Procedure for Applying and Defending the Bachelor’s Thesis

A student can apply for a bachelor’s thesis when they have earned at least three-quarters of the ECTS credits required by the study program. The student may choose from topics offered by the faculty members in the study program. 

If the student wishes to work on a different topic not included in the offered list, they may arrange with the course professor to propose a new topic. The proposed topic is submitted for approval to the Scientific-Teaching Council of the department. If the council approves the topic, the student may begin working on their thesis. 

A thesis mentor can be any faculty member teaching scientific-professional or professional-applied subjects in the student's enrolled study program at the university.

The student can apply for the bachelor’s thesis when they have achieved at least three-quarters of the ECTS credits required for graduation.

The topic application is completed using the form"Request for Approval of the Topic and Assignment of a Mentor for the Bachelor’s Thesis.“. 

Once the Student Services Office receives the request, it obtains approval from the department head. If the topic is on the approved list, the designated faculty member is assigned as the mentor. If the proposed topic is not on the approved department list for bachelor’s theses, the Scientific-Teaching Council of the department must approve the proposed topic and mentor. 

The deadline for completing the bachelor’s thesis is one year from the date of application.

The scope of a thesis paper depends on the type and complexity of the topic, and it should fall within the following limits: 

• Social and Humanities Sciences: 25 to 50 pages.
• Natural and Mathematical Sciences: 15 to 50 pages.
• Arts: 25 to 50 pages.

Thesis and seminar papers must follow these technical instructions: 

• Page format: A4
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
• Line spacing: 1.5
• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides
• Text alignment: Justified
• Titles: Main titles 16 pt, subtitles 14 pt
• Tables, images, and graphs: Should be included in the text, numbered, and titled. Each table, image, or graph must be labeled with a sequential number followed by a title. The source must be cited in the text. Titles of tables and images should be in 11 pt. Images are named and numbered, while tables are titled and numbered above them. 
• Header (optional): If included, the author's name should be on the right side, and the type of paper (thesis or seminar paper) should be on the left side.
• Page numbers: Mandatory, formatted in the desired style (font size 11 pt).

A thesis must include the following sections in this order:

• Cover page and title page
• Abstract and keywords
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Chapters
• Conclusion
• References
• List of images
• List of tables
• Appendices

Cover Page and Title Page: The cover page should be white, with the title written in gold-colored "SEGOE UI" font. (Cover Page)The title should clearly convey the main idea of the paper without abbreviations, foreign words, imprecise terms, or company names (if analyzing a specific organization). Download the form here

Abstract and Keywords: The abstract is a concise summary of the thesis (maximum one page), covering key details such as research goals, methodology, results, and major conclusions. It should be written in Bosnian, Serbian, or an international language. Up to five keywords should be listed afterward.

Table of Contents: Lists the structure of the paper, including chapters, subchapters, conclusion, and references, along with corresponding page numbers.

Introduction: Explains the significance of the chosen topic by answering why it is relevant. It should also summarize previous research on the subject and briefly outline the main goals of the paper.

Main Text: Consists of chapters and subchapters covering theoretical insights, analysis results, and discussions on findings. Theoretical sections should be based on a sufficient number of references. Citations must follow the APA style. 

Conclusion: Summarizes the key points established through literature review and research. It should be concise and may include recommendations for future research or practical applications.

References: Lists all sources cited in the paper in APA style (sources that are not referenced in the text should not be included). A citation generator can be used, such as this APA citation tool.(see example: https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/apa/). 

List of Images and Tables: Includes all figures (graphs) and tables used in the paper, with their respective numbers, titles, and page numbers.

Appendices If surveys, forms, or other documents were used in the research, they should be included at the end of the paper. Appendices should be numbered sequentially.

When the mentor evaluates that the thesis is suitable for assessment, the student who has passed all the exams required by the study program sends the electronic version of the thesis to the Student Service at the email:: ssluzba@uninp.edu.rs.
The Student Service forwards the thesis electronically to the Library for an authenticity check, and the Library provides the Student Service with a confirmation of the authenticity verification.
If the thesis does not pass the authenticity check on the first attempt, the Student Service is obliged to inform the student, who must then make the necessary corrections and resubmit the thesis for verification, along with payment of the required fee.

After a successful authenticity check, the student submits the “Request for Taking the Thesis Defense Exam“”, in agreement with the mentor, along with the signed statements of the candidate and the mentor (“Statement of the Mentor and Candidate Regarding the Preparation of the Thesis“) to the Student Service. 

The Student Service is required to review the student's file to verify that all conditions for the thesis defense have been met and will obtain the decision on forming the Thesis Defense Committee from the head of the department. “Request for the Formation of a Thesis Defense Committee“

The Thesis Defense Committee consists of three university teachers with appropriate academic titles. One member of the Committee is, as a rule, the student’s mentor.

The Committee for evaluating and defending the thesis has a deadline of seven (7) days from the issuance of the Decision to submit comments on the thesis.

If there are comments from the Committee, the Committee sends the comments to the student and mentor electronically. The final version of the thesis is then sent to the Library for a plagiarism check.

If no comments have been submitted by the Committee members, the Student Service schedules the thesis defense.

After a positive decision from the Committee regarding the evaluation of the thesis, the Student Service instructs the candidate to submit three bound copies of the thesis in a hard cover, white in color with gold lettering, at least three days before the public defense. (Bachelor Thesis)

The public defense of the final thesis is oral and ceremonial.

The public defense is conducted by the Chair of the Thesis Defense Committee.

The Chair of the Committee opens the defense procedure by presenting basic information about the candidate. Then the candidate has a maximum of 15 (fifteen) minutes to present the content of the thesis, the methods applied, and to explain the conclusions reached. After that, the Committee members ask the candidate questions, present any remarks, and request additional explanations.

When the Committee determines that the topic has been sufficiently discussed, the Chair announces that the defense is concluded, and the Committee withdraws for a closed deliberation and decision-making.

The Chair of the Committee publicly announces the final decision, which states either “the student has not defended the thesis” (grade 5), or “the student has defended the thesis,” followed by a grade from 6 (six) to 10 (ten).

The Committee’s conclusion is entered into the examination record, which must be signed by all Committee members. The Chair then submits the record to the responsible officer in the Student Service no later than one day after the defense.