Vår 2021

REI-3910 Master's thesis - 45 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for reiseliv og nordlige studier

Type of course

This course is mandatory for the achievement of a Master of Tourism Studies degree. It is open for other students with a Bachelor's degree. Before submitting the Master's thesis, the student must have passed all other exams in the master's programme.

Course contents

The master's thesis is an independent research project in which the student demonstrates advanced knowledge, skills and general competence in tourism studies. Through the work with the thesis, the student formulates and investigates research questions in the context of tourism, applying relevant research methodologies and theoretical approaches.

Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.

Exchange students and Fulbright students: 1 October for the spring semester and 15 April for the autumn semester.

Admission requirements

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree (180 ECTS), or an equivalent qualification, with a minimum of 80 ECTS within tourism, out-door recreation, event studies, marketing and communication, social sciences, humanities or education.

International applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equicalent issued in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand: An average grade C is a minimum requirement.

International applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in countries other than the above mentioned region/countries: An average grade B is a minimum requirement in addition to fulfilling formal admission requirements for Master's level entry.

Non-EU applicants need to have a Higher Education Entrance Qualification from their home countries and certified fulfilment of English language requirements.

Application code: 9731 (nordic applicants)

Obligatory prerequisites

REI-3001 Philosophy of Social Science, REI-3005 Travel and Tourism Marketing, REI-3011 Tourism theory and the tourist experience, REI-3012 Nature and tourism in an era of climate change, REI-3013 Indigenous Heritages in Tourism, REI-3014 Qualitative methods, REI-3015 Festival and event tourism, REI-3016 Quantitative methods

Objective of the course

Students should obtain the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge: the student should have

specialized knowledge of a chosen topic within the field of tourism studies
a thorough knowledge of research design
an in-depth understanding of relevant theoretical and methodological perspectives for their chosen topic
a thorough knowledge of how to write an independent research project

And should be able to

critically evaluate and research their subject area

Skills: the student should be able to

formulate research questions, collect and analyze data in a scientific manner within a limited time period
theoretically discuss results, assess findings, and reflect both critically and ethically on research processes
undertake innovative, independent, informed, and critical analyzes in relation to tourism
apply relevant theory and research methodologies in order to complete an independent research project
critically discuss and debate their own research both orally and in written form

Competence: the student should be able to

critically reflect on ethical issues and integrity requirements as part of scholarly work as well as in industry and community engagements
communicate tourism research findings within the field of tourism studies
contribute to innovation and innovation processes within tourism knowledge production

Language of instruction

English

Teaching methods

Thesis work starts in the first semester, and is supported by Master's thesis seminars in the first, second and third semester. The fourth semester fully concentrates on completing the thesis. Teaching will consist of 8 seminars (3x45 minutes), which also includes student involvement in classroom discussions and individual writing tasks. The student is assigned a supervisor during May second semester and must submit a Master's thesis project description by the end of the second semester.

Students are expected to work 1260 hours.

The course will be evaluated in accordance with the quality systems of UiT - The Arctic University of Norway.

Assessment

Coursework: the following cousework requirements must be completed and approved by the supervisor in order to take the final exam

one written individual project description

Exam: the exam will consist of

a written Master's thesis and an oral exam (45-60 minutes)
- length requirement: approximately 30000 words (not including the list of references)
- style: Times New Roman font size 12, 1.5 line spacing, 3.5 centimetres margins, and the inclusion of page numbers
- submission dates: 15 May and 1 November

The student will be informed about their grade after the oral exam, based on the assessment of the Master's thesis and the oral exam. The oral examination consists of an examination/discussion of the Master's thesis and the literature used in the thesis. Both, an external and internal examiner, who decide the grade together, will assess the thesis and they will both be present for the oral exam.

The exam will be assessed on an A-F grades scale. Grades are A-E for passed and F for failed.

There will not be arranged a re-sit exam for this course.