Final Assignment(Paper)

Pre-requisites: All five exams passed at masters level, accepted masters thesis application.

Course objectives: Confirm students ability to complete independent scientific work; including formulating scientifically and socially relevant problems for study, becoming acquainted with relevant sources of literature on the topic, applying appropriate methodology and presenting one's findings.

Course description: The final paper will be an independently conducted paper with no less than 115,000 and no more than 165,000 characters(with spaces). The final masters assignment should contain the following:theoretical-hypothetical component, in which the student will expound upon existing literature on the problem being researched, including hypotheses he/she wishes to substantiate; analytical component, in which the student will, on the basis of material(theoretical, historical and empirical) evidence, critically examine current hypotheses; and conclusion, in which the student will prove or refute hypotheses and the student's will connect his/her findings to earlier works on the subject. The final assignment must have a complete list of cited and relevant works after the conclusion. At the final assignment defense, the student should be able to defend his/her conclusions during critical examination by committee members.

Learning Outcomes: For the final master's assignment, students are expected to demonstrate mastered knowledge of theoretical-conceptual sociological frameworks, application of methods of analyzing data, presenting data, findings and conclusions. Student's findings and research are expected to be at a level that contributes to the scientific body of knowledge on the subject.