MA Thesis Planning Seminar
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Level:
Master's Course Status:
Mandatory CEU credits:
2 Academic year:
2011/2012 Semester:
Winter Start and end dates:
9 Jan 2012 - 30 Mar 2012 Host Unit:
Department of History Co-hosting Unit(s) [if applicable]:
Department of Medieval Studies CEU Instructor(s):
Tolga U. Esmer CEU Instructor(s):
Daniel Ziemann Additional information:
The goals of the course
The course aims at familiarizing the students with the ways and means for producing a high quality MA thesis at the end of their program. As a first important step the course focuses on producing the prospectus for June 2012. By presenting a first draft of the prospectus the students will learn how to structure such a prospectus. Special attention will be paid on the question how to create a prospectus that is able to provide the reader with all the necessary information about the thesis and to attract one’s curiosity. The course is designed as an intensive seminar that requires permanent participation in the discussions by the students. The students should learn to identify challenges and unresolved questions concerning this endeavour that most of them undertake for the first time.
Learning Outcomes:
By creating and constantly improving the prospectus the students will learn how to approach their MA thesis, taking into account the problem of adequate research questions, the usage of the source material as well as the research literature, and the importance of an appropriate time management. The students will learn to concentrate on certain issues and to limit themselves to those points that promise to deliver the most interesting results. The students should be able to estimate how to use their time efficiently and which steps they have to take for getting the best possible outcomes. At the end the students should have a clear perception of how a thesis should look, and how exactly their work has to proceed in order to present a high quality work at the end of their studies that contributes to the state of the art of research in their special field.
Students should not only learn how to improve their skills but also to help their fellow students to identify challenges and open questions.
Assessment :
50% Class participation
30% Presentations/ prospectus draft
20% Presentation of related texts
Full description:
This course will prepare the first-year, 2YMA students for presenting their MA thesis prospectus in June 2012. Therefore it will familiarize the students with the main requirements of the prospectus as well as with how to prepare, structure, and finalize the following thesis.
Of course, the prospectus is just one step toward a successful thesis. The course will focus mainly on how to write the prospectus in a way that sheds light on the research question, the methodology, and the structure of the following thesis. The prospectus should already make clear how the work will be structured, which source material will be used, and which results are expected. Therefore, creating a good prospectus is inextricably linked to reflecting about the thesis itself. The course will therefore address questions and challenges concerning the prospectus as well as the thesis.
All participants will be encouraged to participate intensively in the discussion and to help each other in their work. Each student will prepare a draft of the prospectus and discuss it with the colleagues and instructors. Two accompanying essential readings selected by those students who will present their prospectus will be discussed additionally.
In order to encourage the students to contribute to the discussion, and to suggest to their fellow students successful ways to proceed in their work, the readings will be distributed among different groups who will present and discuss them with their colleagues.