Hanken Intellectual Property and Business Law Master's Thesis Guide: 3720-E, 37170 and 37048

Quick answer: what is the current Hanken IP and Business Law thesis route?

The current Hanken School of Economics Master’s Programme in Intellectual Property and Business Law is an English-language, two-year 120 ECTS Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration) programme in Helsinki. It has two specialisations, Intellectual Property Law and Business Law. For the current 2025-2027 study plan, both specialisations use the same thesis package: 37048 Research Methodologies in Commercial Law, 5 ECTS, 37170 Research Seminar in Commercial Law, 5 ECTS, and 3720-E Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS. The methodology course and research seminar are separate from the 30 ECTS thesis.

1. The current programme is new, so legacy study rights matter

Hanken discontinued the former Intellectual Property Law and Governance and Commercial Law study programmes from 1 August 2025 and replaced them with the current Intellectual Property and Business Law programme. Students already admitted to the older programmes may still graduate under those study rights until 31 July 2027 or may switch to the new programme. This means the current guide should not be applied automatically to every Commercial Law student. A student remaining in a legacy programme must follow the study plan that actually governs that study right.

2. The two specialisations share one thesis regime

The Intellectual Property Law and Business Law specialisations have different mandatory substantive courses, but the current 2025-2027 plan gives them the same thesis, research seminar and methodology package. The shared route is 37048, 37170 and 3720-E. This is useful because the thesis process can be explained once while still recognising that the legal subject matter, source base and possible methods can look different between an IP-focused thesis and a Business Law thesis.

3. 3720-E is the exact current thesis object

The controlling current study plan lists 3720-E Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS for the new programme. Hanken’s Degree Regulations independently require a 30 ECTS Master’s thesis within the advanced studies of a two-year Master’s degree. Students should therefore not import a thesis code from Accounting, Finance, Economics or an older Commercial Law plan simply because the credit value is also 30 ECTS.

4. 37170 Research Seminar in Commercial Law is a separate 5 ECTS course

The current programme includes 37170 Research Seminar in Commercial Law, 5 ECTS in addition to the thesis. Hanken’s general Master’s thesis process begins with registration for and participation in the research seminar of the major or programme, where the thesis topic is chosen or assigned and a supervisor is provided. Seminar work should therefore be planned as its own study component rather than being counted inside the 30 ECTS thesis.

5. 37048 Research Methodologies in Commercial Law is also separate

The study plan also makes 37048 Research Methodologies in Commercial Law, 5 ECTS compulsory. This matters because the programme does not treat methodology as something that appears only in the final manuscript. Method choices have to be justified before and during the thesis process. The course identity also confirms that Commercial Law has a programme-specific methods environment rather than simply borrowing a method model from another Hanken subject.

6. The Intellectual Property Law specialisation has its own substantive core

The current Intellectual Property Law specialisation requires 37014 Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Law, 10 ECTS and 37049 Information Governance and Trade Secret Law, 5 ECTS. Hanken describes the specialisation as covering areas such as patent, trademark, copyright and trade-secret law in European Union and international contexts, together with intellectual-property strategy. These areas can generate strong thesis topics, but they do not all use the same legal tests, authorities or remedies.

7. The Business Law specialisation has a different substantive core

The current Business Law specialisation requires 37023 Law of Corporate Finance, 10 ECTS and 37037 Nordic Corporate Governance, 5 ECTS. Hanken describes the specialisation as examining how legal restrictions and regulation shape business, how taxation affects businesses, how corporations are governed through hard and soft principles, and how legal systems differ. This creates a broad field for thesis work, from company and financial law to taxation and governance.

8. Optional courses broaden the field but do not create universal thesis requirements

Current IP Law options include International and Comparative IP Law, Intellectual Property Strategy for Business and Practical IP Law in Europe. Business Law options include Advanced Tax Issues of Corporations, Corporate Governance and Innovation, Comparative Corporate Governance and selected finance or accounting courses. The programme also offers broader Commercial Law options and internships. These choices can shape a student’s preparation, but no elective makes one research method compulsory for every thesis.

9. Start from a precise legal or interdisciplinary problem

A strong thesis starts with a problem that can be answered using the available legal and, where relevant, empirical material. Avoid beginning with a broad topic such as “AI and copyright” or “corporate governance” without identifying the actual legal question, jurisdiction, actors and decision context. Hanken’s current thesis rubric separately assesses the problem statement and purpose, so a narrow and answerable research problem is more useful than a fashionable but uncontrolled topic.

10. Identify the type of claim before choosing evidence

Commercial Law theses often combine different claim types. One paragraph may state what the law currently requires, another may compare jurisdictions, another may evaluate policy, and another may discuss likely business effects. These claims do not use the same evidence. A statement of positive law needs legal authority; a policy recommendation needs explicit evaluative criteria; an empirical business claim needs data or other empirical evidence. Keeping these categories separate makes the thesis more defensible.

11. Doctrinal legal research is not the only possible route

The programme is legal and business oriented, but the current sources do not require every thesis to use one single doctrinal method. A thesis may be doctrinal, comparative, policy-oriented, empirical or interdisciplinary if the method fits the research purpose and is carried out transparently. The important issue is alignment between the question, source material, method and conclusion, not the use of one preferred label.

12. Positive law and business impact are different conclusions

A legal rule may permit, prohibit or require a certain action, but that does not by itself prove how firms, consumers or markets will behave. For example, a new disclosure duty may be legally clear while its effect on investment, innovation or compliance costs remains an empirical question. If the thesis moves from a legal conclusion to a business-effect claim, explain what additional evidence supports that step.

13. Use the hierarchy and status of legal authorities carefully

Legislation, regulations, court decisions, treaties, administrative guidance, governance codes, contracts and academic commentary can all appear in a Commercial Law thesis, but they do not have the same legal status. The manuscript should explain which materials are binding, persuasive, interpretive or merely contextual in the relevant jurisdiction. A journal article discussing a statute is not the statute itself, and a governance recommendation is not automatically a binding legal rule.

14. Jurisdiction and time scope should be visible throughout the thesis

Legal conclusions are often jurisdiction-specific and time-sensitive. Define whether the study concerns Finland, the European Union, another national system, an international treaty framework or a comparison of several systems. Also define the legal cut-off date when current law matters. If legislation, case law or regulatory guidance changes during the project, the thesis should explain which version controls the analysis.

15. Comparative law needs a clear comparison design

A comparison between Finland and another jurisdiction should not become two separate descriptive chapters with no common analytical frame. Define what is being compared, why the jurisdictions were selected, which legal concepts are functionally comparable and what institutional differences limit the comparison. Similar terminology can hide different legal consequences, so the comparison must go beyond matching labels.

16. Case-law analysis needs a transparent selection logic

If the thesis relies heavily on court or administrative decisions, explain how the cases were identified and why they are relevant. A convenient search result should not be presented as if it were the complete case population. Where the legal issue is fact-sensitive, identify the factual features that make one decision comparable to another and explain when a precedent or line of reasoning has limited reach.

17. Intellectual-property rights should not be collapsed into one generic category

Patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets protect different subject matter and use different legal tests. A thesis should identify the right being studied, the applicable legal framework, the relevant territory and the remedy or legal consequence at issue. Broad claims about “IP protection” can become misleading if they combine rights that operate differently.

18. EU, international and national IP materials are not interchangeable

IP Law students may work with European Union legislation and case law, international treaties and national implementation or enforcement rules. The thesis should explain how these levels interact. An international treaty obligation does not always operate in the same way as directly applicable EU law or national legislation, and an EU-level principle may still require national procedural analysis in a particular dispute.

19. Trade-secret and information-governance topics need confidentiality planning

Research on trade secrets, confidential know-how, data governance or internal information can create a tension between useful evidence and Hanken’s rule that Master’s theses are public. Do not assume that confidential company material can simply be embedded in the thesis and hidden later. Agree the evidence strategy early so that protected information can remain outside the public manuscript while the thesis still contains enough legal and methodological detail for assessment.

20. IP strategy should distinguish legal analysis from management advice

A thesis on licensing, portfolio strategy, technology transfer or brand protection may combine legal rules with managerial recommendations. Keep the layers separate. First establish the relevant legal position, then explain the strategic or business assumptions used to move from law to recommendation. A preferred commercial strategy is not itself a statement of what the law requires.

21. Corporate-governance research should distinguish hard law and soft law

Business Law students may work with company law, listing rules, governance codes, shareholder agreements, board practices and other governance mechanisms. These sources can have different binding force. The thesis should make clear whether a proposition comes from mandatory legislation, contractual obligation, regulatory rule, comply-or-explain code or voluntary practice. This distinction is central when evaluating duties, enforcement and practical consequences.

22. Tax-law claims require precise scope

Tax questions can change with jurisdiction, taxpayer status, transaction type and tax year. A Business Law thesis should identify the relevant tax framework and avoid turning one legal interpretation into a universal business recommendation. If the thesis compares tax planning approaches, separate lawful planning, compliance obligations, anti-avoidance rules and broader policy judgments rather than mixing them together.

23. Empirical material can strengthen legal research, but it changes the evidence burden

Some Commercial Law theses may include interviews, surveys, contract samples, company reports, transaction data or other empirical material. Once empirical evidence is used, describe how it was collected, selected and analysed. An interviewee’s opinion does not become legal authority, and a legal source does not prove how organisations actually behave. The thesis can combine the two, but the roles of each evidence type should remain explicit.

24. Literature-based research still needs a transparent source strategy

A thesis based mainly on legal and scholarly literature should still explain how the relevant materials were found and selected. Record the databases, search logic, legal sources, inclusion boundaries and time period where these choices affect the answer. This is especially important for interdisciplinary topics where legal scholarship, business research and policy reports may use different terminology.

25. Keep uncertainty visible when the law is unsettled

Legal research sometimes ends with competing interpretations rather than one certain answer. If authorities conflict, a reform is pending, or the outcome depends heavily on facts not yet tested by courts, state that uncertainty. A carefully bounded conclusion is academically stronger than presenting a contested interpretation as settled law.

26. Hanken’s current rubric should shape the writing process

From 1 August 2026 Hanken uses a common Master’s thesis Assurance of Learning rubric across programmes and majors. It assesses the problem and purpose, theoretical framework and use of theory, choice and use of research methods, results, analysis and interpretation, fulfilment of purpose, contribution and information sources. It also checks the independent process, maturity test, plagiarism control, research ethics and compliance with AI instructions.

27. Hanken requires a data processing description

The current thesis process tells students to complete a data processing description. For a purely doctrinal project this may be simple, but it becomes more important when the thesis uses interviews, surveys, confidential contracts, personal data or other non-public material. Identify what will be collected or reused, where it will be stored, who can access it and what happens after the project.

28. Personal data and ethical review depend on the actual design

An IPBL thesis does not automatically involve personal data or require ethical review. A doctrinal analysis of public legislation and cases may not involve research participants at all. By contrast, interviews, surveys or other participant-based research can create privacy and ethics obligations. Hanken lists specific conditions that can trigger advance ethical review, so the actual design should be checked rather than making assumptions from the programme title.

29. Confidential commercial material and AI tools require extra caution

Current Hanken AI guidance keeps the student responsible for the work and does not permit AI to replace the student’s final academic analysis or conclusions. In Commercial Law, an additional risk is confidentiality. Contracts, client information, trade secrets, unpublished legal advice or proprietary company records should not be uploaded to an external AI service merely because the tool is useful for language or planning support.

30. AI may support the process, but it cannot invent legal authority

AI can be useful for brainstorming, planning, search assistance, language review and some technical tasks when permitted by current instructions. It cannot be trusted to fabricate statutes, cases, quotations, citations or research findings. Every legal authority used in the thesis should be checked against the original or an authoritative legal source. Students may also be required to document their AI use through prompts, reports, drafts or version history.

31. The normal thesis length is 60-70 factual pages

Hanken’s current guidance recommends 60-70 pages of factual content for a two-year Master’s thesis. The normal maximum is 100 pages including cover, contents, references and appendices, unless a deviation is agreed in advance. Legal theses can become long because statutes, cases and commentary are numerous, so scope control is important. More authorities do not automatically produce a stronger argument if they do not answer the research question.

32. Referencing should follow the current Hanken or subject instruction

Hanken’s general reference guide follows APA 7 and says APA is the most commonly used style, while some departments prefer Oxford. The current public IPBL sources do not establish one unique Commercial Law citation style for every thesis. Follow the current seminar, supervisor or subject instruction, and keep the selected system consistent enough that every legal and scholarly source can be located and verified.

33. The thesis is public, so plan company cooperation early

Hanken states that all Master’s theses are public after approval and cannot be classified as confidential. This is especially important in Business Law and IP projects involving firms, licensing, contracts or trade secrets. Confidential background material may be supplied separately to reviewers where necessary, but the public thesis itself must not contain protected information that the company expects Hanken to hide later.

34. The maturity test is a separate compulsory part of the process

Hanken requires a maturity test in connection with the Master’s thesis. It is a supervised digital essay related to the thesis and is assessed separately. The current guidance recommends 400-800 words. The exact language route depends on previous school education and whether Finnish or Swedish proficiency has already been demonstrated. The supervisor evaluates subject knowledge and a language teacher may also be involved where required.

35. Submission is final, so complete all checks before uploading

When the thesis is ready, Hanken uses an authenticated electronic form and requires the final thesis as PDF/A. The submitted version is final: Hanken states that corrections or additions cannot be made after submission. Before uploading, complete supervisor-agreed corrections, check the PDF/A file, confirm title and metadata, remove confidential material, verify references and arrange the maturity test with the supervisor and department Administrative Coordinator.

36. Every English thesis goes through plagiarism control

All Hanken Master’s theses must pass plagiarism control. English-language theses are checked in Turnitin after electronic submission. The similarity report supports the supervisor’s academic assessment and is not an automatic plagiarism verdict. Correct quotation, paraphrasing, attribution and accurate legal citation therefore matter more than trying to reach an arbitrary similarity percentage.

37. Two reviewers propose the grade and the Education Council grades the thesis

The current formal rules require two examiners from different subjects, with at least one examiner holding a doctoral degree. Hanken’s operational submission guidance states that one reviewer is the supervisor. The reviewers evaluate the thesis and propose a grade to the Education Council, which formally approves and grades it. Master’s theses use Hanken’s 1-5 scale, with formal rectification rather than an ordinary retake as the route to challenge the grade.

38. A practical IPBL thesis sequence

A safe sequence is to confirm whether the student is in the current IPBL programme or a legacy study right, confirm the correct specialisation, complete or plan 37048, check current 37170 prerequisites in Sisu, and enter the research seminar. Then define a precise legal or interdisciplinary problem, agree the research plan with the supervisor, map controlling legal authorities, decide whether empirical data are needed, complete the data-processing requirements and build the analysis with explicit jurisdiction and time boundaries. During writing, keep legal, business, policy and empirical claims separated. Before submission, check the current rubric, references, AI documentation, confidentiality, maturity-test arrangements and final PDF/A.

Final note

The most important programme-specific fact is straightforward: the current Hanken Intellectual Property and Business Law programme has two specialisations but one verified thesis regime, 37048 Research Methodologies in Commercial Law, 5 ECTS + 37170 Research Seminar in Commercial Law, 5 ECTS + 3720-E Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS. Students in the discontinued pre-2025 programmes must still check their legacy study plans. For anything operational, especially Sisu prerequisites, semester-specific teaching, submission dates, coordinator details and current AI or data procedures, recheck the live Hanken source before acting.