- •Master's thesis methodical guide Regulations on procedures for preparation, presentation and defense of master’s thesis
- •Contents
- •1 General Issues
- •2 Master’s Thesis Writing and Defense
- •2.1 Selection of Master’s Thesis Topic
- •2.2 Approval of Thesis Topic and Supervisor
- •2.3 Responsibilities of Master Student and Thesis Supervisor
- •2.4 Individual Plan of Master Student Work
- •2.5 Certification and Interim Evaluation of Master’s Thesis
- •2.6 Final evaluation of Master’s Thesis by Supervisor
- •2.8 Reviewing of Master’s Thesis
- •2.9 Submission of Master’s Thesis by Head of Department
- •2.10 Preparation to Master’s Thesis Defense
- •2.11 Defense of Master’s Thesis
- •3 Reference Guide for Content and Formatting Thesis
- •3.1 General Formatting Rules
- •3.2 Abstract
- •3.3 Contents
- •3.4 Symbols and abbreviations
- •3.5 Introduction
- •3.6 Body text
- •3.7 Visual Content in Text
- •Figure 2.1 — State expenses on education in eu, million euro
- •3.8 Summary
- •3.9 Bibliography
- •3.10 Appendices
- •Appendix a Nomination of Thesis Title and Supervisor form
- •Theoretical foundations of strategic trade policy
- •The commercial disputes in the world information market
- •Dispute Settlement Process
- •Appendix g Formatting Requirements to Thesis
- •Appendix j Abstract sample
- •Abstract
- •Appendix к Table of Contents sample
- •Table of contents
- •Appendix l Symbols and Abbreviations sample symbols and abbreviations
- •Appendix м Specimen of Tables and Figures Formatting
- •Figure м — Share of tourism in total governmental expenditures in developing countries during 2000-2009
- •Appendix n References sample
- •Appendix p Bibliography sample bibliography
- •Appendix q Certificate of Adoption of Master’s Thesis Findings form
2.4 Individual Plan of Master Student Work
Making a working plan of writing master’s thesis, which has to be fixed in a form entitled INDIVIDUAL PLAN OF MASTER STUDENT WORK (IPMSW) is one of the obligatory stages in the master program. This stage is to be realized jointly by student and supervisor. Afterwards the IPMSW must be signed by the student, supervisor and head of Department, then discussed at the Department’s session and finally approved by the BSEU Rector.
The thesis-writing timetable should be fixed in point 2, “Work on master’s thesis” of IPMSW. Schedule for submission of drafts and approval of the final version is at the supervisor’s discretion. It may include the following stages:
Begin research; prepare abstract, bibliography, and outline;
Meet with prospective supervisor;
Give first draft to supervisor;
Give revised, final version to supervisor;
Final, clean copy of thesis, with title page signed by supervisor;
See the example of IPMSW in appendix B.
On page 3 of IPMSW the exact title of the master’s thesis and supervisor approved by Department must be fixed (with the number of minutes and its date).
On page 4 of IPMSW the student should present the full structure and plan of the thesis with sections and subsections as well as the aim of the research.
2.5 Certification and Interim Evaluation of Master’s Thesis
Students regularly report to the supervisor and Department on the preparation of their thesis.
A timetable for meetings and submission of drafts is discussed and agreed on mutually with supervisor, then fixed in IPMSW. Non-compliance with the submitted timetable by student is considered as non-fulfillment of the IPMSW. Based on this, the student is not admitted to defend his (her) thesis.
In most cases, the student and supervisor need to meet three or four times: initially, to finalize a topic, and to review the first or second draft – and more during thesis’s investigations. Keep in mind that the supervisor must have enough time to read and evaluate work before returning it to the student with comments, and that the student must have time to incorporate those comments. It is the student’s responsibility to see that the final copy is free from spelling and grammatical errors; the supervisor is not responsible for proof reading.
The certification is a kind of interim assessment of master student program progress. A master’s thesis certification is organized once a semester to ensure that the student is making adequate progress and the supervisory relationship is working well. At the end of the last semester a more substantial master’s thesis progress report is to be completed. The date of certification is specified by the management of the Department.
To attend evaluation procedure master’s student must:
prepare a substantial paper report using standard form (appendix C). According to thesis results presented in the report, the preparedness level of the work is determined;
get it submitted and signed by supervisor and Head of Department;
fill out the IPMSW jointly with supervisor. On page 5 of IPMSW, the supervisor makes comments and recommendations to student based on intermediate evaluation of IPMSW, master program and master thesis taking into account the Department’s resolution on that student’s work.
The final evaluation of the master student’s thesis made by the Department gives the resolution granting the right of submission to its defense. The respective notes are to be fixed on page 6 of IPMSW and signed by the student, supervisor and head of Department.