Instructions for submitting master’s thesis project at the Theatre Academy

These are the guidelines for submitting a thesis project.

Remember to check if your degree programme has issued additional instructions besides these guidelines. 

1. Before submitting your thesis project

If you are using the Theatre Academy’s thesis project template and have questions, you can contact the library’s maarit.heikkinen@uniarts.fi, tel. 046 922 4681. Download the thesis project template and see the schedule for guidance sessions on how to use the template in Student’s uniarts.  

Order a recording of your artistic work

If your artistic work takes place outside of the Theatre Academy, remember to agree on the recording and copyrights to the recording with the theatre/organisation in question. 

If your artistic work takes place at the Theatre Academy, fill in a description form with information on your performance (DVD covers). Order a DVD copy of your artistic work and ask for a Vimeo link by sending the description form to jyrki.oksaharju@uniarts.fi. There are separate guidelines for the Degree Programmes in Dance and Theatre Pedagogy and for productions for the Degree Programme in Acting (in Swedish) where several students complete their thesis projects. Contact the planning officer of your degree programme to check the instructions for these cases. Deliver the recording to the library. Send the Vimeo link of the recording to the planning officer. Your examiners may need it for writing their statement. 

Write an abstract

Write the thesis abstract with care. Write about a one-page abstract, the minimum word count is 250 words. The abstract presents the most important points and author information of your thesis project. The abstract also functions as a maturity test for a master’s degree. 

Publicity of the thesis

Please note that thesis projects becomes public, once it has been approved. The thesis will then be available in the archive Taju, if you have given the permission.  

Supervisors approval

Your supervisor needs to approve that the thesis is ready for examination. Send the written component to your supervisor at least one week before you are due to submit it. 

Checking the originality of your thesis

The originality of your thesis project will be checked with a plagiarism detection system. A representative of your study programme will invite you to a Moodle area where you can first test the plagiarism check if you wish and then submit the final version to the system. Once the thesis has passed the originality check, your thesis supervisor or the study programme representative will fill in the originality check form and deliver it to the planning officer of your programme. Your thesis will then be sent for examination. See instructions of how to use the plagiarism detection system.

Deliver the thesis to the library

You must deliver your thesis to the library by submitting it in the publication archive of Taju. You must ensure that the same version of the work that has been sent to the examiners is stored in the database. When you save your thesis in the publication archive Taju, you can give permission for your thesis to be published there.

2. Submit your thesis project

Send your written thesis component to the planning officer of your degree programme in PDF/A format. Follow the format Lastname_Firstname_202X.pdf when naming the file. 

Dramaturgy students: Remember to also add the play or performance script to your PDF. 

3. Thesis project approval

The planning officer of your programme will send you the examiners´ statements once they arrive. The Teaching Council will discuss your thesis project based on these statements, and once the thesis project has been approved, it will become public. You will receive information about the decision after the Teaching Council meeting. 

4. MAx catalogue of new graduates

The MAx catalogue presents new graduates each year, and the next catalogue will be published in June 2024. All master’s graduates of the ongoing academic year have the option to be featured in the publication.

Graduates will be informed about the catalogue and the related photo shoot by email. Information for the catalogue needs to be submitted by April 2024. 

5. Graduation

You can apply for a diploma once all the credits included in the degree have been entered in the register (Peppi). With the exception of graduation dates of a few months; You can apply for a degree certificate according to the graduation schedule but conditionally. The certificate application is no longer valid unless the thesis project is approved by the Teaching Council.