Thesis
Theses at our Chair
We are pleased that you are interested in writing a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis at the Chair of Forest Growth and Dendrosciences. Thesis topics are usually linked to ongoing research projects, although students’ own ideas are also welcome.
As forest growth and tree-ring research are international fields and most current scientific literature is published in English, Master’s theses are generally written in English. We also encourage Bachelor’s students to write their thesis in English. For Master’s theses with a strong practical or regional focus, writing in German may be appropriate.
Previous theses completed within our group can be found under Publications.
From an initial idea to a thesis topic
Please arrange a meeting with us to discuss possible topics and your own ideas. Afterwards, you will be asked to prepare an exposé of approximately two pages covering the following points:
- preliminary title
- rationale and scientific relevance of the study
- current state of knowledge based on a literature review
- objectives, research questions and, where applicable, hypotheses
- proposed data and methods
- timetable
- key literature
The exposé will be discussed with the prospective supervisor and will form the basis for the final allocation of the topic.
Requirements and guidance
A guideline for preparing your thesis is available here. As many theses involve data analysis in R, we also provide an installation guide for R and RStudio and an introduction to their use. Basic knowledge of statistics and some experience with data analysis in R are expected.
Master’s students wishing to write their thesis in the field of tree-ring research must have successfully completed the module UWFMF39 Dendroecology.
Current thesis opportunities
We currently offer Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis topics within the µDYNAST project. These focus on the spread dynamics and microbial colonisation of black cherry (Prunus serotina) in Müritz National Park. Further information is available here.