MCS Master thesis preparation

The final master thesis project for the Master in Computational Science is divided into two components: the 'Master's Thesis Preparation' and the 'Master's Thesis' itself. In the semester prior to starting the thesis,  the students register for 'Master's Thesis Preparation,' which is worth 6 ECTS credits. This is not a traditional course with lectures and classes; rather, it's an opportunity for the students to choose a potential future thesis topic and supervisor. During this preparation phase, the students will write an initial report of approximately 15 pages that includes a problem description and a literature review. The students will also present the work in a 15-minute presentation, comprised of a 10-minute talk and a 5-minute Q&A session. Typically, this preparation is done in the third semester, setting up for a smooth transition into the Master's Thesis (worth 24 ECTS credits) in the fourth semester.

A ‘Master Thesis Preparation’ in the Master in Computational Science should be a computational and application-oriented work in a research group at USI in order to deepen the knowledge in an area of computational science. It should require about 180 hours and 6 ECTS are obtained for a 15 page summary report.

In presence

The Master Thesis Preparation takes a maximum of 3 months, which is a strict deadline for its completion by the end of the teaching period. It should be followed by a Master thesis and should train students for independent work on a particular topic.

The Master Thesis Preparation takes a maximum of 3 months, which is a strict deadline for its completion by the end of the teaching period. It should be followed by a Master thesis and should train students for independent work on a particular topic. The students need to have completed 60 ECTS to be in this course. This course is only for students who will do a MCS master thesis at USI. Otherwise it will not count towards the transcripts.