LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course is jointly organized by the School of Electrical Engineering and the Language Centre. The learning objectives concern both the overall thesis process as well as the writing process. To gain the most from the course, enrol into the course as soon as the Master's thesis topic has been agreed on with a supervisor. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to
- recognise the different phases in his/her Master's thesis process
- write a schedule, including a research plan, supporting the timely completion of the Master's thesis
- understand the principles of scientific research and communication
- recognise the organisational and language features specific to the major divisions of a Master's thesis in engineering disciplines,
- employ metatextual strategies to produce clear, reader-friendly text,
- apply advanced features of cohesion, grammar, and punctuation common to academic writing in a Master's thesis,
- assess common weaknesses in academic texts and revise to improve readability
Credits: 2
Schedule: 02.09.2024 - 13.06.2025
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Anya Räsänen, Clemens Icheln, Maxi-Ann Campbell, Milka Toikko, Pasi Lassila, Pekka Forsman, Riina Seppälä, Robert Millar, Susan Gamache
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period): C1
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
During the course, students set goals for the Master's thesis process, write and submit a research plan, as well as provide and receive peer feedback on this research plan. After submitting the final version of the research plan, students write an initial draft of the introduction chapter and revise it based on face-to-face feedback with a writing instructor. Before writing this initial draft, students will work through online materials focusing on the structure, function, and language features specific to the introduction chapter. To gain the most from the course, enrol into the course as soon as the Master's thesis topic has been agreed on.
Working life skills: Knowledge of research in own field, Skills in foreign languages, Information retrieval skills, Written communication, Self-awareness, Critical thinking skills, Analytical skills, Life-long learning skills, and Self-confidence.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
The course activities consist of one introductory lecture, group discussions and peer-reviews, assignment submissions, online tutorial videos and exercises, as well as writing and then revising the thesis introduction chapter. All assignments are related to students' own thesis topic/project.
The assessment is based on successful
- completion of individual assignment submissions,
- participation in peer-reviews, discussions, and feedback sessions,
- production of own thesis introduction chapter (draft) according to the MICE model
- revision of own thesis introduction chapter after teacher feedback
Workload
valid for whole curriculum period:
Contact/Online teaching
Contact meetings
Independent work
DETAILS
Study Material
valid for whole curriculum period:
Available online in MyCourses
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
Teaching Language: English
Teaching Period: 2024-2025 Autumn I - Summer
2025-2026 Autumn I - SummerRegistration:
Enrol into the course as soon as the Master's thesis topic has been agreed on with a supervisor. Formal approval of the topic by the school is not required.