master's thesis wiki

What Is a Master's Thesis?

Are you a Master's student starting your thesis or have you just decided to pursue a graduate degree and are trying to understand what it takes to get one? In this article, we'll explain everything you need to know about a Master's thesis.

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As a part of your Master's program, you are going to spend a significant amount of time working on your Master's thesis. It involves thorough research and gives you a chance to demonstrate your abilities in your chosen field. So what is a Master's thesis exactly and what does it mean to write one?

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Simply put, a Master's thesis is the last and biggest project you do in the last two semesters as a culminating point of your Master's degree. It's an academic research paper meant to demonstrate a student's competence and mastery of a particular subject within their field of study. These research papers typically combine pre-existing studies with new data . The purpose is to either challenge or support an existing hypothesis, but it can take different forms depending on what your advisor and you decide to do.

Moreover, there are non-thesis Master's programs , like the MBA and the MS in Finance , that don't focus on research but rather on practical skills for you to enter the workforce. These programs normally require you to submit a Master's Degree Capstone project including case studies or program evaluations.

Master's thesis structure

Exact format requirements vary from one program to another, but a Master's thesis generally follows this structure:

• Title page: Your institution will most likely provide you with a template. It should state the name of your institution, the title of your thesis, your name, and the name(s) of your advisor(s).
• Summary: This part will be evaluated by the thesis committee so make sure to write it well. Here you should include your research question, the data you used, the methodology, and the summary of your findings.
• Table of contents
• Introduction: Your goal for the introduction is to state a problem that hasn't been properly addressed, and discuss what your thesis intends to accomplish in terms of the solution - the so-called " research question ".
• Literature review: This section describes the most important and relevant research conducted previously on your topic. It's recommended to include several viewpoints and contrasting opinions.
• Methods: Once you've identified where the existing research falls short in answering the thesis' research question, you should tell the reader your plan to find the solution. In this part, you also explain which methodologies you used to analyze the data you collected.
• Analysis of the results: Here you describe in great detail all your findings - what new information you managed to discover.
• Conclusions: The final chapter of your thesis is meant to determine how well your work answered the research question. Also, you should identify any shortcomings of your own research and discuss future research opportunities.
• List of references: Since the existing research serves as a base for your paper, you should provide a list of all references that were cited in your work.

Most parts can be split into several chapters. Students sometimes also include an acknowledgment, as well as an appendix (or multiple appendices) for additional information, like tables, graphics, or other materials that are not required to understand the main text but can be useful.

How long is a Master's thesis?

A Master's thesis is generally 40-100 pages long , not including the bibliography. However, there is no "correct" number of pages. You are free to make it as long as you need to properly and fully present all the necessary material.

Remember that longer does not mean better, it largely depends on topic complexity and discipline . For example, for a highly mathematical thesis with proof 50 pages can be more than enough, while a sociology thesis relies on a lot of diagrams and may be much longer.

Usually, your institution will have its own guide for the formatting and structure requirements , where you can check if there is a limit for word count, find the length range, font style and size, the number of references, and other useful information.

Getting started on your Master’s thesis

It's better to start thinking about possible topics early in your program. First, you should explore your interests. Then, look up a professor who works in a similar field and ask them to be your thesis advisor . They will be able to help you with forming the research question or offer you to take over an existing project they are already working on.

Don't worry, your thesis advisor will assist you if you have any issues. You can schedule a meeting with them to discuss the outline of your project and create a research plan .

They will also be able to recommend relevant literature so that you know where to begin. Since a literature review in your Master's thesis is a reflection of the existing research on a particular topic, make sure you have enough sources for an in-depth understanding of your subject.

Master’s thesis defense: how does it work?

If the word "defense" scares you, don't worry, no one will actually attack you. Much like what you did for your Bachelor's, a Master's thesis defense is where you present your project and answer a few questions from the thesis committee, which they mainly ask to make sure you understand the subject.

By this time, your paper will already be read, reviewed, and evaluated, so the defense is a formality , and it's highly unlikely you'll fail. The presentation usually takes up to 15 minutes. It's hard to say for the questions part though - it depends on the goal of the committee and the requirements of the program.

After completing your Master's thesis, you can publish the paper if your institution allows it. Research the university's publication process and independent publishing platforms.

If you're considering pursuing a postgraduate degree, your Master's thesis topic can be researched further in the PhD dissertation. Or, in case you want to go into industry after your Master's program, your thesis will say a lot about your abilities to research and analyze information, and experience in a particular field.

Overall, a Master's thesis is a crucial part of your degree , especially if you aim to get more into research and pursue a PhD. It is an independent work designed to back up your academic and professional qualifications , as well as demonstrate your research and even presentation skills.

Writing a Master's thesis is a long and tedious process: it takes about a year from choosing a topic and reviewing the literature to conducting research and submitting your paper. To avoid failing, start early and create a realistic plan with your thesis advisor with many intermediate deadlines to keep you accountable. Take guidance from your advisor and don't hesitate to ask for help.

• The Ultimate Master’s Degree Guide
• After a Master’s Degree: Your Career Options
• How to Get an Internship
• Networking Skills for Master’s Students

Tetiana Sokolova Author

With a Bachelor's degree in System Analysis and Applied Statistics, Tetiana brings a strong analytical foundation to her role as a Content Editor at Keystone Education Group. She is dedicated to researching, producing, and refining content to support students worldwide in their education journey, applying her technical expertise and analytical skills to ensure accuracy and relevance.

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Luigi's guide to writing Master's theses (in Data Science)

Luigi Acerbi , University of Helsinki, Finland Last edited: 30 Aug 2024 ( added section on Thesis Review )

These recommendations are aimed primarily to my students from the Master's Programme in Data Science at the University of Helsinki, but many points are likely to apply to related programmes and other institutions. In fact, most of this guide generalizes to scientific academic writing in general (e.g., articles, PhD theses).

Disclaimer: There are loads of better materials elsewhere online; this page is mostly a collection of advice I realized I was repeating to multiple students, so I thought to put it in writing in a single place. Many of these points are not absolute rules, but my own sometimes-idiosyncratic opinions and personal recommendations: always double-check with your thesis advisor.

Before you start:

• Programme instructions: Read carefully all the instructions about Master's theses provided by the Programme, which you can find at this link (select your programme from the menu).
• Planning and deadlines: Writing the Master's thesis will take at the very minimum a full month, probably more, so plan accordingly. Be aware of the deadlines for submitting your thesis for review , and bring this up well in advance with your supervisor if you want to graduate at a given time. Generally, your examiners (two people who review and grade the thesis, see Thesis Review below) will need at least a month to read and review the thesis, and the second examiner (who is typically not directly involved in the thesis work) will need to be warned in advance. On top of that, there is the extra time needed to submit the thesis to the steering committee for approval. See the programme instructions above.
• Start writing before you start writing: Even before officially starting the writing period, write down what you do (e.g., in a scrap LaTeX document). Write partial results, derivations, notes, etc. - no need to be particularly organized at this stage. However, if you already have written down bits and pieces of your work, it will make your life much easier later.
• Look up other theses: Nothing better than learning by example. Since almost all University of Helsinki theses are published in the Helka database, it is easy to look at other theses. For example, this query will display all theses from the Master's programme in Data Science.
• Supervisor feedback: When writing the thesis it is wise to finish at least one or two chapters early on (e.g., Introduction and Background), and share them with your supervisor so that they can point out major issues before they are all over the thesis (citations, grammar, structure...). To make the most out of this step, the shared chapters should be in a decent shape — that is, as close as possible to how you would consider them "finished". This way, the supervisor can give real feedback on your writing — as opposed to commenting on a clearly unfinished and unpolished draft, which is not so useful. More generally, agree early on with your thesis supervisor how the feedback on the thesis will work.
• Meetings: The meetings are not for you to prove your supervisor that you have done something. Your supervisor is there to help you. The meetings are for your benefit. To make most of the meetings, always try to bring something to the meeting that you can discuss or get feedback from.
• Meeting notes: After each meeting with you supervisor, especially if you do not meet that often, it is a very good habit to write a brief recap as a bullet point list. Briefly summarize comments/clarifications about the work discussed during the metting, and list the action points about the things you need to work on next. Send the recap to your supervisor (via email or on Slack). This is a very good way to keep track of progress and potentially clarify misunderstandings.

General thesis:

• Layout: If you are in the hard or exact sciences, do not even think of writing your thesis in anything but LaTeX. Use the LaTeX template provided by the University of Helsinki (or your institution). If you are MSc Data Science student, you can find the template in the Moodle course Data Science MSc Thesis . For example, you can use Overleaf as an easy entry to LaTeX. The University of Helsinki has a premium license for Overleaf, accessible by signing in with your institution credentials.
• Length: While there is no set requirement for length, a typical Master's thesis will be between 40-60 pages. This is just a broad guideline; of course, nobody will complain if you solve the Riemann hypothesis in 10 pages. Longer theses are also possible, but think whether all the content is needed; if you really think that everything is essential, at least consider putting something in one or multiple Appendices.
• Structure: While titles can change, a typical thesis will have: a Summary/Abstract ; an Introduction chapter; a Preliminaries/Background chapter covering the literature review with background theory and tools used in your thesis (cover only what you need for your work, no need to write a full textbook or to show off knowledge of unrelated topics); likely a Methods chapter explaining more in detail what you actually did in the thesis (e.g., describe your model(s), your data, your theory); a Results chapter showing your method applied to the data; and a final Discussion chapter summarizing the thesis and conclusions. If needed, you could also have an Appendix for extra material. Of course, these are just generic guidelines - depending on your thesis work, you might have two chapters with results, or no methods chapter, etc.
• Consistency: The Master's thesis is a unified scholarly work so pay particular attention to consistency of notation, figures, tables, naming conventions, etc. across sections and chapters etc. (see below for more examples).
• Level of detail: Generally speaking, the thesis is about reporting what you did in a scientific way. Finding the right level of detail can be tricky, but try to be both informative and brief. You do not need to write every single detail - the thesis is not a diary of what you did. On the other hand you need to provide enough information so that the reader can figure out what you actually worked on and obtained.
• Target readership: The ideal target reader for the thesis is a peer Master's student, i.e. someone from your programme who may have taken a few different courses from you and ended up working on a completely different project for the thesis. So, when writing the thesis, think carefully what you can take for granted (e.g., you can safely assume that the reader knows what a real number is, what Numpy is, but also what K-means is), and what you may have to explain (e.g., you might have to at least write a paragraph or short section on what a Gaussian process is). As a rule of thumb, anything that you did not know before starting the thesis should be explained .
• Negative results: Most explorations and attempts in science do not work, and the same is true for data science and machine learning. Luckily, the Master's thesis is not a NeurIPS submission, so there can be plenty of merit in exploring and reporting "negative" results. It is totally fine and in fact quite normal to report negative results in a Master's thesis (i.e., things which did not work as planned), but try to keep a scientific approach. If the proposed method did not work, can you explain (with evidence) or at least hypothesize why it didn't work? Would you have a proposal on what could be done to fix it, had it there been more time?
• Text format: Ensure that function names are not written in italic, e.g. in LaTeX use "\exp" and "\log" and not "exp" and "log". Similarly, use "\text{}" as needed for textual elements that are not variables. For example, use $\hat{\theta}_\text{MAP}$ to denote the maximum-a-posteriori estimate, as opposed to $\hat{\theta}_{MAP}$. We do not want "MAP" to be in italic, since it is not a variable name.
• Notation: Even for relatively common notation, explain the notation you are using (unless it's truly basic). This is a must when there might be similar notations out there. For example, "$\mathcal{N}\left(x; \mu, \sigma^2\right)$ denotes the probability density function of a normal distribution with mean $\mu$ and variance $\sigma^2$."
• Basic presentation: Check that you have labelled all the axes, you have a legend if needed, the figure is readable (e.g., font size is large enough). Figures should look pretty.
• Captions: Figure captions should be brief but informative. Describe briefly what the axes are, what is being represented in the figure (or in each panel). For example, if there is a color map, what's the color map representing? Describe what the reader should look at and give a brief takeaway message if possible, i.e. why this figure is here? What is it showing of interest?
• Link from the text: Figures are somewhat independent from the text in that they should mostly read stand-alone. However, Figures should be always referred to from the text, ideally just before or just after the figure (e.g., "As shown in Figure 1, [...]").
• Consistency: Check for consistency across figures. For example, font size, color map, naming of axes, ordering of variables, etc. should be as consistent as possible for figures in the same work (here, in the same thesis). Additional consistency, if possible without harming presentation, is a bonus (e.g., consistent axis limits across figures).
• License: You are allowed to include figures which are in the public domain or for example with a CC-BY 4.0 license . Just be sure you are specifying somewhere (e.g, in the caption) the source and its license. In most cases, be mindful to modify the figure for your purposes, do not just copy-paste it (e.g., you might not need all the details from the original figure, or you might have to modify something to keep consistency with the rest of your thesis).
• Format: If you can, try to render figures as vector-based graphics such as pdf or svg, rather than as bitmap (png or jpg), to make them sharper and smaller in filesize.
• General comments: What written above for Figures generally applies to Tables too. Make sure that the tables are well-presented, readable, the caption is explanatory, the layout is consistent, etc.
• Figure or Table?: Think if the content of a table could be better conveyed using a figure (and vice versa: a very cluttered figure could become a neat table).

References:

• How many: The Master's thesis is a piece of scholarly work, so we expect to see appropriate citations to the literature (especially in the introductory and preliminary parts, but also later). Again, there is no set requirement for number of citations, but if your thesis cites less than ten articles / conference papers / books you could probably do a bit more of literature review, or be more mindful in citing the papers related to the methods you are using.
• Format: There are many different bibliography options to choose from in LaTeX. For a thesis , I recommend against the default number-only citation format, which is non-informative and hard to parse for humans (e.g., what's citation [31]?). Instead, use a "(Author(s), Year)" citation format, or alternatively the alphanumeric [authors' initials + year] format, e.g. "[ABC22]". One or the other might be more popular, depending on the community. If you use the author + year format, be sure to appropriately use \citep{} or \citet{} depending on the context.
• Bibliography check: Double and triple-check your formatted bibliography as generated by LaTeX. You will likely be using BibTex in LaTeX for your bibliography. Check that your .bib files are correct and that the references appear correctly in the bibliography. It is very easy that .bib entries taken from e.g. Google Scholar have missing parts (name of the journal, page number, even authors), or perhaps refer to an earlier arXiv preprint while the paper has been in the meantime published in a journal or conference. It is your job as a scholar to ensure the up-to-date validity and correctness of your bibliography. So be sure to read through the generated PDF to at least spot glaring omissions, and put effort in polishing the bibliography.
• Capitalization: As a subset of the above check, you want to capitalize words in article titles correctly (e.g., "Bayesian" should be capitalized, not "bayesian"). In a .bib entry, you can force BibTex to keep the capitalization by using curly brackets around letters. For example, you can write "title={{V}ariational {B}ayesian {M}onte {C}arlo}" to ensure proper capitalization.
• Reference management software: To keep track of references used during the thesis work and writing, it might be useful to use some reference management software (beyond a .bib file), such as Zotero or Paperpile .

Miscellanea:

• Footnotes: Unless stated otherwise, you can have footnotes in your thesis; which can be a good way to add side information without cluttering the main text. Use them sparsely and wisely.
• Spell-checking: Wherever you write your .tex files, you should find a way to run a spell-checker at least at the end, when you are polishing the text. For example, there should be one in Overleaf. A spell-checker should be able to catch the most obvious mistakes. Google's spell-checking (in doc and gmail, for example) is also very good. One notorious point to be aware of for some non-native English speakers, including myself, is the usage of articles (i.e., "the" or "a") which can be quite random, but modern spell checkers (at least the Google ones) are able to spot this and recommend when an article should be added or removed.
• Perspective: While important as the final step of your Master's studies, keep in mind this is a Master's thesis and not a doctoral dissertation, so make sure that the scope is appropriate, do not spend too many months on it. If you plan to continue with research, consider applying for a PhD position, which sometimes could build on top of your Master's work (if not directly, at least in terms of gained experience).
• Writing guides: Consider reading a book about scientific/academic writing (or at least some blogs/articles). There are also online courses available on the topic, such as on Edx and Coursera, which are often free if you only audit the course. As an example, read about "topic sentences" and see if they could help your writing process.

Thesis Review:

• These points are specific to the University of Helsinki.
• The thesis submission and review is performed in E-thesis . This is where you will submit your thesis when ready.
• Supervisor: The supervisor is the main instructor of the thesis, someone with a doctoral degree and employed by the Faculty of your Master's program (e.g., the Faculty of Science if you are in the Master's Programme in Data Science or Computer Science). 
• Examiners: The examiners are two people who review and grade the thesis once it is submitted. The examiners need to be a University of Helsinki professor, associate or assistant professor, senior university lecturer, university lecturer or research director, together with a person who has at least a doctoral degree. The supervisor will almost always also be an examiner. Your supervisor (i.e., likely me if you are reading this) will find suitable examiners for your thesis, so this should not worry you.

Use of Large Language Models (LLMs):

• Master's in Data Science Guidelines: First of all, check the guidelines about AI usage provided for the Master's Programme in Data Science. In particular, " If you use a language model to produce the work you are returning, you must report in writing which model (e.g. ChatGPT, DeepL) you have used and in what way. This also applies to theses ." Disclose the usage in the Acknowledgments or some other appropriate section of the thesis.
• Beware of nonsense: It is your job to check that the output produced by the LLM is correct and meaningful. In particular, be aware of the tendency of many LLMs, when dealing with complex technical contexts, of spouting well-written word salads which really mean absolutely nothing. Another common problem is that LLMs can deal badly with technical words, for example substituting technical words with non-technical ones, with hilarious effects.
• Writing style: The writing style of some LLMs (ChatGPT in particular) is recognizable from miles away, objectively terrible, stereotyped, and banal. The sentence structure used by ChatGPT (at least at the time of writing) is over-repetitive, as well as its choice of wording ("leverage", "innovative", "tapestry", etc.). Moreover, ChatGPT has a tendency of overselling its content ("innovative", "groundbreaking", etc.). This is not generally true of all LLMs (and definitely is not a statement about their general writing capabilities; even GPT-3 could write better than this), but just a fact to be aware of and which might not be obvious if you have not spent many hours reading ChatGPT-generated content.
• Knowledge gathering: Writing aside, there are other areas where modern LLMs and AI tools can help during a Master's thesis. For example, in addition to Google Scholar and other academic repositories and good old-fashioned search, LLM-based services such as Perplexity and Elicit (and others) can be successfully used as additional tools to expand the way a researcher can explore the literature, find related work, and improve their understanding.
• Conclusions: In sum, I am in favor of using LLMs in writing especially to break the "blank page" and get things started, or occasionally to suggest how to write or rewrite a paragraph or sentence, but you need to remain in full control of the produced text. In particular, do not switch off your critical thinking and do not blindly accept what the LLM is proposing. We know what the extreme of that might look like .

Acknowledgments:

Thanks to Antti Honkela , Marlon Tobaben and Aki Rehn for useful comments and suggestions.

How to Write a Master's Thesis: A Guide to Planning Your Thesis, Pursuing It, and Avoiding Pitfalls

#scribendiinc

Part 1: Initial Considerations

Who needs to write a master’s thesis.

Thesis writing is one of the more daunting challenges of higher education. That being said, not all master's students have to write a thesis. For example, fields that place a stronger emphasis on applied knowledge, such as nursing, business, and education, tend to have projects and exams to test students on the skills and abilities associated with those fields. Conversely, in disciplines that require in-depth research or highly polished creative abilities, students are usually expected to prove their understanding and independence with a thesis.

What's Your Goal?

Do you want to write a thesis? The process is a long one, often spanning years. It's best to know exactly what you want before you begin. Many people are motivated by career goals. For example, hiring managers may see a master's degree as proof that the candidate is an expert within their field and can lead, motivate, and demonstrate initiative for themselves and others. Others dream of earning their doctorate, and they see a master's degree as a stepping stone toward their Ph.D .

No matter what your desired goal is, you should have one before you start your thesis. With your goal in mind, your work will have a purpose, which will allow you to measure your progress more easily.

Major Types of Theses

Once you've carefully researched or even enrolled in a master's program—a feat that involves its own planning and resources —you should know if you are expected to produce a quantitative (which occurs in many math and science programs), qualitative (which occurs in many humanities programs), or creative (which occurs in many creative writing, music, or fine arts programs) thesis.

Time and Energy Considerations

Advanced degrees are notoriously time and energy consuming. If you have a job, thesis writing will become your second job. If you have a family, they will need to know that your thesis will take a great deal of your attention, energy, and focus.

Your studies should not consume you, but they also should not take a back seat to everything else. You will be expected to attend classes, conduct research, source relevant literature, and schedule meetings with various people as you pursue your master's, so it's important to let those you care about know what's going on.

As a general note, most master's programs expect students to finish within a two-year period but are willing to grant extra time if requested, especially if that time is needed to deal with unexpected life events (more on those later).

Part 2: Form an Initial Thesis Question, and Find a Supervisor

When to begin forming your initial thesis question.

Some fields, such as history, may require you to have already formed your thesis question and to have used it to create a statement of intent (outlining the nature of your research) prior to applying to a master’s program. Others may require this information only after you've been accepted. Most of the time, you will be expected to come up with your topic yourself. However, in some disciplines, your supervisor may assign a general research topic to you.

Overall, requirements vary immensely from program to program, so it's best to confirm the exact requirements of your specific program.

What to Say to Your Supervisor

You will have a supervisor during your master's studies. Have you identified who that person will be? If yes, have you introduced yourself via email or phone and obtained information on the processes and procedures that are in place for your master's program? Once you've established contact, request an in-person meeting with him or her, and take a page of questions along with you. Your questions might include:

• Is there a research subject you can recommend in my field?
• I would like to pursue [target research subject] for my thesis. Can you help me narrow my focus?
• Can you give me an example of a properly formatted thesis proposal for my program?

Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help (to a Degree)

Procedures and expectations vary from program to program, and your supervisor is there to help remove doubt and provide encouragement so you can follow the right path when you embark on writing your thesis. Since your supervisor has almost certainly worked with other graduate students (and was one at some point), take advantage of their experience, and ask questions to put your mind at ease about how to write a master’s thesis.

That being said, do not rely too heavily on your supervisor. As a graduate student, you are also expected to be able to work independently. Proving your independent initiative and capacity is part of what will earn you your master's degree.

Part 3: Revise Your Thesis

Read everything you can get your hands on.

Whether you have a question or need to create one, your next step is simple and applies to all kinds of theses: read.

Seek Out Knowledge or Research Gaps

Read everything you can that relates to the question or the field you are studying. The only way you will be able to determine where you can go is to see where everyone else has been. After you have read some published material, you will start to spot gaps in current research or notice things that could be developed further with an alternative approach. Things that are known but not understood or understood but not explained clearly or consistently are great potential thesis subjects. Addressing something already known from a new perspective or with a different style could also be a potentially valuable project. Whichever way you choose to do it, keep in mind that your project should make a valuable contribution to your field.

Talk with Experts in Your Field (and Don't Be Afraid to Revise Your Thesis)

To help narrow down your thesis topic, talk to your supervisor. Your supervisor will have an idea of what is current in your field and what can be left alone because others are already working on it. Additionally, the school you are attending will have programs and faculty with particular areas of interest within your chosen field.

On a similar note, don't be surprised if your thesis question changes as you study. Other students and researchers are out there, and as they publish, what you are working on can change. You might also discover that your question is too vague, not substantial enough, or even no longer relevant. Do not lose heart! Take what you know and adjust the question to address these concerns as they arise. The freedom to adapt is part of the power you hold as a graduate student.

Part 4: Select a Proposal Committee

What proposal committees are and why they're useful.

When you have a solid question or set of questions, draft a proposal.

You'll need an original stance and a clear justification for asking, and answering, your thesis question. To ensure this, a committee will review your thesis proposal. Thankfully, that committee will consist of people assigned by your supervisor or department head or handpicked by you. These people will be experts who understand your field of study and will do everything in their power to ensure that you are pursuing something worthwhile. And yes, it is okay to put your supervisor on your committee. Some programs even require that your supervisor be on your committee.

Just remember that the committee will expect you to schedule meetings with them, present your proposal, respond to any questions they might have for you, and ultimately present your findings and thesis when all the work is done. Choose those who are willing to support you, give constructive feedback, and help address issues with your proposal. And don't forget to give your proposal a good, thorough edit and proofread before you present it.

How to Prepare for Committee Meetings

Be ready for committee meetings with synopses of your material for committee members, answers for expected questions, and a calm attitude. To prepare for those meetings, sit in on proposal and thesis defenses so you can watch how other graduate students handle them and see what your committee might ask of you. You can even hold rehearsals with friends and fellow students acting as your committee to help you build confidence for your presentation.

Part 5: Write Your Thesis

What to do once your proposal is approved.

After you have written your thesis proposal and received feedback from your committee, the fun part starts: doing the work. This is where you will take your proposal and carry it out. If you drafted a qualitative or quantitative proposal, your experimentation or will begin here. If you wrote a creative proposal, you will now start working on your material. Your proposal should be strong enough to give you direction when you perform your experiments, conduct interviews, or craft your work. Take note that you will have to check in with your supervisor from time to time to give progress updates.

Thesis Writing: It's Important to Pace Yourself and Take Breaks

Do not expect the work to go quickly. You will need to pace yourself and make sure you record your progress meticulously. You can always discard information you don't need, but you cannot go back and grab a crucial fact that you can't quite remember. When in doubt, write it down. When drawing from a source, always create a citation for the information to save your future self time and stress. In the same sense, you may also find journaling to be a helpful process.

Additionally, take breaks and allow yourself to step away from your thesis, even if you're having fun (and especially if you're not). Ideally, your proposal should have milestones in it— points where you can stop and assess what you've already completed and what's left to do. When you reach a milestone, celebrate. Take a day off and relax. Better yet, give yourself a week's vacation! The rest will help you regain your focus and ensure that you function at your best.

How to Become More Comfortable with Presenting Your Work

Once you start reaching your milestones, you should be able to start sharing what you have. Just about everyone in a graduate program has experience giving a presentation at the front of the class, attending a seminar, or watching an interview. If you haven't (or even if you have), look for conferences and clubs that will give you the opportunity to learn about presenting your work and become comfortable with the idea of public speaking. The more you practice talking about what you are studying, the more comfortable you'll be with the information, which will make your committee defenses and other official meetings easier.

Published authors can be called upon to present at conferences, and if your thesis is strong, you may receive an email or a phone call asking if you would share your findings onstage.

Presenting at conferences is also a great way to boost your CV and network within your field. Make presenting part of your education, and it will become something you look forward to instead of fear.

What to Do If Your Relationship with Your Supervisor Sours

A small aside: If it isn't already obvious, you will be communicating extensively with others as you pursue your thesis. That also means that others will need to communicate with you, and if you've been noticing things getting quiet, you will need to be the one to speak up. Your supervisor should speak to you at least once a term and preferably once a week in the more active parts of your research and writing. If you give written work to your supervisor, you should have feedback within three weeks.

If your supervisor does not provide feedback, frequently misses appointments, or is consistently discouraging of your work, contact your graduate program advisor and ask for a new supervisor. The relationship with your supervisor is crucial to your success, especially if she or he is on your committee, and while your supervisor does not have to be friendly, there should at least be professional respect between you.

What to Do If a Crisis Strikes

If something happens in your life that disrupts everything (e.g., emotional strain, the birth of a child, or the death of a family member), ask for help. You are a human being, and personal lives can and do change without warning. Do not wait until you are falling apart before asking for help, either. Learn what resources exist for crises before you have one, so you can head off trauma before it hits. That being said, if you get blindsided, don't refuse help. Seek it out, and take the time you need to recover. Your degree is supposed to help you become a stronger and smarter person, not break you.

Part 6: Polish and Defend Your Master's Thesis

How to write a master’s thesis: the final stages.

After your work is done and everything is written down, you will have to give your thesis a good, thorough polishing. This is where you will have to organize the information, draft it into a paper format with an abstract, and abbreviate things to help meet your word-count limit. This is also where your final editing and proofreading passes will occur, after which you will face your final hurdle: presenting your thesis defense to your committee. If they approve your thesis, then congratulations! You are now a master of your chosen field.

Conclusion and Parting Thoughts

Remember that you do not (and should not) have to learn how to write a master’s thesis on your own. Thesis writing is collaborative, as is practically any kind of research.

While you will be expected to develop your thesis using your own initiative, pursue it with your own ambition, and complete it with your own abilities, you will also be expected to use all available resources to do so. The purpose of a master's thesis is to help you develop your own independent abilities, ensuring that you can drive your own career forward without constantly looking to others to provide direction. Leaders get master's degrees. That's why many business professionals in leadership roles have graduate degree initials after their last names. If you already have the skills necessary to motivate yourself, lead others, and drive change, you may only need your master's as an acknowledgement of your abilities. If you do not, but you apply yourself carefully and thoroughly to the pursuit of your thesis, you should come away from your studies with those skills in place.

A final thought regarding collaboration: all theses have a section for acknowledgements. Be sure to say thank you to those who helped you become a master. One day, someone might be doing the same for you.

Image source: Falkenpost/Pixabay.com 

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Master's thesis

Master's Thesis is a part of Master's degree in other fields than technology and Master's thesis in technology / architecture is a part of Master of Science in Technology /Architecture degree.

The aims and place of the thesis in degrees

During the studies, students gradually gain the skills they need to write the thesis. In order to graduate, you should master the learning outcomes set for your degree and thesis.  

The aim of the Master’s thesis is that 

• the student is well familiar with his/her field and especially the field of his/her thesis topic  
• the student possesses the skills necessary for applying scientific knowledge and methods or the knowledge and skills required for independent and demanding artistic work 
• the student has good communication and language skills that can be applied in his/her field and other applicable fields 

Students mainly complete the Master’s thesis during the second year of studying for the Master’s degree; it is part of the advanced studies in the degree programme. You must have graduated with a Bachelor’s degree or your Bachelor’s thesis must be approved before you can start working on the Master’s thesis and drawing up the supervisory plan with your supervisor.  

The goals of theses based on learning outcomes. As you work on your thesis, your research skills, knowledge of the subject matter in the field, academic language and communication skills as well as your scientific debating skills are enhanced through peer learning and supervision, and via the discussion you conduct with previous research. Working on the thesis means practising independent research in accordance with good scientific practice. Your faculty or degree programme defines the form of the thesis more closely (see the section on your faculty).

The stages of the Master’s thesis are outlined below

Academic guidance and counselling.

Writing a Master’s thesis starts with participation in the thesis seminar and deciding on the topic. You will be assigned at least one supervisor – the responsible supervisor – who supports your work in matters related to the content and research process throughout the thesis process. The responsible supervisor is familiar with the assessment criteria of theses and discusses them with you. If the thesis has two supervisors – the responsible supervisor and the other supervisor – at least one must be well familiar with the topic of the thesis and both should hold degrees at least on the same level as the thesis in question. A person who is not a member of the University community may also act as a supervisor based on his/her expertise in the field.

The supervisor(s) and the student draw up a supervision plan that defines the rights, responsibilities and duties of the parties and the duration of the supervisory relationship. In the supervisory situation, a common understanding of the academic requirements of the thesis and of good scientific practice is also formed. The timing of supervision and the stages of the thesis process are also agreed upon. The supervisory plan also defines the target time of completing the thesis, which also gives an indication of the length of the supervisory relationship.

Your work process is the core of the supervision process. Supervision supports your learning process and your growth as an academic expert. You are in charge of your motivation and working and the way the thesis process advances. Faculties take care of the equal distribution of supervision work and including supervision in the teachers’ work plans.   

The faculty also defines the practices applied if any changes, conflicts or problems arise in the supervisory relationship.

Theses done in pairs or groups 

Doing the thesis with another student or in a group is agreed with the supervisor. If the thesis is undertaken by a pair or a group, each student must be able to demonstrate his/her share of the work because the thesis is fundamentally about practising independent scientific work. The thesis is assessed for each student individually. 

Language of the thesis

The language of the thesis is either Finnish or the main language of the student’s degree programme. The supervisor of the thesis decides on the use of other languages than the ones mentioned above. 

A student studying in an English-language degree programme may write his/her thesis in Finnish. However, if the student wants his/her academic record to show that he/she has earned the degree in English, it may be required that the thesis is also written in English. 

If the student has not demonstrated language and communication skills in his/her field in the Bachelor’s degree, they are demonstrated in the maturity test related to the Master’s thesis. The demonstration of language skills in relation to the thesis is described in more detail in the section on the maturity test.

The thesis seminar

To support working on the thesis, a thesis seminar or other teaching and activities that aid the thesis process are organised.   

In the thesis seminar, students especially gain peer supervision and peer learning skills as well as those on academic writing, information seeking and scientific debate. The seminar guides and supports working on an independent thesis and the parts it consists of, such as defining the research problem, outlining the topic, and structuring and reporting the research results. In the seminar, students also learn about the assessment criteria of the thesis. As far as possible, you should strive to complete your thesis in the seminar. 

If the curriculum of the degree programme does not include a seminar on the Master’s thesis in the fields of technology, other means of supervision must ensure that students receive sufficient support for writing the thesis and learning research skills. 

Adherence to good scientific practice

Learning outcomes related to good scientific practice are included in all theses. Review the guidelines on good scientific practice and consult your supervisor if you need further guidance. As part of the process of facilitating the writing process, the supervisor should ensure that you are familiar with good scientific practice and able to work accordingly. 

Also remember the accessibility of the thesis.

The originality checking of a thesis 

During the writing process, you may use the originality check tool found on your supervisor’s Turnitin section on Moodle. It will give you a comparative report on your text that will help you evaluate the appropriateness of your citation practices. You can always ask your thesis supervisor for advice on interpreting the comparison report.

The student and the thesis supervisor agree about the point when the thesis is ready for the official originality check and the subsequent actual assessment. You enter the text of your completed thesis in the originality checking software after which the supervisor reviews the originality report. After the supervisor has checked the originality report, you may submit the thesis for the actual assessment process. 

Finding a thesis placement - Commissioned theses  

You may do your Master’s thesis as a commissioned study for a principal that can be a company or another body. A thesis is a scientific study that is assessed on the basis of academic criteria and it must be completed within the target time. The supervisor and examiners at the University are responsible for the academic guidance and assessment of the thesis. The principal may appoint a contact person who may also participate in the supervision of the thesis. The principal must also be aware of the academic nature and publicity of the thesis. You, the reponsbile supervisor and the principal agree on the topic, schedule and objectives of the thesis.  Make a written agreement with the principal on any fee paid to you. 

The University has drawn up a checklist for the first meeting on a commissioned thesis on issues that should be covered in the meeting.

Copyright of the thesis 

Copyright issues are also related to the publicity of the thesis. The student is reponsible for the contents of the thesis and ascertaining his/her rights to it. The author of a thesis that is intended for publication must have full copyright to the thesis, including any pictorial material, tables or other material, or have the right to publish such material online. 

Further information on copyright is available on the Library’s Open Access guide and on the following websites:  https://libguides.tuni.fi/opinnaytteet/julkaisuluvat_tekijanoikeus

• ImagOA: Open science and use of images: a guide on the Aalto University website http://libguides.aalto.fi/imagoa_eng

Publicity of the thesis and processing confidential information

Under law, the thesis is a public document (1999/621). A thesis becomes public as soon as it has been approved. After a thesis has been approved, it cannot be modified in any way. Confidential information cannot be included in a thesis. Publishing the thesis or its parts elsewhere, eg as articles, does not change the publicity requirement.  

If confidential information is processed in relation to the thesis, its use should be agreed with the supervisor and the possible principal in advance. The actual thesis should be written in a manner that allows publishing all of its parts. The possible confidential information should be incorporated in the appendices or background data that are not published. The separate data is not archived at the University.   

Other help and support during the writing of a thesis

You are not alone with your thesis. Support is available, for example, on information searching and data management as well as writing and making progress . Support is offered by the University’s joint counselling services, Language Centre and Library and Data Service.

Maturity test

Purpose of the maturity test .

With the maturity test, the student demonstrates his/her familiarity with the field of the thesis and his/her Finnish or Swedish language skills. (Government Decree on University Degrees 794/2004). See below for information on other languages.  

If the student has already demonstrated his/her language skills in the Bachelor’s degree, he/she only demonstrates his/her familiarity in the field of the thesis in the maturity test.  

Language of the maturity test 

If Finnish or Swedish language skills are to be demonstrated in the Master’s degree studies, the language of the maturity test is defined as in the Bachelor’s degree. 

If a student is not required to demonstrate his/her language skills in the Master’s degree, he/she takes the maturity test in the language of the thesis.  

Form of the maturity test 

The abstract of the thesis serves as a maturity test if the Finnish or Swedish language is not checked. If the language needs to be checked, the supervisor prepares the student's maturity test for EXAM.

Submitting the thesis for assessment

When the thesis is nearing completion, the student discusses the final stage with his/her supervisor. The student and the supervisor agree on the pre-examination of the thesis and any corrections that are still needed. After the pre-examination and the final corrections, the supervisor gives the student permission to submit the thesis for assessment. The student feeds the final version of the manuscript to the originality checking software in a manner provided by the supervisor who will check the originality report. The originality check of the thesis should be completed before the thesis is submitted for assessment.  

When you submit your Master’s thesis to assessment in the publication archive Trepo you also ensure that the originality check of the thesis has been done and that your supervisor has given you permission to submit the thesis for assessment. The student also decides what kind of a publication permission he/she gives to the thesis. Note that you must be registered as present in order to submit a thesis on Trepo.

The student should let the supervisor know when the thesis can be retrieved from Trepo. The student receives a message from the Library within a few days of submitting the thesis for assessment. The assessment deadline is calculated from the date of the email sent to the supervisor. 

Assessment and grade of the thesis

The responsible supervisor proposes examiners either at the start or the end of the thesis process. Use this form to make the proposal 

Thesis supervision plan (Master’s thesis) and proposal of examiners

Examiners of a Master’s thesis  

The supervisor(s) of the thesis may also act as the examiners of the thesis if they fulfil the requirements stipulated in the Tampere University Regulations on Degrees.  According to Section 28 “At least one of the examiners must be employed by Tampere University”. Both examiners must have completed at least a master’s-level degree."

The thesis examiners have 21 days to review the thesis after it has been submitted for evaluation.  The results on theses submitted for examination during the period from 1 June to 31 August may take longer to be published. For justified reasons, the dean may make an exception to the deadline. Such exceptions must be communicated to the students in advance.   

Master’s theses are assessed with a grading scale from 0 to 5.  The grades are 1 (sufficient), 2 (satisfactory), 3 (good), 4 (very good) and 5 (excellent). Assessment criteria given by the faculties can be found at the bottom of this page.

Students will receive the examiners’ statement and grade proposal by email to their tuni.fi email address. Students will then have seven (7) days to provide a written response to the examiners’ statement. The countdown begins when the email is sent to the student. A possible written response is addressed to the student’s faculty and will be reviewed by the dean. The dean will assess whether there is reason to reconsider the grade or whether he or she will confirm the final grade based on the examiners’ statement. The dean can also appoint an additional examiner to review the thesis or bring the matter before the Faculty Council.  

If a student does not provide a written response, the dean will confirm the final grade of the thesis based on the examiners’ statement. If a student is satisfied with the assessment outcome, he or she can expedite the process and the entry of the thesis on his or her academic record by immediately informing the faculty thereof by email. The procedure for providing a written response does not apply to theses counted towards the degree of Licentiate of Medicine.

A student cannot submit a new thesis to replace an already approved one.  

Appealing against thesis assessment

A student dissatisfied with the assessment outcome of a master’s thesis (or equivalent) can submit a written appeal (request for rectification) to the relevant Faculty Council within 14 days of receiving the results.

An appeal can be delivered in writing or by email.

Postal address: Tampere University, FI-33014 Tampere University, Finland

Street address: Kalevantie 4, campus information desk, 33100 Tampere, Finland

Email: tau [at] tuni.fi (tau[at]tuni[dot]fi)

Electronic archiving and publishing of the thesis 

According to a decision by the National Archives of Finland (AL/11085/07.01.01.03.02/2016) on the permanent electronic preservation of universities’ theses and Tampere University’s information control plan that is based on it, Tampere University’s Master’s theses are permanently archived. All theses are electronically archived. The Library is in charge of archiving theses and dissertations on the University’s publication database. 

All theses are public and saved in the University’s publication database. According to the University’s strategic alignment on open science, all theses and dissertations are openly published unless the publisher’s conditions prevent it. All theses may be read with the Library’s computers and online if the student has granted permission to publish the thesis on the internet.     

After approval, all theses are stored in the comparison database of the originality checking software.  

Open Faculty of Education and Culture (EDU)

Open faculty of information technology and communication sciences (itc), open faculty of management and business (mab), open faculty of medicine and health technology (met), open faculty of social sciences (soc).