Course manual 2025/2026
Course content
During paper sessions you learn skills to find, read and assess relevant scientific publications. You will also learn to build argumentation structures you need for your theory and analysis.
For your graduation you can choose from a number of defined themes. In exceptional cases it is possible to define a project yourself.
A tutor will help you during the preparation in order to improve your writing and presentation skills.
You will also discuss your ideas with other students.
Study materials
Other
- Study materials are made available through the course’s BlackBoard page.
Objectives
- The student can analyse a software engineering challenge by deconstructing it into its components, identifying the relationships between them, and explaining how these relationships influence the problem's scope, objectives, and potential solutions
- The student can critically analyse the existing literature on a chosen software engineering topic relevant to a potential master project, identifying key trends, controversies, and research gaps, and justifying their relevance to the proposed research
- The student can critically evaluate existing software engineering theories and frameworks to determine their suitability for addressing a specific research problem
- The student can clearly articulate the hypotheses to be investigated for the master project within the software engineering research project proposal
- The student can select and apply appropriate validation methods to a specific software engineering research project, considering the trade-offs between different methods
- The student can design a well-structured project plan for a master research project, detailing the project's scope, objectives, tasks, timeline, resources, and potential risks
- The student can create and deliver a well-structured scientific report and presentation that clearly and concisely communicates the findings and conclusions of a (potential) master research project, adhering to established academic (writing/presentation) convention
Teaching methods
- Lecture
- Seminar
- Presentation/symposium
- Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
This is a mixed theoretical and practical course. The format is aimed at exercising skills needed to complete the Master’s project. There are interactive sessions where scientific reading, writing, research design, and presentation skills are covered.
Learning activities
Activity | Number of hours |
Zelfstudie | 168 |
Attendance
Some course components require compulsory attendance. If compulsory attendance applies, this will be indicated in the Course Catalogue which can be consulted via the UvA-website. The rationale for and implementation of this compulsory attendance may vary per course and, if applicable, is included in the Course Manual.
Assessment
| Item and weight
|
Details
|
|
| |
|
| Must be ≥ pass |
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
Course structure
| Weeknummer |
Topic |
| 1 |
- |
| 2 |
Research and Bibliography |
| 3 |
Exercises on Research Questions |
| 4 |
Exercises on Bibliography |
| 5 |
Academic Writing Test |
| 6 |
Feedback session |
| 7 |
Feedback session |
| 8 |
Feedback session |
| 9 |
Research Methods |
| 10 |
Exercise on Research Methods |
| 11 |
Exercise on Research Methods |
| 12 |
Thesis Fair |
| 13 |
Research Goals |
| 14 |
- |
| 15 |
- |
| 16 |
- |
| 17 |
Exercises on Project Proposal |
| 18 |
Exercises on Proposal Presentation |
| 19 |
Feedback session |
| 20 |
Project Proposal Presentations |
- An interest in reading and writing scientific literature.
- Affinity with reading and writing English text.
- Knowledge of current challenges and results in software engineering.
Coordinator
-
dr. Kostas Papagiannopoulos