MA Thesis Guideline

General Overview

One-year MAPP students are required to complete a master’s thesis worth 7 credits.  All theses must address an appropriate research topic, which includes a defined field of research and a number of researchable questions to investigate.

Theses should demonstrate a good knowledge of the literature in the wider field of policy studies and political science (comparative politics, political economy, etc.) and contribute to the study of the field through original research and/or by relating the subject studies to the broader academic literature and demonstrate analytic ability through the careful and critical use of relevant concepts and approaches.

Thesis Requirements 

All students should begin to think about their thesis topic during the Fall term. One-year MAPP students should submit a short description (Thesis Topic and Area of Specialization) of the planned work to the Student Affairs Coordinator (electronic copy by January 24, 2021).

Thesis Topic and Area of Specialization 

This short proposal (two paragraphs to one page) should outline the topic, the preliminary research question, and the methodological approach, in particular if it is likely that the method would require specific forms of faculty support. Based on these research proposals, a supervisor will be assigned to the students, taking into account faculty members’ research interests and expertise.

The supervisor is the student’s primary contact during the research and thesis writing period. Supervisors will provide general guidance, meet the student for consultations, and provide feedback on drafts of (parts of) the thesis/thesis report (please note that supervisors can only comment on full drafts if you allow sufficient time for them to do so). Students will be informed about their assigned supervisors by February 14.

Thesis writing workshop (1 credit)

The Thesis Writing Workshop (1 credit) is a mandatory part of the thesis component for One- year MAPP students. The workshop is meant to help to further develop and shape the MA thesis. Coursework in this seminar will be assessed with a pass/fail grade. To earn a `pass’ students need to regularly attend the class and participate actively. While there are no or very few and short assigned readings, students are expected to submit short pieces of writing related to specific sections of their thesis and topics discussed in class prior to the relevant sessions.

Failing to regularly attend the class and comply with the requirements will be noted in the degree transcript and may result in a reduction of the thesis grade (by 0.2 grades).

The exact format and precise schedule of the workshop will be communicated at the beginning of the winter term.

MA Thesis Research Grants

CEU offers small grants to support master’s thesis research. If interested, students should submit their application to Zoltan Wagner by the following deadline: March 12, 2021.

PLEASE NOTE: These funds are limited and we cannot guarantee that funding will remain available for the second round. 

The application must contain the grant application form, a summary of the project, the research timetable (days and location), a summary of advanced preparations undertaken, the supervisor’s recommendation, and a detailed budget. After the completion of their research, grantees should be prepared to send the empirical raw material (field notes, interview transcripts, etc.) to  Zoltan Wagner.Applicants must also submit a travel grant report and original invoices for all expenses to the CEU Grants Management Office within 30 days of the completion of their research. If the master’s thesis grant is not used according to the budget that was submitted, the University may insist that the grant be refunded.

For further details please visit https://www.ceu.edu/funding-fees/grants-enrolled

You will also receive emails from the CEU Grants Management Office with additional information about the application requirements for these MA Thesis Research Grants.

Thesis Deadlines

The deadlines for submitting the thesis and the thesis report are strictly observed. Late submission will result in a reduction of the final grade of 0.2 points per business day. Note that an extension of the deadline can only be granted in events  that are beyond the control of the student. Students must apply for an extension of the deadline to the Thesis Supervisor and the Program Director. Students who submit the thesis/thesis report late because of illness need to provide a medical certificate. Practical problems that may have been encountered will not be accepted as a valid excuse for failing to meet the deadline. Please make sure that you submit your thesis well in advance of the deadline in order to avoid potential difficulties.

Thesis submission details

• Electronic version of the entire thesis IN ONE WORD DOCUMENT FILE submitted via email to the Academic Curriculum Coordinator (saved in the following format: student’s family name_ MA Thesis)
• Electronic version of the entire thesis entered in the Electronic Thesis Database (ETD)
• A signed declaration of authorship attached to every printed copy of the thesis and a typed and signed version saved after the title page of each electronic file (for a sample declaration please see Appendix VI)
• A printed, one sided, copy of the thesis delivered in a sealed envelope (library copy)

Notes: The Computer Center will offer short courses on thesis editing and using the Electronic Thesis Database (ETD) in the Spring term. For more information contact Erika Máthé at mathee@ceu.edu.

The CEU Copy Shop can copy and bind your thesis. It is located on the Ground floor of Oktober 6 street 12. However, due to their heavy workload, they cannot always handle immediate requests. There are also numerous copy services available in Budapest.

Thesis Format  

The total length of the thesis must be 12,000 words (+/– 10%) and include: the title page, copyright notice, table of contents, list of figures, list of abbreviations, acknowledgments, references, abstract (maximum 200 words), footnotes, bibliography and appendices. Tables and figures may be excluded from the word count.

Submitted theses must follow the CEU Thesis Guidelines. Term papers and theses must follow the referencing system of the Chicago Embedded Style, the most important elements of which are addressed in the Academic Writing for Public Policy course. For detailed information on correct citation please consult the 7th Edition of Turabian’s  A Manual for Writers (available in the library). For a sample cover page see Appendix IV.

Dissertations must include footnotes and a full bibliography of sources that were consulted. Arguments and information drawn from books and articles that were consulted must be acknowledged. Direct quotations should be clearly indicated through the use of quotation marks (“ ”), or through the use of indirect quotations; copying another author’s writing in the text without proper citation is plagiarism and will be penalized.

CEU’s Policy on Plagiarism details plagiarism and related penalties.

Other cases of academic dishonesty are regulated by CEU’s Code of Ethics  

It is recommended that students use a bibliography software to organize references. For more information see: http://www.personal.ceu.hu/comp/endnote.htm.

Thesis Evaluation and Grading  

Two SPP faculty members will read and evaluate the thesis. The thesis grade will be determined based upon their two written evaluations. There will be no oral defense  after thesis submission. The MA Thesis Evaluation Form including the final grade and comments on the dissertation will be provided within four weeks of the submission date for those who submit by the deadline. (For a sample MA Thesis Evaluation Form please see Appendix V.) For appeals, please see the handbook's section on Appealing a Grade.

The thesis will be graded in line with the University’s thesis grading policy. The following criteria is offered as a guideline for how thesis grades are determined:

“A”

The thesis shows originality and a high degree of conceptual sophistication along with critical examination of theoretical and empirical knowledge.

 “A–,” “B+”

The thesis contributes to the existing literature in the field; it shows a complete knowledge of the subject matter and relevant theoretical material, and it demonstrates a clear analytic ability.

“B,” “B–,” “C+”

The thesis has the attributes of a “Pass with Honors” thesis, but at an adequate rather than an excellent level.

Fail / Resubmit

The thesis lacks a thorough knowledge of the subject matter, and it does not relate to the broader academic literature. It neither applies research methods properly, nor demonstrates any analytic ability. The student may be invited to write a new thesis. The maximum grade possible in this circumstance is a Retake Pass (RP in the value of C+).

Fail for academic dishonesty

The thesis work is not original: the thesis (or substantial parts of it) has either been submitted to fulfill the requirements of another degree at CEU or another university or parts of the thesis are plagiarized, and are not the original work of the author.

In case of serious offenses the thesis is graded Fail (F).

In some cases, the thesis may be graded Retake Pass (RP in the value of C+) and the transcript will be flagged for academic dishonesty.