4.2 Example of a Thesis Supervision Guide
Supervision of your Master’s Thesis – Dr L.J.J. Peters – Spring Semester 2025
Dear student,
You have reached the final stage of your LLM and have started writing your master’s thesis. This is an exciting but also intensive phase of your studies.
During the spring semester, staff members of the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology supervise many Dutch and international master’s students who wish to graduate in criminal law. Therefore, it is important to make clear agreements about the supervision process. These agreements ensure clarity for both you and your supervisor.
This document explains the supervision process and the conditions that apply to your thesis.
Time Investment
Your thesis is worth 12 EC, which equals 336 hours of work. This corresponds to approximately eight weeks or two full months of full-time study with five days per week. If you combine your thesis with other activities, more time will be required.
Experience shows that students can successfully combine thesis writing with preparation for two or three resit exams or with an internship of no more than two to three days per week. However, students generally do not finish their thesis within one semester if they combine it with more courses, more resit exams or a more intensive internship.
Please note that I can supervise your thesis for only one teaching semester. If you need more time, I can only read one complete draft version and your final version. If you plan to do a demanding internship of three or more days per week, or if you have to take four resit exams or three extra courses, you are advised to start your thesis in a later semester in order to benefit fully from supervision.
Deadline for the Final Version
The deadline for submitting the final version of your master’s thesis is [25 June 2025].
This deadline is binding.
If you do not submit your thesis by this date, you will have to complete it independently without further supervision and submit the final version no later than [18 August 2025].
Agreements on Thesis Supervision
Period of Supervision
Supervision will take place between [31 January and 25 June 2025]. During this period you may send drafts, email questions and receive feedback on your work.
Submission of Drafts
You may submit draft chapters once per month by email. The specific dates are listed in the attachment. You may submit earlier, but feedback will not be provided earlier or later than one week after the scheduled date.
Always attach your previous corrected versions together with the new draft. Each document must include your name, date and page numbers. Always include the updated literature list with each draft.
Layout of Drafts
Only submit your best possible drafts. Draft chapters must use Times New Roman font, font size 12 and line spacing 1.5. References must follow OSCOLA style.
Language
All drafts must be written in clear and correct English, as if they were final versions. Drafts containing substantial language errors may be returned unread and may not receive feedback. This may delay your progress.
To avoid language mistakes, use a spell checker, ask someone else to proofread your draft and read your text aloud before submitting it.
Feedback
Feedback will be provided using Track Changes or handwritten comments. Each chapter will normally be read critically only once. If you have questions about the feedback, please contact me.
Meetings
After submitting a draft, we will have a scheduled meeting one week later to discuss the chapter and the feedback. The dates are listed in the attachment. Meetings will not be postponed in principle. If no draft is submitted, the meeting will not take place and you must wait for the next opportunity.
General Remarks
If you encounter problems, delays or difficulties in writing, please inform me in time so that we can try to find a solution. Writing the thesis is your own responsibility. The final product is your own work. The final version will be checked for plagiarism.
The Thesis Track
You may choose your own working method. You may write a complete draft independently and submit it on [7 May 2025].
If you prefer structured guidance and deadlines, the following steps apply:
1) Step 1 Thesis Outline
Revise your thesis outline, including an overview of sources such as literature and case law.
2) Step 2 Introduction
Write a draft introduction of approximately three pages including an introduction of the topic, the relevance of the research, the research question or questions, the structure and sub-questions, the research method and guidance for the reader.
3) Step 3 Chapter 2
Write the first descriptive chapter including an introduction with the sub-question and a short conclusion.
4) Step 4 Chapter 3
Write the chapter including an introduction with the sub-question and a short conclusion.
5) Step 5 Chapter 4
Write the chapter, usually analytical, including an introduction with the sub-question and a short conclusion.
6) Step 6 Summary and Conclusion
Summarize the findings per chapter and provide a final conclusion answering the research question and recommendations if applicable.
7) Step 7 Final Editing
Reserve time for delays and final revisions and formatting. Submit your thesis digitally in Word format.
The total duration of the thesis process is approximately four and a half months. While feedback is being reviewed, continue working on the next chapter to avoid delays.
Length of the Thesis and Final Layout
The required length is between 10,000 and 11,000 words excluding the front page, preface, table of contents, footnotes, bibliography and appendices.
Draft chapters may initially be longer, but must be reduced later. Do not submit draft chapters exceeding approximately 4,500 words.
Final layout must use Times New Roman font, font size 12, line spacing 1 and normal margins.
Use of Sources and Citations
Never copy text literally without quotation marks and proper footnotes. Plagiarism checks will be applied to the final version. Long quotations should be avoided where possible. Prefer paraphrasing with proper footnotes. A minimum of three to five footnotes per page is expected.
Headings and Style
Do not use underscores or full stops in headings. Avoid questions in headings. Write clearly and concretely. Ensure logical connections between sections and guide the reader through your reasoning.
Spelling and Language Quality
Spelling must be correct from the first draft onwards. A spell checker alone is not sufficient. If you have dyslexia, ask someone to proofread your drafts before submission.
Assessment Criteria
Your thesis will be graded by two staff members based on content, argumentation, structure, clarity and correctness of language, independence, originality and research skills.
| * | Grade Indications |
|---|---|
| 6: | The thesis meets the minimum requirements with limited originality and much supervision needed. |
| 7: | The thesis has a clear structure, some personal input and regular feedback was needed. |
| 8: | A high level of independence and creativity with limited corrections needed. |
| 9: | Very high originality and quality with minimal supervision required. |
| 10: | Excellent research quality with almost no supervision required and suitability for publication. |
Half grades may be awarded. The final grade depends not only on the final thesis, but also on the writing process and the submitted drafts.
Finally
If you have any questions following the above information, please do not hesitate to contact me. My email address is: (…)
I wish you every success in writing your master’s thesis!
Kind regards,
(…)
