Master's Thesis Regulations 2020-2021 Campus BrusselsMaster’s thesis Reg u l a t i o n s 2 0 20-...

M a s t e r ’ s t h e s i s R e g u l a t i o n s 2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1 2 7 / 0 9 / 2 0 2 0 1

Faculty of Economics and

Business

Master's Thesis Regulations FEB Campus Brussels

2020-2021

Issue date Written by 24/09/2020 Carla Morlion (Education Policy Unit) for FEB Campus Brussels

These regulations and the accompanying appendices can be found online on FEB Student Platform and are also available in Dutch.

Table of contents

1 THE MASTER'S THESIS COURSE ....................................................................... 3

1.1 CONCEPT OF THE MASTER'S THESIS ...................................................................... 3 1.2 INFORMATION AND REGULATIONS ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS ...................................... 3

1.2.1 ECTS course description and associated Master's thesis Regulations .............. 3 1.2.2 KU Loket - Student Platform - Toledo ......................................................... 4 1.2.3 Questions & contact info ........................................................................... 5

1.3 DATES & DEADLINES (TIME SCHEDULE) MASTER'S THESIS ............................................ 5 1.4 STUDENT ACCIDENTS – PRESENCE IN COMPANIES - TRAVELLING (ABROAD) ........................ 5 1.5 MASTER'S THESIS DATABASE - LINK 'MY MASTER'S THESIS' .......................................... 6 1.6 MASTER'S THESIS FILE ..................................................................................... 6 1.7 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE MASTER'S THESIS........................................................ 6 1.8 DEVIATIONS FROM THE REGULATIONS .................................................................... 7 1.9 DISCIPLINARY ACTION - PLAGIARISM - FRAUD ........................................................... 7 1.10 COPYRIGHT .................................................................................................. 7

2 TYPES OF MASTER'S THESES ........................................................................... 7

2.1 COLLABORATION WITH THE PROFESSIONAL FIELD ....................................................... 8 2.2 COMPANY PROJECT / FISCALE KLINIEK PROJECT ........................................................ 8 2.3 PROJECT ADMINISTRATION ................................................................................ 9

3 CHOICE/START-UP - CONTINUATION OF THE MASTER'S THESIS .................... 9

3.1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES ...................................................................................... 9 3.2 SUBJECT ................................................................................................... 10 3.3 START-UP USING THE MASTER'S THESIS OFFER ....................................................... 10 3.4 START-UP VIA OWN PROPOSAL STUDENT ............................................................... 11 3.5 START-UP OF FISCALE KLINIEK PROJECT .............................................................. 11 3.6 RE-ENROLMENT FOR THE MASTER'S THESIS COURSE - CONTINUATION OR RESTART? ............. 12

4 PRACTICAL DEVELOPMENT OF A MASTER'S THESIS ...................................... 12

4.1 COLLABORATE ON THE MASTER’S THESIS .............................................................. 12 4.2 DESCRIPTION OF APPROACH AND OWN CONTRIBUTION ............................................... 13 4.3 LANGUAGE ................................................................................................. 13 4.4 OUTPUT-FORMATS – FORM REQUIREMENTS ............................................................ 14

4.4.1 Scientific article (paper) ......................................................................... 14 4.4.2 Report Fiscale Kliniek project .................................................................. 14

4.5 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INDEX AND REFERENCE SYSTEM .................................................... 14 4.6 PLAGIARISM PREVENTION, DETECTION & SANCTIONING .............................................. 15 4.7 CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE MASTER'S THESIS .......................................................... 15 4.8 WORKING WITH SENSITIVE (PERSONAL) DATA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MASTER'S THESIS ....... 16 4.9 CONDUCTING SURVEYS AMONG FELLOW STUDENTS OR STAFF ........................................ 16

5 ACADEMIC SUPPORT – PROGRESS REPORT ................................................... 17

5.1 ACADEMIC SUPPORT/CONTACT HOURS FOR WRITING THE MASTER'S THESIS ....................... 17 5.2 PROGRESS REPORT OF YOUR MASTER'S THESIS (NOT APPLICABLE FOR MIBEB/MIBEM) ........ 17

https://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/regulations-brussels


5.3 SCIENTIFIC POSTER (MPM EXCLUSIVELY) ............................................................. 18

6 MASTER'S THESIS GUIDANCE ........................................................................ 18

6.1 SUPERVISOR .............................................................................................. 18 6.2 INTERNAL CO-SUPERVISOR .............................................................................. 19 6.3 WORKLEADER/DAILY SUPERVISOR ...................................................................... 19 6.4 EXTERNAL CO-SUPERVISOR .............................................................................. 20 6.5 COOPERATION BETWEEN STUDENT/SUPERVISORS - SURVEY MASTER'S THESIS (SUPERVISION) . 20

7 (REGISTRATION OF) MASTER'S THESIS CHANGES ........................................ 20

7.1 SMALL CHANGES .......................................................................................... 20 7.2 STRUCTURAL CHANGES ................................................................................... 21

8 DISCONTINUE THE MASTER'S THESIS / THE PROJECT .................................. 22

9 EVALUATION ................................................................................................. 22

9.1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES .................................................................................... 22 9.2 JURY ....................................................................................................... 23 9.3 CONTRIBUTION OF THE PROJECT COMPANY AT THE DEFENCE ......................................... 24 9.4 PUBLIC ..................................................................................................... 24 9.5 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ORAL DEFENCE .................................................................. 24 9.6 OVERVIEW OF EVALUATION CRITERIA ................................................................... 25

9.6.1 Evaluation criteria for the "Progress Report" ............................................. 25 9.6.2 Evaluation criteria for the written work of the Master's thesis ...................... 26 9.6.3 Process/attitude evaluation criterion ........................................................ 27 9.6.4 Evaluation criterion for the oral defence ................................................... 27 9.6.5 Scientific poster (only applicable to the MPM programme) .......................... 27

9.7 DETERMINING THE FINAL MARK (RESULT) OF THE MASTER'S THESIS ............................... 28 9.8 NO CONSENSUS IN THE JURY ............................................................................ 28 9.9 ATTENDANCES & ABSENCES OF JURY MEMBERS ........................................................ 29

9.9.1 Attendance requirement ......................................................................... 29 9.9.2 Non-attendance procedure ..................................................................... 30


1 The Master's thesis Course

1.1 Concept of the Master's thesis

The Master's thesis is a mandatory part in each Master's programme. It is imposed by Flemish law and, depending on the course(s), is worth at least 15 credits. This Master's thesis is a scientifically underpinned research project that is carried out

independently by the student and of which its development is supervised by a supervisor. This research assignment is part of the student's degree programme, ties in with the research done by the supervisor or with his specialisation and - in consultation with the supervisor - may be elaborated in collaboration professional field. In concrete terms, the student goes through the following steps:

- The student should choose a Master's thesis subject, type and supervisor within the deadlines set for this purpose;

- The student carries out his research project under the supervision and according to the instructions of his supervisor(s);

- The student reports on his research through a "Progress Report"1 and subsequently through a written work (the Master's thesis). This final version of the Master's thesis has been drawn up in a specific output format

and must comply a number of academic criteria and requirements; - The student shall submit the Master's thesis no later than on the date fixed in

advance; - The student defends this work orally afterwards before a jury2; - The jury determines the final result.3

1.2 Information and regulations about the Master's thesis

The Master's thesis is a course with an exam and therefore falls under the provisions of the applicable KU Leuven Education and Examination Regulations. Since the Master's thesis is an extensive and complex course, additional regulations and information are also available (see details below).

1.2.1 ECTS course description and associated Master's thesis Regulations

The student consults the 'ECTS course description’ for the general principles such as number of credits, objectives, entry prerequisites, content, format and evaluation modalities. ECTS course descriptions are available online in the KU Leuven Programme Guide and/or via the specific Toledo course of the thesis.

The 'Master's thesis Regulations – FEB Brussels' supplements this ECTS course description and contains global aspects, instructions and regulations, such as:

- possible types of master's theses and the differences between them; - practical information concerning the choice of a subject/topic, the supervision (see

also annex , modification of the Master's thesis, confidentiality, language, output )format;

- the regulations are supplemented by a concrete "time schedule" (online agenda)

with dates and deadlines relating to the Master's thesis; - all aspects related to the evaluation: criteria and procedure; - the regulations are also supplemented by specific annexes containing benchmark

tables with evaluation criteria.

1Exception: MiBEB and MIBEM 2Exception: MiBEB/MIBEM Master's thesis: Literature Review (6 credits – one semester course) 3Idem footnote 2. For these course, the mark is determined by the supervisor

https://onderwijsaanbod.kuleuven.be/opleidingen/e/index.htm


These regulations apply to each Master's thesis course and to all Master's programmes that

are organised at FEB Campus Brussels.4 The regulations contain, where necessary, special regulations applicable to certain programmes or specific types of Master's thesis.

All parties (student, supervisor, jury members …) must strictly conform to the present regulations, including its dates and deadlines.

1.2.2 KU Loket - Student Platform - Toledo

• KU Loket / Master’s thesis (student)

KU Loket is exclusively used by students to upload the digital final version of their Master's thesis, including its accompanying documents.

• FEB Student Platform: Papers, projects & theses landing page

First and foremost, the FEB Student Platform contains a well-formatted overview of "Requirements for good research" with attention to aspects of scientific integrity, information and research skills, plagiarism prevention and detection, as well as language support (Dutch/English). It is certainly advisable to read through the information provided. Specifically via the landing page of the "Master's theses" the student will find online instructions and documents to support the master's thesis process. The information will be

updated in the intervening period, as appropriate. Of course, always choose the information intended for FEB Campus Brussels and for your programme. The platform contains, among other things:

- text of the Master Thesis Regulations with the accompanying appendices (collaboration student-supervisor, benchmark tables for evalution criteria, online agenda with important dates & deadlines)

- information about the selection and start of the Master's thesis; - formal requirements, templates and instructions for layout - a practical explanation of how to submit the final version of the Master's thesis; - only for students who have registered an MT with a supervisor: their personal

'Registration: My Master's thesis' link with their individual registration of their Master's thesis (more information in par. 1.5).

• Toledo Every student who includes the Master's thesis course into his ISP has a specific Toledo course for this course unit: via this specific Toledo course, there is a link to the ECTS file of the course unit and announcements or e-mails can be posted that apply specifically to this one course unit only.

All Master's students are also automatically enrolled in a joint bilingual Toledo B-course (community), that is tailored to the specific master's degree program (MBA/BE or MIBEM). The Toledo B-course are used:

- for common announcements, applicable to all students/Master's theses in these programmes;

- for supporting information and documents concerning the academic elaboration of the master thesis

- for uploading (by the student) and the evaluation/feedback (by the supervisor) of the "progress report" (formal interim evaluation moment).5

4 The Master's programmes at FEB Campus Brussels are: Master in de Handelswetenschappen (HW), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master Handelsingenieur (HIR) and Master of Business Engineering (BE), Master in het Milieu- en Preventiemanagement (MPM), Master in de Bedrijfseconomie en het Bedrijfsbeleid (MiBEB), Master of International Business Economics and Management (MIBEM) Attention: In some programmes an expiring and a new course are in parallel. Some programmes include a Double Degree Programme with another educational institution. 5 Progress report: see par. 5. Instructions for loading this progress report will be posted in the Toledo B-course. Rermark: the Progress Report does not apply to students in the MIBEM and MiBEB programmes.

https://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/requirements-for-good-researchhttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesishttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/submission-brussels


Interim changes, updates and important announcements are always communicated via

Toledo and, if necessary, also via your student email. It is therefore important that each student consults these information channels on a regular basis.

1.2.3 Questions & contact info

If you have any questions that are not covered by these regulations or on the Student Platform you can contact:

For Company projects - Fiscale Kliniek Projects:

- selection of Fiscale Kliniek Students - intake proposals for tax case - agreements & project administration

- contacts with companies/tax offices

Margot Vanden Eynden FEB Corporate Relations Department Project Works Coordinator

Tel +32 2 300 22 82

margot.vandeneynden @kuleuven.be Room: B05-21

FEB Campus Brussels Master's Thesis Coordinator:

- Master's theses Regulations - Offer of topics (from supervisors) information

about Research Groups/supervisors - screening cases/collaboration with companies

- specific Master's thesis files of students

- registrations in MT database - organisation defences, juries

Kirsten Tielemans & Carla Morlion Tel +32 2 609 18 05 or +32 16 32 22 03 (Skype for business)

masterthesis_FEB.Brussel @kuleuven.be Room: A06-10

1.3 Dates & deadlines (time schedule) Master's thesis

At the start of the academic year, a number of important dates and binding deadlines are set with regard to the Master's thesis course. An overview of all these dates and deadlines is available online on the FEB Student Platform.

The student is asked to take note of this and to respect the dates and deadlines! Specifically with regard to the evaluation of the Master's thesis: if the student does not

respect the deadline for submission of the final version of his Master's thesis, he cannot participate in the final evaluation/defence; the final assessment for the Master's thesis course will then be 'NA' (not attended).

1.4 Student accidents – Presence in companies - Travelling (abroad)

Students registered at the KU Leuven are insured for physical accidents (own physical damage) during educational activities or during travel on the way there and within the terms and conditions of the insurance policies taken out by KU Leuven. If a student has an accident within the framework of the master's thesis, e.g. during a trip

in Belgium or in the project company, this must be reported immediately to the KU Leuven Insurance Service. The declaration form and more information about the procedure are

available online. Please, note that the burden of proof is on the student! In the event of an accident, the student will have to prove to the Insurance Department that the accident occurred during

a trip in the context of the Master's thesis (or that the accident occurred during the work

https://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/problem-brusselshttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/problem-brusselsmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/timetable-brusselshttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/timetable-brusselshttps://admin.kuleuven.be/sab/vz/en/student-accidents


placement or on the way to or from the work placement location).6 Agreements about where

and when to be present in the context of the Master's thesis should therefore always be made in advance and in writing, e.g. by email. Keep the arrangements in a safe place.

Covid-19 Attention: By Ministerial Decree it has been approved that as a KU Leuven student, you can be physically present in a (project) company again insofar as your (project) company has actually resumed work and provided that your safety (including social distancing) is guaranteed. Otherwise, virtual consultation moments can be scheduled with all parties.

Within the Master's thesis course unit, a transfer abroad is usually not the case. Students who do travel abroad in the context of their Master's thesis should check the travel policy for foreign travel during the Covid-19 pandemic in advance: https://www.kuleuven.be/english/international/travelpolicy. Students must report every trip abroad in writing at least 2 weeks in advance to [email protected] (Education Policy Unit). This person will then inform you of all the formalities to be completed. Some

destinations can be refused by KU Leuven. If the planned route or dates change afterwards

or during the trip, this must be reported again. If the student failed to make the necessary arrangements with these notification(s) in advance, the KU Leuven Insurance Policy cannot be invoked in the event of a problem or accident abroad.

1.5 Master's thesis database - Link 'My Master's thesis'

Each Master's thesis is registered in a local MT database: student with title, supervisor(s),

type of Master's thesis, confidentiality are registered. Students may not edit the registration themselves, but may review it clicking on the "Registration: my Master's thesis" link. Inaccuracies can be reported to the Master's thesis Coordinator7. Changes can only be communicated with the approval of the supervisor (see par. 7).

If the student submits his Master's thesis for defence, he can check the details of the defence (day, time, room, jury composition) using this "Registration: my Master's thesis" link.

1.6 Master's thesis file

In addition to the MT database, there is a "paper" file with (if applicable):

- forms submitted by the student; - documents relating to agreements and/or project administration; - (email) correspondence about specific questions, deviations, irregularities; - defence file with all documents relating to the evaluation(s) of the Master's thesis.

1.7 Complaints regarding the Master's thesis

Students may raise complaints and/or (minor) issues with the Master's thesis coordinator. She acts in an advising/mediating capacity. Serious complaints about the supervision the Master's thesis are only dealt with by the Ombuds service.

If the student disputes the result obtained for the Master's thesis course, then the Education & Examination Regulations apply (info at the Ombuds Service).

6 Although the content of a Company Project or Fiscale Kliniek Project does not correspond to a work placement, this activity is considered to be a work placement under the insurance policy. 7 If message: "No information found", the start-up has not (yet) been registered, or an error occurred! The student then contacts the Master's thesis Coordinator.

https://www.kuleuven.be/english/international/travelpolicymailto:[email protected]://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/submission-brusselshttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/submission-brussels


1.8 Deviations from the regulations

The Master's thesis coordinator may grant deviations (exceptions) within certain margins,

but only if: - the request is justifiable both within the ISP and the student's Master's thesis file; - the practical organisation is not compromised; - the student contacts the Master's Thesis Coordinator in advance and supports her

request for an exception with documentary evidence, unless force majeure can be proven.

In situations of force majeure8, a deviation may be granted in consultation with the Ombuds Service. The student must submit a certificate of proof.

1.9 Disciplinary action - plagiarism - fraud

The student risks a sanction (i.e. the 'not taken' mark) in the following situations:

- Failure to register the Master's thesis start-up in a timely manner (see par. 3.1); - Only in the case of an Company Project/Fiscale Kliniek Project:

o Failure to comply with the project administration on time (par. 1.3 & 2.3). o If the student repeatedly or seriously fails to comply with the obligations

described in the agreement with the project company, the project is terminated and the “not attented” mark is awarded for that course. If this sanction is applied, the student is not entitled to an alternative assignment

or a second examination opportunity. In addition, the evaluation may be refused in a certain examination period, with a “not attented” mark as a result, if the student:

- is manifestly not in line with the provisions of the Education and Examination Regulations and/or of the ECTS course description;

- does not respect the specified deadline the final version of the thesis; - fails to comply with agreements specifically made with him concerning a new

deadline or an amended arrangement; - presents himself at the defence in a different situation than that recorded in the

Master's thesis file/MT-database, e.g. if he collaborated with a different supervisor or company or if he developed a different topic.

The FEB plagiarism policy (including plagiarism prevention, detection and sanctioning, see par. 4.6) is explained in detail on the FEB Student Platform. (Self)plagiarism and fraude will always be sanctioned, in line with the Education and Examination Regulations and the general KU Leuven policy.

1.10 Copyright

KU Leuven's mission is to stimulate the transfer of knowledge and, as part of this, to optimise access to dissertations. More information is available in the KU Leuven Student Thesis Copyright Regulations , which regulates KU Leuven's use of dissertations and in which some aspects of the student's copyright are explained in detail.

2 Types of Master's theses

Every student conducts research in the context of his Master's thesis 'at the instruction of the supervisor'. This means: the student always conducts research that is close to the current academic research of the supervisor, and/or that is related to themes or research areas in which this supervisor specialises.

8 The Ombuds service uses specific criteria for force majeure.

https://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/plagiarismhttps://admin.kuleuven.be/sab/jd/en/student-thesis-copyrighthttps://admin.kuleuven.be/sab/jd/en/student-thesis-copyright


2.1 Collaboration with the professional field

Whether cooperation with the professional field is desirable and possible in the context of a Master's thesis shall be discussed between the supervisor and the student. As such, it is possible for specific research questions and Master's theses that concrete situations from the professional field are addressed as (a) case(s) or an illustration. Some Master's theses require (frequent or occasional) contact with companies or organisations in

the professional field e.g. if the student collects data in one or more companies, conducts surveys, makes observations, etc. The supervisor always takes the final decision about the possible cooperation with the professional field, and directs this in terms of content. When collaborating with the professional field, the companies or organisations contacted

often want guarantees regarding the confidentiality of the data provided. In certain cases it is possible or advisable to conclude a confidentiality agreement (non-disclosure agreement),

always in accordance with the KU Leuven template. For further information, students and supervisors should contact the Master's thesis coordinator.

2.2 Company Project / Fiscale Kliniek Project

It is also possible that the student collaborates very closely and on a structural basis with a company or (non-profit) organisation. The content of such research is also directed by the supervisor, but there is also a very clear focus on solving a specific business or organisational problem.

In that case, we speak of a:

• Company project (CP): the student analyses a (business) problem in consultation with

the supervisor and provides possible analyses and/or solutions in an academically based way, which can possibly be implemented in the operation of the company afterwards (i.e. it is never a purely executive work internship).9

• Fiscale Kliniek Project (FK): Fiscale Kliniek stands for a practice-oriented literature

review on a real tax problem (tax case) in close cooperation with a Belgian tax or accounting firm. A work placement of 2 weeks in the relevant office is part of this type of Master's thesis. The time of the internship is determined in consultation with the office (although we prefer you choose the mid-term break beginning of February). A Fiscale Kliniek project is developed exclusively in Dutch, according to a specific output

format (par. 4.3) and by means of the project's own legal reference techniques (par. 4.4).

This type of Master's thesis is compulsory for Handelswetenschappen - Fiscaliteit students and is not open to other students of other graduation subjects or degree programmes.

The following applies specifically to both Company and Fiscale Kliniek Projects:

- the start-up of such a project is subject to a specific procedure. A project agreement is always drawn up and is signed by the 3 parties (student, project

company, educational institution); there is also some mandatory - but limited - project administration for the student (see par. 2.3);

- it is allowed to collaborate with a Belgian company, or with a company established in Belgium (not with a company that is only located abroad);

- in addition to the supervisor, a project supervisor from the project company is appointed (external co-supervisor – see par. 6.4) to guarantee the student access to content;

- the company gives the student specific access to data, company data and/or other

facilities; - students cannot simply change the design of the project assignment nor can they

break the project agreement (see par. 7.2-8);

9 This type of Master's thesis is not open to the Master in Milieu- & Preventiemanagement (MPM).

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


- the content of such a Master's thesis is always confidential (see the project

agreement and also par. 4.5): - the student working on a project is expected to be present more than once in the

project company and to maintain close contact with it; - the institution invites the project company to attend the public part of the oral

defence (par. 9.3).

2.3 Project administration

If the student works out a Company Project or a Fiscale Kliniek Project, a project agreement must be drawn up by the Project Works Coordinator. The signature from the institution will already be provided. Only the template made available by KU Leuven must be used for drawing up the agreement.

The prepared agreement and all related documents are emailed in pdf format to the student(s). To this end, the official student email address must be used. No changes may

be made to the agreement. In addition to this agreement the following documents are also part of the project file of the student: Project Description:

o The research is carried out on the basis of the project proposal. The

agreement is drawn up based on an approved version. HSE file (Health, Safety and Environment -- VGM in Dutch):

o The student submits the KU Leuven HSE file, which is an integral part of the agreement, to the organisation/project company.

o If it appears from the risk analysis of the workplace that more HSE risks are present when performing the job than those specified in the HSE file, the

student must inform the projects coordinator and the provisions in the agreement must be applied.

It is the student's responsibility to have the above mentioned documents signed by the various parties and to submit a signed version of the documents to the FEB Corporate Relations department. If the student does not comply with this on time, he risks disciplinary action (par. 1.8).

It is also the student's responsibility to submit one original copy of the above mentioned documents as well as the 'Confidentiality agreement of the Master's thesis' document to the project company. The other copy is intended for the student. Important:

- The student himself must immediately report any changes during the duration of the

project with regard to the appointment of a (new) external co-supervisor and/or the modification of his contact details to the Project Works Coordinator!

- In the event of a change in the design of the project or if discontinuation is envisaged, the provisions set out in paragraph 7.2-8 shall be monitored in consultation with the Project Works Coordinator!

3 Choice/start-up - continuation of the Master's thesis

3.1 General principles

The student can inform himself about the possibilities for a Master's thesis by means of

specific information pages on the FEB Student Platform.

Are available there:

https://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/topics-brussels


- overview of start-up dates and period(s) and compliance with deadlines regarding

the selection and start of the Master's thesis (Master's thesis time schedule); - an overview with the existing Research Units (RU) and Research Groups (EG) as

well as the active supervisors associated with these centres, including their general (broad) interests in Master's thesis topics (subjects) and contact information at the Who’s Who pages - KU Leuven website;

- during the actual start-up period(s) - which may vary from programme to programme - there is a specific online search interface "Master's thesis title offering" (see par. 3.3);

The end of the start-up period is the deadline for the choice, registration and, of course, the substantive startup of the thesis. Those who do not get it right on time are advised not to include the Master's thesis course

into the ISP, or risk a sanction (see par. 1.8).

3.2 Subject

Master of Handelswetenschappen (HW) & Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The subject is in line with the degree programme and has (business) economic aspects. HW: a link to the specialisation is recommended, but by no means mandatory.

MBA: students must write and defend their thesis in English.

Master Handelsingenieur (HIR) & Business Engineering (BE)

The subject should be in line with the distinguishing features of the degree programme and justify the number of

credits.

In addition, BE students must write and defend their thesis in English.

Master of Milieu- en Preventiemanagement (MPM)

The subject must be sufficiently linked to the degree programme.

Master of Bedrijfseconomie en Bedrijfsbeleid (MiBEB)

The subject has a policy-oriented component and is related to a policy aspect of a company, a government institution or other organisation.

Master of International Business Economics

and Management (MIBEM)

The subject corresponds to the individual

character of the programme, i.e. the subject, the research question(s) and the findings have a clear business or politico-economic angle of approach. However, the thesis must always include an international perspective.10

MIBEM students must write and defend their

thesis in English.

3.3 Start-up using the Master's thesis offer

The scenario below is the "default" way of selecting and starting a Master's thesis, but does not apply to the Fiscale Kliniek Project (see par. 3.5).

The supervisors provide an offer of Master's thesis subjects (topics). This “Master's thesis offer” is available online from the FEB Student Platform. During the start-up period(s) it:

- is searchable through various search criteria; - contains several title proposals from supervisors with some explanation (e.g. on the

method to be used in the research, start of the literature review etc.) - is permanently updated during the start-up period by the supervisor(s) (additional

titles, status changes, etc.) as soon as the supervisor adds or modifies them;

10 For information about this international component, see the Assessment Criteria Benchmark Table (Appendix 2-3).

https://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/personhttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/topics-brussels


- is only available during the start-up period(s), not in other periods of the academic

year.

The student consults this offer and turns to the supervisor of his choice to apply for a concrete title:

- preferably, the student submits his application by email, introduces himself and, in no more than ten lines, motivates his choice for the specific proposal and informs the supervisor of his (prior) knowledge.

- the supervisor evaluates the applications received, and assigns the title to a

candidate (various methods may be used).

Once the student has chosen a Master's thesis in consultation with the supervisor, this choice be must registered in the Master's thesis database. The supervisor, respectively the Master thesis coordinator11 takes care of the registration: the student is not able to do this himself.

Through this registration, other details of the Master's thesis are also recorded, such as the

confidentiality, the possible appointment of an internal co-supervisor or work leader, and the language in which the Master's thesis is elaborated. All parties involved can check the registration afterwards:

- student: via "Registration: my Master's thesis" link; - FEB supervisor: via his/her “E-tool Master's theses for supervisors”; - the company: via the project agreement.

Problems with the registration should be reported to the Master's Thesis Coordinator. Registration is subject to a deadline (see par. 1.3 and 3.1).

If, after the start-up, it appears that a student is going to collaborate in one form or another with a specific company/organisation, the student or supervisor contacts the Master's thesis coordinator for further follow-up. If applicable, a specific type of agreement is then concluded (see par. 2).

3.4 Start-up via own proposal student

The student with his own idea/proposal for a Master's thesis:

- finds out himself on the basis of the overview document by the Research Groups mentioned in par. 3.1 and/or via the online search interface 'Master's thesis offer'

(par. 3.3) who could be the supervisor, i.e. someone who teaches a subject or does research to which the topic belongs;

- contacts the supervisor of his choice himself (preferably by email) - if the supervisor accepts the student's proposal, the start-up must be registered

afterwards (cf. par. 3.3). If the proposal concerns (close) cooperation with the professional field/a company, the Master's thesis coordinator should be contacted for further advice on a possible project agreement.

It should be noted that a supervisor is not obliged to accept any topic, e.g. if it insufficiently matches his expertise, or if he does not have the opportunity to supervise it.

3.5 Start-up of Fiscale Kliniek Project

Students who wish to follow the Handelswetenschappen-Fiscaliteit Master's programme

should attend the specific information session on the concept of the Fiscale Kliniek Project in the 2nd semester of the 3rd Bachelor or bridging programme. At that time, they will have the opportunity to put themselves forward to develop their Master's thesis at a major tax office and to participate in the selection rounds organised for that purpose (on the Campus). Students who successfully complete this selection are then assigned a tax case by their office, which will be their Master's thesis.

Participation in the selection round is not mandatory. Students may choose to submit their own tax case handed to them by a tax office of their choice. This is also the scenario for

11 In the case of a Company Project or Fiscale Kliniek project: registration by the Project Works Coordinator.

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students who did not successfully complete the selection round at the large offices. For

substantive advice, also with regard to the selection rounds, students can contact Prof. dr. Ilse De Troyer.

All other practical information, the submission of the tax case and further follow-up, the drawing up of the project agreement and the different steps in the project administration (par. 2.3) are dealt with by the Project Works Coordinator (par. 1.2.3), at the latest by the deadlines set for this purpose (par. 1.3).

3.6 Re-enrolment for the Master's thesis course - continuation or restart?

The following paragraph applies to every student re-enrolling and including the Master's thesis course into his ISP for the 2nd time (or more):

- The student is not obliged to continue with a Master's thesis that he has already

started! The student may opt for a new subject, a different type of Master's thesis and/or a different supervisor (provided, of course, that his choice fits within the

regulations for the new academic year). - The student can continue his choice made at the time, provided he receives

the explicit consent (by email or registration) of his supervisor (and of the project company if applicable). Both the supervisor and the project company have the right to refuse further cooperation with the student. Students who wish to continue working with their supervisor should therefore arrange this well in advance of the stated deadline in order to guarantee their

place with the supervisor. - If the supervisor and/or the project company refuse to cooperate further - or if

the continuation is not possible in practice (e.g. end of employment of the supervisor, termination of the company) - then the student is obliged to choose another supervisor, subject or type of Master's thesis!

Whatever the student's choice, the necessary information must be registered in the MT database, cf. the stipulations in par. 3.1.

4 Practical development of a Master's thesis

4.1 Collaborate on the Master’s thesis

The Master's thesis is an individual research assignment and is evaluated in the form of a paper, which the student writes, submits and defends in his own name. The student is always responsible for the content of his paper, as well as its timely realisation. Each student receives an individual score.

In practice, the student often collaborates with several parties in the realization of the

master's thesis: first and foremost, of course, with the supervisor and/or work leader/cosupervisor, sometimes with a company, and very often there is also collaboration or building on the master's thesis research of other (fellow) students. Such collaboration can take place at different levels (e.g. in the elaboration of the problem

definition and research questions, the search for and processing of relevant literature, methodological choices, data collection, data analysis, etc.), but also in different degrees (ranging from complete independence to no input from the student in any particular aspect of the research). The fact that the student is provided with certain things in full or in part by the supervisor (e.g. a questionnaire drawn up by the supervisor, an already existing dataset or an advanced

analysis of the collected data) or that students cooperate (e.g. when drawing up questionnaires; the search for respondents, the collection of data) is a common and perfectly

defensible practice. In short, collaboration with other students is allowed depending on the scope of the subject/research: at the request of the supervisor, a joint theme can be researched by

several students from a (partly) different point of view, or students each take on a clearly

mailto:[email protected]


defined part of the research. As a result, supervisors can guarantee the master's thesis

guidance (partly) through "group" guidance.

However, are not accepted: - the submission of a joint paper (by 2 or more students together) - submitting a text that is identical to the work of another student, or overlaps with it

to a large extent (both are then considered plagiarism).

Concretely, this means:

- if a Progress Report applies (par. 5.1), each student works it out individually, submits it, and receives a personal score;

- references to the work of other students (or persons) should be made where necessary;

- from now on, each master's thesis contains a specific “description of approach and own contribution" (see par. 4.2);

- each student participates individually in the evaluation/defence (this may be in a

different examination period than fellow students with whom they are collaborating); - each student receives an individual final score on the master's thesis.

4.2 Description of approach and own contribution

Each master's thesis contains a specific “description of approach and own contribution". This forms a separate section in the template (max. 600-80 words).

In this description the student indicates in continuous text what his approach and especially his own input was and what support and possible contributions were offered by the supervisor, co-supervisor, workleader, students (both classmates and students in previous years whose work is being built on) and/or other persons.

Such an explanation: - leads to a more transparent and correct assessment of the master's thesis and thus

benefits the fairness of the realisation of the final score; - can be seen as a concluding self-reflection of the student, to link at the student's

disciplinary future self; - creates awareness of the importance of independence in the realization of the

master's thesis, both on the part of the student and the supervisor/jury;

- creates clarity in the contribution of the different co-authors when the master's thesis is published in an academic journal.

4.3 Language

Language is an important evaluation criterion for each Master's thesis. Correct, appropriate

and careful use of language is required, both in the written work and on the oral defence,

and this irrespective of whether or not you write your Master's thesis in Dutch or in English. In all Dutch-language programmes, Dutch is the “default language” for writing and defending the Master's thesis. In these programmes - with the exception of the Fiscale Kliniek Projects- it is permitted to write the Master's thesis in English.

The following applies: - the choice of language is determined at the start, but can be adjusted during the

development of the Master's thesis with the approval of the supervisor (see par. 7.1). - the text of the Master's thesis is written in only one language (no hybrid forms are

authorised); - the language of the title and the language of the text must correspond! So no English

title for a Dutch-language Master's thesis nor vice versa;

- appendices may be in another language;

- the choice of a language other than the default (Dutch) language of your degree programme is not an added value for your thesis per se, nor is it a guarantee for a higher mark.


- the supervisor you choose must agree to supervise a thesis in another language;12

- students who write their Master's thesis (HW/MPM/MiBEB) in English retain the right to an oral defence in Dutch. The choice of language for the defence can be reported

at the time of registration for the defence. In the case of the 'Fiscale Kliniek Project' Master's thesis, since the legal terminology is highly technical and specific, this Master's thesis is written and defended exclusively in Dutch. In all English programmes (MBA, MIBEM, Master of Business Engineering), English is the

“default” language for writing and defending the Master's thesis. No exceptions are possible.

4.4 Output-formats – Form requirements

4.4.1 Scientific article (paper)

The format of a 'scientific article' is compulsory13 for every Master's thesis, with the exception of the Fiscale Kliniek Project.

In this format, the student follows the generally accepted standards of a scientific article with the aim to publish it in a scientific journal. A template for the article format is available on the FEB Student Platform (in Dutch as well as in English). Additional guidance can be found in an online accompanying instruction document Form Requirements Campus Brussels.

The article counts up to a maximum of 30 pages for the abstract and the article text together:

- References and attachments/appendices or annexes are not included in this count; - Detailed explanations of the method used, calculations, interview texts, etc., are

added in annex(es)/appendice(s).

Within the framework of the prevention of data & analysis fraud, students are invited to make their data & syntax available to the evaluators, by uploading this data & syntax in KU Loket (Master's thesis: Other files). These can be all kinds of documents in special formats (any form), such as e.g. specific metadata, analyses, audio files, written interviews, etc. It is best to discuss with the supervisor what is useful. If there are legitimate reasons not to share data and/or syntax, the student is asked to

upload a document in the section "Other files" with the reasoning why these cannot be shared.

4.4.2 Report Fiscale Kliniek project

A separate template for the Fiscale Kliniek Project is available on the FEB Student Platform.

The Fiscale Kliniek Master's thesis is limited to 35 to 40 pages for the abstract, introduction,

text and conclusion. Cover, references14 and annexes are not counted in the number of pages; separate attachments, data and/or other documents can be uploaded in the separate sections in the KU Loket.

4.5 Bibliographical index and reference system15

The following applies:

- The APA style reference system is compulsory in the MA thesis. APA is the system developed by the American Psychological Association. It must be used for making

12 If the supervisor is a lecturer from abroad, he has the right to choose the language of the thesis. This

is mentioned in the list of subjects/titles. Consequently, the student makes a deliberate choice. 13 Only if a motivated request can the campus vicedean of Education allow a deviation from this rule. If a student receives such a permit, he can request the report template by e-mail from the Master's thesis coordinator. 14 The references for the Fiscale Kliniek Projects follow a specific system, see par. 4.4. 15 See also par. 1.9 for information about the FEB Plagiarism Policy.

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your literature list as well as for referring to and/or quoting consulted sources in

your thesis text; - In the 'Fiscale Kliniek' Master's thesis projects, only the 'Juridische

afkortingen en verwijzingen' (Legal Abbreviations and References) system is used to list the references or compile the bibliography;

- In consultation with their supervisor, students who write an MA thesis outside the framework of “Fiscale Kliniek”, but make extensive use of legal sources, can also make use of the “Juridische afkortingen & Verwijzingen” system. It is advisable for the supervisor to report this to the Master's thesis Coordinator so that a note to this

effect is available in the student's defence file; - Instruction material for bibliographic reference is available online; students are

expected to go through this material (in self-study) o in your Toledo B-course/community for the master’s thesis of your

programme o as on the specific pages Requirements for good research,

o and in particular the pages on the FEB Plagiarism Policy, available on the

FEB Student Platform. o link to a practical APA-manual o in the specific Toledo Community “Tutorial Information Literacy Economics

& Business (cf. par 4.6) - if a student has very specific questions, he can consult his supervisor for additional

advice. - Plagiarism detection: all Master's theses submitted for evaluation will be screened

by the university for plagiarism and/or fraud.

4.6 Plagiarism prevention, detection & sanctioning

The Faculty of Economics and Business focuses on prevention of plagiarism and offers the student the opportunity to learn how to refer correctly to sources:

- The importance of being consistent and correct in referencing and quoting is

emphasised through the form requirements, the template and through the Master's thesis regulations. Intellectual integrity should be respected in all circumstances

- the student must, through self-study, immerse himself in correctly referring to sources. This will be done via a specific Toledo Community “Tutorial Information Literacy Economics and Business”; The student will then, of course, also apply the

acquired know-how to the writing of the thesis - The faculty also provides a test that must be taken via the Toledo Community

mentioned above, in order to receive a certificate. This test is taken by each student, before a specific deadline (see online calendar);

- The student will subsequently upload the certificate obtained through this test when submitting the final version of his master's thesis in KU Loket (to be uploaded as Master's thesis: Other files).

Plagiarism detection & sanctioning: All master's theses submitted for evaluation are screened by the university for plagiarism and/or fraud. If fraud or plagiarism is detected, a sanction will be imposed (see par. 1.9).

4.7 Confidentiality of the Master's thesis

Master's theses are, in principle, not confidential, unless the student (as author) or the supervisor (who directs the research) reports the confidentiality to the Master's thesis Coordinator. This notification should preferably be sent by email. The supervisor may also tick the confidentiality box immediately when registering the start of the Master's thesis. If there are contacts with the professional field/comanies for the Master's thesis, a specific

agreement is sometimes needed to guarantee confidentiality (cf. par. 2.1).

However, as far as the Master's theses in the form of a Company Project or Fiscale Kliniek Project (par. 2.2) are concerned, they are always, and from the outset, confidential because of their relationship with an external client and the associated confidentiality provisions in

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the project agreement. These provisions shall also remain in force afterwards, even if the

agreement has expired or is terminated.

With regard to all confidential Master's theses, the following applies: - the confidentiality must be guaranteed not only by the student but also by the FEB

supervisor(s) and the members of the defence jury, who assess the thesis; - if the thesis is confidential, the student mentions the word "confidential" on the

cover. A field in the top right corner is provided on the template for this purpose; - the status "confidential" is registered in the MT database and also in the SAP

administration of KU Leuven; - the final version of each Master's thesis is digitally archived by the university for

legal and administrative-educational reasons. This also applies to confidential Master's theses. In the framework of e.g. legal or administrative problems, educational visits, etc., the text can consequently be examined by those appointed by the university for this purpose.

However, confidential Master's theses are never available in the library collection

of KU Leuven (E-BiB);16 - specifically for Company projects/Fiscal Clinic projects: after the defence the

confidentiality can be (partially) lifted in consultation with the project company, e.g. following the participation of the Master's thesis in an Award, the use of the Master's thesis in a scientific or other publication, the distribution of a press release sent by the institution, etc. To this end, a KU Leuven employee contacts the project company in question, which must agree in writing to the (partial) lifting of

confidentiality.

4.8 Working with sensitive (personal) data in the context of the Master's thesis

In the context of stricter privacy legislation, at the time FEB filed a report with the Privacy

Committee which, pursuant to the new European regulation, has been copied into the internal processing register of KU Leuven. This declaration ensures that the faculty is in compliance with most student works (papers and Master's theses) in which personal data are used.

However, the student must take the following into account:

- The data should be stored safely on a best effort basis (e.g. secure network environment, not left on stick, etc.);

- The student must always inform those involved (interviewee, respondents) about the data he/she collects himself/herself;

- The student must ensure that data are not passed on to third parties without an official agreement of the person(s) to whom the data relate;

- The data concerned may be retained for a maximum of ten years; - If sensitive data such as medical data, national registration number, criminal

record, religious data, etc. are used, there are additional obligations. Those are not covered by this general declaration. In that case, it is best for the

supervisor to contact the Vice Dean of Education; - Most student assignments fall under the overall declaration and no longer require

a separate declaration.

- All data that have been anonymised fall outside the scope of the declaration and can be used freely without the above measures.

- More information about Data protection is provided on the FEB Student Platform.

4.9 Conducting surveys among fellow students or staff

The faculty does not facilitate the conduct of surveys among fellow students or among staff in any way.

Staff members of KU Leuven may under no circumstances pass on contact details (e.g. email

addresses) of students to other students or to third parties.

16 The normal course of events is that as soon as the student graduates as a Master - which implies that he also succeeded in the Master's thesis - his Master's thesis becomes available online in the KU Leuven library catalogue.

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5 Academic support – Progress report

In order to help the students in writing a scientifically sound master's thesis, there is - apart from the substantive feedback by the supervisor, see par. 6 - a range of (blended) learning materials that focus on the formulation of problem definition, research questions, scientific reference and publication. Different approaches apply per degree programme!

5.1 Academic support/contact hours for writing the Master's thesis

In order to help students in general to write a scientifically sound master's thesis, a lot of additional information is available online - apart from the content feedback from the guidance (see par. 6):

- on the FEB Student Platform a well-formatted overview "Requirements for a good research" with attention to aspects of scientific integrity, information and research skills, plagiarism prevention and detection, and also language support;

- a specific Toledo Community “Tutorial Information literacy Economics and Business”

- in the common (bilingual) Toledo B-course the student finds (blended) learning material that focuses on the formulation of problem definition, research questions,

scientific reference and publication. There is an offer of web lectures, slides, self-directed exercises. The student takes cognizance of these through self-study;

- some programmes17 offer - albeit limited - contact hours: - Handelswetenschappen/MBA: one global (short) contact moment in the

schedule (start 1st semester), probably via online presentation; - MPM: lectures on writing the Progress Report, writing a scientific article and

making a scientific poster, including a practice session on presenting this

poster; - MiBEB/MIBEM: contact hours within the framework of the course "Master's

thesis: Literature Review".

5.2 Progress report of your Master's thesis (not applicable for MiBEB/MIBEM)

The student (MBA and Business Engineering) is automatically enrolled in a common, bilingual Toledo B-course “Masterproef-Master’s Thesis FEB Brussel”. This Toledo B-course contains supporting information on the approach and writing out of the Master's thesis, incl. the progress report. The student will "register" his name in the group of his supervisor via the Grade Center of

this Toledo B-course.18

The student then writes a global (introducing) paper about his Master's thesis during the autumn (= the progress report). The purpose and content of this paper are determined by the student and the supervisor together. The student should pay attention to the following in this paper:

- structure: logical and consistent structure; precise, concise and clear text; integrated contents and critical analysis of the literature/sources;

- language use: flawless, scientific; - referencing: completely in APA in the text and in the literature list (cf. APA

manual).19

17 For Business Engineering, contact hours on Academic Writing will no longer be offered in 2020-2021, as the programme is being phased out and no new students can start with a Master’s thesis. 18 Concrete instructions on how this should be done in practice are communicated via the Toledo B-course. 19 For Fiscale Kliniek Master's theses an exception applies, see also par. 4.4.

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The student uploads his paper digitally to the Toledo B-course no later than on the scheduled

deadline (see par. 1.3). If the student (re)defends his Master's thesis in the 1ste examination period (January), it is best to upload the paper earlier than this deadline!

The supervisor then gives feedback as well as a mark (pass/fail) via the Grade Center of the Toledo B-course. The given mark is taken into account in the final evaluation of the Master's thesis itself (modalities see par. 9.6.1). Depending on the nature and the result of the paper, it can subsequently be used (largely)

as a part of the Master's thesis, although this may not always be possible.

Important: there is no exemption for a student who had already submitted a progress report (first paper) - successfully or not - in a previous academic year, even not if the student has already unsuccessfully defended a previous version of the thesis.

In the current academic year, the student writes a new progress report which, in consultation with the supervisor, is revised to the state of affairs and/or progress of the master's thesis research, and uploads this revised paper.

5.3 Scientific poster (MPM exclusively)

Students of MPM are only required to produce a scientific poster in addition to the First Paper

mentioned above. The content and form requirements for this can be found in the lectures & practical lectures listed below. The poster will be presented and evaluated during the oral defence (see par. 9.6.5).

6 Master's thesis guidance

The student is responsible for the content of his Master's thesis, as well as for its timely completion. In the concrete approach and elaboration of the master's thesis, the student will be

supervised in terms of content by a supervisor. The supervisor may be assisted by other persons. The various roles are explained below.

6.1 Supervisor

The appointment of a supervisor is mandatory. The student cannot start, defend or continue

a Master's thesis in a later academic year without a supervisor confirming the collaboration

(by email or upon registration). The supervisor is always a staff member of KU Leuven and must always meet the requirements in terms of status and appointment set out in the "Beleidsnota met betrekking tot de masterproef" (2016) of the KU Leuven Education Council. Supervisors of Master's theses in the study programmes of FEB Campus Brussels also have an educational and/or research assignment on this Campus.

Applications for exceptions are submitted to the Campus Vice Dean of Education (and discussed with the Master's thesis Coordinator for the practical consequences). Since the supervisor is also an evaluator of the Master's thesis, the supervisor may never be family or a relative of the student (up to the 4th degree) - cf. KU Leuven Education & Examination Regulations.

Each supervisor of FEB Brussels has access through the staff intranet to an E-tool called "Master's theses and Supervisors" used for the management of his personal supervisor records and specific Master's thesis topics in the various degree programmes.


The supervisor:

- is the most important adviser of the Master's thesis and is consequently the first point of contact of the student. See also par. 6.5 and in particular Collaboration

student- supervisor and the profile of the good master’s thesis student/good supervisor (annex 1 to these regulations);

- can be assisted in the supervision by an internal co-supervisor (par. 6.2) or by a workleader/daily supervisor (par. 6.3);

- is the first point of contact for the (ombuds) service(s) in the event of specific questions or problems with regard to the Master's thesis of the student concerned;

- the commitment of the supervisor ends at the end of the academic year in which the student could have defended - unless the student and the supervisor agree to continue working on the Master's thesis together in the context of a re-enrolment for the course (see par. 3.6). If a supervisor is unwilling or unable to continue the supervision in a subsequent academic year, he or she shall inform the student and the Master's Thesis

Coordinator in good time.

Furthermore, the following additional rules apply:

- In any case, there can only be one supervisor per student and per Master's thesis. - If a student wishes to transfer to another supervisor on his or her own initiative, this

is a structural change (par. 7.2). - The supervisor is a member of the student's jury and therefore always plays an

important role in the evaluation of the Master's thesis (par. 9).

- If a supervisor is unable to serve as supervisor during the academic year for serious, long-term or structural reasons/ force majeure, the Campus Vice Dean of Education shall appoint a replacement in consultation with the Master's thesis Coordinator. This replacement will then take over all the tasks of the supervisor for a period of time. The scope and duration of the replacement and any other arrangements will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

6.2 Internal co-supervisor

The appointment of an internal co-supervisor for the Master's thesis is optional. The internal co-supervisor should meet the same conditions as a supervisor (see par. 6.1). Exceptions are, however, possible in consultation with the Campus Vice Dean of Education.

The specific task of the internal co-supervisor is to provide the student - in addition to the feedback from the supervisor - with extra substantive advice with regard to certain subject matter, angle of approach, specific part of the discipline or method:

- It is never the student who appoints the internal co-supervisor (on his own initiative). Supervisor and internal co-supervisor discuss this among themselves.

- One student can only have one internal co-supervisor. Preferably, the appointment of an internal co-supervisor should not be combined with the appointment of a

workleader (see par. 6.3).

- The supervisor notifies the Master's thesis Coordinator of the appointment of an internal co-supervisor by email (the MT Coordinator changes the registration in the MT-database).

- In principle, no internal co-supervisor is appointed in the case of an externally organised Master's thesis (exceptions are only made via the Campus Vice Dean of

Education). - The internal co-supervisor is a member of the student's jury and can, if he wishes,

contribute to the evaluation (see par. 9). - The student mentions the name of the internal co-supervisor on the cover of the

Master's thesis (see template).

6.3 Workleader/daily supervisor

The appointment of a workleader to supervise a Master's thesis is optional. A workleader is mostly a PhD student attached to FEB Campus Brussels. The workleader may never be family or a relative (up to 4th degree) of the student (cf. KU Leuven Education & Examination Regulations):

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- There is no more than one workleader per student.

- The supervisor decides on the appointment of a workleader and reports this to the Master's thesis Coordinator by email (she inputs the registration in the MT database).

- In principle, the appointment of a workleader is not combined with the appointment of an internal co-supervisor (see par. 6.2).

- The student mentions the name of the workleader on the cover of his Master's thesis (see template).

- The workleader is a member of the jury and consequently contributes to the evaluation of the Master's thesis (see par. 9).

6.4 External co-supervisor

The appointment of an external co-supervisor is strictly limited to, and required by, Company Projects and Fiscale Kliniek Projects. If there is a project agreement, guidance from the

project company must be appointed. The project supervisor is given the function of 'external co-supervisor' for the Master's thesis.

The following applies:

- The external co-supervisor may never be family or a relative (up to the 4th degree) of the student. In specific circumstances where a student develops his Master's thesis in his own family business, the student should contact the Project Works Coordinator about this situation.

- There is mostly only one external co-supervisor per student.

- The student will ensure that he reports interim changes with regard to the appointment of an external co-supervisor and/or his contact details (par. 2.3).

- KU Leuven invites the external co-supervisor to attend the public section of the oral defence (par. 9.3).

6.5 Cooperation between student/supervisors - survey Master's thesis (supervision)

The cooperation between the student and his Master's thesis supervisors, the "profile of a good supervisor/workleader” as well as what can be expected of this person, is laid down in a collective document by the Faculty of Economics & Business: see annex 1 of the present regulations. The profile of a "good Master's (thesis) student" is also laid down in this document.

It should be noted that this profile is in line with the Master's thesis evaluation criteria "Process & Attitude" (see par. 9 and the annexes with evaluation criteria by these regulations). When the student defends his Master's thesis, he is given the opportunity by the programme to evaluate the Master's thesis course, including the collaboration with his supervisor(s) and

project company (if applicable). This is done using a digital survey about the realisation of

the Master's thesis. The student receives this survey by email (in the period between submission and defence date). The results of the questionnaire are processed completely anonymously; they are important feedback for the institution.

7 (Registration of) Master's thesis changes

Students are expected to check the registration of their Master's thesis via the 'Registration: My master's thesis' link.

- If there are type or spelling errors, the student can email the correction to the Master's thesis Coordinator.

- For all other changes, the student must follow the procedure described below.

7.1 Small changes

These are limited changes such as:

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- changes to the (working) title, including deletions or additions of words or sentence

parts; - deleting, adding, or modifying a subtitle;

- changing the concept/approach/scope of the Master's thesis incl. switching to a new subject with one's own supervisor's. This should be coordinated with the supervisor, may never be decided unilaterally by the student and will lead to a new work title;

- adjusting the (work) title to the final title and subtitle, such as it will appear on the cover of the Master's thesis and be used for evaluation purposes;

- changing the language of the Master's thesis;

- making the thesis confidential (or not); - the appointment/removal of the internal co-supervisor or workleader; - new external co-supervisor.

For each of the above listed changes - with the exception of the last item on the external co-supervisor - the written consent of the supervisor is required:

- in specific circumstances (and deadlines) the supervisor can make the change

himself in the MT database by using the E-tool for supervisors; - or the student emails the Master's thesis Coordinator the change provided that this

email contains the explicit proof of agreement of the supervisor. Making your supervisor a CC field recipient of your email will not be accepted as proof of his approval.

Changes must be reported no later than by the deadline that the student has to apply for

the evaluation/defence (see par. 1.3). No changes will be accepted after this deadline. Changes relating to the appointment of the external co-supervisor/project company are taken up by the student with the Project Work Coordinator. The student who effectively submits his Master's thesis for defence, mentions the title on

the cover of his Master's thesis as it was at the time of registration for the defence.

The student will also type this title in exactly the same way when uploading the final version in his KU Loket.

7.2 Structural changes

Structural changes are always major changes at the student's own request or initiative,

such as, for example: - The student wishes to switch to another supervisor (with or without retention of

subject). - The student wants a change in the setup/approach of a Company Project or Fiscale

Kliniek Project. It should be noted that: o The student is subject to the provisions in the agreement and is

consequently not allowed to change the aim of the project unilaterally and

on his own accord!

o A change to the setup/approach is only possible if all parties concerned (project company, student, supervisor) mutually agree on the change and its implications (e.g. postponement of the defence). Consequently, the necessary written evidence of this mutual agreement must be transferred to the Project Works Coordinator by the student so it

can be included in the student's Master's thesis file. Because structural changes usually have major consequences, not only for the student himself, but sometimes also for the supervisor(s) and/or the company involved, such changes are not evident, and are therefore not automatically allowed:

- There is a specific deadline, in order not to compromise the chances of success for the Master's thesis course in the current academic year (see par. 1.3). Changes

after that deadline will result in the student defending in that academic year +1 (see also par. 8).

- The application for a structural change may be refused if the higher education institution is unable to accept it for practical reasons, for guidance or for other reasons.


8 Discontinue the Master's thesis / the project

The student is responsible for his own Master's thesis and can therefore decide to discontinue it. The student reports this to the supervisor and should also report it to the Master's thesis Coordinator, so that the registration in the MT database can be adjusted. An exception applies to the discontinuation of a Master's thesis for which a project-agreement has been made (Company Project or Fiscale Kliniek Project).

The student is consequently subject to the provisions in the project agreement and is not allowed to terminate it on his own accord:

- If a student considers discontinuing an externally organised Master's thesis, he should contact the Project Works Coordinator to discuss further formalities.

- if the student turns out to be in deficit in the elaboration of his Company

Project/Fiscale Kliniek Project, both KU Leuven and the project company have the

right to terminate the project agreement and to terminate the Master's thesis, which obviously has important consequences for the student (cf. par. 1.8).

You should be aware of the following important points if you discontinue or terminate a Company Project/Fiscale Kliniek Project - irrespective of the party that took the initiative:

- If the agreement has been broken, the student must give back to the project

company all documentation, information and/or materials he received for the execution of the project and which he received from the project company;

- Even after the agreement has effectively been broken, no matter which party took the initiative, the student remains bound by the specific clauses of the agreement regarding confidentiality;

- If the student, after the termination, subsequently starts up a new Master's thesis (even if that is later in the academic year), he shall never be allowed to deal with

a research question that is connected to the former research company and/or use information from/about the former project company!

A student who discontinues his or her Master's thesis may consider having the Master's thesis course removed from his or her ISP, if this is still possible. Deleting a course is subject to a deadline and procedure (cf. par. 1.3).

A student who discontinues his Master's thesis may start a new Master's thesis with another supervisor and may defend it in the current academic year, provided that the deadline for structural changes (see par. 1.3) has not been exceeded. If the deadline is exceeded, the student can start with a new supervisor, but the new Master's thesis will be defended at the earliest in academic year +1 (par. 7.2).

9 Evaluation

9.1 General principles

The examination for the Master's thesis course is subject to all the provisions of the KU Leuven Education & Examination Regulations, such as:

- If the Master's thesis course is a full-year course (two semesters): The first examination opportunity is by default in the 2nd examination period (June); 2nd examination opportunity in the 3rd examination period (Aug-Sept).

- If the Master's thesis course is a one semester course, the examination is taken at the end of this semester, and the 2nd opportunity is in the 3rd examination period

(Aug-Sept). - Students have a maximum of 2 exam opportunities (per course) per academic year. - Taking the exam/defending in an earlier examination period (e.g. in January

instead of June; in June instead of September) is admitted, provided the student complies with the provisions in the KU Leuven Education & Examination Regulations

(art. 47 and 49 - FEB faculty additions) and submits a request for an early graduation (exam change request).

o Note: Students are informed via e-mail about the procedure in good time by the Master's thesis Coordinator (Exam Change Request);

o The request for an early gradiation cannot be reversed.

https://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/exams/february-graduationhttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/exams/february-graduation


- The mark received for the Master's thesis is always final: If the student has passed

the course, he is not allowed to retake the exam in a later exam period.

In order to obtain a mark for the Master's thesis course, no later than by the applicable deadlines (par. 1.3) the student must:

- have fulfilled all administrative obligations concerning the enrolment as a student, the ISP and the start of his Master's thesis (including with the project administration if applicable);

- register20 for the evaluation/defence in the desired exam period (deadline and

modalities are communicated by the Master's thesis Coordinator in due course); - submit the finalised version of the Master's thesis in a timely manner, together with

the annexes and any other documents (such as raw data, plagiarism certificate): o strict deadline21: see time schedule par. 1.3); o concrete instructions for uploading: see FEB Student Platform o a student who fails and takes up his 2nd examination opportunity in the same

academic year, must submit a substantially reworked version of his Master's

thesis by the stipulated deadline. - effectively defend the submitted work orally before the jury (at the moment of

defence allocated to him). The assigned dates on which there are defences are within the three examination periods and are fixed and communicated in advance (par. 1.3):

- The defences take place exclusively in the (class)rooms of Campus Brussels from

08:30 to 21.30. - A student wishing to defend in a certain examination period must be able to be

present on the Campus on all defence dates communicated for that period. The student may not choose his own defence moment on the day(s) mentioned, nor can he defend via Skype, videoconferencing or similar methods.

- Students who submit their Master's thesis for defence receive their precise defence

moment and other details (room, jury) via the 'Registration: My master's thesis'

link , approx. 2 weeks after the submission date.

9.2 Jury22

Anyone who is eligible to be supervisor/internal co-supervisor of an Master’s thesis can also be appointed as a jury member/examiner. When selecting the jury, the specialisation and

interests of the jury members are taken into account. The jury consists of at least 3 people:

- The chairperson: ensures that the correct procedure is followed and mediates if necessary;

- The supervisor: If special circumstances justify or require it, the supervisor may be replaced in the jury panel by a ‘3rd member’ (or the internal co-supervisor);

- The thesis examiner: The examiner is the most important assessor. He focuses on

content and method; - The internal co-supervisor (if applicable); - The workleader (if applicable).

All members of the jury, with the exception of the chairperson, give a mark for the written

work in advance (evaluation criteria: see par. 9.6 and the associated Benchmark Table in annexe). All jury members are allowed to participate in the discussion and ask the student questions. The members of the jury present - in the supervisor(s) and the thesis examiner - determine the score for the oral defence (for MPM: also for the poster presentation), and set the final

score by consensus (par. 9.7). If the supervisor or the thesis examiner is absent, the

20 This enrolment does not apply to MiBEB/M students completing the Master's thesis course: Conducting literature research. 21 Cf. par. 1.3, timely submission is a condition for participating in the defence and thus for obtaining a mark for the Master's thesis. 22 Not applicable to MiBEB/M students completing the Master's thesis: Literature Review course.

https://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/submission-brusselshttps://feb.kuleuven.be/eng/student-platform/ppt/masters-thesis/submission-brussels


member of the jury who is present autonomously determines the score for the oral defence

and also the final score (cf. par. 9.9).

9.3 Contribution of the project company at the defence23

KU Leuven invites the external co-supervisor to attend the public part of the oral defence. If the moment of defence is not appropriate, the project company may send a replacement or wri

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