The thesis should always be written for the sub-programme whose syllabus the degree will follow. This will show that the writer is familiar with the concepts and paradigms of their sub-programme, as well as the references for the topic area of the thesis.

Requirements for starting the thesis process

For students to start writing their theses, they must

• have completed the courses that are required of thesis-writers in their sub-programme; typically these courses are the compulsory courses in the advanced module
• have completed the courses that essentially relate to the thesis topic or methods (usually it does not suffice that the writer has worked in the field)
• have completed their BSc degree.

The above may mean that students who change their interest profile may have to take more courses in the advanced module than the minimum required in the degree syllabus.

While writing their theses, students must be registered as present at the university.

Topic area and supervisor

Students can preliminarily negotiate with any possible supervisor about the topic of their thesis. However, students should always discuss starting their thesis work with the person in charge of the sub-programme, where they have completed their advanced module. Students writing their thesis for an external employer must always have permission from the person in charge of the sub-programme.

The topic of the thesis should be connected with the field of the sub-programme, and it should belong to the field of expertise of the supervisors at the department. There are always at least two supervisors at the department, one of whom is a professor and the other one must have at least an MSc degree. To get started with the thesis, the topic is settled on and the department makes sure that the student has the required background skills (especially the advanced courses that support the chosen topic).

Starting a thesis is a mutual contract, the details of which are entered into the thesis form:

• the topic of the thesis,
• the language of the thesis (primarily the language of the student's school education),
• sub-programme,
• thesis supervisors (who will also examine the thesis),
• completion of the maturity test, and
• when the thesis is made for an external employer, the supervisor in the workplace (name, degree, contact details) and possible restrictions for confidential work.

Attachments to the thesis form:

• excerpt from study register (unofficial is enough),
• topic specification:
  • 1-2 pages long
  • titled with the preliminary working title of the thesis
  • containing the basic ideas for the research hypothesis, method of treatment and work methods
  • a table of references with a few key sources.
  • Students write an outline of the topic specification independently, give it to their supervisor for comments, and then write a final version on the basis of the feedback.
• When writing the thesis for an employer, the employer’s statement about the topic and the working-hour and other arrangements in the workplace as well as the employer’s permission to archive the work in the department library.

The person in charge of the sub-programme will confirm the thesis topic on the basis of a topic specification of 1-2 pages. The topic specification should include

• the preliminary title of the thesis,
• the goals of the thesis,
• the type and treatment of the thesis (e.g. comparative literature overview, applied design work, applied software work, functional and performance analysis of a system) and
• key literary references.

The documents can be handed in either in electronic format or two copies on paper (with the exception of the employer’s statement, which must always be delivered on paper with the employer's signature).

Theses written for workplaces

Students may write their MSc thesis on a topic related to their work. In such cases, the topic is specified in cooperation with a representative for the workplace and the person in charge of the sub-programme. The goal is to find a topic that answers to the needs of the workplace, while being interesting and challenging from a scientific point of view. Arrange to write your workplace thesis directly with the person in charge of your sub-programme.

If the workplace sets the topic of the thesis, the employer’s statement approving the use of the work as an MSc thesis and permission to archive it in the department library should be attached to the topic specification. The statement must also describe what the aim of the work is from the employer's perspective, how it may be connected with some larger body of work, what the student's duties are in this work, who the stud’nt's supervisor in the workplace is, and how many hours out of their working hours the students may use for thesis work. When the thesis is finished, the employer will examine it and write a review of it with an evaluation of such features as how independent the work has been, how significant the findings are, and how successful the work has been from the viewpoint of the company. The review will support the department examiners when they assess the thesis.

In addition to the supervisor at work, each student has two supervisors at the department, with whom they can arrange for the supervision in more detail.

Publication of the thesis

MSc theses are always entirely public and they are archived in the department library, in series C, which contains theses and technical reports. This means that a thesis handed in for examination may not contain confidential information, even in an attachment that is removed before archiving.

Thesis language

Students who have received their school education in Finland should primarily write their thesis and maturity test in the language of their schooling, i.e. in the language in which they received their education, generally the language in which they matriculated from school. Sometimes it may be justifiable that the thesis is written in English. One justification may be that the thesis will be used in a company with English as its working language, in which case the reason must be included in the employer’s statement. The student’s own wishes are not usually a justifiable reason. The language of a MSc thesis in English must also be flawless, and the linguistic form must not interfere with the readability of the text. The student is responsible for the linguistic form; this type of editing is not part of the supervisor’s duties. If the research plan in English does not fulfil these requirements, the person in charge of the sub-programme may still at this stage oblige the student to write their thesis in their school language; when the language is changed, the research plan will be re-examined.

Layout of the thesis

The layout of the thesis must follow the guidelines given for the BSc thesis. The course material includes a useful LaTeX style template as well as a layout guide. The ODT template in OpenOffice is also available.(See: General ). Do not forget to print ‘MSc Thesis’ on the title page.

It is especially the summary page that must follow the rules of the layout guide.