Bachelor Thesis

You as a student are responsible to find a Bachelor Thesis Project by contacting group leaders from research groups to inquire about the internship possibilities.

To find the bachelor thesis project of your liking we suggest you ask yourself these questions: 

• Which topic in modern-day Life Sciences inspires me the most? 
• Which course and researcher/teacher inspired me? 
• Which research and research environments fits best with one of the four MBLS profile I like the most?  
• Which Master’s programme would I like to pursue and/or which career perspective do I ambition?
• Visit the U.L.S.V. Amino sessions to get informed about the research labs and internship positions.
• What did my tutor advise me? Remember that your tutor is your personal coach. Make use of this!

It also helps to browse websites of our own research institutes and labs closely linked to MBLS, but also other research facilities on our Utrecht Science Park, and research labs elsewhere in the Netherlands, or even abroad. Below we provide several links which can help in your search. 

Research facilities on the Utrecht Science Park closely linked to MBLS:

• Science 4 Life 
• Institute of Biodynamics & Biocomplexity 
• Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research
• Institute of Environmental Biology
• Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences 
• Experimental (bio)physics groups within the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials
• Research groups in the Life Sciences at the University Medical Center Utrecht 

Summary of the MBLS bachelor thesis format:

• The project should lie within the scope of Molecular Life Sciences.
• The Bachelor Thesis Project can be done at the Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, or Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (internal project), but also outside the UU at another university in the Netherlands or abroad or even in a Biotech / pharmaceutical company (external project).
• You conduct the bachelor thesis project individually*
• 5-7 weeks of practical research work, which can be done in a laboratory, but also in the bioinformatics / data sciences.
• 3-5 weeks of reading/writing/(literature) analysis
• A single report formatted as a research paper. A literature study can be part of the thesis project (this is the standard at biology). If this is the case, it should address a question that is closely related to the research topic and be integrated into the text of the report (e.g as extended introduction)
• You give a final presentation in the research group. Your grades are determined by your first examiner / supervisor, with consultation of the daily supervisor when involved. The second examiner independently grades the report/writing part and will be appointed by the MBLS BachelorThesis Coordinator.
• The final grade is the weighted average of the practical work (50%), report (40%), and presentation (10%). In order to pass all partial grades should be ≥ 5.5.

*Depending on the capacity of certain research groups within the Biology Department or when you apply for a project within a Research Hub (Biotechnology Hub and/or Biomedical Research Project) it may be that you work together in a small groups of students on a similar project (max 3, preferably 2), but are still guided by one supervisor. However, each individual student addresses an individual research question and delivers an written report and/or literature thesis.

Once you have found an internship, you start the application procedure. The group leader, who is a faculty staff member (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Full Professor) will be your first examiner and supervisor. Make sure to inform them about the MBLS Thesis format (see below), which is also on the cover page of the application form.

Follow these steps:

1. You as a student do NOT need to register for the MBLS-399 course yourself through Osiris, we do that for you after the application procedure.
2. Download the application form [Word file] and together with the first examiner fill in all required fields.
3. You as a student send the application form as a word file to thesiscoordinator.mbls@uu.nl)
4. The MBLS thesis coordinator reviews the application form and the topic that will be investigated for final approval.
5. Once the application is approved, the MBLS thesis coordinator assigns a second examiner, adds this second examiner to the application form, and initiates the signing procedure for all parties using the Valid Sign app.
6. Once the application form is signed, the MBLS thesis coordinator informs all parties by email and requests the MBLS student desk to register the student for the MBLS-399 course (Bachelor Thesis Project) in Osiris.

Apply deadline

You can apply for your bachelor thesis project during the entire academic year, for each period, before these specific deadlines:

• Period 1: 15^th June (before the summer break to start in September!)
• Period 2: 15^th October
• Period 3: 15^th December
• Period 4: 15^th March

Once your first examiner agreed with the final version of your report, the assessment procedure (see steps below) starts.

Follow these steps:

1. After approval from  your first examiner, send the final version of your report in one email to first examiner and second examiner (check your application form), and include Bachelor Thesis coordinator thesiscoordinator.mbls@uu.nl in cc.
2. Make sure your first examiner has all the necessary forms to finalise the bachelor thesis project; assessment form first-examiner [Word file]; rubrics to provide feedback [pdf]; and if needed instructions for the plagiarism check in Urkund.
3. The first examiner and second examiner need to send their assessment form to the bachelor thesis coordinator thesiscoordinator.mbls@uu.nl.
4. The Bachelor thesis coordinator will coordinate the signing of the final assessment (by the first and second examiner), will inform all parties (student, first and second examiner, student desk) about the completion of the bachelor thesis, and will ask the MBLS student desk to add the final grade in Osiris.
5. The student desk performs graduation checks every month around the 15^th. When your bachelor thesis grade is registered in Osiris before the 15^th, and all other grades are complete, you will officially graduate by the end of that month. Please note: this is especially important for period 4, because otherwise you cannot start your master's programme in September!
6. The upcoming MBLS graduation ceremonies in the Academy Building of the Utrecht University are on Thursdays in the third week of September and second week of March. The MBLS student desk will inform you about the graduation ceremonies.