THESIS

  • 21 November 2025, 14.20
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PRE-THESIS

To ensure that thesis proposal preparation is structured, scheduled, and properly supervised, students are required to take the Pre-Thesis course (4 credits) in the 3rd semester before enrolling in the Thesis course. Pre-Thesis is a prerequisite for the Thesis. The Pre-Thesis Seminar provides feedback for Pre-Thesis participants to improve the quality of their research proposals.

The main assessment criteria for Pre-Thesis emphasize mastery of the proposed material, the research methods used, the proposed research design, and the feasibility of conducting the research within one semester. Assessment is carried out by the course instructor/coordinator, the Pre-Thesis advisor, and the Pre-Thesis examiners.

THESIS

The Thesis course offered by the Master Program in Architecture Study Program carries 8 credits. In addition to passing the Pre-Thesis course, students must have completed 42 credits, including Pre-Thesis, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75. The research process is supervised by a Main Advisor. The thesis advisor is a continuation of the Pre-Thesis advisor. Thesis supervision is determined based on the academic specialization of the prospective thesis advisor.

The selection of thesis advisors is conducted through a supervisory assignment meeting organized by the Master Program in Architecture Study Program, led by the coordinator of the Pre-Thesis course or the program management team. The determination of advisors is based on the abstract of the research proposal submitted by the student, which becomes the primary reference for assigning advisors. Advisor selection is carried out with consideration of:

  1. The advisor recommendations proposed by the student.
  2. The alignment between the topic and research substance with the advisor’s expertise and specialization.
  3. The supervisory workload of each prospective advisor both within and outside the Study Program. A thesis advisor and the Pre-Thesis reviewer/examiner then form one team that accompanies the student until the final thesis examination. Furthermore, the maximum number of students that one lecturer may supervise as a main advisor in the Master Program in Architecture Study Program is three students per year, and the same limit applies for co-advisors.
  4. The total number of students supervised by each lecturer. This is to intensify supervision and maintain thesis quality from the beginning of the research process, while also ensuring the equitable distribution of supervisory loads among lecturers.

In addition to the four aspects above, supervision assignment also considers the alignment between the student’s research topic and the research agenda of each lecturer. Some community service projects or projects from related institutions carried out by lecturers may also be utilized by students to explore academically or according to their interest.

During the thesis preparation process, students are required to attend the Research Results Seminar, held approximately two months before the semester ends, depending on their readiness. The requirements for taking the thesis examination are:

  1. The research report has been declared eligible for examination by the thesis advisor.
  2. The student has obtained an Academic Potential Test (TPA) certificate from an official institution such as Bappenas or PAPS UGM, with a minimum score of 450.
  3. The student has obtained an English proficiency certificate from the Language Training Center, Universitas Gadjah Mada, or has a minimum TOEFL score of 400 (AcEPT minimum 163), either institutional or international.
  4. The student has completed 32 non-Thesis credits.
  5. The student has produced a scientific publication. The publication requirement for the Master of Architecture Program (by course) is a scientific publication in a national or international journal or a presentation in a national or international seminar. The publication requirement for the Master of Architecture by Research is two international seminars or one reputable international journal, proven by an LoA.
  6. The thesis manuscript has undergone a similarity check (Turnitin) with a similarity level not exceeding 15%.
  7. The thesis manuscript is free from plagiarism. If plagiarism is detected in the thesis, the student will receive academic and/or legal sanctions in accordance with applicable regulations.

A student will be examined by an examination team consisting of three examiners appointed by the Program Chair and the Special Committee of the Master Program in Architecture Study Program. The composition of the Examination Team consists of:

  1. The Main Advisor, serving as Chair of the Examination Team.
  2. Two lecturers serving as Members of the Examination Team.

Thesis assessment consists of two categories: manuscript and presentation. The manuscript category includes mastery of material, methodology, writing structure, and language. The presentation category includes mastery of material, methodology, clarity of delivered content, and academic presentation ethics.

The final grade is determined based on a summary of the scores from the two categories above. The examination result is determined through a deliberation meeting of the Examination Team immediately after the examination. The meeting is led by the Chair of the Examination Team, and the result is announced orally to the student immediately after the meeting. Examination grades are categorized as follows:

  1. A grade below C: declared failed, and the student must repeat the research and write a new report.
  2. Grade C: declared passed. The student is given up to 2 months to revise the report, based on comments and suggestions from the examination, under the supervision of the Thesis Advisor. If the revision is deemed satisfactory, the thesis grade may be improved to a maximum of B.
  3. Grade B: declared passed. The student is given up to 2 months to revise the report, based on comments and suggestions from the examination, under the supervision of the Thesis Advisor. If the revision is deemed satisfactory, the thesis grade may be improved to a maximum of A.
  4. Grade A: declared passed without revision.

Theses of students in the Master Program in Architecture Study Program can be accessed through the UGM Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) system.