spring 2020
IND-3901 GENI - Project thesis - 30 ECTS

Type of course

The student must be enrolled in the Master in Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas (GENI).

Obligatory prerequisites

IND-3001 GENI - Internship

Course content

Students are expected to work on the thesis during the fourth, fifth and sixth semesters, but the process will begin already in the second semester with the development of the project idea and the internship. The topic of the thesis is chosen on the basis of the interests of the student and the internship-placement.

The project thesis provides students with experience in collecting and analyzing their own material and presenting it in a coherent written and oral form.

Data collected during the program's internship can be included in the thesis, but additional data collection can also be carried out in the fourth and fifth semesters through fieldwork, archival research, and secondary data and literature reviews.

The required coursework will include a two-page thesis proposal, a research progress presentation, and participation in writing seminars.

Depending on the character and topic of the thesis, the internship and data collection, ethical issues may need to be addressed. This pertains particularly to

- protecting the confidentiality and safety of respondents

- Subject consent

- Political issues and positioning.


Objectives of the course

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

Knowledge:

By the end of the course, students have acquired advanced knowledge of the methodological challenges of and multidisciplinary approaches to research of Northern and indigenous governance and innovation.

Skills:

By the end of the course, students are able to present a literature review regarding a specialized topic; find and analyze representative data; and present their own research in a coherent written and oral form. Students will also be capable of assessing academic texts presented by others and presenting critical comments, as well as addressing critical remarks by others on their own texts.

Competence:

By the end of the course, students are able to develop relevant and realistic general research questions on Northern governance, entrepreneurship, resource governance and indigenous topics in particular.


Language of instruction and examination

English

Teaching methods

Seminars (through video conferencing) on the project thesis will be given including seminars where the students present their work. Individual supervision will be given online. Individual supervision is given in accordance with the contract signed between student and supervisor.

The learning outcomes can only be achieved through active student participation, and it is expected that the students are well prepared for each teaching unit and supervision session, in order to give constructive feedback. Students are expected to study independently in periods without seminars or lectures.


Assessment

Thesis (35-40 pages, 10-12 000 words).

A two-page thesis proposal is required of students to outline their intended thesis topic and their planned research methods. The deadline for the thesis proposal is 15 April in the fourth semester.

Students must deliver a presentation on the progress of their project thesis. The presentations must be made in class/videoconference. The deadline for presentations is September 30 in the fifth semester.

Before the end of the fifth semester, students are expected to present a written chapter of their thesis for a thesis seminar. The seminar will give students the opportunity to practice commenting on an academic text written by a peer, and to gain experience answering questions about their own work.

The thesis manuscript may not deviate more than 10 % from the prescribed 35-40 pages.

The thesis must be submitted by 15 May.

The grading scale of A to F is applied, where F constitutes fail.

The course is open for re-sit examination the following semester.


  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø | Saskatoon | Other |
  • ECTS: 30
  • Course code: IND-3901
  • Earlier years and semesters for this topic