Please note! Course description is confirmed for two academic years, which means that in general, e.g. Learning outcomes, assessment methods and key content stays unchanged. However, via course syllabus, it is possible to specify or change the course execution in each realization of the course, such as how the contact sessions are organized, assessment methods weighted or materials used.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the seminar, the students will be able to
- demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a field-specific topic through writing and presenting a Bachelor thesis,
- search for, critically assess, and integrate sources into the argumentation of their thesis,
- recognise standard citation practices and plagiarism-avoidance strategies for proper documention of sources,
- identify the organisational and language features specific to a Bachelor thesis in their field of study, and
- provide critical feedback to others' work and respond to feedback on their own work.
Credits: 10
Schedule: 01.06.2020 - 28.08.2020
Teacher in charge (valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Maurice Forget, Maarit Käpylä
Contact information for the course (valid 07.05.2020-21.12.2112):
Course Coordinator: Maurice Forget, firstname.lastname@aalto.fi
CEFR level (applies in this implementation):
Language of instruction and studies (valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022):
Teaching language: English
Languages of study attainment: English. Students who have had Finnish or Swedish as their language of education in comprehensive and/or upper secondary school in Finland write the maturity demonstration related to their bsc thesis in the language of education.
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:
The Bachelor thesis seminar is designed to provide students an opportunity to explore a field-specific research question and write their Bachelor thesis. Upon selecting a research topic, the students produce a research plan outlining their intial schedule, table of contents, introduction, and resources. This helps guide the students as they develop their thesis. As the seminar applies a process approach to thesis writing, students attend workshops throughout the seminar on narrowing their research scope, information searching, referencing & plagiarism-avoidance, and different academic writing workshops. The focus on these sessions is to provide support for the students in their research and writing. At the end of the seminar, students are expected to submit a Bachelor thesis that fulfils the requirements. As well, they must present their findings and respond to questions from an opponent and the audience. In turn, they must act as an opponent for another student's thesis. There is also a requirement to complete a maturity demonstration.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:
Lectures, workshops, exercises, seminar participation and bachelor´s thesis.
Workload
Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:
270 hrs (workshops / lectures 24 - 36 hours + independent study 234 - 246 hours)
Applies in this implementation:
10 credits = 270 hours
Workload includes both Bachelor seminar and thesis writing process
DETAILS
Study Material
Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:
Provided by the teachers and students
Applies in this implementation:
Materials provided in MyCourses by teachers and students
Prerequisites
Valid 01.08.2020-31.07.2022:
A minimum of 90 ECTS credits of BSc degree studies completed with an emphasis on basic and major studies. A student must have a valid personal study plan approved before entering the seminar. It is also strongly recommended that students have already taken the written (w) skills component of their mandatory foreign language credits.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Details on the schedule
Applies in this implementation:
June 1 – 19 and August 10 – 28
- Teacher: Maurice Forget
- Teacher: Susan Gamache
- Teacher: Kirsi Heino
- Teacher: Shaoxiong Ji
- Teacher: Maarit Käpylä
- Teacher: Aqdas Malik
- Teacher: Alexander Nikitin
- Teacher: Jussi Rintanen
- Teacher: Rinna Toikka