Master's Thesis in Computational Engineering (MODMAS60)

Content

The master thesis focuses on a particular problem that the student will address during a 9 month period of research. The particular problem will depend on the student's interest and will be developed under the supervision of a University of Stavanger staff member and possibly an external supervisor. A formal acceptance (email) has to be obtained to register for the thesis. In respect to a regular thesis of 4.5 months, the option of two semester thesis implied more difficult and demanding work. The additional time allows students to gain a domain specialisation, with more independent work. This opportunity is intended to increase the chances of the students to obtain a specific job in industry or to improve the qualifications for a PhD position.

Thesis topics are relevant to the program, and the student will have the opportunity to select or propose topics. The thesis will include significant components of research and writing. The student is encouraged to participate in auxiliary courses provided by the University of Stavanger and its library.

Learning outcome

A candidate who has completed and passed his or her master thesis has acquired the following learning outcomes:

• Is able to present and communicate extensive independent work
• Can describe the problem clearly and masters the terms and expressions within the academic field
• Has acquired an overview of relevant international literature, scientific reporting and ethical standards in the field, and manages to deal critically with various sources of information
• Is able to analyse relevant theoretical models and/or studies supported by scientific research
• Masters analysis of relevant scholarly tools and techniques
• Is able to give an account of the academic problem and analyse results and independent conclusions according to the problem
• Is able to reflect upon and evaluate his/her own work in a critical manner
• Is able to defend high moral standards in scientific, as well as other, context, thus being a good role model

Required prerequisite knowledge

To qualify for writing the 60-ECTS master’s thesis, students must have successfully completed at least 30 ECTS according to their study plan by May 15th of the semester before writing the thesis. Students must achieve a minimum average grade of C in these courses.

Students are responsible for securing their own supervisor and project. Details of the agreed supervisor and project must be submitted to the study coordinator and program leader by the deadline of May 15th. The program leader will then approve the project.

If a student does not meet one or more of these requirements, they may apply to write the master’s thesis outside the regular period or opt to write a 30-credit master’s thesis in the following spring semester.

See all rules regarding the master's thesis here.

Exam

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

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Method of work

Project work: The project work varies with each thesis topic. Some thesis topics are theoretical, develop a new algorithm, and others working with datasets; therefore, the focus of research activities may be different. All thesis projects will include significant literature research and usage of a computer.

Communication with supervisor: It is important for both student and supervisor to establish a successful cooperation throughout the work progress. This can for example be accomplished through regular meetings where the student presents and discusses the work progress. A good practice is that the student has written something prior to the meeting as a basis for discussions with the supervisor. Any written work or papers that the student would like to discuss should be shared with the supervisor prior to the meeting.

Managing the project: While regular communication with the supervisor is encouraged, the student should create a realistic schedule to ensure progress in the project. The schedule should include milestones and deadlines such as when the bulk of literature research should be completed; when different phases of experiments, interpretation or field work should be completed; and when each thesis section should be written for review. It is an advantage for the student to start the writing process as soon as possible. Beginning the writing process with an outline will help you maintain an organized approach to wrting.

Thesis content: Master's theses can have several different forms. Many theses include construction- or experimental work, while other theses are more theoretical. A thesis can be an overview-based thesis where an overview of a concept is made out of different literature sources, a more complementary discussion-based thesis, or a thesis aiming to solve a specific problem or develop a product. A thesis must include motivation and a clearly defined aim with research questions, be well-structured and be well well-written. The discussion should include the ethical (c.f. the Norwegian National Committee for Ethics and Research - the Guidelines for Resarch Ethics in Science and Technology - https://www.forskningsetikk.no/en/guidelines/science-and-technology/guidelines-for-research-ethics-in-science-and-technology/) and environmental consequences of discoveries/themes/developed products. The general sections of a thesis are: introduction to the topic and problem with the motivation of the study, aim, and research questions; literature review; geologic setting, if applicable; method or experiment; data or list of materials; presentation of results; discussion of results; and conclusions in which the research questions are answered and future work from the study is proposed. The arguments for and against a certain statement must be logically presented and supported by literature. A fellow student with a similar background should be able to read the thesis without having to use extra information in order to understand the message. Reproduction of content from teaching books etc. about general theory and knowledge should be limited. The candidate must make a list of references for the thesis and properly cite those references in the thesis text.

Any text, code, figure, or other material created by a learning language model or artificial intelligence must be cited and documented.

If the text is proofread and improved by a learning language model or artificial intelligence, a declaration must be made in the submission, such as in the Acknowledgements. "This text has been proofread and improved by SERVICE on DATE."

We recommend all students to read the student guide for bachelor's- and master's theses: https://www.uis.no/en/engineering/thesis-writing-at-faculty-of-science-and-technology

Open for

Course assessment

Literature