Thesis and maturity test in Master's and Licentiate's Programmes

The instruction belongs to the following themes

By selecting a degree programme you are able to see the general content as well as the possible degree programme-specific content. You do not have to select a degree programme to see the Open University's instructions.

An academic degree always includes a written thesis. As a student at the University, you are a full member of the academic community and an expert in your field. In your thesis, you will examine a research question or questions of interest to you and generate new scientific knowledge in your field for the benefit of the academic community. Typically, the thesis is written independently, but, depending on the situation, the related research may be conducted as part of a project or research group or in collaboration with a company or an organisation.

You can see the possible additional instructions for your degree programme by selecting your degree programme in the menu above. You can clear the selection of the degree programme by clicking on Clear the selection in the menu.

Thesis in Master's and Licentiate's Programmes

Thesis and thesis plan

As part of the advanced studies in the Master's Programme, you will prepare a written thesis of 30 credits in scope. If you study in the fields of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, your written thesis is 20 credits in scope.

In the thesis, you must demonstrate your familiarity with the thesis topic, mastery of the necessary research methods, the ability to think scientifically and proficiency in academic writing. The thesis workload, including the collection and processing of the research material as well as the writing process, corresponds approximately to one term of full-time study.

Before embarking on the thesis project, or at its initial stages at the latest, you must draft a thesis plan, which will be discussed and approved in the manner specified in the degree programme curriculum. The plan must also indicate the supervisor(s) of the thesis.

You can complete the thesis independently or in a group or a wider research project, provided that your independent input can be clearly demonstrated and easily assessed. You can also complete the thesis as a commission. However, write your thesis independently. You can write the thesis as pair work with a fellow student only if your degree programme has separately decided to allow this. In such cases, the independent contribution of both students must be clearly demonstrable. 

You should write your thesis in academic language.

Thesis template and abstract

To ensure the accessibility of the thesis file, you can use the text styles contained in the University of Helsinki template and follow the instructions provided in the template. However, make sure your faculty and degree program's thesis guidelines before using the template. When the Word file is in order for accessibility, you can also easily create an accessible PDF file.

If you are using LaTeX system to create your thesis file, the PDF file edited from it is currently inaccessible due to lack of code markup. For this reason, we recommend that you save the source code of your thesis in addition to the PDF file.

The thesis includes an abstract written in the language of the thesis. In addition, students who have completed their secondary education in Finnish or Swedish must write an abstract in the language of their secondary education if the abstract also serves as a maturity test with which the student demonstrates their proficiency in Finnish or Swedish. You can use the University's abstract document (a word document). Fill in the needed information on each line and write your abstract at the end. The length of the abstract is usually 1 page. The degree programmes and/or faculties can give more detailed instructions in the matter, please see also the degree programme-specific instructions. Attached is also a model document as a pdf. If needed, you can write the abstract also in other word processing programmes with the help of the model document. Attach the abstract file to the thesis file. 

If you give permission to publish your thesis in the University's open publication repository, please make sure the document is in an accessible format. See instructions on how to create accessible documents.

Assessment

Your thesis will be assessed on a scale of 0–5. The assessment is conducted in Finnish, Swedish or English. Your thesis will be assessed by two examiners. The Faculty Council or, in the case of the Faculty of Science, the management team of the Degree Programme Steering Group approves your thesis and assess it based on the opinion given by the examiners.

If you are dissatisfied with your grading, you can lodge an appeal with the University’s Academic Appeals Board. Read more on the page Legal protection of students.

Maturity tests for master’s degrees

A maturity test is a scholarly text related to the field of your thesis, such as a part of the thesis or its abstract, or another piece of written work defined in the curriculum of your degree programme.

The maturity test demonstrates your familiarity with the field of your thesis.

Maturity tests are graded on a pass–fail basis. The person marking and approving a maturity test is usually a teacher in the degree programme (e.g., your thesis supervisor). The person approving a maturity test must be proficient in the language of the test.

A maturity test is an independent study attainment, but it is recorded in the student information system as having a scope of 0 credits.

Thesis Instructions in Your Degree Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences

  • Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Master's Programme in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences
  • Master's Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences
  • Master's Programme in Neuroscience
  • Master's Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability

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: 

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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

Thesis instructions in the Master's Programme in Neuroscience

  • Master's Programme in Neuroscience

Master’s Thesis (30 credits), Program-specific guidelines, Master’s Programme in Neuroscience

All students undertake a Master’s thesis (30 credits). You will learn how a research project proceeds, from planning the work and choosing appropriate methods to performing the experiments and analysing the results. The Master’s thesis is typically based on an experimental research project carried out in one of the University’s research groups under the supervision of an experienced researcher. Your thesis may also consist of a theoretical literature study. 

You will hear older students and other people talk about “Pro Gradu” when they mean a Master’s thesis.  The term “Pro Gradu” in no longer in use in the new degree programs that were launched in 2017. The old term refers to the 40 credit theses that were part of the old degrees. In Finnish the new 30 cr thesis is called “maisterintutkielma”. However, the English term “Master’s thesis” is used when referring to either old or new theses.

General instructions

Before reading these program-specific guidelines, read carefully the General Instructions (upper node on this page).

Study track-specific codes 

  • NEU-110 Master's Thesis in Neuroscience, 30 cr
  • NEU-220 Master's Thesis in Cell and Systems Physiology, 30 cr (or NEU-210 Master's Thesis in Physiology)
  • NEU-310 Master’s thesis in the study track of biology teacher, 30 cr

Note that in the Master’s Programme in Neuroscience you may change your study track to NEU-210 or to NEU-110 until your thesis is accepted. Your study track is nailed down when your thesis is accepted using one of the above three codes.  (The study track of biology teacher is available only to those student who have been accepted to the teacher study track before entering the Master’s program.)

How to find a thesis project?

Master’s thesis projects are rarely advertised publicly. Instead, finding a project is based on your own activity. You are supposed to contact research groups that work on topics that you find interesting, and you ask if they could offer you a Master’s thesis project. The primary supervisor (often the PI of the group) must hold a PhD or equivalent. A PhD is not required for additional supervisors. Note that it may take time to find a project and supervisor(s).  

If you are studying for biology teacher qualification, your Master’s thesis can deal with pedagogical or didactic issues in biology teaching. This applies only to Finnish or Swedish speaking students. If you are interested about this option, it is recommended that you discuss at an early stage of planning with the teacher who is responsible for theses under the code NEU-310.

 

Master’s thesis plan

See General Instructions (upper node on this page).

Direct link to the master’s thesis plan.

 

Master’s seminar

During the Master's Seminar in Neuroscience, you will get support for all stages of the thesis process and beyond, including data acquisition, communication skills, peer interaction and support, networking and career opportunities. There are study track specific Master’s seminars NEU-106 Master’s Seminar in Neuroscience, 5 cr, and NEU-306 Master's seminar in cell and systems physiology, 5 cr (previously NEU-206 Master’s seminar in physiology). Students on the study track of biology teacher choose either one of the seminars.

Note: The Master’s seminar is an obligatory course. If you plan to graduate by the end of a year or by the end of an academic year (end of July), make sure you can complete the seminar course in time.

 

The written thesis

You will write your Thesis as if it were a scientific publication, critically describing, contemplating and discussing your results in the light of previous scientific literature on the topic. In your written thesis you will be expected to demonstrate that you are capable of scientific thinking, that you have mastered the relevant research methods and that you are profoundly familiar with your research topic. Completing your Master’s thesis demonstrates that you have acquired the relevant skills in project management and written scientific communication.

The general instructions (link given in the beginning of this document) apply to writing theses in the Master’s Programme in Neuroscience. However, the program encourages writing the thesis as if it would be a research paper in one of the following journals: 

Note that the above three Journals have very detailed instructions that ask to include pieces of information that will not be included in Master’s theses (such as information on author contributions, funding, possible competing interests etc.). Instead, the Journal Instructions should be applied so that the thesis text is written in accordance with the format (i.e., text sections; see below) of a research paper. A recommended length of a thesis is that of a typical research paper. The Introduction may be as focused and concise as in a research paper, but writing a somewhat more extensive literature review may in many cases be justified and advisable. 

A typical thesis is arranged in sections using subheadings as follows (asterisk * indicates sections / subheadings that are not used in the above Journals but are recommended to be used in Master’s theses):

  • Title page
  • Abstract
  • * Table of contents
  • * List of Abbreviations 
  • Introduction
  • * Aims of the study
  • Materials and Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References

You may use different levels of subheadings (sub-subheadings under subheadings, etc) to clarify how the text has been organized, but avoid excessive use of subheading levels. 

Note: If your thesis is based solely on literature or other scientific source material, or if it is a pedagogical study, the above instructions must not be taken literally but applied as a general guideline only. 

If your thesis is a systematic literature review or a meta-analysis of published studies, consult instructions on the PRISMA website or other similar sources.

 

Layout

In the layout of Master’s thesis, figures and tables should be placed within the Results section, like in the final layout of published research papers. 

Recommended fonts: Arial 11, or Times new roman 12, or Calibri 12. Recommended line spacing: 1.5.

Page setup A4 portrait. Use page numbers.

 

Abstract form

Write the abstract before you will submit your thesis for assessment. The abstract form will be generated by the E-Thesis system during submission. 

 

Thesis as pair work

The general instructions tell about Master’s Thesis as pair work as follows: “You can write the thesis as pair work with a fellow student only if your degree programme has separately decided to allow this. In such cases, the independent contribution of both students must be clearly demonstrable.”

Master’s thesis can be done as pair work in the Master’s Programme in Neuroscience. Note that the above quotation from the general instructions concerns all degree programs including e.g. humanities, and the word “write” refers in our program to collecting data (lab work). In a typical case, two students find a supervisor, and the three together agree about a project where the two students will learn methods and do experimental work and perhaps even data analysis together and based on the supervisor’s guidance, but each student will write his/her thesis independently. In typical cases or pair work the specific questions addressed by each student are different but related to the same context or topic, or the questions are the same but addressed using different methods or different preparations, etc. Each case must be discussed at an early stage of planning also with the teacher responsible of Master’s theses in the program in order to make sure that the plan is feasible.

In order to begin a thesis project as pair work, each of the two students must prepare his/her own Master’s thesis plan, and the two plans must be submitted simultaneously for acceptance. The plan should include a description of the planned pair work as well as each student’s individual role in the project.

Thesis as pair work can be a win-win for both the students and the supervisor. For instance, daily peer-support is an obvious benefit, and sharing materials in experimental work may be time saving. On the other hand, the supervisor benefits from two student’s work but can provide guidance to both at the same time.

 

Language of the written thesis

Your degree language is indicated in your personal information in WebOodi. If your degree language is English, you must write the thesis in English. If your degree language is Finnish or Swedish, you may write your thesis either in your degree language or in English. 

Note, changing the degree language is possible only during the first term of your studies. Instructions for changing the degree language are currently (August 2019) available only in Finnish, and can be found at the end of page.

 

Examination of the master’s thesis

Submission for examination and the whole evaluation process is described in the General instructions (upper node on this page).

Note that there is a significant delay from submission to acceptance of your thesis. After you have submitted your thesis file for examination, the teacher responsible of theses in the program has to find two assessors who are supposed to provide their assessment and grade proposal in a month. Thereafter, the formal acceptance and grading will be done in the next faculty council meeting. Assessments completed latest on the deadline date for submitting documents for the next meeting, arrive in time to be included on the agenda (for deadline dates, see end of page ). 

Note: the two assessors are not chosen by the student or the supervisor of the thesis; the teacher responsible of the theses in the program is responsible for choosing the assessors. However, you can speed up the evaluation by asking your supervisor to suggest a few potential assessors for your thesis.  

In which language should a maturity test be completed?

The language of your maturity test depends on whether you completed one for your bachelor’s degree and on the language of your secondary education.

  • If the language of your secondary education was Finnish or Swedish and your bachelor’s degree included a maturity test completed in that language, you can complete your maturity test at the master’s level in Finnish, Swedish, English or the language of your thesis. You no longer need to demonstrate your language skills through the maturity test, but must demonstrate your familiarity with the field of your thesis.
  • If the language of your secondary education was Finnish or Swedish, but your bachelor’s degree included no maturity test in that language (e.g., you completed your bachelor’s degree outside Finland), you must complete a maturity test in the language of your secondary education. In doing so, you demonstrate both your language skills and your familiarity with the field of your thesis.
    This also applies to those studying in an English-language master’s programme or pursuing an English-language degree in a multilingual master’s programme. In the above cases, see the other language studies required for your degree.
  • If the language of your secondary education was not Finnish or Swedish or you completed your secondary education in a country other than Finland and are studying in a Finnish- or Swedish-language master’s programme or in a multilingual master’s programme in Finnish or Swedish, you can complete a maturity test in Finnish, Swedish, English or the language of your thesis. In doing so, you demonstrate your familiarity with the field of your thesis.
  • If the language of your secondary education was not Finnish or Swedish or you completed your secondary education outside Finland and are studying in an English-language master’s programme or in a multilingual master’s programme in English, you must complete a maturity test in English. In doing so, you demonstrate your familiarity with the field of your thesis.

Maturity Test Instructions in Your Degree Programme

  • Master's Programme in Neuroscience
  • Master's Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Master's Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences
  • Master's Programme in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences

You can take the Maturity test after you have submitted your master's thesis in the e-thesis system.

You can take the test (preferably) in one of the faculty's general examination days (registration in Sisu needed), or arrange another date for the test with the teacher responsible of master's theses in your master's degree programme.

Public access to and publication of master’s theses

Public access to theses

Master’s theses included in second-cycle (master’s) degrees are public documents. Public access to them is based on the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999). Public access to theses means that the University must make theses available to anyone upon request.

Public access to theses also includes their abstracts.

Secret material and theses

Because a thesis is available for public access immediately after its assessment and approval at a meeting of the faculty council, degree programme steering group or grading committee, the thesis must include no secret information. You can include secret information in the background material, which is not part of the thesis to be assessed.

The Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999) contains provisions on secret official documents. Secret information includes that related to private business or commercial activities or a private individual’s health, assets, political convictions or family life.

You cannot include secret material in thesis appendices or abstracts. The thesis supervisor can gain access to secret background material, but must ensure that such material is not included in the thesis itself. The thesis examiner conducts their assessment based on the student’s written thesis, which must not include secret information. The examiner is not entitled to access secret background material.

Publication of theses

The University recommends the open publication of master’s theses and corresponding licentiate theses.

If you permit the online publishing of your thesis, it will be published in the University of Helsinki’s open publication repository Helda, where it will be available to the general public. Search engines will display resources contained in the publication repository prominently in search results.

Storing your thesis in the E-thesis system does not mean giving permission for the publication of the thesis. This permission will be requested separately in a message you receive from the E-thesis system after your thesis has been approved. If you do not permit the online publication of your thesis, it will be available for viewing only on the library terminals of Helsinki University Library.

The abstracts of master’s theses are always public and published in the open Helda repository.

If your thesis includes an article published in a journal, or an article is being prepared on the basis of your thesis, it is possible that your thesis cannot be published openly as such. If your article is published in a scholarly journal or other scholarly publication, its publisher can often provide information on the terms and conditions of open publishing. If you require further information on publishing your thesis in the open publication repository, please send a message to the following email address: e-thesis(at)helsinki.fi.

Delayed publication (embargo)

As a student, you may request that the publication of your thesis in the open publication repository Helda is delayed. A need for delayed publication (embargo) may arise, for example, if a thesis has been written in a research group and is closely related to research to be published later.

If the publication of your thesis needs to be delayed, please report this need on the thesis submission form under the item ‘Other notes’ when submitting your thesis for assessment. The dean may grant a delay of one year. If you are studying at the Faculty of Science, please contact the education coordinator about the need for an embargo.

An embargoed thesis cannot be viewed in full even on the library terminals, but since the thesis is a public document, it must always be made available upon request. Description data (including the abstract) are always public and are openly available in the Helda repository. If you give permission to publish a thesis which has been embargoed, it will become available in the open publication repository on the date the embargo ends. Otherwise, your thesis will only be available on library terminals.