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Master's Degree Dissertation

Code: 44457
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Legal and Forensic Psychology OB 0

Contact lecturer

Name :
Rocío Pina Ríos
Email :
rocio.pina@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Elena Garrido Gaitán

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There are no previous requirements for the registration of the Master's Thesis, but it is recommended to enroll in parallel with the other modules in order to start the process of allocating places during the first semester of the course (when the student will be helped in the selection of the subject, will attend face-to-face sessions, as well as tutorials, that can be of interest for the beginning of their work). During this first period, a tutor will be allocated, and the contents and timing of the supervision will be defined for the delivery and final defense of the project, to be completed in the second semester of the course.

Objectives

The Master's Thesis main objective is to confront the student with a practical case of research, assessment and/or intervention that is related to the activities developed in the external internship module or to the lines of research of the teaching staff, or of the master's degree.


Upon completion of the Master's Thesis, students are expected to be able to:


  • Pose a problem or identify a need in the field of forensic and/or legal psychology.
  • Collect and analyze relevant information on the state of the art in relation to the topic of interest.
  • Design and develop a series of objectives and actions that respond to the identified problem or opportunity.
  • Communicate the relevance of the problem or opportunity, as well as the relevance and viability of the solution or response developed. The expected products of the MP include a written report with the design and development of the project, and a brief oral presentation of the project and its results.

Learning outcomes

  1. Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
  2. That students have the learning skills that enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.
  3. Organise and plan activities in order to achieve professional goals.
  4. That the students can apply their knowledge and their ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
  5. Use quality criteria to critically analyse and evaluate the work done.
  6. Adapt the techniques and methodologies to be used in the preparation and defence of judicial reports.

Contents

The Master's Thesis will be carried out in parallel with the development of the other courses that make up the Master’s Degree in Legal and Forensic Psychology. Firstly, the allocation process will be conducted by the coordinating committee, which will take into account both the proposals submitted by the students and the research lines offered by the faculty. Once the topic and supervising faculty member have been defined, the period for the development and supervision of the Master’s Thesis will begin. The Master's Thesis will primarily have a professionalizing character and must be developed through the preparation of a research work that follows the guidelines of a scientific article, complying with general content and structural standards. If a report is submitted in a different format, prior approval must be obtained from the supervisor and the Master's Thesis coordination team, and it must be assessed using the available rubrics.


The completed Master's Thesis may fall under one of the following three categories:


  • Professionalizing: development of a practical case involving assessment or intervention within the field in which the external internships were carried out. This category also includes projects aimed at developing a new evaluation instrument or method, a new intervention modality or system, the improvement of a process, a program, a tutorial, or any other tangible output with direct applicability to legal and/or forensic psychology.
  • Empirical research: a research project addressing a relevant research question based on specific objectives. This category involves a data collection design, fieldwork, as well as statistical analysis and evaluation of results.
  • Theoretical research: a systematic review addressing a relevant research question, with the aim of evaluating an existing project, program, or methodology, or providing a critical reflection on specific topics of interest to identify issues, assess the current state of the field, or establish guidelines for practice in different areas of professional activity. The systematic review must report on the current state of research on a topic, using systematic and explicit procedures for identifying, selecting, and critically appraising relevant studies, in order to identify relationships, contradictions, gaps, or inconsistencies in the scientific literature and to suggest new lines of research to address the issues raised.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
MP Development 142 5.68 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Mentoring with the academic tutor 6 0.24 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Presentation 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The Master's Thesis is characterized by:


  1. Having an eminently autonomous nature. Of the 6 ECTS credits (150 hours) contemplated for this module, 142 hours correspond to autonomous work.
  2. The teaching of the Master's Thesis is not directed and is based on the tutorial action. During this supervision period, the tutor will monitor the work with the aim of clarifying the typology, offering models or reference frameworks, guiding the process, and offering the corresponding feedback. Each tutor may establish the monitoring relationship that they consider most appropriate by mutual agreement with the student. During the follow-up of the tutorial action, respect in the communications and punctuality are expected. It is also important not to put the responsibility of the work on the tutor (it is not the responsibility of the tutor to lead the project).
  3. Additionally, during the course presentation session, the subject will be introduced, along with its operation and the characteristics of the tutor assignment process, as well as the process for the preparation and evaluation of the Master's Thesis.
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.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
EV5: Executive summary 15% 0 0 1, 4, 5, 6
EV2: Evaluative report learning process (I) 7.5% 0 0 2, 3, 4
EV4: Evaluative report learning process (I) 7.5% 0 0 2, 3, 4
EV1: Initial summary 15% 0 0 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
EV3: Final report 30% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
EV6: Oral defense 30% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The assessment system for the Master’s Thesis considers both the process and the results achieved (initial summary, final report, executive summary, and public defense). Below is the essential information regarding the learning assessment tasks:


Numbering and title Authorship Weight Submission format Submission method Timeline
EV1: Initial summary i Individual 15% written online Week 11 (1st semester)
EV2: Reflective report on the learning process (I) individual 7.5% written / oral online / fase-to-face Week 1 (2nd semester)
EV3: Final report individual 30% written online Week 17 (2nd semester)
EV4: Reflective report on the learning process (II) individual 7.5% written / oral online / fase-to-face Week 17 (2nd semester)
EV5: Executive summary individual 15% written online Week 17 (2nd semester)
EV6: Oral defense individual 30% oral fase-to-face Week 19 (2nd semester)


Regarding feedback on the learning assessment tasks described:


Numbering and title Typeo f feedback Week
EV1: Initial summary Digital tool / Tutorial session Week 13 (1st semester) – assessed by the supervisor
EV2: Reflective report on the learning process (I) Digital tool / Tutorial session Week 3 (2on semester) – assessed by the supervisor
EV3: Final report Digital tool Week 19 (2nd semester) – assessed by the supervisor
EV4: Reflective report on the learning process (II) Digital tool Week 19 (2nd semester) – assessed by the supervisor
EV5: Executive summary Digital tool Week 19 (2nd semester) – assessed by a panel composed of two members other than the supervisor
EV6: Oral defense Digital tool Week 19 (2nd semester) – assessed by a panel composed of two members other than the supervisor



Passing criteria:


Minimum performance thresholds will be established for students to pass the subject (minimum grade: 5.0). Students who, by the end of the course, have not submitted at least 40% of the assessment tasks will receive a grade of NOT ASSESSED. Once this 40% threshold has been met, a grade other than NOT ASSESSED will be awarded.


For the subject to be passed through continuous assessment (on a 0–10 scale), students must obtain:


  • A minimum overall grade of 4.85 out of 10.
  • A grade of 4.0 out of 10 or higher in each assessment task.
  • If these requirements are not met, the maximum grade that can be recorded will be 4.5 out of 10.


Continuous assessment grades will be expressed with one decimal place. Rounding up to the next whole number will be applied when this rounding results in a qualitative grade change and the value is within one tenth. Examples: PASS: 4.85 (4.9 = 5.0) / GOOD: 6.85 (6.9 = 7.0) / EXCELLENT: 8.85 (8.9 = 9.0).


This subject does not offer a final synthesis exam for repeat students.


This subject does not include a single-assessment system.


Faculty assessment guidelines: https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html


PROHIBITED USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI): In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted at any stage. Any work that includes AI-generated content will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in partial or total penalties in the activity grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.


If, during continuous assessment, there are indications of copying, plagiarism, or use of AI, the coordination team reserves the right to request that students provide evidence of authorship of the submitted work, either through additional documentation or an oral interview aimed at verifying the correspondence between the submitted content and the student’s knowledge and competencies. If the student does not provide sufficient evidence of authorship or does not attend the oral interview, authorship cannot be verified and, consequently, the work cannot be assessed. If it is not possible to guarantee that the student is the author of the work and that it has been independently completed, the task will be graded as failed.

Bibliography

Main bibliography:

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association.

Appelbaum, M., Cooper, H., Kline, R. B., Mayo-Wilson, E., Nezu, A. M., & Rao, S. M. (2018). Journal article reporting standards for quantitative research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board Task Force report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 3–25. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000389

Selva Olid, C., Pina Ríos, R.(ed) (2025). La ética en la práctica psicológica: Dilemas y retos. Editorial UOC.


Supplementary bibliography:

Hernández-Sampieri, R., & Mendoza Torres, C. P. (2018). Metodología de la investigación: Las rutas cuantitativa, cualitativa y mixta. McGraw-Hill.

Levitt, H. M., Bamberg, M., Creswell, J. W., Frost, D. M., Josselson, R., & Suárez-Orozco, C. (2018). Journal article reporting standards for qualitative primary, qualitative meta-analytic, and mixed methods research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board Task Force report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 26–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000151

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(4), 264–269. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135

Tójar Hurtado, J. C. (2006). Investigación cualitativa: Comprender y actuar. La Muralla

Software

Not required

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TFMm) Treball de fi de màster 1 Catalan/Spanish annual afternoon