Thesis project guidelines: Master of Fine Arts
These are the guidelines for completing the artistic and the written component included in a master’s thesis project.
1. Contents, objectives and schedule of the thesis project
The Master of Fine Arts thesis project consists of:
- an artistic component and its public presentation
- a written component
- public examination of the thesis project
The student is awarded 40 credits for the successful completion of the thesis project.
The master’s degree thesis is proof of the student’s artistic vision, familiarity with their chosen subject matter and capacity for independent work. After completing your thesis project, you have the necessary skills to carry out an extensive artistic project, to present it in public, and to discuss its contents orally and in writing. You are also able to reflect on your work in the context of contemporary art.
1.1 Schedule for the thesis project
Recommended schedule for the thesis project:
First year of master’s studies, autumn term:
- Start of the MFA thesis seminar (K-M351) and the writing seminar (K-M352)
- Thesis project plan: Planning the composition of the thesis project and selecting the supervisor
- Arranging the first supervision meeting
Second year of master’s studies, spring term:
- Selection of the examiners
- Continued attendance at the MFA thesis seminar and the writing seminar
- Kuvan Kevät Degree Show or other public presentation Seminar organised in connection with Kuvan Kevät
Second year of master’s studies, autumn term
- Finalising the written component
- Submission of the thesis project and the maturity test for preliminary examination by the beginning of September
- Submission of the written component of the thesis project by 1 October
- Public examination (see section 4.3.)
Notes on the schedule:
- The examiners are selected either at the beginning of the spring term of the second year of master’s studies or when the date for the public presentation of the artistic part of the thesis project and the schedule for the completion of the project have been established.
- At least three weeks should be reserved for pre-examination, but you can also submit the thesis project for pre-examination already before that (see section 3.1: Pre-examination of the written component).
1.2 Artistic component of the thesis project
The artistic component may comprise a single, extensive work, a series of works, or an artistic process. The artistic component of the thesis project is linked to the context of fine arts. The student may freely choose the form and the method of the artistic component.
The requirements of the thesis project include one public presentation. The thesis project can be exhibited at the Kuvan Kevät Degree Show or in another context according to the nature of the exhibited work.
The requirement of the public presentation can also be met, for example, by organising a solo exhibition outside the Academy of Fine Arts in some other suitable schedule. In such case, you must negotiate the schedule and other details pertaining to the exhibition with the professor of your subject area and other staff of the Academy of Fine Arts.
The thesis project or its artistic component can also be produced in collaboration with another student or a group of students. In such case, however, you must be able to specify your personal contribution to the project for assessment purposes.
The progress of the student’s thesis project is facilitated by regular discussions with the thesis supervisor. The planning and implementation of the artistic component are supported by the student’s regular attendance at the MFA thesis seminar, the Professor of their subject area, the thesis supervisor, and the Academy’s technicians. The teachers of Exhibition Studies are also available for consultation in matters related to the public presentation of the thesis project.
It is the student’s responsibility to invite the examiners of the thesis project to the public presentation of the artistic component of the project (an exhibition or another kind of public presentation). The invitation must explicitly mention that that the public presentation is part of a thesis project.
1.3 Written component of the thesis project
The written component of the MFA thesis project comprises a text, the contents and style of which are logically in line with the artistic component of your thesis project.
The length of the written component is 15–50 pages (about 1,800 characters per page, altogether 27,000–90,000 characters), excluding images, and it must include the verbal and visual documentation of the artistic component of the thesis project.
The student will work on the written component alongside the artistic component. The written component, with all the required documentation, should be finished soon after the public presentation of the artistic component has taken place. The artistic component must be presented in public before the student can submit the written component.
The progress of the written component is facilitated by the Writing seminar, and the supervisor of the thesis project and the professor of the subject area are also available for consultation concerning the content of the written component.
In the written component, references must be used when ideas expressed by another person are discussed. A list of references and literature will be enclosed at the end of the written component.
Use of images in the thesis project
All images used in the thesis project must be accompanied by detailed information about the image and its source. It is important to include this information even if you have personally made the works depicted in the images or taken the photographs yourself. Make sure that all images are used in accordance with the prevailing copyright laws. In general, images can be used more freely in student theses than in commercial publications, but you should nevertheless check the precise instructions pertaining to the publishing of images in the ImagOA resource guide. You should not use an image in your thesis project unless you are certain that you have a right to publish it.
For more information, please check the ImagOA resource guide:
Objectives of the written component:
The written component should provide an explicit description of the artistic component and its public presentation. Furthermore, the written component should demonstrate the student’s familiarity with the topic of their thesis project and their ability to engage in reflection on themes related to fine arts. In the written component, the student may discuss the starting points of their artistic practice as well as the contents, techniques, forms and materials used in the work, and place the thesis project in the context of contemporary art. The written component can also include descriptions of the working process, accounts of the practical implementation and the exhibition of the work, as well as reflections on the relationship between the artistic component and the audience, the exhibition venue or societal questions.
Whenever the student discusses ideas expressed by another person in the written component, the source must be referenced accordingly. A list of references detailing all the sources and literature used in the written component will be enclosed at the end of the written component.
Students must complete the thesis in the language of their degrees (section 35 of the Degree Regulations of Uniarts Helsinki). This also applies to the language of the written component. The dean may decide on the right to complete the thesis in a language other than the language of the degree. Students must contact the study services in this case before preparing the thesis plan.
The title page of the written component must indicate:
- the student’s name
- academy (Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki) and the academy logo
- a text indicating that the written component is part of an MFA thesis project
- date of submission of the thesis project
If you have problems with downloading Academy of Fine Arts logo, please contact viestinta@uniarts.fi.
The first pages of the written component must clearly indicate:
- What the artistic and written components include and how emphasis is placed between them.
- All the information pertaining to the works related to the artistic component and their presentation, including the year of completion of the works, the materials and techniques used, the size of the works, and in case of temporal works, their running time.
- The date and place of exhibition
- The supervisor(s) and examiners of the thesis project.
- If the thesis project, or any part of it, has been produced in collaboration with other students, the first pages of the written component must include a description of the division of labour between all the contributing students.
An alternative way of documentation for special cases:
The written component can under special circumstances be produced in another way. If this is deemed necessary, reasons must be provided in the thesis project plan, and the Professor of the student’s subject area must approve the special arrangements. If the student suffers from dyslexia, or has other special needs affecting their learning and self-expression, they can acquire a certificate of their condition from an expert and discuss the situation with their teacher. By doing this, the special needs can be taken into consideration in the approval of the thesis project plan and the evaluation of the thesis project. The student can also be provided with supplementary supervision, if necessary.
1.4 MFA maturity test
The student will write a one-page (c. 1,800 characters) summary, which constitutes the maturity test of the MFA degree. The summary briefly describes the essential contents of the thesis project, and it must include a short account of both the artistic and the written components. The summary is intended to provide a concise description of the most important parts of the thesis project to someone unfamiliar with the project. The summary should be entitled “Summary”. If the student so wishes, they can write a separate introduction to the thesis project, and the title of this introduction can be chosen more freely. The summary is attached to the beginning of the written component of the thesis, and it is submitted for preliminary examination together with the written component.
1.5 Thesis grant
The Academy of Fine Arts supports the completion of the thesis project with a thesis grant. The exact sum awarded is established at the beginning of the autumn term. The thesis grant is intended to cover the costs related to the implementation of the thesis project. The student is allowed to start using the grant funds once their thesis project plan has been approved. The Production Services are responsible for all matters pertaining to the grants.
2. Thesis project plan and selection of supervisors and examiners
2.1 Thesis project plan
The thesis project plan is made by using an electronic form. It is recommended that the thesis project plan is written in the same language as the written component of the thesis project.
The thesis project plan comprises an overall plan for the execution of the thesis project. The plan should include the following information:
- A short description of the themes of the thesis project and the execution of the project
- The schedule of the thesis project (incl. the date of the public presentation and the target date of the public examination of the thesis project)
- Language of the thesis project
- The supervisor(s) of the thesis project and their contact information
- Information about alternative ways of documentation if the written component is not in text form
The thesis project plan is approved by the Professor of the student’s subject area. The student will be notified by e-mail once the thesis project plan has been accepted. The student is allowed to receive supervision and to use the money included in the thesis grant only after the thesis project plan has been approved.
The student must discuss any changes to the thesis project plan with their Professor and notify the Study Services and the Production Services of the changes. If necessary, the student must also inform the examiners of the thesis project of the changes (e.g. if there are changes to the project schedule or the language used in the thesis).
NOTE: The MFA thesis project plan will expire in three years after its approval if the thesis project has not been submitted for examination. If the plan expires, the student must write a new plan with an updated schedule and supervision information, and have it approved by their Professor.
2.2 Thesis supervision and selection of the supervisor
Selection of the supervisor
The student is entitled to receive a maximum of ten hours of supervision for their thesis project. The hours can be allotted to a single supervisor or shared between two supervisors.
The student will discuss the suitable supervisor(s) for the thesis project in advance with their Professor. If the supervision duties are divided amongst two supervisors, the division of the working hours will also be decided at this time. The Professor must ensure that the student’s supervisor(s) are chosen appropriately.
All supervisors are expected to have the necessary expertise in fine arts and contemporary art to be able to supervise a master’s thesis project. The supervisor must be significantly more advanced in the field of supervision than the supervised student. The supervisor cannot be studying for the same (or a lower) degree as the supervised student during the supervision process. The language used in the thesis project should also be taken into account in the selection of supervisors. Thesis projects are not translated, which is why the supervisor must understand the language of the thesis project.
After discussing their thesis project with their Professor, the student is to contact the potential supervisor(s) and ask for their tentative consent. The Study Services of the Academy of Fine Arts will then be in touch with the proposed supervisor(s), confirm their participation, and send them the instructions for thesis supervision and a copy of the student’s thesis project plan. The Professor confirms the supervisor selection upon approval of the thesis project plan.
The student is advised to arrange the first supervision meeting soon after the supervisors have been confirmed.
Supervision of a thesis project
The supervisor of the thesis project is responsible for mentoring the student’s work, supervising the contents of the work, and following the progress of the project. The supervisor must inform the student and their Professor in a timely fashion if they think that the work does not conform with the requirements set for an MFA thesis project and if it cannot be submitted for evaluation within the schedule set by the student.
The Academy of Fine Arts will compensate the supervisor for a maximum of ten hours of instruction, unless otherwise agreed. In order for the fee to be paid, the supervisor must provide the Study Services with current information pertaining to the bank transfer and a valid tax card.
All students who are working on their MFA thesis projects receive instruction in how to write the written component of the thesis project at the Writing seminar, which is supervised by the teachers of writing at the Academy of Fine Arts.
The Professor’s task is to support the thesis project and to serve as the preliminary examiner of the written component of the thesis project.
2.3 Selection of the examiners
Two examiners are assigned to each thesis project. The examiners are required to have the necessary expertise in fine arts and contemporary art to perform examiner’s duties. The examiner cannot be studying for the same (or a lower) degree as the student.
The student and the professor discuss the selection of the examiners. The Professor makes a decision on the examiners of the thesis project after hearing the student. Any potential grounds for disqualification must be carefully considered prior to the selection of the examiners. For example, the supervisor of the thesis project cannot serve as an examiner, nor can the examiner comment on any part of the thesis project prior to the completion of the entire project.
If the Professor is also the supervisor or the examiner of the thesis project, they cannot make a decision on the examiners. In such case, the decision is made by another professor of the subject area or the Vice Dean.
The language of the thesis project must be considered in the selection of the examiners. The examiners must be able to understand the language used in the written component of the thesis project. Thesis projects are not translated. The examiner’s reports are also not translated, which is why the language used in them should also be agreed upon in advance. In cases that are unclear, please consult the Academy of Fine Arts Study Services in advance for further info.
After the student and the Professor have reached an agreement concerning the examiners of the thesis project, the student will contact the examiners and ask for their tentative consent. The student will then fill in an electronic form with the relevant information on the chosen examiners, which will be forwarded to the Professor for approval.
The Study Services of the Academy of Fine Arts will be in touch with the proposed examiners and confirm their participation. They will also send them instructions for the examination of a thesis project, a copy of the student’s thesis project plan, and the target date for graduation (e.g. the date of the public examination).
If the examiners of the thesis project change, the student must fill in a new electronic form detailing the changes.
If there are changes to the schedule of the thesis project, the student must be in touch with the original examiners and inquire whether they are still willing to serve as examiners. If necessary, the student must choose a new examiner, or examiners, discuss the selection with the Professor, and submit the updated details via the electronic form for the selection of thesis project examiners.
If the examiners change after the public presentation of the artistic component of the thesis project has taken place, the student must send the new examiners all the necessary material pertaining to the public presentation.
3. Submission of the written component
3.1 Preliminary examination
The written component of the thesis project is sent to the Professor of the subject area for preliminary examination prior to the final submission of the thesis project. In the preliminary examination, the Professor will read the written component of the thesis project to ensure that its contents meet the criteria set for the thesis project. The student will receive support to finalise the written component, if necessary. The student should be in touch with the Professor concerning the schedule of the preliminary examination well in advance. A minimum of three weeks should be reserved for the preliminary examination.
In connection with the preliminary examination, the student may still make corrections and amendments to the text. The student is responsible for corrections and the extent to which they make use of the feedback given in the finalisation of their work before it is submitted for evaluation.
As part of the preliminary examination, the Professor will review the summary of the thesis project, which serves as the maturity test of the thesis project, and approve the report produced by the Turnitin plagiarism detection software.
During the preliminary examination, the student submits their thesis to plagiarism detection through the Moodle platform into the Turnitin folder, where the work is not yet indexed. Note! At this stage, the thesis will not be saved in the final check of the originality of the thesis.
At this stage, the professor checks that there are no notifications for the thesis regarding plagiarism detection. The thesis will not be saved in the last originality check until it is returned to the actual examination. Refer to “Submission of the written component” in the next chapter for instructions on how to do this.
3.2 Submission of the written component
When the preliminary examination of the written component has been completed and the student has made the final changes to the work, the written component is submitted to the Study Services of the Academy of Fine Arts. The student is not allowed to make any further changes to the thesis project after submission. The study services send the written component of the thesis to the examiners by email.
Submission to study services
The thesis is submitted in PDF/A format as a single file by e-mail to: kuva.opinnaytteet@uniarts.fi (max. file size 10Mb). The file should include the written component in its entirety, i.e., the title page, abstract, text, images, and a list of references and works cited.
Saving to the Taju repository of the library
When submitting the written component of the thesis project for examination, the student must save their work also in the Taju publication repository in accordance with the library’s instructions.
Every student must do t even if they do not give their permission to have their thesis project published online. The version that is saved in Taju must be the same as the one submitted to the examiners.
Saving in Turnitin plagiarism detection system
Students must also save the PDF/A version of the thesis in the Turnitin folder, where the work is indexed in the plagiarism detection system. After reviewing the work in this folder, the thesis professor approves the plagiarism detection process and informs the student of the approval and fills in an examination form that is delivered to the study services coordinator. The version to be recorded for the last plagiarism detection shall be the same as sent to the examiners.
3.3 Approval of the thesis project and registration of credits
Once the public examination session has been held and the examiners have submitted their final examination opinions to the Academy of Fine Arts, the professor who carried out the preliminary examination will support/not support the approval of the thesis. If the professor does not support the approval of the thesis, they must notify the study services within five days of the examination. The thesis is finally submitted to the vice dean responsible for teaching for approval.
Once the MFA thesis project has been approved, the student will receive a notification of the decision together with the examiner’s statements. If the Vice Dean does not approve the thesis project, the student is provided instructions for supplementing the work.
The credits for the thesis project will be registered in the record of credits after the thesis project has been approved.
The student cannot receive partial credit for the thesis project prior to its acceptance. According to the Education Regulations of the Academy of Fine Arts, completed studies are valid for a maximum of ten years. Expired studies will not be accepted as part of a degree.
3.4 Fail as the proposed grade
If either one or both of the examiners propose that the thesis project should receive a grade of Fail, the student will be notified of the proposal prior to the public examination of their thesis project.
In such case, you can either
1. announce the suspension of the process and ask the Professor of your subject area for
instructions on how to amend the thesis project. In this case, you will make corrections to
the thesis project and then re-submit it. The examination of the resubmitted thesis project cannonly start after the Professor of the subject area has granted their permission.
or
2. continue the process and provide the Vice Dean with a written response to the examiner’s statements, which the Vice Dean will take into consideration in their discussion of the thesis project. If one of the examination statements is unfavourable, the Vice Dean asks a third examiner to assess the thesis project based on the written component and the documentation included in it before decision-making.
3.5 Appeal
If you not satisfied with the grading of the thesis project, they can submit a written appeal to the decision-maker within 14 days of the date of notification. If the student does not accept the Council’s decision regarding the appeal, they can bring the matter to the Academic Appeals Board of the University of the Arts Helsinki within 14 days of being informed of the decision-maker’s decision. More information on the appeal process is available on the Students’ Uniarts.
3.6 Archiving and publicity of the thesis project
Thesis projects are stored by the Academy of Fine Arts Study Services for the duration of the valid rules on storage periods, after which they will be archived by Uniarts Helsinki. Thesis projects are public, which is why they cannot include material that cannot be published due to copyright reasons. Depending on your preference, the written component is available in the Taju publication repository online as open access material or only on site on the library computers.
You can find more information on copyrights on the student agreement that each student signs at the beginning of studies.
4. Instructions for the examiners of the thesis project
The examination of the MFA thesis project consists of the evaluation of the artistic component and the written component of the thesis project.
The examiners should be given a minimum of four weeks to write the examiner’s report after they have received the written component of the thesis project.
The public examination of the thesis project will be organised after the examiner’s reports have been completed. The examiners will read their reports at the public examination. After the event, the examiners have three days to make amendments to their reports. The Academy of Fine Arts will notify the examiners of the requested schedule when the written component is submitted to them for examination. If the examiner is unable to comply with the schedule, they must inform the Study Services and the student of the delay well in advance.
After the public examination, the finalised, written examiner’s report will be submitted to the Study Services. The Vice Dean for Teaching will take the report into consideration in the grading of the thesis project and the decision on its acceptance.
Examiner’s report
The evaluation of the artistic and the written components of the thesis project are included in the examiner’s report. The report also includes the examiner’s proposal for the grade of the thesis project (Pass/Fail). The grade proposal should be explicitly expressed in the report.
The examiners will write their reports once they have evaluated the thesis project in its entirety. The Academy of Fine Arts will not accept reports on individual parts of the project. The examiners are not allowed to comment on any part of the thesis project until the entire project is completed.
The evaluation must be based on the guidelines for the Master of Fine Arts thesis project.
Should the examiner recommend that the thesis project receive a grade of Fail, they must inform the Study Services of the Academy of Fine Arts of the grade proposal in writing, along with the grounds, at least one week prior to the public examination of the thesis project.
The examiner’s statement consists of the following:
- Title: Examiner’s statement concerning an MFA thesis project
- Student’s name
- A brief account of all the reviewed components of the thesis project
- The main report
- Proposed grade: Pass/Fail
- Date of the statement
- Examiner’s name and signature
The requested length of the statement is about 2–5 pages.
The examiner can write the examiner’s report in Finnish, Swedish or English. The student’s language proficiency must be taken into consideration in the language used in the report, as the student has the right to receive the report in a language which they can understand. The language of the report is discussed when the examiner agrees to undertake examiner’s duties. The Academy of Fine Arts will not order translations for the thesis projects or the examiner’s reports. If the student suffers from dyslexia or another kind of learning disorder, the examiners will be provided with a medical certificate of the student’s condition, and they must take this information into consideration in their evaluation.
Assessment criteria and grades
The thesis project is assessed as a whole. The assessment of the artistic component is based on artistic merit. The assessment of the written component, on the other hand, focuses on clarity of expression, the criteria of the selected style, and the relationship between the text and the artistic component of the thesis project.
The examiners provide a more detailed assessment of the strengths and shortcomings of the contents and structure of the project in their statements. The examiners can discuss the grade proposal with each other if they so wish.
All thesis projects are awarded a grade of Pass or Fail.
Pass
The artistic component is excellent, good, or at least fair in its expression, and it shows a good command of artistic tools and skills and an understanding of the contexts of fine arts.
The written component and the documentation contained therein connects the student’s artistic work to the context of contemporary art. The work serves as an indication of the student’s ability to structure their artistic thinking and practice. The written component is understandable and vibrant in its expression, and the artistic component is comprehensively discussed and documented. The images provide good insight into the artistic component of the thesis project, and they facilitate the understanding of the entire project to a sufficient degree. The written component is produced in accordance with the guidelines for the Master of Fine Arts thesis project (section 1.3).
Fail
The thesis project may be awarded a grade of Fail on one of the following grounds:
The expressive elements of the artistic component fail to reach the artistic standards set for the Master of Fine Arts degree. The artistic component demonstrates poor command of artistic tools and skills or an inadequate understanding of the contexts of fine arts.
The written component bears no relevance to the thesis project as a whole, and there are significant shortcomings in its contents. The goals and approach of the written component are obscure. The contents of the written component are not well structured, and the references are not appropriate to the topic. The work reveals an insufficient ability to structure one’s artistic work and practice.
The text is unclear and unstructured and does not contribute to the understanding of the thesis project. The images chosen for the written component do not sufficiently support the understanding of the artistic component or its exhibition.
The student has engaged in unethical activities in the course of preparing the thesis project (see the document on ethical conduct on Artsi and the Ethical Guidelines of the University of the Arts).
Public examination of the thesis project
The student will present the thesis project in a public examination event after the examiners have reviewed all the components of the work. Public examination events are open to the public. In the event, the student presents their thesis project, and the examiners give their statements orally. There will be time for discussion after the statements. The professor of the subject area, or a person appointed by the professor, will serve as the custos of the public examination. If the examiner is unable to attend the event, the examiner’s statement must be submitted to the academic affairs team in advance to be read at the public examination.
The public examination can last for one hour at most. The student has 20 minutes to present their thesis project, while each examiner is allotted about 15 minutes.
The examiners write their statements prior to the public examination. If they wish to elaborate on their statements after the public examination, they must do so within three days of the event.
Examiner’s fee
The Academy of Fine Arts pays a fee to the examiner for acting as an examiner, writing the examiner’s statement and participating in the public examination. The examiner’s fee is €350 if the examiner takes part in the public examination and €300 if they do not. The examiner’s fee is taxable income. No fee is paid to a salaried member of the teaching staff of the Academy of Fine Arts.
In order for the fee to be paid, the examiner must provide the academic affairs team of the Academy of Fine Arts with up-to-date bank transfer details and a valid tax card.