Master’s thesis
The requirements for a master’s degree include a written master’s thesis, usually consisting of an empirical section and its critical examination using literature related to the research topic. The thesis may also be based solely on literature or other scientific source material. Before starting to write their master’s thesis, students must always draft a separate written thesis plan, which must be approved by the degree programme. The overall scope of a master’s thesis is 30 credits, which means that it can be completed in one term when working full-time (approximately four to five months of work, some 20 to 40 pages and 40 to 50 sources). The thesis must be analytical and focused on the topic, primarily following the style requirements for academic articles. Furthermore, the thesis must observe a consistent system of referencing, on which degree programmes will provide detailed instructions. Even if a master’s thesis is part of a larger research project, students must ensure when devising the master’s thesis plan that it will be possible to complete the thesis in accordance with the scope described in these instructions.
Master’s theses are academic papers primarily intended to familiarise students with research work within a reasonable timeframe. A thesis with results that prove inadequate for reasons unrelated to the writer can be approved if the empirical section is completed as planned, the use of material is appropriate, and the scientific approach used in the reporting is acceptable. Master’s theses must be planned and written in observance of the principles of research ethics, which should be ensured already at the planning stage, for example if the aim is to use animal testing. Further information on the research ethics principles of the University of Helsinki is available through following links:
Research ethical issues must be examined in accordance with common publishing practices in the thesis part material, acquisition of material and analyses (assessment of thesis, section 3).
The master’s thesis can be written independently or by participating in groupwork or a broader research project. The work must include independent input by the student that can be clearly demonstrated and assessed, and the thesis itself must be independently written. If a degree programme has made a separate decision on the matter, the master’s thesis can be written as pairwork with a fellow student. Further information on this is available in the degree programme instructions on this site. The thesis must be written in a language specified in the language guidelines of the University of Helsinki (Rector’s Decision 45/2016, 27 April 2016). As a rule, students whose native language is Finnish or Swedish write their master’s thesis in their native language, but they can also write it in English. Those completing an English-language master’s degree must, without exception, write their master’s thesis in English. The language of the thesis will be recorded in the master’s thesis plan, to be approved as part of the plan.
Students can begin writing their thesis and gain approval for their master’s thesis plan only after being admitted to a master’s programme. At least one supervisor must be appointed to the thesis. Detailed requirements concerning the selection of thesis topics and supervisors are provided by the degree programmes.
The degree programmes have one or more members of their teaching and research staff serving as responsible person(s) for master’s theses and their assessment. Details on the responsible person(s), as well as instructions on thesis layout, drafting a research plan and the system of referencing are provided in programme-specific instructions. These specific instructions are available in the instructions for students under the student’s personal degree programme on this site.
Master’s thesis plan
Before starting to write their master’s thesis, students must always draft a separate written thesis plan by using the thesis plan form. The plan will be signed by the responsible person for the theses in the degree programme, the student and the supervisor(s). The plan is processed and archived in the degree programme as determined separately by the programme.
The instructions for writing a thesis in cooperation with an employer is on the site: Master’s thesis commissions: https://studies.helsinki.fi/instructions/article/masters-thesis-commissions
By signing the plan, the responsible person for the theses in the degree programme approves the thesis topic and confirms that the research equipment and work facilities needed for the work will be at the student’s disposal. Furthermore, the responsible person approves the thesis supervisor(s). The responsible person for the theses in the degree programme may also be appointed as supervisor. The chief supervisor must hold a doctoral degree or equivalent qualifications, the other supervisors, if any, must hold at least a Master’s degree.
The validity of the master’s thesis plan will also be determined in the plan. The validity of the plan can be extended to the next term, counted from the term it has been made, and it can be valid at maximum for nine months. If the plan expires before the student has submitted his/her thesis for examination, the plan must be submitted again for approval by the supervisors and the responsible person for the theses in the degree programme. Short extensions to the deadline may be agreed upon with the responsible person for the purposes of, for example, adding final touches to the writing. The validity must be determined in such a manner that the student has a reasonable time to acquire material for the thesis, conduct the necessary analyses and write the actual thesis. If the student submits the thesis for examination before the validity of the plan expires, the supervisor’s responsibility to supervise will end on that day when the thesis is submitted.
If the topic or supervisor of the master’s thesis changes, or the student’s/supervisor’s personal situation changes so that the thesis cannot be completed in accordance with the original master’s thesis plan, the student must update the plan. If the recorded term of the plan expires and no new plan has been approved, the supervisor is no longer obligated to carry on with his/her supervisory responsibilities.
Master’s thesis abstract
Master’s theses must be accompanied by a separate abstract. The abstract must be written in the language of the thesis, in addition to which it is recommended to write an English-language version of the abstract. Students whose native language is Finnish or Swedish and who write their thesis in English or another language must also write an abstract in their native language, and translate the title of the thesis into their native language. The abstract must include keywords describing the content of the thesis. The abstract must be written on the University’s abstract form (word).
When writing the abstract, the author must assume that the readers have a general understanding of the topic. However, the abstract must be understandable to readers when read independently of the thesis. The abstract must also be written in full sentences, not as a list of subheadings. The abstract should not include references, quotations, information or claims not included in the thesis itself (attached is a model document as a pdf).
The abstract should indicate, among other things, the purpose and objectives of the thesis, the research method and materials used, central research results and related conclusions, as well as the potential need for further research. The thesis supervisor(s) must also be stated in the abstract form.
Master’s theses are public documents. The actual thesis to be assessed must include no information intended to remain confidential under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999) (e.g., business or professional secrets). Such information, if any, must be included only in the background material of the thesis. Assessment of the thesis, however, is based on its public content.
Duties and obligations of the supervisor and the student
Responsibility for the progress of the work rests primarily with the student, who is expected to stay in regular contact with the supervisor. The supervisor must read the various versions of the thesis manuscript, provide feedback, offer advice on academic writing and correct factual errors. The supervisor is also responsible for providing help in the planning stage, as well as steering the experimental stage, the acquisition of material and the use of methods. The student can also use completed data that has been collected earlier as material for the thesis. The duties of the supervisor do not, however, include carrying out analyses or determinations on behalf of the student. After the student’s plan has been approved, he/she has committed to cooperating with the supervisor according to the agreed schedule. The student must discuss and agree on the stages of the work and responsibilities related to the process with the supervisor(s). These will be recorded in the master’s thesis plan. A supervisor from outside the faculty or the University of Helsinki is expected to familiarize with the faculty’s instructions for the thesis and examination of the thesis, the assessment areas (described below) and the grading criterias in the assessment matrix. Moreover, in these cases it is advisable to include at least one supervisor from within the faculty.
Examination of the master’s thesis
Students must submit their completed master’s thesis for examination by storing the thesis in a digital system (E-thesis) in accordance with instructions provided by the Faculty. Students must have a valid right to pursue a master’s degree in the relevant degree programme. In addition, students must be registered as attending students at the University for the term during which the thesis is to be approved and graded.
The responsible person for the theses in the degree programme will appoint two examiners for the thesis. The minimum requirement for thesis examiners is a doctoral degree or equivalent qualifications. In addition, the disqualification of examiners is governed by sections 27 and 28 of the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003). In order to consistently apply the grading scale, among other reasons, it is recommended that at least one of the examiners is from the student’s Faculty or degree programme. Examiners must complete the thesis assessment through a digital system.
Also persons who aren’t experts in the field of the concerned research can be appointed as examiners if they own a broad experience and perception of this branch of science in general. The supervisor can’t act as an examiner in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences. When examining a pedagogical master’s theses at least one examiner should be familiarized with the pedagogical discipline.
Examiners base their assessment on the sections included in the assessment matrix. The assessment statement may be written in Finnish, Swedish or English. For those students whose native language is not Finnish or Swedish, the examiners must write their assessment in English. When writing their assessment, the examiners should ensure that its contents correspond with the proposed grade. Assessments must be stored in the digital system within a month after the examiners have received the thesis for assessment.
Examination of master’s theses in the University’s plagiarism recognition system
All master’s theses submitted for examination will be examined by the plagiarism recognition system at the time of submission. The responsible person appointed by the degree programme must review the report from the plagiarism recognition system and, when necessary, discuss it with the student. The student must be provided with an opportunity to review the report no later than when a grade proposal is submitted.
After the master’s thesis has been examined, the related report from the plagiarism recognition system becomes public. If the student requests the suspension of the assessment process of his/her master’s thesis, the related report will not yet be made public. All suspicions of cheating related to master’s theses will be investigated in accordance with the University’s internal procedure. Unexamined theses and related plagiarism reports will become public after a decision has been made on the matter.
Master’s thesis assessment and grading criteria
In their statements, the master’s thesis examiners will assess areas 1 to 6, while the supervisor will assess area 7. When examining master’s theses, the following aspects are considered, but the final grade is not an arithmetic mean of the grades given for each area:
- Research topic and purpose: Justified significance of the thesis topic, insightful selection and framing of the topic, clarity of the research task and objective, research question or theme, consideration of research ethics
- Knowledge of the research field and related theories as well as use of literature: Familiarity with research and literature related to the topic, relevance of the research perspective and concepts to the problem discussed, versatile use of source literature, source criticism, as well as use of original scientific sources, analytical examination of perspectives found in the literature and creation of syntheses
- Material, acquisition of material and analyses: Methods suitable to the research task, comprehensive description of the methods (strategy, data acquisition and analysis), adequacy and suitability of research material and its relevance to the research task and analysis methods, description of material, critical and evaluative use of methods, consideration of research ethics
- Research results and reporting: The results answer the research questions/hypotheses, logical nature and clarity of result reporting, illustration of results: the relation of images, diagrams and tables to the text
- Examination of results (discussion) and conclusions: Setting the research results in context with prior research, presentation of new research problems, consideration of application opportunities, assessment of reliability in accordance with the research approach, consideration of research ethics, critical and thorough assessment of the research process and results, thoroughness, reliability and insightfulness of conclusions, conclusions based on the research results
- Structure, clarity and polishing of the thesis: Clear structure appropriate for the research approach, command of academic prose style (varies according to the research approach), clear and smooth separation and integration of interpretations made by the author and the data presented in source material, clear and grammatically correct language, appropriate and consistent use of referencing, clarity and accuracy of the bibliography, correct layout
- Conduct of work during the thesis process: Open-mindedness and independence, internalisation of methods and creativity in solving problems, writing the thesis within the agreed schedule
Master’s theses are graded on a scale of 0 to 5. Grading criteria are described in a separate assessment matrix. The examiners must draft their statements so that they consider all the main points of the thesis and include sufficient justification for the proposed grade. Examiners base their assessment on the sections included in the assessment matrix. It is expected that the examiners are familiarized with the assessment matrix in accordance to the instructions. When writing their assessment, the examiners should ensure that its contents correspond with the proposed grade.
Pedagogical master’s theses
Students who are completing studies required to qualify as a subject teacher may write a pedagogical master’s thesis focused on themes such as research concerned with pupils, students, teachers or subject teacher students, or the production and testing of teaching material/methods in school or university studies. Pedagogical master’s theses must observe the Faculty’s general guidelines on master’s theses. The pedagogical master’s thesis must have a connection to the discipline of the degree programme. At least one of the supervisor’s must be able to offer pedagogical guidance or if not, it must be described in the thesis plan how the pedagogical guidance is arranged. It is advisable to include at least one examiner with experience in pedagogical master’s theses or training in pedagogy in the thesis assessment process. Guidelines for pedagogical master's thesis (pdf).
Master’s thesis processing
Decisions on approving master’s theses and their grading are made by the Faculty Council. The examiners’ statements will be enclosed with the agenda of the council’s meeting. If expert examiners have differing views on the grade, the responsible person will make a reasoned grade proposal. The student will be notified of the grade proposal approximately a week before the Faculty Council meeting where the decision on approving the thesis and the grade will be made.
The student may submit a written request for the suspension of the grading process before the Faculty Council decides on the grade. This will cancel grading procedures. The student may relaunch the examination process by submitting the amended thesis for examination after having contacted the responsible person for the thesis.
If the student requests that the grading process be discontinued, the master’s thesis cannot be approved or graded. The student should bear in mind that interruption of the grading process may prolong the time needed to approve and assess the master’s thesis.
In requesting to discontinue the grading process, the student essentially accepts the issues that the examiners raised in their statements. In this sense the interruption differs from an appeal to dispute a grade submitted after the approval and assessment of the thesis, which imply that the student disagrees with the examiners’ statements.
The examiners are under no obligation to provide further information regarding the issues raised in the written statements or to offer the student guidance or advice on amending the thesis.
Relaunching of the grading process requires that the thesis be submitted as a new work to be assessed by expert examiners. For this to be the case, the thesis must be significantly rewritten (text revision), or the student must have supplemented or replaced empirical material in the thesis to such a degree that the conclusions drawn in the thesis change or the material supporting them becomes significantly stronger (revision of the scientific content). When the student has requested the grading process to be discontinued the supervisor(s) is/are no longer obligated to carry on with his/her supervisory responsibilities.
Once the student has resubmitted the master’s thesis for examination after the grading process has been discontinued, the responsible person of the programme may appoint the same examiners for the thesis or new examiners. The student should consider that if the only corrections made to the thesis consist of amendments to details raised by the examiners it does not mean that the corrections leads to a higher grade. When submitting the amended theses for assessment the grade may also lower from the grade before.
A student dissatisfied with the Faculty Council’s grading decision may appeal to the Academic Appeals Board in accordance with section 56 of the Regulations on Degrees and the Protection of Students’ Rights.
Maturity test
The requirements for a master’s degree include a written maturity test, which is intended to demonstrate familiarity with the topic and content of the master’s thesis. Details on organizing and completing the maturity test are separately announced in degree programme instructions (and above on this site, in section 2).
Appendices and links