SFS40503 Master's Thesis in Organisation and Leadership (Autumn 2019–Spring 2020)

The thesis consists of a large written work of approx. 100 pages.

A thesis seminar will be organised at which the students present their own draft paper for the thesis and comment on the draft papers of others. Students will also be taught quantitative methodology.

The master's thesis can be written individually or in pairs of students. The programme is organised so that students choose the topic and issue for their thesis early in the course of their studies.

Each student will be appointed a supervisor and a contract between HiØ and the individual student will be signed that sets out the supervision and its scope.

The nominal length of study for the master's thesis is one year where the master's students are entitled to supervision from the appointed supervisor.

The scope of the supervision is approx. 20 hours. If an extension is required for the thesis, grounds must be given for this in an application. The scope of the supervision will in any case not exceed 20 hours. If a student takes a leave of absence from the programme and has already started supervision, they are nonetheless not entitled to more than 20 hours' supervision in total.

There is an attendance requirement of 75% of the thesis seminars. 

Required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam.

Master's thesis and oral exam (approx. 60 minutes)
The course is assessed on the basis of the master's thesis (individually or in pairs) and an oral exam.

It is possible to write the thesis together, but in groups of no more than two students. Students who write the thesis together can choose whether they wish to give two exam presentations for the oral exam or whether they wish to give a joint presentation. The remaining part of the oral exam will take place individually, however.

In the oral exam, the students will first give an oral presentation lasting 30 minutes and then defend their thesis. The oral exam will last approx. one hour in total.

A preliminary grade is awarded for the master's thesis before the oral exam. On the basis of the oral exam, the grade can be adjusted up or down by one grade on the grade scale A-F.
One final individual grade will be awarded.

The final exam for the master's students is held twice a year during the exam periods (May/June and November /December).

Deadlines
Students must register for the exam in connection with the semester registration on Studentweb by the given deadlines (15 September for the autumn semester and 15 January for the spring semester). 

Submission and exam in the spring semester:

• The thesis must be submitted by the first working day after 1 May.

Submission and exam in the autumn semester:

• The thesis must be submitted by 15 November.

In the event of an appeal of the grade awarded, the thesis will be re-assessed. In the event of a new preliminary grade being awarded, a new oral exam will be arranged, cf. the Regulations governing Examinations and Admissions for Østfold University College, Section 18 sub-section 4.

In the event of resit exams, both parts of the exam must be retaken. Students must submit a new master's thesis with a new research question if they wish to improve their pass grade. The student is not entitled to further academic supervision.

If the student is awarded a fail grade for their thesis, they have one opportunity to rework the thesis, but are not entitled to further supervision. The student must then take the oral exam.