PROCU Master’s Thesis, group starting autumn 2025 (30 cr)

Objective

The student is able to plan, implement and evaluate a thesis in cooperation with working life. The student is able to critically and effectively apply the research and expert knowledge of the field and follow the research ethics. The student is able to choose appropriate research and development strategies and methods to address the development needs and solve challenges of working life. In their work, the student is able to take initiative, act innovatively, and demonstrate good development and change management abilities, applying the principles of sustainable development. The student is able to work independently as an expert, developer and reformer of the field and to build collaboration with working life in order to produce useful information and develop its operations. The student is able to make justified decisions during the different phases of the thesis process. The student is able to produce a written thesis report according to good research and development reporting and shows ability for professional communication nationally and internationally. In the maturity test, the student independently demonstrates solid knowledge and skills associated with the thesis’ subject area and is able to communicate the results in a professional manner.

Content

• Selection and analysis of the topic
• Formulating a research or development plan
• Research permission
• Agreement on thesis collaboration
• Implementation of the research or development process
• Thesis reporting and maturity test

Location and time

Tuition in Finnish instructed by the thesis supervisor

Materials

Recommendations are given in the Research Methods and Skills -course and in the Thesis Info sessions and by the instructor in the individual supervision meetings.
As methodological manuals for action research:
Coghlan D. 2019, Doing Action Research in your own organization, SAGE Publications Ltd.
Chevalier, J & Buckles, D. 2019 Participatory Action Research : Theory and Methods for Engaged Inquiry. Taylor & Francis Group
Kananen J. 2013 Action Research as Thesis Research (Applied Action Research), A Practical Guide for Thesis Research, Publications of JAMK University of Applied Sciences Series
McNiff, J. & Whitehead, J. 2013 Action Research. Routledge. (eBook available in finna.metropolia.fi).
McNiff, J. & Whitehead, J. 2001. Action Research in Organisations. London: Routledge. (eBook available in finna.metropolia.fi)
Rauch, F. 2014. Promoting Change through Action Research. SensePublishers. (eBook available in finna.metropolia.fi)
Stringer, E. & Ortiz A. 2021. Action research. Fifth edition. Los Angeles ; London: SAGE

Teaching methods

Thesis seminars
Individual supervision
Peer working

Employer connections

The thesis is done for your own workplace or for a partner

Exam schedules

No exams

Student workload

30 cr is about 800 hours.

Content scheduling

About one year

Further information

The thesis starts with a course on Research Methods and Skills, during which a research and development plan is created and accepted. Complete this course first so that you can be assigned a thesis supervisor and become involved in the formal thesis process, which is managed through the Wihi system.

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

For the assessment criteria, please refer to the master’s thesis assessment criteria (Appendix - THESIS ASSESSMENT CRITERIA).

Assessment criteria, good (3)

For the assessment criteria, please refer to the Master’s thesis assessment criteria (Appendix - THESIS ASSESSMENT CRITERIA).

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

For the assessment criteria, please refer to the Master’s thesis assessment criteria (Appendix - THESIS ASSESSMENT CRITERIA).

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

For the assessment criteria, please refer to the Master’s thesis assessment criteria (Appendix - THESIS ASSESSMENT CRITERIA).

Assessment methods and criteria

Metropolia Master´s Thesis criteria found in Oma/WIHI.