Study Guide

Objective

The objective of the Bachelor’s Thesis is for the student to demonstrate and develop the ability of applying professional skills and knowledge to a practical development assignment or project relevant to the profession and the working life.

In Metropolia’s Bachelor’s Thesis the student learns and carries out development work, which is based on researched knowledge and other evidence and which concerns the development of professional competences or practices.

On completion of the Bachelor’s Thesis the student will be able to
• identify questions and needs for development in the professional field and the working life and to plan for their solutions.
• use reliable and confined information from various sources in the development work.
• apply professional skills and knowledge and use appropriate methods for the development task.
• execute a development project useful for the working life or the profession in an independent, responsible and collaborative manner.
• communicate in different stages of the work both to peers and to other audiences in a clear, well-argumented and illustrative manner.
• report the results of the work, to assess them and to bring forth proposals for improvement in an appropriate way both in writing and in speech as well as visually.

Content

Planning of the thesis work. Execution of the thesis work. Reporting and presenting the thesis work. Maturity test.

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Professional competence and development
The student can:
• plan and scopethe subject matter satisfactorily.
• select a subject that is somewhat significant and topical in the profession and working life.
• use their professional knowledge base satisfactorily for the purposes of the final project.
• develop professional expertise in their field satisfactorily.
• create in the final project satisfactory new and significant solutions in the field and working life.

The methods and work procedures used, and results obtained
The student can:
• define satisfactorily the purpose, targets and research or development items of the final project.
• apply work procedures and methods satisfactorily.
• combine satisfactorily the chosen procedures and working methods with regard to the final project targets.
• report the results/product satisfactorily.
• report satisfactorily on the applicability of the results/product with regard to other situations and environments.
• work satisfactorily in accordance with research and development and professional ethics principles.
• assess satisfactorily the work's reliability, ethical aspects and the process.
• work reasonably responsibly, independently and in cooperation with others, adhering to any agreed issues and timetables.

Communication and expressive skills
The student can:
• produce a satisfactory final project, the structure and form of which are in line with its purpose, targets and research or development items.
• use satisfactorily the appropriate professional language in the final project.
• communicate satisfactorily about the final project and its results to the target groups.
• provide satisfactory grounds for and an assessment of the professional actions, solutions and results.
• apply evidence-based source material satisfactorily.
• follow satisfactorily the instructions regarding referencing.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Professional competence and development
The student can:
• plan and scope the subject matter well.
• select a subject that is quite significant, topical and demanding in the profession and working life.
• use their professional knowledge base well for the purposes of the final project.
• develop professional expertise in their field well.
• create in the final project good new and significant solutions in the field and working life.

The methods and work procedures used, and results obtained
The student can:
• define well the purpose, targets and research or development items of the final project.
• apply work procedures and methods well.
• combine well the chosen procedures and working methods with regard to the final project targets.
• report the results/product well.
• report well on the applicability of the results/product with regard to other situations and environments.
• work well in accordance with research and development and professional ethics principles.
• assess well the work's reliability, ethical aspects and the process.
• work very responsibly, independently and in cooperation with others, adhering to any agreed issues and timetables.

Communication and expressive skills
The student can:
• produce a good final project, the structure and form of which are in line with its purpose, targets and research or development items.
• use well the appropriate professional language in the final project.
• communicate well about the final project and its results to the target groups.
• provide good grounds for and an assessment of the professional actions, solutions and results.
• apply evidence-based source material well.
• follows well the instructions regarding referencing.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Professional competence and development
The student can:
• plan and scope the subject matter extremely well.
• select a subject that is extremely significant, topical and demanding in the profession and working life.
• use their professional knowledge base excellently for the purposes of the final project.
• develop professional expertise in their field excellently.
• create in the final project excellent new and significant solutions in the field and working life.

The methods and work procedures used, and results obtained
The student can:
• define excellently the purpose, targets and research or development items of the final project.
• apply work procedures and methods excellently.
• combine excellently the chosen procedures and working methods with regard to the final project targets.
• report excellently on the applicability of the results/product with regard to other situations and environments.
• work excellently in accordance with research and development and professional ethics principles.
• assess excellently the work's reliability, ethical aspects and the process.
• work extremely responsibly, independently and in cooperation with others, adhering to any agreed issues and timetables

Communication and expressive skills
The student can:
• produce an excellently final project, the structure and form of which are in line with its purpose, targets and research or development items.
• use excellently the appropriate professional language in the final project.
• communicate excellently about the final project and its results to the target groups.
• provide excellent grounds for and an assessment of the professional actions, solutions and results.
• apply evidence-based source material excellently.
• follows excellently the instructions regarding referencing.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Assessment criteria, Fail

Professional competence and development
• planning and scoping the subject matter is insufficient.
• the subject is not extensive enough in the profession and working life.
• the professional knowledge base is insufficient as the basis of the final project.
• develop insufficiently professional expertise in their field.
• the final project does not create enough new and significant solutions in the field and working life.

The methods and work procedures used, and results obtained
• the purpose, targets and research or development items of the final project are not defined well enough.
• the work procedures and methods are not applied well enough..
• the chosen procedures and working methods are not well enough combined with regard to the final project targets.
• the results/product are not reported well enough.
• reporting on the applicability of the results/product with regard to other situations and environments is insufficient.
• work is insufficient in terms of the research and development and professional ethics principles.
• the work's reliability, ethical aspects and the process are insufficient.
• work does not meet the requirements in terms of cooperation with others or adherence to any agreed issues and timetables.

Communication and expressive skills
• the final project's structure and form are insufficient in terms of its purpose, targets and research or development items.
• the final project's professional language is insufficient.
• communication about the final project and its results to the target groups is insufficient.
• insufficient grounds are provided on the professional actions, solutions and results.
• evidence-based source material is insufficiently applied.
• instructions regarding referencing are followed insufficiently.

Further information

Targets of assessment: Bachelor's Thesis

Professional competence and development:
• Significance for the profession and working life
• Utilisation of professional knowledge
• Development and self-development of professional competence
• Applicability in professional life and working life

The methods and work procedures used, and results obtained:
• Definition of purpose, targets and research or development items
• Methodological competence
• Description of outcomes and product
• Progress and management of the final project process
• Reliability
• Ethics

Communication and expressive skills:
• Structure and form
• Fluency of language
• Critical, analytical and reflective nature of communication
• Argumentation and referencing