This learning unit is not open to incoming exchange students!
Language
French
Prerequisites
The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
Main themes
The masters dissertation, irrespective of the subject, allows a student to :
- carry out a critical analysis and summarise a given scientific topic,
- put a specific issue/statement in context drawing on existing information,
- present the results of the dissertation by justifying the methodological choices, explaining the hypotheses and scientifically stating the results obtained.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| The dissertation must demonstrate the author's ability to describe correctly the results of a personal, objective and methodical work. Similar to the other forms of learning, the dissertation is an essential component of the programme to which it belongs. It consists of research work which students should consider as a first step in research in their particular field. The dissertation is a research work :
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Content
The Master's thesis is a personal contribution to scientific knowledge.
Students will show that they are capable of carrying out the essential stages of scientific research, i.e. defining a problem, collecting bibliographical data and heuristics on sources, criticising and interpreting documentary databases, drawing up a synthesis and communicating the results.
A dissertation must be at least eighty pages long (i.e. 200,000 characters including spaces) of original, personal writing (including bibliography and notes, but excluding appendices). Where a substantial part of the dissertation is devoted to a critical edition and/or an original translation of a text, this standard is increased to a minimum of 60 pages (i.e. 150,000 characters including spaces) of argued personal writing (to which must be added the pages of the edition and/or translation).
All dissertations must include an introduction, in particular a methodological one, a development showing the analysis and synthesis of the subject, a conclusion and a bibliography.
Students will show that they are capable of carrying out the essential stages of scientific research, i.e. defining a problem, collecting bibliographical data and heuristics on sources, criticising and interpreting documentary databases, drawing up a synthesis and communicating the results.
A dissertation must be at least eighty pages long (i.e. 200,000 characters including spaces) of original, personal writing (including bibliography and notes, but excluding appendices). Where a substantial part of the dissertation is devoted to a critical edition and/or an original translation of a text, this standard is increased to a minimum of 60 pages (i.e. 150,000 characters including spaces) of argued personal writing (to which must be added the pages of the edition and/or translation).
All dissertations must include an introduction, in particular a methodological one, a development showing the analysis and synthesis of the subject, a conclusion and a bibliography.
Teaching methods
Students are required to meet with their promoter at least twice during the first annual block. No later than the first day of the final session of their first year block, they must send their promoter a dossier summarising the work carried out during the year.
This dossier must include at least: a title, a description of the problem (one page), an outline and a structured bibliography.
The jury may object to a student's registration for the dissertation if the student has not participated in the various stages of the teaching process as detailed above and, a fortiori, if the student has not been in sufficient contact with his/her promoter (except for validation of the dissertation subject when first registered for block 1 of the master's degree) cf. RGEE articles 73 and 74.
A student deemed to be at the end of the cycle may register for the dissertation in the June or September session. Only students who have already presented their dissertation, without credit, at the session of year n-1 may present it at the January session.
This dossier must include at least: a title, a description of the problem (one page), an outline and a structured bibliography.
The jury may object to a student's registration for the dissertation if the student has not participated in the various stages of the teaching process as detailed above and, a fortiori, if the student has not been in sufficient contact with his/her promoter (except for validation of the dissertation subject when first registered for block 1 of the master's degree) cf. RGEE articles 73 and 74.
A student deemed to be at the end of the cycle may register for the dissertation in the June or September session. Only students who have already presented their dissertation, without credit, at the session of year n-1 may present it at the January session.
Evaluation methods
Supervision and composition of the dissertation jury
The dissertation is supervised by a promoter. Exceptionally, if the subject of the dissertation so requires, a co-supervisor may be called upon by the promoter with the agreement of the chair of the jury.
The student must submit his or her subject for approval to the promoter by the date specified in the faculty calendar.
The dissertation jury is made up of at least the promoter and one other reader appointed by the Master's jury (represented by the jury chair).
Oral defence
The dissertation is defended orally before a jury made up of the promoter and the reader. The oral examination is an opportunity for the student and the members of the jury to exchange views. The oral examination is taken into account in the final assessment of the dissertation. The practical arrangements for the oral examination are communicated to the student no later than the first day of the session in which the dissertation is registered.
Thesis assessment criteria
The mark will take into account :
Rules on plagiarism and the use of AI
Throughout the dissertation, students must demonstrate their perfect mastery of the rules of bibliographic referencing; at the risk of being suspected of plagiarism, they must
This definition completes the definition given in art. 107 §2 of the RGEE and constitutes a special provision within the meaning of §3 of the same article.
Any student who fails to comply with the scientific referencing standards set out above is liable, in the event of irregularity or plagiarism established by the jury, to academic sanctions as detailed in the RGEE (section 7).
If generative artificial intelligence (AI) is used, it must be used responsibly and in accordance with the practices of academic and scientific integrity. As scientific integrity requires that sources be cited, the use of AI must always be reported.
The dissertation is supervised by a promoter. Exceptionally, if the subject of the dissertation so requires, a co-supervisor may be called upon by the promoter with the agreement of the chair of the jury.
The student must submit his or her subject for approval to the promoter by the date specified in the faculty calendar.
The dissertation jury is made up of at least the promoter and one other reader appointed by the Master's jury (represented by the jury chair).
Oral defence
The dissertation is defended orally before a jury made up of the promoter and the reader. The oral examination is an opportunity for the student and the members of the jury to exchange views. The oral examination is taken into account in the final assessment of the dissertation. The practical arrangements for the oral examination are communicated to the student no later than the first day of the session in which the dissertation is registered.
Thesis assessment criteria
The mark will take into account :
- achievement of the objectives set;
- the coherence and general quality of the work carried out (relevant and well-documented synthesis of the scientific literature, quality of the methodological approach and appropriateness to the objectives, relevance and soundness of the analysis and interpretation)
- the ability to discuss critically the methodological choices made and the conclusions drawn from the work;
- the correctness, quality and relevance of the written presentation;
- the quality of the oral presentation.
Rules on plagiarism and the use of AI
Throughout the dissertation, students must demonstrate their perfect mastery of the rules of bibliographic referencing; at the risk of being suspected of plagiarism, they must
- DO NOT copy a text without inverted commas and/or without mentioning the source;
- DO NOT reproduce a graph, data, illustration, etc. without mentioning the source;
- DO NOT reformulate or summarise an author's original idea without mentioning the source;
- DO NOT translate, in whole or in part, a source without referencing it;
- DO NOT use someone else's work by presenting it as your own (even if the author of the work has given his or her agreement);
- DO NOT buy a work.
This definition completes the definition given in art. 107 §2 of the RGEE and constitutes a special provision within the meaning of §3 of the same article.
Any student who fails to comply with the scientific referencing standards set out above is liable, in the event of irregularity or plagiarism established by the jury, to academic sanctions as detailed in the RGEE (section 7).
If generative artificial intelligence (AI) is used, it must be used responsibly and in accordance with the practices of academic and scientific integrity. As scientific integrity requires that sources be cited, the use of AI must always be reported.
Online resources
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