The Master’s programme coordination will be responsible for managing the topic proposals submitted by students and for assigning the corresponding supervisors.

The supervision of the Master’s Dissertation (TFM) by the supervisor will be conducted through regular meetings, either in person and/or online, whose purpose will be to guide students in defining their topic and to monitor the progress of their work.

During the first tutorial meeting, the proposed topic of the dissertation will be agreed upon, the conditions of supervision will be established, and a timetable for tasks and submissions will be set.

Throughout the process, a minimum of three compulsory follow-up tutorial meetings, in addition to the initial one, will be held to review the progress of the work. Students will be required to sign the corresponding supervision record. The supervisor may schedule additional tutorials, which will be agreed in advance.

Students must submit materials or work progress at least one week prior to the scheduled tutorial meeting. Failure to comply with this requirement, or the submission of materials that do not meet the required minimum academic standards, may result in the tutorial not being considered as completed.

Prior to the final submission of the dissertation, students must provide the supervisor with the complete final draft at least 20 days before the official submission deadline, in order to allow for a full review and the incorporation of any necessary corrections and revisions.

The monitoring of the dissertation involves both attendance at tutorial meetings and compliance with the agreed tasks and submissions within the established deadlines.

The detailed timetable, including the content of the different sessions, will be presented on the first day of the course and will also be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find teaching materials deemed appropriate by the teaching staff, as well as all the information necessary for the proper completion of the course. In the event of a change in the teaching modality due to force majeure, in accordance with the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any changes to the course schedule and teaching methods.

The specific requirements of the dissertation (structure, length and formal aspects) can be consulted on the website of the Faculty of Communication Sciences.

Note: The content of the course will take into account gender perspective considerations and the use of inclusive language.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Evaluation of the Master's Thesis

The examining panel will award 70% of the final mark. The student’s supervisor will prepare an assessment report authorising the defence and will award the remaining 30% of the final mark.

The assessment of the Master’s Dissertation (TFM) is based on the following elements:

1. Supervisor’s report (rubric) (30% of the final mark)
2. This report assesses both the dissertation as a whole (use of theoretical frameworks, methodology, practical proposal, formal aspects, etc.) and the student’s engagement in the supervision process.
3. Examining panel report (rubric), composed of two members holding a doctoral degree (70% of the final mark)
4. This report assesses both the dissertation as a whole (use of theoretical frameworks, methodology, practical proposal, formal aspects, etc.) and the oral presentation delivered during the defence of the dissertation.

The rubric documents are public and can be consulted on the website of the Faculty of Communication Sciences.

Not assessed (“Not assessed” status)

The Master’s Dissertation will be awarded a “Not assessed” classification if any of the following three circumstances apply, as it is considered that the student has not provided sufficient evidence for assessment (Art. 266.9 of the UAB Academic Regulations):

• The supervisor considers that the work does not meet the minimum requirements to be presented and assessed.
• The student does not satisfactorily complete the three compulsory tutorials and does not have the supervisor’s approval.
• The student does not submit the dissertation by the deadline established in the faculty’s academic calendar.

This course/module does not provide for a single-assessment system.

Resit (retake)

According to Article 261 of the UAB Academic Regulations, the Master’s Dissertation is not eligible for resit.

Plagiarism

Should a student commit any irregularity that could lead to a significant change in the mark for an assessment, that assessment will be marked as 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. Should several irregularities occur in the assessment tasks for the same module, the final mark for that module will be 0.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as literature or information searches, text proofreading or translation, the generation of images/illustrations or graphics, and/or as support in the use of data processing software.

Students must clearly identify any parts generated using these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools have influenced both the process and the final outcome of the work.

Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in partial or total penalties to the mark, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.

Academic misconduct

Any irregularity in an assessment activity (academic fraud, plagiarism or improper use of AI, unless explicitly authorised in the course guide) that may lead to a significant alteration of the mark will result in the activity being graded 0.

If the course guide establishes that obtaining a minimum mark in this assessment activity is a requirement for passing the course, or if multiple irregularities occur within the same course, the final mark for the course will be 0.

In addition, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against the student.

Any student suspected of having submitted work generated by AI, produced by others, or copied; including AI-generated content without proper citation; or exceeding the permitted uses, may be required to provide preparatory work or other materials demonstrating that the work is original and of their own authorship. They may also be asked to explain or justify their work separately.

Teaching staff may also use AI detection systems or carry out any verification procedures they consider appropriate. If, following these checks, irregularities are confirmed, the work may be graded 0 and the student may be subject to further disciplinary measures.