ESOn4000 Thesis Project

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2021
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 12 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Dr. Werner Binder (seminar tutor)
Beatrice Elena Chromková Manea, M.A., Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
prof. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
prof. PhDr. Tomáš Katrňák, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
prof. Martin Kreidl, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
doc. PhDr. Csaba Szaló, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Tomáš Katrňák, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites
Students enroll in this course one semester before they intend to sit for the state exam and defend their thesis (typically, in the 3rd semester of their studies).
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The student's task is to prepare a detailed proposal of the thesis, including a specific research design. It is appropriate to begin outlining and writing the thesis.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, a student will be able to:
-Choose and develop an appropriate Master's thesis topic
-Engage with relevant academic literature on the student's chosen topic
-Design a thesis project that is methodologically feasible and manageable to complete in one semester
Syllabus
  • The course is fulfilled and credits earned when the student completes independent work under the supervision of the thesis supervisor. The student should fulfill several tasks during the semester, including:
  • - Find a teacher who will serve as thesis supervisor
  • - Consult regularly with the supervisor to begin preparing thesis materials
  • - Do research and writing related to the thesis
  • - Create a bibliography of sources used
  • - Create a detailed outline of the thesis contents
  • - Begin to write the thesis
  • A successful thesis project:
  • - Articulates the objectives of the thesis work
  • - States the research question(s)
  • - Explains the significance and contribution of the research
  • - Specifies and justifies the methodology of conducting the research and analysis
  • - Explains how the project relates to previous research by others
  • To pass the course, students must demonstrate to the supervisor that they have fulfilled the following work expectations:
  • HOURS OF WORK
  • - In-person consultations with the supervisor (about 5 hours)
  • - Research (about 20 hours)
  • - Reading (about 190 hours)
  • - Writing the project text (approximately 35 hours)
  • Total: about 250 hours
  • LITERATURE
  • Read a minimum of 600-800 pages of literature (including data sources, documents, theory materials, etc.)
Literature
  • American Sociological Association style guide. 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association, 2014, xiv, 122. ISBN 9780912764214. info
  • STERN, Linda. What every student should know about avoiding plagiarism. 1st ed. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007, vi, 74. ISBN 0321446895. URL info
  • ZINSSER, William. On writing well : the classic guide to writing nonfiction. 30th anniversary ed., 7th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2006, xiii, 321. ISBN 0060891548. info
  • The sociology student writer's manual. Edited by William A. Johnson. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006, xii, 260. ISBN 0131928511. URL info
  • FOWLER, Henry Ramsey. The little, brown handbook. Edited by Jane E. Aaron - Daniel Anderson. 8th ed. New York: Longman, 2000, xxviii, 96. ISBN 0-321-07507-2. info
Teaching methods
The intended outcome of this course is practical preparation by the student for completing the thesis in the following semester. This is achieved through independent reading, research, and writing and in consultation with the student's thesis supervisor.
Assessment methods
The supervisor should make an assessment whether the student has fulfilled the tasks expected to be completed during the semester. Credit is granted on a pass/fail basis.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Only for degree-students of "Sociology" and "Cultural Sociology"
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Autumn 2022, Spring 2023, Autumn 2023, Spring 2024, Autumn 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2021, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2021/ESOn4000