Master’s Thesis in Media and Communication

F2026

Media and Communication

Master Thesis

Mandatory

English

Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk

You register for activities through stads selvbetjening during the announced registration period, which you can see on the Study administration homepage.

Registration for project-exam: Please remember to confirm your registration by signing up for exam as a group when the group formation is final. The registration is through STADS Online Student Service

When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts and overlaps between course and exam time and dates. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programmes, which should not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programmes, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

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David Mathieu (mathieu@ruc.dk)

David Mathieu (mathieu@ruc.dk)

IKH Registration & Exams (ikh-exams@ruc.dk)

U60320

The thesis is a problem-oriented, exemplary, and participant-driven course, where the student develops and documents knowledge, skills, and competencies to work with a defined, self-chosen, academic research question. The course includes a written dissertation and an oral defence.

Product: If there is a mediated communication product that is the result of the student(s)' independent efforts, the dissertation must contain an account of the theoretical and practical considerations in connection with planning, organization, and assessment of the production/process, and for the experiences that are gained. Emphasis is given that the form of presentation corresponds to the content and purpose of the communication, including the target group's preferences and background, and that it relates to current conventions and formal requirements within the genre.

The dissertation must be based on relevant, academic literature of at least 1500 pages.

IMPORTANT: Students are asked to prepare a thesis proposal already in their third semester. It is therefore strongly recommended that you start thinking about your thesis already at the beginning of the third semester (September). Two thesis seminars are organized in October to support this process. See study.ruc.dk regarding your third semester activities for more details. Additionally, your thesis proposal needs to be approved by the programme before you are allocated a supervisor and can start work on the thesis. The process is as follow:

Process for approval of thesis proposal for students starting to work on their thesis in January:

November 1st to 15th: Students registered themselves to the thesis activity in the administrative system STADS. They enter a tentative title for their thesis and a short description of the topic or area of research they wish to work with.

November 15th to December 1st: A Moodle page is created for the Thesis activity and students are registered to it.

November 1st to December 1st: Students work on their thesis proposal. (Students taking electives have week 47 to work on their thesis proposal).

December 1st at 10:00: Students hand-in a full-fledged thesis proposal (maximum 2 pages) in Moodle.

December 8th: Students get their thesis proposal approved or are asked to work further on their proposal. Feedback is given on what needs to be improved.

December 15th: Second hand-in in Moodle for students who need to improve their thesis proposal.

December 19th: Final approval of the thesis proposal for those who made revisions.

Template for the thesis proposal:

Aim for ½ to 1 page of prose, supplemented with 1 page of literature.

To develop your thesis proposal, seek inspiration from the “pentagon model” in the book Rienecker, L., & Jørgensen, P. S. (2015). The good paper: A handbook for writing papers in higher education. Samfundslitteratur.

Acknowledging that the initial thesis proposal is a starting point for your thinking, and not a finished proposal, you can aim to answer these 4 questions:

1) What problem or question related to media and communication (MAC) am I interested in investigating in my thesis? (the “What” of the pentagon model):

• Does the proposal relate centrally to MAC studies?

• Does the proposal formulate a concrete problem or research question at the basis of the investigation?

2) What leads me to believe this is problematic in MAC? (the “Why” of the pentagon model):

• Does the proposal provide academic assumptions, evidences or argumentation that substantiate the existence of the problem or the relevance of the research question?

3) Which academic literature do I draw on to support my investigation?

• Has the proposal sufficiently related to the literature in MAC studies?

4) What are my preliminary thoughts on research design or analysis strategy? (the “How” in the pentagon model):

• Does the proposal mention relevant research methodologies, methods and data that can provide an empirical basis to the investigation?

• Can the proposal be realized within the time frame of the master thesis (5 months)? The proposal should be well-written, easy to understand, and its formulation should draw on relevant concepts and ideas within MAC studies. Avoid common sense and draw on the conceptual language of MAC studies.

Include a bibliography of selected literature (maximum 1 page).

All in all, the proposal should not be longer than 2 pages (4800 characters including spaces), including the bibliography.

The Master thesis must be based on relevant, academic literature of at least 1500 pages. The students have responsibility for assembling this corpus of literature in continuous dialogue with the supervisor.

The total study effort for the student (ECTS points converted into hours) = 810 hours. This includes preparation such as review of literature, reading, collection of empirical material, etc.and the redaction of the thesis itself, including a summary. The dissertation must be based on relevant, academic literature of at least 1500 pages. In connection with the dissertation, the student(s) must prepare a communication assignment in which the thesis' research questions and findings (or parts thereof) are communicated to a specific target group.

Standardized evaluation in accordance with the rotating evaluation scheme implemented by the Study Board. https://intra.ruc.dk/nc/en/employees/organisation/councils-and-committes/list-of-study-boards/board-of-studies-for-the-communication-programmes/work-on-quality-in-the-education-programme/the-study-boards-evaluation-practice/

At the end of the master's thesis, the student is able to:

• Identify, account for and discuss relevant research-based knowledge within the field of study of the program.

• Understand and discuss the position of one’s own thesis within the academic field.

• Apply and master scientific theories and methods while working on a limited, academics, and relevant research question.

• Identify relevant scientific research questions.

• Be critical of and select scientific sources, literature, theory and methods.

• Analyze, categorize, discuss, argue, reflect, and evaluate on a scientific basis and in a way that is part of an existing academic discussion.

• Write in accordance with academic norms and with a view to an academic target group.

• Independently initiate, manage, and implement a long-term academic research and writing process.

• Reflect on and take responsibility for one’s own professional and written language development and topical specialization.

Master's thesis exam based on the written product and the oral exam

The master's thesis can be written individually or in a group. Permitted group size: 2-4 students.

The oral exam is individual for students who have written the thesis alone or students who have requested an individual exam. All other oral master's thesis exams are conducted as group exams.

The assessment is individual and based on the student's individual performance.
The assessment is an assessment of the master's thesis and the oral performance.

The character limits of the master's thesis are:
For 1 student: 144,000-192,000 characters, including spaces.
For 2 students: 153,600-216,000 characters, including spaces.
For 3 students: 168,000-230,400 characters, including spaces.
For 4 students: 180,000-264,000 characters, including spaces.

The character limits include the cover, table of contents, abstract, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude appendices.

The master's thesis must include an abstract.
The abstract can either be written in English or Danish.
The abstract is included in the overall assessment.

Time allowed for the exam including time used for assessment for:
1 student: 30 minutes.
2 students: 60 minutes.
3 students: 75 minutes.
4 students: 90 minutes.

Writing and spelling skills in the thesis are part of the assessment.

Permitted support and preparation materials at the oral exam: All.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale
Moderation: External examiner

Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam

The exam consists of a written thesis followed by an oral defense.

The thesis must meet all formal requirements. In the assessment of the written thesis, emphasis is placed on the extent to which the student can:

• Select, explain, and discuss relevant research-based knowledge within the field of study and apply it to work on a defined, professional, and relevant problem.

• Understand and discuss the position of their own thesis research within the field of media and communication and critically evaluate the sources, theories, and methods used.

• Analyze, categorize, discuss, argue for, reflect upon, and evaluate knowledge in a manner consistent with the field of research and in relation to existing discussions within that field.

• Write in accordance with academic norms and with an academic audience in mind, including summarizing the thesis's structure and main points in a concise and precise abstract.

• Independently initiate, manage, and complete a long-term academic research and writing process.

In the assessment of the communication article, emphasis is placed on the extent to which the student can:

• Communicate the thesis's problem and proposed solutions in a communication article targeted in a professionally precise and clear manner to a specific audience and/or communication channel – this could be internally within an organization, to a specific professional group, or to a broader public.

• Select and use appropriate forms of communication (written, oral, visual, auditory, spatial) to the subject matter and target audience.

In the assessment of any production as part of the thesis work, emphasis is placed on the extent to which:

• The production contributes to investigating and answering the thesis's problem.

• The product adheres to the conventions and formal requirements within the chosen genre.

• The student can explain the theoretical and practical considerations and choices made in connection with the planning, organization, and possible evaluation of the product.

In the assessment of the oral thesis defense, emphasis is also placed on the extent to which the student can:

• Orally present the thesis's problem and main arguments clearly and using well-chosen forms of communication.

• Critically and reflectively justify and take responsibility for their own professional development and specialization.

A combined assessment is made on the basis of the written and oral parts of the exam.

Students are referred to the following guidelines regarding exam cheating and its consequences: https://intra.ruc.dk/en/students/study-administration/everything-about-exam/avoid-cheating-at-exams/