About this course

The master's thesis consists of an independent research or development project that is carried out in the last semester of the master's program for full-time students and in the last two semesters of the program for part-time students. The master's thesis can be submitted in writing or in multimodal form and carried out individually or in collaboration between two or three students. The student or students will receive supervision along the way from an appointed supervisor and co-supervisor(s). The supervision shall ensure that the student or students receive advice on the design and execution of action learning projects and fieldwork as well as other data collection and literature. Supervision shall also follow up compliance with research ethics guidelines. The master's thesis is professionally oriented.

Learning outcome

After completing the master's thesis, the student should be able to:

  • Develop, carry out and demonstrate an independent and situated research or development project with action learning as a strategy, individually or in collaboration with others, based on a reasoned problem with underlying research questions
  • Use and discuss relevant vocational pedagogical theory, recent research in the field, professional practice and qualitative research methods as tools in the work on the research or development project
  • Analyze and draw conclusions from the research or development project
  • Present, share and critically discuss knowledge developed in the research or development project with colleagues or other partners in training.
  • Document the exploration in the master's thesis in writing, orally and possibly through other forms of expression.
  • Assess the research or development project with regard to research ethics, including any necessary approvals from Sikt

  • Learning activities

    Independent work, individually and in groups, under supervision. In addition, a master's degree forum is arranged with seminars in the spring semester for full-time students, in the autumn and spring semesters of the last year of study for part-time students.

  • Teaching support

    Students who submit an individual assignment are entitled to 40 hours of supervision. If the student collaborates with other students on the master's thesis, the time frame for supervision of the master's thesis is increased by 20 hours for each student, with the right to 60 hours of supervision for the master's thesis with two students, 80 hours for the master's thesis with three students. The student or students work independently beyond this offer of supervision. Supervision in the master's forum also offers support from the supervisor within the framework given above.

  • Syllabus

    Teaching materials developed individually.

  • Prerequisites

    Requires admission to a professional master's degree with practical pedagogical education within a profile of nature-based production and activities.

  • Assessment method

    Written or multimodal assignment with oral defence counts 100 %.

    Master thesis Karakterregel: Letter grades Master thesis with oral defence Karakterregel: Letter grades

  • About use of AI

    In the course, full use of AI is permitted (level K3). The student must account for how and why AI has been used in the thesis. Furthermore, the student must discuss how and why the use of AI contributes to the development of their own professional and research methodological competence.

    Descriptions of AI-category codes.

  • Examiner scheme

    The internal and external examiner will participate in the assessment of the thesis and the oral examination.

  • Mandatory activity

    A signed contract between student(s) and supervisor(s) with a progress plan is submitted to the faculty before work on the master's thesis can start.

  • Teaching hours

    The student(s) work part-time, 50%, with the thesis in the autumn and spring semesters. Master's degree forum with seminars, online and/or physical attendance.