Step 0 in your Master’s Thesis
Years ago I wrote a blog post on the first steps of writing a master’s thesis. And they are good steps and students seem to appreciate them as well.
However, after helping even more students to get started with their thesis, I realised that there were few things to consider before those first steps. Therefore, here are steps to take prior to the first steps.
In other words, what to do when you don’t have a thesis topic, funding or any idea where to begin. The answer is:
- Mobilize your motivation,
- Find your funding,
- Start today and get used to iteration.
Mobilize your Motivation
Get rid of unproductive thoughts. Don’t think of your thesis work as something you are “forced” to do and you would be rather doing something else. This might be the situation, but it is not a helpful attitude for anyone involved, mainly yourself.
If you decide to do the thesis, then how about looking at it like a personal investment and optimizing the ROI: I’m investing hundreds of hours of my precious time into this work. How could this large personal investment benefit me in many different ways?
Clarify your interests
What are you interested in? What topic, subject matter, current affair, societal problem would you like to tackle and learn more about? Finalize the sentence: I would really love to write a thesis about __________, because _____________.
At this stage of your thesis planning you should steer your thesis towards your own interests. Even if you know that you’ll be working on something provided by your employer there is still lots of room to steer the precise topic: objectives, perspectives, methods, focus, data sources etc.
Remember, in those dark hours somewhere in the middle of the thesis you will be grateful that you are working on something you are genuinely interested in. Your personal interests are a strong source for energy and creativity, and therefore, the basis of a good thesis.
In sum, be prepared when your boss or professor asks you: so what topics do you find interesting?
Utilitarian motives
Your interest and motives for writing the thesis can also stem from very practical reasons. Maybe you want to study “UX design” in your thesis because you know that it will suit your current job and your employer would happily support a topic like that.
Or perhaps you are already very familiar with some topic, and therefore, doing a thesis about it would be relatively easy. Maybe you take your bachelor’s thesis topic and turn it into a master’s thesis. Or perhaps you already did a project and a report on some topic, and doing a thesis about the same thing would be really fast and practical. Or maybe you have loads of data available that just needs to be analysed and studied.
Remember, there is nothing wrong about being practical. Your thesis is first and foremost to show that you can write a thesis. It doesn’t have to be something unique no one has ever thought about before.
NOTE! Your thesis is only a thesis. Don’t overdo your motivation. Do not let the thesis become more important than it is. Yes, the thesis is one of the highlights of your studies, but it is only one part of your studies. The point of a thesis is to demonstrate that you can tackle an interesting topic in an academic manner. It won’t define who you are, it won’t define your career, and no one has ever won a Nobel prize based on their thesis. Put the thesis into context and take a more relaxed attitude towards it. Have fun with it even before you have started it!
Having said that…
“Once in a lifetime”
A master’s thesis is typically something you do only once in your life. So you can make the most of it.
Maybe doing a thesis for your employer’s business processes would be the obvious choice… but it doesn’t really fire you up. Maybe you have this itch that you want to scratch before you leave your studies behind.
In other words, your thesis can be an opportunity to dig into something you probably won’t be able to do in the near future. Maybe it is working for a pro-bono association you really admire. Maybe it is looking into a societal issue that you are passionate about. Maybe it is working with some crazy technology that you want to play with.
A master’s thesis can be about a variety of things, so look at it as a rare opportunity to work hundreds of hours on something you care about. But beware of the danger of it becoming too important (see above).
Portfolio thinking
One specific perspective about your future thesis is to plan how your portfolio (or your CV) would look like after you have the done your thesis. Have a look at your current professional profile (projects done, work experience, interests, studies, skills, references etc.) and think how do you want to complement it.
A thesis is a big project that can steer your portfolio to a specific direction: here’s my CV and portfolio, and one of the biggest things I have done is my thesis project, which was about…
Just like any major project, your thesis can be a strong and concrete reference of your skills, knowledge, networks and experience. What kind of a reference would you like to have in your portfolio?
Getting a job
Another practical way to leverage the thesis project (and to motivate yourself) is to use the thesis as foot in the door to an organisation. From the perspective of an employer, hiring a temporary thesis worker is often easier than recruiting a full-time employee. So why not be open about it: I would really like to work in your company, so what if I make a thesis for you and after that you can judge whether I would make a good permanent addition to your organisation?
Companies and other organisations actually use theses as a “probationary period” to see whether a person is a good match or not. Therefore, they might be very open towards a thesis project as a trial. And remember, it is a two-way test: if it turns out that you don’t like the organisation you can leave once the thesis is done.
Funding
Hopefully you are motivated enough to get started. Good for you! Nevertheless, you have bills to pay and food to buy. So how to keep your personal finances running while you work on your thesis? And whoever is paying for your thesis, they most probably have a say in your thesis topic and schedule. So have a look at your funding.
Part of the job
One option is to get hired to do a thesis. Maybe it is your current employer or you find a “thesis job”. This is great in many ways.
First, you get paid. How to get food on the table? Problem solved.
Second, you actually have a context to work in. It is very important to have people around you who can help you and an organisation that supports you. Typically your thesis is of interest to your employer (it should be, they are paying for it). This means that you have colleagues and bosses who want you to proceed, succeed and get the thesis done. And you also have people who are genuinely interested in your thoughts and results as well.
Note! Your thesis is an academic study, not a company project. These two can be aligned and complement each other beautifully. However, there is a danger that if your thesis project is “too important” for your employer. If this is the case, then the danger is that your employer steers the work more towards practical results rather than writing an academic thesis. For example, the finalisation of the written thesis requires time, but sometimes the employer would be ready to move on once you have the gotten results. Make sure all stakeholders involved agree on your plans, schedule and you have managed everyone’s expectations.
Indie Thesis
The other funding option is to “go independent”. In other words, you look at your bank account and decide that your personal finances are ok for the next 6 months, and your stocks of coffee and canned beans look sustainable.
The good thing about an indie thesis is that you have a broad range of topics. The bad thing is that you have a broad range of topics. Often having too many options can be paralysing. Therefore, if you can choose whatever topic, then it is probably a good idea to consciously force yourself to focus, focus, and focus. Typically this requires outside help.
However, the broad range of topics is also a fantastic opportunity to do something special. As noted above, the thesis can be a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to study something you are really passionate about. Having no financial strings attached can enable that.
Even if you do an “indie”, then I recommend finding a context to work in: other people to spar ideas with, data sources to study, people to interview, and importantly, organisations and people who could benefit from your work. All of these are very important in doing a good thesis, and if you are not employed by anyone, then you need to get that context yourself.
A Grant
There is a midway between an indie thesis and being employed to do one: getting a grant, stipend or some other chunk of money to do a thesis.
For example, at Aalto University there is Foundation for Aalto University Science and Technology for this purpose. It works so that a company or an organisation gives the foundation a 15 000€ donation and then 12 000€ of that donation is given to the thesis worker as a tax free stipend. This can be used as an inexpensive way of hiring a thesis worker (15 000€ is roughly half the price if the thesis worker was hired as an employee), or it can be used to get several companies to fund a shared topic (e.g., 5000€ from three companies).
Unlike an indie thesis, you typically need to do a thesis on something beneficial to the donating instances, so there is less freedom to choose from. However, less freedom can be good, like noted above. For example, the work you need to do to “sell your topic” is a great way to focus on a topic and understand better what your research will be about.
Unlike being a proper employee, this has more freedom. For example, you are not tied by a job contract when it comes to IPRs. However, remember you are not getting any social or unemployment benefits either because you are not a proper employee. And finally, make sure your employer is not using the stipend against your own benefits just to save money.
Start iterating from day zero
Thesis work is continuous iteration and focusing. You stop iterating only when you submit the thesis. This also means that it is never too early to start iterating and focusing. Start talking with people about your interests. Listen to others who have just done their thesis. Start “selling” your thesis ideas to your employer, colleagues or that pro-bono organisation you would love to work with. See what sticks to people’s minds. Listen to their reactions, thoughts and advice. Iterate your own focus.
Find a professor
Always a good step is to find a professor who can help you. The first professor you talk with doesn’t have to be your supervisor but every professor should help you forward.
Where to start? Professors are busy people (i.e., don’t send email, go and talk). Maybe talk with a professor whose course and teaching you found interesting. Perhaps start with the professor who is in charge of your master’s programme or a professor heading a focus area in your programme (they have an obligation help you).
At the end of the day, you need an official supervisor professor who grades and accepts your thesis. Then you for practical reasons need a thesis advisor, who can be anyone with a master’s degree. Sometimes the supervisor is the advisor, but typically they are two different people. You need to make sure you have an official supervisor (must be a professor in your programme) and for your own sake, get also a committed advisor to help you.
In the case of Information Networks’ programme: I am in charge of the whole programme and our focus area professors are Jukka Luoma (business and organisation design), Tapio Takala (digital and social media), Casper Lassenius (software engineering and architectures), and Marko Nieminen (user, data and design). We have an obligation help you.
Other professors that are involved in our master’s programme teaching are Marjo Kauppinen, Marko Turpeinen, Rasmus Vuori, Johanna Kaipio, and Marina Biniari. However, any professor in the CS and DIEM departments are available to help you. And remember, professors know other professors, so ask for new contacts and even introductions.
For SCI students at Aalto University, have a look at the MyCourses page on thesis. It has lots of good and important information.
Get familiar
Start reading about your topics of interest. Look at other people’s theses and see what an actual master’s thesis looks like. Network and find people that can give you feedback on your rough ideas for topics, your interests and your funding as well. Find a professor who can help you and who you can work with (see above). Write down things and sketch an outline.
Depending on your schedule, this early iteration and focusing can take months (if you are not in a hurry) or one week (if you need to start next week). Ideally, don’t leave this “step zero” to the last moment. I would recommend to brew these thoughts roughly for a year of half-a-year before your planned start. You can brew, for example, by thinking about your interest while taking courses and doing school work. You can chat with professors and teachers and other students about a thesis. Listen to thesis presentations to get an idea what a thesis is all about in practice.
It is actually very much fun and educating to think about your interests and potential topics. It is curiosity. So never think that it is too early to start the “step zero” of your thesis.
And just like any major project, plan this into your schedule well in advance. Set a clear time in your study plans when you start your thesis (probably the last semester of your two-year master’s studies). And then when the time comes, you are ready to take step one of your thesis project!
