1. Structure
The thesis must have a title, a preface, a table of contents, a list of references, page numbers and chapter numbers. It should also contain a summary or abstract of 1-3 pages.
The front page of the master's thesis must include:
- Title of the thesis
- Name of student
- Name of the master’s programme
- Department of Economics
- University of Oslo
- Submitted: month and year
The library and The University Graphic Centre have templates you can use for your front page.
The preface following after the front page should give the names of the supervisor(s) and any other acknowledgement. If the thesis has been supported by paid employment or is part of a larger project, the institutional affiliation and financial sources should be mentioned
The summary or abstract should describe the problem, methods and main results of the thesis. The summary may appear as the introductional chapter. The introduction should give information about the kind of software used for calculations
Data sets should be annexed, if possible and practical
2. Layout
The recommended layout is to use a margin of 2.5 cm, line spacing of 1.5 and a 12-point font. The library has resources on how to format your thesis.
The recommended length of the thesis is 40-60 pages, including references, tables and figures. However, the grade depends on the substantial content of the thesis, and not the number of pages. Thus, a shorter thesis can be fine if the exposition is concise and the substantial content is sufficient. The thesis can also be longer if more space is required for documentation of relevant empirical and/or analytical results
The page numbering should start at the first text page. Accordingly the front page, the preface and the table of contents will not have page numbers. Any annex or appendix should be placed after the list of references
Tables and figures should be numbered. Tables should have headings to explain the contents, possibly supplemented by footnotes, the same rule holds for figures
3. References
You must choose one reference style and use it consistently throughout the thesis