MAST302 Planning the Master Thesis - Landscape Architecture

The course gives an introduction to important aspects of planning and conducting a master thesis, within the programme of landscape architecture. The following topics are covered:

• Development of a problem statement
• Search for literature, and other references.
• Choice of methods: methods within landscape architecture and interview methods etc.
• Aesthetic and academic criticism and reflection.

The aim of the course is to prepare a plan for the completion of the thesis, which can be used as a starting point in the master thesis semester.

The course is built up with 2 parts: One commonly organised module in the spring parallell with lectures, seminars and compulsory assignments and one individual module organised by supervisors. The supervision part may be organised as group work.

• The students should acquire the competance needed to develop a project in plan conduct an independent research or design/planning project within the frame of a 30 ECTS.
• The students should be able to:
  • Develop a researchable or solvable landscape architectural problem statement.
  • Set up a thesis framework (project plan)
  • Argue for the chosen problem statement’s potential for innovation within the field.
• The students gain insight into the necessity of method, creative approach and critical thinking and argumentation.
• The students should be able to evaluate ethical and other contextual problems connected to their work on the thesis.
• The students will gain knowledge about the GDPR-regulations and how it is relevant to their work: https://www.nmbu.no/om/utvalg/etikk/personvern.