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Master's dissertation exchange

The aim of the master's dissertation is to analyse a scientific topic by means of an experimental design, data acquisition and analysis, and the study of specific scientific literature. The methodology of the research, the results and the conclusions are written down in a report and have to be presented in front of a scientific jury.

The master's dissertation corresponds to about 900 hours of work.

Which exchange students?

  • Master students (= min. 180 ECTS obtained before coming to Gent)
  • PhD students

Can be combined with ...

  1. if the period of stay is min. one academic year
  2. if you are a master of PhD student
  1. if the period of stay is min. one academic year
  2. if two clearly different topics are dealt with

Procedure and Regulations

Minimum stay

6 months

ECTS

You can obtain an official transcript of records for 30 ECTS on the condition that:

  • you report the results in a Master dissertation and defend it orally in front of a jury.
  • your university has an agreement with our faculty.

Before arrival

  • have an agreement on the topic of research, the objectives of research, the place of defence and the promotership with the academic supervisors of both the sending and receiving institutions before arrival
  • choose a subject on our master's dissertation website or suggest your own master's dissertation topic at one of or research departments

Guidance

Students make an original scientific research under the guidance of a promoter of the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering and possibly a co-promoter from the sending university.

Thesis manuscript

  • The faculty board needs to approve the title.
  • A master's dissertation consists of 3 major parts:
    1. a literature review chapter (informs the reader about the current state of the art of the thesis subject)
    2. a materials and methods chapter (describes all materials and methods used so that experiments can be repeated by external researchers)
    3. a results and discussion section (describes the results of all experimental work and discusses their significance)
  • Language: Dutch, English or French.
  • Deadline: at least two weeks before the date of the oral defence to be handed in at the Faculty Student Administration A1.101

Oral defense

  • The faculty board needs to approve the composition of the jury (at least 3 members).
  • Three possible deadlines:
    1. at the end of the examination session of the first semester
    2. at the end of the examination session of the second semester
    3. at the end of the second examination session
    • Following a short overview of the thesis by the student, there is time for an interactive discussion with the jury.