Type of course

Course content

The thesis will complete a student's work towards the master's degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation (MPCT). It will demonstrate a student's ability to reflect and write independently on topics related to peace and conflict, drawing broadly upon the various theoretical and methodological approaches, field activities, seminars and workshops covered in the MPCT programme. The thesis will examine a specific topic in a systematic or social scientific manner and make potential contributions to the understanding of conflicts and diverse efforts to resolve them. In short, it is a student's independent work using primary and/or secondary materials, but written in close consultation with an academic supervisor.

To assist students towards this goal, the course will contain a number of workshops and seminars that offer a practical guide and coherent framework for students to engage with the research process throughout their studies. These seminars and workshops will address the key components of a research design, writing a persuasive and realistic proposal, provide guidance regarding the ethics and safety of their own research, and foster a clear grasp of the theoretical, methodological, practical and analytical issues relevant to their individual research projects. Throughout the course, students will also train to confidently present their research ideas and results in an academic manner.

Objectives of the course

Students, who have successfully completed the course, should have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge:

• Have an understanding of the aims and practice of social research
• Have the ability to reflect upon the reading materials underlying a degree programme and apply them to a self-selected research project
• Have the ability to plan and design a practicable and realistic research project.

Skills and competences:

• Capable of applying basic research tools to a master's project that involves data collection
• Capable of organising and analysing field materials, and then write up in a report/thesis/dissertation
• Recognise the opportunities in feedback from fellow students and a supervisor
• Develop the confidence to present aspects of an evolving research report or thesis at seminars and other academic gatherings
• Develop the confidence to explain and defend one's final work before an evaluation committee
• Capable of taking responsibility for one's own learning by working independently towards the realisation of the programme objectives.

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

The course consists of a mix of workshops and seminars.

The learning outcomes of this course can only be achieved through active student participation and students are thus expected to prepare and familiarize themselves with each other's research projects before every workshop and/or seminar session.

Semester 1: One workshop on ‘How to write a literature review’ will be held during this semester. Students will be participating in face-to-face meetings with academic staff (approx. 30 min) to assist the search for a suitable supervisor for their project.

Semester 2: Two workshops will be held during this semester. One workshop on ‘How to write a project proposal’ and another on ‘Research ethics and fieldwork security and safety’.

These workshops will be followed by a seminar series in which the students present and discuss their draft project proposals, before submitting them for approval. In order to receive approval to commence fieldwork for data collection, students will also have to submit a Security Analysis Form (along with the final project proposal) and participate in the First Aid course that is offered in this semester.

Semester 3: One workshop will be held during this semester to support the students in developing a theoretical framework for their master's thesis projects.

Semester 4: One workshop will be held during this semester to support the students in structuring the methods section of their thesis and provide space for reflecting on and discussing the methodological implications of their research. In another seminar series, students will present and discuss draft chapters of their evolving master's theses.