Theses
Guidelines for Scientific Writing (August 2024)
To manage a thesis at our Chair successfully, your studies should have focused on Economics with particular emphasis on our modules or courses.
A good knowledge of English is also essential, as current academic discussions on economic topics take place in this language.
You must submit the thesis in duplicate (bound) and electronic form at the end of the processing period.
BACHELOR THESIS
For Bachelor's students, we provide catalogs of thesis topics each spring:
- Subject catalog Bachelor of Business and Economics
- Subject catalog Bachelor International Relations (from 2025)
If you are interested in one of these topics, please contact the respective supervisor and provide a transcript of your grades and CV.
You may also submit your own topic proposal. In order to ensure appropriate supervision, it should link closely to our teaching and research activities. In this case, please prepare a short exposé (showing the research question, a rough outline of the structure as well as some references) and a transcript of your grades and send them to our secretary. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
MASTER THESIS
Master theses should be related to the teaching and research contents of this chair as well. The research interests of the employees can be found on the respective pages.
Please send your proposed topic with an exposé and an actual transcript of records to the office.
The exposé (at most three pages) should include the research question, a rough outline of the structure of the thesis and some references.
The chair does not provide a pool of topics for master theses.
To guarantee an optimal adjustment of research tutorial and master thesis, the official registration date is always the 15th of the month.
RESEARCH TUTORIAL
The research tutorial is a series of lectures designed for and with master students at the Chair of Economic Policy and Economic Research. Regular attendance in the workshops and two presentations are required to receive 10 Credit Points.
- The first presentation takes place two weeks before the registration of the master thesis and includes a ten-minute presentation and the following discussion. Beside the motivation and the central research question of the master thesis, a preliminary structure of the thesis as well as the underlying literature (plus data basis for empirical work) should be presented.
- The second presentation takes place six weeks before the submission of the master thesis and includes a twenty-minute presentation and the following discussion. In addition to the central research question and structure, methodology and results should be presented.
The research tutorial takes place while the master thesis is in progress – normally during the fourth semester (exceptions are possible). The dates are listed in the OPAL Group (see link below).
After the first meeting with the supervisor, all participants have to sign in the OPAL-Group. Please sign in for all the dates necessary for you. The appointment for the presentation is made with your supervisor.
In time for the first presentation the student has to have the official form to register their master thesis.
The following graphic illustrates the time line of the master thesis and the research tutorial.
