The course is the first of a sequence of three courses dedicated to the development of the thesis project. As the first one, this course will introduce and discuss the key steps in the development of a thesis project and guide students through the process of framing the thesis topic and constructing their thesis proposal. The course is delivered in a pro-seminar format, with student presentations and discussions as its primary forms of engagement.

These presentations and discussions are intended to help each student clarify the foundations of their research and establish a methodology. Although, the course is structured to support the development of individual thesis proposal, it is designed to take advantage of collective discussions. Hence, there will be a balance between individual feedback and broad discussion that focuses strategies as well as essential foundational knowledge and approaches.

The course is divided in two parts. In the first one, students will learn key elements of research as a systematic and generalizable knowledge through readings, case studies analysis, and a literature review. In the second week, students will apply what they have learned to draft their thesis proposal. Simply put, the thesis proposal is a document addressing what you want to research, how, why, and to whom. It needs to be projective and address the thesis topic and object with clarity. The final submission for this course will be a thesis proposal to be submitted to potential advisors.