MASTER’S THESIS AND FINAL STATE EXAMINATION

MASTER’S THESIS AND FINAL STATE EXAMINATION

All graduate degree programmes at the Institute of International Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, are completed by a Final State Examination. 

Final State Examinations are generally held three times per year: once in late January or early February for the winter semester, and twice in the summer semester, in June and in September.

The Final State Examination consists of two parts: the defence of your master’s thesis and an academic debate on a selected topic within your field of specialisation, developed during your studies beyond the scope of the thesis.

Oral defence of your thesis

Prior to the defence, your thesis will be independently assessed by your thesis supervisor (also referred to as your advisor) and by another academic (the reviewer). Both will submit a written report evaluating the quality of the thesis. Both the advisor and the reviewer are often, though not always, present at the oral defence. The reports will be available to you before the final state examination. Please ensure that you access them in SIS, read them carefully, and prepare to respond to them during your defence. The reports frequently contain questions and points for discussion to be addressed during the defence.

During the defence, you are expected to present your thesis and its main conclusions using a PowerPoint presentation, and then respond to the reports (including the comments and questions provided in them). Afterwards, the committee will first ask you about specific aspects of your research and thesis, and then move on to discuss the broader context of your work. For detailed instructions, please refer to the section FAQ on Thesis Defence and Final State Examination below, in particular point 6, where you will find precise guidance on how your PowerPoint presentation should be structured. 

Academic debate on a selected topic

The academic debate (an interview with the committee members) focuses on a selected topic within your specialisation developed during the studies, beyond the scope of the thesis. There is no predefined list of topics. The debate typically explores the broader context of the thesis and naturally follows its defence. Often, the questions revolve around the broader academic debate to which your thesis contributes or the context within which the thesis topic is placed.

Administrative procedures before taking the Final state exam

Please note that there are a number of administrative steps you must take before you will be allowed to proceed to the Final State Exam.

  1. Check whether the grades for all the classes required to complete your study plan have been recorded in SIS in the term defined by the schedule of the given academic session.
  2. Register for the state exams via SIS.
  3. Upload and submit your thesis in PDF/A format to SIS. Submit it electronically; a printed version is not required. 

   Your participation in the exam is conditional on your fulfilling all of these steps.

Master’s Thesis

The Master’s Thesis is an extended piece of original academic writing, with which you are expected to complete your studies. There are several steps to follow in preparing, registering and completing a thesis, which we have outlined below.

There are several steps to follow in preparing, registering and completing the thesis, which we have outlined below.

Steps to follow

1. Determine your thesis topic and tentative research questions

You have some flexibility in your choice of thesis topic. Generally, a thesis topic that falls into any of the main subject areas of the programme will be acceptable, although individual thesis proposals are subject to approval of the programme director once you have discussed the topic with your potential thesis supervisor.

 

2. Find Your Potential Thesis Supervisor

Although the final thesis must be your own work, you will be assigned an academic worker who will advise and guide you in your research, especially in the early stages of the thesis. This is your thesis potential supervisor.  You are encouraged to identify and propose a potential advisor from amongst the regular teachers of the programme/institute, according to your research interests. The choice of a thesis advisor is, however, subject to the approval of the programme director.

 

3. Submit a Thesis Project

You have to submit an outline of your proposed thesis no later than 12 months before you intend to graduate. This outline is the so-called thesis project. Generally, it is about 2-4 pages in length, and it must include:

  • The proposed title of your thesis
  • The name of your potential supervisor
  • A short outline of your proposed line of argument (including potential chapters) and the methodology you plan to use
  • A bibliography of your main sources, related to both the content and the methodology of the thesis

At this early stage, we do not expect you to go into any particular detail, but the text should be sufficiently well developed that we can tell what your main topic will be, how you plan to structure the text, and what sources you plan to use.

The thesis project is subject to approval of the programme director, who may ask you to revise your project if he/she thinks this is necessary. It is therefore advisable to secure the approval of the programme director before you start writing in earnest.

The MA Thesis Project template is available here.

 

4. Submit a Thesis Progress Report

At the end of MA Thesis Seminar I, you will need to submit the MA Thesis Progress Report. The template is available here.

 

5. Submit and Complete your Thesis

The exact deadlines for submitting your final thesis will vary slightly from year to year, but you will always find them in the current academic calendar of the Faculty.

As a rough guide, the basic timeline is as follows, but please remember to check for specific deadlines:

  • If you plan to graduate in the summer (June), submit the project in May/June of the year before you intend to graduate. Submit the final thesis in April/May.
  • If you plan to graduate in the autumn (September), submit the project in August/September of the year before you intend to graduate. Submit the final thesis in July/August.
  • If you plan to graduate in the winter (February), submit the project in January/February of the year before you intend to graduate. Submit the final thesis in January.

Formal Requirements of the Thesis

When preparing your thesis, please remember that:

Your thesis is an original piece of academic writing and must meet all the usual standards of an academic text (bibliography, attribution of sources, etc). For guidance on correct citation practices, please refer to Decree No. 09/2023 of the IMS Director, which outlines the citation norms also recommended for MAS students, although this citation style is not binding for you. Issues relating to plagiarism and the use of artificial intelligence are regulated under Decree No. 07/2023. Please see the list of the Decrees of the IMS Director.

The minimum extent of a master’s thesis written in English is 15,000 words, excluding abstract, appendices, and a list of literature. This corresponds to the Dean's Measure of the minimum extent of 50 standard pages (90,000 characters with spaces). Pages should be numbered.

Please find the Master’s Thesis Template here. Follow the related Dean’s Measure with further specifications here.

Please don’t get confused about the terms Conclusion and Summary. The conclusion is a crucial part of the main text of the thesis, and it is written in the same language as the main text of the thesis. The summary is a brief final description of the thesis (max one page). The summary should be written in Czech if the thesis is written in English.

Every student must upload and submit the thesis via the SIS interface at https://is.cuni.cz/studium/, in the module ‘Thesis (Selection of Subject)’. The thesis must be in PDF/A format, version 1.3 or higher, and submitted electronically. A printed version is not required. To ensure you follow all the formal requirements concerning the PDF/A format, you can refer to the Instructions for Thesis Submitting. You can verify the validity of the PDF/A format by inserting it into the SIS.

Content of the thesis

Every thesis must contain the following (in this order):

  1. Title page in standard format

  2. Declaration that the thesis is your own work dated by yourself

  3. Abstract summarising the contents of the thesis, five keywords

  4. Table of Contents

  5. The main text of the thesis itself including conclusion

  6. Summary (a brief description of the paper as a whole, max one page)

  7. Full bibliography and citations

The Master’s Thesis Template will serve as your guide. For detailed information about the formal requirements, please ask your thesis supervisor.

FAQ ON THESIS DEFENCE AND FINAL STATE EXAMINATION

 

1. When and how will I be informed about the date and place of the final state exam? 

Ms Eva Špriňarová, who is responsible for preparing and coordinating the state exams at our Institute, will provide students with all relevant information regarding the final exam (including the date, place, and committee members) through SIS as soon as the details are confirmed.

 

2. Will the thesis defence and the state exam take place on the same day, or are they scheduled separately?

Both parts are held on the same day, one immediately following the other.

 

3. Will the same commission assess me throughout the entire state exam?

Yes. The same commission evaluates the student for the entire state examination.

 

4. How long does the exam last? Is there any time for preparation?

The final state exam typically lasts approximately 45 minutes, encompassing both the thesis defence and the academic debate. There is no time for preparation prior to the exam, because you have time in advance to prepare for the thesis defence, and the second part of the state exam organically follows the defence.

 

5. Am I required to bring a hard copy of my thesis for the defence?
No, you are not required to bring a hard copy of your thesis for the defence. You may bring a printed version or printed reports on your thesis if you feel they would be useful for yourself, but this is entirely optional. The committee members read the thesis in advance. All materials are provided to them electronically, and if any professors request it, the secretariat prepares printed copies for their use.

 

6. Am I required to prepare a PowerPoint presentation of my thesis?

Yes, you are required to prepare a PowerPoint presentation. At the State Examination, the presentation of your thesis should last 5–7 minutes and must consist of a title slide plus four content slides. The structure of the presentation is mandatory. Timing is strict – if you exceed 7 minutes, the committee will interrupt your presentation. Please organise your slides as follows:

  1. Title slide – Include only the thesis title and your name.

  2. Research question slide – State the main research question of your thesis and explain the justification, motivation, or reason for conducting your research.

  3. Academic debate slide – Indicate the type of existing literature you engaged with. Summarise what it says about the subject, puzzle, or phenomenon you investigated, and identify the gap or problem in the existing knowledge.

  4. Research design slide – Describe how you designed and structured your research to answer the research question. Explain the method you used and why. Highlight the theories or concepts that framed your research, the data/empirical material you relied on, and specify the geographical and temporal scope of your research.

  5. Results slide – Present the main contribution of your research and outline your conclusions. Mention any limitations of your results.

After your presentation, you will be asked to address the reviews. The committee will then proceed to ask you about the broader context of your thesis or any other aspect of your research and thesis.

 

7. Am I allowed to bring notes with key points?

Yes, you may bring written notes with key points for the thesis defence; however, they should be concise bulletpoint notes rather than full sentences.

 

8. Is it possible to take the state examination remotely (online), if necessary?

Yes, it is possible to defend your thesis and take the state examination remotely (online), but only in exceptional cases. You must request permission from your programme director, which can be done simply by email (no official form is required) at least 10 days before the state examinations. In the email, you must include a justifiable reason for requesting to take the examination remotely. Please also copy your request to both your programme coordinator (study.ims@fsv.cuni.cz) and Ms Eva Špriňarová (eva.sprinarova@fsv.cuni.cz), so that they are kept informed.

 

9. Will I be able to get a document that confirms I have completed my studies immediately after the final exam (i.e. before receiving my Diploma)?

After passing your final exams, you may visit the International Office, where our colleagues will provide you with a confirmation of graduation. This document can be used for employment or further study applications, residence permit applications, and other purposes. You can stop by the International Office even on the same day after your final exams, and they will be happy to issue the confirmation for you.

 

10. How will I be informed about the date of the graduation ceremony?

The graduation ceremony is a formal event during which you will take the graduate’s vow in front of the representatives of the academic staff and receive your diploma. Graduation ceremonies are organised by the Dean’s Office and the Rectorate. The International Office informs students of the date of their ceremony and sends them an official invitation together with detailed guidelines.

The diplomas are generally issued about three months after you pass your final state exams. Further information is available on the Faculty website, or from the International Office at degreeprograms@fsv.cuni.cz.

 

11. How can I obtain my diploma if I am unable to attend the graduation ceremony?

If you cannot or do not wish to attend the graduation ceremony, you must inform the International Office after passing your final state exam so that the necessary arrangements can be made while you are still in the Czech Republic. You should update the address to which you would like your diploma to be sent, and you must grant a power of attorney to an International Office officer, who will later collect the issued diplomas from the Rector’s Office and arrange their dispatch. A wet-ink physical copy of the power of attorney is required — scanned copies are unfortunately not sufficient. Please make sure to agree on the procedure in advance directly with the International Office (degreeprograms@fsv.cuni.cz), which will provide you with the official form for the power of attorney and further instructions. Further information is also available on the Faculty website.

 

We hope this information is helpful. If you need any advice or support, please feel free to contact either your programme coordinator (study.ims@fsv.cuni.cz) or Ms Eva Špriňarová (eva.sprinarova@fsv.cuni.cz).