MAST301 Planning the Master’s Thesis for Urban and Regional Planning

The course gives an introduction to important aspects of the planning and implementation of the master's thesis within the study program of urban and regional planning. Mast301 will mainly focus on:

-Problem statement of the master's thesis

-How to state a problem and provide its theoretical base within urban and regional planning and urban projects. How to choose methods of investigation and how to develop academic argumentations.

-Search of scientific literature, urban and regional plans and urban projects

-Select appropriate methods (e.g. interviews, surveys, spatial/people observations, GIS analyses and other qualitative and quantitative methods)

-Academic criticism and academic discussion

The aim of the course is to prepare a plan for the completion of the Master's thesis which can be used as a starting point for the start of the Master's thesis. MAST301 is organized in the spring semester with compulsory lectures, seminars, student-led discussions in groups and exercises, while a more individual/seminar-oriented part in the autumn term will be organized by the responsible teacher of MAST301, partly with the supervisors for the master thesis.

• Students will be able to identify all important aspects of the planning and implementation of the master's thesis within the study program of urban and regional planning.
• Students will acquire and apply knowledge on how to design a master thesis
• Students will be able select and employ methods for scientific investigation
• Students will be able to identify and consider ethical implications of scientific investigation