5. Master Thesis

The MA thesis is the culmination of the PGDA curriculum. Its objective is not only to demonstrate your ability to complete an independent research project, but it is also an opportunity to distinguish yourself within a specific issue-area or to really tackle a problem that you see as needing more research. A complete guideline for writing and defending an MA thesis is available on the Institute’s website.

To get the most out of this process, you should not see the MA thesis as merely a final paper to write before graduating but as a cumulative process during your studies. This is because the process will inevitably have its setbacks, and choices have to be made which require time to deal with. Moreover, a very important expectation of the thesis is that you demonstrate your ability to complete a longer-term project independently. This means exhibiting sufficient responsibility, accountability and conscientiousness to carry out the assignment and earn the final degree.

Start in the first semester

For the above reasons, work on the MA thesis already begins in the first semester when you are asked to prepare a preliminary thesis prospectus as part of the course Social Science Methodology. Use this opportunity to start thinking about:

• What issue or topic would be most interesting to research?
• What kind of topic might fit well with my future career plans?
• What particular methods need to be learned in order to pursue this topic?
• What kind of empirical data will be necessary?
• What kind of research design would be most beneficial to employ?

Second semester: refine the methods

If you have done a thorough job scoping out a future research area, you will be in a good position to learn more about specific methods you may need to acquire during your second or third semester. Likewise, you should use the second and third semester to choose specialisation courses that will deepen your conceptual and empirical knowledge in your research area. Keep in mind that such courses could be found in some of our Erasmus partner universities or via an internship.

The second semester is also a good time to reach out to the Institute’s faculty members (https://skytte.ut.ee/en/contact/johan-skytte-institute-political-studies) in order to begin laying the groundwork for future supervision or for simply getting advice or perspective. You can always contact the Programme Director if you need guidance on which faculty member might be most appropriate to supervise a certain topic.

Third semester: put together a thesis prospectus

During the third semester, you are required to refine your project further into your first formal approx. 4-page prospectus (i.e., a thesis plan) which will be reviewed by the Programme Director and other relevant faculty members. The usual deadline for the submission of prospectuses is November 1. If you opt for an extension and plan to write your thesis in the fifth semester (NB, make sure you know the consequences of this decision first!), please make sure to inform the Programme Director by November 1. For those who extend their studies, the prospectus deadline is April 1. The defence will then take place in the autumn term (i.e. January next year). Specific details about the prospectus submission (e.g. to whom and how) and the exact deadline for submission will be communicated to the students in due time. These deadlines are strict.

Fourth semester: complete the thesis

Ideally, your MA thesis prospectus lays out a roadmap on how this final independent project will be completed. The prospectus sketches out different tasks such as overall structure, theoretical framework, data collection and analysis methods, expected results, etc. Active work on writing the thesis will take place in your final semester and with close cooperation with your supervisor. More information on writing the thesis and specific requirements can be found in the study guidelines, which are also available on the Skytte website.

The submission deadline for the thesis is in May, at the end of your fourth semester. The defence takes place at the end of May or in the beginning of June. The exact deadlines (also strict) are announced by the Institute each year.