Thesis in the master´s degree

Summary of the page

• The thesis is a work-life oriented development task as part of the master´s degree
• It deepens your professional expertise and supports your own work or your organisation’s development
• The thesis is carried out as a research-oriented and practice-based development process
• Possibility of different formats (report, portfolio or article)
• A supervised process whose results are usable in working life

The summary has been compiled using artificial intelligence.

Objective of the thesis

The thesis is a process of the student’s professional development. In it, the student deepens their field-specific competence, hones their skills as a developer in working life and demonstrates their ability for research-oriented and independently creative work. The thesis is linked to the completed studies, the earlier theoretical background of the topic and information obtained from working life. According to Laurea University of Applied Sciences’ master´s degree curricula, after completing the thesis the student is able to

• independently carry out development work in their field
• apply acquired research knowledge in their thesis critically and analytically
• apply data acquisition and analysis methods suitable for the development task
• document and report the chosen applied research and development method and its results
• act as an expert in a community engaged in applied research and development
• independently seek information and monitor, analyse and critically evaluate the development of professional practices and research knowledge in their field
• produce and apply knowledge independently.

Master’s degree theses are by nature aimed at developing and renewing working life. Knowledge generated during the thesis process is used to solve problems and emerging challenges, to develop new solutions, methods, models and new expertise, rather than solely applying information produced by scientific research directly to practice. The thesis is integrated into students’ studies so that students develop as experts who improve their own work and their field.

Theses are carried out in various working life organisations or development projects. Most often the thesis is organised as a communal development process with other participants. In such cases, the participants in the thesis act as a community that produces new knowledge and develops not only their own company/unit but also the field and working life more broadly. This is organisational learning and continuous learning and self-development of individuals within the organisation, deepening a common view of possibilities for developing activities. A thesis can also be done together with another student.

Thesis as a research report

The thesis is written using Laurea’s thesis template and a clear formal style. For citation practices, follow Laurea’s separate guidelines for written works: see Citation and source reference practices at Laurea (pdf). The thesis is primarily written in the language of instruction of the programme.

The structure of the thesis depends on the objectives and formats of the thesis. The research-report structure can be used as a starting point, but when describing development activities special attention should be paid to describing the development environment, defining objectives, describing the different stages of the development process and evaluating the development activities and their results.

The thesis should be coherent in structure and include the following parts:

1. cover page
2. abstract in Finnish
3. abstract in English
4. table of contents:
• Introduction (what is investigated/developed, why it is important, what larger entity it is connected to)
• Theoretical background (key concepts of the phenomenon under review and a synthesis or summary of the theoretical background)
• Development framework
• Purpose, objectives, development tasks and development questions
• Methodological solutions
• Description of the development method and how the method is used in the thesis
• Data collection: what kind of data is collected and how the data is collected
• data management plan (where the data is stored, who has access to it, how the data will be destroyed)
• Description of data analysis: how the data will be analysed
• Methodological solutions
• Development framework
5. table of contents:
6. Results (answers to the thesis objectives and questions)
7. Conclusions and reflection
• conclusions (including the dialogue between the results and the theoretical background)
• evaluation of the development framework: results, chosen methods including reliability and ethics
• topics for further development
• ethical and data protection issues related to the development work/research
• References
• Appendices
• ethical and data protection issues related to the development work/research
8. Conclusions and reflection

Thesis as a portfolio

A thesis carried out as a portfolio is an alternative way to complete a master´s thesis. In it, the theme of the thesis is decided early in the studies. This allows, for example, the consistent selection of complementary studies, different projects and other tasks and the methods used in them so that they support the planned development work. The form and content of this thesis can be prepared in various ways based on the student’s interests, the thesis topic, research and development work and the final results.

A portfolio thesis usually consists of more than one presentation material. Different works, phases and themes are linked so that they form a theoretically justified and coherent whole. This requires systematic work, editing and deepening of completed works and a summarising evaluation of results and the process. Outputs included in the portfolio do not need to be written, but they must be documentable. If the portfolio is in electronic form and public, include a link to it. Otherwise, use, for example, screenshots.

A written report is prepared for a portfolio-type thesis. It is written using Laurea’s thesis template and a clear formal style. For citation practices, follow Laurea’s separate guidelines for written works: see Citation and source reference practices at Laurea (pdf). The report follows the research report structure (introduction, theoretical background, development framework, results, conclusions and reflection).

Separate, more detailed instructions on the possibility and implementation of a portfolio thesis are provided by each degree programme. A portfolio thesis is assessed according to Laurea’s master’s thesis assessment criteria.

Thesis as an article

The thesis can also be completed as a scientific article that has been accepted for publication. In that case, the thesis student is either a) the (first) author of one article or alternatively b) the (second) author of two articles.

Thesis as a research-based development process

Five phases can be identified in the thesis process: topic analysis, planning, implementation, evaluation and publicity phases.

• Topic analysis phase, where the focus is on familiarising oneself with the phenomenon, acquiring and processing information and justifying the topic selection. The topic should be closely linked to the student’s own personal competence, own work, career or the development of their work community and should also create new knowledge more broadly for the relevant field. The thesis topic can emerge from various starting points, for example Laurea’s RDI programmes or different organisations.
• Planning phase, where the significance of the acquired information is reflected upon, interpreted and compared with previous experiences. Careful and systematic planning is a central part of development activities. In the planning phase a comprehensive plan for the development process is drawn up, which includes the approach, methodological choices, implementation process as well as the process, data management plan and product evaluation plan.
• Implementation phase, where the development task is carried out flexibly according to the plan, the development process is evaluated and monitored and experiences are shared. The innovation process may also include re-evaluation of the objectives and practices of the development work. Results and new knowledge produced in the development task are disseminated already during the implementation phase. The development task is realised as a dynamic and communal process.
• Evaluation phase, where the reliability, ethics, transferability and usability of the development process are examined. Deepening of competence is essential. In the final evaluation, it is possible to proceed to sharing and scaling the results, possibly also commercialisation. The evaluation phase presents follow-up challenges.
• Publicity phase, where the development task report/thesis is handed over and presented.

Thesis work is accompanied by research and development methods studies and seminar/workshop work. Other studies are also linked to thesis work. The aim of seminar/workshop work is to address development task topics and to promote the progress of the thesis process. The goal of seminar/workshop work is to enable and practise peer review that supports the thesis. Representatives of the work community/stakeholders are also involved in the thesis process. Each student has a personal supervisor appropriate to the topic and possibly a working life mentor. Supervision is provided in groups and individually.

Agreement with a working life partner

If the thesis is commissioned as a project, a written agreement must be drawn up with the working life partner. The topic analysis can be part of the agreement. The thesis agreement must be retained for the duration of the thesis process and for at least six months after its completion.

You can use the thesis agreement template below if there is nothing to agree on regarding the rights to use the data and results. This may be suitable, for example, for development projects where no research data is collected and results are not published based on them. For social and health care fields and other fields you will find specific agreement templates below.

Thesis agreement (social and health care fields)

Thesis agreement (other fields)

The thesis agreement template below can be used in all cases. Use the thesis agreement template below whenever it is necessary to agree on data management and rights related to the thesis. This is recommended to be used always in research-type theses.

• Thesis agreement (research and development work)
• Instructions for electronic signing of the thesis agreement
• General terms and conditions of the thesis agreement (To be given to the client with whom the agreement is signed)
• Working life feedback form
• Data transfer agreement (used when necessary)

Good partnership with working life includes discussing how the cooperation proceeds and what it contains. Have an open discussion with the working life partner about the phases and contents of the thesis work. Here you will find more information about the agreement

An RDI project includes a student who writes a thesis as part of the project. Which agreements are needed?

An RDI project includes a student who writes a thesis as part of the project. Which agreements are needed?

If you work in a project funded from outside Laurea as part of your thesis or other studies, sign Laurea’s standard rights transfer agreement, the same one that all Laurea project participants sign.

The agreement specifically mentions a thesis as an exception: “If the Research Agreement includes the creation of the Grantor’s thesis as part of the Research, rights to the thesis are not transferred to Laurea.” Laurea makes normal project agreements with collaborators, if there are such in the project, but an individual agreement between Laurea and the partner is not made for a single thesis.

Research ethics

Research ethics guidelines

All theses follow the recommendations of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK) on ethical principles of human sciences and good scientific practice as well as ethical recommendations for theses in universities of applied sciences. It is advisable to familiarise yourself with research ethics already at the beginning of the thesis process.

Theses often involve other people as information providers or research subjects. Special attention must be paid to participants’ voluntariness, information and anonymisation.

If you carry out your thesis at your own workplace, you must be aware that you are acting in the role of a researcher or developer. In such cases, you must also apply for research permission and obtain consent from persons participating in the thesis for participation and the processing of personal data.

Ethical pre-assessment

Some important topics cannot be studied without deviating from research ethical principles. In such cases, the research ethics committee assesses whether the research can be carried out in an ethically acceptable manner.

The following research setups require ethical pre-assessment:

• participation in the research deviates from the principle of informed consent (for example, consent cannot be requested or voluntariness of consent cannot be guaranteed)
• the research involves interference with physical integrity
• the research targets persons under 15 years of age without separate parental consent
• the research exposes the participant to unusually strong stimuli
• the research risks causing psychological harm to the participants or their relatives that exceeds normal everyday limits
• the implementation of the research may pose a security risk to the participant or the researcher or their relatives.

The student and the supervisor jointly apply for an ethical pre-assessment from the Ethics Committee for Human Sciences of Metropolitan Universities of Applied Sciences using the committee’s form. The application must clearly specify which research ethical issues are requested to be assessed.

Applying for research permission

With regard to research permits, follow the practices of the target organisation and the student is responsible for obtaining the research permit. Be prepared for the fact that obtaining a research permit may take time. A research permit usually requires a research and data management plan and a data protection statement.

Laurea’s research permit is required when the research targets Laurea students, Laurea staff or Laurea as an organisation. Familiarise yourself with the instructions on research permits here, follow them and submit the research permit application once you have all the required documents ready.

Informing participants, consent and reuse of data

When people participate in the thesis, for example in an interview, observation, survey or workshop, they are informed about the thesis and their role in it. This information should also include whether the thesis data will be reused or stored in a data archive. Consent for participation and for the processing of personal data is requested from participants. Consent can be requested individually on the same form or on separate forms.  

If necessary, use Laurea’s participant information template and consent template.

Research misconduct

Presenting other researchers’ or AI-generated materials without citation is plagiarism, i.e. research misconduct. A thesis student may commit plagiarism carelessly by combining texts from digital sources or copying figures from various publications.

To detect plagiarism, completed theses are checked using a plagiarism detection program. Submit your work for plagiarism checking only after you have received permission and instructions from your thesis supervisor. Some degree programmes use their own Canvas spaces for thesis work. Check with your supervisor whether you should submit to your programme’s thesis workspace or to the general YAMK Turnitin check workspace. You can join the general workspace via this link: https://canvas.laurea.fi/enroll/CGMR7H. After submitting the assignment, you can also, to be safe, send your supervisor an email with a link to the submission so that there is no ambiguity about the submission location.

Research and development ethics course

The course covers good scientific practice, ethical recommendations for theses and the rights of research participants and ethical pre-assessment. The course is completed independently, according to the student’s own schedule.

The course is a mandatory part of the master’s thesis process as follows:

• every YAMK student who started in 2021 or later must complete the course as part of their degree
• every YAMK student who graduates after 1.8.2021 must have completed the course before graduation

From January 2022 onwards, new students complete the course as part of the course Developing study skills and leadership in master’s degree studies.

The course implementations are open twice a year:

1. study period 1.12.-15.6.
2. study period 1.6.-31.12.

You can find the course in PAKI with the code “JY00BT10 Research and development ethics”. When your registration is accepted, you will automatically get access to the Canvas course area. Course completions are usually recorded once a month. If you need the record for graduation by a specific date, please complete the course well in advance and contact mooc@laurea.fi after completing the course so that the record can be made before your graduation.

Data protection of the thesis

Make sure you know the concepts of personal data before you start collecting personal data. Carefully consider which personal data you need for what purpose for your thesis. Also ensure, if necessary, the responsibilities related to personal data processing with the thesis client.

If you plan to collect or use sensitive personal data or other data where processing may pose risks to individuals, assess the necessity, proportionality and risks of the processing and the necessary measures to address the risks. An impact assessment helps demonstrate that personal data processing is appropriate and allows you to assess the risks and safeguards related to processing personal data.

Ensure that the target group understands how their data will be processed and what rights they have. If the processing of personal data is based on consent, ensure that the consent can be verified afterwards. If necessary, you can use Laurea’s data protection notice template for theses.

Protect the data appropriately and destroy personal data after you no longer need it. Process personal data only in the storage locations recommended by Laurea according to the classification of data assets: Laurea’s recommended data handling locations.

See also frequently asked questions about data protection and information security.

Data management plan for the thesis

When your work generates data (for example interviews, surveys, observations, workshops), prepare a data management plan. Good planning and preparation help you avoid unpleasant surprises and extra work later. A data management plan helps you consider in good time the implications of data protection legislation and ethical norms on the thesis and its implementation, as well as issues related to the publication of the thesis and data opening that may need to be agreed separately.

Here you will find Laurea’s master’s thesis data management plan template and instructions for preparing a data management plan:

• Laurea’s master’s thesis data management plan template (download to your computer and fill in afterwards)
• Laurea’s guide to thesis data management, data protection and research ethics 

Review the rights to the data of the client and Laurea, if necessary.

Take care of version control and appropriate storage of the work’s data. Check suitable storage locations and sharing methods for your data from Laurea’s recommended data handling locations according to classification.

What to do with the data when the thesis is completed?

Destroy your thesis data in the following cases:

• You have not informed participants in advance about further use of the data.
• The dataset containing personal data will not be anonymised.
• You have not agreed otherwise with the university or the client.

 Tips for destroying data containing personal data:

• Paper data can be destroyed effectively, for example by shredding or burning.
• Data on a USB stick can be destroyed by destroying the stick.
• For electronic data, destruction can be done for example by overwriting. Simply moving data to the computer’s recycle bin or emptying the bin does not in itself guarantee permanent destruction.

Possible retention of data: Discuss the retention of your thesis data with your thesis supervisor and client. Note that if the data contains identifying personal data or other content that prevents retention (e.g. trade secrets), you cannot retain it as is. Also note that any intended further use of the data and, for example, parallel use of the data by the client or the university, including your own further use, must be notified to participants before data collection. Further use must be explained understandably to the target persons.

Writing the abstract

Purpose of the abstract

The abstract is a miniature version of your thesis. It gives the first impression of what information the reader can expect from your thesis. When writing the abstract, imagine you are writing for a reader who is not familiar with your topic. The abstract must give an overall picture of the main content of the thesis. Note that the abstract will be publicly visible in Theseus, so it must not contain personal data or trade secrets. 

Contents of the abstract

Your task is to condense your text into one page, about 200 words. Use expressions that best describe the content and cut out detailed descriptions. You can divide your abstract into, for example, three paragraphs. In the first paragraph describe the purpose, objectives, background and target groups of the thesis. In the second paragraph briefly address methods and data. In the third describe the results, the main conclusions and development ideas. Finally, check whether the text gives an accurate picture of the central content of your thesis. 

Style of the abstract

The abstract is written in the passive voice and personal pronouns are not used. The tense of the abstract should preferably be the past tense; especially the part concerning one’s own work is written in the past tense. Use a polished formal style and try to describe your work objectively. Do not use direct question sentences. Remember to spell out abbreviations the first time they are mentioned. The abstract must function as a standalone text, i.e. it must be formulated so that references are not needed. 

Special notes for the abstract in English

• For the English abstract you need accurate English equivalents of terms, which are usually found only in the literature of the field.
• Check the English name of your programme in PAKI. Change PAKI’s language to English from the top right next to your name. The English name of your programme and degree title can be found from your student information by clicking the study entitlement information button from the front page blue box.
• You can use tools such as Microsoft Co-pilot to help with language checking of the English abstract.

Public availability and publication of the thesis

A thesis is part of a higher education degree and must be openly assessable. Accepted theses are public by the rector’s decision (Reg. 47/2006, 21.3.2016). Public availability ensures objective and equal assessment of theses. Confidential sections cannot be included in the assessed whole of the thesis.

The supervisor grants permission to publish the thesis. Laurea’s theses are published electronically in the Theseus repository.

Storage options include either:

1. Open collection meaning the work is openly available on the internet; or
2. Restricted access collection meaning access is limited to IP addresses defined by your university of applied sciences.

In practice, metadata of all works stored in Theseus (author, title, keywords, abstract) are visible online. For works stored in the restricted collection, the PDF file itself can only be opened within Laurea’s internal network. Read more about the open and restricted collections and Google visibility.

Instructions for publishing the thesis in the Theseus repository

Laurea’s theses are published electronically in the Theseus repository. When the supervisor has checked and approved the thesis, the supervisor gives the student permission to upload the completed thesis to the Theseus repository. The thesis can be uploaded to the repository only once and cannot be edited after upload. It is important to upload the final version of the thesis that has been approved by the supervisor.

Uploading the thesis to the Theseus repository

1. Convert the Word file into a single PDF file.

• Instructions for converting to PDF with MS Word
• Instructions for converting to PDF/A with MS Word

2. Go to submissions.theseus.fi and select the Theseus upload page Theseus upload instructions. Log in with Laurea credentials and choose the collection where you want to store the thesis. Laurea recommends uploading to the open collection (Theses – Open collection). If you are unsure whether to upload to the open or restricted collection, read the instructions.

3. Read the publication license and accept it at the bottom of the page. By accepting you give permission to upload the work to Theseus. After accepting the license, click Next.

4. On the next page upload the work from your computer to the repository. You can upload several files (e.g. appendices). Note! Save the thesis in PDF/A format and preferably as a single file. Uploading the thesis in Word format will not succeed.

5. Next, enter the basic publication information. Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory. Note! Put your working email address in the email field for contact after graduation.

Choose what rights you grant to the readers of your thesis. “All rights reserved” means the normal rights under copyright law. You also have the option to share selected usage rights by choosing a Creative Commons license. You can learn more about licenses on Theseus’ upload page.

Generate a URN (persistent identifier) for the work by clicking the Get URN identifier link.

Select keywords from the suggestions provided by Theseus by ticking the box next to the desired word. You can also add your own keywords from the controlled vocabulary YSO here. Start typing the desired keyword, select it from the dropdown menu and add it by clicking Add. Note! Use only suggested keywords, do not invent them yourself. Custom keywords cannot be saved in the repository. Save one keyword at a time.

6. You will receive an email confirmation that your thesis has been stored in the Theseus repository only after it has been processed. Your thesis will not appear in Theseus immediately because Laurea Library staff will check the information within a week, after which the online version of your thesis is approved in the repository. Only then will your thesis be visible on the web.

In case of problems you can ask for help from your campus library.

Thesis in the restricted collection

If a student does not want their thesis openly available in Theseus, they upload the thesis to Theseus’ restricted collection. In practice, metadata of all works stored in Theseus (author, title, keywords, abstract) are visible online. The PDF file of works stored in the restricted collection can only be opened within Laurea’s network. More information about the restricted collection and Google visibility.

Printing the thesis

You can self-publish the thesis at PunaMusta. First choose Laurea and then soft covers and cover colour number 6, white cover with blue spine tape. 

Maturity test as a press release

For a master’s degree, the student must write a maturity test related to their thesis to demonstrate familiarity with the field and language skills in the language of instruction (Government Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences 1129/2014). The university decides on the maturity test when the student is not required to have the language skills referred to in section 7, subsection 1. The maturity test is written in the student’s language of instruction. The maturity test is always completed as an individual performance.

At Laurea, the maturity test for master’s degrees is completed as a press release at the publication phase of the thesis. The maturity test demonstrates the student’s ability to communicate the results of the thesis to the media and the applicability of the results. The aim of the press release is to bring visibility to the thesis and present the achieved results in a way that is interesting to working life.

The maturity test is submitted for evaluation to the thesis supervisor at the time of thesis assessment. The maturity test is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Passing requires clear summarisation of essential information, textual coherence and a good formal style. Laurea Communications publishes press releases on Laurea’s website. Communications decides on publishing the press release according to editorial principles and criteria.

Here you can find practical instructions for writing a press release.

Thesis assessment criteria

Master’s degree thesis level requirements follow the national (NQF) and European (EQF) qualification frameworks. The thesis is assessed from three perspectives: development of working life, research orientation and independence & creativity. These criteria are valid from 1.1.2026 onwards. 

Development of working life

• relevance to working life
• development process
• use of development methods
• usability of concrete outputs of the development work for working life
• reporting

Research orientation

• theoretical background of the thesis
• research setups
• use of research methods
• research ethics

Independence and creativity

• independence and responsibility in the thesis process
• creativity and problem-solving skills
• independent reflection
• the novelty or broader transferability of the thesis results. 

The thesis is assessed by the supervisor and another teacher. A possible working life representative evaluates the usability of the thesis. The student receives a written statement prepared jointly by the assessing teachers.

Utilising a previously completed thesis

A previously published thesis at least at master’s level cannot be directly credited as part of Laurea’s master’s degree, but it can be used content-wise and/or methodologically as a starting point for the master’s thesis.

You can evaluate the suitability of the earlier thesis in relation to Laurea’s thesis criteria and the competencies you aim for during your current studies. Submit a written proposal for utilising the earlier thesis to the programme’s responsible teacher.

Together with the responsible teacher you can evaluate how the earlier thesis can be utilised to meet Laurea’s assessment criteria and the goals you have presented. The implementation must take into account the ethical principle of avoiding self-plagiarism. Clearly reference and describe how the earlier thesis has been used in the new thesis. The normally supervised work is presented and assessed according to Laurea’s thesis assessment criteria and procedures.