Your thesis is evaluated and graded based on set criteria. These criteria have been developed by the assessors and teaching staff at Arcada, taking into account the European Qualifications Framework for education.

The evaluation of the thesis is done by the assessor along with the supervisor. The assessor writes a statement that is a complete examination of the thesis. The statement is also signed by the supervisor. The supervisor has the right to request a thesis language revision.

With regard to practice in the subject and nature of the work, the degree thesis and master thesis are evaluated as excellent (5), very good (4), good (3), satisfactory (2) or sufficient (1). The grade is justified in the statement and determined by an overall assessment on the basis of the work, the maturity exam and presentation.

Theses at Arcada UAS need to correspond to the requirements set by the European Qualifications Framework (EQF); level 6 for bachelor's level and level 7 for master's. At the end of this website you can find links to PDF files with evaluation criteria for both bachelor's and master's theses as tables.

Degree thesis

The evaluation level of the bachelor's degree thesis is determined by the EQF level 6, which establishes requirements on

  • advanced knowledge involving a critical understanding of theories and principles
  • advanced skills, demonstrating expertise and innovation
  • ability to solve complex problems in a specialised professional field

Themes evaluated in bachelor's degree theses

According to Arcada's evaluation criteria for bachelor's degree theses, the following themes are evaluated, and every theme's subheading is graded on a scale of 0-5:

  1. Background, topic, problem formulation
    • You can define the research problem and its motivation
    • You can formulate the aims that form the basis of your thesis
  2. Literature, previous research, theoretical foundation
    • You can identify the foundation for development or research and describe previous research and literature
  3. Method, approach, process
    • You can independently choose and formulate the appropriate method and process
    • You can perform the process independently and proficiently
  4. Results, analysis, problem solving
    • You present your results in a structured manner
    • You contribute to solving complex problems within your profession and you can have a reflective discussion about your results and your thesis
  5. Structure/Language/Readability /Ethical issues
    • You are able to communicate results and reflect on ethical issues
    • You are able to address ethical issues in academic research

Master thesis

The evaluation level of the degree thesis is determined by the EQF level 7, which establishes requirements on

  • highly specialised knowledge as the basis for original thinking and research
  • awareness of knowledge issues in a field and at the point of contact between the different disciplines
  • specialised problem-solving skills in research and innovation to develop new knowledge, new procedures or integrate knowledge from different fields

Themes evaluated in master's degree theses

According to Arcada's evaluation criteria for master's degree theses, the following themes are evaluated, and every theme's subheading is graded on a scale of 0-5:

  1. Background, topic, problem formulation
    • You can delimit and define the research problem and justify it
    • You can formulate aims and objectives that create the basis for your thesis
  2. Literature, previous research, theoretical foundation
    • You can identify the basis for the development or research and describe previous research and literature
  3. Method, approach, process
    • You can independently justify an appropriate method and process.
    • You can provide a sufficient sample of data
    • You can carry out the process independently and skillfully.
  4. Results, analysis, problem solving
    • You present your results in a structured way
    • You contribute to solving complex problems in your field and you engage in a reflective discussion of your results
  5. Structure/Language/Readability /Ethical issues
    • You are able to communicate and reflect on your results
    • You can consider ethical issues in relation to your research

The following factors are evaluated:

  1. Focus and relevance for the profession or occupation
    1. Benefit for the target group and profession or occupation
    2. Delimitation, object
    3. Positioning and connection to earlier research
    4. Understanding of the chosen theme (concept, theories)
  2. Method and work process
    1. Choice of method and application of method
    2. Presentation and purposefulness of the work process
    3. Information retrieval and processing
  3. Results and reflective discussion
    1. Presentation of results
    2. Evaluation and critical review of results
  4. Approach
    1. Originality or innovativeness
    2. Courage
    3. Independency
    4. Creativity
  5. Impression of the degree thesis as a whole and structure of degree thesis
    1. Design, logical structure and necessary parts
    2. Readability and flow
    3. Source reference apparatus
    4. Level of transparency and objectivity
    5. Quality of language
  6. Ethical relevance
    1. Research ethical formalities
    2. Ethical examination
    3. Sustainable development