Thesis & Supervisor
Thesis
A student’s thesis reports the hypotheses and study results of their research program and exposes the work to scholarly criticism. It represents a single body of work, put together with craftsmanship, with integrated material.
Although students are not required to start writing their thesis until Term 3, they should begin planning their project as soon as they enter the program. MScM core courses expose students to various research methodologies that help refine a student’s research design in order to effectively answer their research questions. Students work closely with their supervisors to ensure the elective courses they take expose them to topics and publications relevant to the area of a student’s research interest.
Once the required coursework is completed (usually by Term 3), students begin to work on their thesis. The methodologies used for data collection will vary from student to student based on their research interests and areas of study, and may include: secondary data analysis, survey research, experiments, simulations or qualitative field studies involving ethnographic techniques.
Oral defense
To prepare for an oral defense in the final term of a student’s studies (Term 4), the supervisor will appoint an examining committee. The examining committee will read the written thesis prior to the defense. The oral defense consists of a presentation by the student of the main contributions and conclusions of the work and a Q&A period.
Finding a supervisory match is a part of the successful application to the MScM program.