Last updated February 20th

Please note: Grading criteria defined for each thesis element Preliminary thesis report – «pass» on this element does not mean E Failing the PTR means the students cannot deliver their final thesis until December 1st, and they will miss graduation. Elements are weighted differently then before: Thesis proposal – pass/fail PTR – pass/fail Final thesis – 100 %

The master thesis process – an overview Semester Thesis Seminars Assessments Other Activity Seminar Date Assessment Deadline 1 Thesis Seminar 1 September - 2 Thesis Seminar 2 February Thesis Proposal 1 June Supervisor Allocation Thesis Seminar 3 April 3 Thesis Seminar 4 (online?) August Last deadline for changes: January 10th 4 (Thesis Seminar 5) January/ Preliminary Thesis Report 15 January Final Thesis 1 July

Hand in deadlines Normal BI student 1st June 15th January 1st July Thesis Proposal, 2 semester PTR, 4 semester Final thesis, 4 Semester Normal BI student 1st June 15th January 1st July Outgoing DD Incoming DD Outgoing QTEM Exchange 3 semester Business Analytics 30th September 30th of September 15th February 15th January Fail/ Retake 1st December Postponement (Sickness) 15th February If students have to retake or postpone the ‘thesis proposal’ until the 30th September, they can still deliver the PTR on January 15th If students have to retake or postpone PTR until the June1st, they have to deliver their ‘final thesis’ on the December 1st. If students due to sickness have to postpone PTR until the 15th of February, they can still deliver their ‘final thesis’ on the 1st of July. If DD students apply before December 1st, they can have an extended deadline for PTR until 15th of February. No early grading on this. They can still deliver their final thesis on the 1st of July.

Thesis Proposal – Grading criteria In order to pass the TP, each of the following elements must be included: Identification of a specific and relevant problem/question to be investigated: What do you want to investigate? Why this is relevant and why does it interest you? A list of some of the relevant references for your topic A brief description of the research method with a tentative plan for data collection A plan for the thesis process (including plan for supervision)   There may be different views on the relative importance across the four different elements listed above, or the specific content/scope within each element of a TP depending on your major / MSc programme. This also relate to the overall expected length of the document, varying from 2-3 to 4-5 pages. Consult with your supervisor before you submit your TP to ensure that you meet the existing expectations within your field of study. Your supervisor will evaluate the submitted TP.

Preliminary Thesis Report – Grading criteria To pass the preliminary thesis report, the supervisor evaluates whether you are likely to submit a sufficient final master thesis by the 1st of July. The evaluation is based on minimum the following elements:   An introduction with a clear research question/problem A literature review The research methodology/design A feasible plan for data collection and analyses, that also complies with legal and ethical regulations - NSD Please consult your supervisor/Associate Dean/Academic coordinator to identify if other specific criteria regarding the content of your preliminary master thesis report apply within your programme/major, which also will be evaluated.

Final thesis - Grading criteria Learning goals Subskills 1. Students are able to identify and formulate academic topics and problems in the programme area identify, and argue for, a specific and relevant problem/question formulate problem/question use subject-specific terminology & concepts review and discuss academic literature 2.) Students are able to critically investigate theoretical approaches and methods and to select, justify, and apply an analytical framework that is adequate to the specific research question select, justify and apply research design and methods evaluate data quality analyze and interpret data draw conclusions from data and results 3.) Students are able to write and present a master’s thesis that meets the general academic standards of the study discipline organize and carry out the research process develop clear, logical and consistent structure develop a logical, understandable, and structured line of argumentation use correct language, terminology, formatting, citation rules and format 4.) Overall assessment level of difficulty, originality and quality of the research / investigation overall academic rigour per programme/major implications (theoretical, practical and social) per programme/major F E D C B A Not sufficient Satisfactory Sufficient Good Very good Excellent

Deadlines for changes Students can apply for change of supervisor, topic and groups until January 10th 4th semester They must fill in and submit the online form https://bino.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0uONLcY1ZcaSvsx They must also attach an approvement by AD Changes made after handing in PTR will be only be accepted in special circumstances

Q&A – to be continued… Q: When is the last deadline for making changes (supervisor, partner, subject)? A:10th of January 4th semester Q: If students want to make changes, is it enough to tell their supervisor/AD? A: No. They have to apply to the MSc administration (link), to make sure we keep track. Q: Can AD/supervisor approve any other deadlines than the ones listed? A: No. Q: What happens if students Fail the Thesis proposal? A: The following September 30th they can submit your proposal again. Q: What happens if students fail the PTR? A: They cannot deliver the final thesis until December 1st, and miss graduation. Last updated December 6th 2017