Master's thesis
This page provides a general overview of the master’s thesis in non-technical fields (Finnish: pro gradu -tutkielma) and outlines the stages of the thesis process.
A master’s thesis is the final academic project required for the master’s degree, designed to demonstrate students’ depth of learning and professional competence within their discipline. Completing a master’s thesis requires independent scholarly work and project management skills. The thesis is typically completed during the final stage of your MSc-level studies and it carries 30, 35 or 40 credits, depending on the curriculum of your master’s programme. Theses may be written in Finnish or in the primary language of instruction of your degree programme. Writing the thesis in any other language requires formal approval from your thesis supervisor.
The focus of your thesis may be empirical research or a review of existing research literature. Completing a thesis also involves participating in a master’s thesis seminar, giving an oral presentation, serving as an opponent for another student’s thesis, and taking a maturity test. You can write your master’s thesis independently or with one or more of your fellow students. In the case of a co-authored thesis, all students must be able to clearly demonstrate their independent contribution to the work. Master’s theses are assessed according to academic standards. Once approved, your final thesis will be deposited in the University’s institutional repository.
Stages of the thesis process
Completing a master’s thesis is a process that helps you refine a range of competencies and prepares you for entry into the professional world. The key stages of the process are listed below.
- Choose your topic and plan your thesis project: Select a thesis topic that genuinely interests you, is relevant to your field of study and can be addressed through the conduct of research. Your research question must so sufficiently narrow so you can complete your thesis within the expected timeframe. You can identify a topic independently, choose from those offered by the University, or undertake a thesis commissioned by an external company.
- Thesis supervision: The University will appoint one or two supervisors for your thesis project, one of whom will serve as your primary supervisor. Your supervisors will guide you in academic writing and help you develop the content and structure of your thesis. Typically, your primary thesis supervisor will also serve as the examiner of your thesis. If your thesis is commissioned by an external company, a supervisor from that company will support you in conducting research and implementing the practical aspects of your project. You must discuss your thesis topic and proposed approach with your supervisors. They will assist you in planning your thesis and offer scientific guidance. You must also prepare a Thesis Supervision Plan in collaboration with your supervisors, if such a plan is required by your degree programme.
- Conduct your research: Prepare a research plan and follow it systematically. The research component of your thesis may consist of an empirical study or take the form of a literature review. Conducting research requires information retrieval skills and a solid understanding of research methodologies.
- Write your thesis: Master’s theses must comply with the principles of research ethics and academic writing. Make sure your thesis is clearly written and coherently organised. While writing your thesis, you can refer to possible thesis writing guidelines and MSc thesis template, as instructed by your supervisor.
- Master’s thesis seminar and presentation: You are expected to participate in a master’s thesis seminar, where you will present your thesis to your peers, serve as an opponent for one of your fellow students, and receive feedback. This presentation and acting as an opponent are important parts of your thesis project.
- Maturity test: As part of your thesis project, you must complete a maturity test to demonstrate your understanding of the thesis topic and your ability to express yourself using an academic writing style. If the language of the maturity test you completed as part of your bachelor’s thesis was assessed by a language examiner, the abstract of your master’s thesis will serve as your maturity test at the MSc stage.
- Submit your thesis for examination and publish your final thesis: After your thesis has passed an originality check using the Turnitin system, it will be evaluated according to academic standards. The final version of your thesis will be made publicly accessible via Trepo, the University’s institutional repository.
How to get started with your master’s thesis
To begin your thesis project, you must have sufficient expertise both in terms of your subject area and the expected learning outcomes of your degree programme. Before you can start working on your thesis, you must have either completed your bachelor’s degree or received formal approval for your bachelor’s thesis. You should begin preparing for your thesis project and exploring potential topics early, ideally at the start of your MSc-level studies. Please note that you also have the option to expand the topic of your bachelor’s thesis into a master’s thesis.
Choose your topic and plan your thesis project: When selecting a thesis topic, consider areas that genuinely interest you. Choose a topic that is related to themes covered in your coursework, aligns with research conducted at the University, or is commissioned by an external company.
Register for the master’s thesis seminar / course: Register for the master’s thesis seminar or course included in your degree programme. The seminar is designed to support your independent thesis work by helping you define your research problem, structure your thesis, select appropriate research methods, collect possible research data, and analyse your data.
Training in information retrieval: Participate in the University Library’s information retrieval training, which is especially designed to support students during the thesis writing stage. The training covers areas such as locating relevant sources, structuring your research topic, evaluating the credibility of sources, and using sources ethically throughout your thesis project. If necessary, you can also attend a workshop that offers additional guidance on search techniques and practical tips for accessing information related to your thesis topic.
How to proceed with your thesis
Thesis supervisor(s): The University will appoint one or two supervisors for your thesis project, one of whom will act as your primary supervisor. They are typically members of the teaching staff responsible for advanced studies in your field or other teaching and research personnel. If your thesis is commissioned by a company, you will usually be assigned a supervisor from that company as well. Your company-appointed supervisor will primarily support you in conducting research and managing the practical aspects of your project, whereas your University-appointed supervisor will focus on guiding your academic writing and helping you refine the content and overall structure of your thesis.
Participating in the master’s thesis seminar: During the seminar, your supervisor will help you plan the progress and schedule of your thesis project. You will continue to develop your research topic and refine your objectives as the seminar progresses. You may be also required to complete a Thesis Supervision Plan using a designated template, depending on the practices of your degree programme
You need to prepare a preliminary research plan, which you will refine during the master’s thesis seminar and/or in collaboration with your supervisor. As the research plan serves as a framework for your thesis, it is important to prepare it carefully. You can update your research plan as your work progresses. If your thesis is commissioned by a company, you can refer checklist for the kick-off meeting.
If the research component of your thesis involves collecting personal data, agree on the data processing procedures with your supervisor and consult the University’s data protection guidelines. You should also review the guidelines for academic ethics and research integrity.
While writing your thesis, attend the agreed supervisory meetings, maintain regular communication with your supervisors, and feel free to ask for their advice. Students complete their thesis under supervision but are personally responsible for its completion. Supervision is a collaborative process in which both the student and the supervisors contribute by requesting, providing and receiving feedback.
Writing your thesis: Your degree programme may provide MSc thesis templates that support your writing process. If so, these templates are available in the programme-specific instructions on this page. Instructions for using these templates will be provided during the master’s thesis seminar. The University Library’s Writing and citing page offers information on academic writing, reference management software and citation practices. The Library’s Researcher’s guide to responsible and open science provides guidance on publishing research findings and copyright considerations.
Use of AI: As a general rule, students are permitted to use AI applications to support their learning. Any use of AI, including how it is acknowledged, must comply with Tampere University’s guidelines. You must agree on the principles for AI use during your thesis project with your primary supervisor. More detailed instructions on the use of AI are available on the Student's Guide page How to use AI in studies. Our guidance and counselling services provide a dedicated intranet page with useful information about the support available at the University: Other help and support for writing a thesis.
How to polish and finalise your thesis?
When your master’s thesis is approaching completion, consult your supervisors to agree on the final steps and possible preliminary examination. If the language of the maturity test you completed as part of your bachelor’s thesis was not assessed, you must take a new maturity test. Once the final revisions are complete, your supervisor will give you permission to submit your thesis for formal examination.
Maturity test and demonstration of language skills in degrees
Good to know before submitting your thesis for examination
Submitting a master’s thesis for examination: After receiving permission from your primary supervisor, upload your thesis to the Turnitin system for an originality check. Once your supervisor has reviewed the Similarity Report generated by Turnitin, you can deposit your thesis in the institutional repository Trepo. Please note that you must be registered as attending at Tampere University in order to submit a thesis for examination and receive credits.
You will receive an email from the University Library within three working days after depositing your thesis in Trepo. This email will include the web address where the examiner(s) can access your thesis. You must forward this email to the examiner(s) as soon as it arrives. The examiners will have 21 days to assess your master’s thesis (This deadline is extended to 28 days if you must also complete a maturity test as part of your master’s thesis).
Submitting your thesis for examination
Master’s theses are graded on a scale of 0–5. The grading scale is: 1 (=Sufficient), 2 (=Satisfactory), 3 (=Good), 4 (=Very Good) and 5 (=Excellent). The Faculty Council determines the assessment criteria.
You can find the assessment criteria in the faculty-specific sections on this page.
The examiners’ statement and proposed grade will be sent to your tuni.fi email address.
If you are satisfied with the examination of your thesis, you can expedite the process and the recording of the grade into your academic records by promptly notifying the Study Services within your faculty of your decision via email. This means the Dean will confirm the grade of your thesis in accordance with the examiners’ statement.
Written response: If you are dissatisfied with the proposed grade for your thesis, you may submit a written response to the examiner’s statement within seven (7) days. This seven-day period begins on the date the email containing the proposed grade is sent to your tuni.fi email address. Submit your written response to your Faculty, where it will be reviewed by the Dean. The Dean will decide whether further action is warranted or whether the original grade proposed by the examiners should remain unchanged. The Dean may also appoint an additional examiner to review your thesis or refer the matter to the Faculty Council for further consideration.
Once a thesis has been approved, it is considered final and cannot be resubmitted.
Appeals
If you are dissatisfied with the grade awarded for your thesis, you may submit a written appeal to the Faculty Council. The appeal must be submitted within 14 days from the date on which you had the opportunity to access the assessment results and information on how the assessment criteria were applied to your thesis.