SMIM24003U Master's project

Volume 2024/2025
Content

The master’s project is a pharmaceutically relevant research project that ordinarily includes both a theoretical and an experimental segment. During work on the master’s project the student will have a thesis supervisor who normally will be employed at one of the offering Departments. Together with the student and an external industrial supervisor when relevant, the thesis supervisor makes more detailed agreements about the planning and execution of the thesis. The theoretical aspects and results of the master’s project culminate in a thesis. The scope of the topic must be such that the total body of work can be conducted within the deadline set.

The company, at which the project is conducted, may require a declaration of confidentiality by the student, supervisors and potentially also the external examiner. In this event, the master's project is confidential.

Master’s projects can be carried out in groups of no more than two students. Any group work must be approved by the supervisor as a part of the master's project agreement. If a Master’s project is written by a group of students, the oral examination must be individual and the student may only attend the examination of the other students in the group if his or her examination has been held.

Half-way through the project, the student is encouraged to make an oral presentation (approx. 30 min.) on project status, a so-called mid-term assessment, to the supervisors and other relevant persons.

The project must be completed in accordance with the approved master’s project agreement and comprise the equivalent of approximately 25-40 A4 pages (using 12 point Times Roman). 

The master's project must be written in English. The final oral examination is usually conducted in English, but may be conducted in Danish, if the examinee, examiner and external examiner agree.

All master’s projects must have an abstract in English (compulsary) and may include an abstract in Danish (optional). The abstract must be maximum one A4 page. The abstract must summarize the research question, the methods used, important findings, a discussion if relevant, and a conclusion. The abstract will be included in the overall assessment of the master's project.

The cover page of the master’s project must include the title in English, and subtitle if relevant, the student’s name, study programme, the year, the name or names of supervisor/s, department but not the student’s civil registration (CPR) number. The master’s project is handed in via digital exam.

Learning Outcome

Under the supervision of a researcher, the student must critically acquire knowledge about scientific method and apply such knowledge for the solution of a scientific problem of the student's own choice within the field of pharmaceutical sciences.

A student who has concluded a Master’s project will be able to:

Knowledge

  • explain the background of the project in clear scientific terms, orally and in writing, and justify the scientific choices made
  • take a critical approach to the methodologies/theories applied within area of the project, based on international research relevant to the research question/hypotesis

 

Skills

  • apply, analyze and consider key scientific elements within the selected subfield of pharmaceutical sciences
  • plan and carry out a research project relevant for pharmaceutical sciences
  • Select and process a well-defined and clear scientific problem into a written statement of purpose
  • formulate a scientific research question/hypothesis within pharmaceutical sciences
  • describe the results achieved and draw conclusions in a way that is clear and understandable
  • make an oral presentation and discussion of the completed project.

 

Competencies

  • critically discuss, assess, conclude and put into perspective own and others' research results at a high international scientific level while including relevant literature
  • analyse and discuss application of new methods, technologies and strategies to aid successful medicines development at an academic level.
It is recommended for students to have passed compulsory courses equivalent to at least 20 ECTS credits before commencing the master's project. The Faculty supervisor may require documentation (a transcript of the university's Examination Register) showing that the student has passed, or is enrolled in, certain compulsory and elective courses (up to a maximum of 7.5 ECTS credits) before commencing the master's project.
Students must have completed all courses and passed all exams in the programme before the master project oral exam.
Individually supervised project work.
The student can choose the credit size of the master's project. The credits of the master's project must be between 12 ECTS and 20 ECTS (i.e. a workload of 330-550 hours).
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Project work
  • 330
  • Guidance
  • 15
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 346
Oral
Individual
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Credit
12 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, Approximately 6 months
Oral defence, Approximately 1 1/2 hour
Type of assessment details
Written assignment (25-40 pages). Oral defence (approximately 1 1/2 hour, including a 20-30 minutes presentation). Thesis and oral examination followed by discussion.
Exam registration requirements

The master’s project should complete the programme.

Aid
All aids allowed

It is allowed to use ChatGPT and similar technologies (Large Language Models - LLM) as aids.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
If the masters's thesis is conducted in a company outside the faculty, the external examiner can not also act as a censor.
Exam period

See exam schedule.

Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the grade 12 the student must be able to:

Knowledge

  • explain the background of the project in clear scientific terms, orally and in writing, and justify the scientific choices made
  • take a critical approach to the methodologies/theories applied within area of the project, based on international research relevant to the research question/hypotesis

 

Skills

  • apply, analyze and consider key scientific elements within the selected subfield of pharmaceutical sciences
  • plan and carry out a research project relevant for pharmaceutical sciences
  • Select and process a well-defined and clear scientific problem into a written statement of purpose
  • formulate a scientific research question/hypothesis within pharmaceutical sciences
  • describe the results achieved and draw conclusions in a way that is clear and understandable
  • make an oral presentation and discussion of the completed project.

 

Competencies

  • critically discuss, assess, conclude and put into perspective own and others' research results at a high international scientific level while including relevant literature
  • analyse and discuss application of new methods, technologies and strategies to aid successful medicines development at an academic level.

 

Spelling and formulation are part of the assessment and can reduce the grade by one full point maximum. The thesis must contain an abstract in English, which will be part of the total assessment. If two students have worked together on the master’s thesis, they must specify each student’s contribution in writing so that the supervisor and examiner are able to ascertain and assess each student’s work.