Aalto University Information and Service Management Master’s Thesis Guide: 2026–2028

Aalto University’s Master’s Programme in Information and Service Management (ISM) is a 120 ECTS Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration) programme organised by the School of Business. The programme sits at the intersection of business, data, information systems and supply chains, with current specialisation paths in Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain Management.

For students following the current 2026–2028 curriculum, the thesis architecture is clear: 30 ECTS ISM.thes + separate compulsory 3 ECTS ISM-E5001 Master's Thesis Seminar + 0 ECTS BIZ.matr maturity test. The thesis itself remains 30 ECTS. The seminar is a separate course, so the thesis should not be described as 33 ECTS.

This guide uses current official Aalto material verified on 29 August 2026. Students whose study right began before 1 August 2026 may also be able to follow a previous curriculum, so they should confirm their own Sisu plan before relying on the current structure.

Current 2026–2028 thesis structure

The current ISM programme studies include:

• 30 ECTS ISM.thes Master’s Thesis;
• 3 ECTS ISM-E5001 Master's Thesis Seminar;
• 0 ECTS BIZ.matr Maturity Test.

Aalto’s recommended timetable places the seminar and thesis mainly in the second year. The seminar can be started as early as the spring of the first year, but the programme says most students begin in the autumn of the second year.

The recommended timetable describes the thesis and seminar together as 33 ECTS, commonly completed in one semester or across one academic year depending on the student’s pace, other courses, employment and the practical demands of the research project.

Six months for the 30 ECTS thesis

The ISM thesis page states directly that the 30 ECTS thesis corresponds to about six months of full-time work.

The current School of Business guidance gives a broader workload estimate for a 30 ECTS thesis of approximately 750–900 hours, or about 94–113 full-time workdays, equivalent to roughly five to six months of full-time study.

These are workload baselines, not rigid calendar promises. ISM students often combine thesis work with the seminar, courses or part-time employment. Aalto therefore tells students to create a project timetable with the supervisor when the thesis begins.

A realistic schedule should account for:

• literature searching and theory development;
• data access or company approvals;
• interviews, surveys, archival data, analytics or system data where relevant;
• data cleaning and analysis;
• supervisor feedback cycles;
• compulsory seminar presentations and opposition work;
• final formatting, maturity abstract and MyStudies submission.

The compulsory ISM-E5001 seminar

The 3 ECTS Master’s Thesis Seminar is compulsory in the current degree.

The programme states that it includes:

• three compulsory introductory lectures;
• thesis presentations;
• oppositions;
• active participation in other students’ presentations.

Registration is through Sisu using course code ISM-E5001, and the programme says registration remains open throughout the academic year. Detailed attendance requirements, supervisor research areas and seminar operations are provided in the live seminar MyCourses workspace.

You do not need a completely finished topic before joining the seminar. Having initial topic ideas is useful, and supervisors can help narrow them. You may also begin thesis work before the seminar or during the summer, but Aalto tells students to discuss the start and topic with an appropriate supervisor first.

Choosing a topic

ISM supports a wide range of research questions. A topic might arise from:

• business analytics and decision-making;
• information systems and digital business;
• service design and digital services;
• supply chains, procurement or operations;
• sustainability and data-driven business;
• a current issue in a company or organisation;
• a question emerging from a course or research project.

The programme explicitly says that the borders between focus areas are not strict. A student whose courses are mainly in Business Analytics can still write a thesis related to Information Systems, for example, when the supervision and academic fit are appropriate.

If the supervisor is not from the Department of Information and Service Management, the programme asks students to agree in advance with programme leadership and the planning officer that the arrangement is acceptable.

The thesis supervisor approves the research topic.

Method should follow the research question

ISM includes quantitative, qualitative, computational and mixed research traditions. The current curriculum contains analytics, information-systems and supply-chain courses, but none of those course lists creates a single compulsory thesis methodology.

A Business Analytics thesis might use statistical modelling, optimisation, machine learning, forecasting, simulation or other quantitative methods. An Information Systems thesis might use interviews, case research, surveys, design-oriented approaches, archival material or quantitative data. A Supply Chain Management thesis could use case studies, operational data, optimisation, surveys, simulation or mixed methods.

Those are examples, not programme-wide requirements.

A good method is one that answers the research question and can be defended academically. Programme-specific seminar instructions and the supervisor remain important because the School of Business explicitly says that structure, formatting, methodologies and additional procedures can differ by programme.

Supervisor selection

The current ISM page says the topic and method often determine which supervisor is most suitable. Students normally contact a suitable supervisor themselves.

Students commonly work with a supervisor whose research field is close to the thesis topic. The seminar’s MyCourses area provides information about supervisor research areas.

Before committing to a thesis project, clarify:

• whether the topic is academically suitable for ISM;
• whether the supervisor has capacity and appropriate expertise;
• the intended research question and theoretical framing;
• the data and methods that may be needed;
• the expected project timetable;
• how often you will meet;
• which drafts the supervisor will review;
• how seminar milestones fit into the project.

Company and commissioned theses

ISM explicitly allows thesis ideas to come from a workplace or organisation.

Before accepting commissioned work, discuss the topic with the supervisor. The programme specifically warns students to make sure that a suitable theoretical approach can be used and that the thesis will meet the degree requirements.

Aalto’s School of Business guidance reinforces this boundary: an external commissioner does not control the academic standard. The university supervisor must approve the topic.

The School of Business also states that an external party cannot require the thesis itself to remain confidential. Any separate confidential report for a commissioner is not considered in thesis grading.

The thesis is public

Aalto states that Master’s theses cannot be confidential.

The ISM programme explains that all theses are uploaded to the electronic Aaltodoc archive. Students can decide whether the full work is openly accessible online or whether only the abstract page is open online, but the thesis remains a public document and must be accessible through Aalto’s public-document arrangements.

Therefore, do not include confidential company information, personal data, trade secrets or other material that cannot appear in the public thesis.

For commissioned research, agree confidentiality boundaries before data collection starts. The public academic thesis must remain a coherent work without depending on hidden material.

Individual, pair and article-type theses

Current School of Business guidance permits both individual and pair theses.

A pair thesis must be one cohesive research project with genuine shared contribution. The thesis is normally graded as one work and the students usually receive the same grade, although exceptional differences are possible when individual contributions differ materially.

School of Business guidance also permits an article-type thesis. In that format, the student prepares a journal-style manuscript according to disciplinary conventions. The School mentions a typical 10,000–15,000-word range for an article manuscript.

That range is not a universal ISM thesis length. It applies to the article form. The current ISM programme does not publish one universal word count or page count for every thesis.

Thesis language

The current ISM programme page states that the thesis may be written in English or Finnish. Discuss the language with the supervisor before writing.

MyStudies approval

The current School of Business process uses the Thesis tab in MyStudies.

Once you have a preliminary topic and supervisor, apply for supervisor and topic approval there according to the programme and seminar process.

The short School of Business sequence is:

1. read the programme’s thesis seminar instructions;
2. register for the seminar in Sisu;
3. agree on the topic and supervisor;
4. apply for supervisor/topic approval in MyStudies;
5. take part in the seminar and write the thesis;
6. use Turnitin proactively where useful;
7. complete the maturity abstract;
8. format the final thesis as PDF/A;
9. submit the final thesis in MyStudies;
10. follow the evaluation and graduation process.

ISM’s programme-specific seminar requirements remain controlling where they add detail to this common process.

Writing, drafts and supervisor feedback

The ISM page tells students to return a thesis version to the supervisor for comments. After receiving feedback, the student makes necessary corrections, and more than one iteration may be needed.

Once the thesis is considered ready, obtain permission from the supervisor/instructor to submit the final version, including the abstract that acts as the maturity assessment.

This is a useful reason not to plan the entire project around the final upload date. Leave time for substantive feedback, revisions, reference checks and file-format validation.

Turnitin and research integrity

Aalto’s School of Business guidance encourages proactive Turnitin use during thesis work. Before final submission, students can run a Turnitin check in the relevant MyCourses workspace.

The final MyStudies process includes similarity checking. Students remain responsible for correct source use, paraphrasing, citations, data handling and the accuracy of the submitted thesis.

AI can support some study activities under Aalto’s current rules unless restricted, but students remain responsible for what they submit. Unmodified AI-generated text cannot simply be presented as the student’s own work.

Do not place confidential company data, personal information or restricted research material into AI systems that are not authorised for that information.

Maturity test and AI

The current curriculum lists BIZ.matr, 0 ECTS.

Under current School of Business thesis guidance, the thesis abstract acts as the maturity essay, so a separate long thesis document is not created for this purpose when the normal abstract process applies.

Aalto’s current university-wide rule is stricter for maturity assessment than for ordinary study support: AI is prohibited in maturity examinations.

Complete the maturity component independently under the current applicable instructions.

Two-reviewer evaluation

The ISM programme states that each thesis is read and graded by two reviewers:

• the reviewer who supervised the thesis; and
• another reviewer.

After final submission through MyStudies, the evaluation and grade are processed and the result is registered in MyStudies and Sisu. The evaluation statement can be downloaded from MyStudies.

The final thesis is also transferred into Aalto’s electronic archive process.

PDF/A and final submission

Current School of Business instructions require the final thesis to be submitted in PDF/A format for long-term preservation.

Do not leave conversion until the deadline day. Aalto specifically recommends testing PDF/A creation in advance so that technical problems do not block submission.

The final file should contain the thesis and required abstract in the correct institutional format. If a pair thesis is submitted, both students submit the same thesis file for evaluation.

You must be enrolled as attending for the study right to which the thesis belongs.

2027 graduation and thesis deadlines

The current ISM graduation page publishes monthly 2027 graduation dates that also function as the last day to submit the thesis and maturity essay, with one important exception:

• 27 January 2027;
• 17 February 2027;
• 24 March 2027;
• 21 April 2027;
• 26 May 2027;
• 23 June 2027 for graduation, but no thesis or maturity submission in June;
• 30 July 2027;
• 25 August 2027;
• 22 September 2027;
• 20 October 2027;
• 17 November 2027;
• 31 December 2027.

For June graduation, the thesis and maturity assessment must follow the May timetable.

Operational dates can change. Always check the live ISM graduation page before committing to a deadline.

Graduation controls in Sisu

To graduate, the current ISM instructions require an active study right and attending status on the graduation date.

Your study plan (HOPS) in Sisu must also be in order. If approvals are missing, Aalto tells students to reserve at least three weeks for study-plan processing before graduation.

The thesis, maturity essay, thesis seminar and certain credit transfers can still be awaiting registration at graduation day under the published process, but other degree studies should already appear completed in the study plan.

After completing the other studies, a student may submit the thesis and apply for graduation according to the same relevant deadline.

A practical ISM timeline

Before the seminar

• confirm that your Sisu plan uses the current 2026–2028 structure;
• identify whether you are leaning toward Business Analytics, Information Systems, Supply Chain Management or a cross-area topic;
• read recent research and previous Aalto theses for ideas;
• identify possible supervisors;
• check whether a company topic can support a clear theoretical contribution.

Seminar start

• register for ISM-E5001 in Sisu;
• attend the compulsory introductory lectures;
• discuss topic options with supervisors;
• agree on the research question and scope;
• build a realistic thesis schedule;
• formalise topic/supervisor approval in MyStudies.

Main research period

• complete the literature and theoretical framing;
• collect or obtain the required data;
• apply the chosen research method;
• participate in seminar presentations, oppositions and required attendance;
• write continuously rather than waiting until analysis is finished;
• document methodological choices and limitations.

Final phase

• send the draft to the supervisor;
• complete required revision rounds;
• run Turnitin and correct citation/source issues;
• complete the maturity abstract without AI;
• obtain permission to submit the final thesis;
• validate PDF/A;
• submit in MyStudies before the intended deadline;
• submit the Sisu graduation request when the rest of the degree is ready.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the seminar as part of the 30 thesis credits

It is separate. The current structure is 30 ECTS thesis + 3 ECTS seminar, not a 33 ECTS thesis.

Assuming every ISM thesis must use quantitative analytics

ISM spans analytics, information systems and supply chains. The research question and academic field determine the method.

Using the article-manuscript word range as a universal thesis rule

The 10,000–15,000-word guidance belongs to the article-type thesis format, not every ISM thesis.

Accepting a company topic before checking academic fit

The programme specifically tells students to confirm that a suitable theoretical approach and degree-level academic standard are possible.

Putting confidential information in the thesis

The thesis is public. Confidentiality must be handled outside the assessed public document.

Forgetting seminar participation

The seminar is compulsory and includes lectures, presentations, oppositions and participation in peers’ presentations.

Planning for June thesis submission

The current School of Business calendar does not permit thesis or maturity examination submission in June. Use the May timetable for June graduation.

Final checklist

Before final ISM submission, confirm that:

• you are following the correct curriculum for your study right;
• the thesis is 30 ECTS ISM.thes;
• the separate 3 ECTS ISM-E5001 seminar is included correctly in your plan;
• the 0 ECTS BIZ.matr maturity requirement is understood;
• your topic and supervisor are approved through the current process;
• your project fits the six-month / 30 ECTS workload baseline;
• your method is justified by the research question;
• seminar attendance, presentations and oppositions are complete as required;
• company or organisational confidentiality does not enter the public thesis;
• supervisor feedback and revisions are complete;
• Turnitin has been used appropriately;
• the maturity abstract is completed without AI;
• the final thesis is PDF/A;
• you are enrolled as attending;
• your HOPS in Sisu is current and approved;
• you have checked the live graduation deadline.

Official-source boundary

This guide is based on current official Aalto University material verified on 29 August 2026. Before final thesis or graduation decisions, recheck the current ISM curriculum, thesis page, seminar Sisu/MyCourses information, School of Business thesis guidance, MyStudies, Sisu, graduation timetable and Aalto AI guidance.