Before the oral exam you will receive a partial grade for the written part of the master’s thesis; you will be able to see this in StudentWeb a few days prior to the oral exam. The final grade for the course as a whole is given after the oral exam has been completed. To pass the course (the master’s thesis) you must take the oral exam.
When is the oral exam??
The oral exam takes place after the examiners have given a grade for the written part. The semester page will state which week the oral exams for all candidates will be held. You will receive an email from the academic administration with the time for your oral exam and a meeting link as soon as the examiners have set the schedule.
The oral exam will be conducted digitally
The oral exam for the master thesis (HUMR5200) will be conducted digitally. The examiners will use either Zoom or Teams. As a student you will receive a link to a digital meeting which you must join. This applies to all students on the course, as equal examination conditions must be ensured for all students.
Check your IT equipment and identification
You are responsible for ensuring that your IT equipment works and that you can sit undisturbed during the oral exam. The examiners must be able to see and hear you clearly. You must have tested your equipment and be ready and logged in no later than 15 minutes before the scheduled exam time.
Go through this checklist of practical preparations you must make before the oral exam. The checklist is prepared with Zoom in mind, but the other steps apply regardless of whether you use Zoom or Teams. Here you can find user guidance for Teams.
At the start of the exam you must show your student-ID with photo and student number to the examiners on the screen so they can verify your identity.
Content and duration of the oral exam
The oral exam lasts between 20 and 30 minutes at the examiners’ discretion.
The oral exam begins with your presentation of your thesis (approx. 5–7 minutes). The examiners will then ask questions relevant to and grounded in the thesis’ focus, methods and materials.
The oral exam will also verify that you are the author of the thesis.
Examination support material?
All support materials are permitted during the oral exam.
We recommend that you have your master’s thesis available; what else you should have available depends on the thesis’ subject area and any specific sources or tools you used while writing.
Course grade and explanation of grade?
You will be informed of your course grade and given a explanation approximately 10–15 minutes after you have completed the oral exam. Attendance at this is not mandatory, since the grade will in any case be published in StudentWeb as soon as possible after the oral exam. Note, however, that if you choose not to receive the explanation at that time, you will not be able to request a explanation for the grade at a later date.
If the written part is failed
If the written part is graded as not passed, the oral exam will not be held. You still have the right to receive a explanation.
Illness and withdrawal from the exam
If you are ill on the day of the oral exam you must submit valid documentation to the academic administration; a new date for the oral exam will be arranged and must be held without undue delay.
Once the written master’s thesis has been submitted for grading you cannot withdraw. If you receive a passing result on the written part of the master’s thesis you may not submit it again in a revised form, see Regulations governing studies and examinations at the University of Oslo, Section 5.6 (2) Number of examination attempts.
Appeals
You may only appeal the partial grade for the written part of the master’s thesis; the oral part cannot be appealed. If an appeal leads to a different partial grade for the written part of the master’s thesis, you will be summoned to a new oral exam.