Question: Is each MT advised by a member of the Department?
Answer: Yes. Each student must have an advisor of the Department who determines the topic and the contents of the work. It is also possible to have two advisors, especially when the topic of the work is multidisciplinary (for example, if it covers topics in both Geometry and Analysis). Work with the advisor (or advisors) is typically done through weekly meetings throughout the year, in addition to the student’s individual work.
Q: When should I look for an advisor and when should I start working on my MT?
A: Each student who wants to finish the master's degree in a year should contact a Department professor at the beginning of the first semester and find an advisor before the beginning of November. The MT is an annual subject and, therefore, it is necessary to begin to compile the bibliography and do some preliminary studies before the end of the first semester.
Q: Can an MT be supervised by a person from another institution (CSIC, another university in Madrid or from elsewhere)?
A: Yes, but in this case it is necessary that the work be supervised or endorsed by a member of the Department who will act as tutor. The report on the MT has to be signed by both the advisor and the tutor. An MT can also have one supervisor from the Department and another from another institution.
Q: In the case that the MT has at least one advisor from outside the Department, is there any extra paperwork involved?
A: Yes, before starting your work on the MT (for example, during the month of October), you should send a request for external internship to UAM's Office of Internships to show that a part of the work will be done outside of UAM so that appropriate agreements can be signed if necessary. This should be done even if the advisor is a member of an institution that is physically located on the same campus but does not belong to UAM (for example, if the advisor is a member of the ICMAT and is not a member of the Department of Mathematics).
Q: What requirements must my MT fulfil?
A: The basic rules regarding the extension, contents, deadlines, etc. are indicated at the following link. Of course, all the details of the contents should be discussed with the advisor of the work.
Q: In what language should I write the MT?
A: Preferably in Spanish although it is also possible to write it in English. It is important to write it in a language mastered the author.
Q: Can I write the introduction or acknowledgments in another language, different from the rest of the work?
A: Yes.
Q: Should the work be bound?
A: This is highly recommended. The Department has binding tools available.
Q: Are there any additional format requirements?
A: It is essential that the cover indicate all relevant data: the author, the title, the advisors, the month and year of the presentation and also that it is an MT presented at UAM.
Q: Once the MT has been written and handed in, can I change or correct errors and errata?
A: Significant changes are not allowed, but an erratum (up to two pages to be attached to the work) can be submitted as a supplement.
Q: Can the University publish my work or make it available in a public portal?
A: No, unless you authorize it in writing. There are pertinent forms in the Department's Secretary’s Office.
Q: In what language should I present orally my MT?
A: Always in Spanish, except for the students from other countries who are more fluent in English.
Q: Is the oral presentation public?
A: Yes, although it is very similar to an exam. The public does not intervene in it. The session is conducted by the chair of the Academic Committee. Each candidate has 15 minutes to make the oral presentation (typically with a computer projector, using a Beamer or Power Point) and then the committee can ask questions for up to 5 minutes.
Q: Who forms part of the academic committee in each presentation?
A: The members of the Master’s Committee (all or only some), sometimes assisted by other professors who are specialists in certain areas, except for MT of the joint Master's degree with the Polytechnic School that follows other rules.
Q: How many periods during the year are there to defend an MT?
A: There are usually two: one in July and one in September, plus the extraordinary one in February or March, for those who have completed all the courses but have not yet defended the MT.
Q: How is the grade for each MT determined?
A: It is based on the confidential recommendation of the advisors and the quality of the presentation made by the student before the Academic Committee, including the answers to the questions posed.
Q: Will the courses I have studied determine my final specialty to be specified in my Master’s Diploma?
A: Yes, but this will essentially be determined by the courses taken in the second semester and the MT. To obtain the Master's degree with specialty in Applications, it is necessary to study a minimum of two courses from the list of five applied courses in the second semester and prepare an MT of applied character. Similarly, to obtain the Master's degree with specialty in Introduction to Research, it is necessary to take at least two courses from the list of five advanced research courses and to write an MT of the same type.
Q: How can I determine if I am doing an applied MT or an MT of initiation to research?
A: The nature of the MT will be determined by the advisor of the MT (who, if necessary, may indicate this in his/her report to the Master Academic Committee before the defense of the work). For example, in the area of Statistics it is possible to carry out both an applied work and an introduction to research, and similarly in other areas.
Q: Can you do internships in companies during the master?
A: The master does not explicitly contemplate the internships in companies although it allows them. In general, they do not count for credits.
Q: Can the MT work be done in a company?
A: A part of the MT can be developed in a company. However, it is necessary to have a tutor in the Department who will approve of the content of the work and supervise it, in addition to the supervisor in the company.