University of Eastern Finland Transatlantic Forestry Master's Thesis Guide: MSCTRANS26, LM00DF57 and Double-Degree Rules

1. Start with the Transfor-M double-degree structure

The current University of Eastern Finland programme is the Master’s Degree Programme in Forestry (Transatlantic Forestry), also described as TRANSFOR-M. It is a two-year programme combining one year in Finland and one year in Canada. UEF states that successful completion leads to a UEF Master of Science (Agriculture and Forestry) degree certificate and an MSc degree certificate from the Canadian university where the student studied. That double-degree structure is not a minor administrative detail. It determines which institution’s rules apply at different stages of the thesis and graduation process.

2. Use MSCTRANS26 as the current curriculum anchor

For 2026-27, the controlling UEF Peppi object is programme 142170, code MSCTRANS26, titled “Forestry, MSc (Transfor-M), 2026-27”. The public programme page states at least 120 ECTS overall, including at least 60 ECTS in each institution. The current Peppi object is configured at 120.5 ECTS and contains a 60 ECTS Canadian-partner study block. Preserve both facts rather than treating them as interchangeable. The public programme gives the programme minimum; Peppi shows the currently configured UEF-side curriculum object.

3. Understand the 90 ECTS coursework plus 30 ECTS thesis model

UEF’s current Transfor-M page describes the programme as at least 90 ECTS of coursework plus a 30 ECTS MSc thesis, for a minimum total of 120 ECTS. It also explains that Canadian credits are converted into ECTS and gives a range of 2.5 to 3 ECTS per Canadian credit. Do not assume one fixed conversion for every partner record. Your individual study plan must satisfy both institutions, so course selection and credit conversion should be checked with the relevant Transfor-M advisers before graduation planning.

4. The UEF-side thesis is LM00DF57, 30 ECTS

When the thesis is completed under the UEF Forestry route, the current thesis course is LM00DF57 M.Sc Thesis (Agr & For, Forestry), 30 ECTS. UEF describes it as planning and implementing a scientific research project, including scientific reporting. The work includes research planning, collection and analysis of study material, and writing the MSc thesis. The thesis is graded on the 0-5 scale. This is the current UEF-side thesis object independently present in MSCTRANS26.

5. Do not extend the UEF 30 ECTS rule to a Canadian thesis without evidence

The current Transfor-M programme page explicitly states that the master’s thesis at UEF carries 30 ECTS. It does not, by itself, prove that a thesis completed at a Canadian partner follows the same submission, grading, maturity, supervision or administrative rules. If your thesis is formally completed through the Canadian university, use that partner’s current official requirements. This guide explains the UEF-side route in detail and treats Canadian rules as host-specific unless they are independently documented.

6. Complete the UEF thesis-project form before the research becomes fixed

LM00DF57 requires students to fill a form stating the planned topic, tentative plan and supervisor or supervisors. The current form is referenced through the School of Forest Sciences Study Community, which is login-protected. Use the live Study Community form rather than an old template. The practical purpose is to formalise the thesis topic and supervision before major data collection or analysis. In a double-degree programme, this is especially important because both institutional expectations may affect timing, data access and supervision.

7. Build supervision around the UEF requirement

A UEF-side LM00DF57 thesis can have one or more supervisors. At least one supervisor must belong to the teaching staff of the School of Forest Sciences. If a Canadian adviser, external research institute, company or project partner is also involved, clarify who is the formal UEF supervisor and which decisions each person can approve. A transatlantic project can easily create ambiguity about responsibility. Keep a short written record of major decisions involving topic, methods, data, ethics, authorship expectations and submission route.

8. Keep Transfor-M separate from ordinary Forestry and European Forestry

UEF lists ordinary Forestry, European Forestry and Transatlantic Forestry as distinct programme routes. MSCTRANS26 is not the same as MSCFOR26, and it is not the Erasmus Mundus European Forestry curriculum. The current Transfor-M plan happens to use the same UEF thesis, maturity and seminar course codes as ordinary Forestry, but that similarity is independently verified through the current plan. Never use shared course codes as permission to import unrelated programme rules, partner structures or graduation procedures.

9. LM00CO31 is the current shared thesis seminar

The current MSCTRANS26 plan includes LM00CO31 MDP in Forestry: joint thesis seminar, 3 ECTS, Pass/Fail. The course prerequisites explicitly say it is available to MSc students in Forestry or Transfor-M. From 1 August 2026, the course develops research planning, research execution, written and oral scientific reporting, peer evaluation and constructive feedback. For Transfor-M students using the UEF route, this seminar should be built into the thesis calendar rather than treated as an optional presentation at the end.

10. Plan for the introductory lecture and six seminars

Under the current rules effective from 1 August 2026, LM00CO31 requires participation in the two-hour introductory lecture and six seminars. One presentation counts as one seminar, and participation in LM00CW39 Postgraduate research seminar may also count according to the course description. Because Transfor-M students divide their studies across countries, seminar timing deserves early planning. Check when the sessions are offered and avoid discovering late that exchange, travel or Canadian study periods conflict with required participation.

11. Present a research plan, thesis draft or final thesis

The seminar requires presentation of the student’s own research plan, a draft version of the MSc thesis or the final thesis. Choose the stage strategically. A research-plan presentation can expose problems in the question, sampling design or analysis before they become expensive. A draft presentation can improve interpretation and structure after results exist. A final presentation may be useful for communicating completed work but offers less opportunity for major redesign. Confirm the most appropriate stage with the teacher in charge and supervisor.

12. Submit seminar material one week before the session

The current course description requires the research plan or thesis used for the seminar to be submitted electronically to the teacher in charge one week before the seminar. Treat that as a genuine internal deadline. Freeze a readable version, check references, tables and figures, and make the stage of the work clear to the reviewer. If your project involves both UEF and Canadian advisers, make sure the version being discussed is consistent with the supervision arrangement and does not circulate restricted data improperly.

13. Complete both oral and written peer review

LM00CO31 requires an oral and written critical review of another student’s research plan or thesis. The current criteria include the research problem, research material, experimental arrangements where relevant, methods, analysis, conclusions, and overall written and oral presentation. Use the exercise to improve your own work. A structured peer-review checklist is especially valuable in a transatlantic programme because research traditions, terminology and methodological expectations can vary across institutions.

14. Remember the supervised literature exam

From 1 August 2026, LM00CO31 also includes a supervised exam on required literature, completed on campus or in the EXAM system with the teacher in charge. Seminar attendance alone does not complete the course. The course description also says the thesis supervisor is expected to attend when the supervised student presents, and the student arranges the peer reviewer and informs the supervisor or supervisors of seminar timing. Plan these steps before leaving Finland if your mobility schedule makes later attendance difficult.

15. Use the methodology block as preparation, not a universal method rule

The current MSCTRANS26 plan contains a methodological-studies category with options including R, statistics, data-driven qualitative methodology, remote sensing and geoinformatics, and research methodology in forest sciences. These are preparation options, not proof that every thesis must use one specific technique. A forest ecology project, forest-economics study, remote-sensing analysis or policy interview project may need very different evidence. The thesis should justify why the chosen method answers the research question and what limitations remain.

16. Agree the unit of analysis across supervisors

Transatlantic research may combine datasets or perspectives from different countries. Define the unit of analysis before data collection. A plot, stand, landscape, company, policy system, stakeholder group or market is not interchangeable. If Finnish and Canadian data are being compared, decide whether the design supports direct comparison and whether variables, sampling frames and time periods are actually compatible. Write these assumptions into the research plan so that supervisors on both sides are evaluating the same analytical logic.

17. Make the research workflow reproducible

For computational work, record software versions, scripts, parameters, data versions, preprocessing steps and exclusions. For field research, document sampling, instruments, calibration, missing observations and deviations. For qualitative work, preserve an auditable record of recruitment, coding and interpretation. In an international project, reproducibility also helps when data or analysis move between teams or countries. It does not require publishing protected data, but it should be possible to explain how raw evidence became the reported results.

18. Resolve data protection before moving data across borders

If a UEF-side thesis processes personal data, UEF’s data-protection requirements apply. Determine the lawful basis, what information participants receive, who controls the data, where they are stored and who may access them. A Transfor-M project can create additional questions if data move between Finland and Canada or are accessed by supervisors at different institutions. Do not assume that permission to collect data automatically permits international transfer. Clarify the institutional and legal basis before transferring identifiable or confidential material.

19. Obtain consent, permits and ethical review where required

Direct participant data collection normally requires participation consent and an information sheet. A research permit may be needed for data held by an authority, company or other controlled source. UEF also advises students to discuss with the supervisor whether ethical review is required. Not every thesis needs formal review, but the need depends on the actual design. If Canadian data collection is involved, check the Canadian partner’s own ethics and research-permit procedures separately rather than assuming UEF approval alone is sufficient.

20. Use AI within UEF’s current thesis rules

UEF allows supportive AI use when it is responsible and transparent, but the student remains responsible for the accuracy and content of the thesis. Record the tool, when and why it was used, how output was verified, and what the student’s contribution was. AI cannot replace the research process or intellectual work. In a transatlantic project, also check whether the Canadian partner has stricter or additional AI requirements. Follow the stricter applicable rule where different institutional obligations overlap.

21. Keep the thesis abstract completely AI-free under UEF rules

UEF’s current thesis guidance says AI must not be used at all in the thesis abstract, including checking or translation. Keep the abstract outside AI-assisted drafting and editing. This rule applies independently of broader permitted AI use elsewhere in the thesis. If a Canadian partner has a different abstract or summary requirement, do not merge the two rules casually. Prepare each required document according to the institution that formally governs it.

22. Run Turnitin before official UEF submission

For a thesis submitted through UEF, the current master’s-thesis workflow requires a Turnitin check in eLearn Moodle before official submission. The supervisor reviews the report, discusses issues if needed and gives permission to proceed. A similarity percentage is not itself a plagiarism verdict. References, quotations and common phrases need interpretation. The important control is that source-use problems are identified while the manuscript can still be corrected, before the formal UEF review begins.

23. Submit the UEF version as one PDF/A through e-Services

The current UEF process requires a single PDF/A file for formal thesis review through UEF e-Services. Check the converted file carefully. Maps, tables, equations, fonts, links and images can change during export. Use the current School of Forest Sciences Study Community instructions for local templates and forms. If the Canadian partner requires a separate repository or file format, treat that as an additional partner-specific obligation instead of assuming one upload satisfies both institutions.

24. Be registered as present for the UEF submission and grade

UEF states that students must be registered as present when submitting the thesis and when the thesis grade is awarded. Mobility between Finland and Canada does not remove that UEF administrative requirement for the UEF-side process. Check registration status before the final submission period, especially if the thesis crosses semester boundaries. A completed manuscript can still be delayed administratively if enrolment, study-right or record requirements are not in order.

25. Build the UEF review period into double-degree planning

After UEF submission, the supervisor proposes reviewers and a decision-maker, and the head of department approves or returns the proposal. Reviewers submit a written statement and grade proposal within one month of appointment. In a double-degree programme, the UEF review timetable may need to align with a Canadian graduation or transcript deadline. Do not assume the UEF grade will appear immediately after upload. Work backwards from the later of the two institutions’ administrative deadlines.

26. Respond formally to the UEF reviewers

The student must respond to the reviewers’ statement before the UEF review process proceeds. UEF also provides one opportunity to request suspension of the review so the thesis can be revised and resubmitted. A third reviewer may be appointed in specified disagreement situations. These are formal UEF procedures. They should not be treated as automatically available at the Canadian partner, whose review and appeal process must be checked separately if that institution is also assessing the thesis.

27. Know the UEF grade and rectification route

LM00DF57 uses the 0-5 scale. If the student disagrees with the final UEF thesis grading decision, current UEF guidance provides a written rectification route to the Board of Appeal within 14 days of receiving the decision. Preserve the reviewer statement, decision and relevant correspondence if rectification is being considered. Canadian grading scales and appeal procedures may differ, so keep the two institutional decisions separate rather than translating one grade informally into the other.

28. Treat LM00EH23 as the current UEF maturity route unless a verified programme rule supersedes it

MSCTRANS26 includes LM00EH23 Maturity test, M.Sc. (Agr & For), 0 ECTS, Pass/Fail. Its current description uses a supervised exam on campus or in EXAM and says the student arranges it with the main supervisor after submitting the thesis for review. Crucially, LM00EH23 also says joint-degree programmes follow programme-specific maturity-test instructions where such instructions exist. Therefore use the current Transfor-M or UEF instruction that actually applies, and do not import European Forestry’s abstract-based route.

29. Coordinate two degree-completion systems deliberately

UEF says its degree studies must be completed and recorded before applying for the UEF degree certificate. Current UEF planning guidance lists 30 April for spring master’s-thesis review and 31 May for spring degree-certificate applications, plus 31 October and 30 November for autumn planning. Transfor-M students also need to satisfy the Canadian university’s completion and certificate process. Build one combined timeline showing UEF review, maturity, Peppi records, UEF degree application and the partner’s separate deadlines.

30. Use a Transfor-M-specific final checklist

Before considering the thesis route complete, verify the current MSCTRANS26 study plan; minimum credit distribution across both institutions; UEF thesis-start form if using the UEF thesis route; qualified UEF supervision; partner supervision where applicable; data-transfer, ethics and permit requirements; LM00CO31 completion; thesis manuscript; AI compliance; AI-free UEF abstract; Turnitin; final UEF PDF/A submission; reviewer response; LM00EH23 or any verified programme-specific maturity route; UEF grade and Peppi record; Canadian partner completion requirements; and both degree-certificate processes. If rules conflict, use the current rule of the institution formally controlling that step.