Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences – Instructions for the thesis assessors
Assessment of master’s theses (30 credits) in education programs started after 1.8.2017
The master’s thesis is assessed in the E-thesis program. The thesis is evaluated from 0 to 5. The subdivisions to assess are found in E-thesis’ assessment form. Further instructions on how to assess the subdivisions (assessment criteria) are found in the assessment matrix that has been approved by the faculty council.
The assessors assess subdivisions 1–6 in the assessment matrix and the supervisor assesses subdivision 7.
Person responsible for theses and supervisor
The education programs have one or a few persons responsible for master’s theses and their assessment. Before the student starts working on their master’s thesis, they have to write a separate research plan (“planning form” => link to attachment). The person responsible for theses approves the supervisor in the master’s thesis’ research plan.
Assessor of the master’s thesis
When the student has saved their master’s thesis in E-thesis, the person responsible for theses in the education program is handed the task to appoint two assessors for the thesis. The assessors must at least have obtained their PhD or similar education. Additionally, the administrative law contains regulations about judicial disqualification that the assessors have to take into consideration. Due to the assessments having to be comparable, among other things, at least one of the assessors is recommended to be from the same faculty or education program as the student. The assessors receive a link to E-thesis via email and they perform their assessment in the E-thesis program.
When the person responsible for theses in the education program sends out information about the assessors, they also inform the assessors about the supervisor’s assessment of subdivision 7.
Language and schedule for the assessment of the master’s thesis
Apart from the assessment of the subdivisions and the suggestion for grading, the assessors also give the thesis a written evaluation in Finnish, Swedish or English. If the student does not have Finnish or Swedish as their first language, the evaluation should be written in English. It is important to be attentive so that the written evaluation corresponds to the suggested grading. The assessment is done in E-thesis within a month after the assessors have received the invitation to assess the thesis.
The E-thesis program automatically sends messages about the assessment process and its different stages when the assessment is done in the program.
Approval and grading of the thesis
The faculty council approves master’s theses and decide their grade. The E-thesis program sends a message with the suggested grade to the student when both assessors have approved the suggestion.
With good reasons, a student can interrupt the assessment of the thesis before the faculty council’s meeting.
The faculty council’s meetings (Info in Finnish)