Experience-based Master's Thesis

The candidate must select a specific problem of relevance to the master's program. The topic must represent a challenge within the specific area, must relate to open questions in state of the art and must require that the student adheres to practices that are common within the area of Information Security.

We strongly encourage problems of relevance from industry and public sector if the candidate has experience here.

The topic must be pre-approved by the supervisor.

After successfully completing the course, the students have obtained the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

• The candidate possesses specialized insight into a research and development area or an application domain, and relevant academic work to the problem addressed.
• The candidate possesses knowledge of theoretical background and methods being used in the area of the problem addressed.
• The candidate possesses extended knowledge of the scientific and technological basis in context of chosen problem, for the entire subject area of the study programme.
• The candidate possesses insight into how research results are generated and reported within the area of the problem addressed.

Skills

• The candidate is capable of defining a significant and complex research and development problem within the subject area of the master program, clearly and independently, but with guidance from a supervisor.
• The candidate is capable of analyzing existing literature, studies, methods, and interpretations associated with own research, with a critical and analytical attitude towards own and others’ work and results.
• The candidate is capable of documenting the results achieved in an academic project, mastering the terminology of the field.

General Competence

• The candidate is capable of planning and conducting necessary studies or experiments, organizing and analyzing data acquired, drawing defensible conclusions, and making recommendations based on these.
• The candidate understands scientific working methods, as well as having extended awareness of ethical issues in research and technology.
• The candidate is capable of presenting and defending academic work and results in both written and oral form.

• Project work
• Seminar(s)
• Tutoring/Supervision
• Independent study

Compulsory requirements:

• Master’s thesis agreement. Signed by the student and the supervisor, and approved by the department.
• The student must participate in the supervision as a mentee.
• The student must continuously be able to present project status to the supervisor and demonstrate that the project can be completed according to the current project plan or, alternatively, adjust the plan accordingly to ensure a successful outcome.
• The student must deliver a number of reports presenting their project status. The exact number, details and deadlines for these deliverables will be presented in the first seminar.

Other:

• 2 seminars. Attendance is strongly recommended, announced in the Schedule per semester.
• Spring semester: Seminar no 1 in January, seminar no 2 March/April.
• Autumn semester: Seminar no 1 in August, seminar no 2 October/November.
• The master’s thesis agreement to be handed in as soon as possible after passing grade 60 ECTS / IMT4205 has been achieved. For spring semester in January/February, for autumn semester in August/September. Exact deadline announced on first seminar.
• See course channel in NTNUs Learning System for further details.