Master's thesis process course, August 2022 - June 2023 (I-V)
Welcome to the Master's Thesis Process course space. Please read this section carefully and follow the instructions. Course registration is done in Sisu! (registration closes on June 11, 2023)
When to attend the Master's Thesis Process course?
This course focuses on the initial stages of the Master's thesis. Therefore, it is recommended that you attend this course when you have just started working on your Master's thesis project. In other words, your thesis topic must have been agreed on with your supervisor before you enrol into this course. (However, formal approval of the topic by the school is not required!) Then, you can enrol into this course (see section "How to enrol" below) at any time during the academic year 2022-23. Completing all parts of this course typically requires 12-18 weeks, depending on your own commitment as well as the availability of teachers and peer students. (Please note that during 19.06.-31.07.2023 no teachers will be available to support your course work, so in case you start the course work after March 2023, your passing this course will be delayed until after summer 2023!)
What is the aim and organisation of this course?
This course aims to help you set and formulate the scope and goals of your Master’s thesis. In Part 1: Activities and assignments (Research plan), in groups of five students, you will write and share a research plan, as well as provide feedback to the other group members on their research plan and receive feedback on your own. In Part 2: Activities and assignments (Intro chapter),
you work individually, and the teachers will guide you through the writing and revision process for the Introduction chapter of your Master’s thesis.
How to enrol into the course?
You can enrol into this course in Sisu at any time during Periods I-V, i.e. from August 8, 2022, until June 11, 2023 at the latest (provided you have a thesis topic). This compulsory course is graded pass/fail, and upon passing you receive 2 ECTS credits.
How to get started?
After enrolling into the course (and provided you have a thesis topic), you need to choose the first group that is not yet full (see Part 1: Your group choice). The teachers of the course will check the group situation regularly
and send a kick-off message to all groups containing five persons ("5/5"). Next, you carry out the course work described in sections "Part 1: Activities and assignments (Research Plan)", and once that is done you continue with "Part
2: Activities and assignments (Intro chapter)". Each part takes about 7-9 weeks.
Your first course activity will be to view the Introductory lecture videos and to go through the Introductory lecture slides. Find the slideset and the video recordings on this page (from the introductory lecture held on January 27, 2020).
How to complete the course?
How to find a Master's thesis topic?
General information about how to find a topic for your Master's thesis is available in Into. If you are unable to find a topic on your own, contact the professor in charge of your major (CE students contact Mika Nupponen). The departments will always offer a topic when a student needs one (Note: Topics offered by your department are not usually paid positions).These slides were used in the original introductory lecture, the recording of which you should watch in the activity below. Some details, such as important deadline dates, have been updated here since then in this slideset (but not in the video).
- The introductory lecture recording is divided into three videos for easier navigation. Please watch all three videos. It is recommended to also browse the above Introductory lecture slides (especially for updated dates on slide 10).
Questions concerning the course and the master's thesis in general can be posted here.