Master's Thesis

The Master’s Thesis Project is a major independent paper which constitutes the final part of your Master’s programme. The thesis carries a weighting of 30 ECTS (equivalent to a full-time semester).

The thesis must document your skills in applying academic theories and methods during the process of working with an isolated professional topic.

Read more about your programme’s specific requirements concerning the thesis in your curriculum.

Supervisors and registration

How to find a main supervisor and register for the Master's thesis
When it is time to write your Master's thesis, you have to contact a potential main supervisor  at your own request and agree on a problem for the thesis. Then a supervisor agreement must be worked out, containing a presentation or a statement of a problem or issue to be investigated. The statement of the problem must be elaborated enough for the profile responsible and potential supervisors to evaluate if the proposed thesis project is doable and if it will allow the student to demonstrate the ability to produce high-level academic knowledge.  

When you have agreed on a problem statement, in SPOC you fill in the electronic form Suggestion of topic and Supervisor Agreement for Master’s thesis in Cultural Sociology  (please use the link and send it electronically) and submit before the deadline. The form is then automatically sent to your suggested supervisor and the profile responsible who must approve the suggested supervisor and problem statement.

Link for course description of Master's Thesis.

You will then be allocated a supervisor. Please note that there is no absolute guarantee that your suggested/preferred supervisor will end up being your actual supervisor.

What can you expect from your supervisor and how do you get the most out of supervision
Please read more on the following link: Note on supervision in connection with Master's thesis. You can also read the folder from the Faculty of  Business and Social Sciences which you find here (called Use your Master’s Thesis Supervisor).

Below, you find important deadlines in the thesis process

Enroll in the "course" Master's thesis - See period for enrolment here
You are allowed to enroll for the Master's thesis if you have passed 60 ECTS when you start working on your Master's thesis. If you wish to complete your Master's before you passed 60 ECTS courses when you start working on the thesis: You need to apply the Study Board.

If you miss the deadline or need an extra examination attempt
Read about  this in the course description of Master’s thesis. 

For students with study start from September 2015 :
The prescribed period of study for master degree programmes is 2 years, and with the introduction of a maximum duration of study, you must complete the programme within a period of no more than 2+½ years.

If you follow the prescribed period of study, you must register for the thesis by the end of the 3rd semester and begin the thesis writing at this time.
 
You are guaranteed three attempts to write your thesis:
If you follow the prescribed period and register for the thesis to write it during your 4th semester at the latest, you are guaranteed three attempts to write your thesis.
 
This is how your normal course of study would look like if you, for example, were enrolled 1 September 2020:
Autumn 20: 1st semester courses, 30 ECTS
Spring 21: 2nd semester courses, 30 ECTS
Autumn 21: 3rd semester courses, 30 ECTS
Spring 22: Thesis, 30 ECTS
 
This means that you need to write the thesis in the spring of 2022 and, according to the normal course of study, will finish your degree 30 June 2022.
  
You are not guaranteed three attempts to write the thesis:
If you exceed the prescribed period of study, you are not guaranteed the three attempts, because of the maximum period of study of 2½ years.
We therefore recommend that you register for the thesis writing by the end of your 3rd semester.
  
If you do not complete and pass all courses and your thesis, you should be aware that you, because of the maximum period of study, will be deregistered from the university after 2½ years at the master’s programme.
However, it is possible to apply for an exemption from the rule of the maximum period of study, if exceptional circumstances are present, for instance due to long-term illness.
 
If you have any questions, you can contact your academic advisor for your programme.
 
Also read study progress

Possibilities for exemption
Extension of the deadline can only be granted in the case of extraordinary reasons, such as illness of a student, illness in the family  documented by a doctor's note) or illness among your nearest relations. Extension requires an application to the study board.

Do you have any doubts?
You are always welcome to contact the Student Service, phone +45 6550 1103 or e-mail: Studieservice-es@sdu.dk if you have any questions about the Master's thesis.