Type of course

The course is mandatory for all students enrolled in the master's degree programme in Biomedicine.

Only students enrolled in the master's degree programme in Biomedicine are able to attend the course.

In order to start work on the masters' thesis, students must have passed MBI-3012 Advanced methods in experimental biomedicine.

Obligatory prerequisites

Course content

The course consists of the final research project conducted by students,under supervision, following the master's degree program in biomedicine. The researchproject will culminate in a Masters' thesis. 

The Masters' thesis is the main part of the master’s degree program in biomedicine. Skills will be developed through independent scientific work and production of a written thesis under the guidance by one or several supervisors. The work should be research related and the thesis should have elements of new basic knowledge or methods. The thesis will be based on laboratory research.

Objectives of the course

Knowledge 

After completing the course students should be able to 

• Define a scientific problem and to point out an approach to a solution. 
• Collect knowledge from the literature and explain the background for the problem. 

Skills 

• Work through selected methods and analyze the results.  
• Have practical skills relevant for the field 
• Give a comprehensible and broad introduction of the scientific field 
• Present his/her scientific work in a thesis and an oral presentation. 

General competencies 

• Discuss obtained results in relation to other findings and draw conclusions. 
• can reflect upon the existence of ethical aspects in an inter-cultural setting, sound experimental approaches and scientific thinking 
• can recognize and explain current strategies and state-of-the-art approaches within biomedicine

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

Work in the master thesis will consist of: 

• an independent research project under supervision. 
• Seminars 

The theme for the thesis will be chosen in consultation with the supervisor.  

All students must fill out a contract of supervision in consultations with their supervisor. This contract should be signed by the student and the supervisor(s). The contract along with a project description, has to be approved by the Department of Medical Biology (IMB).

If you are doing a project outside of IMB, you are required to have at least one co-supervisor employed at IMB.

The deadline for handing in the contract is the 15th of December in the first semester of the master programme. 

The general work effort in a Master`s project (60 ECTS) is 1500-1800 hours. Master students in biomedicine will start work on their Masters’ thesis in the 3rd semester of the master programme. The Masters’ thesis must be written in English.

Assessment

The exam is composed of a submission of the Masters’ thesis within the given deadline, a (public) presentation of the scientific work, and an oral exam. 

Grade type: alphabetical grades (A-F) 

Coursework requirements must be approved in order to attend the exam: 

• Attendance at introductory lecture 
• Project description workshop 
• Scientific writing workshop 
• Midway evaluations 

The midway evaluation will take place in January in the 4th semester of the masterprogramme / 2nd semester of the master thesis. 

The master's thesis and all courses included in the master's degree must be passed before the oral presentation and examination can take place. The deadline for submission is 15th of May.  

The Masters’ thesis must be handed in by the deadline even if all other courses are not passed, and requirements for a postponement on the deadline is not fulfilled. The examination of the master thesis will in those cases be postponed until all courses are passed.  

The examination committee consists of one external examiner, one internal examiner and one supervising internal examiner. 

After the master's thesis is submitted and approved, there will be a presentation and an oral master's examination. The examination consists of a presentation of maximum 30 minutes where the student provides an overview of the project. The presentation can be public. Then follows an oral examination with only the examination committee. 

The master's thesis must be submitted in PDF format, the submission is done electronically in Munin by 12:00 (12:00 p.m.).  

Failing the master's thesis and new master's examination: 

Only if the master's thesis is assessed as F (fail) can a revised version be submitted. The student will be given 3 months to submit a revised version of the thesis. If the thesis is assessed as F (fail) twice, the student must apply to the department for a new thesis topic. A new topic may be given only once. 

If a thesis is not submitted by the deadline, and no application for an extended deadline has been approved, the student is registered as not attended for an examination. The student must then apply to the department for a new thesis topic.  

By reasoned application with confirmation from the supervisor 6 weeks before the set deadline, a maximum of 3 months postponement of the submission deadline can be granted. 

For further information we refer to supplementary regulations.