Procedures and rules at ENSPAC

The following information is valid for you who are writing your thesis this Spring 2013.
(If you are writing your thesis this Autumn (2013) or later - read here)

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General rules about the thesis

The thesis must as a rule complete the Master’s degree programme. The thesis subject must be approved by the Head of Study of the programme where the thesis is to be written and the thesis must be handed in for assessment at RU.

Usually the thesis is written in groups, but it is also possible to wirte the thesis individually.

You can keep you informed about the rules in force for the thesis in the "rules for examinations" (Eksamensordningen).

Furthermore it is important that you keep ýourself updated conserninge the study agreement and attachments of your programme, as it is here the academic requirements are set.

You can find the study programme for each subject here (please note that only the Danish version of the acts has legal validity and that other applicalble acts than those translated or linked to here may exist).

Prescribed thesis supporting seminar (only for Geography and Planning Studies)

Students at Geography and Planning Studies must concurrently with the thesis work participate in a preschribed thesis supporting seminar.

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Types of theses

At RU it is possible to chose between various types of theses:

• Single subject thesis: You write the thesis in one of your Master’s degree subjects. The thesis is prescribed at 30 ECTS.
• Incorporated thesis (not for 1-subject TekSam): You write a complete thesis on your two Master's degree subjects. You must fulfil the requirements for both subjects. You must be signed up and submit your thesis in both subjects. The thesis is prescribed at 30 ECTS.
• Experimental thesis (only for 1-subject TekSam): You write a complete thesis with an experiemental construct. The thesis is prescribed at 45 ECTS.
  
  NB! You must in advance apply the study board to be able to complete an experimental thesis.
• Incorporated experimental thesis (not for the programme Working Life Studies and 1-subject TekSam): You write an incorporated thesis with an experimental construct in your two Master's degrees. You must fulfil the requirements for both subjects. You must be signed up and submit your thesis in both subjects. The thesis is prescribed at 60 ECTS.
 

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Thesis enrolment

In connection with the thesis you must apply for a thesis supervisor, sign a thesis contract and enrol for the thesis exam.

Supervisor application

You can apply for a supervisor in the same way as you do with other projects. The deadline for submitting an application is 11 February 2013. At Environmental Biolog you do not apply for a supervisor, but you make an agreement with one of the supervisors.

Thesis contract

In cooperation with the supervisor you must complete a plan for the thesis work and fill in a thesis contract. A thesis statement and a time-frame for the thesis work must be attached the thesis contract.

You can find the thesis contract here.

Only for TekSam: The students must fill in the thesis subject field. See the thesis subject field here.

The thesis contract must be signed by you and the supervisor. Afterwards the thesis contract is submitted to the secretariat for university graduates at ENSPAC.

Deadline for handing in the thsis contractc: 15 March 2013.

Afterwards the head of study signs the thesis contract and the deadline for submission is set. The study administration sends a copy of the thesis contract to you by mail. Now you are signed up and you cannot unregister the thesis procedure.

Registration for the thesis exam

Not later than 14 days before the submission of the thesis you must register for the thesis exam in STADS self-service. Here you will state whether you wish to terminate your thesis with an oral examination

If you do not register in time, you risk that the thesis evaluation is delayed.

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Submission of the thesis

Deadline for submission of the thesis:

The deadline depends on the size of the thesis (number of ECTS): 

Deadlines for handind in the thesis:

Deadline depends on the size of the thesis (number of ECTS):

For you who write a thesis of 30 ECTS and have all the courses needed: 2 September 2013.

For you who wirte a thesis of 30 ECTS and do not have all the courses of 8-15 ECTS: 2 December 2013.

For you who write a thesis of 30 ECTS and do not have all the courses of 16-30 ECTS: 31 Januar 2014.

For you who write experimental thesis of 45 ECTS: 2 December 2013.

For you who write incorporated thesis of 60 ECTS: 31 Januar 2014.

If you don't pass in your Master's Thesis before the submission deadline, you have used a thesis attempt.

Description of course of study

Students on Geography and TekSam must besides the thesis also hand in a descriptin of course of study.

Geography students must hand in the description of course of study at the same time as the thesis. The supervisor must approve and sign the description of course of study.

TekSam students must hand in the description of course of study no later than 14 days before the submission of the thesis to Birgitte Petersen at the secretariat for university graduates at ENSPAC. Afterwards the study board decides whether the description of course of study can be approved.

Thesis front page

On the front page of the thesis the following information must appear:

• Title of the thesis
• Name and student number
• Subject
• Supervisor(s)
• Deadline for submission
• Number of standard pages

This is how you submit your thesis

You must submit one copy of the thesis for the RU archive. This is done by uploading the thesis to RUDAR (project library).

You must submit one copy of the thesis into the pigeonhole of the thesis supervisor(s).

You must submit one copy of the thesis to the secretariat for university graduates at ENSPAC together with a receipt that the thesis is uploaded in RUDAR. You can hand in the thesis within the opening hours of the study administration at ENSPAC.

You are also requested to submit one extra copy of the thesis which can be used in connection with open house events to promote the programme you have chosen. However this is optional.

If you wirte an incorporated thesis you must also submit a copy of the thesis to the other programme.

You will receive a receipt that you have submitted the thesis.

Postponement of the thesis deadline

You can apply for postponement of the thesis deadline under special circumstances. You apply for postponement by sending a mail to the secretariat for university graduates at ENSPAC.

If the circumstances is illness where the nature and extent of the illness prevents you from finishing and submitting the thesis, the illness must be documented by a doctor's note which must reach the secretariat for university graduates at ENSPAC no later than 8 days after the first day of illness.

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Grading of the thesis

Your thesis is graded within 2 months after the submission. You can chose between two kinds of grading:

Grading solely on the basis of the thesis:

Group theses which are graded solely on the basis of the theses must be individualized. It must clearly appear from the thesis who is responsible for the individual paragraph in the thesis.

Grading by oral examination:

The submission of the thesis is followed up by a oral examination. Specialebedømmelsen er en samlet bedømmelse af specialeafhandlingen og den mundtlige eksamen. Karakteren gives umiddelbart efter eksamen.

The grading of the thesis is a joint grading of the thesis and the oral examination. The grades are given immediately after the examination.

NB! You must also remember to register on https://aarskort.ruc.dk/ for each semester - even though you already have sumbitted your thesis. If you don't you cannot get the thesis graded.

A prior recognition

A prior recognition is a document where the examiners undertake that the thesis can be passed.

A prior recognition can in this way substantiate - before the final grading - that you will obtain a Master's degree. This may prove relevant in connection with unemployment benefit. It can also be relevant in connection with obtaining pay on "Master's degree level", when you start working.

You can only apply for a prior recognition if you have chosen a grading solely on the basis of the thesis. You can not get a prior recognition if you choose oral examination.

The application form to get a prior recognition is acquired at the unemployment insurance fund/trade union. The form must be submitted together with the thesis. Together with the form is enclosed a postmarked envelope with your address on. When the examiners have made a prior recognition of your thesis, you will receive the form by post.

After the grading

If you wish to receive unemployment benefit, you must no later than 14 days after you are fully-fledged, join an unemployment insurance fund. This also counts if you have obtained work.

Contact your unemployment insurance fund/trade union for further information about the rules and regulations.

Read more about the unemployment insurance fund, work and career here.

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Study facilities

At ENSPAC there are thesis rooms available in building 12.1, room 45 and 59 and in building 02, room 141. You find the rooms and "reserve a seat" in the room yourself.

Furthermore you can be member of the facebook-group called ’specialestuderende på ENSPAC’, where you can share good advice and experiences with other thesis students.

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New thesis attempt

If you do not submit the thesis before the deadline and there is no exceptional reason, you will have used one examination attempt. You will then automatically begin a new thesis attempt.

In this situation you must:

• register for the exam in STADS self-service no later than 14 days before the original submisson deadline. (Also if you are not following the original terms, concerning submission deadlines).
• inform the ENSPAC Study administration that you want a new thesis attempt.
• as soon as possible contact the thesis supervisor(s) and formulate a new thesis statement and a time-frame and also fill in a contract for a new thesis attempt. You will find the contract here.

The contract must be sighed by you and by the thesis supervisor(s) and submitted to the ENSPAC Study adminitration. The new thesis statement and time-frame must be enclosed.

The new thesis statement must be a new one compared to the previous statement. It can however be within the same subject area. The change must place new demands on the thesis which correspond to 3 months thesis work in compared to the previous attempt.

The submission deadline is 3 months after the previous deadline.

You have the right to a 2nd and 3rd thesis attempt.

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Questions

If you have further questions to the thesis work, please contact ENSPAC Studievejledning or ENSPAC Studieadministration.