Study Guide

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

Your thesis project starts from the idea of a thesis topic. The topic should come from a client company that you need to find out yourself. In practise, you work in a company, identify a development opportunity, formulate and agree on a topic with the company, write a thesis proposal and return it in Optima. That is when your thesis project has been initiated (step 1).
The proposal will be developed with a lecturer until it is approved and agreed with the client company (step 2). The supervisors from Laurea and the client company are confirmed in the agreement.
Commitment to the project schedule is confirmed in step 3.
The key milestones are listed below. The details of each step as well as the supporting templates and documents are given in Optima.
0. Ideas from previous study units, placements, projects etc.
1. Proposal (why, what, how) -> presentation (optional)
Supervisor nominated, kick-off meeting with the supervisor
2. Thesis agreement with the client
3. Project time plan (dates for key milestones)
4. Project report drafts (TOC, background, theory base)
5. Complete project report (Abstract, content, source references, conclusions)
6. External feedback from
a. Opponent (peer review) - send email to all students in this workspace to find an opponent to your presentation. Note that you have to act as an opponent to some other student at any point of your project.
b. Language teachers (abstract review)
c. Urkund (plagiarism review)
7. Presentation (mandatory)
8. Maturity test (like re-taking an exam, registration instructions)
9. Final Thesis report
10. Assesment by the client and the supervisor
11. Storage in public database (Theseus)
12. Credits issued

Location and time

Virtual implementation, remote support available, timing to be agreed.

Grading scale

H-5