Master's Thesis Press release
The maturity essay changes in autumn 2016
The degree programme committee of CCIS decided that a press release replaced a maturity essay. On this page you can find instructions about press release for both students and supervisors.
The student emails the press release (maturity essay) to the supervisor, and the supervisor informs grades-sci [at] aalto [dot] fi (Student Services) whether the essay is approved or not. The deadline of returning the press release is the date of the master’s thesis presentation.
Instruction for students
PRESS RELEASE: Maturity test for the students in the Master´s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (CCIS, SCI majors) and Master´s Programme in ICT Innovation and NordSecMob
You will complete the maturity test by writing a press release on your master’s thesis. The press release can be written when all the major research findings of the thesis are ready to be presented. The release is written in the language of the master’s thesis.
Agree on the press release schedule with your supervisor so that the press release is approved before you apply for approval of your thesis. Your supervisor reviews the press release and the approved release will be registered into Oodi as a maturity test.
NOTE! If you have completed you comprehensive and/or upper secondary education (peruskoulu ja/tai lukio) in Finland and your Bachelor´s degree abroad, please contact your programme Study Coordinator. In this case you need to write a different kind of maturity test because of the Finnish/Swedish language requirements.
How to Write a Press Release?
The purpose of the press release is to disseminate information on the research work conducted at the university and their results to an audience beyond the scientific community. A good press release summarises the key results of the master’s thesis. It consists of an informative and well-thought title and concisely presented contents. Please note the following:
Target group:
Think about your audience and formulate your text so that it is easily understood. If the anticipated audience is not familiar with the concepts or methods used in the press releases, they need to be clarified.
Title:
The press release should have an interesting title that is different from the title of the master´s thesis. The title describes what has happened, where and when.
Structure:
The press release contains a dateline, headline, introduction, paragraph(s) presenting the body of the text and contact information.
Start the press release by mentioning the author of the thesis, its field and title, and your home organisation.
The body of the text describes the key conclusions of the master’s thesis and/or 3–5 noteworthy details. Instead of giving the results of the study at the end of the press release, present them at the beginning to attract the reader’s attention. Place the noteworthy details at the end of the main paragraph if not higher in the text. You may also explain your key point in the introduction.
Additionally, you may explain the wider relevance of your results or their practical applications. The maximum length for the press release is one A4 page.
Style:
Please note that a press release on your thesis is not the same as your thesis abstract. Avoid style typical of marketing and use easily understandable, clear and simple language.
The purpose of a press release is to draw the interest of the media and other parties. It may be used as the basis for an article written by a journalist, but it may also prompt the media to ask for interviews.
A press release should essentially contain a concise, plain-language description of the topic of the thesis. Any unnecessary specialist terminology should be avoided. The press release should answer the following questions:
Information for students
- What was the subject of the study?
- What results were obtained and how can they be applied?
- How relevant is the thesis to other research in the field?
Instruction for supervisors
PRESS RELEASE: Maturity test for the students in the Master´s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (CCIS, SCI majors) and Master´s Programme in ICT Innovation and NordSecMob
As of 1.8.2016, students of CCIS, ICT Innovation and NordSecMob who have demonstrated their language proficiency in a maturity essay written in their bachelor’s degree will complete the maturity test by writing a press release on their master’s thesis.
In practice, this means all the students, except for those who have completed their comprehensive and/or upper secondary education (peruskoulu ja/tai lukio) in Finland and their Bachelor´s degree abroad. These students will write a traditional maturity essay. They are informed to contact the programme Study Coordinator for further information.
The press release will primarily be thought of as a study attainment treated as a normal essay. Unlike the traditional maturity essay, the press release is not written in a supervised examination hall and the supervisor does not need to provide topics for the release. Students may write the press release when all the major findings of their master’s thesis are ready to be presented. The release is written in the language of the master’s thesis.
It is on the student´s responsibility to agree on the press release schedule with the supervisor so that the press release is approved before the students applies for approval of the thesis. The supervisor reviews the press release; it can be approved or rejected. The approved press release is sent to grades-sci [at] aalto [dot] fi (Student Services) and it will be registered into Oodi as a maturity test.
How to Write a Press Release?
The purpose of the press release is to disseminate information on the research work conducted at the university and their results to an audience beyond the scientific community. A good press release summarises the key results of the master’s thesis. It consists of an informative and well-thought title and concisely presented contents. Please note the following:
Target group:
Think about your audience and formulate your text so that it is easily understood. If the anticipated audience is not familiar with the concepts or methods used in the press releases, they need to be clarified.
Title:
The press release should have an interesting title that is different from the title of the master´s thesis. The title describes what has happened, where and when.
Structure:
The press release contains a dateline, headline, introduction, paragraph(s) presenting the body of the text and contact information.
Start the press release by mentioning the author of the thesis, its field and title, and your home organisation.
The body of the text describes the key conclusions of the master’s thesis and/or 3–5 noteworthy details. Instead of giving the results of the study at the end of the press release, present them at the beginning to attract the reader’s attention. Place the noteworthy details at the end of the main paragraph if not higher in the text. You may also explain your key point in the introduction.
Additionally, you may explain the wider relevance of your results or their practical applications. The maximum length for the press release is one A4 page.
Style:
Please note that a press release on your thesis is not the same as your thesis abstract. Avoid style typical of marketing and use easily understandable, clear and simple language.
Information for teachers
The purpose of a press release is to draw the interest of the media and other parties. It may be used as the basis for an article written by a journalist, but it may also prompt the media to ask for interviews.
A press release should essentially contain a concise, plain-language description of the topic of the thesis. Any unnecessary specialist terminology should be avoided. The press release should answer the following questions:
- What was the subject of the study?
- What results were obtained and how can they be applied?
- How relevant is the thesis to other research in the field?