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how-to-write-a-masters-thesis [2022/03/21 10:34]
lopatkova [Timeline] |
how-to-write-a-masters-thesis [2022/03/21 11:00]
lopatkova [Timeline] |
| The exact dates of everything that happens at the [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/|Faculty of Mathematics and Physics]], such as beginnings and ends of semesters, deadlines for courses and exams enrollments, deadlines for theses submissions and theses exams, is strictly bound by an official [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|Academic Calendar]] of the faculty. Look out for the exact deadlines of the required actions in the current version. | The exact dates of everything that happens at the [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/|Faculty of Mathematics and Physics]], such as beginnings and ends of semesters, deadlines for courses and exams enrollments, deadlines for theses submissions and theses exams, is strictly bound by an official [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|Academic Calendar]] of the faculty. Look out for the exact deadlines of the required actions in the current version. |
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| With that in mind, let's say that a typical master's curriculum takes two academic years (four semesters). Master's thesis writing is officially a three-semester course, consisting of three subsequent (!) semesters each of which you must subscribe to in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]], in the appointed deadline. //ML: ALE to není oficiámní požadavek a často si studenti zapíší všechny tři kurzy až najednou na konci čtvrtého semestru (což je zejména důležité pro LCT studenty).// | With that in mind, let's say that a typical master's curriculum takes two academic years (four semesters). Master's thesis writing is officially a three-semester course, consisting of three subsequent (!) semesters each of which you must subscribe to in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]], in the appointed deadline. //ML: ALE to není oficiámní požadavek a často si studenti zapíší všechny tři kurzy až najednou na konci čtvrtého semestru (což je zejména důležité **pro LCT studenty**).// |
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| That generates roughly the following course of action: | That generates roughly the following course of action: |
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| * **1st year winter semester:** Starting your first semester as a master's student. Before the end of this semester, start looking around for a possible topic of your thesis. There are two ways to select your topic: | * **1st year winter semester:** Starting your first semester as a master's student. Before the end of this semester, start looking around for a possible topic of your thesis. PRESUN NIZ <del>There are two ways to select your topic: |
| - You can go to the module Thesis (Selection of subject) in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] which lists an offer of yet unsubscribed theses. If any of them catches your eye, contact the supervisor by e-mail. | - You can go to the module Thesis (Selection of subject) in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] which lists an offer of yet unsubscribed theses. If any of them catches your eye, contact the supervisor by e-mail. |
| - If you have a cool topic in mind, you can also approach a prospective supervisor with your idea and ask if they would be willing to supervise you. | - If you have a cool topic in mind, you can also approach a prospective supervisor with your idea and ask if they would be willing to supervise you. |
| - You can also approach a prospective advisor if they would be willing to supervise you and then discuss a potential topic. | - You can also approach a prospective advisor if they would be willing to supervise you and then discuss a potential topic.</del> |
| * **1st year summer semester:** Having agreed with you supervisor, enroll to the first of the three master's thesis courses in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]]. Most of the communication with your supervisor is conveyed via email, with preferably regular, but sometimes occasional meetings in person (replace person by zoom in covid times). In this semester, you will likely get acquainted with the topic: You will be assigned some scientific papers to read, probably learn new technologies, get access to computation grid, etc. At the end of this semester, your supervisor will grant you credit for the first master's thesis course. | * **1st year summer semester:** Having agreed with you supervisor, enroll to the first of the three master's thesis courses in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]]. Most of the communication with your supervisor is conveyed via email, with preferably regular, but sometimes occasional meetings in person (replace person by zoom in covid times). In this semester, you will likely get acquainted with the topic: You will be assigned some scientific papers to read, probably learn new technologies, get access to computation grid, etc. At the end of this semester, your supervisor will grant you credit for the first master's thesis course. |
| * **2nd year winter semester**: Again, don't forget to enroll for the second of the master's thesis courses. In this semester, some serious coding usually happens. If you haven't started in the previous semester, you will probably design experiments, guided by your supervisor. You will implement code for these experiments, run it on the computational grid. If your thesis is more practical one, you may implement an application. This semester is very busy and if your topic was chosen well, it is usually (at least mildly) fun :) At the end of semester, you will be granted credit for the course. | * **2nd year winter semester**: Again, don't forget to enroll for the second of the master's thesis courses. In this semester, some serious coding usually happens. If you haven't started in the previous semester, you will probably design experiments, guided by your supervisor. You will implement code for these experiments, run it on the computational grid. If your thesis is more practical one, you may implement an application. This semester is very busy and if your topic was chosen well, it is usually (at least mildly) fun :) At the end of semester, you will be granted credit for the course. |
| * **2nd year summer semester**: Finishing the experiments, polishing your application. But mostly, the writing. I will say more about the actual writing later in the following sections. Again, hopefully, you will be credited and will pass the third and last of the master's thesis courses at the end of this semester. | * **2nd year summer semester**: Finishing the experiments, polishing your application. But mostly, the writing. I will say more about the actual writing later in the following sections. Again, hopefully, you will be credited and will pass the third and last of the master's thesis courses at the end of this semester. |
| | * **End of study**: Prior to being //ML: allowed to submit your thesis and// admitted to final exams, one has to have successfully cleared any other pending duties of the master's study, such as passed the mandatory exams and collected credits in sufficient amount, according to the specifications of your study programme. T<del>he master's programme is finished by taking a final exam, which consists of two parts: |
| | - Master's study defense (''obhajoba'' in Czech): requires submitting the electronic (PDF) and the paper (hardcover) version of the thesis in the appointed [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]], enrolling for the exam in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] (again, the in the official [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]]) and obviously, showing up for the defence. More about the actual thesis defense later. |
| | - Master's state final examinations (''státnice'' in Czech): requires [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|registering]] for the examination in the required [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]] and showing up for the examination. Also more on the examination later.</del> |
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| | <del> So each of both parts is offered separately in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]], each of them must be enrolled in the required [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]] and they can be taken jointly or separately in three possible terms throughout the year: ''summer'' (June), ''autumn'' (September) and ''winter'' (February). Please note that the deadline for registration differs for each of the terms. There is a preferred way, when everything went well, and that is the summer final examination after the 2nd year's summer semester, taking both the defense and examination, which places the registration for both examinations and the submission of the thesis somewhere to **[[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|May]]**. </del> |
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| //ML: However, this ideal timetable is not applicable in all case, especially, e.g., for LCT students who spend one year abroad - LCT students typically select the topic **at the beginning of their second year**, i.e. during October (note that those doing their second year at another university still must find a co-supervisor from Prague.// | //ML: However, this ideal timetable is not applicable in all case, especially, e.g., for LCT students who spend one year abroad - LCT students typically select the topic **at the beginning of their second year**, i.e. during October (note that those doing their second year at another university still must find a co-supervisor from Prague.// |
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| | ===== Selecting the Topic and Finding the Supervisor ===== |
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| * **End of study**: Prior to being admitted to final exams, one has to have successfully cleared any other pending duties of the master's study, such as passed the mandatory exams and collected credits in sufficient amount, according to the specifications of your study programme. The master's programme is finished by taking a final exam, which consists of two parts: | There are //ML: <del>two</del> several// ways to **select your topic**: |
| | - You can go to the module Thesis (Selection of subject) in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] which lists an offer of yet unsubscribed theses. If any of them catches your eye, contact the supervisor by e-mail. |
| | - //ML: You can also check the [[https://ufal.mff.cuni.cz/teaching/thesis|UFAL webpage listing possible topics for a bachelor or master thesis]] or UFAL webpage in general.// |
| | - If you have a cool topic in mind, you can also approach a prospective supervisor with your idea and ask if they would be willing to supervise you. |
| | - You can also approach a prospective advisor if they would be willing to supervise you and then discuss a potential topic. |
| | - //ML: You can simply send an email to the email conference thesis@ufal.mff.cuni.cz with a short list of (broad) areas you are interested in.// |
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| | The master's programme is finished by taking a final exam, which consists of two parts: |
| - Master's study defense (''obhajoba'' in Czech): requires submitting the electronic (PDF) and the paper (hardcover) version of the thesis in the appointed [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]], enrolling for the exam in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] (again, the in the official [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]]) and obviously, showing up for the defence. More about the actual thesis defense later. | - Master's study defense (''obhajoba'' in Czech): requires submitting the electronic (PDF) and the paper (hardcover) version of the thesis in the appointed [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]], enrolling for the exam in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]] (again, the in the official [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]]) and obviously, showing up for the defence. More about the actual thesis defense later. |
| - Master's state final examinations (''státnice'' in Czech): requires [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|registering]] for the examination in the required [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]] and showing up for the examination. Also more on the examination later. | - Master's state final examinations (''státnice'' in Czech): requires [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|registering]] for the examination in the required [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]] and showing up for the examination. Also more on the examination later. |
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| So each of both parts is offered separately in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]], each of them must be enrolled in the required [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]] and they can be taken jointly or separately in three possible terms throughout the year: ''summer'' (June), ''autumn'' (September) and ''winter'' (February). Please note that the deadline for registration differs for each of the terms. There is a preferred way, when everything went well, and that is the summer final examination after the 2nd year's summer semester, taking both the defense and examination, which places the registration for both examinations and the submission of the thesis somewhere to **[[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|May]]**. | |
| | //ML: However, this ideal timetable is not applicable in all case, especially, e.g., for LCT students who spend one year abroad - LCT students typically select the topic **at the beginning of their second year**, i.e. during October (note that those doing their second year at another university still must find a co-supervisor from Prague.// |
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| | PRESUN NIZ: So each of both parts is offered separately in the [[https://is.mff.cuni.cz/|Study Information System (SIS)]], each of them must be enrolled in the required [[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|deadline]] and they can be taken jointly or separately in three possible terms throughout the year: ''summer'' (June), ''autumn'' (September) and ''winter'' (February). Please note that the deadline for registration differs for each of the terms. There is a preferred way, when everything went well, and that is the summer final examination after the 2nd year's summer semester, taking both the defense and examination, which places the registration for both examinations and the submission of the thesis somewhere to **[[https://www.mff.cuni.cz/en/students/academic-calendar/|May]]**. |
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| ==== Survivor Advice: ==== | ==== Survivor Advice: ==== |
