SPBB802: Master\'s thesis in Biology (60 ECTS)

STADS: 04015721

Please note that this master's thesis is carried out over three semesters. The master’s thesis is for students that follows courses alongside the writing of the master thesis, minimum 15 ECTS courses. If you have passed all courses from 1 and 2 semester of your Master's degree programme, you must choose a master’s thesis that is carried out over two semesters. Administratively the thesis is registered with 20 ECTS per semester. Consequently it is important to consider whether you meet the student activity requirements of 45 ECTS each year.

A supervisor contract and project statement must be handed in. Submission is conducted electronically via https://blanket.sam.sdu.dk/form/97/submit. Submission must take place no later than 1 week after the semester has started, but is recommended, that it is handed in as soon as possible. The contract must be approved by supervisor, study committee and the head of studies.

Be aware that it is not possible to fill in the form after deadline of submission, since the application system will shut down. The system will reopen in connection with the next course registration, then you can fill out the form for the next semester.

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is held twice a year, once in the autumn semester and once in the spring semester.

Teacher responsible
No responsible teachers found, contact the department if necessary

Timetable
There is no timetable available for the chosen semester.

Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
None

Course introduction
The master’s thesis represents the completion of the master’s programme in biology. The project is thus intended to document the student’s abilities to handle biologically relevant professional functions, and that the student has acquired the professional knowledge and the theoretical and methodological qualifications that enable the student to identify, formulate, and solve problems within the central disciplines of biology.

The project explores a relevant research question, chosen within any field of biology. The research question is examined from a theoretical and practical scientific perspective by means of the student’s own theoretical analyses and, possibly, experimentation, and by use of relevant primary scientific literature. The project is completed by the submission of a scientific thesis and an oral defense.

Qualifications
A student, who has completed the master’s thesis can:

• solve a biologically relevant assignment at an international scientific level in an independent and targeted manner,
• manage work and developmental situations that are complex, unpredictable and entail new biological solutions
• convey research-based knowledge and discuss professional and scientific issues with peers and non-specialists the like

Expected learning outcome
A student, who has completed the master’s thesis can:

• master the theories and methods within a field of the biological sciences,
• analyse issues within the central biological disciplines, and establish new, scientifically founded models for their solution,
• plan and perform advanced biological investigations,
• evaluate submitted hypotheses from a qualified theoretical background, and deal critically with the student’s own research results and scientific models, as well as those of others,
• put biological issues into perspective using the ways of reasoning and argumentation, and professional terms of the biological sciences,
• contribute to the development of new scientific insigts and new applications of the reults of biological research.

Subject overview
The subject of the master’s thesis is determined in collaboration with a supervisor, and the project description is approved as part of the thesis contract by the supervisor, the department, and the study board. The thesis project includes the independent delimitation, solution, and generalisation of results concerning a biological issue with the possible involvement of experiments and studies of the most recent international research within the field.

Further information concerning the selection, execution and completion of the thesis project is provided in “Vejledning for kommende og nuværende specialestuderende på Biologisk Institut”  available at the department’s website.

Literature
There isn't any litterature for the course at the moment.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:

1. Report and oral defense. External censorship, Danish 7-mark scale. (60 ECTS). (04015712).

Deadline for master's theses begun in the autumn semester is the 1 January after starting the thesis. Deadline for master's theses begun in the spring semester is the 1 June after starting the thesis.

The master's thesis may be carried out individually og in pairs. The thesis examination is individual and starts with a presentation on a given subject. After the presentation the student may be examined in both the report and the presentation. The student's presentation is part of the total assessment. Presentation and report may be carried out in Danish or in English.

The deadline for the thesis report is final. This means that one exam attempt has been used if the thesis report has not been handed in on time. In the event of a missed submission deadline, the university sets a modified research problem within the same subject area as the thesis. The modified research problem must correspond a work load of three months, and it must be received by the Head of Studies no later than 14 days after the submission deadline.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.


Educational activities

Educational form

Language
This course is taught in Danish or English, depending on the lecturer. However, if international students participate, the teaching language will always be English.

Remarks
The master thesis must contain an abstract of the contents of the report, cf. "Eksamensbekendtgørelsen" (statutory order of examinations) section 24, subsection 2. If the report is written in Danish, the abstract must be in English. If the report is written in English, the abstract must be in Danish. Further guidelines for the report are provided at the department's website.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.