For the host organization
For degree project host organizations (principals) at CSC
Here you will find information if you are working within a business or organisation and believe you have a task that could be suitable for a degree project assignment.
The degree project is the "icing on the [academic] cake" in which the student tackles a relatively large topic, implementing the knowledge they have gained from various courses.
All KTH degree projects are examined by a school or department – in this instance the School of Computer Science and Communication, CSC. However, for the majority of degree projects examined by CSC, the projects themselves are carried out with an external principal. This can be a large or small company, an organisation, a university department or a government authority. The principal may be active in the Stockholm area, elsewhere in Sweden or abroad.
Why participate in a degree project?
There are many advantages to participating in a degree project. You get:
- a person with fresh knowledge within the field they will work in
- a person with fresh eyes
- the chance to work with a person you may later wish to employ
- the chance to get something done – something that perhaps your existing personnel can't do alone
- the chance to test an idea relatively inexpensively
- a natural contact with the University
What is a suitable degree project?
The degree project deals with an interesting topic within the subject field. Those who will become engineers work with individual degree projects worth 30 credits (= 20 weeks of full-time studies). In these projects, the main focus of the work is on the investigation and analysis of the topic. Solving the problem is to be interesting, not just for the principal but also for a wider audience. Routine work such as program coding may not dominate the degree project, rather it should form a small part of it.
A degree project rarely or never results in a finished product. However, the student examines how a problem could be solved and conducts a few preliminary tests of the suggested solution.
Degree project assignments vary in character; some are heavily theory based, whilst others are purely practical and/or experiment based. Some assignments are aimed at refining well-known methods/algorithm/technology, whereas others aim to develop new methods or new technology.
Degree project assignments must be on a limited scale, so they can be completed within 20 weeks.
Examining lists of completed reports can provide an insight into suitable degree project assignments. Note that due to Swedish law all degree project reports are public, and will be published online by KTH. Partial or complete secrecy for reports can not be arranged.
Advertise degree project assignments
It is the student's responsibility to find an assignment for their degree project. Hence, many students contact potential principals to see if there are any suitable degree project assignments available.
A principal may advertise possible degree project assignments via their own website, the KTH Exjobb portal, career days and similar, or via student networks.
Degree project agreement
CSC, the student and the host organization often sign a Master's thesis agreement. In addition to this agreement, the student and the principal normally sign further agreements regulating intellectual property rights, non-disclosure of sensitive business information, financial remuneration, etc.
The degree project assignment is only one part of the final degree project
The degree project is intended to provide training in systematic and academic working methods. The degree project therefore includes studies of subject literature and the writing of a report that meets fundamental requirements for an academic report. Additionally, the degree project includes attendance at seminars, a public discussion and examination and an oral presentation at CSC. This means the actual assignment only forms a part of the final degree project.
It is important to encourage the student to write the report during the project period and to complete the report immediately after work with the actual task is complete. The longer the report writing is postponed, the more difficult it is to complete.