M.A. Thesis

The policy of EGS is to respect the local traditions of inquiry and research. Therefore each country or region will develop its own research guidelines and make them available to students. These guidelines will be in the general philosophical framework of EGS and will be approved by the regional directors.

Organization:

Each country organizes the thesis advising itself. If there are enough students, the thesis advisor teaches a thesis seminar. If there are not enough students, it is organized as an individual thesis tutorial. The thesis advising is conducted by the affiliated institutes and is paid for separately.

The advisor helps with the thesis content, its organization and the refinement of an adequate writing style. It is however NOT his or her task to correct grammar and typos. Students must find an editor for their thesis.
After having received the thesis evaluation from the advisor, the student submits a written evaluation about the thesis advising at the end of the thesis seminar or individual tutorial. The regional directors will review these evaluations. The advisor is responsible for informing the students about EGS graduation requirements and to verify the needed items for graduation (see check list).

The organization for the thesis seminar meetings is as follows: thesis research meetings and individual meetings:
The number of meetings depends on the group size. A minimum number of meetings would be the same as the number of students in the group, three for three students, four for four etc. In addition, each student gets a minimum of two or three individual meetings, usually towards the end where students have more individual needs. As soon as there are three students who want to start with the thesis, they can organize themselves any time and go to a thesis advisor. They decide together where to meet and when. The second year students meet during the summer school with the designated regional directors.

The role of the thesis advisor has a number of different aspects:
1. To contract with the student for the appropriate number and frequency of advising sessions [see above]. Availability and an honest continuing relationship provide that the student will not fail at the end as concerns are addressed at an early stage.
2. To give input on how to research.
3. To help the student develop a theme/topic for the thesis.
4. To help the student maintain the theme throughout the thesis research.
5. To keep the overview for the thesis work.
6. To assist the student find a guiding frame of reference that helps the student reflect and inspire their thinking.
7. To recommend readings, guide the readings and serve as a resource for ideas that shape the project.
Exemptions:
1] In countries where the group formation is not possible the individual student and his or her advisor will make an agreement as to the number of meetings and other modes of communication. (e.g., e-mail, fax, telephone and mail)
2] In exceptional circumstances a student may request to work with an advisor in another country. If the advisor is willing to work with the student, then an agreement can be made as to the manner of communication.
The thesis advisor then would be paid the standard thesis advisor fee (1'500.- CHF or equivalent in foreign currency) directly by the student. The affiliated institute in which the student is enrolled must approve these exceptional agreements.
Thesis advisors: each affiliated institute has its local thesis advisors. Thesis advisors are considered adjunct faculty members of EGS. They will be promoted and supported by the regional directors within the standard procedure for faculty status [consultation with core faculty, approved by the provost].
The format of the thesis (how to quote, titles, how to make a bibliography, etc.) should conform with the publication practices of the scientific community of that language culture and field of study, e.g. in USA, APA MLA, in German, DIN, etc. . If another format is more practical, it has to be approved by a core faculty member in collaboration with the thesis advisor. Swiss and German students can find guidelines in the book Kreatives Schreiben von wissenschaftlichen Hausarbeiten und Referaten by Lutz von Werder..
Timetable for completion of the thesis and approval: the thesis is approved through the thesis evaluation in English by the thesis advisor. No later than one month before the first summer school, the student must submit the Testatheft for signatures, the abstract in English and the thesis to the thesis advisor.
If the thesis is not in English, German or French language, a two to three page summary in English and a reading sample of 2-3 pages have also to be provided by the student for signature by the core faculty member responsible for that region.
The summary and reading sample is only accepted if the thesis advisor has EGS faculty status and is a native speaker.
Otherwise, the thesis needs to be submitted in English.
The evaluation of the thesis advisor will be part of the student's file at EGS.
In cases where a student cannot finish the thesis before the third summer session, they may still attend the summer session and the graduation ceremony with their graduating group. They will be required to pay a maintaining status fee of CHF 500.- per year or CHF 250.-- per semester during the time period of completion of the thesis. Students have seven years to complete the MA.
Students who complete the thesis by December 31 of the academic year of their graduation ceremony will not be charged a maintaining status fee.
Students who take more than a year to work on their thesis will be expected to pay additional thesis advising fees. Such fees will be determined by the thesis advisor within the limits of the standard thesis seminar.

Content and Format of the Thesis

The thesis project is a public document that is available through the EGS library. The thesis writers should bear in mind that researchers of our domain may be interested in using it as a resource.

Content:

The thesis is a contribution to our field and it is a piece of art done with an art-oriented or art analogue attitude.
The EGS thesis has three main components:

Artistic: the exercise of an artistic medium for research purposes, i.e., art-making and reflecting on it imaginatively or using the work of writing itself as a research tool.
Practical: the application of the theoretical and artistic work in actual professional situations with people.
Theoretical: an attempt to understand the artistic and practical work from a certain perspective. This grows out of reflections on the personal and the practical. Theory is always embedded in a context and the theory forms, informs and is shaped by the theme that is being developed in the thesis.

There are common criteria for the body of thesis:

It demonstrates the ability to re-search, to be willing to go on a journey, meeting unknown territory being open minded and connected with one's feelings and cognition.
It shows the ability to approach the project with an artist's attitude, surrendering to the hardship of de-forming and de-structuring rather than hunting for results and handy rationalizations.
It demonstrates an ability to make distinctions between one’s bias and spaces where one can freely move in and out, playing with closeness and distance.
It documents an original body of thought, something which can only be written and done by the author, as it is clearly one’s own playing with words. And of course, there is nothing, which is not written about.
It shows the skill of looking around, validating others who searched in a similar way.
It shows the value of being a life long learner.
It shows that one can fully immerse oneself into a matter, whether it is in an art-oriented or art analogue way.

Form of the Thesis

Front Page must show the following:
- title of the thesis
- name of author (A thesis submitted by....)
- date
- In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts from the Division of Arts, Health and Society at the European Graduate School EGS
- name of thesis advisor
Abstract: a one paragraph (130 words) academic description of the thesis content, a 'summary of the summary' for the EGS library
Authorization to keep the MA thesis on record at EGS: Mention on the cover page: " Hereby I give EGS the authorization to send the Thesis file on CD-ROM or on diskette to people who are interested in my thesis ".
The following must be included after the front page and the abstract:
- Table of Contents
- Table of Illustrations (if needed)
- Body of the Thesis (Introduction, Main Part, Conclusion)
- Bibliography (list only the books relevant to the thesis)
Length: Usually a thesis ranges from 70 to 100 pages. The numbering of the pages starts with the beginning of the main part. All the art work (copies of paintings, photographs, etc.) needs to have a page number attached to it. This should, of course, correspond to the Table of Illustrations.
Spacing: No more or less than 1.5 spaces between lines.
Binding: Do not bind the thesis until it is approved. Bring one copy with you to the summer school for the oral defense. Allow enough margin on the left side (4 cm) in order for the text to clear the binding. A diskette submitted to EGS is required.
Quoting and Titles: Be consistent in keeping the same system throughout. The system should conform to the publication practices of the scientific community of your own country. (i.e., APA in North America and Duden in Europe) Be sure to acknowledge your sources.

Evaluation of the thesis:

The evaluation of the thesis from the advisor to the student is the official feedback received by the student. In writing their evaluations, advisors should bear in mind the following points:

The evaluation of the thesis is more than a summary of the thesis. It reflects where it leads the thinking of the advisor.
The remarks about the thesis are placed in a broader context - i.e., does this thesis make a contribution to the field? If so, what is the nature of that contribution?
The advisor comments both about the process and the product.
The advisor addresses the personal commitment of the student.
The advisor comments on the ways in which the thesis demonstrates how the student is moving toward becoming a professional in the field.

After the student receives an evaluation from the advisor, the student writes at the end of the third summer school an evaluation of the thesis advising process (group or individual format).
Both evaluations go to the Dean for review.
The approved core faculty responsible for that region gives final approval by signing the Transcript booklet [Testatheft].

Honors Thesis

If a student does exceptional thesis work, the advisor can recommend that the student receive an honors designation with magna cum laude. The thesis advisor determines that the thesis makes a unique contribution to the field. Only one thesis from each institute may be selected each year. This recommendation will be reviewed by the regional director and approved by the dean. If the recommendation is approved by the regional director, it must be submitted along with the thesis itself to the EGS office one month prior to the first Summer school session for the dean's approval. The designation of honors will be confirmed only after the student passes the presentation and oral defense of the Masters thesis course with an excellent evaluation. The teacher of this course must recommend the student for an honors designation.

Criteria for honors thesis:

The thesis needs to show innovative excellence with respect to EXA in at least one of the following areas:

artistic,
theoretical,
practical.

Faculty Thesis Prize

The EGS faculty thesis prize is donated by the members of the faculty of the university in order to encourage research of high quality and distinction. The prize will be awarded for an MA. Thesis which makes a substantial contribution to the field of expressive arts therapy. This highest designation will also be confirmed only after the student passes the presentation and oral defense of the Masters thesis course with a superior evaluation. The core faculty will select a prize-winning work. The prize will be awarded at a graduation ceremony. This prize includes an honorarium of 500 CHF. The student receives a summa cum laude.
At best, one prize can be given per year.

Criteria for faculty thesis prize:

Needs to show innovative excellence with respect to EXA in all of the following areas: artistic, theoretical, practical.
Once a thesis is approved as an honors thesis, the core faculty may select one thesis for the faculty thesis prize.

The thesis needs to be written (or translated) in English, the common EGS language.