.

Final day Period 3 (exact date: see course manual)
Deadline to upload your research proposal via Osiris Case; the exact date has been communicated in the USEMT Course Manual. The proposal will be graded (weight 10%). If you upload the research proposal too late, or not at all, the research proposal will be graded with a 1. When your progress is insufficient at this point, you will have to put in substantial extra effort in period 4 to be able to finish your thesis in time.

You collect remaining data and literature, analyse data, and write your thesis.

Final two weeks Period 4 (dates: see course manual)
You present and/or discuss your draft thesis in a meeting or final seminar organized by your supervisor and second reader, and receive final comments.

Final day Period 4 (exact date: see course manual)
Deadline to upload the final version of your thesis in Osiris Case. The thesis will be graded (weight 90%). The supervisor should finish the assessment (including consultation with second reader, resulting in the final grade) in Osiris Case within 10 working days.

• Tips and tricks for managing the thesis and communicating with your supervisor
• Libguide: overview on much consulted information sources Economics

When conducting research and writing your thesis, you must manage research data, including collecting, processing, storing, and documenting data—especially personal data (e.g., from interviews). If using personal data, comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Ensure your data is properly secured. Familiarize yourself with the relevant legislation and university guidelines before starting your thesis. Your supervisor can provide the necessary guidelines.

See for more information:

• https://www.uu.nl/en/research/research-data-management
• https://www.uu.nl/en/research/research-data-management/guides/handling-personal-data

U.S.E. has acquired subscriptions to

• Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS), 
• Factset,
• CRSP,
• Mergent FISD,
• Compustat,
• Refitiviv Eikon and Datastream

Compustat covers financial information and executive compensation data for publicly listed companies in the United States. WRDS provides access to Compustat and other free databases using a Web interface, SAS, Matlab, Python and R. Furthermore, WRDS offers a cloud environment with a SAS 9.4 installation. WRDS and Compustat can be accessed through the Wharton website and are available to all U.S.E. staff and students. Bank Focus is accessible through Bureau van Dijk.

See also the UU Library Search Engine; and select 'Economie'.

• Your unrounded final score (10%*proposal + 90%*thesis) is less than 5.5, but at least 4.0.
• Your supervisor will provide you with feedback/guidance of what to improve, but only once. Afterwards no additional feedback or guidance can be claimed from the supervisor (holiday season).
• You can resubmit your master thesis only once.
• The deadline to upload your revised thesis is August 4, after which the grade will be handed in by the supervisor at the latest by August 18.
• The rounded final grade for the thesis cannot be higher than a 6; this is only to be fair to students finishing in shorter time.

In case you do not succeed in finishing your thesis with a passing grade in semester 2, including the retake opportunity, you can consult the study advisor and submit a request to redo the thesis with a new topic and supervisor in period 1+2 of the next academic year if you think the following requirements apply:

• You have worked on the thesis in the regular period, but did not receive a passing grade.
• You have put in enough effort. The thesis evaluation form, including the written feedback by your supervisor, serves as the basis for this and your thesis grade is at least 4.
• You have finished all other courses of your master programme.

The request needs to be made ultimately on September 15 (or when this is a Saturday or Sunday, the Friday before September 15). The study advisor will contact the Board of Examiners (BoE). The BoE takes the final decision.

If your unrounded final grade is less than 4.0, no retake is possible. You will have to enroll again, and start with a new topic and supervisor in November 2024. Thus, you will then develop a new thesis in period 3 and 4 of the academic year 2024/25. 

Each year, Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) chooses the top thesis from each master’s programme. These theses are recognised with the U.S.E. Master's Thesis Award. The winning theses need to be written and completed in semester 2 and are chosen for their relevance, academic merit, and particularly for their integration of a ‘real-world perspective’ into an economics issue. Furthermore, the submitted theses must have received a mark of at least an 8.5. Out of these ‘best-in-programme’ theses, the one thesis that stands out most receives additional accolades. The authors of the winning theses are awarded with a certificate during the Master’s Graduation ceremony.

Utrecht University awards a prize for the best Master's thesis written at the University. It is awarded every year during the opening of the new academic year. The winner will receive an award which consists of a certificate and €1,500. Nominees need to meet certain criteria. The submitted graduate thesis or research must have received a mark of at least an 8.5 for instance. U.S.E. strives to select and submit one candidate each year. More information can be found on the university website.

KHMW Jan Brouwer Thesis Award
REmagine Award

Check the UU website for more information on student awards and award winners from previous years.