Master Thesis Linguistics and Literary Studies

18 ECTS credits
530 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4021387FNR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester

1st and 2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Promotor . (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

590 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

General requirements

The master's thesis counts for 18 credits in the programme. The thesis is an academic paper which completes the master’s programme and through which the student demonstrates a capacity for analytical work, the ability to synthesize information and (limited) independent problem-solving skills at an academic level. The paper reflects the student’s general capacity for critical reflection and research. In the master's thesis, the student demonstrates that he/she adequately masters the skills that form the learning objectives of the Master of Arts in Linguistics and Literary Studies, and that (s)he is capable, with the guidance of a supervisor, of adopting a scientifically based and critical approach to the subject matter..

Thesis supervision

The topic of the master's thesis should be related to a domain that is relevant for the degree of Master of Arts in Linguistics and Literary Studies. The topic of the master's thesis should moreover be related to one or more courses from the master's curriculum.

In the Master of Arts in Linguistics and Literary Studies: two languages the master's thesis is written in one of the two main languages chosen. In the Master of Arts in Linguistics and Literary Studies: one language the master's thesis is written in that language.

The topic is determined in agreement with the thesis supervisor. The latter is a ZAP-member, a doctor-assistant or a teaching professor or another academic staff member in possession of a PhD.

Structure and content

The master’s thesis must be an original contribution to the field of research. The work must be personal and original; plagiarism in any form is strictly forbidden. See also the Teaching and Examinations Regulations, Art. 118.

The master's thesis must contain the following:

an exposition of its theme and thesis and a definition and delineation of the topic and key issues;
a critical perspective on the chosen topic, including the research methodology (if applicable);
a presentation of the findings (if applicable) and a critical discussion and conclusion;
a complete list of the publications and other sources used;
any appendices (illustrations, statistics, etc.).

In addition, Art 124 of the Teaching and Examination Regulations stipulates:

"The master’s thesis must be submitted both in writing and in electronic form. In the Supplementary Faculty Teaching and Examinations Regulations, it is stated that, together with their master’s thesis, students must submit a publishable summary as well as an abstract to be included in the standard lists of theses published in Belgian specialist journals.”

The summary (both in English and in the language in which the master's thesis has been written) consists of 500-1000 words; the abstract is a brief statement in English of 100 to 150 words. The student further characterizes the master’s thesis in a series of key words.

The master’s thesis must have a minimum of 15,000 and a maximum of 30,000 words, excluding the appendices. Deviations from these length requirements are possible with the supervisor’s consent.

Study material

List of primary and secondary sources the student will consult while elaborating the various chapters of the master’s thesis.

Additional info

Submission of Topic.

The topic and name of the supervisor for the master’s thesis must be submitted to the departmental administration office by 31 October 2019 at the latest using the requisite form (available on the faculty website https://my.vub.ac.be/en/LW/regulations-forms#forms).

CAVEAT:

- If a student repeats a year, the subject and the name of the supervisor must be submitted again, even if no changes are made.

- Sanctions may be imposed by the Dean for any failure to comply with the timetable and/or any other of the requirements laid down in Article 118 of the Teaching and Examinations Regulations and in the Supplementary Faculty Teaching and Examinations Regulations.

- Any student wishing to change topic or switch supervisor must apply in writing to the Dean, stating the reasons therefore (see also the Teaching and Examinations Regulations, Art. 121).

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

The master's thesis is the assignment which finalises the master's programme. The student demonstrates his/her analytic and synthetic abilities and (limited) autonomous problem-solving abilities at an academic level. The assignment reflects the student's general critical- reflecting attitude and research attitude.

The student will demonstrate through the master's thesis that he/she

sufficiently masters the final competencies of the master's programme in Linguistics and Literary Studies, and that he/she is able to approach a topic in a scientific and critical way under the guidance of a supervisor.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Master Thesis determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Master Thesis category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Master Thesis with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

1. The topic and subject matter of the master’s thesis must be related to a field connected to the Linguistics and Literary Studies master’s diploma to be obtained. Moreover, the subject of the master's thesis must be related to the profile chosen by the student within the Master in Linguistics and Literary Studies. If this is not the case, the student will receive a sanction of an insufficient score.

2. For the Master in Linguistics and LiteraryStudies in two languages, the master's thesis must be written in one of the two main languages chosen for the master'sprogramme; for the Master in Linguisticsand Literary Studies in one language, thethesis must be written in the language chosen for the master's programme. If this is not the case, the student will receive a sanction of an insufficient score.

3. The master’s thesis must have a minimum of 15,000 and a maximum of 30,000 words,excluding the appendices. Length requirements may vary, based on the supervisor’s conditions. Make sure to discuss this with your supervisor before submitting your thesis topic. If the word count exceeds the recommended number, the student will receive a sanction of an insufficient score.

Aanvullende info mbt evaluatie

1. Jury

The jury is determined by the Course Council of the Master of Arts in Linguistics and Literary Studies.

It consists of two members:

- the supervisor

- one reader, in principle an academic staff member of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (one reader can be selected among external (i.e. non-VUB) specialists)

2. Procedure

Both jury members read and evaluate the master's thesis independent from each other, write an evaluation report and mark the Master's thesis (out of 20). Next, the evaluations are discussed during a deliberation session with all jury members. The final evaluation is the average of the evaluation by the two jury members.

According to Article 125 of the Teaching and Examinations Regulations, students may, on request, obtain the end result and consult the written reports, or receive a copy thereof, at least four working days before the end of the examinations period. The students are informed of the final result they have obtained by the departmental administration office.

Depending on this result, students may be entitled to an oral defense of their master’s thesis (for more details, see Art. 125 of the Teaching and Examinations Regulations + the supplementary faculty Teaching and Examinations Regulations, which may be consulted on the faculty website). The results of the master thesis are communicated to the students no later than on the Monday of the final exam week; students who wish to defend their research orally must request the oral defense by the Wednesday of the final exam week to the Head of the Department, who immediately takes the necessary steps to organize the oral defense.

3. Evaluation criteria

The student’s result is determined on the basis of the written master’s thesis that has been submitted.

The jury evaluates the master’s thesis according to the evaluation form that is communicated to the students in the Research Methodology course. The form evaluates the following aspects of the thesis:

- student's research attitude and progress;

- research problem and its context;

- research methodology and theory;

- presentation of the analysis and interpretation of the research results;

- source management;

- language and style;

- material presentation.

CAVEAT:

A master's thesis containing too many language errors can never get a pass mark, no matter how good the content.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context