The examination and grading of a Bachelor's thesis

A Bachelor’s thesis must demonstrate the student’s ability for scientific thinking, addressing the problems in his or her discipline, and scientific communications. Students can prepare their thesis independently or in a group or by participating in a more extensive research project, provided that their independent contribution can be clearly identified and assessed.  Students must write their thesis independently, primarily in their native language in Finnish or Swedish. The examination and grading of the thesis must focus on the independent contribution of the student.

The thesis is graded on a scale of 0–5. The grade awarded for a Bachelor’s thesis is taken into account when calculating the overall grade for intermediate studies. Students dissatisfied with the grading of their thesis can submit an oral or written appeal to the teacher in charge of the assessment. The date when the student submits his or her thesis for assessment shall be recorded as the completion date of the thesis.

More detailed provisions and instructions for grading a Bachelor’s thesis are provided in the curricula of the degree programmes.

A thesis must always include a summary in Finnish/Swedish, and, in some cases, in English. If the summary is examined as a maturity test, please read the related instructions issued by your degree programme. 

For more information on the maturity test language policy, see here.

For more information on supervising a Bachelor’s degree, see here.

The instructions for grading a bachelor's thesis in this programme are only available in Finnish. For more information, please switch the page language to Finnish.

Bachelor’s thesis

A Bachelor’s degree includes a written thesis worth 6 credits. The recommended length of the thesis is 15-20 pages (font size 12 and lie spacing 1.5).  A summary is always included to the Bachelor’s thesis. Instructions for writing a Bachelor’s thesis and a summary can be read from the student’s guide. The degree programmes or lines of study provide more detailed provisions and instructions for writing a Bachelor’s thesis in their discipline. You can read more on who to supervise a Bachelor’s thesis.

The Bachelor’s thesis cannot be transferred from any other Bachelor’s degree nor substituted with any previous studies/prior learning.

Learning outcomes of the Bachelor’s thesis

The aim of the Bachelor’s thesis is for the students to learn the basics of research work and to draw up a brief scholarly report. The thesis is a written work discussed at a proseminar or during equivalent studies and supplemented and/or edited after the discussion as agreed. The thesis writer must present a clearly defined research problem and discuss it by applying previous research.

After writing the Bachelor’s thesis, the student

• Can define a topic and find suitable research literature
• Can formulate a research problem or questions as well as research objectives
• Can describe or discuss theories related to the topic, use basic concepts appropriately and present previous research related to the topic
• Can collect material and analyze it using appropriate methods
• Can draw conclusions based on his or her analysis and write a reasoned essay or research report
• Is proficient in the academic practices of his or her discipline

Examining and evaluating Bachelor's thesis and the assessment criteria

The proseminar teacher or another teacher designated for the task evaluates and grades the Bachelor’s thesis.

The student submits the thesis directly to the examiner by e-mail. It is recommended that the student and the teacher agree upon the examination schedule before submitting the thesis. The examiner has four (4) weeks to do the examination and give a grade. The examination schedule of the theses that students submit outside the teaching periods is longer.

The thesis is assessed on a scale of 0–5.

The grade of a Bachelor’s thesis is based on the following six areas of assessment:

1. Formulation of the research question and definition of the topic
2. Theoretical knowledge and use of literature
3. Research material and its analysis (applies primarily to empirical studies; a thesis can also be purely theoretical)
4. Argumentation and coherent conclusions
5. Manner of presentation and written expression
6. Layout, structure and citation technique

The fact that the writer of the Bachelor’s thesis is only on the path towards research work will be considered in the grading. The grade is always based on an assessment of the thesis as a whole and is not necessarily the mean average of the different areas of assessment. Each discipline may issue more detailed guidelines. Because the thesis is assessed as a whole, broader qualities such as an independent and insightful approach will be rewarded. If one of the thesis sections receives a grade of 0, the work cannot be approved as a Bachelor’s thesis. The grading criteria appear in more detail in the matrix (in Finnish).

Registering the grades, rectification process and feedback to students

When you have graded a Bachelor’s thesis, you can send the grade for registration at the University’s evaluation support service by e-mail, according the registering instructions.

Students can ask for feedback on their Bachelor’s theses how they have succeeded and how their theses are evaluated.

Students dissatisfied with the grading of their thesis can submit an oral or written appeal to the teacher in charge of the assessment.

Filing of the thesis

The student takes care on the filing of the Bachelor’s thesis to the Moodle system, after the examiner has approved it. According the archive plan of the University of Helsinki, the Bachelor’s thesis are kept in an archive for minimum of five years.

Maturity test

The student writes a summary based on their Bachelor’s thesis. The summary works as a maturity test of the Bachelor’s degree.

The student writes the maturity test in the language of the secondary education, Finnish or Swedish. This allows the student to demonstrate an excellent proficiency of the language. If the student’s secondary education was in a language other than Finnish or Swedish or they have received their education abroad, they may write the maturity test in Finnish, Swedish, English or the language their thesis is written in.

Language policy for completing degrees and studies

Students must write the maturity tests (summary) according the instructions of their study programme, to a separate form.

The examination and grading of a maturity test

If you are a thesis supervisor or a teacher in the degree programme, you can approve a student’s maturity test. The same teacher assesses both the content and the language of the maturity test. You can approve a maturity test if you have good proficiency in the language in which the test has been written. Students will get feedback from you and they might need to edit the text before it can be approved. The student does not receive any study credits for completing the maturity test, but it is still considered a separate study unit. Grade the maturity test on a scale of pass–fail. If you fail a maturity test, the student must get a possibility to write a new one without any delay. 

When you have approved the maturity test, you can send the grade for registration at the University’s evaluation support service by e-mail, according the registering instructions.

Bachelor’s thesis

A bachelor’s degree includes a 15–20-page written thesis worth six credits. As a rule, students write their bachelor’s thesis in Finnish or Swedish. If they wish to write their thesis in another language, this must be separately agreed with the supervisor. A bachelor’s thesis always includes an abstract. Instructions for writing a bachelor’s thesis and its abstract are available on the Instructions for Students website. The Bachelor’s Programme in Theology and Religious Studies also has more detailed Finnish-language instructions for bachelor’s thesis writers, available in the Tutkiva kirjoittaminen blog.

Bachelor’s theses cannot be substituted with other studies, and a bachelor’s thesis previously completed for another degree cannot be recognised.

Thesis objectives

The objective of a bachelor’s thesis is to train students in presenting research questions, searching for information and writing academic texts. A bachelor’s thesis is usually written in conjunction with a proseminar.

Students who have written a bachelor’s thesis

• Have the knowledge and skills necessary for research and analysis
• Can produce an independent piece of work following the principles of academic writing
• Can formulate appropriate research questions and understand their significance as the research premise
• Can apply the research tools of the discipline and choose a justified and appropriate approach to the handling and analysis of the research question
• Can work in a planned way, use feedback from others and search for information independently
• Can assess the reliability of research and compare various perspectives

Examination of theses and grading criteria

Bachelor’s theses are assessed by the seminar coordinator. If a thesis has not been written in conjunction with a seminar, a professor in the discipline names the examiner.

Students submit their theses in electronic format (as a PDF file) using the E-thesis system and in accordance with the submission timetable for bachelor’s theses at the Faculty of Theology. If you serve as a thesis examiner, you will receive an email from Student Services once the student has submitted his or her bachelor’s thesis for examination. Theses are examined and assessed through E-thesis. Please also read the instructions for examiners in the E-thesis system.

Examiners have four weeks to examine the bachelor’s thesis and grade it. The examination of a thesis submitted outside the normal submission timetable will be longer than four weeks.  

Bachelor’s theses are graded on a scale of 0–5. They are assessed as a whole, with four distinct areas taken into account when determining the grade. The final grade is the average grade for the four areas.

The following four areas are taken into account when deciding the grade:

1. Presentation of the research problem and definition of the topic
2. Use of the research literature and material
3. Argumentation and discussion of conclusions
4. Presentation method and written expression

Assessment criteria for bachelor’s theses (in Finnish)

Registration of studies, appeals and student feedback

Once you have read and graded a bachelor’s thesis, please enter the grade into the E-thesis system. The system sends an email message to the student. The University’s evaluation support service registers the completed studies.

Students dissatisfied with the grade of their thesis can appeal verbally or in writing to the teacher who has graded the thesis. Students cannot be admitted to the thesis seminar included in advanced studies for a master’s degree until their bachelor’s thesis has been approved.

Bachelor’s theses approved by the Faculty of Theology can be browsed and read on specific computers designated for archive usage at the Helsinki University Library. Bachelor’s theses cannot be read on any other computer.

Maturity test

Students must write an abstract based on their bachelor’s thesis. The abstract serves as the maturity test required for a bachelor’s degree. Students must complete the maturity test in the language of their secondary education, i.e., Finnish or Swedish, demonstrating excellent proficiency in their native language. Students who have received their secondary education in a language other than Finnish or Swedish can complete their maturity test in Finnish, Swedish, English or the language of their thesis. Instructions on abstracts for students

Please also see: Language policy for completing degrees and studies

Examination and registration of maturity tests

Maturity tests (i.e., abstracts) are examined by the teacher who approved the bachelor’s thesis. Their content and language are reviewed simultaneously. As the examiner, you must be proficient in the language of the maturity test. If necessary, you can ask the student to revise the text before the maturity test can be approved. Maturity tests are considered separate studies, for which students receive no credits. The tests are graded on a pass/fail basis. If a fail grade is to be given, the student must be provided with the opportunity to recomplete the maturity test without delay.

You can submit information on the grading of a maturity test on the E-thesis form while grading the thesis or, if necessary, separately, by sending a registration request to the University’s evaluation support service in accordance with these instructions.

Bachelor's practical training (KEK211, 9 cr) is usually completed first and the bachelor's thesis is written after this.

Practical training usually lasts for about six weeks and should be done at the end after nearly all other chemistry courses (in subject studies) have been completed.

If practical training will be done outside the Department of Chemistry, a separate plan should be done. This plan will include a supervising professor on behalf of the (Chemistry) Department and should include a written work plan.

Thesis examiner

In the Bachelor's Programme the thesis supervisor is usually also the examiner. The thesis should be examined by an examiner who has been appointed by the professor who has given the subject of the thesis. The examiner must be a professor, a university lecturer or some other teacher (in the Department of Chemistry) with a doctoral degree. 

More information can also be found in thesis guide (choose either Bachelor's Programme in Chemistry of Master's Programme in Chemistry and Molecular Sciences).

Maturity test

The maturity test is graded as passed/failed.

Until 31.12.2023 maturity test can be completed by writing the thesis manuscript and the thesis abstract.The abstract should be done on the university form and should be included in the finished thesis as the second page just after the title page.

Starting from 1.1.2024, maturity test should always be completed by requiring the thesis author to write a short essay under supervision. 

• The maturity test must be a literary work done under supervision.
• It can be done either under personal supervision or in examinarium as a personal exam
  • If it is completed as an examinarium exam, you must create a personal exam for the student:
    • use course code EXAMTEST
    • give the exam a name the student will recognize
    • it is also possible to share a direct link to the exam (however, the personal exam should be visible to the student in examinarium)
    • the completed course will be registered along with the BSc thesis by requesting the registration from arviointi@helsinki.fi.
  • If it is completed under personal supervision, it should be done with pen and paper without the use of a computer.
• The literary work can be for example a short essay (ca. 1-2 pages) on a topic taken taken from the thesis or bachelor’s practical training.
• The student has two hours to write the essay.
• The maturity test must be written in the language of their secondary education (Finnish or Swedish) unless they fill certain requirements. If you are uncertain about the language, you can contact the education coordinator. 

Assessment and approval of the thesis

The thesis is graded on a scale of 0-5 and an evaluation matrix prepared for the the Master's Programme can be used to help with the grading. 

Finnish and Swedish speaking students write their Bachelor's thesis in their mother tongue. If a student is pursuing a bilingual bachelor's degree, they can also write the thesis in the other national language. Finnish and Swedish speaking students may write their thesis in English only if the director of the degree programme gives permission on the basis of a reasoned proposal submitted to them. If the student's mother tongue is not Finnish or Swedish, the bachelor thesis may also be written in English.

Registration of thesis can be asked from arviointi@helsinki.fi.

Additionally, the examiner should provide a copy for archiving. The archival copy shall be provided to the education coordinator by email or as a hard copy .

Codes for thesis approval

Bachelor's thesis KEK212
Maturity test KEK213

Käsittelyaikataulu löytyy Alemman korkeakoulututkielman ohjaus -teeman alta.

The Bachelor's seminar (GEOK2027) is a compulsory course to all students in the Bachelor's Programme in Geosciences. During the seminar most of the students start their thesis (GEOK2011). Students send the so called work version to the examiner and the student will do the modifications asked of the supervisor or supervisors to the final version. 

When the thesis is approved the supervisor writes an evaluation statement, gives the grade and approves the matutrity test. Evaluation form, doc. The thesis is evaluated on the scale 1-5. The grading is based on the grading matrix of the Master's programme in Geology and Geophysics followed where applicable. (grading matrix)

The student has to do the maturity test including the Bachelor's thesis in his/her language of secondary education, most commonly in Finnish/Swedish. Detailed instruction how the language of secondary education is defined in Instructions for Students

Instructions until July 31, 2026: Once the thesis has been approved, the supervisor will write a statement and assign a grade. In the statement, the supervisor also approves the maturity test. The supervisor sends the statement and the PDF version of the thesis to the address kumpula-student@helsinki.fi, from where the request for registration of the study performance will be forwarded. Starting from August 1, 2026, bachelor's theses will be submitted to E-thesis and will be examined there.

Kandidaatin tutkielma arvioidaan asteikolla 1-5.

Kandidaatintutkielmassa kypsyysnäyte suoritetaan osana tutkielmaa. Tutkielman ohjaaja tarkastaa kypsyysnäytteen. Opiskelija suorittaa kypsyysnäytteen sen jälkeen, kun äidinkielen opinnot on suoritettu hyväksytysti. Ohjaajan tehtävänä ei ole tarkastella kypsyysnäytettä kielenhuollon näkökulmasta vaan koulutusohjelman alan kielenkäytön oikeellisuutta.

Suositus on, että ohjaaja tarkastaa erityisesti koulusivistyskielellä laaditun tiivistelmän tai tarvittaessa työn muun osan kielenkäytön oikeellisuuden. Lupa työn jättämiseen E-thesikseen voidaan antaa, kun kypsyysnäyte on tarkastettu.

Mikäli opiskelija on tyytymätön kandidaatin tutkielmasta saamaansa arvosanaan, katso ohje Arviointiin tyytymätön opiskelija ja oikaisumenettely.

Ohje proseminaarityön hyväksyttämiseen kandidaatin tutkielmaksi

Arviointimatriisi on päivitetty koulutustoimikunnassa ja on voimassa 31.8.2020 alkaen (päivitys uusi arviointikohde ”opiskelijan työskentely tutkielmaprosessin aikana”.)

Kandidaatintutkielman arviointilomakkeen käyttö on pakollista kaikissa maatalous-metsätieteellisen tiedekunnan kandikoulutusohjelmissa.  Koulutusohjelmassa sovittu opettaja tai opettajat (kuten ohjaaja) tallettaa/tallettavat täytetyn lomakkeen koulutusohjelmassa sovittuun paikkaan, esim. P-asemalle.

Tutkielman arvioija toimittaa tiedot kandidaatintutkielman ja kypsyysnäytteen suorittamisesta opetus- ja opiskelijapalveluihin suorituksen rekisteröintiä varten (arviointi@helsinki.fi)  Arvioija toimittaa myös täytetyn lomakkeen opiskelijalle ja ohjaajalle, jos ohjaaja ei ole arvioija.

Instructions for the examination of the bachelor's thesis in pharmacy are in Finnish. You can see them by changing the language at the top of this page.

Bachelor's thesis 

Bachelor's thesis is examined and graded by a person with at least a doctoral degree and working at the department. The supervisor of the thesis can also be the examiner. Grading scale is 1-5.

Assessment criteria of the thesis. 

When the thesis and maturity test has been approved, the examiner sends the thesis and maturity test to be registered to the address assessment@helsinki.fi. (CS&DS study track do follow the practices of their thesis course).

Student must send the final version of the thesis (as a pdf-file) to education coordinator (kumpula-student@helsinki.fi) before the registration.

The thesis templates and Instructions for Students.

Maturity test 

On Mathematics and Statistics and Physics study track the maturity test is the abstract until 31.7.2026. Starting from 1.8.2026 the maturity test will be a literary work done under supervision. 

On Chemistry and Computer and Data Science study track the maturity test is a literary work done under supervision usually in Examinarium. Computer and Data Science study track follow the practices of their thesis course. Chemistry follows the following guidelines:

• Maturity test can be done either under personal supervision or in examinarium as a personal exam
• If it is completed as an examinarium exam, you must create a personal exam for the student:
  • use course code EXAMTEST
  • give the exam a name the student will recognize
  • it is also possible to share a direct link to the exam (however, the personal exam should be visible to the student in examinarium)
  • the completed course will be registered along with the BSc thesis by requesting the registration from arviointi@helsinki.fi.
• If it is completed under personal supervision, it should be done with pen and paper without the use of a computer.
• The literary work can be for example a short essay (ca. 1-2 pages) on a topic taken taken from the thesis or bachelor’s practical training.
• The student has two hours to write the essay.

Language of the maturity test needs to be according to students secondary education language. If their secondary education is Finnish or Swedish the test needs to be done in Finnish of Swedish. If students secondary education is in other language than Finnish or Swedish the test is done in English.  

If you have any questions please contact education coordinator Emmy Pusula (emmy.pusula@helsinki.fi).

A maturity test is a scholarly text related to the field of the student’s thesis, such as a part of the thesis or its abstract or another piece of written work defined in the curriculum of the degree programme. Before undertaking a maturity test, the student must complete the native-language studies required for the degree.

Maturity tests demonstrate students’ familiarity with the field of their thesis, and Finnish or Swedish skills.

Students take a maturity test in the language of their secondary education, i.e., in Finnish or Swedish. Each degree certificate states the language of the student’s secondary education and the language in which they completed their maturity test. By completing secondary education and a maturity test, students demonstrate excellent ability in the language in question (Act on the Knowledge of Languages Required of Personnel in Public Bodies, section 6).

If the language of the student’s secondary education was not Finnish or Swedish, they may take a maturity test in Finnish, Swedish, English or the language of their thesis. However, in this case their degree certificate will not indicate that they have excellent skills in Finnish or Swedish.

Maturity tests are graded on a pass–fail basis. The person marking and approving a maturity test is usually a teacher in the degree programme (e.g., the thesis supervisor). The person approving a maturity test must be proficient in the language of the test.

If your degree programme uses the E-thesis system to assess theses, please provide information on the approval of a maturity test in the assessment form at the examination stage. Information on the approval of the test will be passed on, and the test will be recorded as completed in the student information system.

A maturity test is an independent study attainment, but it is recorded in the student information system as having a scope of 0 credits.

Det allmänna syftet med uppsatsen är att den studerande ger prov på sin förmåga att tillämpa vetenskapligt tänkande och behandla samhällsvetenskapliga problem i skrift. Vid vitsordsgivningen utgår man från att den alltid baserar sig på en helhetsbedömning och nedanstående bedömningskriterier skall därför inte tillämpas mekaniskt. Bedömningskriterierna står i relation till varandra och den relativa betydelsen av enskilda kriterier kan variera från fall till fall. Uppsatsens vitsord är inte ett medeltal av poängen i bedömningskriterietabellen. Kandidatavhandlingen bedöms med vitsorden: 1=försvarlig, 2=nöjaktig, 3=god, 4=berömlig, 5=utmärkt.

Bedömningskriterier:

1) Frågeställning och avgränsning av ämnet

2) Behärskar relevanta begrepp och deras tillämpning

3) Adekvat utnyttjande av vetenskaplig källitteratur

4) Förmåga till logisk slutledning och argumentation

5) Skriftligt utförande och vetenskaplig framställningsform

Vitsord baserat på helhetsbedömning

The examination and grading of a Bachelor's thesis

Bachelor's thesis will be examined and graded by a person with at least a doctoral degree and working at the department. The supervisor of the thesis can also be the examiner. Grading scale is 1-5.

Intended learning outcomes of the thesis (link to wiki)

Assessment criteria of the thesis (link to wiki)

Maturity test

In the Bachelor's programme in Physical Sciences, the abstract of Bachelor’s thesis is approved as the maturity test. Maturity test is graded on a pass–fail basis. The person marking and approving a maturity test is usually the supervisor of the thesis. The person approving a maturity test must be proficient in the language of the test.

Approval and registration of the Bachelor's thesis

The examiner sends the approval information of the thesis and the maturity test (grade, completion date etc). to education coordinator Hanna-Mari Kivinen (hanna-mari.kivinen@helsinki.fi). The date when the student submits his or her thesis for assessment shall be recorded as the completion date of the thesis.

Student must send the final version of the thesis (as an pdf-file) to education coordinator (kumpula-student@helsinki.fi) before the registration.

At the Faculty of Medicine, theses are examined and assessed electronically in the E-thesis system. 

Theses submitted by 31 July 2025 (logopedics and psychology)

Students submit their completed theses approved by their supervisors in the old E-thesis system. If the degree programme requires attachments or forms related to theses and their examination, they too must be submitted in E-thesis as separate files. Academic administration staff will send submitted theses to supervisors for assessment. 

Theses submitted by 31 July 2025 will be assessed in accordance with the assessment criteria valid until that date, which can be found in the degree programme–specific guidelines. Theses must be assessed within 30 days, and approved theses and maturity tests are recorded in Sisu as soon as possible following assessment. 

Theses submitted from 1 August 2025 onwards (bachelor’s programmes at the Faculty of Medicine)

Students register in Sisu for the degree programme–specific offerings of the bachelor’s thesis and maturity test for the term during which they will submit their theses. After this, students submit their completed theses approved by their supervisors in the new E-thesis system. If the degree programme requires attachments or forms related to theses and their examination, they too must be submitted in E-thesis as separate files. Submitted theses are transferred directly to supervisors for assessment. 

Theses must be assessed within 30 days, and approved theses and maturity tests are recorded in Sisu automatically following assessment. 

Thesis examiners

Bachelor’s theses are examined by thesis supervisors.

Thesis assessment matrix and the general principles of assessment (as of 1 August 2025)

The assessment matrix for bachelor’s theses at the Faculty of Medicine (PDF) and the general principles of assessment apply to theses submitted as of 1 August 2025. In the case of the Bachelor’s Programme in Medicine and Dentistry, they apply to theses submitted as of 1 August 2026. 

The assessment matrix for bachelor’s theses at the Faculty of Medicine encompasses seven areas. The assessment matrix is not available in the E-thesis system, but assessment is based on and supported by the matrix. The overall grade and a written final statement are recorded in E-thesis. The final statement justifies the assessment by commenting on each area of assessment in the matrix. In the final statement, the grade descriptions for the assessment areas can be referred to as such. In addition, the justifications in the final statement can be personalised and concretely tied to the student’s work, for example, by demonstrating how the reporting of results in the thesis is either adequate, satisfactory, good, very good or excellent. The final statement also takes into consideration the general principles for assessing bachelor’s theses:

1. If the examiner assigns the grade 0 (i.e., fail) for even a single area of assessment, the thesis will receive a failing grade.
2. Once they have submitted their theses, students cannot fail area 7 of the assessment matrix.
3. Area 7 is assessed by the examiner, that is, the thesis supervisor involved throughout the thesis process.
4. The grade is not necessarily the average of the grades given for the assessment areas of the matrix.

Maturity test

At the Faculty of Medicine, maturity tests are approved, with regard to language proficiency and content, by the examiner of the relevant bachelor’s thesis, unless another procedure is justified. The examiner can, if necessary, delegate the examination of a maturity test to a person designated by the degree programme director.

The bachelor’s thesis abstract is examined as the maturity test. The language of the maturity test is determined by the guidelines for degrees and studies at the University of Helsinki.

Guidelines for theses

The bachelor’s programmes draw up detailed guidelines for bachelor’s theses which can be found in the programme-specific guidelines.

The University of Helsinki and the Faculty of Medicine encourage the diverse use of artificial intelligence in support of learning. When writing their theses, students familiarise themselves with the appropriate use of AI in research. The Faculty of Medicine complies with the University’s guidelines on AI use in teaching and learning. Guidelines on AI use in theses at Faculty of Medicine (pdf)) elaborate on the University guidelines for the Faculty of Medicine.

These instructions are available only in Finnish. For more information, please change the language of this page to Finnish.

These instructions are only in finnish. Please change the language to finnish to see the instructions.

Kemian opintosuunnan kandidaatintutkielman arviointi on kuvattu opintojaksolla MFK-K299 Kemian aineenopettajan kandidaatintutkielma.

Fysiikan arviointidokumentti.

Matematiikan arviointidokumentti.