Thesis process and guidelines
General guidelines for the thesis
Thesis in Bachelor’s Degree Programmes
The aim of the thesis in a Bachelor's degree programme at a university of applied sciences is to develop and demonstrate the student's ability to apply their knowledge and skills in a development task related to their field of study. At Metropolia, completing your thesis helps you learn how to plan and carry out a work-life-oriented development project based on researched knowledge and other evidence.
A maturity test is written as part of the thesis. You can find more information about the maturity test under the section Thesis Publication Stage on this page.
The extent of the thesis is either 10 or 15 ECTS credits, depending on your degree programme.
If your degree programme includes a 10 ECTS thesis, your studies will include the following thesis courses:
- XX00FU15 Planning and Execution of the Thesis Work (5 ECTS)
- XX00FU16 Finalising and Reporting of the Thesis and Maturity Test (5 ECTS)
If your degree programme includes a 15 ECTS thesis, your studies will include the following thesis courses:
- XX00EL75 Planning of the Thesis Work (5 ECTS)
- XX00EL76 Implementation of the Thesis Work (5 ECTS)
- XX00EL77 Reporting of the Thesis and Maturity Test (5 ECTS)
All theses at Metropolia are assessed using common assessment criteria, which are defined separately for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses.
The thesis process is carried out using the Wihi supervision system.
Thesis in Master’s Degree Programmes
The aim of the thesis in a Master’s degree programme at a university of applied sciences is to develop and demonstrate the student’s ability to apply research knowledge and use selected methods to analyse and solve problems in working life, as well as to perform demanding expert tasks independently. In the Master’s thesis at Metropolia, you will have the opportunity to develop your expertise and contribute to working life and your professional field in an innovative way.
A maturity test is written as part of the thesis. You can find more information about the maturity test under the section Thesis Publication Stage on this page.
The extent of the thesis is either 25 or 30 ECTS credits, depending on your degree programme.
- If your degree programme includes a 25 ECTS thesis, your studies will include the course XX00GJ97 Master’s Thesis (25 ECTS)
- If your degree programme includes a 30 ECTS thesis, your studies will include the course XX00FB87 Master’s Thesis (30 ECTS)
All theses at Metropolia are assessed using common assessment criteria, which are defined separately for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses.
The thesis process is carried out using the Wihi supervision system.
Bachelor’s and Master's Degree Programmes in Finnish
The thesis must be written in the language of the degree programme. In Finnish-language degree programmes, the thesis report is mainly written in Finnish. A teacher of Finnish language and communication is responsible for providing language guidance for the thesis.
University of applied sciences students may write their thesis in a language other than the one used in the degree programme if the degree programme grants permission for this and the degree programme provides the students with guidance for writing text in that language.
A written request to change the language of the thesis must be submitted to the head of department or another person in charge agreed by the degree programme before starting the thesis.
If a university of applied student writes their in a language other than Finnish, they must
- take part in the thesis seminar in Finnish, or
- present their thesis in Finnish.
The theses of Finnish-language degree programmes must have an abstract in Finnish and English. Guidance for writing the abstract in English is given by an English language teacher.
Bachelor’s and Master's Degree Programmes in English
The thesis must be written in the language of the degree programme. In English-language degree programmes, the thesis report is mainly written in English. A teacher of English language and communication is responsible for providing language guidance for the thesis.
University of applied sciences students may write their thesis in a language other than the one used in the degree programme if the degree programme grants permission for this and the degree programme provides the students with guidance for writing text in that language.
A written request to change the language of the thesis must be submitted to the head of department or another person in charge agreed by the degree programme before starting the thesis.
If a university of applied student writes their in a language other than English, they must
- take part in the thesis seminar in English, or
- present their thesis in English.
The theses of English-language degree programmes must have an abstract in English. If the student's language of school education is Finnish or Swedish, the abstract is written not only in English but also either of the above languages, as appropriate. Guidance for writing the abstract in English is given by an English language teacher.
All theses at Metropolia are assessed using common evaluation criteria. The criteria are defined separately for Bachelor's and Master's level theses.
You cannot complete your entire thesis through the recognition of prior learning (RPL) process. However, the degree programme may decide on the partial accreditation of a thesis for a Bachelor’s degree as a pedagogical solution, if the learning outcomes of your thesis at Metropolia can be achieved through a thesis you have completed for a previous higher education degree and through a demonstration of your competence.
The recommended method of demonstrating your competence is writing a publishable article that indicates your professional expertise. In addition, you must complete a maturity test.
In a UAS Master’s degree, there must be particularly strong grounds for the partial accreditation of a prior thesis.
The thesis process may begin in different ways depending on the degree programme, and the implementation methods can vary. However, all theses must follow good scientific practice and ethical guidelines. This includes, for example, adhering to principles of research integrity, data protection, copyright regulations, and the responsible use of AI.
For more detailed instructions, see the section Thesis and Research Ethics.
You will receive support and supervision for your thesis primarily from your degree programme. For more information, see the page Thesis guidance.
You can use AI to support different phases of your thesis, but it is important to do so transparently and responsibly. Do not present AI-generated content as your own writing, as this constitutes academic misconduct.
- Follow good scientific practice.
- The student is always responsible for the content of the thesis.
- Be open about your use of AI – do not present AI-generated content as your own writing.
- Cite all sources correctly; incomplete citation is considered misconduct.
- Verify the accuracy of AI-generated information using reliable sources.
- Respect data protection, copyright, and confidentiality obligations.
- Review the terms of use of the AI tool before using it.
- In RDI projects, also follow project-specific principles for AI use.
- See detailed guidelines on using AI in a thesis.
Different Types of Bachelor’s Theses
The aim of the Bachelor’s thesis is to develop and demonstrate your ability to apply your knowledge and skills in a development task related to your field of study. In a Bachelor’s thesis at Metropolia, you learn by doing and carry out development work in collaboration with working life. The work is based on research knowledge and other evidence.
A development-oriented thesis aims to achieve concrete development within the professional field, either by producing an output or by developing practices in working life. It often takes the form of a practice-based development project. The thesis may focus on developing a concrete product or output, or on developing activities, practices or processes.
A research-oriented thesis produces knowledge relevant to the professional field by applying research methods. It may use a quantitative or qualitative approach or be conducted as a literature review.
In a reflective thesis, you critically examine and evaluate your own work or practical training experiences, apply theory to practice, and demonstrate your professional development. The thesis is completed in a portfolio or diary-based format and includes a justified, concrete final outcome.
Model structures for the different types of theses are available under Model Structures for Different Types of Bachelor’s Theses.
Thesis agreements and templates
Here you will find a collection of agreements, forms, permits, and templates related to the different stages of the thesis process. More information about how to use each form is provided in the relevant section for each stage.
Templates to support your thesis work
- Template for thesis report
- Data Management Plan in DMPTuuli -online tool (choose DMP for thesis -template) or
Data Management Plan (Word -template)
Thesis agreement
- Thesis agreement with instructions (word)
- Amendment to thesis agreement (word)
- Notice of termination of thesis agreement (word)
Templates for research participants
Applications
- Notification of Exceptional Publication Channel for the Theses (word)
- Application for confidentiality (word)
Removal of a Thesis from Theseus: If a graduate from Metropolia wishes to have their thesis removed from Theseus for a well-founded reason, the removal request should be sent to the Metropolia Library at kirjasto [at] metropolia.fi (kirjasto[at]metropolia[dot]fi). However, a copy of the thesis will remain in Metropolia’s electronic archive, where it can be made available upon request.
Research Permit at Metropolia
If you wish to collect material for your thesis from Metropolia students or staff, you will need a research permit:
- Instructions for applying for a research permit at Metropolia (President and CEO’s decision on 14 January 2021) (in Finnish)
- Research permit application (in Finnish) for the collection of data at Metropolia
Planning stage
To complete the thesis process from start to finish, you need skills in project management and working independently. Careful planning in advance helps you progress smoothly with your work on the thesis.
The subject of the thesis is chosen by the student. You should start thinking about your subject well in advance. Defining and limiting the subject and choosing your point of view for the thesis require some careful thinking and consideration. You can approach the task of choosing your subject through the following questions, for example:
- What are the topics that particularly interest you in your professional field?
- What phenomenon or subject area would you like to explore in depth in your thesis?
- How would you like to develop your own competence?
- Can you find a suitable partner in a company or organisation for your thesis?
If your thesis is commissioned by a company or organisation, the choice of subject should address some development need of this partner. The commissioning organisation could be your employer or some other partner. You can also complete your thesis as part of one of Metropolia’s RDI projects.
When considering your thesis topic, keep in mind the ethical guidelines related to thesis work, as well as the fact that the final thesis is a public document and cannot include any confidential material.
Submit your proposal in the Wihi system
Once you have settled on the subject of your thesis, you should seek approval for it in your degree programme. You need to submit you proposal in the Wihi system. To gain approval for the subject, you should normally specify the following:
- title or working title of the thesis
- short description of the subject, aims and implementation methods of your work
- details of the commissioning entity if you are carrying out your thesis in collaboration with a company or in a project.
You may find more detailed instructions in the Wihi guidelines.
Once the subject for your thesis has been approved, the degree programme will appoint a supervisor for your work.
As part of the thesis planning phase, you are required to complete the Ethical Practices in Thesis Work course in Moodle. You can access Moodle directly through Wihi once your topic proposal has been approved and a supervisor has been assigned to you. Information about your Moodle completion will be automatically visible to your supervisor in Wihi.
In your thesis, you should make use of source literature to support your work. By referencing source literature, you will build a knowledge base for your work that you can use to create a relationship between the content of your work and previous knowledge.
The knowledge base of the thesis can be constructed in many ways. The subject, point of view and implementation methods of the thesis influence how you should start forming the knowledge base and what kind of sources to use for it.
You should reserve enough time for searching for information, in other words, finding source material and reading it. When initially charting out and evaluating source material, browsing is an important skill: you should find the materials that best support your thesis from among a vast range of alternatives.
Building the knowledge base for your thesis also means you have to make choices. There may be a lot of documented material from previous research, and you may come across several different viewpoints on the same subject or area of study. However, sometimes you may be unable find any literature that deals with your subject directly, so you’re forced to apply previous knowledge to a new area. You need a critical approach to sources, as well as the ability to make choices and limit and combine material to support your work. The key is for you to be able to evaluate how useful, important and relevant your sources are to your subject and, if necessary, to present any weaknesses in the sources you may find.
Library support for the thesis writer
Make use of the diverse resources available through the Metropolia library. You can do data searches in the library to find printed books and e-books and to access research articles and other resources from international databases.
The information search guides of the library provide tips for finding source literature. You can also study on your own using the Moodle courses, or book an appointment for personal information search guidance with an Information Specialist. For more information, see the guide for your field.
If your thesis is commissioned by an entity or if you write it as part of an RDI project, a tripartite agreement should be concluded concerning the cooperation. The tripartite agreement is signed by the writer of the thesis, a representative of the partner entity, the thesis supervisor and the head of degree programme as the representative of Metropolia.
There is a template for such an agreement in the section Thesis agreements and templates in this page.
If your thesis data collection requires a research permit, start the application process as soon as possible after your thesis plan has been approved, following your supervisor’s instructions.
If you wish to collect material for your thesis from Metropolia students or staff, you will need a research permit:
- Instructions for applying for a research permit at Metropolia (President and CEO’s decision on 14 January 2021) (in Finnish)
- Research permit application (in Finnish) for the collection of data at Metropolia
When planning your thesis, keep in mind that theses are public documents. As a rule, all completed theses are published in the Theseus database, where they are openly accessible. The publicity of theses is based on the Publicity Act (621/1999), which the UAS must comply with in all its activities. This means that the UAS must make the thesis available on request to anyone who asks to see it. A published thesis may thus not include any confidential information covered by a company’s trade secrets or other information that is classified by law.
For this reason, it is important to plan the topic and implementation of your thesis so that no confidential information appears in the version that will be published, even if such material is available to you during the thesis process.
Discuss matters related to publicity and the handling of any confidential material with your supervisor and, if applicable, with the commissioning organisation already during the planning stage of your thesis.
If your thesis includes background material that must remain confidential, you can include it in a separate appendix and apply for confidentiality using a separate application. See the section Application for Declaring a Thesis Appendix Confidential below. Please note that material included in a confidential appendix will not be considered in the thesis evaluation.
If you have a justified reason to publish your thesis in the electronic archive instead of Theseus, see the section Notification for a Different Publication Channel below. Please note that using an alternative publication channel is not a way to conceal confidential information related to your thesis.
Theses are public documents and their evaluation is based on the public part. If, during your work, you have access to background material that is confidential, you may, for well-founded reasons, apply for an appendix of your thesis to be classified as confidential in order to protect this information. The evaluators are bound by a duty of confidentiality regarding such appendices. This confidential material will not be evaluated or archived, so do not include any sections of your final thesis in the appendix.
The application for confidentiality is available in this page under Thesis agreements and templates.
You need to submit the application as a PDF attachment by email to oppimistoiminta [at] metropolia.fi (oppimistoiminta[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
If you apply for a confidential appendix for justified reasons, remember to upload the application document to Wihi. The attachment can be saved anywhere in Wihi, as long as it is not saved in a confidential area, i.e. the file can be saved in PDF format to files from the planning, implementation, reporting or evaluation phase.
See instructions for the application process:
1. Metropolia UAS obeys direction 28.1.2004 passed by The Ministry of Education and Culture, according to which, a thesis must not contain confidential information and the theses are public immediately after their acceptance. Confidential documents must be attached as a background document appendix, on which a decision is made by Metropolia’s Director of Education. It is not possible to write a completely secret thesis.
2. Before the thesis is accepted, the student must personally submit an application for declaring the thesis appendix secret. The application must contain the reasons for declaring the appendix secret, as well as the favour of the thesis supervisors. The application is addressed to the Director of Education to the e-mail address oppimistoiminta [at] metropolia.fi (oppimistoiminta[at]metropolia[dot]fi).
3. In the application, the student must state reasons how the confidential appendix fulfills the criteria for confidentiality, as stated in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (“Julkisuuslaki”, 21.5.1999/621), Section 24. Mere mention that a document is a trade secret may not complete the requirements. Therefore, Therefore, the application must explain in more detail the nature of the business or professional secret, any applications for patent or other IPR rights, any financial damage caused by the disclosure of the appendix, any change in the competitive position of a company, or any other similar reason.
4. The student must state in the application or its appendix the position of the thesis supervisors and the representative of the potential client (community / company) on the need for confidentiality.
5. The Act on the Openness of Government Activities (“Julkisuuslaki”), Section 24 provides, among other things, that the following official documents shall be secret: - documents containing information on the tactical and technical plans and methods of the police, the frontier guard, the customs authorities, the prison authorities, armed forces or military intelligence (points 5 and 10) - documents relating to or affecting the realisation of the security arrangements of persons, buildings, installations, constructions, and data and communications systems, unless it is obvious that access will not compromise the achievement of the objective of the security arrangements (point 7) - documents concerning preparations for accidents and emergency conditions, civil defense and the investigation of accidents --- or the preparation for emergency conditions (point 8) - documents containing information on endangered animal or plant species or the protection of important natural habitats, if access would compromise the protection of the species or the habitat - documents containing information on any business or professional secret of the State, a municipality, some other public corporation or a corporation, institution or foundation (point 17 and 20). A business secret is characterized by the fact that its disclosure may result in a financial loss for the company and cause an economic advantage to competitors. Business secrets also include the ability to exploit information based on business experience. A business secret can also be a technical secret. For example, business secrets are not documents that contain only information about the product that is directly apparent from the finished product. Professional secrecy refers to workmanship secrets and is often related to the information an employee receives based on their profession. Professional secrecy is often an essential part of an employee’s business. - documents concerning the basic materials for a dissertation or other scientific study, technological or other development project, or the assessment of the same (point 21). In technological development project, the issue may be, for example, a product that can later be patented. - documents containing information on the state of health of a person (point 25, also Ordinance on patient records (“Potilasasiakirjaasetus”, 298/2009) - documents containing information on the political convictions or the privately expressed views of a person, or information on a person’s lifestyle, participation in voluntary associations or leisure-time activities, family life or other comparable personal circumstances of the person (point 32)
Theses are public documents and their evaluation is based on the public part. Thesis are by default published in Theseus.
In special cases, the thesis may be published through Metropolia’s electronic archive instead of the Theseus database. Special reasons may include, for example, the student having a non-disclosure for personal safety reasons, or the thesis being unsuitable for publication in Theseus (such as an artistic work).
The notification for using a different publication channel to publish a thesis is available in this page under Thesis agreements and templates.
You need to submit the application as a PDF attachment by email to oppimistoiminta [at] metropolia.fi (oppimistoiminta[at]metropolia[dot]fi).
If you submit a notification for using a different channel to publish, remember to upload the notification document to Wihi. Once your thesis is completed, your supervisor will provide you with a link, that you save in Wihi instead of the Theseus link. The attachment can be saved anywhere in Wihi, as long as it is not saved in a confidential area, i.e. the file can be saved in PDF format to files from the planning, implementation, reporting or evaluation phase.
If a graduate from Metropolia wishes to have their thesis removed from Theseus for a well-founded reason, the removal request should be sent to the Metropolia Library at kirjasto [at] metropolia.fi (kirjasto[at]metropolia[dot]fi). However, a copy of the thesis will remain in Metropolia’s electronic archive, where it can be made available upon request.
Instructions for applying for a different publication channel for your thesis
1. Metropolia UAS follows the guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Culture (28 January 2004), according to which theses are made public immediately after approval. Publicity is based on the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), which the UAS must comply with in all its activities. This means that the UAS must make the thesis available on request to anyone who asks to see it.
2. Theses are published in the Theseus database of universities of applied sciences.
3. In special cases, the publication in the Theseus database may be waived, in which case the thesis is published via Metropolia's electronic archive. Special reasons include the non-disclosure of the student's personal data for safety reasons or that the thesis is not suitable for publication in the Theseus database (e.g. artistic work).
4. Thesis approval is part of the thesis process and is described in the thesis guidelines.
5. Before the thesis is approved, the student must apply for a different publication of the thesis by submitting an application.
6. In the application, the student must justify why he/she is requesting a different publication method.
7. NOTE! You can apply for concealment of an annex to your thesis using a different form: Application for declaring a thesis appendix confidential
Once your thesis topic has been approved, you can begin planning its implementation. The purpose of the data management plan included in your thesis plan is to ensure good scientific practice and proper handling of research materials. A well-prepared plan will guide your work throughout the entire thesis process.
Example Structure and Contents of a Thesis Plan
Title Page
Use the official thesis report template found at Thesis agreements and templates.
Table of Contents
Create a table of contents for your plan.
Example structure:
- Introduction (you may use a different title than “Introduction”)
- Theoretical Framework (title according to your content)
- Purpose and Objectives of the Thesis
- Implementation
- Ethical Considerations and Reliability
- Schedule for the Thesis Phases
- References
References
List the references you have used in your plan according to the reporting guidelines.
Appendices
- Number all appendices.
Appendix 1: Data management plan
Appendix 2: e.g., Privacy notice
Appendix 3: e.g., Data Collection Tools (such as questionnaire, interview guide)
Appendix 4: e.g., Documents required by the commissioning organization for research permit applications
Submitting the Thesis Plan to Wihi
Submit your thesis plan in Wihi for your supervisor to review and approve.
The thesis supervisor will approve the plan. If a research permit is required for the implementation of your thesis, you may apply for it according to your supervisor’s instructions once your thesis plan has been approved.
The data management plan complements the thesis plan. Its purpose is to ensure that good scientific practices are followed in your thesis.
In this context, data refers to the material collected or utilized for your thesis, on which your findings and results are based. The data may consist of material collected through interviews, surveys, or observations, or of existing data such as archives, official statistics, or licensed research data that allow reuse.
In your data management plan, you will describe what kinds of data you collect or use, how you store and, if necessary, share them, what legal (e.g. data protection) or contractual aspects apply to the data, and what happens to the data after your thesis is completed. If your thesis is a literature review, discuss with your supervisor whether a data management plan is required.
The data management plan can be created either with the DMPTuuli online tool or by using the Data Management Plan template (Word). Agree with your supervisor which format you should use. Links to the templates can be found under the section Thesis Agreements and Templates on this page.
When preparing your plan, make use of the following resources:
Guide to Data Management in the Thesis Process, which also includes instructions for using DMPTuuli
Implementation stage
The implementation stage of the thesis includes carrying out the development project or research and writing the thesis report. The ways of implementing the thesis and the order in which you progress depend on the subject and methods you have chosen. We recommend discussing the best way to proceed during the implementation stage and what kind of interim objectives you should set for your work with your supervisor.
There are many various types of development or research tasks that you can carry out for your thesis, which also means that working ways and methods will vary.
In a research-oriented thesis, your work will usually focus on collecting material and analysing and interpreting results.
If the aim of your thesis is to carry out a development project or create a product while you’re writing your thesis, then the implementation will follow the various work stages of the project or production.
It is recommended that you document your work throughout the implementation process, for example, in a journal or in another way that suits the nature of your work. This documentation can come in handy when you start working on your thesis report.
The thesis report nomore or less closely follows the structure of the research report. However, you can structure the content between the introduction and conclusion chapters in many ways. Choose a structure that suits the way you are implementing your thesis. The main thing is that you deal with the knowledge base used, the implementation and results of the work and the evaluation and analysis of the results.
A thesis report can have the following structure, for example:
- title page
- abstract in English
- abstract in Finnish
- table of contents
- (list of abbreviations or concepts)
- introduction and purpose and aims of the thesis
- presentation of the subject and the perspective, reasons for choosing the subject
- definition of the research question or problem
- knowledge base or theoretic starting points
- definition of the key concepts in the work based on source literature
- connecting the thesis to previous knowledge
- description of the implementation of the thesis, including
- description of the collection and analysis of data
- description of the development project’s progres
- results, including
- results formed based on analysis and interpretation of the data
- presentation of the final outcome or product of the development project
- conclusions and their discussion
- summary of the key results and the conclusions drawn from them
- assessment of how well the work’s aims were achieved
- reflection on the work process and the results obtained
- evaluation of the ethicality and reliability of the work
- further research possibilities
- sources
- appendices
The text of the thesis gradually develops from planning and drafting into a publishable document. It is recommended to start writing directly in Metropolia’s official thesis template, which includes a ready-made structure for the work.
Planning the structure of the table of contents often helps organise the overall framework of the thesis. You may also find it useful to sketch your ideas using a mind map or other outlining techniques to better understand the relationships between different topics.
The thesis must be written in formal standard language appropriate for academic writing. Aim for clarity and readability in your text.
A special characteristic of a thesis is that references to sources are marked precisely. Your text should indicate which parts of it are based on other sources and which convey your personal thoughts.
You should use standard referencing styles to reference the sources you use in the thesis. There are differences in referencing styles from one field to another. You can obtain more detailed instructions on how to record your source references from your degree programme.
At the end of the thesis report, you must compile a reference list where you record precise bibliographic details on all the sources used in your work. You can obtain more information on the details of compiling a reference list from your degree programme.
Before handing in your thesis for assessment and publishing it, you should check that your work is tidy in terms of language and appearance.
You can receive guidance for writing text from Finnish and English language lecturers in order to finetune the language of your thesis. Your degree programme will provide you with instructions on how to obtain guidance for writing text.
When checking your thesis from a linguistic perspective, you should at least make sure that you follow standard grammar (e.g. punctuation and the use of capital and small letters) and pay attention to the clarity of your text (e.g. clarity of your sentence structures, coherence of your text and points of reference) as well as the correctness of your referencing.
You should also check details related to the appearence of your work, including:
- how you present images and tables
- how body text and headings are laid out on the pages
- the appearance of the table of contents
- the details of the title page and the abstracts
- the layout of the reference list
- lhow you present appendices.
Theses published in the Theseus database must comply with accessibility requirements. In the Word template for a thesis, the important basic elements of accessibility are already in place (e.g. paragraph styles for various heading levels).
In addition, you should remember to create alternative texts for images and to define the properties of the document in the manner described in the thesis template.
The template also includes instructions for performing an accessibility check on the document in the word processing software. After checking it, save your work as an accessible PDF file for publication.
Metropolia has thesis templates available with predesigned layout styles for different structural elements and various ways of presenting them an an accessible form.
The templates are available in the Thesis agreements and templates section on this page.
The degree programmes may have versions of the thesis template that are specific for certain fields of study and take into account their special requirements and presentation methods. You will get information about these from you supervisor.
Publication stage
Once your thesis is complete, submit it for assessment by the degree programme, and once it has been approved, save it in the Theseus database.
All theses for a UAS Bachelor’s or Master’s degree must be checked in the Turnitin service before they are assessed and published. Turnitin is a plagiarism detection service that compares your text with previously published texts. You can obtain instructions on how to perform a Turnitin check from your degree programme.
The Turnitin report is used to assess how original your text is. Turnitin identifies sections where the content of the text is identical to the content of existing sources.
Perform the Turnitin check on the version of your thesis that you intend to publish. In other words, you should not submit any classified background material (e.g. personal and patient data or trade secrets) to a Turnitin check.
Submit your completed thesis for assessment in accordance with your degree programme’s guidelines and timetable.
The assessment of the thesis takes into consideration the entire thesis process. The areas assessed are:
- professional competence and development
- the methods used and results obtaine
- communication and presentation.
The written part, i.e. the thesis report, is assessed with due attention to both the factual content of the work and the language and layout.
- assessment criteria for Bachelor's degree theses
- assessment criteria for Master's degree theses
The thesis is assessed by at least two people: the thesis supervisor and a second assessor who was not involved in the supervision process.
A numerical grade is given to the thesis. An approved grade for a thesis cannot be raised. A written assessment of the thesis is also given.
You can submit a rectification request concerning the grade given for the thesis in accordance with the process specified in Metropolia’s Degree Regulations within 14 days of having received the assessment.
The thesis includes a maturity test that demonstrates in-depth knowledge of the field and proficiency in Finnish or Swedish, depending on which of these was your school language. The language used in the maturity test is assessed by a language teacher and the factual content is assessed by the thesis supervisor. The maturity test is completed in accordance with your degree programme’s guidelines and timetable.
If you studied at school in a language other than Finnish or Swedish, the language of the maturity test is Finnish in Finnish-language degree programmes and English in English-language degree programmes.
For more information see page on Maturity test.
Publishing your thesis
In principle, thesis done in Metropolia are published in the Theseus database. For this purpose, upload your thesis to Theseus once you have received publication permission from your supervisor. During the upload process, you will receive a URN, which you must enter into Wihi. You can copy the URN from the submission form, and you may include it in your graduation notification even if your thesis has not yet been published.
After you have uploaded your thesis to Theseus, Metropolia Library will review the metadata and will send you a confirmation email once the thesis has been published.
For more detailed instructions on uploading your thesis to Theseus, see the library’s instructions:
- Theseus instructions of Metropolia Library
- Instructions on uploading your work to Theseus on Theseus Submissions page
In case your thesis is published by using an exceptional publication channel (not Theseus), contact your supervisor for instructions on how to complete this phase in Wihi.
Archiving of your thesis
Theses that have been completed in Wihi are transferred directly to Metropolia's electronic archive. For archiving, the students must save the following document in Wihi in a pdf-format:
- the final thesis document and
- if applicable: the thesis agreement, application for using a different channel to publish a thesis, or application for classifying an appendix to a thesis.
Documents other than those mentioned above will not be transferred to the electronic archive but will remain in Wihi for 12 months after the thesis has been archived. After this period, they will be automatically deleted.
Since theses are now directly transferred to the electronic archive, they no longer need to be submitted to the library for archiving.
Different Formats of Thesis Work
In some degree programmes, the thesis is primarily completed as a pair work. In such cases, the outcome is a single thesis that is assessed as one complete entity. The scope of the work reflects the combined input of both students, and the report must clearly demonstrate the individual contributions of each student during the different stages of the thesis process (similar to a scientific research article).
It is therefore important that the thesis clearly identifies which parts were produced by each student. If the level of contribution differs significantly between the two students, they may receive different grades for the thesis.
To support collaboration, it is recommended that the students prepare a written agreement outlining the division of tasks, schedule, and objectives. This agreement helps monitor the progress of the thesis and address any challenges, which can then be discussed during supervision meetings. If there is a risk of the process being interrupted, the parties involved must consult together to resolve the situation.
It is also recommended that the students produce a separate reflection document, in which they consider their learning in research and development work as well as their own professional growth and ability to contribute to working life. This reflection document is not included in the official thesis report.
Each student must complete a maturity test individually, as a personal performance, in accordance with the Degree Regulations.
An article-based thesis refers to a thesis that includes both the writing of one or more articles and a summary section published in Theseus. Article-based theses are generally only completed in master’s degree programmes at universities of applied sciences (YAMK).
The writing of an article-based thesis must be agreed upon at the start of the thesis process by the student, the commissioner, and the supervisor. This type of thesis is particularly suitable when the topic is timely and of interest to the professional field.
The maturity test and the evaluation of the thesis are conducted according to the general guidelines also in the case of article-based theses
Article Types and Writing
The article(s) may be either scientific articles or professional expert articles.
A scientific article is published in a JUFO-classified scientific journal.
A professional article is published in an established journal within the field or as an edited expert blog intended for professionals. The publication channel and number of articles are agreed upon with the supervisor.
The article is written in collaboration with the supervisor.
The manuscript must follow the writing guidelines of the journal to which it is intended to be submitted for review and publication. If the thesis includes multiple articles, they must form a coherent whole. The articles are accepted as part of the thesis once the manuscript(s) have been submitted to the publication process. The goal is to produce a publishable article manuscript—not necessarily to receive a final publication decision.
The summary section is written using Metropolia’s thesis template and is published in Theseus. The summary follows the structure of a traditional thesis report. It demonstrates the student’s broad understanding of the topic and includes a more extensive background (theoretical framework) than the article manuscript.
Results are generally not described in the summary section, as the analyses and results to be published in the article(s) must not have been previously published. If there are multiple articles, the summary explains (as part of the implementation section) how the articles are related and what kind of whole they form.
The article manuscript is not attached to the summary section published in Theseus, because the results intended for publication must be unpublished. If the article(s) have already been published before the summary is completed, it is possible to request permission from the publisher for parallel publication, in which case the article can be attached to the summary.
Recommended structure of the summary section in an Article-Based Thesis:
- Introduction
- Purpose and objectives of the thesis
- Knowledge base
- Implementation process
- Reliability and ethical considerations
- Conclusions and reflection
The assessment of an article-based thesis is based on both the article(s)/article manuscript(s) and the summary section. If the articles have multiple authors, each thesis author must clearly indicate their individual contribution to the writing of both the article(s) and the summary section.
