Aalto University Strategic Management in a Changing World Master’s Thesis Guide: 20 ECTS Thesis, Seminar and Presentation Process

Aalto University’s Master’s Programme in Strategic Management in a Changing World (SMCW) is a 120 ECTS, two-year, English-language Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration) programme organised by the School of Business. For students working toward the thesis under the current 2026–2028 curriculum, the thesis is not a generic optional 20/30 ECTS choice. The programme itself fixes the master’s thesis at 20 ECTS.

The current BIZ234 structure separates the thesis from MNGT-E1016 Master's Thesis Seminar, which is 2 ECTS and taught in periods I and III. SMCW’s recommended timetable places the thesis seminar and thesis in the second study year, starting from period I or III.

The current thesis route has several important administrative controls:

• Master’s thesis: 20 ECTS;
• MNGT-E1016 Master's Thesis Seminar: 2 ECTS, separate from the thesis;
• thesis work normally begins in the second study year;
• supervisor allocation is coordinated through the thesis seminar based on the student’s proposed topic;
• a thesis presentation is mandatory for students who participated in the seminar in January 2026 or later;
• the final thesis is submitted through MyStudies as one archival PDF/A file; and
• the current curriculum lists BIZ.thes as the 0 ECTS maturity test, and the thesis abstract serves as the master’s-level maturity essay.

The 2 ECTS seminar does not turn the thesis into a 22 ECTS thesis. The thesis itself remains 20 ECTS.

Where the thesis sits in the SMCW degree

The current programme code is BIZ234. The degree totals 120 ECTS, with 89 ECTS of programme studies and 31 ECTS of elective studies. The 20 ECTS master’s thesis sits inside the programme studies.

The current curriculum also includes both MNGT-E1003 Quantitative Methods and MNGT-E1011 Qualitative Methods, each 3 ECTS. These courses support research capability, but they do not impose one compulsory research design on every SMCW thesis. A strategy-process interview study, an organisational-change survey, a mixed-method sustainability project, a secondary-data strategy analysis or a conceptual thesis can require different research designs depending on the question and evidence.

The recommended timetable places the thesis seminar and thesis in the second study year, with a start from period I or III. That timing matters because the seminar is not simply an optional writing workshop: it is the entry point for supervisor allocation and the formal thesis process.

Start with the Master’s Thesis Seminar

For SMCW students, the thesis process begins by taking the Master’s Thesis Seminar. The current curriculum lists MNGT-E1016 in teaching periods I and III, and the BIZ instructions describe the seminar as being offered twice each year.

Students register for the seminar through Sisu during the normal registration period. At the beginning of the seminar, Aalto expects the student to have an idea for a thesis topic, but the student does not need to arrive with a supervisor already secured.

That distinction matters because SMCW uses a structured supervisor-allocation process. The thesis supervisor is allocated during the seminar based on the proposed topic. The current SMCW thesis instructions explicitly state that students should not obtain an SMCW thesis supervisor outside that seminar allocation process.

Once a preliminary topic and supervisor have been established, the student applies in MyStudies for approval of the thesis topic and supervisor. The seminar lasts one study period. After the seminar, thesis writing continues more independently with supervisor support.

A practical way to use the seminar is to arrive with a topic that is interesting but still negotiable. The aim is not to defend a fully fixed project before supervision begins. The aim is to make the problem clear enough that the programme can match it to appropriate supervision and the student can turn it into a feasible 20 ECTS project.

Scope the 20 ECTS thesis as focused research, not a reduced-quality thesis

Aalto describes the 20 ECTS BIZ thesis as approximately 500–600 hours of work, roughly 63–75 full-time workdays, or around 3–4 months of full-time study.

The smaller credit scope does not lower the academic quality standard. It requires tighter scoping. Aalto explicitly frames the 20 ECTS thesis as focused research: collect only the evidence needed, use secondary data where appropriate, keep the literature review purposeful, and avoid expanding the project simply to imitate a 30 ECTS thesis.

The thesis should therefore be planned as an academic research project rather than a long consultancy memo. A strong topic usually has four features:

1. a clearly defined problem or phenomenon;
2. a researchable question or objective;
3. an evidence strategy that can realistically answer that question; and
4. a contribution that can be explained in relation to existing research or professional knowledge.

Current SMCW thesis guidance does not prescribe one universal chapter structure, one universal research method or one universal citation style. Those choices should fit the methodology, field and supervisor guidance. A qualitative interview study, a quantitative analysis, a mixed-method design and a conceptual study may need different structures.

Individual, pair, commissioned and article-type theses

SMCW offers more than one legitimate thesis format.

A thesis may be written individually or in a pair. A pair thesis is still one cohesive research project, and Aalto expects equal contributions from both students. Pair work should therefore not be treated as two loosely connected mini-theses placed inside one file. The research question, theoretical framing, methods, analysis and final argument need to work as one project.

A commissioned thesis with an external organisation is also possible. A commissioned topic still has to meet academic standards, and the thesis supervisor must approve the topic. The organisation’s practical interests can shape the research problem, but they do not replace the university’s academic requirements.

The School of Business process also permits an article-type thesis as an alternative to the traditional monograph format. For this specific format, Aalto describes a ready-to-submit article manuscript and gives a typical range of approximately 10,000–15,000 words, subject to disciplinary conventions.

That word range is not a universal SMCW thesis length. It applies to the article-type format only. A traditional monograph thesis may be organised differently, and the current SMCW thesis guidance does not impose one general word or page count for all SMCW theses.

Publication in an academic journal is also not required for an article-type thesis to be accepted. The thesis must satisfy the university’s academic and examination requirements; journal acceptance is a separate process.

Keep the research design aligned from the beginning

A useful thesis plan can be built by checking alignment across five elements:

• Problem: What exactly is not yet understood, resolved or adequately explained?
• Question: What question can the thesis actually answer within 20 ECTS?
• Theory or literature: What prior knowledge is needed to frame the problem and interpret the results?
• Evidence and method: What data, material or analytical approach can answer the question?
• Contribution: What does the completed study add to understanding, practice or decision-making?

If one element changes, the others may need to change as well. For example, a narrower research question may require a different sample, a different analytical technique or a smaller theoretical frame. This is why early supervisor discussion is more useful than trying to perfect every chapter before obtaining feedback.

The current BIZ sources do not authorise a single compulsory SMCW method. Do not choose a method simply because another SMCW thesis used it. The research design should be defensible for the actual question being asked.

Use Turnitin as part of the writing process

Aalto makes Turnitin part of the thesis process. Students can use it proactively while drafting, rather than waiting until the final submission.

Turnitin similarity information should be interpreted as a diagnostic signal, not a verdict. A similarity percentage can result from correctly cited material, common terminology, references or problematic copying. The report needs human interpretation in context.

The same caution applies to AI-detection output. A detection score by itself does not prove misconduct. Students remain responsible for the originality, accuracy and academic integrity of what they submit.

The final thesis submitted in MyStudies generates the relevant final Turnitin similarity report. Good practice is therefore to resolve citation, paraphrasing and source-attribution problems before the final archival version is submitted.

The thesis presentation is part of the current BIZ process

Aalto introduced a presentation requirement with a clear transition rule. For students who participated in the Master’s Thesis Seminar in January 2026 or later, the thesis presentation is obligatory. Students who participated in the seminar in autumn 2025 or earlier fall under the published transition exemption.

For students covered by the current rule, the presentation must be completed before thesis submission.

The BIZ instructions currently describe presentations as normally taking place face-to-face on campus. An exceptional hybrid arrangement may be possible, but the presentation itself must be live. A pre-recorded video or audio presentation does not satisfy the requirement.

The current format gives 10 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for questions and answers. Aalto’s published structure expects the student to cover the motivation or introduction, research question, theories, methods and findings. PowerPoint may be used, but the instructions do not make PowerPoint itself compulsory.

Students working with confidential or commercially sensitive material need to design the presentation carefully. Only material that can legitimately be disclosed should be shown. Sensitive information should be handled according to Aalto’s confidentiality practices rather than exposed simply because the thesis must be presented.

The current public SMCW thesis page lists a 2026 presentation schedule, but they do not yet state a 2027 presentation schedule. This guide therefore does not invent one. The live SMCW thesis page must be rechecked when a student is planning a real 2027 presentation date.

Submit the final thesis through MyStudies

The final thesis is submitted for evaluation, grading and archiving in MyStudies, under the Thesis tab.

Before submission, the supervisor must already be approved in MyStudies. The student must also be enrolled as attending for the study right to which the master’s thesis belongs.

The final thesis must be uploaded as one PDF/A file containing the cover page and thesis abstract. The current SMCW thesis instructions list PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2a, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-3a and PDF/A-3b as accepted archival standards. The file must not exceed 100 MB.

A final-submission check should therefore confirm:

• the supervisor is approved in MyStudies;
• the required presentation has been completed if the student falls under the current presentation rule;
• the thesis is the final examined version rather than a working draft;
• the cover page and abstract are included;
• the file is valid PDF/A;
• the file size is within the 100 MB limit; and
• references, appendices and any permitted supporting material are complete.

The final submission is not simply a file upload. It is the version that enters the evaluation and archiving process, so administrative completeness matters alongside academic quality.

How the BIZ thesis is evaluated

The current School of Business process uses two examiners: the thesis supervisor and a second examiner who is knowledgeable in the field. They provide an evaluation using the School of Business grading rubric.

Aalto’s BIZ guidance highlights more than just the final results. The rubric considers dimensions such as project management, critical thinking and how well the thesis is positioned within its field, alongside the substance and findings of the research.

The Head of Department confirms grades for theses submitted during the same month. After the grade is approved, the result is recorded in MyStudies, the thesis completion is registered in Sisu, and the evaluation statement can be downloaded from MyStudies.

This means the thesis should be managed as both a research product and a research process. A strong final result can still be weakened by poor scope control, weak reasoning, unclear positioning or an analysis that does not support the conclusions.

The thesis abstract also serves as the maturity essay

For SMCW master’s students, the thesis abstract serves as the maturity essay. No separate maturity-essay file is required when the abstract is submitted and assessed as part of the thesis.

If the thesis is written in English, the abstract is in English. Depending on the student’s language of primary and secondary education and prior degree circumstances, a Finnish or Swedish translation may also be required, and the maturity test may carry a language-proficiency function.

Because those requirements depend on the student’s educational-language background, students should not assume that another student’s maturity-language requirement automatically applies to them.

Aalto’s current AI guidance states that language models are not permitted in the maturity test. Since the thesis abstract functions as the maturity essay in this process, students need to follow the applicable maturity-test restrictions when producing the assessed abstract. More generally, any course- or thesis-specific AI restriction overrides broad assumptions about what AI use might be allowed elsewhere.

Your thesis is a public document

Aalto master’s theses are public documents. The thesis submitted for evaluation must therefore not contain secret or confidential information.

This is particularly important for commissioned theses. Commercial secrets, restricted company information or other confidential material must remain outside the thesis that is submitted for examination. An external organisation cannot make the evaluated thesis confidential simply by requesting it.

Aalto publishes thesis metadata and, for theses covered by the current policy, the abstract in Aaltodoc. Publication of the full thesis text online requires the author’s consent.

Do not confuse those two rules. Declining consent for full-text online publication does not make the thesis confidential. The thesis remains a public document, and Aalto can provide access under its public-document process even when the full text is not openly downloadable from Aaltodoc.

This boundary should be discussed early with any commissioner. Confidential project background may need to be separated from the public academic thesis before data collection and writing are too far advanced.

Current 2027 SMCW thesis-submission dates

The current SMCW instructions publish the following thesis-submission deadlines for 2027:

• 27 January 2027
• 17 February 2027
• 24 March 2027
• 21 April 2027
• 26 May 2027
• 30 July 2027
• 25 August 2027
• 22 September 2027
• 20 October 2027
• 17 November 2027
• 31 December 2027

There is an important June exception. Aalto lists 23 June 2027 as a graduation date, but the same BIZ timetable states that no thesis or maturity essay can be submitted for examination in June. Students aiming for June graduation must therefore follow the May thesis and maturity timetable.

These dates are cycle-sensitive administrative information. They must be checked again against the live BIZ instructions before a student relies on them for a final submission plan.

A practical SMCW thesis workflow

A useful sequence is:

1. Plan the second-year start. Choose the period I or III seminar start that fits your degree timetable.
2. Enter MNGT-E1016 with a workable topic idea. You do not need a pre-arranged supervisor.
3. Use the seminar to narrow the topic and obtain supervisor allocation. Treat scope as a major design decision.
4. Apply in MyStudies for topic and supervisor approval. Do this before final submission planning becomes urgent.
5. Build an aligned research design. Keep the question, literature, evidence, method and contribution connected.
6. Choose the thesis format deliberately. Individual, pair, commissioned and article-type routes have different practical implications.
7. Use Turnitin during drafting. Resolve source-use problems before the final version.
8. Complete the mandatory presentation if your seminar participation falls under the January-2026-onward rule. Do it before thesis submission.
9. Prepare the final PDF/A and abstract. Remember that the abstract also functions as the maturity essay.
10. Submit in MyStudies by the applicable deadline. Recheck the live timetable before committing to a date.
11. Allow for evaluation and grade confirmation. Submission is followed by examiner review and the School of Business grade-confirmation process.

Final checklist

Before final submission, confirm that:

• you are following the current BIZ234 SMCW curriculum and thesis route;
• the thesis is 20 ECTS and the separate seminar is 2 ECTS;
• your supervisor was allocated through the thesis seminar and approved in MyStudies;
• your research question, evidence and method are aligned;
• any pair or commissioned-thesis arrangements still satisfy academic requirements;
• any article-type word guidance is being used only if you are actually writing an article-type thesis;
• Turnitin and source attribution have been checked;
• the required live presentation has been completed, if applicable;
• the abstract satisfies the maturity-test requirements that apply to you;
• prohibited AI assistance has not been used for the maturity test;
• no confidential material appears in the evaluated thesis;
• the final file is one valid PDF/A under 100 MB;
• your 2027 submission deadline has been rechecked on the live Aalto BIZ page; and
• you have not treated a graduation date, especially June, as though it were automatically a thesis-submission deadline.

The most reliable way to navigate the SMCW thesis is to treat the seminar, supervisor allocation, presentation requirement, MyStudies approval, research design and School of Business evaluation as one connected process. Keep the project academically grounded in strategy, sustainability, organisational change, stakeholder relations, entrepreneurship or another programme-relevant context, but let the research question determine the method rather than forcing the thesis into a generic template.