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how-to-write-a-masters-thesis [2022/03/21 11:00]
lopatkova [Timeline] |
how-to-write-a-masters-thesis [2022/03/21 11:14]
lopatkova [Survivor Advice:] |
| * **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: | * **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. PRESUN NIZ <del>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.</del> | - 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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| //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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| | ==== Survivor Advice: ==== |
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| | ''"One thing I would like to do better next time (and advise students to do better in their first time) is time management: The programming part should be finished in a half time assigned to bachelor's thesis (even in case it is the main part of the master's thesis). In the end, it will delay and there will be a lot to correct and improve. The experimenting, evaluation, text writing and corrections (corrections!!!) will take more time than one expects. And even if it is not the case - then it's great, at least one is not stressed out from submitting at the last time and will have some spare time."''' |
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| ===== Selecting the Topic and Finding the Supervisor ===== | ===== Selecting the Topic, Finding the Supervisor and Registering the Topic in SIS ===== |
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| There are //ML: <del>two</del> several// ways to **select your topic**: | There are //ML: <del>two</del> several// ways to select your thesis 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. |
| - //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.// | * //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. | * 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. |
| - //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.// | * //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.// |
| | Your supervisor will be typically one of ÚFAL professors, researchers and Ph.D. students, although the supervisor may in theory come from other departments of Charles University. |
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| | The student and their supervisor put together the title of the thesis and the description of the work (abstract): this will constitute the official assignment. It should be broad enough to allow deviations once the student gets their first results and realizes that the originally anticipated course of experiments is not the best one to follow. Later changes of title and topic are in theory possible but it is an administrative hassle that is better to avoid. |
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| | The supervisor puts the assignment into SIS (the information system), the student registers for the topic via SIS, the supervisor approves their name and also prints three hardcopies, which should be passed to Ms. Brdičková, the ÚFAL secretary. The recommended deadline is announced for each academic year (typically the beginning of November – look for “Academic Calendar” at http://www.mff.cuni.cz/to.en/studium/obecne/harm.htm). The student office will later send back the hardcopy stamped and signed by the vicedean. Ms. Brdičková will keep it until the end of the academic year. The student will then have to pick it up and include it in one of the printed copies of the thesis (mandatory part, this copy goes to the faculty library). |
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| | When the student plans their classes for the academic year (and has them registered in SIS), they should also register for the three pseudo-courses reflecting their work on the thesis: NSZZ023 Diploma Thesis I, NSZZ024 Diploma Thesis II and NSZZ025 Diploma Thesis III. At the end of the summer semester they will (hopefully) get the credits (in SIS) from their supervisor. This is not directly connected with the fact that the thesis will be (can be) defended. The credits just reflect the fact that the student has invested significant time and effort into doing the research and preparing the thesis. The supervisor will not be able to award the credits if SIS does not know that the student wants them, i.e. if the student has not registered for these pseudo-courses! While the registration can be completed just before the submission of the thesis, it may complicate the situation because the assistance of the student office is needed, the staff may be out of office (vacation time!), you may be traveling from the other end of Europe, trying to find all the people and get all the signatures within one afternoon etc. |
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| The master's programme is finished by taking a final exam, which consists of two parts: | The master's programme is finished by taking a final exam, which consists of two parts: |
| 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]]**. | 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: ==== | |
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| ''"One thing I would like to do better next time (and advise students to do better in their first time) is time management: The programming part should be finished in a half time assigned to bachelor's thesis (even in case it is the main part of the master's thesis). In the end, it will delay and there will be a lot to correct and improve. The experimenting, evaluation, text writing and corrections (corrections!!!) will take more time than one expects. And even if it is not the case - then it's great, at least one is not stressed out from submitting at the last time and will have some spare time."''' | |
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