University of the Arts Helsinki LAPS Master's Thesis Guide: T-L24A41, 30 ECTS, Artistic + Written Thesis

Quick answer: what is the current LAPS thesis route at Uniarts Helsinki?

The current Live Art and Performance Studies (LAPS) master’s programme at the University of the Arts Helsinki is a two-year, 120 ECTS English-language Master of Arts (Theatre and Drama) programme. The linked current Study Guide object is 18779 / 125601_M_2024.

The exact thesis module is T-L24A40 Master’s Thesis Project, 30 ECTS. Its thesis course is T-L24A41 Master’s Thesis Project, 30 ECTS, and its maturity course is T-L24A42 Maturity Test, 0 ECTS. The exact LAPS thesis consists of a unique artistic work and a written thesis. It is supervised by two artists or scholars, assessed by two examiners, and graded Pass with Distinction / Pass / Fail. Do not import CDPR’s dissertation-only alternative or 0-5 grading into LAPS.

1. The current programme is 18779 / 125601_M_2024

The current Uniarts English Master’s catalogue includes LAPS, and the programme page links Study Guide programme 18779 / 125601_M_2024. The Study Guide gives 120 ECTS and a nominal duration of 2.0 years.

Use this current programme object when checking course codes and thesis structure instead of relying on an older LAPS curriculum.

2. The degree is Master of Arts (Theatre and Drama)

The current programme page and Study Guide identify the award as Master of Arts (Theatre and Drama). Uniarts degree information gives this master’s degree a formal scope of 120 ECTS.

Keep the degree title consistent in your thesis plan, title page and administrative documents.

3. The degree language is English

The current Study Guide programme description states that the degree language is English. The programme page also describes LAPS as a two-year master’s programme in English.

This matters for ordinary programme communication, but the maturity-test language still depends on the current language rules and the student’s school-education background.

4. LAPS balances performance and research practice

The programme description says the degree structure is based equally on performance practice and research practice. LAPS treats contemporary performance and live art as fields in which practice and research can operate together.

This balance is reflected directly in the thesis requirement: the final project is neither only an artwork nor only a conventional written dissertation.

5. The exact thesis module is T-L24A40, 30 ECTS

The current Study Guide contains T-L24A40 Master’s Thesis Project, 30 ECTS. Inside the module, the assessed thesis course is T-L24A41 and the maturity requirement is T-L24A42.

The 30 ECTS scope also agrees with the current general Theatre Academy rule for master’s thesis projects outside its named exceptions.

6. T-L24A41 is the exact 30 ECTS thesis course

The current LAPS thesis course is T-L24A41 Master’s Thesis Project, 30 ECTS.

Use T-L24A41 when checking programme-specific outcomes, supervision, examiners and grading. Generic academy guidance should supplement this exact course rather than replace it.

7. LAPS requires a unique artistic work and a written thesis

The exact T-L24A41 content states that the thesis project consists of a unique artistic work and a written thesis.

That is a decisive LAPS-specific rule. The current course does not present a written-only dissertation as an alternative thesis route.

8. Do not import CDPR’s dissertation alternative

Another Theatre Academy programme, CDPR, has a current dissertation alternative. LAPS does not use that wording in T-L24A41.

Programme-specific evidence therefore matters. A LAPS guide that tells students they may simply choose a dissertation-only route would mix two different curricula.

9. The artistic work can use chosen mediums and methods

The thesis learning outcomes say students create a well-articulated artistic work using their chosen mediums and working methods.

This gives flexibility in artistic form while preserving the requirement that the work be intentional, research-aware and clearly articulated.

10. Originality of thought is an explicit outcome

A successful LAPS thesis is expected to express originality of thought and relate the project to relevant discourses.

Originality here is not only novelty of form. It also concerns how the student positions artistic choices, research interests and theoretical context.

11. Methods and methodologies must be articulated

T-L24A41 requires students to articulate the methods and methodologies used in the project.

Do not let the artistic process remain methodologically invisible. Explain how experimentation, documentation, collaboration, embodied practice, writing or other research procedures generated knowledge or changed the work.

12. The thesis should state its contribution

Students must be able to communicate how the thesis contributes to the community of artists, researchers and the wider public.

A useful contribution statement can clarify what the project offers artistically, conceptually, methodologically or socially without exaggerating what one master’s project can establish.

13. The project presents your position as an artist and researcher

The exact course says the project presents the student’s position as an artist and their research interests.

Make that position visible through the relationship between artistic decisions, research questions, theoretical context and the written argument.

14. Artistic vision and theoretical interests need arguments

T-L24A41 expects students to present arguments in support of their artistic vision and theoretical interests.

The written thesis should therefore do more than describe what happened. It should explain and justify why the project developed as it did and how the theoretical frame supports interpretation.

15. Formal, aesthetic, material and socio-political choices matter

The exact thesis course refers to the student’s choices of formal, aesthetic, material and socio-political issues and needs.

These dimensions can become analytical categories in the written component when they genuinely arise from the project.

16. Reflect methodological experimentation and collaboration

The MA thesis should reflect how methodological experimentation, collaboration and research took place during project development.

Keep process records that allow you to reconstruct important decisions, changes, tests, failures and collaborative negotiations rather than trying to remember them at the end.

17. Exact LAPS supervision is by two artists or scholars

T-L24A41 states that the project is supervised by two artists or scholars.

This programme-specific rule is more precise than the general Theatre Academy statement that thesis projects may have one or two supervisors. For current LAPS planning, use the exact two-supervisor rule.

18. The thesis is assessed by two examiners

The exact course also states that the project is assessed by two examiners.

Current Theatre Academy guidance says examiners are named in the approved thesis plan and usually include one external examiner and one member of Theatre Academy academic staff, subject to conflict-of-interest rules.

19. Programme resources affect project scale

T-L24A41 says the resources and support provided by the programme determine the scope and scale of the project.

Design the artistic work within confirmed production resources rather than assuming that an ambitious concept automatically creates an entitlement to extra venue, technical or staffing support.

20. The LAPS thesis grading scale has three outcomes

The exact course uses Pass with Distinction / Pass / Fail.

This matches the current general Theatre Academy thesis scale and must not be replaced by the 0-5 scale used for international double-degree CDPR theses.

21. Pass with Distinction is exceptional

Current Theatre Academy guidance says Pass with Distinction is reserved for work of particular merit.

It also states that the distinction may be awarded only when both examiners recommend it. Plan for a strong thesis, but do not treat distinction as the default expected outcome.

22. T-L24A16 Defining the Thesis is 3 ECTS

The current degree structure includes T-L24A16 Defining the Thesis, 3 ECTS.

This course supports the master thesis and gives students tools for sustaining an artistic process as critical inquiry.

23. Defining the Thesis develops the thesis plan and process

The course focuses on the ideas and concepts of the thesis, together with the processes and methods needed to begin a research-oriented artistic process.

Its outcomes include the ability to articulate the thesis plan and process clearly.

24. Mentoring is part of Defining the Thesis

T-L24A16 uses mentors drawn from a wider network associated with LAPS.

The mentoring aims to let students explore practice and research collaboratively. Use mentor discussion to test both artistic assumptions and research framing.

25. T-L24A24 Research Tools is 3 ECTS

The Research Practice module contains T-L24A24 Research Tools, 3 ECTS.

It prepares students to present research to academic standards and complete the MA thesis project.

26. Research Tools develops independent research capacity

The course expects students to carry out independent research and understand a variety of research methodologies that may be used in thesis work.

This variety is important: the programme does not reduce artistic research to one universal method.

27. Research Tools covers academic and arts-based research

The course provides tools and methodologies for academic and arts-based research.

It addresses research orientation, contextualisation, methods, impact, presentation and research outputs, giving students a vocabulary for explaining how their practice produces and communicates knowledge.

28. Documentation and archiving are research issues

Research Tools explicitly addresses documentation and archiving in relation to dissemination.

For performance work, documentation is not neutral. Decide what documentation can show, what it cannot show, who appears in it, what rights apply and how it relates to the written analysis.

29. No one empirical method is mandatory

Neither T-L24A41 nor T-L24A24 makes interviews, surveys or another single empirical method compulsory.

Choose methods because they fit the research question and artistic process. A project might rely on practice-based experimentation and documentation, or it may add interviews, observation, archival material or other evidence where justified.

30. The general Theatre Academy 30 ECTS rule aligns with LAPS

The current Theatre Academy master’s thesis guide says master’s thesis projects are generally 30 credits outside named exceptions. That aligns with the exact LAPS T-L24A41 course.

Unlike some other programme dossiers, there is no current credit conflict to resolve for LAPS.

31. General written-component guidance is 30 to 60 pages

Current Theatre Academy guidance says a written or reflective component is generally 30 to 60 pages, excluding the table of contents, sources and appendices, depending on the nature of the work.

Treat this as academy-level guidance. T-L24A41 itself does not publish a fixed page count.

32. Do not present 30 to 60 pages as an exact T-L24A41 rule

The distinction between programme-specific and academy-wide evidence matters. The range is useful for planning, but the precise expectations for your LAPS written thesis should also be confirmed through the programme and supervision process.

This keeps the guide accurate if LAPS later issues more specific instructions.

33. Prepare the formal Theatre Academy thesis plan

Current Theatre Academy guidance requires a thesis project plan before or at the early stage of the project and before carrying out the artistic work.

The plan should make the artistic and written components, completion method, schedule, supervisors, examiners and relevant publicity questions visible.

34. The approved thesis plan has current two-year validity

The current academy guide says an approved thesis plan is valid for two years.

That is a validity rule for the plan, not a new degree duration. The LAPS degree remains a two-year programme.

35. Supervisor pre-examination occurs before final assessment

The current academy guide says the supervisor pre-examines the work and gives permission for final examination.

Students should allow at least one week for this pre-examination. Do not schedule Turnitin, Moodle submission and examiner review so tightly that there is no room for this stage.

36. Give examiners at least four weeks

Current Theatre Academy guidance asks students to submit in time for examiners to have at least four weeks for assessment.

Annual submission and graduation schedules can change, so build the calendar backwards from the live cycle rather than copying old dates.

37. T-L24A42 Maturity Test is 0 ECTS

The current LAPS maturity course is T-L24A42, 0 ECTS.

It is a separate degree requirement even though it does not add credits to the 30 ECTS thesis module.

38. The LAPS maturity test is the abstract of the written component

The exact T-L24A42 course says the maturity test constitutes an abstract of the written component of the thesis.

This is a programme-specific rule and should not be replaced with a separate timed essay route from another school or programme.

39. The maturity test is Pass-Fail

T-L24A42 uses Pass-Fail assessment.

Keep maturity assessment separate from the three-grade thesis assessment. A Pass-Fail maturity result does not turn the thesis itself into Pass-Fail-only grading.

40. Current academy guidance sets an abstract minimum of 250 words

The current Theatre Academy thesis guide says the thesis abstract has a minimum length of 250 words.

It describes the abstract as a concise summary of the thesis objectives, content and findings.

41. Maturity language depends on educational background

Current Theatre Academy rules distinguish students according to the language of school education and whether Finnish or Swedish proficiency has already been demonstrated.

For students in an English-language master’s programme whose school education was neither Finnish nor Swedish, current guidance uses English for the maturity abstract. Other students can have additional language requirements.

42. AI applications are prohibited in the maturity test

Current Uniarts ethical guidance states that AI applications are not permitted in the maturity test.

Do not use generative AI to draft or rewrite the maturity abstract when it is functioning as the official maturity test.

43. Turnitin is required for written thesis components

Current Theatre Academy guidance uses Turnitin for originality checking of written components before approval.

Similarity reports require academic interpretation. A similarity percentage is not an automatic judgement of misconduct.

44. Final Turnitin upload locks the assessed version

The current guide says the final version is uploaded to Turnitin in Moodle and cannot be edited after final upload.

Complete references, quotations, captions, image credits, factual corrections and accessibility checks before this final lock point.

45. The current workflow uses Moodle

Current Theatre Academy guidance directs final thesis submission through Moodle.

Check the current LAPS Moodle area and academic-year instructions before submission because operational details can change.

46. Taju must contain the same written version

The academy guide says the version saved in Taju must be the same as the one submitted in Moodle.

The library guide similarly requires the same version that was sent for assessment.

47. Use the Uniarts template and PDF/A

Current Theatre Academy guidance uses the Uniarts standard Word thesis template and requires the final written thesis in PDF/A format.

Accessibility should be built into the source document through headings, meaningful link text, image alternatives and readable tables before conversion.

48. The thesis is a public document

Uniarts library guidance states that the thesis is a public document.

Do not include private, secret or classified information that cannot be disclosed merely because it was useful background material for the artistic or research process.

49. Restricted Taju access is not confidentiality

Taju allows Open Access or a restricted collection readable on designated library workstations, but the thesis remains public and metadata is visible.

Restricted access therefore does not solve a confidentiality problem in the final manuscript.

50. Performance documentation creates rights questions

LAPS projects can involve performers, collaborators, audiences, photographs, video, sound or third-party artistic material.

Plan consent, recording permissions, copyright, performer rights and repository/publication implications before documentation is created or published.

51. Human-participant work can process personal data

Uniarts data-protection guidance identifies interviews, surveys, observation and video as activities that can process personal data when living people are identifiable.

Only collect personal data that is genuinely necessary for the research question.

52. Pseudonymisation is not anonymity

If additional information can reconnect a pseudonym to a person, the material remains personal data.

Performance communities can be small, so indirect identifiers such as role, venue, event, artistic specialty or distinctive biography can make people identifiable.

53. Plan purpose, controller, lawful basis and lifecycle before collection

Before collecting personal data, clarify why it is needed, who determines the purpose and means of processing, what lawful basis applies, where data will be stored, who can access it and what happens after the project.

Do not postpone the data-management plan until writing begins.

54. Watch for transfers outside the EU/EEA

Uniarts warns that cloud storage or software tools may transfer personal data outside the EU/EEA and that such transfers can require additional legal safeguards.

This is especially important when using media-processing or AI services for recordings and transcripts.

55. Formal ethical review is not automatic for a master’s thesis

Uniarts asks supervisors of bachelor’s and master’s thesis projects to design projects so formal ethical review is normally not required.

Certain human-science research settings can still trigger review requirements or recommendations. An ethical-review statement is also not the same as a research permit.

56. AI use in thesis work still has disclosure and data limits

Current Uniarts guidance says AI use for thesis editing should be mentioned. It also prohibits entering another person’s personal data, copyrighted material or trade secrets into an AI service when you lack the right to use the material there.

These restrictions matter for rehearsal recordings, participant data, scripts and collaborative artistic material.

57. A practical LAPS workflow

Use T-L24A16 to define the thesis idea, artistic process, originality and plan. Use T-L24A24 to clarify research orientation, methodology, documentation and dissemination. Prepare the formal Theatre Academy thesis plan and obtain approval before the artistic component. Work with the two LAPS supervisors while developing the artistic work and written thesis together. Keep process documentation and rights/data records. Draft the written component within current programme and academy expectations, complete the T-L24A42 maturity abstract under the correct language rule, allow supervisor pre-examination, finalise the locked Turnitin/Moodle version, deposit the same accessible PDF/A in Taju, and leave enough time for two-examiner assessment and graduation.

58. What to verify immediately before final submission

Recheck the current LAPS thesis-plan form, confirmed supervisors and examiners, available artistic-production resources, current written-component expectations, Moodle area, Taju process, maturity-language requirement, annual submission date and graduation schedule.

The durable current programme facts are the 125601_M_2024 curriculum, T-L24A41 30 ECTS, unique artistic work + written thesis, two supervisors, two examiners, three-grade assessment and T-L24A42 abstract maturity requirement.

Sources used for this guide

This guide was verified on 12 September 2026 against the current Uniarts Helsinki English Master catalogue, LAPS programme page, Study Guide 18779 / 125601_M_2024, exact thesis and maturity courses, Defining the Thesis and Research Tools, current Theatre Academy thesis/maturity rules, thesis-plan instructions, personal-data and research-ethics guidance, graduation instructions, Taju publishing rules, degree information and the Uniarts Code of conduct.