Master Thesis in Archaeology

At the beginning of the first semester, the students enter into a formal master's programme agreement with NTNU. Master’s theses that are written in Norwegian or Scandinavian must include an abstract in English. Master’s theses that are written in a non-Scandinavian language must include an abstract in Norwegian. The master's thesis must demonstrate the ability to work independently where the emphasis is on clarity and coherence of argumentation and exposition. Work with the thesis should correspond to two semesters of full-time study. The thesis should have a maximum length of 25,000 words.

A candidate who has passed the course is expected to have the following learning outcomes defined as knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The candidate

• can perform and produce a scientific archaeological analysis with good correlation between the problem, theoretical framework, and choice of empirical and analytical methods
• has solid expertise in their fields of research
• has insight in traditions and theoretical perspectives

Skills

The candidate

• can carry out a scientific archaeological analysis with satisfactory academic quality and in line with ethical and formal guidelines
• can present work both in writing and orally
• can handle large amounts of information and critically analyze a phenomenon or themes from several sides
• can develop professional ideas and issues and make professional evaluations

At the start of the semester, the departments' supervisor portfolio, competence and possible academic topics for master's theses are presented. It is expected that the student actively seeks contact with potential supervisors during the design of the master's project. Students can also design their own themes, but in consultation with a supervisor. The plan for the first semester is closely linked to ARK3001, where the master's project description is the first semester's exercise. Seminars are arranged where the students in turn present their projects to fellow students, with feedback from fellow students, course coordinator and supervisor. How to do professional presentations and responding is an independent learning objective. Each student submits their project three times. The final exam consists of an assessment of the master's thesis and an oral exam. A preliminary grade is set before the oral test. The oral test covers the topic and issues of the assignment. The test begins with the candidate giving a presentation of the thesis with subsequent examination according to the examiners' needs. After an oral test, the preliminary grade for the assignment can be adjusted. Final examination falls after oral examination. Master’s students at the Faculty of Humanities are required to acquaint themselves with the content of the webpage on the master’s thesis, which outlines the rights and obligations of the student, the supervisor, and the department in relation to the master's thesis. The webpage also provides information on the supervision hours allocated to the master’s thesis. See the following link for more informaton: https://i.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/Norsk/Masters+agreement+-+Faculty+of+Humanities