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Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis))

  • Masters (Coursework)

The Master of Arts (MA(Thesis)) prepares candidates for employment in education, regional and national government agencies, the private sector, and industry.

Key details

Degree Type
Masters (Coursework)
Course Code
Thesis

About this course

The Master of Arts (MA(Thesis)) prepares candidates for employment in education, regional and national government agencies, the private sector, and industry. The MA(Thesis) enables candidates to engage in a significant piece of independent research, providing specialist knowledge in their topic area and transferable analytical, research and writing skills. The degree is also an entry qualification for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The MA(Thesis) normally requires at least one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time, study and entails completion of a thesis. The normal admission requirement is a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)) degree in one of at least 24 subjects, but admission on the basis of alternative qualifications and experience is possible. Some thesis candidates may be required to pass approved postgraduate papers before embarking on the thesis research, but will be advised of that before enrolment.

The thesis is a major piece of supervised research of up to 40,000 words.

The primary aim of the MA(Thesis) is to develop in a candidate skills needed to identify a significant topic, design and implement an extended piece of research, and present the findings in a form acceptable to an expert readership.

Entry requirements

  1. Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).
  2. Applicants seeking admission to a programme of study comprising of papers and a thesis (240 points combined) must either
    1. be a graduate with an average grade of at least B+ for the appropriate 300-level papers, or
    2. have alternative qualifications or experience acceptable to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).
  3. Applicants seeking admission to the programme of study comprising the 120-point thesis only on the basis of completing the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours or the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects or equivalent must:
    1. have undertaken a programme of study that provides adequate preparation for the thesis, and
    2. have achieved a grade of at least a B+ for the research report, thesis preparation, dissertation requirement, or relevant preparatory papers of the qualification concerned.
  4. In considering an applicant's qualifications, regard will be had to the detail of the course of study followed to gain the qualification, as well as the applicant's performance in the programme. Applicants must normally have achieved an average grade of at least B+ in the papers at the highest level in the programme.

Study locations

Dunedin