Master's final dissertation or MA thesis (TFM)

Description

The final master thesis is a written assignment developing a research project, a study, or a memoir. Its topic should be related to one of the research lines addressed in the programme courses. It is especially important to display competence in bibliographical search, research methodology, and analytical and argumentative skills on the subject matter.

The final master thesis is developed under the supervision of a member of the teaching staff of the programme. Exceptionally, the thesis may also be supervised by an external teacher, but always with the approval of the student’s tutor, and under their guidance. The student’s tutor will help them choose a supervisor for the master thesis, and the supervisor shall confirm their acceptance signing a specific form which should be uploaded to the Campus Virtual.

The student will choose the topic they will be addressing in the final master thesis, though they must obtain the approval of the supervisor.

 

Advisor agreement

Students willing to defend their MA thesis in the current academic year must complete a form and upload it signed by them and their advisor to the Campus Virtual.

 

Master thesis format

The dissertation cover should have the form of a journal paper and a maximum of 8000 words.

 

Master thesis defence

The final master thesis is defended in a public meeting before a panel composed of three members, one of whom is the thesis’s supervisor. (If the thesis has more than one supervisor, only one may be a member of the examining panel). The panel shall be appointed by the thesis’s supervisor, acting on behalf of the Coordination Committee. The supervisor shall inform the student and their tutor on the composition of the panel, date and place of the defence session, and on the deadline to submit the thesis to the members of the panel, so that they have enough time to assess it before the defence. Students must submit their research assignment in the format agreed before the deadline and upload it to the Campus Virtual.

In the public defence, the student will have a maximum time of 20 minutes for the oral presentation and, after the observations made by the members of the panel, additional time to answer questions will be provided. In the assessment of the master thesis, the panel will consider aspects of content, as well as methodological and formal aspects, and transversal skills.

The final grade of the master thesis will be notified up to 24 hours after the defence.

The deadline to defend the master thesis falls usually in mid-September. However, the defence can be held earlier, for instance in July, if the student and the examination panel agree on an earlier date.

 

Hours of work

This course is 15 credits, which translates into 375 hours.

 

Examples of past MA theses

Some examples of past theses can be seen here.

 

Bibliography