First meeting
The first meeting between the supervisor and the student should take place within four weeks after the student is notified about the appointment of the supervisor. The student should contact the supervisor via email to plan the first meeting. We recommend that the following is done during the first meeting:
- discuss the supervision agreement and sign it
- discuss the recommended timeline for the Master's thesis and set your own milestones
- review the ethical guidelines for supervisors at UiO
- mutual expectations
As a rule, your first meeting should result in a progress plan. The supervision contract should be signed by both supervisor and student, and submitted to the study administration at IMK (preferably by email to studieinfo@media.uio.no).
Regular supervision
Master’s students are entitled to a total of 18 hours of supervision for a 60 ECTS master's thesis. These hours are spread over three semesters. For a master's thesis of 30 ECTS, the student is entitled to a total of 9 hours of supervision, over one semester.
In order to make the supervision process more efficient, and to ensure progress, the student should regularly submit new text and/or new drafts incorporating the supervisor's recommendations.
Meetings and minutes
We recommend that the student and supervisor set their meeting dates well in advance. Student and supervisor should also agree on what and when the next draft should be sent to the supervisor. Unless agreed otherwise, the student is expected to write a short summary of each supervisory meeting and send it to the supervisor after the meeting.
These summaries serve as documentation of the student’s progress and their understanding of the supervisor’s feedback, and can be help to clear up misunderstandings and ambiguities. The minutes should also include agreements regarding continued work.
Personal data and ethical guidelines
If the student is going to process personal data, i.e. information and assessments that can be linked to individuals, the project must be registered with Sikt. Both the supervisor and the student are responsible for ensuring that the master's thesis project follows the research ethical guidelines at the University of Oslo. Due to the processing time at the Sikt, it is recommended to register the project as soon as possible (through the Notification Form).
- Sikt - Study and research
- Guidelines for research ethics
- Read more about Privacy Protection and Research Papers at UiO
Progress and delays
The supervision is normally offered during three semesters (second, third and fourth semester). The student is expected to work continuously with their thesis throughout the whole course of study.
The student must also inform the supervisor if they are applying for a leave and/or reduced study progression (part-time studies). The supervision contract normally ends after three semesters, unless the student has applied for and been granted a leave of absence or reduced study progression.
Students should keep in mind that the supervisor has other obligations, and are therefore asked to respect the progress plan for the supervision.
Research leave and travels
If the supervisor is planning a sabbatical or a long travel (more than one-two months), it is the supervisor's responsibility to inform the student about this well in advance. Unless agreed otherwise, the supervisor must ensure that the supervision is also offered during these periods of absence, for example via Zoom.
Health issues, leave of absence and delay
If the student has long-lasting health issues preventing them from working on the master’s thesis, the student must inform the supervisor, with study admin on copy. The student must also apply for leave of absence or reduced progression if necessary, or for an extra semester. More information about this here.
The supervisor is responsible for academic guidance only, and cannot assume responsibility for any facilitation beyond that. The student and the supervisor are welcome to consult the study administration at IMK in case more information is needed.
Change of supervisor
If the supervision does not work satisfactorily for the student or supervisor – due to academic or other causes – the student or supervisor must first try to discuss this with each other and come to an agreement.
If the supervision still does not work satisfactorily, the student or supervisor must contact the study administration at IMK. The original supervision contract will then be terminated, and a new supervisor assigned.
Change of master’s thesis topic
If the student wishes to change the topic of the master’s thesis, the student must submit a new project description for approval to studieinfo@media.uio.no. If there is no need for a new supervisor, and the project is approved, the supervision will continue as agreed.
If there is a need for a new supervisor, the Administrative Head of Studies will inform both the student and the former supervisor about this. A new appointment letter will be sent to the student and the new supervisor by e-mail.
Co-supervision
If the student and the supervisor agree that there is a need for a co-supervision, they should send an e-mail to the study administration and describe the reasons for the co-supervision, give suggestions for possible co-supervisors, as well as proposals for workload distribution between the supervisors.
The total number of supervision hours (18 hours) is divided between the main supervisor and the co-supervisor. However, it is the main supervisor who has the main responsibility for the supervision and follow-up of the student's progression, including applications for extensions and the like.
Questions about the thesis
All administrative questions about the Master's thesis (including deadlines, formal requirements and deadline extensions) should be directed to studieinfo@media.uio.no.