Semester 4 — Master’s thesis and conference (EPOG+)
Semester 4 aims to enhance and apply learning outcomes. Depending on their Master’s thesis project and career perspectives, students will:
- stay in Paris (and take advantage of the Paris hub of partners and associated partners),
- return to the university where the first year of the Master’s was taken,
- visit one of the associated partner, or any relevant institution.
They will also choose between:
| Writing the Master’s thesis in a “research lab environment” | Students will be integrated into the relevant research lab (with access to seminars and research meetings, databases, library and computing resources). They will write their Master’s thesis in the chosen institution (February-June). Students will have to take one course or follow local research seminars (equivalent to 3 ECTS) in order (i) to favour their induction in the hosting institution and/or (ii) to help with their Master’s thesis (methodology, specific advanced courses…). The opportunity of staying in a research lab is mandatory for students enrolled in Minor B1. |
| Writing the Master’s thesis in the context of a “professional internship”. | Such an internship may be spent at one of the non-academic associated partner or at any relevant institution provided that the intership is directly related to the topic of the Master’s thesis, so that the time spent can be used as fieldwork in preparation for the dissertation. It should be noted that the requirements are the same for a thesis done in a context of a professional intership and a research lab environment. Note also that the students willing to do a professional internship will have to find the position. The internship can last 4 to 6 months. |
Students will be jointly tutored by teachers/researchers from a partner institution in Paris, the institutions of the first year of the Master’s and, whenever relevant, from the associated partner. Students choosing to work in a “professional environment” will be allocated an internship tutor.
The Master’s thesis: timing and assessment
Work on the thesis will start during Semester 3 (proposal and supervisors). Students will almost fully dedicate to the thesis from February to June (Semester 4) alongside a course (for students choosing the “research lab” environement) or the internship (for students choosing that route).
The Master’s thesis will rely on the written document (submitted at the beginning of June) and defence (at the end of June). The work will be assessed jointly by the universities awarding the degree(s) and, where relevant, the institution hosting the student during Semester 4. The more demanding criteria of the European partners will be used as common standards to decide final marks. An important criterion will be the capacity provide systemic analysis including insights taken from the other Majors.
The EPOG conference
The “ EPOG conference” is held usually at the beginning of July of Semester 4. It involves the whole cohort which is graduating that current year (mandatory) and also alumni, professors and practioners from partner and associated partner institutions, keynote speakers… Students finishing the first year may join the conference. The event may also be held jointly with an academic conference to enlarge the audience and favour the academic exchanges beyond the EPOG+ programme itself.
The conference includes:
- sessions in which students present their thesis work to all the participants (and in which the other students (and participants) discuss the presented work);
- invited sessions with prestigious keynote speakers;
- sessions organised by the EPOG Students and Alumni Association.
