Master Thesis GEC&P

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/AM_1286

Course Objective

The main objectives of the thesis are: a) To further develop and apply the key concepts, theories and methodologies taught in previous GECP courses. b) To independently develop and execute scientific research of societal relevance. c) To reflect on matters and issues in the chosen domain of global environmental change and policy, and to become able to confidently form an opinion and contribute to both scientific and practitioner’s discussions. d) To present and discuss research findings in a meeting with peers. e) To independently write a thesis on the research and its findings in an academic style.

Course Content

The MSc thesis represents the finalization of the MSc Earth Sciences
- Global Environmental Change & Policy at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. In the Master Thesis course of the GECP programme, the student will individually carry out a research project at one of the research groups at the VU University Amsterdam or externally at another university or (inter-)governmental organization, non-governmental organization, or company. The thesis, also in case of an external project, must have a strong research component, fit within the aims of the Global Environmental Change & Policy track and must have both an earth sciences and policy component.

Teaching Methods

A thesis is carried out individually and independently under supervision of an appointed supervisor and after approval of the thesis Research plan by the supervisor. The workload of the thesis will be equivalent to 30 EC, which corresponds to about 20 weeks of full-time work. The student is ultimately responsible for finding a thesis project and/or placement before the start of the master thesis course, but a number of potential projects (with supervisors) will be offered from which the student can choose. During the first week of the course, a number of on-campus sessions will be organised to support the development of the Research Plan. In June, all students give a presentation of their findings so far to the other GECP students and their supervisors. The presentation and attendance of students during the specific session in which they present is compulsory and part of the total assessment.

Method of Assessment

Grading of your thesis is composed of the following elements: 1. Report (60%), which is a 50/50 average of the marks of the supervisor and 2nd assessor 2. Execution (30%) 3. Presentation (10%) 4. Attitude (insufficient / sufficient / good) Both the thesis and the presentation have to be in English. A collaboration between a student and supervisor is formalized in an Agreement Form. The students write their research plan during the first months of the thesis project. In the research plan they further detail the research topic and research activities. The research plan details the main objective, research questions and research methodology that will be applied in the thesis. It also includes a time schedule, which allows the student and supervisor to assess during the execution phase how the student is progressing in their thesis. The research plan must be approved by the supervisor based on a “GO-NOGO” evaluation, before the student can start the thesis. One of the criteria for a positive “GO” evaluation is that the research has both an earth sciences and policy component and fits the aims of the Global Environmental Change & Policy track. Further guidance is provided in the course manual. The presentation should not take longer than ten minutes, and is followed by a discussion of maximum five minutes. The presentation gives students the opportunity to highlight their work in front of an audience and at the same time receive feedback from supervisors and fellow students which they are able to use to finalize their thesis. Generally, towards the end of the project the student hands in a full draft with the supervisor, on which they will then receive feedback. After incorporating this feedback, the final thesis is ready for grading by both the supervisor and the 2nd assessor. The final thesis presents the results found during the thesis research. Research for a thesis involves a research cycle: from the problem and research questions, the way these research questions were investigated based on sound scientific research methods, the answers to the questions, to the conclusions and recommendations to solve the problem. All these steps have to be described in the thesis. The final thesis is an original, scientifically written report consisting of 10,000 – 12,000 words including title, abstract, and table of contents, but excluding tables, figures, references and annexes or appendices. It includes proper referencing to relevant academic literature, which is included in a separate list at the end of the report.

Target Audience

MSc students Earth Sciences, specialisation Global Environmental Change & Policy

Explanation Canvas

The course manual and lecture slides, as well as announcements regarding the thesis topic selection and allocation procedures, will be shared through Canvas.