uct masters by dissertation

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Table of Contents

1.      Intention to Submit 2.      Dissertation Submission 3.      Paper Requirement 4.      Registration 5.      Fees 6.      Contact Details

1.   Intention to Submit

A research student submits a 60, 120 or 180 credit dissertation for examination. Students must inform the Faculty Office of their intention to submit for examination prior to actual submission for examination, by uploading the following to PeopleSoft :

• EBE01 - Intention to submit form
• EBE02 - IP assessment form
• EBE03 - Dissertation Open Access Suppression Form (Embargo Request)
• A copy of your abstract according to the Student Upload Intention to Submit Guide.

Please see Student Upload Intention to Submit Guide

What does ‘qualify’ mean?

A student qualifies when he or she has met the requirements for the degree/diploma which is ratified by the FEC and approved by SEC.  Graduation may take place weeks or even months after this approval process.  A student may apply for a transcript which will show that the qualification has been completed and that graduation will take place on a date sometime in the future.

What does ‘graduate’ mean?

A student graduates at a congregation of the University of Cape Town. That is a graduation ceremony where the degree or diploma is conferred upon him/her. The graduation date appears on the certificate and transcript.

Kindly note that the University of Cape Town does not undertake to reach a decision on the award of the degree by any specific date.  We will inform you once your examination process has been completed. 

Please note that these dates are not necessarily in line with the fee rebate dates – please see point 5 below for the deadlines for fees.

2.  Dissertation Submission

After consultation with the supervisor, a candidate hoping to graduate midyear/end of the year, is required to submit via PeopleSoft to the Faculty Office:

• Dissertation

Please include the following in your dissertation - a signed declaration that states: "I know the meaning of plagiarism and declare that all the work in the document, save for that which is properly acknowledged, is my own. This thesis/dissertation has been submitted to the Turnitin module (or  equivalent similarity and originality checking software) and I confirm that my supervisor has seen my report and any concerns revealed by such have been resolved with my supervisor."

• A copy of your completed and signed EBE Faculty ‘Assessment of Ethics in Research Projects form’. This would have been completed when you registered for your dissertation.  
• Abstract  
• A copy of your unofficial transcript
• EBE04 - Declaration of Free Licence form

Please see  Student Upload Thesis/Dissertation for Examination Guide

Please note that only online submissions of the dissertation are required. You do not need to submit a hard copy.

Please check your PeopleSoft within a week to see if your service request was accepted or declined. If no action was taken, please contact the Faculty Office. 

3. Paper Requirement

Please note this requirement is only for those completing a 120 / 180 credit dissertation.

You are in addition required to submit a summary of the key aspects of the dissertation, presented in the form of a paper which is, potentially, of publishable standard, approved by the supervisor.

Note: The Paper requirement is intended to develop a candidate's skills in academic communication through exposure to the discipline of preparing a scholarly, succinct overview of the subject of the research topic, with due attention to structure, detail, clarity of expression and referencing. If you have not already done so, you must liaise with your supervisor and take appropriate steps to satisfy this requirement. 

You are required to submit the following to the Faculty Office:

• EBE05 – Paper submission form and guidelines
• An electronic copy can be submitted to  [email protected]  

4.  Registration

• Please note that if you intend to submit your Master's dissertation for examination between December and before the academic term commences the following year you will not be required to register.
• If you submit your dissertation after the term commences you must re-register by the date set out on the registration programme . If you do not register and you submit your dissertation for examination, your dissertation will not be sent off for examination until you have re-registered.

5. Fees

The following is an extract taken from the Fees Handbook (Submission of Doctoral Theses and Master's Dissertations) on rebates.  Refer to the Fees Handbook (No. 8.2) for the exact fee deadline dates.  Kindly note that these are not Faculty deadline dates, but fee deadline dates:

Revise and Resubmit

Where a student is required to revise and resubmit a thesis or dissertation the academic fee will be charged per quarter (ie. If the candidate must work for up to one quarter, he/she will pay 25% of the full fee; for up to two quarters, he/she will pay 50% of the full fee and so on). 

• NOTE 1: Full annual fees will be billed from the date on which the student is notified to revise and resubmit, and any fee rebate will be processed on resubmission.
• NOTE 2: International students who are required to revise and resubmit a dissertation or thesis and who need to re-register at the start of a new academic year, may have their international term fee pro-rated up-front where there is a clear indication from the supervisor that the student is expected to submit in a period shorter than a year. 

Should you be entitled to a rebate, this will only take effect once we know the outcome of your dissertation. 

CONTACT AT FACULTY OFFICE

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POSTGRADUATE ADMINISTRATORS IN THE DEPARTMENTS

The Postgraduate Administrators in the departments and their email addresses are:-

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After consultation with the supervisor, a candidate hoping to graduate in March / September 2024 is required to first submit an Intention to Submit 6 - 8 weeks before uploading the dissertation for examination via PeopleSoft to the Faculty Office.

STEP 1 - Create the intention to submit service request via PeopleSoft.

• Intention to Submit Form 
• Abstract 
• COMPG01a - Dissertation Open Access Suppression  (if applicable) 

Please refer to the  Quick Reference Guide: Student Upload Intention to Submit.

Please check your PeopleSoft within a week to see if your service request was accepted or declined. If no action was taken, please contact the  Commerce   Faculty Office  via  email:  [email protected] .  

The guideline dates for submission of dissertations are:

• Intention: 30 June 2023
• Submission of dissertation: 25 August 2023
• Submission of dissertation: 12 February 2024
• Intention: 19 December 2023

Please read the notice about 2024 graduation

• Students who submit their corrections by  12:00 on 01 December 2023 and meet   the requirements for their qualification  may be able to attend a  graduation ceremony in March 2024.
• A letter of completion may be issued if required before the graduation ceremonies. Please get in touch with  [email protected] .

After consultation with the supervisor, a candidate hoping to graduate in March / September is required to submit via PeopleSoft to the Faculty Office:

STEP 2 - Create the upload thesis/dissertation service request via PeopleSoft .

Declaration and Rebate Form

Dissertation (you must include an Abstract and a signed  Plagiarism Declaration  in the dissertation)

A copy of your unofficial transcript from PeopleSoft

Please refer to the  Quick Reference Guide: Student Upload Thesis/Dissertation for Examination .

Please check your PeopleSoft within a week to see if your service request was accepted or declined. If no action was taken, please contact the  Commerce  Faculty Office via email:  [email protected] .  

In order to qualify for your Masters degree and be able to attend graduation, you must meet all the requirements for your degree, these may include but are not limited to:

• Successfully completing your dissertation component
• Passing all necessary coursework
•  A copy of the finalised dissertation is uploaded on PeopleSoft –  Library Upload Guide.

What does ‘qualify’ mean?

A student qualifies when he or she has met the requirements for the degree/diploma which is ratified by the FEC and approved by SEC. Graduation may take place weeks or even months after this approval process.  A student may apply for a transcript which will show that the qualification has been completed and that graduation will take place on a date sometime in the future. 

What does ‘graduate’ mean?

A student graduates at a congregation of the University of Cape Town. That is, a graduation ceremony where the degree or diploma is conferred upon him/her. The graduation date appears on the certificate and transcript. Kindly note that the University of Cape Town does not undertake to reach a decision on the award of the degree by any specific date.  We will inform you once your examination process has been completed.

• Please note that if you intend submitting your Master's dissertation for examination between December and before the academic term commences the following year, you will not be required to register.
• If you submit your dissertation after the term commences you must re-register by the date set out on the registration programme. If you do not register and you submit your dissertation for examination, your dissertation will not be sent off for examination until you have re-registered.

A rebate on the annual academic fee for a masters’ dissertation is granted in the second or subsequent year in which the dissertation is being completed.

Refer to the  Fees Handbook  (No. 8.2) for the exact fees and deadline dates.  Kindly note that these are not Faculty deadline dates, but fee deadline dates.

Where a student is required to revise and resubmit a thesis or dissertation the appropriate academic fee will apply (refer to Fees Handbook, No. 8.3):

• Where a student is required to revise and resubmit a thesis or dissertation the academic fee will be charged per quarter (i.e. if the candidate must work for up to one quarter, the student will pay 25% of the full fee; for up to two quarters, he/she will pay 50% of the full fee and so on).
• Note: Full annual fees will be billed from the date on which the student is notified to revise and resubmit and any fee rebate will be processed on resubmission.

Should you be entitled to a rebate, this will only take effect once we know the outcome of your dissertation.

Please email the  Commerce Faculty HDC  with any queries. 

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Visit the Libraries Theses and Dissertation subscription databases.

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You’ve got your undergraduate degree, now for the next step. Here are the different types of postgraduate study offered at UCT.

Postgraduate diploma

This qualification comes at the immediate post-bachelor’s degree level. A postgraduate diploma can be similar to some honours and master’s qualifications but doesn’t require a dissertation or a significant research project.

For some postgraduate diplomas you need an undergraduate degree from the same discipline. Others are available to students with any undergraduate degree and act as conversion courses, allowing you to enter a specific career or profession.

Honours degree

This is a one-year degree, known as the gateway to postgraduate studies after you have achieved your undergraduate degree in South Africa. It usually involves a combination of coursework and a short research dissertation.

This is an advanced research-based degree in most cases. The normal tenure for most full-time master’s students is two years, but this can take longer depending on your schedule.

You can either do a research master’s by full thesis, or a research master’s by coursework and dissertation/thesis. There is also the option of a professional master’s degree where the research component may require a research-paper-styled submission, as well as or in place of, the dissertation/thesis.

Professional qualifications

Some careers have an accreditation system to certify a particular level of knowledge and skill. This could be at the postgraduate diploma, honours or master’s level.

For example, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a one-year qualification to train graduates who want to be school teachers.

Also known as a doctorate, this is the most advanced level research degree. It normally takes about three or four years to complete, concluding with the acceptance of a doctoral thesis.

It consists of a significant piece of research making a substantial contribution to knowledge in that field and must embody the original work of the student. Students are encouraged to publish during the course of their PhD.

PhD studies are done under the guidance of a supervisor, sometimes with one or more co-supervisors.

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Research PhD and Masters by Dissertation

The Centre of Criminology offers a PhD programme and dissertation-only Master’s for selected students. Under the supervision of a staff member, students may conduct research on a topic approved by their supervisor (as relating to the current ongoing research portfolios or the broader field of criminology, justice, and governance). Selection is dependent on academic record, supervision availability, and topic relevance.  

Applications can be made at any time during the year. Please note, however, that the University of Cape Town has its own stipulations regarding due dates and deadlines for acceptance as a student, and that the Centre of Criminology has no power to influence this process. Contact should be made with to secure a supervisor for your research, as written confirmation of interest in your research is a requirement for acceptance to the Faculty of Law.

How to apply

Email the following to [email protected] :     

• A 2-page summary of the research you intend to undertake with the Centre;
• A 1-2 page cover letter that motivates your topic and stating why you chose UCT/the Centre;   
• A recent example of writing (e.g. previous dissertations, thesis, publications);   
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• Your full contact details and address.

Should a member of staff agree to supervise your research, you will be contacted with information on what steps are necessary in order to apply to the University of Cape Town. After feedback from the Centre, you may apply to study online as per the instructions or guidelines for postgraduate degree applicants on the Law Faculty  website .

UCT's Postgraduate Funding Office (PGFO) offers a limited number of scholarships. While UCT undertakes to assist as many students as possible, the scholarships are not guaranteed.

To apply for a UCT PGFO scholarship, you must first be accepted for study. You should then attach your acceptance letter, together with other relevant documents as prescribed by the PGFO, to your application. The closing date for submission of applications is 31 July each year for funding in the subsequent year.

Please note that the international postgraduate scholarships are not full-cost scholarships, therefore you would still have to ensure that you come to South Africa with enough money to cover your tuition, accommodation and general living costs.

For any further information on funding, refer to the PGFO .

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Master's specialising in Computer Science

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Click on the links below for information on the various Master's courses:

CSC5000W    Computer Science Dissertation  CSC5002W    Computer Science Minor Dissertation  CSC5008Z    Data Visualisation CSC5020Z    Research Methods In Computer Science  CSC5021Z    Computational Geometry For 3d Printing  CSC5022Z    Distributed Scientific Computing  CSC5023Z    Evolutionary Computation  CSC5024Z    Information Retrieval  CSC5025Z    Intelligent Systems   CSC5026Z    Introduction To ICT For Development  CSC5027Z    Logics For Artificial Intelligence   CSC5028Z    Ontology Engineering  CSC5029Z    Introduction To Image Processing And Computer Vision  CSC5030Z    Advanced Topics In Computer Science Master's 1  CSC5031Z    Advanced Topics In Computer Science Master's 2  CSC5032Z    Networks & Internet Systems  CSC5033Z    Human Computer Interaction  

Master's specialising in Computer Science by Dissertation

CSC5000W    COMPUTER SCIENCE DISSERTATION  Convener: Professor T A Meyer  Course entry requirements: Computer Science Honours from UCT prior to 2018, or permission from the Head of Department in exceptional cases. In the normal case, students will be expected to register for Master’s specialising in Computer Science, by coursework and minor dissertation.

Course outline:   This course consists of an investigation of an approved topic chosen for intensive study by the candidate (student), culminating in the submission of a dissertation. The dissertation shall demonstrate the successful completion of a programme of training in research methods, a thorough understanding of the scientific principles underlying the research and an appropriate acquaintance with the relevant literature. It must be clearly presented and conform to the standards of the department and faculty. The dissertation will usually consist of a report detailing the conduct, and analysis of the results of, research performed under the close guidance of a suitably qualified supervisor/s. The dissertation should be well-conceived and acknowledge earlier research in the field. It should demonstrate the ability to undertake a substantial and informed piece of research, and to collect, organise and analyse material. General rules for this degree may be found in the front of the handbook. Students will be expected to attend a research methods course in the first year. 

Master's specialising in Computer Science by Coursework and Minor dissertation 

Programme Convener: Professor T A Meyer  Course structure: See General rules for Master's Degrees in the front section of the Science handbook .

Progression: In any given year, students must either be registered for or have passed at least six of the elective courses. Students get two attempts to pass each course. Should a student fail any course on the second attempt, they will not be allowed to continue with the degree. This applies to the Research Methods course as well. Students should pass a minimum of two elective courses per year. With the course convener’s permission, students who have passed the Research Methods course as well as four of the six elective courses may be permitted to register for CSC5002W. Students are not eligible to register for CSC5002W until they have completed the Research Methods course and at least four (out of six) elective courses. 

CSC5002W    COMPUTER SCIENCE MINOR DISSERTATION  90 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor T A Meyer 

Course entry requirements: Completion of all coursework, or permission of the convener. Course outline:   Upon successful completion of the coursework component (CSC5001W), students will be required to register for this minor dissertation component and complete a suitable research project under supervision of an appropriate computer science academic staff member. The research component will expose the student to research methodology, experimental design, data analysis techniques, and dissertation writing skills. Students should be in a position to submit the final dissertation by the end of the year.  Assessment: The minor dissertation must be presented for formal examination. The coursework and minor dissertation each count 50% towards the degree; each must be passed separately for the award of the degree. 

CSC5008Z    DATA VISUALISATION  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Associate Professor M M Kuttel 

Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. 

Course outline:   Visualisation is the graphical representation of data with the goal of improving comprehension, communication, hypothesis generation and decision making. This course aims to teach the principles of effective visualisation of large, multidimensional data sets. We cover the field of visual thinking, outlining current understanding of human perception and demonstrating how we can use this knowledge to create more effective data visualisations.   DP requirements: 40% for assignment component.  Assessment: Students will be assessed with an assignments (50%) and an exam (50%). A sub-minimum of 40% will be required for each of the assignment and exam components of the course. 

CSC5020Z    RESEARCH METHODS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE  18 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor T A Meyer  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener.  Course outline:   The objective of the Research Methods course is to introduce students to a suite of research methods from the perspective of Computer Science, that will prepare them for the minor dissertation component of the degree. More specifically, the aim is to ensure that students are able to write an appropriate research proposal, and have a good understanding of what it means to conduct research within Computer Science.  Course content includes: An introduction to finding and reading research papers; Literature reviews; Writing research proposals; Problem statements, research questions, and hypotheses; Types of research within Computer Science; Research Ethics within Computer Science; Scientific and technical writing; Qualitative and quantitative research methods; Research statistics; Research planning and grant writing; Academic career planning.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: A submitted literature review (50%) and research proposal (50%).  

CSC5021Z    COMPUTATIONAL GEOMETRY FOR 3D PRINTING  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor J Gain  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. Computer Graphics at third-year level.  Course outline:   The objective is to master surface and volumetric modelling concepts applicable to 3D printing. The use of 3D printers for rapid prototyping is becoming increasingly prevalent. However, the process used by most current 3D printers of depositing thin layers of semi-molten material, which is known as Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), is not without limitations. Factors such as material thickness and support structures need to be considered. This course will cover the theoretical concepts required for creating geometric models suitable for 3D printing. From a practical perspective, students will code modelling software, then design and ultimately print a 3D model. Topics covered include: Geometry and Topology for Computer Graphics; 3D Printing Concepts: Printing Hardware, Overhang Support, Applications; Volumetric Concepts: Voxels, Computational Solid Geometry, Isosurface Extraction; Surface Concepts: Parametric Surfaces, Mesh Smoothing, Free-Form Deformation.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam: open book, 2 hours, 40%. Practical assessments 50%; Final printed show piece, 10%  

CSC5022Z    DISTRIBUTED SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor R Simmonds  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. A basic understanding of computer networking and software systems.  Course outline:   The objective is to provide an understanding of the basic components used to build Grid and Cloud computing systems, with a focus on how these can support Scientific Computing.  This course gives an overview of the components that make up Grid and Cloud computing environments. These include the components used to build distributed data and computing grids and the various “as a Service” systems referred to as Cloud computing. It also looks t how these are used for a range of activities, including supporting large scale Scientific Computing.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Final examination: 60%; Practical assignments: 40%  

CSC5023Z    EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Dr G Nitschke  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. A basic understanding of genetics and evolution is useful, but not required.  Course outline:   Evolutionary computation entails the use of simulated biological evolution to solve problems that are difficult to solve using traditional computer science and engineering methods. This course examines different Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) and the types of problems EAs are best suited to solve. Course objectives include: gaining an understanding of various evolutionary computation techniques, identifying EAs suitable for solving different types of problems, and how to apply EAs to optimisation, machine learning, or design tasks.  The topics covered include: Introduction to Evolutionary Computation; What is an Evolutionary Algorithm; Genetic Algorithms; Evolution Strategies; Evolutionary Programming; Genetic Programming; Niching; Multi-Objective Optimisation; Co-evolution; and Working with EAs.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam: closed book, 2 hours, 60%; Practical assignment: 40%.  

CSC5024Z    INFORMATION RETRIEVAL  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor H Suleman  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. Basic understanding of XML data is required. Some background on statistics and linear algebra will be useful.  Course outline:   The objective is to understand how search engines work at an algorithmic level. Learn how to build and incorporate basic and specialised search engines into your own projects.  Course content includes: Introduction to Information Retrieval (IR); Models of Basic IR (Boolean, Vector, Probabilistic); IR evaluation and testbeds; Stemming, Stopping, Relevance Feedback; Models of Web and linked-data retrieval (Pagerank, HITS); Latent Semantic Analysis and Clustering; Multimedia IR; Cross-lingual and multilingual IR; and IR in Practice (CMSes, digital libraries, Web, social media, etc.).  Selected topics will be included from: Distributed and Federated IR; Recommender Systems; Natural Language Processing for IR; Sentiment Analysis; Opinion Retrieval; and Text Summarization.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam (take-home): 40%; Assignments: 40%; Class participation: 20%  

CSC5025Z    INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Associate Professor D Moodley  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. A strong mathematics background.  Course outline:   This Computer Science masters course provides an introduction to designing and implementing intelligent systems, using selected Artificial Intelligence techniques. The course will introduce you to at least two widely used Artificial Intelligence approaches, including machine learning and Bayesian Artificial Intelligence. You will learn these techniques from a Computer Science perspective, specifically how to design real world intelligent systems that incorporate such AI techniques.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: 2 hour open book exam: 50%, Practical assignments: 50%  

CSC5026Z    INTRODUCTION TO ICT FOR DEVELOPMENT  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Dr M Densmore  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener.  Course outline:   The goal is for you to understand basic ideas underlying ICT4D and how they are used in practice. You will learn about and critically evaluate ICT4D projects. You will learn how to design and evaluate development-oriented computing projects.  Course Content: Introduction to key terminology around socio-economic development; Key concepts in ICT4D (e.g. social inclusion, after access); Case studies in specific domains, including healthcare, agriculture, mobile money, education, etc.; Critical evaluation of ICT4D projects.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Practical assignments: 80%; Case Study Presentation: 10%; Class Participation: 10%  

CSC5027Z    LOGICS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor T A Meyer  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. Familiarity with basic discrete mathematics is highly recommended.  Course outline:   This course will introduce students to logics used in the area of Knowledge Representation - a subarea of Artificial Intelligence.  Logic plays a central role in many areas of Artificial Intelligence. This course will introduce students to Description Logics, a family of logics frequently used in the area of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning. Description Logics are frequently used to represent formal ontologies.   Topics covered include the following: The Description Logic ALC; Reasoning in Description Logics with Tableaux Algorithms; Reasoning in the EL family of Description Logics; and Query Answering.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam: open book, 3 hours, 50%; Assignments: 50%.  

CSC5028Z    ONTOLOGY ENGINEERING  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Associate Professor M Keet  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. Experience in modelling (ER, UML Class diagrams) and some familiarity with logic will be helpful.  Course outline:   The principal aim of this module is to provide the participant with an overview of ontology engineering—including language features, automated reasoning, and top-down and bottom-up ontology development—and a main application field being the Semantic Web.  Course Content: Ontologies are used in a wide range of applications, such as data integration, recommender systems, e-learning, semantic scientific workflows, and natural language processing. While some of these applications pass the revue, the main focus of the course is on the ontologies. The topics covered include the following:  Logic foundations for ontologies: Languages (Description Logics, OWL); and Automated reasoning (class and instance classification, satisfiability and ontology consistency checking).  Ontology development: Ontology engineering, top-down - foundational ontologies, ontology design patterns; Ontology engineering, bottom-up - exploiting legacy material, such as relational databases, thesauri, text; and Methodologies for ontology development and maintenance, methods to enhance ontology quality and to automate some aspect of the methodology.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam (closed-book but with some material provided): 50%; assignments: 50%.  

CSC5029Z    INTRODUCTION TO IMAGE PROCESSING AND COMPUTER VISION  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Associate Professor P Marais  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. Experience in modelling (ER, UML Class diagrams) and some familiarity with logic will be helpful.  Course outline:   To introduce students to basic concepts in computer vision and image processing, oriented towards solving real world, practical image analysis problems. The student will be introduced to basic concepts from digital signal processing, and a foundation built that will allow understanding of how more sophisticated schemes such as image analysis/segmentation which can be used to describe image and volumetric data at a higher, more useful, levels of abstraction. Case studies and papers will be examined which relate this to real-world problems.  A number of lectures (as indicated below) will be presented by the course convener, interspersed with paper/review sessions in which topical papers are discussed and followed up by review questions.  Topic will include: Basic Signal processing; Image Transforms & Operations; Feature Detection; Object Descriptions; Basic Segmentation & Registration; Fundamental Segmentation techniques; Machine Learning & GAs in Cvision; Case Study; and Paper Reviews.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam: Open Book; 2 hours. Class Record: Practical 60%, Review Questions 40%. Final Mark: Exam 40%, Class Record 60%.  

CSC5030Z    ADVANCED TOPICS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE MASTER'S 1  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor T A Meyer  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener.  Course outline:   This course introduces advanced and cutting edge topics in Computer Science as they emerge with new areas of investigation or practice.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam: 50% and Coursework: 50%  

CSC5031Z    ADVANCED TOPICS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE MASTER'S 2  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Professor T A Meyer  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener.  Course outline:   To introduce advanced and cutting edge topics in Computer Science as they emerge as new areas of investigation or practice.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Exam: 50% and Coursework: 50%  

CSC5032Z    NETWORKS & INTERNET SYSTEMS  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Dr J Chavula  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener. Working knowledge of computer networks.  Course outline:   The objective is to gain advanced understanding of techniques for traffic engineering and quality of service in the Internet architecture. The course focuses on advanced topics in internetworking, traffic engineering, and mechanisms for measuring performance and Quality of Service (QoS) for network services and the Internet.  Course content includes: New Network and Transport Protocols (IPv6, Mobile IP, IP Multicast, Multipath TCP, QUIC); Routing and Traffic Engineering (Interdomain Routing and Traffic Enginering with Border Gateway Protocol); Traffic Engineering with Overlay Networking (MPLS/GMPL, Location/Identifier Separation Protocols, Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualization); Internet Measurements (Quality of Service and Quality of Experience (QoS and QoE), IP Traffic Monitoring and Analysis)  Selected reading/discussion topics will be included from: Cloud Infrastructure; Content Delivery Networks; Internet Access in the Developing World, Community Networks; ICT4D, Online Data Protection and Online Censorship.  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Assignments: 40%; Discussion sessions: 15%; Active Participation in Class: 5%; Final Exam : 40%  

CSC5033Z    HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION  This course will not be offered every year.  12 NQF credits at HEQSF level 9  Convener: Dr M Densmore  Course entry requirements: Admission into the Master's degree specialising in Computer Science, or permission from the course convener.  Course outline:   This course will introduce you to basic concepts and practice around user-centred design of digital systems.  This course covers how to design and evaluate interactive systems for real users both in the developed and developing worlds. We will look at both theory and practice of designing digital systems.  Topics include the design cycle, sketching and storyboarding, task analysis, contextual inquiry, conceptual models, usability inspection, human information processing, experience design, and qualitative and quantitative study design and evaluation. We will also invite guest speakers from industry and research to talk about their own experiences with user-centred design.  The course will contain additional practical work to distinguish it from the honours level module on Human Computer Interaction (CSC4024Z).  DP requirements: None  Assessment: Participation: 10% (measured by participation in user studies, in-class activities, in-class discussion/presentations, and pre-class quizzes on Vula) Individual Practical Assessments: 20%. Group Project Assessments: 40% Final Exam: 30%    

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MSc - Data Science Program at UCT

Masters of science (coursework and minor dissertation).

The interdisciplinary Master's course with a specialisation in Data Science, is offered in collaboration with the departments of Statistical Sciences, Computer Science, Astronomy, the Computation Biology Group (Faculty of Health Sciences) and the departments of Finance and Tax, Economics and AIFMRM (Commerce Faculty).

Entrance Requirements

A mark of at least 65% for a HEQSF level 8 qualification (equivalent to that of a UCT degree) in any discipline that included a substantial research component and at least a first year Statistics course and a first year Computing Course. Students may be required to register for and pass STA1000P (the summer term offering of STA1000) before being allowed to register for the degree. Academic transcripts of applicants will be assessed by a selection committee made up of representatives from the participating departments. Applicants may be called for an interview to assess whether they meet entrance requirements.

Prescribed Curriculum

Courses should be selected subject to meeting entrance requirements and consent of Programme convenor.

Core Courses:

Elective Courses:

Programme Configurations

There are two programme configurations:

• Coursework component (90 credits), followed by a minor dissertation (90 credits)
• Coursework component (120 credits), followed by a minor dissertation (60 credits)

For more information please contact  [email protected]

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The programmes offered at the postgraduate level in the Faculty of Humanities are listed below by career:

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For more information on our Postgraduate offerings, please see the Humanities Postgraduate Handbook .

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Thesis/Dissertation/Mini-Dissertation Structure

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There is no standard format for the submission of a dissertation or thesis: formatting is at the candidate’s discretion, but using A4 paper is the expected norm. Reasonable width margins (2 – 2.5 cm) are desirable to ensure that binding does not impede reading of the text. However, candidates should consult their supervisor early on in the process. The contents must be printed in either double or one and a half spacing using a common font throughout. Printing on both sides of the page is allowed, but a reasonable weight paper must then be used. Although it is expected that the dissertation/thesis be written in English, it is possible with prior support of the supervisor and prior permission from the Doctoral Degrees Board, to submit a PhD in another language.

It is acceptable for a Masters dissertation or PhD thesis to include published papers , provided that:

• where published papers are included as separate chapters, the dissertation/thesis must nonetheless show acceptable academic style, constant formatting, scholarly content and coherence as a connected account with a satisfactory general introduction, statement of thesis and a final discussion chapter. The latter should not duplicate material that is already contained in the discussion sections of the various chapters/papers, but integrate the results from the various chapters and place them in a broader context;
• where multi-authored papers are included, the contribution of the candidate can be distinguished and is clearly stated

For Masters degrees a candidate must submit either three hard copies (degree by dissertation only) or TWO hard copies (degree by coursework plus dissertation) of the dissertation in temporary binding to the Postgraduate Officer in the Science Faculty Office . Once the dissertation has been finally accepted, one unbound hard copy and one electronic copy (in pdf format on a labelled, read-only CD packed in a hard "jewel" case) of the final, corrected dissertation must be lodged with the Faculty Office.

In the case of a PhD , the thesis may not exceed 80,000 words . If it is felt that it is essential to exceed this length, special permission must be obtained from the Dean. It is the expectation that Masters degrees should be substantially shorter than this with a maximum of 50,000 words allowed; on the order of 35,000 words (~100 pages) would be the expected norm.

There must be a title page on which should appear the thesis title, name of candidate (plus qualifications if you wish), name of Department, University and the month and year of submission. The following is the recommended wording used after the thesis title and name of the candidate: Dissertation (or Thesis) presented for the degree of Master of Science (or Doctor of Philosophy) in the Department of … University of Cape Town Month and Year

For a coursework Masters minor dissertation the wording should read "Dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of…".

Plagiarism Declaration

Following the title page there should be a page containing the following signed statement by the candidate: "I know the meaning of plagiarism and declare that all of the work in the dissertation (or thesis), save for that which is properly acknowledged, is my own‟.

Publication

When a candidate submits a thesis he/she shall be deemed to have granted the University free license to publish it in whole or part in any format the University deems fit.

Referencing

Forms of referencing must be standard for the discipline and must adhere to a recognised international convention, agreed to with the supervisor.

Due Dates and Process of Submission

At the conclusion of research, the candidate must submit a dissertation or thesis for examination. This normally occurs after receiving an indication from the supervisor that the product is in a form which is acceptable for submission. However, a candidate is not prevented from submitting without the supervisor’s approval.

If a candidate intends submitting a Masters dissertation for examination he/she must inform the Head of Department in writing, with a copy to the Dean, of such an intention two weeks in advance of planned submission date. The Head of Department, with input from the supervisor, will then nominate suitable examiners for approval by the Dean. If submitting a PhD thesis, the candidate must inform the Doctoral Degrees Board Officer (New Student Administration Building) in writing of such intention one month prior to planned submission.

The dates for submission of dissertations and theses are: First or Second week in February for persons hoping to graduate in September; First or Second week in August for persons hoping to graduate in March of the following year.

Please refer to the University Fees Booklet for submission dates with respect to fee rebates. Candidates who submit their thesis/dissertation before the beginning of the start of the first term are not required to register. If submitted after the start of the first term a candidate must register for that year, and a pro-rata fee will be charged, depending on the date of submission. Where a student who submitted prior to the start of term is required to revise and resubmit a dissertation/thesis, they must register and pay the academic fee for that year. Further information can be found at the UCT Student Handbook site .

The Division of Physiological Sciences Honours it's Doctoral and Masters Students

On 2nd September the Division of Physiological Sciences Doctoral and Masters students were honoured in a uniquely HPALS' hosted fashion. The Doctoral candidates presented their body of work to colleagues, family and friends.

Presentation of PhD Thesis

• Genetic risk factors for overuse and acute musculoskeletal injuries
• The relationship between genes associated with the pain pathways and the development of chronic shoulder pain and disability in South African breast cancer survivors
• A world of possibilities: an exploration of experiences of children with disabilities’ participation in a surf therapy programme in South Africa
• An assessment of the utilisation of stokvels or rotating savings and credit associations to influence healthy eating in South Africa
• Formative assessment of weight management and lifestyle factors in overweight/obese patients attending medical outpatient clinics at secondary hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria, and feasibility testing of a weight loss intervention for the target population
• Sleep, cardiometabolic health, and neurocognitive performance in esports players

Presentation of MSc Certificates

• MSc (Med) in Physiology: Christina Brazier (with distinction)
• MSc (Med) in Exercise Science: Shevi Brand
• MMedSc Dietetics: Megan Blacker (in absentia) (with distinction)
• MPhil in Biokinetics: Natalia Ferreira
• MPhil in Biokinetics: Anna Malan (in absentia) (with distinction in the dissertation)

Lee-Devlin Hill graduated with a BSc (Med)(Hons) in Exercise Science from UCT before continuing with his PhD studies. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that inherited genetic elements predispose  individuals to tendon and ligament injuries. Previous studies have investigated the association of several variants within collagen genes, which encode for structural components these tissues, with lower limb tendon injuries. The association of these collagen gene variants with rotator cuff tendinopathy (RCT) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures has not been extensively investigated. Lee-Devlin Hill’s thesis identifies important differences in the genetic profile of RCT, ACL and lower limb tendon injuries. Exploring these genetic loci may help us better understand the important  similarities and differences in the aetiology of these common musculoskeletal injuries. Supervisor : Professor M Collins (Human Biology) Co-supervisor : Associate Professor M Posthumus (Human Biology)

Firzana Firfirey holds a BSc(Hons) and MSc in Biotechnology from the University of the Western Cape (2013) where she researched the role of genetics in Autism Spectrum Disorder in South African children. In 2016, she joined UCT and commenced her doctoral degree in the Division of Physiological Sciences. Firzana Firfirey’s thesis focuses on chronic shoulder pain and disability among South African breast cancer survivors (BCS), aiming to identify genetic contributors to pain variability. Through cross-sectional analysis of 252 BCS, she investigated associations between pain/disability symptoms, and polymorphism within candidate genes (ABCB1, OPRM1, COMT), highlighting significant findings within a SA population. She also investigated the gene-gene interactions that unveiled complex associations impacting pain/disability. Furthermore, her bioinformatic exploration supported the genetic findings, shedding light on functional pathways. Overall, the study elucidated genetic influences on chronic pain/disability in a diverse BCS cohort, paving the way towards personalized pain management strategies and novel therapeutic developments in the future. Supervisor : Associate Professor D Shamley (Human Biology) Co-supervisor: Professor AV September (Human Biology)

Roxanne Davis holds an honours degree in psychology and communications and has been a  registered psychological counsellor since 2013. She has been involved with ocean-based physical activity, community and disability initiatives in South Africa since 2016. She began full-time study towards her PhD in 2020. Roxanne Davis’ thesis contributes to the knowledge gap surrounding research on the effectiveness of surf therapy as a therapeutic tool for children with disabilities in South Africa, where large health inequalities exist. Her thesis explores the experiences of children with disabilities who participated in a surf therapy programme in the Western Cape, using a qualitative participatory research approach. The research design was a longitudinal exploratory case study underpinned by interpretive  phenomenological analysis. The findings supports the promotion of mental, physical, social, and emotional health through a surf therapy programme for children with disabilities. Additionally,  participation in the programme had an impact on reshaping participants’ worldviews, and the development and mastery of new skills. The synthesis of findings from the children with disabilities, parents, professionals and individuals that delivered the surf therapy programme produced four key findings and three key implications of the study. Supervisor: Professor T Lorenzo (Health and Rehabilitation Sciences) Co-supervisors: Professor Y Albertus (Human Biology); Professor A Hunter (Nottingham Trent University, Sport Science)

Akim Lukwa holds a BSc-Honours in Economics from Midlands State University and a Master of Public Health with specialisation in Health Economics from UCT. His journey towards a PhD began in January 2020. Akim Lukwa's thesis explores the important role of community-based savings schemes (Stokvels) in promoting healthy eating choices and addressing food security challenges in urban South Africa. Using a mixed-methodapproach, he starts with a systematic literature review on Stokvels, followed by a stakeholder mapping analysis to understand diverse stakeholders’ perceptions of Stokvels. Subsequently, a realist evaluation was conducted to understand the context and mechanisms influencing food purchasing decisionmaking in Stokvels. Finally, utilizing the discrete choice experiment methodology, the research investigated the factors influencing Stokvel members' decision-making regarding healthy food preferences. The findings of the research highlights how Stokvels can be leveraged to enhance nutritional choices, foster economic empowerment, and improve public health outcomes, especially among women in urban settings. His findings highlight the importance of shopping frequency, proximity to shopping outlets and transportation options as key factors influencing Stokvel members’ healthy food procurement preferences and choices.

Supervisor: Dr O Alaba (Public Health and Family Medicine) Co-supervisors: Emeritus Professor EV Lambert (Human Biology and Public Health and Family Medicine); Dr FA Wayas (Human Biology and Public Health and Family Medicine)

Oluyemisi Folasire holds a BSc and MSc in Human Nutrition, and MB., BS. (lb.), FWACP (Fam. Med.) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She joined UCT in 2016 for her PhD studies. She works as a senior lecturer and clinician in Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Oluyemisi Folasire’s thesis focuses on addressing the increasing obesity prevalence in Nigeria. She first conducts a  comprehensive formative assessment (quantitative and qualitative) of patients living with overweight/obesity (PLWO) attending medical outpatient clinics (MOPs) at secondary hospitals in Nigeria to inform the development of a culturally appropriate diet and physical activity weight loss (DaPWL) intervention. She then investigates the feasibility of the developed intervention in a sample of PLWO attending a MOP in a pre-post-test design trail, monitorsintervention delivery, and interviews a sub-sample of completers and all health care personnel involved in intervention delivery. Triangulation of results provides strong support for good reach, acceptability, applicability, and intervention integrity of the intervention. A strong signal of effect is reflected in the significant reduction in weight, and significant improvements in dietary, physical activity, knowledge, and belief indicators. She recommends further testing of the DaPWL-intervention in a full scale randomized controlled trial.

Supervisor: Emeritus Professor M Senekal (Human Biology) Co-supervisor: Associate Professor J Harbron (Human Biology)

Chadley Kemp holds a BSc (Human Physiology & Anatomy and Biochemistry) and a BSc (Med) Honours (Exercise Science) from UCT. Having been engaged commercially in esports since 2014, his PhD was inspired by a personal interest in the impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on esports players' health and performance. Chadley Kemp's thesis explores sleep patterns, cardiometabolic disease risk factors, and neurocognitive performance in adult esports players. It also profiles their 24-hour physical activity and light exposure patterns. The findings demonstrate that despite similar cardiometabolic disease profiles, esports players have a strong eveningoriented phenotype, with later sleep timing, greater exposure to light-at night, lower exposure to bright natural daylight, more sedentary behaviour, but superior neurocognitive performance compared to non-gamers. These elements, coupled with irregular, poor quality sleep, may place gamers on a trajectory for higher future cardiometabolic disease risk. While additional research is needed to unravel the complex interplay between sleep, lifestyle, and gaming behaviours, the findings of this thesis highlight the need for interventions targeting sleepand circadian-disrupting behaviours in the esports community. The intention is for these data to be used to encourage policy reform within the esports industry through developing a framework to promote healthier gameplay standards. Supervisor: Associate Professor DE Rae (Human Biology) Co-supervisors: Associate Professor LC Roden (Molecular Biology, Coventry University); Associate Professor G Lipinska (Psychology)

Graduation Celebration, September 2024

Link to UCT Graduation Page

Dissertation and Thesis

Thesis & dissertation formatting process.

To complete your format check submission, you must complete every registration step and fully submit your thesis or dissertation to the website listed below.

Dissertations and theses turned in as a part of the graduation requirements at Loyola University Chicago must be formatted according to the rules laid out in the Format Manual for Theses and Dissertations created by the Graduate School.

Format Check Submission

To ensure that theses/dissertations are formatted correctly, each thesis/dissertation must undergo a format check by the staff of the Graduate School prior to the submission of final copies. You must  electronically  submit your manuscript for a format check to the Graduate School's  ProQuest ETD Administrator  website ON OR BEFORE the published format check deadline for the term in which you expect to receive your degree.

• May degree conferral format check deadline:  March 1st
• August degree conferral format check deadline:  June 1st
• December degree conferral format check deadline:  October 1st

On or before the format check deadline, please also submit the following items as supplemental pdf files to  ProQuest ETD Administrator  (do not submit them by email):

• One electronic copy of your completed, formatted manuscript
• Formatted approval sheet, with your director's name and space for their signature. You will ultimately replace this file with a scanned copy that's been signed by the director after the defense and after all final edits have been made. This form acts as confirmation that your director has read and approved the final copy.
• Extra title page, formatted as described in the Manual
• One extra abstract, formatted as described in the Manual

Final Copy Submission

Once your dissertation has been defended, formatted correctly, and approved by your committee, you will need to electronically submit your final copy to the Graduate School for approval. You will also need to replace the Approval Sheet with a scanned copy that has been signed by your director.

Your final electronic submission must be uploaded ON OR BEFORE the published final electronic copy deadline for the term in which you expect to receive your degree. The final electronic copy deadlines are as follows:

• May degree conferral final electronic copy deadline:  April 1st
• August degree conferral final electronic copy deadline:  July 1st
• December degree conferral final electronic copy deadline:  November 1st

If your materials are complete or inaccurate, the Graduate School will contact you with a list of required corrections. If required corrections are too extensive or take too long to complete, you may not graduate and the Graduate School will not confer your degree. For this reason, please make every effort to format your manuscript correctly, include all of the materials listed above, and to meet the published deadlines. Also, please keep in mind that a dissertation or thesis is only one of your degree requirements, and that the Graduate School will not confer your degree unless you meet all of these requirements.

Students must submit final copies with approved revisions within one semester of a successful defense (e.g., if a student’s defense falls within a Fall semester, their final copies must meet the Spring semester submission deadlines). After one full semester a student may be discontinued and be required to apply for reinstatement (Approved 4 May 2021)

Visit the  for answers to new questions about the electronic submission process.

• Format Manual for Theses and Dissertations -  Note: The Formatting Manual was updated in September 2022. If you have any questions about the formatting guidelines, or if you need a copy of the former manual, please  email the formatting assistant , Danielle Richards.
• Format Checklist Copy (Clean)
• Formatting Examples

Questions regarding the format check and the final copy submission process should be directed  here .

Information Sessions

The Graduate School hosts two info-sessions each semester about the thesis and dissertation formatting process. Make sure to follow weekly Graduate School Announcements emails for more information.

Publishing Your Work: Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Workshop (Recorded January 14, 2021)

• Instructions for Thesis and Dissertation
• Approval Ballot for Text and Oral Defense

The Thesis/Dissertation Committee Form, Thesis/Dissertation Proposal Ballot, and the Request for Change in Degree-Seeking Status are located in the Graduate Student Progress System at  GSPS . Please log in to submit these forms. Medical Center Biomedical Science Students MUST Use LUHS Forms.

Publication

Before publication:.

LUC's University Libraries:  If relevant articles, book chapters, and books are not accessible through the library's online catalogue, they can be requested through InterLibrary Loan.

Zotero:  No matter what citation format you use, this free citation software can help save and format citations for use in your article.

Scimago Journal & Country Rank:  To find out the ranking of peer-reviewed journals in your particular discipline before you submit, go to this website.

LUC's Writing Center : Make an appointment with a graduate tutor to have your work reviewed at any stage of the writing or revision process. Often an article will be accepted for publication but an editor requires various corrections. An extra pair of eyes can be useful.

After publication:

GSPS:  Make sure to update publications through this LUC site; submitted entries will be reviewed, approved, and recorded by your GPD.

Google Scholar:  Various peer-reviewed articles and publications found on the internet will be linked to the student's account, which can be created by going to this site and clicking on "My Profile."

ORCiD:  Creating a free ORCiD ID will allow peer-reviewed publications to be linked across digital platforms with this persistent signifier.

Publishing conventions vary widely across disciplines; some graduate students may publish as single authors while others, particularly in the sciences, may be one of several authors collaborating on a project and its resulting published study. When seeking peer-reviewed publication opportunities, one of the best methods is to consult with professors in your department about how to publish and locate journals reputable in your field of study.

Besides helping you avoid scams and predatory publishing through their advice, faculty can also provide you with useful information about the publishing process and direct you to discipline-specific online listservs hosting frequent Calls for Papers.

The following list details other publication resources for graduate students:

APOL 988 Dissertation Writing in Applied Apologetics II

• Course Description

In this course, the doctoral candidate will compose the middle chapters of a dissertation based on the candidate’s research and organization of content.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the  Academic Course Catalog .

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.

This course is the first course dedicated primarily to the writing of the dissertation for the PhD in Applied Apologetics. All assignments in this course are devoted to completing compelling drafts of both the introductory sections (introduction/statement of thesis/literature review) and first major portions of the body of the argument of the dissertation. Completion of this course should allow students to complete a major percentage of their dissertation project and prepare them for matriculation into the next phase of their dissertation writing.

Course Assignment

No details available.

After reading the Syllabus and  Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

These assignments require the student to submit progressive portions of his/her dissertation for review and evaluation. 

These assignments ask the student to interface with mentor feedback and interpret any necessary improvements/changes that need to be applied to his/her dissertation. Each assignment will be 4-6 pages in length.

This quiz seeks to evaluate the student’s readiness as he/she embarks on the dissertation writing process. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 4 true/false, short-answer questions, and will have a 15-minute time limit.

These quizzes verify that the student is having regular meaningful discussions with his/her dissertation mentor. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 4 true/false, short-answer questions, and will have a 15-minute time limit.

These quizzes will evaluate what elements of the dissertation are being submitted at different intervals of the dissertation-writing process. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 2 essay questions, and will have a 30-minute time limit.

This quiz evaluates the student’s readiness for an additional reader to be assigned to the dissertation project. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 5 true/false questions, and will have a 15-minute time limit.

Have questions about this course or a program?

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15 Graduate Students Receive Dissertation Fellowships for 2024–25

Each year, the NBER provides dissertation fellowships for a number of doctoral students in economics and finance, in each case after a widely-disseminated call for applications.

Fellowships for dissertation writers in aging and health economics, supported by the National Institute on Aging and the NBER, have been awarded to Michael B. Briskin, of Boston University; Marema Gaye and Graeme P. Peterson of Harvard University; and Theodore L. Caputi, Rebekah A. Dix, Dean Li, Kelsey Moran, and James C. Okun of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Briskin is studying the widespread adoption of private health insurance in the 1940s and 1950s and its effects on physician labor markets and health outcomes in the US. Caputi’s research focuses on behavioral aspects of public health, such as drug use, violence, and crime, and their effects on economic outcomes. Dix is investigating externalities in medical innovation and how interoperability and technological frictions affect patients and healthcare providers. Gaye is studying mental health care and the non-participation of some clinicians in public health insurance. Li is examining the effects of outsourcing, technological change, and consolidation on healthcare labor markets and healthcare delivery. Moran is investigating the determinants of hospital provision of charity care as well as the effects of health information exchange on patients and organizations. Okun’s research analyzes public procurement and the dynamics of buyer groups. Peterson’s dissertation addresses health insurance markets, environmental health, and the causes and consequences of racial disparities in the US healthcare system.

Fellowships for graduate students studying behavioral macroeconomics, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, have been awarded to Lingxuan Sean Wu of Harvard University, Michael D. Cai of Northwestern University, and Matteo Saccarola of University of California, Berkeley.

Cai is studying the estimation of macroeconomic models that accommodate wide classes of non-rational expectations. Saccarola is analyzing the formation of beliefs about inflation, exchange rates, and prices. Wu is studying the implications of misunderstanding of economic relations for the economic fluctuations and stabilization policy.

Fellowships to support research on consumer financial management, funded by the Institute of Consumer Money Management, have been awarded to Justin Katz of Harvard University and Grace Ortuzar of the University of Notre Dame.

Katz is studying frictions in household debt repayment decisions, with a particular focus on the mortgage and housing sector. Ortuzar is examining the effects of a range of policies that are designed to benefit low-income tenants and reduce homelessness. 

Fellowships for the study of retirement and disability policy research, sponsored by the Social Security Administration, have been awarded to Melissa D. Gentry of Texas A&M University and Sydney Gordon of the University of California, Irvine.

Gentry is studying the role of access to transportation in affecting employment of individuals with disabilities. Gordon is investigating Social Security Administration field office staffing affects benefit enrollment patterns. 

The NBER posts calls for  fellowship applications  each fall. Application closing dates are usually in early December. Those interested in receiving fellowship announcements can sign up to receive notices .

More from NBER

In addition to working papers , the NBER disseminates affiliates’ latest findings through a range of free periodicals — the NBER Reporter , the NBER Digest , the Bulletin on Retirement and Disability , the Bulletin on Health , and the Bulletin on Entrepreneurship  — as well as online conference reports , video lectures , and interviews .

© 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research. Periodical content may be reproduced freely with appropriate attribution.

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Sept 13 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Raissa Sultana

Thursday, September 05, 2024 | By jsteepe

Master of Science thesis defence in Biotechnology

Raissa Sultana, a Master of Science candidate in the Centre for Biotechnology, will defend her thesis titled “Investigation of potential Z-DNA binding proteins in Halobacter salinarum & Preparation and characterization of DNA samples ” on Friday, September 13 at 8:30 AM., in PLZ 600F.

The examination committee includes Jeff Stuart, Chair; Tony Yan, Supervisor; Katherine Bujold, External Examiner (McMaster University); and Aleksandar Necakov and Vaughn Mangal, Committee Members.

Tags: Biotechnology , FMS , Thesis defence Categories: Events

FMS News and Events

• Sept 13 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Raissa Sultana
• Sept 11 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Anuththara Sarathchandra Lekamalage
• Sept 9 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Alex Popescu
• Aug 29 – Doctoral Thesis Defence – Mahdieh Gol Bashmani
• Aug 21 – PhD Thesis Defence – Alicia Martin
• Aug 19 – Master of Science Project Presentation – Samiha Tasmin
• Aug 2 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Fardad Pirri
• July 23 – PhD Thesis Defence – Gregory Foran
• July 15 – Master of Science thesis defence – Abhishek Kumar

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