To start the thesis process in MyStudies, you must apply for supervisor approval in MyStudies. You can send the application only after you have your preliminary thesis topic and you have been assigned a thesis supervisor.

How to apply:

• Go to MyStudies (http://mystudies.aalto.fi/)
• Fill in the needed basic starting information in MyStudies Thesis –tab: thesis supervisor (+advisor if any), thesis topic and the language of your thesis.
• Finally, select "Submit for Supervisor Approval”.
• Your supervisor will automatically receive a notification of your application and will approve the thesis for supervision, please wait patiently for the approval.
• Your programme’s planning officer will check the right course code for the thesis and whether you need to demonstrate language proficiency in the maturity essay. These will be marked in MyStudies within few weeks. 

What if supervisor and/or topic change during the thesis work?

• Contact your programmes planning officer and they will help you.

• Submit your thesis as a single PDF/A file containing the cover page and thesis abstract.
• Use the thesis template for all Aalto University Schools that can be found here. The first page of the submitted file should be the cover page, while the next should be the thesis abstract page.
• The cover page and the abstract are written in the same language as your thesis and depending on your language of education the abstract may need to be written in other language(s) as well.
• The abstract of your thesis acts as your maturity essay. Read more about the maturity essay and what languages it needs to be written in further down on this page under The maturity essay at the master's level.
• Save your file as an archival PDF/A file. Suitable formats: PDF/A-1a, -1b, -2a and -2b. Do not use any other file format.

Instructions for converting a file to PDF/A compliant version here

Please note that the supervisor must be approved in MyStudies before you can submit the thesis for evaluation. You can apply for supervisor approval in MyStudies (http://mystudies.aalto.fi/) >> Thesis-tab. 

Submitting the thesis

1. Submit the final version of your thesis for evaluation, grading, and archiving in MyStudies (http://mystudies.aalto.fi/) >> Thesis-tab
2. Check and complete all the thesis basic information and metadata, save the thesis as one PDF/A file, and append the file to your application.
3. A Turnitin similarity report will be generated based on the final thesis file you submit in MyStudies.
4. Track the progress of your master’s thesis evaluation and approval process in MyStudies. Once the thesis has been approved, you will also find its final grade and evaluation statement in MyStudies.

After submitting the thesis

• If the thesis and maturity essay are the last study attainments you need to complete to graduate, you can then request for graduation as a Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration). Read more on the page Graduation.
• Your supervisor will evaluate and grade the thesis.
• Once the grade has been approved, the final grade is marked on MyStudies and thesis is registered to Sisu. You can view the final grade in Sisu and MyStudies and download the evaluation statement from MyStudies. Additionally, you will receive an email to your aalto.fi email address containing the final grade, statement, and instructions on how to appeal the thesis grade decision (if needed). Your thesis will be archived in AaltoDoc.
• Follow your Aalto email as we will use it to contact you if we need additional information

The master's thesis is graded according to common criteria at the School of Business. Read the grading rubric when you are planning and writing your thesis. 

Starting from January 1, 2025 all thesis are evaluated according to the renewed rubrics. The renewed rubrics are in the pages of the School of Business (login to view the files).

1. If you notice an error before the thesis has been evaluated:
   • Suspend the thesis evaluation process by sending an email to the planning officer of your programme or to programmecounsellor-biz@aalto.fi.
2. If you wish to correct an error in your thesis after its evaluation, you can append an errata document to your thesis as instructed below.

Write your thesis abstract in the same language as the thesis and in translation as necessary (see below):

• If the language of your thesis is Finnish,
  • write its abstract in Finnish and English.
  • If your language of primary and secondary education is Swedish, write it also in Swedish.
• If the language of your thesis is English,
  • write its abstract in English and
  • in your language of primary and secondary education (if that language was Finnish or Swedish).

Note that the translations must be written regardless of whether you show language proficiency in your master’s degree.

Demonstrating language proficiency

If you are unsure about whether you need to demonstrate language proficiency in your master’s thesis, contact a planner for your programme before submitting your thesis.

Students who completed a bachelor’s degree in Finland

In principle, if you completed a bachelor’s degree at Aalto University or at another Finnish university or a Finnish university of applied sciences, you have already demonstrated your language proficiency in that degree or you received an exemption. Therefore, you do not need a demonstration of language proficiency in your master’s degree; instead, your master’s level maturity essay demonstrates your conversance with the subject area of your thesis. Approval of your thesis means approval of your maturity essay as well.

Students who completed a bachelor’s degree abroad

If you completed a bachelor’s degree abroad and your language of primary and secondary education is Finnish or Swedish, you must demonstrate your proficiency in your language of primary and secondary education by a master’s level maturity essay or by a translation of it. If you belong to this group, contact your programme planner once you have submitted your thesis. You will then receive instructions regarding how your essay or translation will be examined.

If you completed a bachelor’s degree abroad and your language of primary and secondary education is not Finnish or Swedish, your maturity essay demonstrates your conversance with the subject area of your thesis. Approval of your thesis means approval of your maturity essay as well.