Master Seminar

After enrolment in the 1st year, students choose their mentor among the teachers at the Department of ethnology and cultural anthropology. They can also choose a co-mentor at the department or at another institution. Through collaboration with their mentor(s) they develop a research topic for their MA thesis before the end of the 3rd semester (title, basic research questions, research methods, selection of literature etc.). Before 10 January of their 2nd study year, they submit to the department secretary office complete and signed disposition, approved by the mentor(s). All the dispositions are then reviewed by the department three-members review commission. The commission returns written comments to the mentors. If necessary the students correct the disposition before the 4th semester. Approved disposition is a prerequisit to enrol into Master seminar. All second year students must participate in the MA seminar. Weekly meetings take form of group discussions about selected MA disposition. Opponents get aquatinted with the topic of selected disposition in advance, they introduce and lead the discussions. A student presents his or her research plans (disposition) and discusses research strategies and the reading list with other colleagues and teachers. In seminar, other teachers may be invited.

In the first part of the seminar the students are supposed to make a list of literature from the area of preparing their master thesis. The advisors recommend additional reading for each student individually.