PSYM4890 ¨C Master dissertation in the Psychology of Global Mobility, Inclusion and Diversity in Society

Course content

The Master Thesis is an independent scientific contribution. It shall match in form and content the standards of the field to which it contributes regarding methodology, documentation, and scientific ethics.

Working on the thesis is accompanied by a seminar in which students discuss methods, progress, and writing. The thesis will in most cases present an empirical contribution to the field by presenting original data or a meta-analysis of previously published data.

Learning outcome

Knowledge goals

• Requirements for scientific texts regarding form and structure
• Knowledge within the specific topic of social and/or cultural psychology
• Methods for planning data collection and analysing results

Skills

• Describe and summarize a defined field of theory in social and/or cultural psychology
• Develop a research question and hypothesis
• Develop methods to test the hypothesis that match ethical standards
• Analyse results using quantitative and/or qualitative methods
• Discuss implications of results for the theory
• Document that research process in a comprehensive and concise manner, including references to the literature, that can be understood by peers in the field

General competencies

• Project management competencies that allow you to plan a project to can be finished and documented within the allotted time, monitor progress, and adjust reacting to problems
• Cooperate with supervisors and peers during the process to maximise your efficiency

Admission to the course

The course is restricted to students who follow the Global-MINDS curriculum.

Teaching

The teaching supporting the work on the thesis takes the form of individual and/or group supervision. All students shall have two supervisors with sufficient scientific competence to supervise the work on the thesis. The students will meet with their peers to discuss the progress in seminars that can be either supervised or unsupervised.

Students propose a Master thesis project topic and primary supervisor early in the second semester of the Global-MINDS programme. The Master thesis project will be subjected to approval from Governing Board members and relevant committees at the respective Partner University regarding its feasibility, ethical considerations and match with the objectives and learning outcomes of Global-MINDS.

Students or supervisors can contact the course supervisors if disputes occur. It is possible to deliver the thesis earlier.

The thesis work is equivalent to 42 ECTS, or about 1.4 semesters of work load. The student is entitled to 30 h of supervision in total, including preparations and follow-up work.

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More information on the general guidelines and ethical considerations?for Master theses at PSI?(But note that the deadlines and credit count for the current course are different.)

As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance cover as a student.

Examination

The thesis will be graded by two examiners, and orally defended. The two examiners of the thesis read the thesis independently and then agree on a joint preliminary grade on a scale from A-F.

Read more about Grades at the University of Oslo?here.

Admission to the oral master thesis examination requires that all courses have been passed, the internship has been completed and the master thesis has been approved by the examiners (i.e., not graded as F).

The completed thesis is due 30 June. Each student will orally defend the thesis in front of a 2-person committee. The defense can take place at the earliest one week after submission of the thesis and at the latest in August.

The supervisor is responsible for convening the committee of the defense, and will agree with the committee and the student on the date for the defense shortly after the student submits the thesis. Students will be informed by email about the defense date at the latest one week before it. The preliminary grade will be communicated to the student by email after grading is completed.

The oral defense serves as a possibility to adjust the grade, but is mandatory and has to be passed. Adjustment can be a maximum of one grade up or down.

The student can ask to participate in the defense by video-conferencing if she or he is not in Oslo. The supervisor decides whether this is granted after consulting with the student about suitable localities. If granted, one of the committee members or the supervisor will be responsible for setting up the videoconference at UiO.

Students can consult the thesis during the defense, but no other materials.

The oral master thesis examination will take approximately 45 minutes and include a presentation of the master thesis by the candidate (15-20 min) and a question and answer period. A written record shall be kept including all relevant information.

Language of examination

The language of the thesis and the oral defence shall be English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.

Resit an examination

A master thesis that has been given A-E, cannot be submitted in an altered version. A thesis that has been given F, can be submitted within an agreed deadline and?with a substantially altered content.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.