Thesis, Master's Degree

Kuvituskuva, läppäri ja kahvia

Lead paragraph

On these pages we have compiled a description of the steps, requirements and objectives of the thesis. You should read the material on these pages carefully and in well in advance, as it will answer many of your questions. The head of your specialisation and your thesis advisor will support you in your progress. The Master seminars will also help you to brainstorm and start your thesis.

The Master's thesis is a 30-credit (ECTS) research and development project (approximately 800 hours of student work). You can start brainstorming a thesis topic right from the beginning of your studies. First discuss the topic with the head of your specialisation and submit a topic proposal by e-mail. Then enrol for the Applied Design Research course. NB! You do not enrol for thesis in your PSP.

In the 90-credit Master's degree programme, students start their thesis at the beginning of the second academic year at the latest, so that they can complete their studies within the target time.

Haaga-Helia awards scholarships from the scholarship fund twice a year for the best theses. The amount of the thesis scholarship is 500 euros.

Master's thesis

Types of thesis

The research and development objectives, results and outputs of Master's theses can be very different. Respectively, working on the thesis can proceed in many different ways, and therefore, one general model cannot be given. However, theses have always in common that the student gets acquainted with previous research, collects and analyses one's own data or plans and implements one's own development project, and finally, describes and evaluates the results.

The Master's thesis always starts with degining the objectives of research and development. The whole process is described in a thesis report and there can also be other outputs depending on the nature of the thesis. The progress of the work between these start and end points can then take different directions. The following types serve as examples.

The development-oriented thesis progresses from getting acquainted with previous research on the topic to the analysis of the current situation of the target organisation and to the planned development and evaluation of the validity of the results. The outputs of the thesis can be, for example, a new operating model, an operating manual for the organisation or operating instructions for an ICT system. In a development-oriented thesis, in addition to development, the output can also be implemented and tested.

Another common type of thesis is a research-oriented thesis. A research-oriented thesis can be phenomenon-oriented, in which case it can focus on a current topic or challenge in working life, business or society. The student does not necessarily have an organisation or company as a commissioning party. Even in this case, the thesis progresses from getting acquainted with previous research to collecting and analysing one's own research data. The result can be, for example, development suggestions, a new operating model for business, a blueprint or other recommendations.