MA thesis – University of Copenhagen

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Centre of African Studies > Student information > MA thesis

MA thesis

The MA thesis is the final part of the African Studies programme. The thesis gives the student the opportunity to work independently, critically and in-depth with a topic of his or her own choice from the field of African Studies.

This page describes the general guidelines for writing a MA thesis at the Centre of African Studies and answers some of the practical questions that MA students might have. It is important that all MA students read the Study Curricula for guidelines for the MA thesis carefully.

Formal prerequisites
Planning the MA thesis
Supervisor
Thesis contract
Thesis seminar
Formal requirements for the thesis 
Exam

Formal prerequisites

  • The MA thesis (30 ECTS) is written in the final semester of the course of study. It is a prerequisite that the student has passed 90 ECTS before he or she can sign the thesis contract. 

  • The submission of the MA thesis presupposes that the student has signed a thesis contract and participated in a thesis seminar.

Planning the MA thesis

It is a good idea to start planning your MA thesis as early in your MA studies as possible. First of all you need to find a topic within the area of African Studies. It's often an advantage to choose a topic that you have either worked with in your MA studies or have some knowledge about. 

Supervisor

When you have chosen a topic for your MA thesis the next step is to find a supervisor. The supervisor can be either a researcher from the Centre of African Studies or an external supervisor. However, it cannot be a person permanently employed elsewhere at the University of Copenhagen or a person appointed to the Centre of African Studies corps of external examiners.
You are welcome to contact the supervisor and ask if he or she will be available. However, if you wish to have an external supervisor, the director/administration at the Centre of African Studies has to approve the supervisor.
If you need any assistance in finding a supervisor the head of the centre and the administration will always be ready to help.
The prescribed number of hours for supervision is 25 hours which includes the preparation time for the supervisor.

Thesis contract

When the supervisor has been appointed you and your supervisor must sign a thesis contract. The signed contract must be submitted to the Centre of African Studies.

After the head of the centre has approved the agreement, the student has a time frame of six months (incl. holidays etc.) within which to write the MA thesis.

Thesis seminar

As part of writing the thesis it is compulsory for all students to participate in the thesis seminar. This provides the opportunity to discuss general issues related to the writing of a thesis. The students must take an active part in the seminar, both by presenting their own work and by providing feedback to the work of other students.
The Centre of African Studies offers a thesis seminar each semester. You must sign up by using the registration form and participate in the thesis seminar. A signed contract is a prerequisite for participation.

Formal requirements for the thesis

Language
The MA thesis must be written in English. If a student wishes to write the thesis in a language other than English the Study Board may grant exemption for this upon application.

Scope
The MA thesis must have a scope of 50-75 pages, excluding front page, notes, bibliography and appendices (corresponding to 17,500-26,250 words, with a standard page equalling 350 words). The number of words must be stated on the front page of the thesis. 
Any thesis which is less than or exceeds the prescribed number of words will not be deemed as having been submitted on time and will not be accepted for assessment.

Syllabus
The MA thesis must be written on the basis of 2,000-3,000 pages of literature. Up to 30% of the combined syllabus for the MA thesis may consist of previously listed material. Primary data from a traineeship or fieldwork programme that has been used in the corresponding exam paper can be listed for the MA thesis.
The syllabus must be approved by the supervisor together with the title of the MA thesis and the bibliography.

Summary
The thesis must contain a summary of a maximum of 1 page which can be written in Danish or English.

Front page
The final MA thesis must have the MA thesis Front Page attached to all copies. Remember to fill in all the required information.

Publication at the CAS library
If you wish, the thesis can be made publicly accessible at the CAS library. Please remember to mark this on the front page.

Handing in the thesis
The MA thesis has to be handed in at the Exam Office in 4 copies.

Exam

After the submission of the written thesis an oral exam takes place where the student presents his or her thesis and is then examined in it. The exam has a duration of 45 minutes including assessment.