LOG950 Master’s thesis

Information for companies

 

Theoretical or applied thesis?

 

It is acceptable to write both theoretical and applied theses. However, we expect most theses to be based on a real case from a company or a governmental body. Theoretical thesis can be for example

  • A literature review
  • A numerical method for solving a typical logistics problem
  • Development of new theory.

 

Obviously, few students should consider developing new theory, as that requires very advanced skills.

 

The three major steps in writing a thesis

 

The master’s thesis covers the fourth semester of the MSc program in logistics. However, the work starts long before that. The process has three phases:

 

  1. During the second semester (spring) all students choose a subject for their thesis. A part of this choice is also to find a supervisor among the scientific staff at Molde University College, and to locate a company if the thesis is to be based on a practical case. Associated with the company there will always be a contact person who is willing and able to be the student’s helper inside the company. No real work is done on the thesis during this semester.
  2. In the third semester (autumn) the student will start working on the thesis. It will be normal with at least one visit to the company. The student will spend about 25% of his or her time on the thesis. The work leads to a proposal. This is a written document, normally 10-25 pages long, describing such as the company and its environment, defining the actual problem the student wishes to study, and discussing relevant literature. Finally, the proposal outlines what the student plans to do during the fourth, and final, semester. The proposal is defended in an oral examination, and the grading is pass/fail. If the student fails, a new exam will be organized in January.
  3. The fourth semester is devoted to writing the master’s thesis. Some students will need to visit the company repeatedly, some only once or twice, while still others will need to spend prolonged periods in the company. The thesis is a written document, typically 50-100 pages long, describing the analyses made. A good thesis combines a detailed problem understanding with good and relevant use of theory, and ends up with a conclusion, hopefully useful for the company. The thesis is graded by an external grader, and defended after an oral presentation in June. Letter grades are used.

 

To reflect the complexity of real logistics problems, and to work similar to what is common in industry, the students are encouraged to work in pairs.

 

How to find a thesis subject?

 

It is a student’s own responsibility to find a subject and a supervisor. There are several ways to do that.

  1. If you have a problem defined, you need to search for a supervisor willing to help you. You then bring the subject to a potential supervisor, and discuss his/her willingness. If a company is involved, there will be a need for a contact person inside the company. You must expect the potential supervisor to contact this person before giving you a final reply.
  2. If you know that you are interested in a general area, but do not have a specific topic in mind, visit relevant supervisors in their offices, and ask if they can help.
  3. Some projects will be presented to you during the spring term, mostly on this home page. If you find any of them interesting, make contact with the person who is listed as supervisor.
  4. If you do not know who to contact, you can of course start by talking to your academic supervisor.

 

A brief description of faculty members can be found here.

 

Procedures for the spring 2006

 

The number of students needing a thesis is quite large. Hence, we need some procedures this year.

  1. No agreements are to be made between student and supervisor before 24 March 2006. The reason for this is to give all students a fair chance to find their supervisor of choice.
  2. After 24 March, agreements can be made at any time.

 

Please, inform professor Stein W. Wallace as soon as an agreement has been reached according to the rules above.

 

Potential problems can be found here.

 

Note that the longer you wait, the more likely it is that your favorite supervisor is fully booked.

 

What do we ask from the companies?

 

A short description of what is expected from a company is presented here. This information should be given to companies accepting students for master’s theses.