The thesis is an extensive and pragmatic development or research project towards the end of the studies, serving as a bridge between student and working life and promoting the student’s transition towards professional expert duties. The aim of the thesis is to develop and demonstrate the student’s ability to apply knowledge and skills in practical expert tasks related to the professional studies. Below is a brief presentation of the stages when writing a thesis.
Please also read the Wihi instructions for each stage from a separate guide.
A Choosing the topic
The topic can derive from working life, a project or it can be based on the author’s own interests. The aim is that the students themselves find the topic, but the supervisor can also assist in looking for a topic if needed.
B Thesis contract
The student can download a thesis contract form and fill in the name, objectives, research problem or development task, as well as the schedule. The student and the working-life instructor sign the form(some commissioners function as instructors, others only order the work to solve a company problem or develop something new). At the beginning of the thesis process, a kick-off meeting can be arranged between the student and the supervisors from the university and the organization involved. The contract for is on tabbed page forms.
C Implementation plan/Research plan
An implementation plan for the thesis is made at the beginning of the process. This plan is presented in a separate seminar or on a relevant course. The plan describes the background, problem or development task and the objectives of the thesis. The plan also includes a schedule for the whole work.
D Progress
During the thesis work it is very important to keep the commissioner and the supervisor up-to-date. During the writing process the student is entitled to language instruction if necessary. The language instructor will assess the language of the thesis.
E Maturity test
The teacher supervisor will decide when the student can take the maturity test and agrees on the date with the student. In the maturity test the student’s language skills and the contents of the thesis are evaluated. The language of the maturity test is assessed by the language instructor and the contents by the supervisor.
F Presenting the thesis
The thesis report is presented when it is finalized. The abstract can be used as the basis of the presentation. The oral presentation takes approximately 20 minutes including questions and answers. The presentation focuses on giving a clear overview of the thesis topic, background, objectives, methods and results.
G Self-assessment of the project
The student does a self-assessment on the thesis work and fills in a self-assessment form. The student or the teacher supervisor should also ask the commissioner, if possible, for an evaluation on the practical part of the project. Self-assessment form is on tabbed page Forms
H Submitting the thesis report for assessment
The report must be given to the supervisor for assessment two months before graduation. The report must also be sent to the Turnitin software for plagiarism detection. It is recommended to carefully study the assessment criteria for the thesis project presented in chapter 11 immediately when starting the project; that way it is easier to focus on the right aspects. Please notice that after the assessment of the thesis report it takes approximately one month before the student can graduate. Finally, the student uploads the final version of the report in the Theseus database.