New Minister of Education and Culture: Thesis is no longer compulsory, what about theses and dissertations?

TIME.CO, Jakarta – The new regulation of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology provides flexibility for universities in determining the standards of student graduation. Student Scholars are no longer required to do this thesis as a condition of approval. What will then be the conditions for approval?

The changes to student graduation standards are listed in the Regulation of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Permendikbudristek) Number 53 of 2023 on quality assurance in higher education, just launched by the Minister of ‘Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim simultaneously with the 26th episode of the Merdeka Belajar program.

In his explanation, Nadiem explained that the national education standards are too strict and detailed. Part of this standard is that undergraduate students are required to write a thesis, master program students are required to publish in reputable scientific journals, and doctoral program students are required to publish in reputable scientific journals. As a result, tertiary institutions are less flexible in designing learning processes and forms according to scientific needs and technological developments.

Seeing this problem, Nadiem explained that his party has simplified the competency standards of college graduates. With the change in rules, students’ skills are no longer specified in detail and universities are left with the task of formulating them.

“And the final design can take many forms. It can be in the form of a prototype, it can be in the form of a project, it can be in other forms. Not just theses, theses or dissertations,” Nadiem said on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

This does not mean that students cannot work on theses, term papers and dissertations again, but rather that the decision is up to each tertiary institution. Furthermore, Nadiem explained that, for example, a study program implemented a curriculum project-based learning or project-based, you can drop the final assignment. This can be done if the study program manager can convince the Accreditation Council that the final project is no longer needed.

Meanwhile, for Masters and Doctorate students it is still mandatory to apply for final papers, but their publication in journals is no longer mandatory. Before the new rules, master’s students were required to publish articles in accredited scientific journals and doctoral students in renowned international journals.

“We restore confidence to each study program head, dean and department head,” Nadiem said.

In this episode of Merdeka Belajar, he said that one of the impacts of this new rule is to encourage tertiary institutions to operate the Merdeka Campus and various innovations in implementing the tri dharma of education. “With this, more free study programs encourage their children to study off campus, more free study programs need to do project-based learning, more free study programs need to make research projects part of their educational curriculum,” he said. said.

Fill in the new rule

Announcement

The proficiency standards of graduates in the new Permendikbud are contained in articles 18 to 20. The contents are as follows:

Article 18

The study paths of the three-year or applied degree courses ensure the achievement of graduates’ skills through:
A. deliver the final assignment which may take the form of a thesis, prototype, project or other similar form of final assignment either individually or in a group; OR
B. application of project-based study programs or other similar forms of learning and assessments that can demonstrate the achievement of competencies
graduate.

Article 19

(1) In the applied master/masters program, the study load is between 54 (fifty four) credit units per semester and 72 (seventy two) credit units per semester designed with the curriculum duration between 3 (three) semesters and 4 (three) semesters. four)
semester.
(2) Students of the master’s/applied master’s program must be given a final assignment in the form of a thesis, prototype, project or other similar form of final assignment.

Article 20

(1) In the PhD/Applied Physician program, the Curriculum Travel Time is scheduled over 6 (six) semesters consisting of:
A. 2 (two) semesters of learning to support research; AND
B. 4 (four) semesters of research.
(2) The learning under subsection 1 letter a may be excluded from tertiary institutions for students who possess sufficient knowledge and skills to conduct research.
(3) Students of the doctoral/applied doctoral program must be given a final assignment in the form of a thesis, prototype, project or other similar form of final assignment.

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