Research (research seminar and final thesis)
An important element in the second semester is the methodology & theory seminar (10 ECTS credits) and the research seminar (10 ECTS credits).
The methodology & theory seminar intends to offer student more in-depth theoretical and methodological knowledge and insight and takes the overview offered in the first semester as its point of departure. Its aim is to familiarise students with particular epistemology central to Euroculture approach such as social constructivism and a number of perspectives – cultural, historical, political and social – used to consider issues relevant to the Euroculture programme. Special attention is given to current issues and challenges of Europe. Students are encouraged to choose an area of specialisation at an early stage of the programme. As part of the seminar, students prepare themselves for the IP by writing a targeted research paper, which is presented at the IP. This IP paper might also serve as preparation for the MA thesis. In this way the student is assisted in generating interesting and feasible questions for the final MA thesis and honing their research and analysing skills.
The research seminar Europe in the wider world focuses on a selected number of cultural issues, which should lead to a better understanding of the establishment and development of cultural identities, cultural transformation processes perceived from within and outside of Europe as well as the impact of political and social processes on European culture(s). Each of the partner institutions links the European (and its various national) perspective(s) to another part of the world and vice versa. (See 1.5) This has proven a most effective way to obtain better insight and knowledge of the role culture plays from a wider socio-political perspective. The topics to be studied in the seminar might vary per year, because these are chosen on the basis of current issues and the availability of expertise at each institution. The location of the institution also plays a role in deciding on the theme to be selected because it is assumed that the location of an institution has a certain influence on the perspective taken with regard to the themes involved. In these seminars students are further trained in independent research, building on the knowledge and skills of the methodology & theory seminar. This training will be extended when a student opts for the research track. In that case additional research seminars are to be taken to develop more in-depth knowledge about an issue and suitable research skills. European students have the possibility to continue the research track at one of the four third-country partner institutions to widen their perspective further.
In the third semester students start with the MA thesis by preparing a thesis outline or proposal (5 ECTS credits). The thesis itself will be completed during the fourth semester (25 ECTS credits). This offers the possibility of using expertise and sources available at two to three different universities.. The purpose of the thesis is to give evidence of a student’s abilities in collecting and evaluating information, critically analysing theories in the chosen area of inquiry, and constructing, testing and defending an argument. The thesis should also demonstrate a student’s ability to present research results concisely and in a scholarly form, and show furthermore that the student is capable of original and independent work. The MA thesis is a written account of interdisciplinary source and literature research based on a clearly defined problem, located within a contemporary European context (20th or 21st century) and has to deal with a topic related to the conceptual fields of Euroculture. The topics of the theses are formally approved by the Euroculture Examination Board. Both the ‘home university’ and first ‘host university’ (see next point for an explanation) appoint a supervisor. One of them will act as main supervisor, depending on the expertise and experience in relation to the chosen and approved thesis topic. The MA thesis is written in English, and should consist of approximately 75-85 pages (30.000 -34.000 words, including footnotes and bibliography).
last update: 29.9.2011
