Master's Thesis & Research Internship

Course goals

• a critical attitude in academic research and discussion in the field of Urban and Economic Geography;
• awareness of the importance of scientific integrity,
• knowledge and understanding of recent international academic literature and debates relating to the theme of research;

and the student will be able to:

• design and undertake independently and systematically an academic research project at the Master level in the field of Urban and Economic Geography;
• formulate a consistent, academically and societally relevant research objective, research question, and, if appropriate, a conceptual model;
• select and apply appropriate research techniques for the gathering and analysis of research data;
• give written and verbal reports on the results of the research project;
• reflect critically on both the research methods used and the research results achieved;
• make relevant (policy) recommendations based on the analysis.

Content

The master’s thesis is the grand finale of the Master’s programme. You get to apply the knowledge you have acquired in the courses of the programme in an individual research trajectory. The thesis is thus the ultimate test to see if you fulfil the learning outcomes of the programme.

You will specialize in a subject that fits with the current research themes and groups within Urban and Economic Geography. Depending on your ambition and interests, you focus on one of these themes, or you can develop your own research proposal. After the research proposal has been approved, you execute the research and report the result in the form of a written thesis. You will also present your progress in an oral mid-term presentation.

Most of the master’s thesis projects involve or can be combined with internships at private and public organizations. In that case, the thesis and internship form a coherent research project. This means that all internships should be explicitly aimed at gathering data and writing the master’s thesis.