Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this work, students will :

  • master the context, state-of-the art and other theoretical aspects related to the project by performing a search of the scientific literature, by participating to team meetings and other scientific discussions, and by conducting experimental work or analytic work.
  • understand the main goals, working hypotheses and work strategies to test them
  • be able to test hypotheses and generate reliable scientific results
  • have become proficient in conducting experiments or analyses without errors, i.e. will become independent in his/her research project
  • be able to critically analyze and interpret the results generated by the experimental/analytical work and data found in the literature.
  • be able to expertly present the project and work products in a written thesis and during an oral presentation, and will be be able to defend this work in front of a jury. The students must include sections on theoretical points required to understand the goals of the project, experimental work and conclusions, they must set the context, present the state-of-the-art, and clearly delineate the main goals and specific aims of the project. The manuscript will include a detailed materials and methods section, as well as a results section in which the experimental findings will be presented in a clear and comprehensive manner. The master thesis will also include conclusions and discussion points based on the findings, and positioned in light of data already published in the literature. Perspectives/positioning in a larger research context will be presented as well.

 

Goals

The major aim of the master thesis is to conduct a research project independently and to gain a first experience in the world of research professionals.

Assessment method

The second part of the master thesis comprises the redaction of a thesis manuscript, an oral presentation (in English) followed by a session of questions and answers in English as well.

Students will find a vademecum in WebCampus, which lays down the recommendations for the writing of the thesis manuscript and evaluation criteriea. The results will be introduced, presented clearly and assessed/discussed critically. Advancement(s) in the research field and perspectives will be pointed out.

The manuscript, the oral presentation and the defense will be assessed by a jury composed of four researchers.

The jury will grade (/20) the student following these guidelines: Manuscript (/10), Oral presentation and defense (/10)

The promoter will assign a unique note assessing the student’s work during the internship, the quality of the manuscript, the oral presentation and the defense (/20)

Final grade: Promoter (/10) + average note of the Jury (/10).

The exact modalities of the evaluation are likely to be modified during the preparation of the examination schedules, depending on the practical constraints with which the faculty administration may be confronted, or in the event of illness / force majeure / encroachment with an internship, or because of the health situation related to the coronavirus.

 

Sources, references and any support material

Pubmed and other bibliographical repositories.

Language of instruction

Anglais