Master's thesis topics in cooperation with NASA GmbH
In cooperation with NASA GmbH, we offer current Master's thesis topics on automated transport, flexible service models and the development of public transport in rural areas. The specific scope of each thesis will be agreed individually.
Scaling autonomous transport services
In 2026, the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt adopted a state strategy for automated and connected driving in public transport and positioned itself as a model region for autonomous driving at federal level. Together with public transport authorities, transport operators and other partners, automated driving is to be introduced more widely in road-based public passenger transport and regional rail transport over the coming years. This requires a range of preparatory and accompanying studies. Close cooperation with NASA GmbH and Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg is possible and encouraged.
From fixed-route services to flexible on-demand transport
The Deutschlandticket and the objective of promoting a shift towards sustainable mobility have increased demand for regular public transport services, including in rural areas. Hourly services have therefore become established along corridors with strong demand. Outside these corridors, infrequent fixed-route services are still provided as part of public services of general interest, including beyond school and commuter transport. The thesis should investigate whether services operating every two hours or less frequently remain appropriate, particularly where demand is low but regular, or whether flexible area-wide services should instead provide connections to routes operating at least hourly.
Mode choice: on-demand transport or PlusBus
When planning public transport in rural areas, each corridor must be assessed individually to determine whether a fixed-route service meeting the PlusBus standard or an on-demand service is more appropriate. An important parameter is the expected public transport share of the modal split depending on the transport system provided. The working hypothesis is that PlusBus services achieve greater acceptance than on-demand services. The thesis should therefore focus on individual decision-making and summarise the results by behaviourally homogeneous groups.
Spatial structure, rail services and PlusBus
Spatial structure – including the distribution, size and number of residential and commercial areas as well as destinations for everyday needs – shapes transport demand. Depending on this demand, rural areas are served by rail, PlusBus or on-demand transport. These services, in turn, influence spatial development, for example by affecting the attractiveness of communities for new residents or businesses. This creates secondary induced transport demand, whose magnitude has rarely been quantified in transport models because of the reciprocal relationship between spatial structure and public transport provision. The thesis should investigate how these feedback effects can be measured and incorporated into transport forecasts, for example when assessing railway reactivation projects.
Interest and contact
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact . The specific scope of the thesis and the supervision arrangements will then be agreed individually.