Leiden University · Faculty of Humanities

Thesis & Research Supervision

BAIS — International Studies

BA

The BAIS thesis is a 10,000-word research paper that completes your degree. It shows that you can frame a research question and use the relevant scholarship from a global or comparative perspective, with methods that suit the topic.

This page is adapted from the BAIS thesis seminar guidelines and grading rubric for students. Confirm details with your supervisor and check Brightspace for the latest information.

Download: BAIS Thesis Guidelines (PDF)

Your next step: Check the rules below, then write a one-page working plan with your research question, likely sources, method, timeline and questions for your supervisor. The Getting Started Guide and Templates & Checklists help with this. If your project involves data, participants, sensitive material or computational methods, also read the Methods Guide and Ethics.

Key Requirements

Requirement Details
Word count 10,000 words (±10%), excluding bibliography and notes
Citation style Chicago, with the supervisor determining whether Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date applies
Language English
Global perspective A global context or at least two disciplinary perspectives (knockout criterion 3)
Plagiarism and AI Plagiarism and AI-generated thesis text both count as fraud, and all work is checked for both
Final deadline June 4, 2027 (spring seminar) or January 8, 2027 (fall seminar)

Key Deadlines (2026–2027)

This site will be updated as new AY2026-2027 deadlines are published. Dates not yet announced are marked TBD.

Milestone Fall 2026 Spring 2027
Thesis proposal (research question and plan) Week 40 (Oct. 2) Week 8 (Feb. 26)
Literature review Week 44 (Oct. 30) Week 13 (Apr. 2)
Thesis draft Week 49 (Dec. 4) Week 17 (Apr. 30)
Final thesis January 8, 2027 June 4, 2027

Deadlines are always Friday at 23:59. If serious personal circumstances mean you cannot make a deadline, tell your supervisor before it passes. Your supervisor can extend the deadline by up to 5 working days. If you need more time (2–3 weeks at most), talk to your study advisor and apply to the Board of Examiners for an extension.

Knockout Criteria

To pass, your thesis must meet all of these minimum standards. Each is judged on its own, and a fail on one cannot be offset by the 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. Draws on enough independently collected scholarly literature and/or sources (10–20, depending on the mix of books and articles)
  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 grade is the unweighted average of four criteria. A 9 (excellent) or 10 (exceptional) on any criterion is reserved for near-publishable work that goes well beyond the descriptions below. See Assessment Standards for grade descriptors and the full framework.

Knowledge and Insight

Grade Literature Research question Theoretical framework
Satisfactory (6) General understanding Reasonably clear Relevant and reasonably clear
Good (7) Clear, succinct understanding that identifies gaps Clear and academically topical Clear and appropriate
Very good (8) Full, insightful understanding of the gaps and of links between schools of thought Clear, academically topical and verifiable Clear, appropriate, well organized and properly understood

Application of Knowledge

Grade Methodology and data collection Findings Body chapters
Satisfactory (6) Understandable methodology that says how and why data was collected Coherent and based on the data Organized loosely around the data, with a link to the research question
Good (7) Clear, sound methodology that justifies how and why data was collected Based on the data and in line with the methodology Clearly organized around the data, building on the research question
Very good (8) Clear, sound, academically grounded methodology that explains why the collection choices matter analytically Clear and convincing, grounded in the research question and methodology Organized so the conclusions follow from the analysis

Reaching Conclusions

Grade Arguments Basis Relevance
Satisfactory (6) Clearly stated The data in the body chapters Linked to the literature review, with a case for academic or societal relevance
Good (7) Clear, succinct and convincing Clearly the data and the theoretical framework Connected to the literature reviewed, with an effective case for relevance
Very good (8) Clear, forceful and convincing The data and framework, used in a sophisticated way Convincingly connected to current literature, scholarly debate or the wider social situation

Communication

Grade Writing Bibliography, citations and footnotes
Satisfactory (6) Reasonably clear academic English, without endemic errors that hinder understanding Correct apart from minor errors
Good (7) Clear academic English, without notable errors Correctly formatted
Very good (8) Clear and lucid academic English, without serious errors All well formatted

Assignments

You must submit all three assignments before you can submit the final thesis:

Assignment Approximate length
Thesis proposal (research question and plan) 1,200–1,500 words
Literature review ~2,500 words
Thesis draft At least the literature review plus one full chapter

The assignments are your main chance to get feedback, and your supervisor discusses each one with you soon after you submit it.

Submission

  1. Upload the thesis to Brightspace or email it to your supervisor, whichever they prefer
  2. Email the file to bathesis@hum.leidenuniv.nl the same day, or cc that address on your email to your supervisor
  3. After you pass, upload the final version to the Student Thesis Repository (tab “Submit”). Graduation requires it

Late Submission and Resubmission

If you submit your thesis at most 5 working days after the deadline, it is graded, but your supervisor may lower the grade. If you submit it 5–10 working days late, it is treated as a resubmission. Your grade is lowered, and you cannot revise the thesis if it fails.

If you get 5.0 or lower, you can resubmit within 10 working days of receiving your grade and the readers’ feedback. The same two readers grade the revised version, and the grade is lowered for the resubmission. If you do not pass on resubmission, you must take another seminar the next semester.