Duration
Number of credits
| Master in geology, research focus | 27 crédits |
Lecturer
Collégialité, Jacqueline Vander Auwera
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
All year long
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The students registered in the second year of the Master program in Geological Sciences have to perform a master thesis. It consists of a scientific research in relation with geological sciences, realized under the supervision of a supervisor. The subject should be chosen in the list of subjects proposed to the students during their first year of their Master studies, or by contacting directly the supervisor. The subjects are available on the department website (https://www.geologie.uliege.be/cms/c_5392441/fr/geologie-memoires).
The students will contact the supervisors to receive more information on the proposed subjects. The selected subjects together with the name of the supervisors have to be approved by the board of studies during its first meeting at the beginning of the academic year.
The role of the supervisor is to define the objectives of the work, and to guide the student in its realization. The supervisor must have a PhD in sciences or applied sciences. The supervisor must be a permanent academic or scientific member of the Ulg. However, the board of studies may designate as co-supervisor an external member of the ULg or a non permanent member of the Ulg. The master thesis has to be presented during a session of examinations at the end of the second year of the Master studies. A presentation outside these dates is possible only for exceptional reasons and with the agreement of the Faculty of Sciences.
The students must choose their subject at the beginning of their second year of the Master studies. The name of the supervisor (or supervisor and co-supervisor) as well as a preliminary title have to be forwarded to the board of studies during its first meeting at the beginning of the academic year.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The objective of the master thesis is to get the student to perform a personal work that calls upon the skills acquired throughout the various courses of the master in geological sciences. It aims at developing the independence, as well as the critical and scientific spirit of the student. This allows the student to discover the work of a scientist.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Prerequisite and co-requisite courses are those necessary to perform the research project. The student should discuss this question with his (her) promotor.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Self-learning. The student is encouraged to inform the supervisor on a regular basis about the progress of his/her work, and to discuss any relevant scientific question. At the beginning of the academic year, the supervisor can establish a calendar and/or a list of specifications defining the goal of the thesis work.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Additional information:
Self-learning.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
If needed, the supervisor can recommend the reading of several scientific articles or books, but the student has to realize his(her) own bibliographical research.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
Written work / report
Further information:
With the supervisor agreement, the manuscript of the master thesis has to be submitted at the latest on the deposit date and time set by the board of studies and has to be registered on MatheO, the institutional thesis website. Each member of the board of reviewers and the president of the master jury receive a copy of the manuscript. The manuscript will have a maximum of 50 pages plus appendixes.
The master thesis is presented on the date set by the board of studies in front of the reviewers and the jury of the master in geological sciences. The duration of the presentation should not exceed 15 minutes, followed by a session of questions (15 minutes).
The board of reviewers consists of 4 members including the supervisor and a possible co-supervisor. At least one of them must belong to another research team than the supervisor. If a reviewer cannot attend the presentation, he/she sends a brief written report as well as a quotation to the supervisor and the chairman of the jury, at the latest the day before the presentation.
The score of the master thesis consists of the mean score attributed by the board of reviewers for the manuscript, of the mean score attributed by the jury for the presentation and of the mean score attributed by the jury for the answers to the questions. In the assessment of the manuscript, it is suggested to adopt the following criteria: (1) the content of the work (achievement of the work, methodology, the students effort, quality and relevance of the analysis,...), (2) capacity of autonomous work during the year and especially in the interpretation of the results, (3) quality of the manuscript in its form (fluidity, correct spelling, quality of the figures, citations,...) and content. Important point: the minimum score required is 10/20.
Work placement(s)
Depending on the subject, it might be necessary to perform fieldwork and/or short stays in other laboratories, belgian or foreign, for sampling, analyses...
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
When the final manuscript is submitted, the student will also provide a CD containing the text (WORD format) as well as the pictures and all the data (Excel or other format). Moreover, he(she) will put in a place agreed with the supervisor the whole set of samples, thin sections and analysed material. It is reminded here that the data and material are the property of the ULg.
Contacts
Prof. J. Vander Auwera (jvdauwera@uliege.be)