Course content - Learning outcome - Admission - Prerequisites - Teaching - Examination

Course content

The master’s thesis should consist of independent research work with relevance to the field of special needs education. The project should be based on the accepted research proposal (evaluated as "pass") written as part of the examination requirements for the SNE4230 Research Methodology course.

The thesis may be an empirical study, a theoretical, philosophical or historical study, or a combination of approaches.

Empirical studies may include educational development (e.g. school development) and/or evaluation research.

Learning outcome

• Acquired competence for planning, conducting and reporting research in the field of special needs education
• Acquired competence for critical evaluation of research literature

Admission

Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

Number of students: 20

The course is an obligatory part of the Master of Philosophy in Special Needs Education Programme. Only students formally accepted onto the programme may attend this course. Admission critera as follows:

1. A relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a minimum grade of C or the equivalent
2. Knowledge of English documented by one of the following or equivalent:

• Basic English from Upper Secondary School (videregående), minimum grade 4 (Norwegian grading system)
• TOEFL examination with a minimum score of 550 (213 computer-based, 80 internet-based)
• IELTS examination with a minimum score of band 6

1. Motivation, research interests and professional practice will also be taken into consideration

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

The following courses must have been successfully completed:

• SNE4110 - Education for All
• SNE4120 - Inclusive Education
• SNE4130 - Social and Cultural Perspectives on Special Needs Education
• SNE4200 - Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Education for Learners with Disabilities
• Accepted research proposal (evaluated as "pass")

The research proposal (from SNE4230) must have been formally accepted (evaluated as "pass") and all other examination components/coursework requirements of SNE4230 must have been successfully completed before the delivery of the thesis.

Teaching

• While conducting the research project and writing the thesis the student is offered advice from an academic advisor appointed by DSNE.

• Maximum number of hours for advice: equivalent to 10 contact hours (from 2010/2012 group).

Obligatory activities:

The research planning seminars

Examination

The delivery of the thesis.

Language of examination

English

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

The examination commission consists of two examiners, at least one of whom must be an external examiner. The candidate’s adviser can not be one of these persons. The candidate’s main adviser is to participate in the examination meeting, and is obliged to provide the examination commission with any information that might be of significance for the examination result. This could, for example, be information about the candidate’s work, constraints or guidelines which the adviser has given the candidate. The adviser does not partake in setting the grade. The examination commission must reach a consensus regarding the grade. In the case of disagreement a new examination commission should be appointed.