Formatting requirements:

An independent paper written in the programme’s working language, with a minimum of 45,000 and a maximum of 80,000 characters (excluding spaces), in at least 12-point font with 1.5 line spacing, in which the table of contents and bibliography, as well as the notes and the appendix are not included in the character count specified above. The standard margin is 2.5 cm on all sides, though deviations from this are permitted with the supervisor’s approval.

1. Title Page: Title, author (NEPTUN/ETR code), “BA Thesis,” supervisor’s name and position, and the academic year in which the thesis was completed. A sample title page can be downloaded here.
2. Page: Declaration of Plagiarism, Statement on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence
3. Page: Abstract, Keywords 
4. Page: Table of Contents
5. Page: Main text begins. 

At the end of the thesis: Appendices – For empirical theses, the approved ethics approval form must be included here.  The ethics approval form must be approved by the supervisor before data collection begins. The supervisor does not need to sign the completed form; it is enough to include the supervisor’s name.  

Content Requirements:

Requirements for empirical papers

Requirements for theoretical papers

Sample size – A scientific study conducted with an appropriate sample size depending on the nature of the research: 

• Survey-based study: a minimum of 60 participants.

A larger sample size may be required based on the criteria for grouping. (Each group must have a sufficient number of participants.) The sample size must be approved by the supervisor, and deviations from the above guidelines are permitted in justified cases.

• Experimental research based on in-person participation: a minimum of 30 participants.

Deviations from the minimum sample size specified above are permitted if the study targets a specific population with a limited number of members. In such cases, the thesis supervisor will make a decision on a case-by-case basis, and this decision must be mentioned in the section titled “Presentation of the Sample.” 

The research question of the thesis must be grounded in a literature review, and the formulated hypotheses must be tested using appropriate statistical analyses. 

The Institute does not prefer theses based on qualitative methodology or theoretical theses at the BA level. However, with the supervisor’s permission, such a thesis may be written. In this case, however, the requirements applicable to MA theses must be met. 

Additional resources for writing theses can be found on the “Guides” subpage of the Institute’s website.

ATTENTION! Compliance with the rules regarding plagiarism and the prescribed formatting requirements (length requirements) is solely the responsibility of the student writing the thesis! When approving the submission, the thesis supervisor bases their decision on content-related criteria.  Compliance with formatting and plagiarism rules is verified during the evaluation of the submitted thesis.

The relationship between the thesis and the previous research paper:

If the thesis is a further developed version of a previous piece of work, at least 70% of the thesis must differ from the text and content of the research paper written for previous seminars. 

During the planning and preparation of the thesis, the student is required to consult with the thesis supervisor at least three times in some form. Otherwise, the signature for the thesis seminar may be withheld. If the student completes the work with the assistance of a thesis supervisor who is not an employee of the Institute, the student is required to select an “internal thesis supervisor” from among the Institute’s faculty members.

Submission and Evaluation of Theses:

1. To the Faculty’s Registrar’s Office: Upload the thesis in PDF format via the Modulo system (see the Faculty’s Registrar’s Office website, under News for the deadlines for each semester).
2. To the Institute: On the Coospace platform, the student is required to upload the same copy of the thesis in both Word and PDF formats to the thesis supervisor (or the internal supervisor if there are two supervisors) by the official deadline specified by the Registrar’s Office. If the CSP platform is no longer accessible to the student submitting the thesis, please email the file uploaded to Modulo and its Word version to the thesis supervisor.

There is no need to submit the thesis to the Institute on an external storage device.

Thesis Evaluation: 

Theses submitted by the deadline are evaluated independently by the thesis supervisor and an opponent designated by the Institute, both in writing and with a grade. Students will receive the written evaluation and grade in electronic form no later than 8 business days before the date of the final exam. In their written evaluations, the thesis supervisor and the examiner will pose questions related to the thesis and the student’s chosen specialization, which students are required to answer during the final exam. Students must provide these answers on the spot during the final exam and may not use any reference materials during the exam. The only exception is if answering the question requires presenting the results of a calculation in a diagram.