Bachelorproject Future Planet Studies – Future Earth
18 EC
Semester 2, period 4, 5, 6
51331BFP0Y
During the course of the Bachelor Project, students will apply the research skills that they have learned throughout the FPS program, as well as learn new skills for carrying out their own scientific research either within the track Future Earth (ie from the domain of the geo-bio sciences and/or chemistry) or within Future Society (bridging domains of political science, human geography and/or spatial planning). Within each track, students will choose their research topics from projects proposed and supervised by an UvA (assistant/associate/full) professor, in collaboration with one or two process supervisors in Research Designs.
The first few weeks of the course are devoted to working out a detailed research proposal for the individual thesis. During the execution phase, each student delivers a contribution from within the field of their expertise. Critical reflection of relevant theories and literature on the chosen subject forms part of the research as does reflection on the relevance, reliability, and validity of the gathered data, and the methods and techniques that were used to obtain them.
At the end of the Bachelor Project, the student reports the findings of the research in a thesis. The thesis is a clear, systematic, and scientifically well-founded report on the research project and its results. Writing the thesis is more than merely writing a report. Students must be able to show that they have gained and applied essential research skills, and the report needs to incorporate all essential elements of an academic research project that the student has engaged in. This includes a critical analysis of the results which are discussed in the context of contemporary scientific insights on the theme and a reflection on the impact but also the limitations of the research.
Students can indicate their preferences as regards the topic that they would want to work on and the supervisor they would like to work with. We will try to assign students to their preference as much as possible, given certain preconditions and limitations of the course and available hours from the supervisors.
provided with each topic by the supervision team (either compulsory or suggested literature)
Students will approach researchers involved with Future Planet Studies or professional or academic experts that operate in relevant work fields to ask for projects. After students have been accepted by a supervisor, groups will be formed which will be supervised by the expert. The supervising expert bears ultimate responsibility for the content and methodology of the Bachelor Project.
|
Activity |
Hours |
|
|
Lecture |
2 |
|
|
Seminar |
4 |
|
|
Oral Exam |
8 |
|
|
meeting/contact with supervisor* |
20 |
|
|
Self-study |
470 |
|
|
Total |
504 |
(18 EC x 28 hours) |
*This is a very rough estimate, as it depends on the mode of work of the supervisor (eg, how individual/group meetings are organized, how much communication occurs between meetings, etc.)
Additional requirements for this course:
Participation in supervisor meetings is compulsory and cannot be replaced by other assignments.
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade | |
|
0.2 (20%) Research Proposal | Must be ≥ 5.5 |
|
0.5 (50%) Thesis | Must be ≥ 5.5 |
|
0.3 (30%) Oral Exam | Must be ≥ 5.5 |
Additional information about the assessment
See assignments below.
|
Objectives |
Research Proposal |
Thesis |
Oral Examination |
|
#1 |
X |
|
|
|
#2 |
X |
X |
|
|
#3 |
X |
X |
|
|
#4 |
X |
X |
|
|
#5 |
|
X |
|
|
#6 |
|
X |
|
|
#7 |
|
X |
|
|
#8 |
X |
X |
|
|
#9 |
X |
X |
|
|
#10 |
|
X |
|
|
#11 |
|
|
X |
Students will be graded on the basis of rubrics which will be available for inspection.
Research Proposal (due April 10)
Starting in Research Designs and during the first weeks of the Bachelor Project, you will write your research proposal. Your examiner will provide you with some mandatory and additional literature on your topic, especially at the start. However, you must also tailor additional papers and resources that you select to your specific research question and your individual needs as a researcher. You will be expected to read and cite at least 15 relevant resources in your proposal.
The research proposal should have a length of 2000 words (10% margin, references excluded). The research proposal should be submitted via Canvas (instructions will be provided). The Research Proposal will then be assessed by the examiner. Your supervisors will aim to provide you with feedback on your proposal within 10 working days after the deadline. The grading will be based on the rubrics for the Research Proposal of the Bachelor Project, also used in Research Designs for coherence. With a grade above 5.5, you can continue working and start executing your research. In case of a fail, you cannot start your research but have to rewrite your proposal. The deadline for submitting your revised research proposal will be maximum 2 weeks after receiving feedback.
Thesis, ie the Final Bachelor Project Report (due 15 June)
Writing your thesis is both a test of previously acquired knowledge and skills, but it also aims to improve these during the process. In this phase, you must therefore continue to tailor the papers and resources that you read to your research topic and your individual needs as a researcher.
Your thesis should be an original, empirical contribution to existing literature (going beyond a summary of existing literature). It should make use of relevant scientific methods to analyze primary data (students are strongly encouraged to collect their own empirical data, but are allowed to use existing data when its selection is sufficiently substantiated). It must be written in correct English and have a length between 8000-10000 words (references and appendices excluded). While conducting your research you must comply with the UvA's ethical guidelines (information will be provided).
The thesis will be assessed by the examiner and a second reader, ie a staff member with a PhD. The grading will be based on the rubrics for the Final Bachelor Project Report. The rubric will be compiled by the 1st and 2nd readers, in consultation, and after independently assessing the various elements of the rubric. If the 1st and 2nd readers fail to reach a consensus, a 3rd reader will be asked to step in (particularly when their grades diverge by more than 1 point). Once consensus is reached, the rubric will contain partial grades as well as written feedback per element agreed upon by all readers.
If your thesis fails to meet the minimum criteria, you are allowed to rewrite the thesis, using the feedback that your examiner has provided you with in the assessment form. The deadline for the rewritten thesis is at least 1 week after the student obtains the assessment form from the examiner, with a maximum period of 2 weeks.
A revised thesis can obtain a maximum grade of 6. If your rewritten thesis still does not meet the minimum criteria, you will fail the course and must take part in the course next year. You then must write a completely new research proposal and thesis.
If your final thesis is graded >5.5, there is no second chance; you cannot submit a revised thesis based on the feedback that you have been provided with in the assessment form. If for any reason you feel you are not able to write an optimal final thesis (yet), you can put a motivated request before your examiner and ask for a delay of the deadline. Extensions of over 2 weeks must be approved by the examination committee.
Oral Examination (23 or 24 June)
You will present and defend your thesis. Your supervisor will inform you about the exact moment. The oral examination will include a very brief presentation, a short Q&A with the audience, and a time to respond to questions from the examiner and the second reader. The oral examination will be assessed by both. The grading will be based on the rubrics for the oral examination. The assessment and grade will be communicated to you within 15 working days after the presentation. You will be offered a resit in case of a fail in consultation with the supervisor.
If you do not agree with the assessment procedure and/or your final grade, take the following steps:
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
| Week number | Topics | Study material |
| 1 | kick off lecture (9 Mar) | |
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | Proposal deadline (10 Apr) | |
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 | ||
| 14 | Office hours | |
| 15 | Thesis due (15 Jun) | |
| 16 | Thesis Defense (23/24 Jun) |
Entry requirements
Registration : Students must enroll in time. Subscription for classes is possible per semester. The registration period for classes in Block 4, 5 & 6 (second semester) is in December. The exact dates will be announced HERE .
Additional note on fraud and plagiarism : Writing a thesis is the most important assignment of your Bachelor's phase. This is the work in which you must show your knowledge of state-of-the scientific insights and debates. And during the Bachelor Project you need to show how your academic training over the past three years has come to fruition in such a way as to enable you to individually execute your research and write a scientifically well-founded report about it. You need to be able to do this yourself, independently (although not without us supporting you all the way) and cannot use AI to write your proposal and thesis, or to prepare your presentation. Evidence of AI use will be reported to the examination committee.