Master’s thesis assessment form

For the assessment of the master’s thesis, a thesis assessment form has been created. This assessment form is only for the legal master’s degree programmes (Law, Tax Law, Notarial Law, and Child law) and can be found online. There are separate forms for Criminology, Law and Society, and the bachelor’s theses.

The assessment form is a tool for the thesis supervisor and the second reader in determining the final grade of the master’s thesis. Moreover, it ensures that all parties know how the grade came to be. For every master’s thesis, there should be completed thesis assessment forms from both the thesis supervisor and the second reader, and a final grade approved by the assessors. In addition, the digital plagiarism check through Turnitin is also completed via the thesis evaluation form.

Master's thesis assessment form

How does digitally grading work?

The master’s thesis is assessed on six aspects: the research question; the structure of the argumentation; the quality of the argumentation; the use of relevant literature; the use of language, design and presentation of the thesis; and the student’s work and learning attitude during the writing process (the final aspect can only be determined by the thesis supervisor). For each aspect, the form describes the requirements it must meet to be graded a 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10. Based on those descriptions, the thesis supervisor (or second reader) selects a grade that they believe is most fitting. They can give comments and explain their reason for each aspect. Finally, they will give their final grade. They also decide how each of the aforementioned aspects is weighed and they may also provide additional explanation for this.

For the second reader, this is a ‘range’ (7-8 etc.) because they were not involved in the thesis writing process.

There are separate versions for the thesis supervisor and the second reader. It does not matter who fills in their form first. This person will need to fill in the details from the thesis (student, programme, title of the thesis etc.) and upload the thesis in PDF format for plagiarism control and archiving purposes. The secretary can also do this. The assessor(s) will then receive an email requesting them to complete the form. The thesis supervisor determines the final grade and the second reader gives their accord. In case the thesis supervisor and the second reader reach a different final verdict, they should mutually agree on a final grade. If they cannot reach an agreement, a third reader has to be consulted.

When the assessment is completed, all parties will receive the forms in PDF format. From 23/24, these will also be sent to the OIC by way of a mark sheet. For the time being, the thesis supervisor should still send the thesis grade through a mark sheet.

In case you have any questions or run into problems, we have prepared a detailed manual for you to consult. If you have any questions regarding the (use of the) thesis assessment form, please get in touch with LTC@law.leidenuniv.nl.

User's Guide Master's thesis form