SCI Master's Thesis Guide 2024

1) Start the thesis process by finding a supervisor, topic and advisor(s)

Start the thesis process by looking for a supervisor, topic and advisor(s). Finding a thesis supervisor, topic, and advisor(s) might take time, and therefore it is good to orient yourself for the thesis quite soon after beginning your master studies, but at the latest at the beginning of the second year of master studies. 

> Contact a possible supervisor, for example, by email, and tell them about your topic idea. See the lists of supervisors in the left side navigation bar. 

• Supervisor: The supervisor is usually one of the professors, university lecturers, or senior university lecturers at the School of Science. The supervisor can also act as an advisor. The supervisor ensures that the thesis meets all aims and requirements set by the School of Science. After the student has returned their thesis for approval, their supervisor evaluates the thesis, writes an official statement, and suggests a grade for the Degree Programme Committee.
• Topic: The topic is the working title of the thesis, and the final title will be asked separately before the thesis is submitted. These do not have to be identical. The most important thing is that the student and supervisor have a common understanding of the topic and the scope of the thesis. A master's thesis is part of advanced subject studies. On reasonable grounds, the school may also grant permission for the thesis to be written on a topic related to the minor.
• Advisor: The advisor is usually from an organization for which the thesis is written and must hold at least a master’s degree (ylempi korkeakoulututkinto). Please make sure that the other advisor(s) meets the criteria to act as one. The advisor is an expert in the field of thesis, and they can give advice on the content and writing of a thesis. The duties of the advisor are agreed upon by the student, supervisor, and advisor. The supervisor can also act as an advisor. When you looking for a topic and advisor (e.g., from a commissioner or workplace), please note and remember to discuss with your possible advisor that, according to Finnish legislation, a master's thesis is a public document, and its contents cannot be confidential. The thesis submitted for evaluation may not contain any secret information, as information about the thesis can be retrieved from the Aaltodoc publication archive.

> Where to find a thesis topic?

• The thesis topics vary, and they can originate either from the needs of businesses, industries, or the academic community. If your topic originates from the needs of the business, usually they want you to have an advisor from their organization. It is also possible to write the thesis on your own topic without funding, i.e., your thesis is not done by a company or university research group. 
• Aalto JobTeaser has open master's thesis positions and topics available. Take a look at the webpages of the departments, companies, and organizations. 
• Thesis Fair on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, is an event for (international) students looking for topics and organizations looking for master's thesis workers.
• Aaltodoc is a place where you can find inspiration - there are all the finished theses made by SCI students. 

2) Make sure you meet the prerequisites for filling in the basic starting information in MyStudies 

Once you have a supervisor and preliminary topic agreed upon, fill in the basic starting information in MyStudies. Filling in the basic starting information is the first step in starting your thesis process and a prerequisite for applying for official supervisor, topic, and advisor approval in the next step. 

To fill in the starting information in MyStudies, you need to:

• be enrolled as an attending student,
• have a supervisor agreed, 
• know your preliminary topic idea and possibly
• have an advisor(s) agreed.
• have checked that you have added the master's thesis (diplomityö, XX.thes) and maturity essay (kypsyysnäyte, abstract, XXX.matr) to your personal study plan (HOPS) in Sisu with the right codes.
  • Your master's thesis course code (XX.thes) depends on the department/school of your supervisor. 
  • Your maturity essay code (XXX.matr) depends on the school of your supervisor.

3) Fill in the basic starting information in MyStudies Thesis-tab 

1. Go to MyStudies Thesis-tab and select English as a site language. 
2. Fill in the needed basic starting information in MyStudies Thesis-tab by clicking "Update Thesis data & submit for Supervisor Approval"
3. On Additional Information tab: Please provide additional information here if  
   • you have agreed on the thesis with your supervisor. 
   • you are doing the thesis for a minor.
   • your supervisor is from another school in Aalto (other than SCI).
4. If you are not yet ready to start actively working on your thesis, you can leave the page. All the data you have saved is retained and you can continue filling it in next time from where you left off last time.

4) If you are ready to start actively working on your thesis, apply for supervisor, topic, and advisor approval in MyStudies by clicking "Submit for supervisor approval".