The TFM entails a project, study or research work carried out by the student in which they apply, integrate and develop the knowledge and skills required in one of the aspects worked on during the master’s degree.The TFM is geared towards assessing the skills associated with the degree and concludes with the presentation of a written thesis, its public defence, evaluation and grading.

The selection of the entities, companies and research groups where the TFM can be done is the same as for work placements and starts in the first semester.These post offers on the faculty’s TFG/TFM platform.The candidate is selected by the entity itself (company or research group) once it has assessed the student’s CV and given them the corresponding interview.Even so, it is often the students themselves who look for the company or research group where they will carry out their TFM.

Once they reach an agreement, the corresponding contract is drawn up which has to be signed by the entity, the student and the Faculty of Sciences.Where the student does the TFM with a UdG research group, an agreement does not have to be signed.In the event that the student does the TFM outside the UdG, a tutor has to be assigned to the company (entity or research group) and an academic tutor at the UdG.

The regulations in force can be consulted in the Regulations Governing the Master's Thesis (TFM) for master’s degree students at the UdG’s Faculty of Sciences , approved by Governing Commission 3/2018 of the UdG’s Faculty of Science on 15/03/2018 and amended in session 2/2025, of 10 June 2025. 

Calendar

Each student will have to present the TFM project that they have in mind before a committee of professors from different faculties, with the goal of comparing and validating it. The presentations will be January or in April, depending on the preferences of each student and according to the dates established by the coordinators of the master. 

Once the TFM is finished, the student has to post the report on the faculty’s TFG/TFM platform within the time frame established by the coordinator of the master and the faculty.The TFM submission and presentation date varies according to the enrolment group for the subject.

• GROUP J - the assessment takes place in June
• GROUP S - the assessment takes place in September

Exceptionally, those students that are not registered for other subjects with qualification calls in the second semester will be able to bring forward their TFM call for the month of February (GRUP F).A request must be made to the Master’s degree study coordinator at the start of the course.

ATTENTION: Changing the appraisal call must be done before May, by sending a mail to academic office of the secretary. 

TFM proposal presentation

The presentation must not exceed 5 minutes and will be accompanied by period of around 10 minutes for questions from the committee of professors.Besides the presentation, the student will have to hand in a PDF document of a maximum of two pages, clearly indicating the following sections:

• Identification of the topic
• Justification/motivation of the proposal
• Identification of the objectives
• Identification of the most relevant information sources (maximum 5)
• Proposal of work methodology
• Planning and schedule
• Disciplines and groups of interest (indicate the disciplines linked to the topic, as well groups of interest or stakeholders targeted by the study)stakeholders
• Tutor/s

TFM format - for guidance

The TFM report must have a maximum of 50 pages (without counting appendices).The report must be submitted as a digital document, preferably in PDF, that may consist of the following formats:

• Research. It will consist of research on a specific subject with the aim of obtaining new knowledge or validating existing hypotheses using a scientific methodology.Present the traditional article format, including the sections of introduction, objectives, methodology, results, discussion and conclusions.However, according to the category of the article, that is, whether empirical or theoretical in nature, slight variations may be made to these sections.This requires considerable synthesis. 
• Critical reflection.The goal is a profound and accurate reflection of a specific subject.It has to reflect the student’s capacity for reasoning in relation to a theoretical question.Principally, this means accurate knowledge of the different ways this question has been conceived. It also requires establishing a dialogue with what the bibliography says about the subject matter, in order to avoid the pure description of theoretical content.
• Professional application. This will involve optimising a process or developing a product aimed at the practical application of the acquired knowledge. The product can be produced in different formats: a web platform, a technological application, a mechanism or artefact, an audiovisual production, etc. The report should make it possible to identify strengths and weaknesses with the aim of formulating proposals for improvement or providing new approaches or developing practical solutions, depending on the characteristics of the reference labour sector.

The wording of the TFM, whatever its aims and format, must be clear and concise.There must be a guiding thread running through the text that gives meaning to the reading and gradually builds the knowledge it offers. It can be submitted in article or other formats. In any event, it must include at least the following: a summary (in Catalan, Spanish and English that cannot be more than one page long), an introduction, objectives, conclusions and a bibliography. You can find additional information about how to proceed with writing your master’s thesis (TFM) by clicking the following link.

Some of the TFMs carried out within the framework of this master or the previous masters (Master in Environmental Change and Master in Environment) can be found on the library’s DUGiDocs website.

Evaluation

The appraisal is done through the faculty’s TFG/TFM platform and consists of two phases:

• The student’s competences (30%) will be assessed by the UdG’s academic tutor using a rubric.Where the student does the TFM outside the UdG, the academic tutor will have to get in touch with the tutor of the entity concerned to do the appraisal.PLEASE NOTE: the academic tutor has to validate the TFM and appraise the competences, as otherwise it will not be possible to proceed to the second phase of the process.
• The report (35%) and the presentation and defence of the TFM (35%) will be evaluated by the TFM panel, comprising three members (two of then experts in the subject area), using other guidelines.

The whole event will last between 45 and 60 minutes and will consist of the following parts:

1. Presentation by the student (which must include the objectives, methodology, contents and conclusions of the thesis at least – 20 minutes maximum).
2. Discussion between the board and the student.
3. The board’s deliberations and grading the thesis.

Registration of a TFM

TFM placement offers at companies must be published by the institutions, whether companies or research groups, and not be the student.The procedure for registering a vacancy on the faculty's TFG/TFM platform is very simple.You can find all necessary details here.

Even though TFM places can be offered throughout the academic year, we recommend doing so before December to have more time to inform students.Although students do not finish classes until April, they are advised to start company placements and the TFM before this month to have more time to develop them suitably.