Syllabus

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, students are able to:

• Formulate their MA thesis research question.
• Design a research methodology suitable for their MA thesis work.
• Apply methods of citation and referencing for academic writing.
• Assemble part of their MA thesis work.
• Assess and revise their MA thesis work as well as the thesis work of their peers.

Credits: 2

Schedule: 09.09.2024 - 28.03.2025

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Susanna Suurla

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

Responsible teacher: Susanna Suurla, susanna.suurla@aalto.fi

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: Finnish, Swedish, English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Master’s Thesis Seminar 2 will support students in the writing and presentation of their MA written thesis. The seminar helps students to define their research questions and to choose research methodologies adapted to their own area of study and the goals of their research. The seminar will cover methods of citation and referencing for academic writing. Students will practice giving feedback to each other’s work contributing to strengthening the research community of the department.

• applies in this implementation

  Course consists of:

  • lectures on research skills, related theory and thesis writing
  • student presentations on thesis topics
  • independent assignments in between class meetings
  • independent writing assignment focusing on writing thesis text

Assessment Methods and Criteria

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  The course will consist of lectures by faculty and potential visitors, discussions, feedback, peer-review sessions and independent study time.

  Attendance, active participation in class and the completion of the course assignments are required in order to gain credits for the MA seminar. There will be an option to make extra assignments to compensate the missed sessions. This has to be approved by the teacher responsible for the course.

• applies in this implementation

  Evaluation criteria:

  Completion of independent tasks, attendance and activity 40%, Pre-assignment for the intensive week and work during the intensive week 60% 

  0 (fail):	Grade 1:	Grade 3:	Grade 5:
  The student does not demonstrate independent thinking.	The student demonstrates some independent thinking.	The student demonstrates independent thinking.	Student demonstrates bold, critical, and independent thinking.
  The solutions are not justified.	Solutions are justified.	The reasoning behind the solutions is functional.	Justifications for the solutions and choices are functional and comprehensive.
  The student does not conceptualize their work./ The student has presented the other person's thoughts as their own (plagiarism).	The student conceptualizes the topic of the thesis to some extent.	The student conceptualizes the topic of their thesis well.	The student conceptualizes the topic of their thesis in a versatile and in-depth manner.
  The student has not followed the instructions and schedule.	The student has largely followed the instructions and schedule.	The student has followed the instructions and schedule.	The student has followed the instructions and schedule on their own initiative.
  The student's communication is not appropriate or understandable for the situation.	The student's communication and language use are appropriate for the situation. There are slight shortcomings in understandability.	The student's communication and language use are appropriate and understandable for the situation.	The student's communication and language use are professional, appropriate to the situation and understandable.

  
  

Workload

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Contact teaching 22h, independent study 32h.

  Attending the first day of the course is required.

  At least 80% participation in contact teaching is mandatory to complete the course. If, due to absences, the student does not achieve the learning outcomes defined in the course description, the remaining 20% may have to be compensated as determined by the responsible teachers of the course. All absences must be reported to the teachers in charge. The responsible teachers of the course will specify the necessary compensating assignments.

   

DETAILS

Study Material

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Biggs, M. A. R. and Karlsson, H. eds.,2011. The Routledge companion to research in the arts. London: Routledge.

  Murray, R., 2011. How to Write a Thesis, 3 rd Edition. Berkshire: Open University Press / McGraw-Hill.

  Nelson, R. (ed.) 2013. Practice as Research in the Arts: Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistances. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Substitutes for Courses

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Substitutes for Courses

Prerequisites

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Prerequisites

SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality Education

5 Gender Equality

9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

10 Reduced Inequality

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Teaching Language: Finnish

  Teaching Period: 2024-2025 Autumn I - Spring V
  2025-2026 Autumn I - Spring V

  Registration:

  Registration for courses Sisu. Priority order to courses is according to the order of priority decided by the Academic committee for School of Arts, Design and Architecture, https//www.aalto.fi/en/services/registering-to-courses-and-the-order-of-priority-at-aalto-arts

Details on the schedule

• applies in this implementation

  Autumn 2024
  Mon 9.9.	15:15-17:00	Väre, O-112	MA seminar year 2 kick-off + How to write a research question
  Mon 7.10.	15:15-17:00	Väre, O-112	Research Methods
  Mon 21.10.	15:15-17:00	Väre, O-112	Methodology and theoretical frameworks
  Mon 11.11.	15:15-17:00	Väre, O-112	Referencing & use of reference materials
  Mon 2.12.	15:15-17:00	Väre, O-112	Reasoning & argumentation
  Spring 2025
  Mon 27.1.	15:15-17:00	Väre, O-112	Styles of academic writing + thesis structure
  Mon 17.2.	15:15-17:00	Väre, O-112	Writing practices & Q&A on pre-assignments
  INTENSIVE WEEK 2025 Mon 24.3- Fri 28.3 (week 13) 9:15-17:00, detailed schedule published in February

  
  

Description