Leiden University · Faculty of Humanities

Thesis Supervision

Resources and guidance for thesis students supervised by Dr. Steven Denney

BAIS — International Studies

BA

The BA thesis in International Studies is a 10,000-word research paper representing the capstone of your undergraduate studies. The thesis should demonstrate your ability to formulate a research question, engage with relevant scholarship from a global or comparative perspective, and apply appropriate methods to produce original academic work.

The content below is adapted from the BAIS thesis seminar guidelines and grading rubric for students. Always confirm details with your supervisor and check Brightspace for the most current information.

Download: BAIS Thesis Guidelines (PDF)

Key Requirements

Requirement Details
Word count 10,000 words (±10%), excluding bibliography and notes
Citation style Chicago — supervisor determines whether Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date
Language English
Global perspective The thesis must either (a) place a regionally defined topic in a global context, or (b) analyze the topic from at least two disciplinary perspectives
Final deadline June 23, 2026

Key Deadlines (2025–2026, Semester 2)

Milestone Deadline
Research question and plan Week 9
Literature review Week 12
Thesis draft Week 18
Final thesis June 23, 2026

All deadlines are Friday at 23:59. Deadlines are coordinated across seminars and cannot be moved. Always confirm exact dates with your supervisor and check Brightspace.

Knockout Criteria

Your thesis must meet all of the following minimum standards to receive a passing grade. Failure on any single criterion cannot be compensated by strong performance on others.

The thesis:

  1. Contains a clear academic research question
  2. Is situated within a relevant academic debate
  3. Either (a) places the analysis of a regionally defined topic in a global perspective, or (b) analyzes the topic from at least two different disciplinary perspectives
  4. Accounts for the chosen research method(s) and materials
  5. Is based on a sufficiently large body of independently collected scholarly literature and/or sources (10–20, depending on whether books and/or articles are discussed)
  6. Contains a well-structured and consistent argument
  7. Is written in correct English
  8. Produces a scholarly argument and analysis
  9. Counts 10,000 words (±10%), excluding bibliography and notes

Grading Rubric

Your thesis is graded on an unweighted average of four criteria. Marks of 9–10 should only be given in truly exceptional cases — when a student has produced near-publishable work.

Knowledge and Insight

Satisfactory (6):

  • Shows a general understanding of the relevant literature
  • Provides a reasonably clear research question
  • Situates the research question in a relevant and reasonably clear theoretical framework

Good (7):

  • Shows a clear and succinct understanding of the relevant literature and demonstrates gaps therein
  • Provides a clear and academically topical research question
  • Situates the research question in a clear and appropriate theoretical framework

Very good (8):

  • Demonstrates a full and insightful understanding of the relevant literature, the gaps therein, and the connections between schools of academic knowledge
  • Provides a clear, academically topical, and verifiable research question
  • Situates the research question in a clear, appropriate, well-organized, and properly understood theoretical framework

Application of Knowledge

Satisfactory (6):

  • Outlines an understandable methodology and describes how data was collected and why
  • Describes the main findings in a coherent fashion based on the data provided
  • Organizes body chapters around the data collected in a general way that connects to the research question

Good (7):

  • Details a clear and sound methodology and justifiably describes how data was collected and why
  • Describes the main findings on the basis of the data and in line with the methodology
  • Organizes the body chapters clearly around the data, building upon the research question

Very good (8):

  • Provides a clear, sound, and academically-grounded methodology and describes not only how data was collected, but how this is analytically important
  • Describes the main findings in a clear and convincing manner, on the basis of the research question and methodology
  • Organizes the body chapters in a soundly structured fashion around the data and research question to lead the reader to the conclusions drawn

Reaching Conclusions

Satisfactory (6):

  • Clearly states its arguments
  • Bases its arguments on the data presented in the body chapters
  • Links its arguments to the literature review and makes a case for academic and/or societal relevance

Good (7):

  • States its arguments clearly, succinctly, and convincingly
  • Clearly bases its arguments on the data presented in the body chapters and the theoretical framework
  • Connects the arguments to the literature reviewed and argues effectively for academic and/or societal relevance

Very good (8):

  • States its arguments clearly, forcefully, and convincingly
  • Effectively bases its arguments on the data and theoretical framework in a sophisticated manner
  • Convincingly connects the arguments to the current academic literature, scientific debate, and/or broader social situation

Communication

Satisfactory (6): Written in reasonably clear academic English and free of endemic grammatical or spelling errors that hinder understanding. Bibliography, citations, and/or footnotes formatted correctly with only minor errors.

Good (7): Written in clear academic English and free of notable grammatical or spelling errors. Bibliography, citations, and/or footnotes formatted correctly.

Very good (8): Written in clear and lucid academic English; free of any serious grammatical or spelling errors. Bibliography and all citations and/or footnotes well formatted.

To qualify as excellent (9) or exceptional (10) for any criterion, the thesis must represent near-publishable content and go far above and beyond the descriptions above.

See Assessment Standards for grade descriptors and the full assessment framework.

Assignments

Submission of the following assignments is a prerequisite for submitting the final thesis:

Assignment Approximate length
Thesis proposal (research question and plan) 1,200–1,500 words
Literature review ~2,500 words
Thesis draft Minimum: literature review + one full chapter

Assignments are your primary opportunity to receive feedback. The more effort you invest, the more you will benefit. Each assignment will be discussed individually with your supervisor shortly after submission.

Submission

To submit your final thesis:

  1. Upload via Brightspace or email directly to your supervisor (confirm their preference)
  2. Email the file to bathesis@hum.leidenuniv.nl on the same day (or include this address as CC in the email to your supervisor)

After receiving a passing grade:

  1. Upload the final version to the Student Thesis Repository (tab “Submit”) — this is required for graduation

Late Submission and Resubmission

Late submission:

  • Theses submitted within 5 working days of the deadline will be graded, but the grade may be lowered at the supervisor’s discretion
  • Theses submitted after 5 working days but within 10 working days will count as a resubmission with a consequential lowering of the grade; if the thesis fails, there is no option for a revised version

Resubmission after a failing grade:

  • Students who receive a failing grade (5.0 or lower) may submit a revised version
  • The deadline for resubmission is 10 working days after receiving the grade and feedback
  • The revised thesis is assessed by the same two readers
  • An appropriate grade deduction will be made for the resubmission process
  • Students who fail the resubmitted thesis must take another seminar in the next semester