Bachelor's thesis overhauled as students rely too heavily on AI

©Anastassia Anufrieva via Unsplash

Starting in the 2026–2027 academic year, the Belgian Odisee University College will phase out the traditional bachelor’s thesis and associate degree thesis. These will be replaced by a practice-oriented final project directly linked to an internship or on-the-job training.

The college, which offers non-university higher education, says that the traditional written thesis is under pressure due to the rise of AI. According to Director of Education Ann Martin, students can have AI generate large portions of a traditional final project, resulting in little personal input. That is why Odisee now wants a final project that is more authentic and relevant to the professional field.

New approach through AI use

Starting in the 2026–2027 academic year, the bachelor’s thesis and associate degree thesis course components will be phased out. From then on, students will work on a concrete practical problem arising from their internship or workplace. The final product will therefore no longer be a standalone assignment but an integral part of the learning process itself. Odisee provides examples such as a new concept for a playground, an AI agent for a retail company, or a construction plan for a building site. The use of drones in agriculture is also mentioned. From now on, evaluation will take place within the context of the internship or workplace, without a separate assessment session.

The reform is motivated not only by academic considerations but also by graduation rates. After all, for 75 percent of students who fail, the bachelor’s thesis is a major stumbling block. A third of them do not re-enroll afterward. Of those who have to retake the thesis, only half ultimately earn their degree.

More focus on practical application

According to Odisee, previous pilot projects have already shown that practice-oriented assignments work better. Students feel more engaged and produce work that is immediately useful for companies, schools, or organizations. The university of applied sciences therefore says it is moving away from final projects that end up gathering dust on a shelf.

©Anastassia Anufrieva via Unsplash - illustrative image