AANK16014U Master's Thesis
The thesis is written on the basis of empirical data collated by the students during their fieldwork.
The master’s thesis should demonstrate that the student can clearly and well-argued formulate and examine an anthropological problem on the basis of fieldwork material and regional, methodological, and theoretical knowledge.
This means that the student can:
Knowledge
- demonstrate empirical knowledge about the examined field
- demonstrate regional, methodological, and theoretical knowledge based on the chosen literature
Skills
- produce a clearly formulated and academically relevant problem statement
- analyze the empirical material by using relevant anthropological literature
- construct a relevant and well-argued answer to the problem statement
- discuss the empirical material and the chosen analytical concepts and/or theories in relation to one another.
Competencies
- reflect critically on the empirical material in terms of the conditions and limitations of the fieldwork and the chosen methods
- consider the generalizability of the fieldwork and relevant regional, thematic, and theoretical literature.
- communicate and argue in an anthropological relevant and convincing manner.
Additionally, the student must meet the requirements for language and form stated in the Curricula’s Common Part for the Faculty of Social Sciences (see the section on Exam Language and Formal requirements for written assignments and exams and language requirements in the Curricula’s Common Part).
If the thesis is written in a group of 2 students, each supervision meeting is extended by 25 minutes. For each additional member in the group, each supervision meeting is extended by an additional 15 minutes. Prior to this, the student can contact the supervisor to draft the thesis contract. This contact will often be in the form of email or brief conversations and will correspond to approximately 20 minutes of guidance per assignment.
Cluster supervision is an option. Cluster supervision is individual supervision where "someone listens in". A cluster consists of students assigned to the same supervisor, typically 2 to 3 students. The cluster will usually be composed based on a common thematic or theoretical interest among the students. All participants then attend the supervision sessions, which are agreed upon and planned collectively. In cluster supervision, each supervision session is extended to 45 minutes x 2.
Note that supervision is only provided under the first thesis contract.
It is a requirement to have passed 60 ECTS before the thesis writing period begins.
The course Fieldwork: Ethnography and Analysis must be passed before the thesis is initiated.
The thesis must be written in English. This only applies for students enrolled from September 2023.
- Category
- Hours
- Guidance
- 4,5
- Exam
- 820,5
- Total
- 825,0
Sign up
Students must sign a thesis contract in order to begin the thesis writing process. You can read about signing the thesis contract here. The deadline for filling in the thesis contract is:
June 1st, for autumn semester, starting your thesis on 20 August
December 1st, for spring semester, starting your thesis on 31 January
- Credit
- 30 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignment, see belowOral defence, see below under invigilation
- Type of assessment details
- Thesis Models
Students must choose one of the following thesis models for their master's thesis:
Classic master’s thesis
Total length of 129,600-158,400 keystrokes for an individual submission (+ 36,450-44,550 keystrokes per additional group member).
The thesis must have the following main components:
1. An introduction containing the problem statement, outlining the research field, method, and ethics, anthropological/academic background, and relevant context for the study.
2. Two to five text modules in which the empirical material is analyzed based on the selected theories and relevant contexts. The text modules should be written as integrated parts of a coherent argument.
3. A conclusion.
Scientific article and communication product
Total length of 129,600-158,400 keystrokes for an individual submission (+ 36,450-44,550 keystrokes per additional group member).
The thesis must have the following main components:
1. An introduction containing the problem statement, outlining the research field, anthropological/academic background, and relevant context for the study.
2. An article (or possibly two articles) containing an analysis of self-selected, delimited empirical material (26,250-37,000 keystrokes or keystrokes as prescribed in the journal to which the article is submitted). The student must attach the journal's guidelines for articles.
3. A communication product, such as a lead article in a newspaper or a lecture (11,250-15,000 keystrokes or keystrokes as indicated in the outlet in which the article is expected to be published). The product is to be supplemented by a brief explanation of the target audience and the choice of communication format.
4. A paper on method and ethics, outlining the chosen methodology and one or more ethical issues that are particularly relevant to the fieldwork and the project.
Report
Total length of 129,600-158,400 keystrokes for an individual submission (+ 36,450-44,550 keystrokes per additional group member).
The thesis must have the following main components:
1. An introduction containing the problem statement, outlining the research field, anthropological/academic background, and relevant context for the study. This includes the presentation of a collaborative partner and the purpose of the report.
2. A report (or sections thereof) addressed to an external collaborative partner. The report is to be supplemented by a brief explanation of the target audience, the purpose of the report, and the choice of communication format. The student may have submitted the report to the target audience, but this is not a requirement.
3. One or more analytical sections that supplement the report. These are addressed to the Department of Anthropology and are of a theoretical nature. These sections of the thesis should elaborate on the analytical approach and address the theoretical choices in relation to the empirical material.
4. A paper on method and ethics, outlining the chosen methodology and one or more ethical issues that are particularly relevant to the fieldwork and the project, including the preparation of the report.
The purpose of this examination format is for the student to write a report aimed at a specific target audience, supplemented by qualified anthropological discussions, so that these parts together fulfill the general learning objectives for master's specializations at the Department of Anthropology.
Visual communication product
Total length of 67,500-82,500 keystrokes for an individual submission (+20,250-24,750 per additional group member).
The thesis must have the following main components:
1. An introduction containing the problem statement, outlining the research field, including theoretical discussions within the anthropology of the chosen mode of communication, as well as relevant context for the study and an argumentation for the choice of communication format.
2. One or more analytical sections. These are addressed to the Department of Anthropology and are of a theoretical nature. These sections of the thesis should elaborate on the analytical approach and address the theoretical choices in relation to the empirical material.
3. A communication production, such as a documentary film, a multimedia production, or a major exhibition with a catalogue. This product is in addition to the length of the thesis, which must be a minimum of 67,500-82,500 keystrokes for an individual submission. For film and multimedia productions, the maximum length must be 30 minutes.
4. A paper on methodology and ethics, which outlines a methodological and/or ethical issue that is of particular importance to the fieldwork and the project, as well as methodological discussions within the anthropology of the chosen communication format. The paper should include reflections on the practical possibilities and limitations that the chosen visual communication format offers.
For more information, see KUnet. - Exam registration requirements
See exam rules in curriculum.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
- Re-exam
If the thesis is not submitted by the specified deadline, it counts as an examination attempt, and, within 14 days, a second thesis contract must be submitted. A new deadline is set 3 months after the approval of the second thesis contract. If the thesis is not submitted before this deadline, the student has a third examination attempt, under the same rules. Read more on the Education pages on KUnet.
Criteria for exam assesment
See description of learning outcome. Formalities for Written Works must be fulfilled, read more: MSc Students
The thesis must be accompanied by an abstract in English if the assignment is written in Danish. If the thesis is written in a foreign language, other than Norwegian and Swedish, the abstract can be written in Danish, cf. the Examination Order. The maximum length of the abstract is 7,200 keystrokes. The abstract is included in the overall assessment of the thesis. However, the keystrokes of the abstract do not count towards the total number of keystrokes for the thesis.
The oral examination following the thesis takes the form of a dialogue between the student, the internal examiner (thesis supervisor), and the external examiner. The student begins the examination with an introductory presentation of 5-10 minutes. The subsequent dialogue is based on the thesis and will include general anthropological discussions.
If a student has written the master's thesis individually, the student will be orally examined for 45 minutes (excluding grading). For groups of 2 students, the oral examination is extended by 15 minutes (excluding grading). For each additional member in the group, the oral examination is extended by an additional 10 minutes (excluding grading).
The examination is assessed as a whole, and one grade is given based on an overall assessment of the written assignment and the oral examination. Both parts contribute equally to the assessment.
Course information
- Language
- English - Partially in Danish
- Course code
- AANK16014U
- Credit
- 30 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Placement
- Spring And Autumn
- Schedule
- See timetable
Study board
- Department of Anthropology, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Anthropology
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Ulla Susan Andersen (2-78644376647069316e7831676e)