Content Official Master's Degree in Global East Asian Studies

Master's dissertation

The TFM (Trabajo Fin de Máster or Master's Degree Dissertation) is a compulsory annual subject worth 15 ECTS focused on the preparation of an individual piece of academic work carried out autonomously by the student, in accordance with the principles of scientific research and under the supervision of a tutor.
The theme of the TFM can be both theoretical and methodological, and includes the application, in either case, of a research methodology that can be complemented by an institutional approach, if the thesis involves a collaboration with an entity in the field of East Asia with which UAB has an agreement. 
The aim of the TFM is for the student to incorporate the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out specialised research in the field of the master's degree in accordance with the principles of scientific quality and academic rigour. For this, the student must undertake an original piece of work that addresses the approach and development of the research questions, hypotheses and research objectives, current state of the issue, theoretical framework and methodological approach to the research.

Monitoring of the TFM will be carried out through periodic supervision tutorials with the relevant tutor, who will be assigned by the master's degree coordinators, based on the themes of the TFM. In the first semestre, the tutorials will focus on an initiation into research through the methodological approach and the development of the research project, and will help the student acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to approach a research project in the field of the master's studies. The second semestre tutorials will focus on monitoring the theoretical, methodological and analytical development of the work, in order to guarantee its research progress at all times in accordance with a criteria of quality and academic excellence.

The TFM must show that the student dominates the theoretical-conceptual content and the methodological tools well enough to be able to carry out a rigorous investigation of the subject matter, and demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake further research according to a criteria of scientific quality and academic rigour in subsequent projects. To this end, the student must submit their written dissertation of the undertaken research and defend it before the assessment committee.

For more information: see the Master’s Degree Dissertation study guide in the study guides section.