Master’s Thesis
The final component of the programme consists of writing a Master’s thesis. Once the thesis has been approved, it must be defended orally. The thesis should be based on a Master’s course from the programme offered by the English Department. The thesis is worth a total of 20 ECTS.

Thesis and Graduation Scenario

Introduction
The goal of this scenario is to provide guidelines for writing a Master’s thesis and graduating. The guidelines are not rules, and their applicability will vary in individual cases. No rights can be derived from the information in this scenario.
This scenario takes as a starting point a situation in which all examination components, apart from the Master’s thesis, have been completed (including electives and internships). In order for the thesis to be complete, the thesis must be completed by an oral defence.
The Master’s thesis is based on a Master’s course from the English Language and Culture programme.
The thesis is worth 20 ECTS (corresponding to approximately 15,000 to 20,000 words). Students can graduate every month of the academic year, except in July and August. In order to graduate immediately after the summer (in September), the final version of  the thesis must be handed in no later than Friday 13 July. The defence can then take place sometime during the resit period in August.
The entire process of writing a thesis and graduating takes 4 to 6 months.
All components required for graduation, including the defence of the thesis must be completed no later than 28 days before the graduation date. A copy of the Bachelor’s diploma, a signed transcript (by the student) and an application form MA Exam must be handed in at the Secretary’s Office at the same date.

There are three official phases in the thesis writing and graduation procedure:
1. Submitting a Thesis Proposal
Aim of the Master’s Thesis
A thesis is an academic essay, written by the student in consultation with the supervisors. The thesis must show that the student is capable of analysing existing literature in a critical manner, and of conducting independent research. This process must moreover be recorded in an academically sound report.
Choosing a Topic
Generally speaking, students are encouraged to select the topic of their thesis themselves, based on a Master’s course that they followed. Another way of coming up with a topic is to consult the thesis archive of the department. In most cases, the first supervisor of the thesis will be the lecturer responsible for the Master’s course which inspired the thesis. In case of doubt, students can always consult the director of studies. Students should approach the relevant lecturer and discuss with him/her the chosen topic and potential research question. The supervisor, also known as ‘first reader’, will undoubtedly be able to point to relevant secondary literature. A second reader is chosen in consultation with the supervisor. At this point, clear agreements are made concerning supervision. At the heart of a Master’s thesis lies a research question, together with the answer to that question. Before a research question can be formulated, students first do some preparatory reading. Formulating the research question is one of the most important components of research because this question forms the basis for all further activities. Half the time reserved for writing a Master’s thesis should be spent on reading secondary literature and formulating a research question. Once the student has selected a topic, formulated a research question and put together a provisional bibliography, the thesis proposal submission form can be filled in. The submission form should include the title of the thesis, a provisional bibliography and a description of the topic. The form must be submitted to the board of examiners no later than three months before the planned graduation date. The board will then inspect the thesis proposal to ensure that it is of an appropriate academic level, that it contains no plagiarism, etc.

2. Research and Writing
Literature Survey
In principle, students will already have made a start on the literature survey in the course of formulating their provisional bibliography. This can be done systematically by consulting the University Library or the Royal Library catalogues, or through the ‘snowball effect’ (meaning through references in bibliographies to other sources and bibliographies). It is important to be very precise and systematic in writing down one’s sources, as much time can be wasted in having to look up sources and notes again at a later stage. The MLA style sheet gives precise indications on the information which must be included in a bibliography. Students should start out by formulating a clear plan for the structure of the thesis, in consultation with their supervisor. Only then can they begin writing. Questions of style will only become relevant at a later stage. Keep in mind that information which could not be included in the thesis itself might come in handy during the defence.
Handing in a first part
The first chapter is handed in to the supervisor and discussed. It is not advisable to hand in the entire thesis in one piece.
Handing in the final version
Once the entire thesis is completed, the student should hand in two copies, one to each reader. Their comments must be integrated into the final version. The first reader then contacts the student and makes an appointment for the defence date.
Assessment
In assessing the quality of the thesis, the following aspects play an important role:

• Formulating and analysing the research question;
• Structure of the thesis;
• Integrating secondary literature into the argument;
• Good argumentation of student’s own arguments;
• Style, use of language and lay-out, according to the MLA style sheet;
• Defending of the contents of the thesis during the oral defence (students are expected to provide content answers to the questions asked during the defence, not just ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘I don’t know’).

3. Defence and graduation
Three copies of the thesis must be handed in two weeks before the defence date, at the latest, one for the first reader, one for the second reader and one digital copy for the thesis archive of the Department (to be mailed to english@hum.leidenuniv.nl). During the defence, which lasts three quarters of an hour, the thesis is discussed in a critical manner. The student is expected to be able to defend his/her work. After the defence, students should hand in copies of their Bachelor’s diploma and a signed transcript to the director of studies. During the Master’s Examination, a Master’s diploma is granted in the course of a public ceremony (meaning that friends and family are welcome to attend). The final mark for the Master’s programme is determined according to a fixed norm. For more information on this topic, see ‘Calculation Final Mark Master’s Degree ’. The completed components of the programme are specified on the Diploma Supplement, together with the respective study load and result.

4. Graduation dates

2011-2012:
Monday 14 November
Monday 12 December
Monday 30 January
Monday 20 February
Monday 12 March
Monday 16 April
Monday 14 May
Monday 4 June
Monday 25 June