Dissertation
| Keywords |
| Classification |
Keyword |
| OFICIAL |
Psychology |
Instance: 2025/2026 - A
Cycles of Study/Courses
Teaching Staff - Responsibilities
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
This course aims to to develop an individual original, empirical or theoretical research project, involving field and/or theoretical work, in a in a specific domain of Psychology, more specifically:
1- How to develop a guided independent research on a specific Psychology topic
2- How to develop a written dissertation of the research developed
Learning outcomes and competences
At the end of the 2 semesters the students should be able to:
1- To make appropriate use of adequate research techniques in a specific domain of Psychology research
2- To interpret accurately the research data
3- To apply ethical standards during the project's development
4- To evaluate the work developed
5- To write a dissertation in an appropriate scientific written form.
6- To clearly present and discuss the conclusions of the research project, as well the knowledge and arguments that support them
Working method
Presencial
Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)
To have been approved in the UCs of Seminar I, Seminar II, Orientation Seminar and Research Seminar.
Program
The contents are variable according to the theme of the dissertation, in the field of Psychology and depending on the link to the thematic areas of the MTP which, in 2025-2026, are the following: Neurocognition and Language; Social Psychology; Developmental Psychology and Child Education (Inclusive Education and Early Intervention); and Psychology of Catastrophe and Trauma.
In the area of scientific writing, the contents focus on the APA standards and the styles of scientific writing related to the research paradigms. Whenever feasible, efforts are made to address major themes/social concerns and their relation to the SDGs.
Mandatory literature
John D. Cone, Sharon L. Foster ; LinkDissertations and theses from start to finish : psychology and related fields , American Psychological Association , 2006. ISBN: 978-1-59147-362-6
Teaching methods and learning activities
Tutorial supervision with the supervisor: follow-up of the development of the research, sustaining and monitoring decisions, time management, literature review, theoretical construction, conducting the research and its writing.
Autonomous work: research, reading, systematization and writing; data collection and analysis; writing of the dissertation and its presentation and public oral discussion.
Evaluation Type
Distributed evaluation with final exam
Assessment Components
| designation |
Weight (%) |
| Defesa pública de dissertação, de relatório de projeto ou estágio, ou de tese |
10,00 |
| Trabalho de campo |
20,00 |
| Trabalho escrito |
60,00 |
| Trabalho laboratorial |
10,00 |
| Total: |
100,00 |
Amount of time allocated to each course unit
| designation |
Time (hours) |
| Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese |
424,00 |
| Frequência das aulas |
120,00 |
| Trabalho de campo |
90,00 |
| Trabalho de investigação |
500,00 |
| Total: |
1134,00 |
Eligibility for exams
Active involvement of the student in all supervision meetings.
Submission of the written dissertation on the scheduled date and conforming to the regulations of MTP (detailed information can be found at the webpage of FPCEUP).
Public discussion of the dissertation (detailed information can be found at the webpage of FPCEUP).
Calculation formula of final grade
The Master degree has a final classification expressed on a scale ranging between 10-20, as well as its equivalent in the European scale of comparability of classifications.
The final classification of the dissertation is assigned in the public discussion.
The calculation of the final grade of the Master degree is calculated by the average, weighted by ECTS credits of the marks obtained in the course units that constitute the syllabus and the public defense of the dissertation.
A qualitative definition will also be attributed to the Master degree.
Classification improvement
Not applicable.
Observations
Recommended literature according to the topic of the dissertation.