Course syllabus for Master's thesis in Learning and leadership

• Students pursuing the five-year Master of Science in Engineering/Master of Architecture education must have accrued at least 225 hec before beginning work on a thesis.
• Students who are only taking part in the Master's programme must have accrued at least 45 hec in this programme before beginning work on a thesis.
• In addition to the general credit requirements, the necessary prerequisite courses must be completed for the specific thesis. The examiner will formulate and monitor these prerequisite requirements.

The purpose of a thesis is to enable the student to develop deeper knowledge, understanding, capabilities and attitudes in the context of the programme of study. The thesis should be written at the end of the programme and offers the opportunity to delve more deeply into and synthesise knowledge acquired in previous studies and to show ability to work in a scientific way.
As part of an Learning and Leadershop program, the project should meet the requirements for the degree project in a Master of Science of Engineering education and in an Teacher Education. It is expected to have relevance for engineering and a clear dimension of learning or leadership. This can, for example, be done by analyzing or creating technical solutions, and evaluating the pedagogical implications. Alternatively it can be done by doing scientific studies of learning and leadership in the students engineering sector, eg by systematic investigation or knowledge building and developing or evaluating related materials to be used in a learning- or leadership situation with relevance for the engineering sector or the engineering subjects..

The learning objectives for a thesis are based on the objectives for Master of Science/Architecture/Technology degrees formulated in Chalmers local Master's degree procedures. (Doc. no. C2007/723). Specific learning objectives for a Master's thesis are for the student to show:

• Considerably more in-depth knowledge of the primary subject matter/focus of the training, including deeper insight into current research and development work.
• Deeper knowledge of methods in the primary subject matter/focus of the training.
• A capability to contribute to research and development work.
• The capability to use a holistic view to critically, independently and creatively identify, formulate and deal with complex issues.
• The capability to plan and use adequate methods to condhect qualified tasks in given frameworks and to evaluate this work.
• The capability to create, analyse and critically evaluate different technical/architectural/learning and leadership type solutions.
• The capability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge.
• The capability to clearly present and discuss the findings as well as the knowledge and arguments that form the basis for these findings in written and spoken English.
• The capability to identify the issues that must be addressed within the framework of the specific thesis in order to take into consideration all relevant dimensions of sustainable development.
• A consciousness of the ethical aspects of research and development work.

Upon completion of the thesis, students must have demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to work independently as an Architect / Engineering / Technology Master and as a teacher

Initiation

• The thesis is to be written by a single student or two students working together.
• The student(s) contact an examiner or the MPC can suggest an examiner.
• Student(s) formulate a brief written description of the topic for the thesis. This description must be included with the registration documentation. The description should contain the background, purpose, objective and possibly the method.
• The examiner will ensure that the students meet the requirements for general and specific prerequisites for the thesis and that the proposed topic for the thesis meets the general learning objectives for theses. The examiner signs the registration documentation.
• The MPC ensures that the thesis falls within the primary area of the Master's programme and signs the registration documentation. The MPC sends the registration documentation to the Student Centre.
• The Student Centre completes the registration in Ladok.

Planning

• The students must write a planning report providing a detailed description of the problem/task. The planning report must contain the background, purpose, objective, scope, method and timetable for completion of the thesis. The planning report is submitted to the examiner for approval.

Guidance

• The students are entitled to guidance during the course of their work.

Interim reporting

• After twenty working weeks on a 60-hec thesis, the student(s) must report the status of their work to the examiner and the MPC. An approved interim report results in 30 hec being registered in Ladok.

Written report

• The thesis must be written in English.
• The cover, etc., of the thesis must be formulated according to the templates for "Formulating reports and theses" at Chalmers. See www.chalmers.se/sections/ar_student/framtagning-av-rapporter.
• The thesis must be parsed using anti-plagiarism software.
• Chalmers' policies regarding open access and confidentiality apply to the work on the thesis and to publishing the report. See Chalmers' working procedure C2008/271.
• The thesis must be published electronically in Chalmers Publication Library (CPL) according to the applicable rules for electronic publication of theses at Chalmers.
• When two students work jointly on a thesis, the division of the work must be clearly stated in the thesis.

Verbal presentation

• The verbal presentation begins with the students describing their work. This is followed by a defence of their findings and discussion.
• The verbal presentation must be made in English. This presentation may not take more than 60 minutes, of which approximately 1/3 of the time should be devoted to a defence of the thesis and discussion.
• At the time of the verbal presentation, the written thesis must be completed but not published. This is to make it possible to include viewpoints that arise during the verbal presentation to be incorporated into the thesis.
• The verbal presentation, including a defence of the thesis, must be done at Chalmers. Any additional presentations can be made at corporations if necessary. In exceptional cases, for example, if thesis research has been condhected abroad, the examiner may grant a dispensation from the requirement for a verbal presentation, defence of the findings in the thesis and presence at other presentations at Chalmers.
• The presentation of the thesis must be announced at the faculty in question at least two weeks prior to the date of the presentation. The presentation must be held in the period between August 15 and June 15, during normal office hours.

For a thesis to be approved, the following stages must be completed:

• An approved planning report
• An approved report
• An approved presentation and defence of the thesis
• Approved questioning of another thesis
• Attendance of the presentation and defence of two other theses

1. Are the goals of the work clear? Are the relevance for these goals well defended?
   
2. Are the research questions objective, relevant, delimited and possible to answer scientifically? Are the research questions formulated in a clear and clear way?
   
3. Is the background and context clear and complete? Is it clear what knowledge and what research is the starting point for responding to the research questions? Is it clear why these previous results were selected and others rejected?
   
4. Is the method chosen wisely, including the choice of data, to answer the research questions? Is the validity of the method outlined and its relevance defended?
   
5. Is the data sufficient in scope, relevant and complete. Is the data collected in an honest and ethical manner that does not affect the outcome?
   
6. Is the method of analysis an established one or validated in any other way? Is the analysis carefully conducted and in accordance with praxis?
   
7. Are the identified results supported by data? Is this visible in the report so that the reader can determine if the identified results give an reasonable description of the collected data.
   
8. Are interpretations of results falsifiable and well-defended? Are alternative interpretations discussed and discharged?
   
9. Is it clear how this research brings new perspectives or knowledge in relation to what has been raised as background, and are these arguments well defended?
   
10. Are practical implications of the results discussed and defended?
    
11. Is the report complete, with all that is necessary for the above to become visible? Is the report well written, logically structured and with clear and unambiguous language? Is the report aesthetically compiled, to increase readability?