thesis stockholm university

Master thesis

Goal of a master thesis.

The master thesis project is the final step in your studies before graduation. As such its intention is to show what you have learned in your studies by applying your knowledge and capabilities in an independent scientific work. In that sense, the master thesis project becomes the crown of your academic career so far and will lay the first cornerstone for your future career.

More formally, the master thesis project is a course like any other with the only distinction that you are working independently, most often as part of a larger team or research group. The aims of the master thesis project are described in detail at the corresponding course plans. Generally, you should show that you can independently plan and carry out a project in Mathematics and present the results, in a written report and orally at a presentation, including a discussion of the prerequisites, methodology, approach and results of the work.

Components of a master thesis project

The main outcome is a project report (master thesis). Here, you will present the findings and results of your project in a scientific manner. However, the goals of a master thesis project are much broader than that: You shall show a number of capabilities, knowledge and attitudes indispensable for a scientist or engineer. Thus, further activities are required where you must show your abilities in mathematical communication. This consists of an oral presentation and discussion of your work and of being an opponent at other thesis presentations.

How to find a project

Once you are eligible for starting a master thesis project you can begin to search for a suitable project. Projects can be carried out at KTH, most often at the Department of Mathematics, or at other collaborating departments at KTH. But many projects are done at a company or other external institutions or authorities. It is also possible that you are carrying out your master thesis project abroad. It is recommended to start the search well ahead of time. Remember, you will not be the only one looking for a project! Also keep in mind that the project must have sufficient scientific level and scope. Before starting the administrative process (master thesis project application, signing of necessary agreements, and much more), you need to submit a project proposal and get it approved by your examiner.

In order to find a project proposal you may consult KTH’s Degree Project Portal . You may also look at company web sites where you will often find proposals, too. Another source of information are your professors. Often, they will have offers or can guide you to colleagues who might have interesting proposals.

More details and the administration

For each of the programs and study tracks, certain special rules apply. Before you start it is important you keep the following in mind:

• The project is 30 credits — usually 5 months of full-time work.
• You need to have at least 60 credit points on advanced level before you can start your project.
• You need an advisor and an examiner. The examiner should normally be from KTH.
• Before you start you and the examiner need to fill out a form. This form can be downloaded here (link to be added).
• The grading is generally Pass/Fail. Exceptions may apply.
• Link to latex style file .

More information specific to the various directions can be found at the following webpages:

Mathematics (TMAKM)

• Applied Mathematics, Scientific Computing (COMA)
• Applied Mathematics, Mathematics of Data Science (DAVE)
• Applied Mathematics, Financial Mathematics (FIMA)
• Applied Mathematics, Optimization and Systems Theory (OPSY)

Examples of typical master theses

Scientific computing (coma), mathematics of data science/statistics (dave), financial mathematics (fima), optimization and systems theory (opsy).

Publications (6 of 6) Show all publications

Stephan, katharina, abstract [en].

Mitochondria perform a variety of tasks, but the function they are most prominent for is the energy conversion to form ATP, the universal energy equivalent of the cell. The majority of this ATP is created by the oxidative phosphorylation system, consisting of the respiratory chain and the ATP synthase. These elaborate machineries channel electrons through the respiratory complexes and thereby generate an electrochemical gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane. This, so called proton motive force, is in turn utilized by the ATP Synthase to produce ATP.

A particularity of the oxidative phosphorylation complexes is that their subunits are derived from two genetic sources. As a result, and the fact that the respiratory chain complexes contain redox cofactors, the biogenesis of these enzymes is challenging and involves multiple, highly coordinated and regulated assembly steps. For the obligate homodimeric bc 1 complex, a handful of assembly factors are known and its assembly can be divided into distinct assembly intermediates. In this work we provided insights into the maturation of the catalytic subunit cytochrome b . We revealed that the insertion of the redox active heme b groups is sequential and that it depends on the interaction with the early assembly factor Cbp4. With successful insertion of both heme b s, the binding of the structural subunit Qcr7 is necessary for stabilization and further assembly.

Furthermore, we were able to delineate the dimerization event in detail. We could establish that the interaction of the two matrix subunits, Cor1 and Cor2, with the bc 1 complex assembly intermediate II, as well as the dissociation of Cbp4, are the triggering point for dimerization.

In our subsequent work we investigated the roles of the fairly uncharacterized assembly factor Bca1 and its interplay with the structural subunit Qcr7. We could demonstrate that Bca1 interacts early and transiently during assembly and is an important factor for efficient assembly. Additionally, we could show that Qcr7 is not only a structural subunit but also serves as an assembly checkpoint for the maturation of the bc 1 complex.

With our work we could illustrate the necessity for basic biochemical research within the model organism yeast, as the fundamental molecular mechanisms are well conserved. This is exemplified by our work on UQCC3, the human orthologue of the bc 1 complex assembly factor Cbp4.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages

National category, research subject, identifiers, public defence, fernandez-vizarra, erika, supervisors, ott, martin, daley, daniel.

At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript.

The mitochondrial  bc 1  complex plays an important role in mitochondrial respiration. It transfers electrons from ubiquinol to the soluble electron shuttle cytochrome  c  and thereby contributes to the proton motive force across the inner mitochondrial membrane. In the yeast  Saccharomyces cerevisiae , each monomer consists of three catalytic and seven accessory subunits. The  bc 1  complex is an obligate homo-dimer in all systems. It is currently not known when exactly during the assembly dimerization occurs. In this study, we determined that the dimer formation is an early event. Specifically, dimerization is mediated by the interaction of a stable tetramer formed by the two Cor subunits, Cor1 and Cor2, that joins assembly intermediate II, containing the fully hemylated cytochrome  b  and the two small accessory proteins, Qcr7 and Qcr8. Addition of cytochrome  c 1  and Qcr6 can either occur concomitantly or independently of dimerization. These results reveal a strict order in assembly, where dimerization occurs after stabilization of co-factor acquisition by cytochrome  b . Finally, assembly is completed by addition of the remaining subunits.

Vargas Möller-Hergt, Braulio

Carlström, andreas, imhof, axel.

Mitochondrial gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is responsible for the production of highly hydrophobic subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation system. Membrane insertion occurs cotranslationally on membrane-bound mitochondrial ribosomes. Here, by employing a systematic mass spectrometry-based approach, we discovered the previously uncharacterized membrane protein Mrx15 that interacts via a soluble C-terminal domain with the large ribosomal subunit. Mrx15 contacts mitochondrial translation products during their synthesis and plays, together with the ribosome receptor Mba1, an overlapping role in cotranslational protein insertion. Taken together, our data reveal how these ribosome receptors organize membrane protein biogenesis in mitochondria.

Wanschers, Bas F. J.

Szklarczyk, radek, van den brand, mariel a. m., jonckheere, an, suijskens, janneke, smeets, roel, rodenburg, richard j., helland, ingrid b., elkamil, areej, rootwelt, terje, van den heuvel, lambert, nijtmans, leo g., huynen, martijn a..

Complex III (cytochrome bc(1)) is a protein complex of the mitochondrial inner membrane that transfers electrons from ubiquinol to cytochrome c. Its assembly requires the coordinated expression of mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome b and nuclear-encoded subunits and assembly factors. Complex III deficiency is a severe multisystem disorder caused by mutations in subunit genes or assembly factors. Sequence-profile-based orthology predicts C11orf83, hereafter named UQCC3, to be the ortholog of the fungal complex III assembly factor CBP4. We describe a homozygous c.59T > A missense mutation in UQCC3 from a consanguineous patient diagnosed with isolated complex III deficiency, displaying lactic acidosis, hypoglycemia, hypotonia and delayed development without dysmorphic features. Patient fibroblasts have reduced complex III activity and lower levels of the holocomplex and its subunits than controls. They have no detectable UQCC3 protein and have lower levels of cytochrome b protein. Furthermore, in patient cells, cytochrome b is absent from a high-molecular-weight complex III. UQCC3 is reduced in cells depleted for the complex III assembly factors UQCC1 and UQCC2. Conversely, absence of UQCC3 in patient cells does not affect UQCC1 and UQCC2. This suggests that UQCC3 functions in the complex III assembly pathway downstream of UQCC1 and UQCC2 and is consistent with what is known about the function of Cbp4 and of the fungal orthologs of UQCC1 and UQCC2, Cbp3 and Cbp6. We conclude that UQCC3 functions in complex III assembly and that the c.59T > A mutation has a causal role in complex III deficiency.

AuthorCount:15;

Hildenbeutel, Markus

Hegg, eric l., gruschke, steffi, meunier, brigitte.

Mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes convert chemical energy into a membrane potential by connecting electron transport with charge separation. Electron transport relies on redox cofactors that occupy strategic positions in the complexes. How these redox cofactors are assembled into the complexes is not known. Cytochrome b, a central catalytic subunit of complex III, contains two henne bs. Here, we unravel the sequence of events in the mitochondrial inner membrane by which cytochrome b is hemylated. Heme incorporation occurs in a strict sequential process that involves interactions of the newly synthesized cytochrome b with assembly factors and structural complex III subunits. These interactions are functionally connected to cofactor acquisition that triggers the progression of cytochrome b through successive assembly intermediates. Failure to hemylate cytochrome b sequesters the Cbp3-Cbp6 complex in early assembly intermediates, thereby causing a reduction in cytochrome b synthesis via a feedback loop that senses hemylation of cytochrome b.

AuthorCount:6;

Singh, Abeer

Organisations, stockholm university, faculty of science, department of biochemistry and biophysics, search in diva.

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Department of Computer and Systems Sciences

Do you want to develop information technology for the future? Study with us!

Bildspel utbildning

This emerging technology shows a lot of potential. A new course developed at DSV gives you a head start.

DSV has together with the Department of Statistics, developed a new master’s programme, aiming to meet the demand for future data scientists.

Jordi Solsona Belenguer views himself more as an enabler rather than as a teacher.

Meet Vjola Velikaj, Master's student from Albania.

DSV is located in the Nod Building with contemporary specially designed premises, a modern study environment with IT-labs - all with the very latest technology.

Time to take data privacy seriously

A new wave of wearable devices will collect a mountain on information on us. And there are privacy implications, writes Luis Quintero in The Conversation.

Information for newly admitted master students 2024

Welcome to DSV!

DSV continues to attract master students

Master’s programmes at DSV were very popular for the 2024 intake

Our research

How will we live, work, communicate and share information? DSV explores the future

Bildspel research

Complicated datasets which contain many different features are challenging to work with. Sampath Deegalla's PhD thesis explores how the challenge of dimensionality can be tackled.

A new wave of wearable devices will collect a mountain of information on us. And there are privacy implications, writes Luis Quintero in The Conversation.

Almost 50 people came to Panagiotis Papapetrou's Tech Tuesday seminar on AI in healthcare.

Data is available in abundance. However, to utilize this raw material we need to sort it so that patterns become visible.

“A self-driving car constructs a simplified picture of the world,” writes Barry Brown in The Conversation.

For most of us, "the cloud" is kind of fuzzy. We don’t know where it is – or how safe it is. Ramin Firouzi identifies two major problems with cloud computing.

Meet Simon Hacks, new associate professor at DSV. His next project involves optimising maritime transports.

Towards digital sovereignty – it’s time to take data privacy seriously

New “nearest neighbor” algorithms may lift the curse of dimensionality

Complicated datasets which contain many different features are challenging to work with. A new PhD thesis explores how the challenge of dimensionality can be tackled.

From bits to qubits – learn quantum programming

What is quantum computing and how can it be used? This emerging technology shows a lot of potential. A new course developed at DSV gives you a head start.

Are doctors ready for AI assistants?

AI in healthcare is a promising – and challenging – field. Trust is a key issue.

Congratulations on your Master's degree!

Celebrate at the Master's Conferment in Aula Magna. It is broadcast live so share it with all your loved ones.

ACM IMX 2024

The Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) will be the host of the international research conference ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences (IMX) in 2024.

Predoc seminar: Farzad Hassanzadeh Moghimi

Welcome to a predoc seminar on the challenges of transitioning to a decarbonised power system. Farzad Hassanzadeh Moghimi, PhD student at DSV, is the respondent.

ECSO-CMS 2024

The Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) will be the host of the international European Conference on Stochastic Optimization and Computational Management Science (ECSO-CMS) in 2024.

Find available jobs and PhD positions on the central website.

DSV is located in Kista, Sweden’s largest ICT cluster. From the metro station, it’s a five minute walk.

The latest news on DSV’s research and education is posted on Linkedin.

SSE Publications

All student and doctoral theses are registered and saved in Stockholm School of economics' online register. This means that you can search among previously published works to find inspiration and sources of information. Most of the publications produced at SSE are published by SIR while Master's and Bachelor's theses are usually published by the departments.

Doctoral and Licentiate dissertations

Master's Theses

Bachelor's Theses

SSE Case Collection

Working Paper Series

Stockholm University PhD thesis template

A template for producing a PhD thesis at Stockholm University (SU).

This template was originally published on ShareLaTeX and subsequently moved to Overleaf in November 2019.

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Artist Lisa Jevbratt explores history of invasive plants through textiles and data visualization

Despite their casting as problem species, invasive plants often hold deep ties to historical events and customs. A yearning to better understand their relationship to one specific ecosystem, the land and human life led artist Lisa Jevbratt to study their color and material properties.

“We are dyeing wool with dyestuff from invasive and non-native plants growing on Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands archipelago in California, investigating the complex and intertwined influence humans have on our ecosystems, and the aesthetic, emotional, magical and medicinal interrelationships between humans, plants and color,” said Jevbratt , aUC Santa Barbara art professor. With the spun wool, Jevbratt and her collaborator Helén Svensson of Stockholm, Sweden, weave shawls, some of which are on view in “Interlopings — Experiencing the Warp and Weft of Ecological Entanglements” at Chrisman California Islands Center in Carpinteria until October.  (Many were previously on view in “Interlopings – Colors in the Warp and Weft of Ecological Entanglements” at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, December 2022 to April 2023).

The current exhibition is a process-based collaborative art project combining traditional techniques such as dyeing, spinning and weaving, with data visualization, “performative science” and “relational aesthetics” strategies. Project contributors include Julia Ford, Amanda Hackelton, Jennifer Harman, Soren Johnson, Lizzie Lewis, Lynn Moody, Elizabeth Oriel, Barbara Rosén, and Sydney Wylde. With various methods for visualizing and organizing data, Jevbratt employs a wide range of systematics, from scientific to alchemical, creating a database of natural dye colors. 

Mainly plants and one insect (cochineal), the non-native organisms were brought to Santa Cruz Island over an extended period of time, beginning when it was first colonized by Europeans and continuing into the late 20th century. Cochineal, an important source of red dye, was brought to the island in the late 60s to help kill off the cactuses which were considered a hazard to the cows grazing on the island.

“The human immigrants had a relationship to these organisms in their home lands for millennia, many of these plants have been used for food, medicine, magic and dyes,” Jevbrett said. “Just as with humans, some behave better than others when arriving in a new land.” 

Referencing the work “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Jevbratt noted how examples of non-native species, such as the broadleaf plantain, can be “a generous and healing newcomer, who is truly listening to the new environment.” 

Other plants are infamous for wreaking havoc in the ecosystems they “invade.” “On Santa Cruz Island, fennel, a sweet smelling, delicious plant, which is highly medicinal, traditionally used for protection magic and yields a magical yellow color, has taken over large swaths of land to the detriment of the native flora,” she said. “It is now one of the many plants targeted for eradication from the island in a major conservation effort aiming to restore it to a more (real or perceived) natural state.”   

The sheep breeds producing the wool and yarns Jevbratt and Svensson are working with have an historical connection to Santa Cruz Island. It’s believed that the Santa Cruz Island sheep breed stems from sheep of several breeds, potentially including Merino, Rambouillet (a French version of Merino) and English Leicester, brought to the island in the mid 19th century for wool and meat production. Over the years, the sheep increased in numbers and became feral, causing massive erosion to the landscape. In the 90s, consistent with restoration efforts on the island, the sheep, then in the tens of thousands, were eradicated. Due to the methods used (very few sheep were brought to the mainland, most were shot on the island) the endemic Santa Cruz Island breed has ironically become one of the five most critically endangered breeds on the Livestock Conservancy’s conservation priority list.

“The wool from these sheep speaks about the landscape where the individual sheep led their lives and the breed emerged. Its staple length and crimp, the soil and vegetable matter trapped in it, reveals something about the sheep, the breed and their environment (craftspeople now speak of the ‘terroir’ of wool),” said Jevbratt, originally from Sweden, who joined UCSB’s Art Department and Media Arts and Technology program in 2002. Before turning her focus to textiles, for more than a decade she explored the expressions and exchanges created by the protocols and languages of the internet, often manifesting as visualization software. Her work has been exhibited extensively in venues such as The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, The New Museum in New York, The Swedish National Public Art Council in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.  

“Interlopings” relies on visual, tactile and olfactory modalities of generating meaning, she added. “As such the most important questions will be asked, and maybe answered, in the direct experiences of hands, noses and eyes and in the relationships created between people and between people, processes and materials.”

Debra Herrick Associate Editorial Director (805) 893-2191 [email protected]

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