1 Getting Started
Beginning with a MA thesis can be a bit intimidating. It is likely the biggest (academic) project that you’ll ever go through and unfortunately, you’ll have to do it more or less by yourself. But I am here to help and guide you. As a first step, I suggest to familiarize yourself with the formalities below.
1.1 Course information
The MA Thesis in Communication Science is a substantial independent research project that represents the culmination of your master’s degree. Here are the key course facts:
| Course code | S_MTcw |
| Credits | 18 EC (≈ 504 hours) |
| Course level | 600 |
| Periods | 4–6 (February track) or 1–2 (September track) |
| Language | Dutch or English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences |
| Teaching format | Individual and small-group meetings with me, plus centralized support and student peer review |
| Assessment | Evaluated by me (first reviewer) and a second reviewer using the assessment form (see Canvas) |
1.2 Entry requirements
Before you can actually begin with the full MA thesis trajectory, you must meet two requirements:
- A minimum of 12 EC in total from preceding MA courses, including successful completion of Research Methods for Communication Science
- An approved Research Proposal after the first phase (see The Thesis Trajectory)
1.3 Start dates: February or September track
The thesis course formally starts in early February (Period 4). However, it is also possible to start after the summer, in early September (Period 1).
Why choose the September track?
- You are doing an internship or other study activity that does not fit alongside the thesis
- You did not pass all courses from Period 1 or 2
If you want to start in September, discuss this with me during the thesis market in January. Note that only a few supervisors offer supervision in the September track. You must still participate in the January supervisor assignment procedure.
1.4 Registration
Preparation begins in December with an information lecture about procedures (check your mails!), deadlines, and available supervisor topics. Register for the course before December to receive information via Canvas.
The information lecture (usually early December) is where you receive the full list of supervisor topics and procedural information. Missing it can mean missing important deadlines. This is also your chance to learn about research topics and interest by different supervisors!
1.5 Choosing a topic
In January, a thesis market is organized where you can walk around and talk informally with different supervisors about their research themes. Please come and visit me as I can explain my research interests and topics in much more detail there.
After the market, you submit an online questionnaire with your topic preferences (ranked 1–8). If you would like to work with me, you need to put my topics high in your ranks and at best also indicate in the comment section that you would like to work with me.
Supervisor assignments are generally finalized by the end of January.
1.5.1 Can I propose my own topic?
In general, I would like you to work on the topics that I proposed during the information lecture and the MA thesis market. Yet, I am open to good research ideas. A good own proposal should contain at minimum:
- A research question
- A brief theoretical foundation
- The intended type of research (survey, experiment, content analysis, etc.)
- Indicate why you belief it fits within my research interests
1.5.2 Can I write my thesis in English?
Yes. In fact, I prefer if you would write your thesis in English, but I also allow for you to write in Dutch.
1.6 Getting organized
A thesis spans several months and involves dozens of papers, multiple drafts, and a growing analysis folder. Students who set up a simple system at the start save themselves significant stress later.
Reference manager — use Zotero from day one
Zotero (free) lets you save references directly from your browser, organize them into collections, and generate APA citations automatically in Word or R Markdown. Set it up before you start reading. See Literature Search for more detail.
Take notes as you read
When you read a paper, immediately write down the key argument, the main findings, and how it connects to your own study. Do not rely on being able to recall this later. A simple document per topic or a note in Zotero is enough — but do it while the paper is open in front of you.
Break the thesis into SMART goals
“Write the theory chapter” is paralyzing. “Draft the first paragraph of the social norms section by Thursday” is not. Break every phase of the thesis into small, specific, time-bound tasks. This is the single most effective way to maintain momentum on a long project.
Back up your work
Save your files to OneDrive or another cloud service automatically and continuously. Also keep your analysis syntax and data in the shared SURFdrive folder from the start (see Ethics & Data Management) — not only at the end.