Hello,
in this article I would like to highlight the main deadlines and details related to writing a Master thesis.
In my case, I started a 30 credit course on 21st of January and final submission of the thesis is on 9th of June meaning that within this period you are supposed not to have any other courses and devote your time only to a thesis project.
Course structure:
- 18th January – Submit preliminary workplan
- January – 4 seminars (not obligatory)
- 1st February – Submit final workplan
- End of March – Half-way seminar with your supervisor
- Middle of May – Full seminar draft due
- End of May – Thesis seminars
- 29th May – Thesis day
- 9th June – Final thesis submission
This is the structure that we were given, so you can see the main deadlines, however, your supervisor will have some deadlines too which is good to bear in mind since those deadlines are crucial too.
To explain more, workplan is basically a document where you summarise your topic idea, aim and method. Later on, you will discuss it with your supervisor and submit a final version (which can still be changed or adjusted). Throughout the semester you have to follow deadlines given by your supervisor so it does not mean that you do not have to submit anything until the very last moment. You will have to submit some progresses to your supervisor. Full seminar draft is basically finished thesis which is later used for thesis seminars where you with other students discuss the theses, the things that should be done better or if there is something missing or need clarification. Thesis day is a public event/exhibition where student´s posters of theses are presented and the main findings of theses are shown in the posters. After we received feedback from other students and supervisors, we have time to work on the changes and adjustments and by 9th of June the final version has to be submitted.
At the Department of Economics, there is one examiner who reads the theses and grades them so it takes few weeks until we know the results but here the process of the theses ends and hopefully successfully!
Now, it sounds quite scary to me 😀 I am excited to go through all of this but on the other hand it will be tough. Let´s just hope everything will end up well and everything go smoothly.
If you work on your thesis, good luck!
Denisa