This course prepares you for writing your master’s thesis in the MSc. Learning & Development in Organisations programme. Together, we will work on the following objectives:

* Understanding the elements of a high-quality master thesis
* Formulating researchable, relevant, and feasible research questions
* Conducting your own research using quantitative and/or qualitative methods
* Applying principles of research ethics and data management to your master thesis
* Effectively communicating through academic writing

This course relates to the following programme objectives: problem-solving, academic reasoning, research skills, communication skills

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHOD(S) USED IN THIS COURSE IS WITH RESERVATION. A RE-EMERGENCE OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND NEW COUNTERMEASURES BY THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT MIGHT FORCE COORDINATORS TO CHANGE THE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS USED. THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHING/ASSESSMENT METHOD(S) WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE COURSE SYLLABUS.

Writing a master thesis is a milestone in your academic work and represents a great learning experience. You will work as an independent researcher to explore a research question through analysing data, such as surveys, videos, interviews, experiments, or even existing papers. Together with your supervisor, you will implement everything you are learning about how to conduct high-quality research and how to communicate effectively through academic writing.

Throughout this process, you will receive support in the form of the skills training in periods 1-3, as well as from your thesis supervisor. The aim of this skills course is to support you in organizing and planning your work, in developing the necessary skills for conducing your research and for writing your thesis using the principles of academic writing.

You can find a range of interactive tools, videos, instructions, and examples on our Canvas page. We also recommend further readings that are available via the UM Library.