Bachelor thesis (Eindvak IER)
The Bachelor Thesis International and European Law (Eindvak IER), course 620060, is the final phase of the Bachelor¿s degree programme in law. The Eindvak IER consists of two components. The first component is a brief and practical introduction to the international area of work (for example, by participating in a study trip, a summer- or winter course or doing a short internship). The second component covers an individual research project of limited size. For more detailed information students should enrol in Blackboard and consult the Reader Eindvak IER under Course documents. Concrete questions concerning the Eindvak IER can be e-mailed to frw.eindvak.ier@uvt.nl.
Below you will find general Eindvak IER information on:
- ECTS
- Absolute condition for participation
- Options
- Study trip
- Summer-/winter course
- Short internship
- Bachelor thesis
- Registration
- Plagiarism
- Deadlines
- Resits
ECTS
In total 6 ECTS are allocated to the Eindvak IER. These can be specified in 2 ECTS for the first component (internationalisation) and 4 ECTS for the second component (independent research). Note that for the practical component, regardless of the option chosen, a final paper of approximately 6,000 words (or 15 pages) must be written.
Absolute condition for participation
To participate in the Eindvak IER students must have obtained 119 ECTS. No exceptions will be made to this requirement. The Education Office will verify the number of ECTS obtained by each student enrolled in the Eindvak IER. Generally this condition means that students must have completed all courses from the first and second year of the Bachelor programme and two to three courses from the third year.
Options
Students have three options to fill in the Eindvak IER:
- Participating in a study trip and writing a paper
- Participating in a summer- or winter course and writing a paper
- Doing a short internship and writing a paper
These three options will be elaborated below.
Study trip
The department of European and International Public Law (EIP) will organise an international study trip of three to five days (depending on the destination) to European and/or international insitutions in the second semester of the academic year (Easter holiday). At the end of the first semester a short summary of the theme of the study trip and the deadline for application will be announced on the website of the department under International study trip Brussels/Geneva and on Blackboard. This will help students prepare for the trip and choose a topic for the Bachelor thesis. In addition to the online information there will be two preparatory meetings in the weeks before the study trip. Attendance at these meeting is compulsory! More information on the preparatory meetings can be found in the ESG.
Note: the complete procedure of enrolment and preparation for the study trip and writing the paper is explained in the Reader Eindvak IER which can be consulted on Backboard under Course documents. Concrete questions concerning the study trip can be e-mailed to frw.eindvak.ier@uvt.nl.
Summer-/winter course
Every year in January the department of European and International Public Law (EIP) organises a summer-/ winter course in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of the North West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Students can use this summer-/winter course to fill in the practical component of the Eindvak IER. Information on the theme and the deadline for application of this summer-/winter course will be announced on the website of the department under Summer-/winter course Tilburg-South Africa and on Blackboard. Furthermore, to fill in the practical component students can also participate in a summer-/winter course which is not organised by EIP. However, such a summer-/winter course must first be approved by the Eindvak coordinator.
Note: the complete procedure of enrolment and preparation for the summer-/winter course and writing the paper is explained in the Reader Eindvak IER which can be consulted on Backboard under Course documents. Concrete questions concerning the summer-/winter course can be e-mailed to frw.eindvak.ier@uvt.nl.
Short internship
The practical component of the Eindvak IER can be completed by doing a short internship. Students must submit a proposal for an internship, including a theme, and obtain approval from the Eindvak coordinator. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that the total effort they must put into the (short) internship option of the Eindvak IER may turn out to exceed the 6 ECTS awarded for the course as a whole. After all, the internship needs to be useful in and of itself.
Note: the complete procedure of preparation for the short internship and writing the paper is explained in the Reader Eindvak IER which can be consulted on Backboard under Course documents. Concrete questions concerning the short internship can be e-mailed to frw.eindvak.ier@uvt.nl.
Bachelor thesis
For each Eindvak IER options, a final paper of approximately 6,000 words (or 15 pages) must be written in English. The paper should be seen as a ¿mini thesis¿, containing a clearly identifiable tripartite structure of introduction, discussion, and conclusion, and requires students to thoroughly prepare. For the exact assessment criteria please consult the Reglement bachelorwerkstuk. 
The Scriptorium provides individual coaching to help students with academic writing assignments in Dutch or in English. In addition to helping students become better writers, the Scriptorium also offers assistance in looking for the right sources and citing them correctly. These services are free for all Tilburg University students. For more information on the Scriptorium click here.
Registration
All Bachelor theses must be registered at the secretariat of the department of European and International Public Law (EIP) and the online thesis file (scriptiedossier). For registration at the EIP secretariat, students must download the Bachelor thesis registration form, fill it in and hand it in at the secretariat (room M534). In the thesis file students can upload their design and drafts of the Bachelor thesis and, ultimately, the final version. In addition, the thesis file also contains all contact data of supervisors, file information, plagiarism checks, assessment forms, and an evaluation.
Note: it is very important that students register, both at the EIP secretariat and the thesis file!
Plagiarism
Plagiarism constitutes fraud and is strictly forbidden! As a rule each paper will be checked for plagiarism via Urkund. Cases of suspected plagiarism will be reported to the Examining Board. For more information on what constitutes plagiarism, please consult the special website of the Faculty of Law at http://rechten.uvt.nl/plagiaat/. In addition, the department of European and International Public Law (EIP) provides some information on plagiarism and the basic rules of correct citation of literature. To access this information please click here.
Deadlines
Students are expected to complete the practical component independently, meaning they will have to regard all deadlines for enrolment themselves. Also, the Bachelor thesis must be submitted electronically to the supervisor not later than 6 weeks after the study trip, summer/winter course, or short internship. In week 4 there is the possibility to hand in a draft version of the paper with the individual supervisor and, subsequently, receive feedback on this draft via e-mail. For an overview of the relevant deadlines click here.
Resits
If the score of the Bachelor thesis is unsatisfactory, students will be allowed to revise their paper in order to obtain a pass (grade: 6). The assessment will include comments on which parts need to be improved. The student must submit the improved version of the final paper within one working week after having received feedback on the assessment of the initial paper by the supervisor. If the improved version is still unsatisfactory, students will need to resit the course by writing a paper on a different topic within the parameters of the overall theme of the practical component. A proposal for the new topic must be submitted for approval by the Eindvak coordinator within one month after notification of the final grade. The practical component of the Eindvak IER will not have to be retaken. For more information on resits please consult the Reader Eindvak IER which can be found on Blackboard under Course documents.