Master Thesis

Uitgebreide vaknaam	Master Thesis
Leerdoelen	Most of the second year of the Top Master Programme in Nanoscience is devoted to an independent research project, under the guidance of a senior staff member (often with co-supervision by a daily supervisor, which can be a PhD student or postdoc working for the supervisor). The aim of the thesis project is to train the student in carrying out a research project, and to allow him/her to determine whether a career in scientific research suits him/her. The project must be documented in a Master Thesis, and must be presented orally in a public session. After the master research project a student is, under limited supervision, able to: a. design, plan and conduct a scientific research project b. find, select and interpret relevant scientific literature c. conduct research in an interdisciplinary and international setting and collaborate with colleagues with diverse background to obtain research data d. organize and correctly interpret data collected during the project e. write a scientific report on the project f. defend project findings and conclusion in a meeting g. act in an ethical, scientific, professional fashion
Omschrijving	A kick off meeting is organized in the beginning of the second year of the topmaster Nanoscience. Who can act as supervisor? The project can be supervised by any member of the permanent and tenure-track scientific staff of the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials (incl. associate members). On request, long-term research associates can also act as supervisor. Who can act as a referent (second examiner)? Formally, the supervisor selects and makes contact with a suitable referent. A referent can be any person who can be supervisor, but the referent should be from another research unit than the supervisor, and someone who is not already closely involved in the project. On request, persons from outside the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials can act as supervisor (or 2nd examiner/referent) when such a person has appropriate expertise (for permission turn to the programme director, dr. T.L.C. Jansen). For projects conducted (partially) outside the institute or abroad an internal supervisor must always be assigned. Midterm Half way the research project (in February), the formal midterm review of the research project aims to verify if the project is performed according to plan and to give the student an indication of level in performance as a basis for advice from the supervisor for improvement. It is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment with the supervisor for this midterm review. If a student encounters difficulties of any kind during the research project the academic advisor should be informed in time. Finalizing the project For finalizing the project the student must present a written thesis and give an oral presentation (30 to 50 min, to be agreed upon with the supervisor). The student must present the final copy of the master thesis one week before the oral presentation to the supervisor and the referent. The student must announce the talk widely within the Zernike Institute a week before the event. During the final talk the referent must be present, and the referent must participate in the grading.
Uren per week	variabel
Onderwijsvorm	Bijeenkomst (S), Practisch werk (PRC) (Individual guidance by staff members. Workshop: planning and time management by Jansen.)
Toetsvorm	Practisch werk (PR), Presentatie (P), Verslag (R) (There is a midterm and a final assessment.)
Vaksoort	master
Coördinator	dr. T.L.C. Jansen
Docent(en)	dr. T.L.C. Jansen
Entreevoorwaarden	The student must have passed the Review Paper (WMNS011-06) and the Small Research Project (WMNS007-13). Furthermore, the student may have no more than one core course part left for resit. At the start of the Master thesis the student has to fill out the registration form. This form will be handed out during the kick off meeting of the master thesis early September. Assessment and remediation of Master thesis project: 1. The assessment of the master thesis project must take place at the time that is determined by the student and the supervisor and in accordance with the guidelines for the master thesis project in the degree programme. 2. If the assessment cannot take place on the date agreed, the student must notify the first supervisor and send a request the board of examiners to postpone the deadline (for a maximum of 10% of the total time). When this request is approved a new deadline is set by the board of examiners. 3. Before or on the agreed end date the project will be assessed and when the assessment criteria are not met an insufficient grade will be registered. Then the student is offered a remediation trajectory by the supervisor and second examiner. 4. The student is offered a remediation trajectory of up to one third of the time of the original individual project period. 5. The supervisor and second examiner will agree on a new deadline in consultation with the student. 6. On the deadline of the remediation trajectory, the project will be assessed again. 7. If after this deadline, the assessment does not meet the set criteria, the project will be assessed with an insufficient grade again. The student will have to carry out another project.
Opmerkingen	Grading and grading deadline The supervisor and the referent define a final grade for the project by using the assessment form. The programme aims to have all students completing their studies in the nominal duration of two years. For students on this schedule, the deadline for the grade submission is in the first part of August (exact date will be announced on the student portal). The grade only becomes valid after the student has uploaded the thesis to the repository of the UG. More information about the list of supervisors/referents, guidelines for performing the project, duties and expectations to supervisors and students, guidelines for the report and the oral presentation, mid-term-assessment form, final assessment form, deadlines, upload to the repository and examples of thesis projects of previous years, can be found on the course Nestor page and on the website, via the following link: master thesis This course was registered last year with course code NS200
Opgenomen in	Opleiding Jaar Periode Type MSc Nanoscience 2 hele jaar verplicht