Mgr. Antonín Zita, M.A., PhD.

VV070 Seminar on Master’s Thesis Writing

Thu 12:00-13:50, C511


Thesis in English is a class that aims to help students who are in their final semesters to
complete their theses. The seminar is composed of two different tracks: class track and individual
session track. During the first track we will meet in class and discuss common problems in writing
a diploma thesis in English; academic vocabulary, proper writing style, making and supporting
arguments and common writing mistakes will be among the areas covered. During the second track
students will meet with the instructor individually and discuss their progress on their theses. For
each individual session students will send portions of their theses in advance in order to receive
feedback. The dates of the individual sessions will be specified during the first weeks of the
semester.

Please note, however, that this does not aim to be an editing service but rather a course that
gives the students the opportunity to practice their academic writing skills and receive feedback.
In addition, because the class has fewer lessons than usual, students must be present for all
classes unless having a valid reason for their absence (i.e. a doctor’s note).


Structure (may change depending on the number of students):

6 seminars + 1-2 seminars at the end of the semester

3 individual sessions


Assignments:

During the class track portion of the class the students are expected to prepare in advance any
homework that might be assigned.

During the individual sessions track, students will be required to send portions of their theses
(roughly 6-8 pages) prior to the sessions in order to receive feedback. In addition, students might
be assigned a few exercises on various grammatical topics if they make frequent mistakes with a
particular grammar feature.

Finally, the students are expected to write a short conclusion to an academic article (OR to their
own thesis, if they manage to do so) during the semester (degree candidates) or the exam period
(remaining students).