Master 2026/2027

Mentor's Seminar

Type: Compulsory course (Data Analytics and Social Statistics)

When: 2 year, 1-3 module

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Nataliya Matveeva

Language: English

ECTS credits: 2

Contact hours: 8

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The seminar is aimed at facilitating the planning by undergraduates of their own educational and scientific trajectories and their implementation, as well as correction, if necessary. This goal is achieved through individual meetings of undergraduates with an academic mentor, meetings within small teams and within the entire academic group. The agenda of meetings is formed in advance by both the mentor and undergraduates, after which the mentor chooses the format for the implementation of the agenda.

Learning Objectives

• To support undergraduates in designing their own educational and scientific trajectory — setting academic and research goals, identifying priorities, and mapping the resources and steps needed to achieve them.
• To accompany students in the implementation of their planned trajectory through individual mentoring meetings and work in small teams and the academic group, providing guidance and feedback along the way.
• To develop students' capacity for self-reflection and self-assessment, enabling them to monitor their progress and adjust their educational and scientific trajectory when necessary.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Understanding the possibilities of the educational program, choosing a priority training track
• Understanding your interest and choosing the project topic, problematization of the topic
• Mastering the skills of research and academic work
• The ability to build a research project in the context of an educational program
• Planning the development of analytical skills
• Reflection on possible problems and difficulties

Course Contents

• The structure of Master thesis’ and the topic selection
• Research Proposal Overview
• Mastering the skills of research and academic work.
• Master's Thesis: Discussion and Presentation

Assessment Elements

• Master thesis presentation
  The presentation of your MT study
• Mater thesis proposal
  The research proposal should include a short description of the following parts: Topic of Research, Research Problem (incl. shortcomings in the Literature) , Goal of the Study, Research Tasks, Object and Subject, Hypotheses, Data and Methods, Expected Results
• Term paper presentation
• Term paper proposal

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 4th module
  0.5 * Term paper presentation + 0.5 * Term paper proposal
• 2026/2027 3rd module
  0.5 * Master thesis presentation + 0.5 * Mater thesis proposal

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Attewell, P. A., & Monaghan, D. B. (2015). Data Mining for the Social Sciences : An Introduction (Vol. First edition). Oakland, California: University of California Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=967323

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Chu, W. W. (2013). Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery for Big Data : Methodologies, Challenge and Opportunities. Heidelberg: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=643546

Authors

• SHCHEGLOVA TAMARA EVGENEVNA
• PAVLOVA IRINA ANATOLEVNA
• MATVEEVA NATALIYA NIKOLAEVNA