University of Helsinki Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation Master’s Thesis Guide 2026-2027

The Master’s Programme in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation (EEB) at the University of Helsinki is a 120 ECTS, two-year Master’s programme in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences. It brings together ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology, with research extending from genes and molecular ecology to populations, communities and ecosystems.

This guide is based on current University of Helsinki material verified on 26 August 2026 and follows the 2026-2030 curriculum that took effect on 1 August 2026. It is a thesis guide, not an admissions guide. Application dates, fees, scholarships, admissions eligibility and language-test thresholds are deliberately outside this article.

The current programme has a new name

Students may still see older University pages or headings referring to the Master’s Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. That is the programme’s former name. The current programme is Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, and the current degree-code-selected thesis page explicitly connects its legacy EEB heading to the present programme.

This matters because older materials should not be mistaken for a separate degree. For the 2026-2027 guide, the current programme name and current 2026-2030 rules control.

Current 120 ECTS structure

The ordinary EEB degree now consists of:

• 100 ECTS Advanced Studies; and
• 20 ECTS optional studies.

The 100 ECTS advanced studies are divided into:

• 60 ECTS Compulsory Core Studies;
• 20 ECTS Compulsory Specialised Studies; and
• 20 ECTS Complementary EEB Studies.

The 60 ECTS core is particularly important for thesis planning because it includes:

• EEB-001 Ecology - From theory to practice, 5 ECTS;
• EEB-020 Evolutionary Biology, 5 ECTS;
• EEB-003 Statistical Methods in Ecology, 5 ECTS;
• EEB-019 Quantitative Methods in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 5 ECTS;
• EEB-004 Planning a Master’s Thesis, 5 ECTS;
• EEB-005 Developing Scientific Writing and Presentation, 5 ECTS; and
• EEB-006 Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS.

The specialised studies require at least four courses from a selection of nine. Complementary EEB studies can include field courses, internships, lectures, book examinations and other approved work. This design means research planning, quantitative methods and scientific communication are deliberately built into the degree before the final thesis is submitted.

Students who began before 1 August 2026

The 2026-2030 curriculum became valid on 1 August 2026. Students who started earlier can transfer to the new structure or complete the older 2023-2026 curriculum during the University’s transition period through 31 July 2028.

If you are a continuing student, do not infer your remaining requirements solely from a new-student course list. Check your active Sisu structure and PSP with your programme guidance contact.

The biology subject-teacher route is a special route

EEB also has a biology subject-teacher route. Under the current structure, qualifying teacher students complete 60 ECTS of pedagogical studies and 60 ECTS of EEB core studies.

This is not the ordinary degree structure for every EEB student. The public programme guidance ties this route to Finnish- or Swedish-speaking students who already received the relevant pedagogical study right during their Bachelor’s studies. Do not reorganise an ordinary EEB degree around the teacher route unless it is actually your approved study path.

The thesis is EEB-006 and carries 30 ECTS

Every EEB student completes EEB-006 Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS. The thesis must demonstrate scientific thinking, command of the relevant research background and methods, and the ability to report research results in academic form.

The programme allows the research to be conducted:

• as an individual project; or
• within a larger research project or research group, provided your own independent contribution is clear and assessable.

Even when the research is collaborative, the thesis itself must be written independently.

EEB’s public programme description says a common pathway is to collect data in the field or laboratory, analyse the data, evaluate the results critically against the scientific literature and present the conclusions. That fits much of ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation research, but it is not the only possible design.

Current Faculty rules also permit a thesis based solely on literature or other scientific source material when that approach is appropriate to the research question.

Use EEB-004 and EEB-005 as part of the thesis process

Two current core courses are directly connected to producing a stronger thesis:

• EEB-004 Planning a Master’s Thesis helps convert a broad biological interest into a feasible research question, study design and project plan.
• EEB-005 Developing Scientific Writing and Presentation supports the communication skills needed to explain methods, results and scientific arguments clearly.

These courses should not be treated as unrelated boxes to tick. A good thesis workflow uses them to settle scope, methods and writing expectations before the final manuscript becomes difficult to change.

Research-group, field-station and international contexts

EEB is strongly research-oriented. Current programme material describes teaching by active researchers and research environments spanning molecular ecology, population biology, community ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology and related quantitative work.

The Faculty also uses University research stations at Tvärminne, Lammi and Kilpisjärvi for research and teaching. Depending on the topic and supervision arrangement, a thesis may be connected to one of the Faculty’s research groups or research-station projects.

The programme also allows students to conduct a Master’s thesis abroad. Whether the work takes place in Helsinki, a field station, another country or a collaborative research project, the same rule applies: the student’s own contribution must remain clearly identifiable.

The Faculty planning envelope is about 4-5 months and 20-40 pages

Current Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences guidance describes the 30 ECTS thesis as approximately:

• one term of full-time work;
• 4-5 months;
• 20-40 pages; and
• around 40-50 sources.

A literature-based thesis normally needs substantially more sources.

These are planning figures, not rigid minimums or maximums. An experimental thesis with substantial methods, figures, statistical modelling or supplementary material may be organised differently from a literature-based or theoretical thesis. The objective is an analytical, focused scientific thesis that fits the 30 ECTS workload.

Avoid both extremes: do not add text merely to reach a page number, but do not use a short manuscript to avoid explaining the background, methods, analyses and implications that the research question genuinely requires.

A thesis plan is mandatory before the thesis can be carried out

Under the current Faculty framework, a separate written Master’s thesis plan must be approved by the programme before the thesis is carried out.

The plan is signed by:

• the responsible person for theses in the programme;
• the student; and
• the supervisor or supervisors.

The plan should define the research question, objectives, material, methods, responsibilities, timetable, supervision arrangement, thesis language and any confidentiality or data-protection issues.

A particularly important operational rule is the plan’s validity. The current Faculty framework allows the thesis plan to be valid for a maximum of nine months. If the plan expires before submission, or the topic, supervisor or circumstances change materially, the plan must be updated and approved again.

This makes scope control essential. A thesis plan should describe a project that is realistic within the EEB-006 workload, not an open-ended research agenda.

Supervisor qualifications

At least one supervisor must be appointed. Under the current Faculty rules:

• the chief supervisor must hold a doctoral degree or equivalent qualifications; and
• any other supervisors must hold at least a Master’s degree.

The supervisor helps with research design, methods, scientific writing and project progress, but the student remains responsible for carrying out the work, analysing the material and defending the conclusions.

Research ethics and data protection must be handled early

EEB projects can involve field organisms, laboratory systems, genetic or genomic information, conservation datasets, animal work or other materials with specific ethical or legal requirements. Current Faculty guidance requires research-ethics questions to be addressed during planning.

If the work involves personal data, clarify GDPR responsibilities with the supervisor before data collection or access. If a permission, licence or other formal approval is required, that should be resolved and documented before the relevant research activity begins.

Ethics cannot be repaired by rewriting the final discussion section. It must be part of the research design.

Detailed EEB formatting and referencing rules are in EEB-006 Moodle

The current degree-code-selected University page states that EEB has its own instructions on thesis structure, formatting, accessibility, formalities and other details in the open EEB - Master’s Thesis (EEB-006) Moodle portal.

Current public Faculty guidance also requires a consistent referencing system, while leaving detailed programme conventions to programme-specific instructions.

The verified public evidence does not establish one universal named citation style such as APA, Harvard or Vancouver for every EEB thesis. The safe approach is therefore:

1. check the current EEB-006 Moodle portal;
2. follow any topic- or research-group-specific instructions approved by your supervisor; and
3. use the selected referencing system consistently throughout the thesis.

Language of the thesis

EEB is a multilingual programme. All programme teaching is given in English, but students may also complete examinations and work, including a Master’s thesis, in Finnish or Swedish when the relevant degree-language rules allow.

If you are completing the multilingual degree in English, University rules require at least 75% of the studies included in the degree to be completed in English, and the thesis must be written in English.

Do not confuse language of instruction with language of degree. The latter controls the formal thesis-language obligation.

Register in Sisu and submit through the redesigned E-thesis

Before final thesis submission, current University instructions require the thesis and maturity test to be registered in Sisu for the relevant academic year.

The assessed version is then submitted through the redesigned E-thesis system. Once the final file has been stored for assessment, it is no longer editable.

Before final submission, check:

• title and metadata;
• thesis language;
• abstract and keywords;
• supervisor details;
• references;
• figure, table and appendix rendering;
• accessibility requirements;
• confidential-data boundaries; and
• that the uploaded PDF is truly the final assessed version.

Two independent examiners assess the thesis

The responsible person appoints two examiners. The minimum qualification is a doctoral degree or equivalent. The Faculty recommends that at least one examiner comes from the student’s Faculty or degree programme.

A crucial EEB rule is examiner independence: in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, a thesis supervisor cannot act as an examiner. The explicit supervisor-as-examiner exception applies to ECGS for justified reasons, not to EEB.

The assessment framework has seven areas:

1. thesis objective and research questions;
2. scholarly framework and use of sources;
3. research data and method;
4. presentation of results;
5. discussion and conclusions;
6. the thesis as an academic text; and
7. work during the thesis process.

The examiners assess areas 1-6, while the supervisor assesses area 7. The final thesis grade is on the 0-5 scale, using the Faculty assessment matrix. The Dean makes the formal approval and grading decision.

EEB uses a separate maturity test in Examinarium

EEB does not use the thesis abstract as the Master’s maturity test.

Current EEB instructions say that after the thesis has been submitted to E-thesis, the maturity test can be completed in Examinarium by registering in Sisu for VIIKB-001 and selecting the implementation for the degree programme. Another date or arrangement can also be agreed with a teacher responsible for Master’s theses in EEB.

If the thesis is your final remaining study before graduation, the maturity test must be completed before or on the same day as the thesis is submitted.

The maturity test:

• carries 0 ECTS;
• is assessed pass/fail;
• demonstrates familiarity with the thesis topic; and
• has language requirements that depend on prior education and degree-language history.

AI is never allowed in a maturity test. This is separate from the University’s more permissive, conditional policy on AI support in ordinary thesis work.

AI use in the thesis itself

University policy can permit AI-supported learning or writing when the relevant teacher, programme and Faculty rules allow it. Where use is permitted, current rules require appropriate reporting or disclosure, and the student remains responsible for accuracy, references, interpretation and research integrity.

Do not use AI as a substitute for reading sources, designing analyses, evaluating biological evidence or making scientific judgments that you must be able to defend. Never use it in the EEB maturity test.

EEB submission rounds for 2026-2027

The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences uses the following current schedule. Completed theses must be submitted by 23:59 Finnish time.

Normal thesis supervision and feedback are not provided in July unless specifically required. If graduation timing matters, work backward from the Dean decision rather than treating the upload date as the end of the process.

Publicity, Helda and confidential material

A Master’s thesis is a public document. Confidential information must therefore not be included in the assessed thesis itself. If a research group or partner organisation has restricted background material, agree in advance what can appear in the public thesis and what must remain outside it.

The thesis abstract is always public. Approved theses and publication metadata are handled through the University’s current E-thesis and Helda workflow according to the student’s publication choices and University rules.

A practical EEB thesis workflow

A defensible sequence for a 2026-2027 EEB student is:

1. Build your method base. Use the current ecology, evolutionary-biology, statistics and quantitative-methods core courses to identify the research approaches you can realistically use.
2. Start EEB-004 with a feasible question. Narrow the topic to something that can be completed inside 30 ECTS.
3. Find suitable supervision and research context. This may be a Faculty research group, field/lab project, research station, international collaboration or approved independent/literature project.
4. Resolve ethics, data and permissions before research begins. Do not leave these for final writing.
5. Draft and secure approval of the thesis plan. Make the scope, responsibilities, methods, timetable and plan-validity period explicit.
6. Use EEB-005 to improve scientific communication. Treat writing and presentation as part of research, not a final cosmetic stage.
7. Collect or assemble the material and analyse it. Keep the research question, method and evidence aligned.
8. Use the 20-40-page figure as a scale check, not a target. The thesis should be as long as necessary within the 30 ECTS scope.
9. Follow EEB-006 Moodle instructions for formatting and references. Do not assume a citation style from another biology programme.
10. Register the thesis and maturity test in Sisu, then submit the exact final PDF through E-thesis.
11. Complete the separate maturity test in Examinarium or by the approved alternative arrangement.
12. Allow time for examiner assessment and Dean approval. Use the current 2026-2027 timetable.

Final checklist

Before final submission, confirm that:

• you are following the correct 2026-2030 or approved transition structure;
• your project belongs to the current EEB programme rather than relying on stale former-name documents;
• EEB-004 and EEB-005 requirements relevant to your study plan are complete;
• your thesis plan is approved, signed and still valid;
• the chief supervisor satisfies the doctoral/equivalent qualification rule;
• your independent contribution is clear if working in a research group;
• ethics, permits and data protection were handled appropriately;
• the thesis scope is realistic for 30 ECTS;
• the 20-40-page and source figures have been treated as guidance, not quotas;
• formatting and referencing follow the current EEB-006 Moodle instructions;
• no confidential information appears in the assessed thesis;
• the thesis and maturity test are registered correctly in Sisu;
• the E-thesis PDF is the exact final version;
• the separate maturity test is completed under the EEB rules, with no AI use; and
• your submission date fits the current Faculty timetable.

More specific or newer University, Faculty, programme, EEB-006 Moodle or supervisor instructions always take priority when they apply to your project.