Thesis
We are pleased that you are interested in writing your Bachelor or Master thesis at the Chair of Forest Growth and Woody Biomass Production. Thesis topics are usually linked to ongoing research projects, but independent ideas are also welcome. Since forest growth research is an international field and most recent literature is available in English, we expect Master theses to be written in English and encourage Bachelor students to do so as well. For Master theses with a strong practical or local focus, writing in German may be appropriate.
Previous theses completed in our group can be found under Publications.
To discuss your ideas, please make an appointment with us. After a personal meeting, you will be asked to prepare a two-page exposé addressing the following points:
- Working title
- Research justification (what is the underlying problem or which observation initiated the work?)
- Current state of knowledge (based on a literature review)
- Study objectives and hypotheses
- Data and methods
- Time plan
- Key literature
Your exposé will be discussed with the thesis supervisor(s) and used as the basis for deciding whether you are assigned the topic.
A guideline for preparing your thesis is available here. As most theses require data analyses in R, an installation guide for R / RStudio and an Introduction to R / RStudio are also provided. Basic knowledge of statistics and experience with data analysis in R / RStudio are expected.
Successful participation in the module UWFMF39 Dendroecology is required for Master students who wish to write their thesis in the field of tree-ring research.