Master Thesis Computational Science

Course manual 2022/2023

Course content

The graduation research includes scientific research in a topic from Computational Science. The research is carried out at the University of Amsterdam or other institutes at the Science Campus in Amsterdam, but could also be located at other universities, research institutes or private companies in The Netherlands or abroad.

The research should be independent, but conducted under the daily supervision of (one or more) staff member(s) and embedded in a scientific project of the host institute, and should aim at a scientific publication in a conference or peer-reviewed journal. The Master thesis (42EC) should include and extensive literature survey (accounting for 6EC) that will normally commence during Block 2 of Year 2. From Block 3 Year 2 a student on the normal schedule will then spend full time on the graduation research (a remaining 36EC). The final scheduling should be discussed with the supervisor of the graduation thesis. The graduation research is finalized with a thesis and a public lecture (see Assesment). 

Topics and Structure: 

Research must focus on Computational Science, incorporating modeling, simulation, and data analysis. Topics should not focus on machine learning, AI, etc., unless integrated into a broader computational context, demonstrating a clear connection to a computational science pipeline. The produced data and codes must adhere to the RDM policy of UvA and IvI. 

Thesis or Internship Agreements: 

For external projects, a thesis or Internship Agreement might be needed, requiring an authorized UvA signature. This is not mandatory for all projects, but when required, details are available at the UvA student site. 

Thesis manual

For more details please read the detailed thesis manual. The thesis manual can be found here

The manual provides key information regarding the entire thesis process. The document is being updated to incorporate the latest information.

Objectives

• Formulate and develop their own research question
•  Demonstrate a deep knowledge of their chosen topic
•  Effectively report (in clear English) on their own research and chosen topic (written and oral)
•  Demonstrate the ability to take a holistic view of a research problem and develop novel solutions
•  Develop and demonstrate the ability to plan, analyse and execute long term goals and objectives
•  Demonstrate the capability to think both critically and systematically with regard to scientific data and experimentation

Teaching methods

• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
• Supervision/feedback meeting

Daily Supervisor (External for Company-Based Thesis): Crucial for daily supervision and scientific guidance, the supervisor provides feedback on research question, methodology, and results, fostering independent problem-solving. Supervision meetings, typically weekly, are based on mutual agreement. The supervisor's participation is key in the thesis defence and grading process. 

Examiner: Appointed from the MSc Computational Science Examination Board, determines the thesis's final grade, ensuring academic standards are met. 

Second Assessor: This role is intended to be fulfilled by someone who can provide an independent assessment, other than the supervisor(s). It may be a domain expert or an independent researcher. No Ph.D. degree required. 

Learning activities

Attendance

This programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (Ter part B).

Assessment

Thesis Defence: 

Scheduled post-approval by both examiner and daily supervisor, indicating the thesis meets standards. Comprises a 25-minute presentation, 30-minute question session, and 30-45 minutes grading deliberation. Thesis report must be uploaded to Datanose 14 days prior to defence for committee access. 

Assessment Criteria: 

Evaluation follows a specific rubric focusing on research quality, documentation, presentation, and defence capabilities, ensuring a thorough assessment of the student's academic and practical achievements in computational science. 

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Additional information

Students are encouraged to start planning for their thesis project at an early stage, ideally this should begin before the end of the first year. Students are also very much encouraged to pursue their own interests and explore possible topics with researchers within CSL, UvA and beyond.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. Debraj Roy