ITI40614 Master's Thesis (Autumn 2019–Spring 2020)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Mandatory course in the master programme in applied computer science full time.

Absolute requirements

The student must have passed the course Selected Topics.

Lecture Semester

Third and fourth semester (autumn and spring) in the full time programme.

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The student has

• attained the requisite knowledge and expertise for challenging jobs in research and development in the field.
• gained knowledge from literature and methods related to the subjects that are part of the master thesis.

Skills

The student is able to

• work independently with a complex problem over a longer period of time.
• analyze a situation, describe a problem and plan its solution. 
• master feasible planning that consider alternatives, limitations and time constraints.
• collect and analyze relevant information with an ethically healthy and critical approach.
• present reasearch and results in a clear and comprehensive written thesis.
• communicate knowledge clearly and precisely, orally and in writing.
• express own and others reflections and solutions in the chosen area of research.
• construct models and implement them in digital environments.
• apply methods and design principles to make prototypes for different information systems.

General competence

The student has

• obtained a relation to scientific literature and methods.
• developed academic curiosity
• gained consciousness towards values such as openness, precision and ability to discriminate between knowledge and opinions.
• the ability to think critically about central ethical, philosophical and scientific problems in his/her field. 

Content

The content may vary significantly and may include research, development, testing or analysis that will be documented in the master thesis.

Forms of teaching and learning

Guided self-study, writing a master thesis.

Workload

Approx. 1350 hours. Supervision constitutes 40 hours.

Examination

Master thesis and oral exam

The assessment is based on the master thesis (individually or in groups of two people) and an individual oral exam. At the oral examination the candidate first holds a presentation of the master thesis (approx. 30 min). Then the candidate defends his/her thesis (approx 30 min). The oral examination is public.

The thesis is graded on the A - F grading scale. It is given a tentative grade of the thesis. This grade can be adjusted up to 2 stages at the oral exam.

If the student decides to challenge the assessment, the thesis must be re-assessed. If the new assessment affects the tentative grading of the thesis, a new oral exam will be arranged.

Plagiarism control/cheating

Master's theses is subject to electronic plagiarism control. Exam papers that are partly or entirely identical will not be approved and will be regarded as cheating. For further information please see Exam regulations for Østfold University College.

Examiners

The master thesis is assessed by an external examiner in consultation with the supervisor.

Conditions for resit/rescheduled exams

Upon re-examination, both parts of the examination must be retaken.

If the student wishes to improve a passed result of his/her master thesis, the thesis must be rewritten with a new problem statement. In this case, the student is not entitled to receive new academic supervision.

Course evaluation

This course is evaluated by a

• Mid-term evaluation (compulsory)

The responsible for the course compiles a report based on the feedback from the students and his/her own experience with the course. The report is discussed by the study quality committee of the faculty of Computer Sciences.

Literature

Individually chosen, depending on the thesis.