Final theses
Dear students,
You are now so far advanced in your studies that you are starting to think about your upcoming thesis. To ensure that the development of your project can take place under the best possible circumstances, it should be supervised by a lecturer who will then take over the supervision of your project and the initial review of your writing.
To ensure that this process runs as smoothly as possible, you should be guided by the following stages:
1. in the semester before you register your thesis, it is advisable to talk to the lecturer you would like to have as your supervisor. Please note that this person must be authorized to conduct examinations. You will find a list of all possible supervisors at the end of this guide.
It is best if you register for this during consultation hours. This consultation will allow you to discuss the subject of your project for the first time. You will receive information about the validity and feasibility of the project you have in mind. During this meeting, you can discuss the question of whether you would like to take on the supervision and the first review as well as the second review by another authorized member of the Institute of Sociology or the Lab for Organization and Differentiation Research. Please note that the first and second reviewers must not belong to the same Chair. Upon separate application to the Examination Committee, university lecturers from other Institutes of TU Dresden or other universities can be appointed as external reviewers, provided that this is justified in terms of content.
Note: Thanks to this early brief interview, you can find out whether the lecturer you have approached is even able to supervise your work. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why you could be rejected - including lack of authorization to supervise theses, end of a fixed-term employment contract, research leave semester, parental leave, exceeded capacities. In such a case, please seek advice from the first person contacted as to who could supervise you within the Institute.
2. if your project has become precise enough, you can start working on the preparation of an exposé in consultation with your supervisor. This document should contain the following:
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Title and subtitle: The title should be reasonably understandable for non-specialists, as you may want to use it at a later date for applications outside the university. The subtitle serves to clarify the title (e.g. theoretical reference or research design);
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Problem statement: Explain why the topic seems relevant to you (e.g. social relevance, research gap, career plans);
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Aims of the work: In this part of the synopsis, you should present the theoretical framework or the terms used and provide an insight into the current state of research in order to subsequently arrive at a formulated guiding question or research question;
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Research design: Describe how you intend to realize your project. (e.g. structure of the sample, interview guide, evaluation technique, questionnaire construction, selection of the statistical calculation program, procedure for selecting publications in the case of a review paper);
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Outline of the thesis: The structure is developed during the writing or research process. The structure must be agreed with the first reviewer. Please remember to check the heading hierarchies (i.e. if 1.1, then also 1.2 and maximum 1.1.1). Avoid too many sub-chapters.
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Timetable: Describe the steps that should take place from the preparation of the synopsis to the submission of the paper. Please allow at least one week for the correction work and as a buffer in case of unexpected incidents during the preparation of the thesis. Be sure to have your work proofread by a third party and allow time for this.
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Bibliography
Note: In most cases, the first version of the synopsis requires revision as a result of the exchange with the supervising lecturer and/or with the participants in the colloquium (see point 3). Please bear in mind that the revision of the synopsis also takes time and take this into account when preparing the timetable.
3 Each Chair offers a colloquium for the preparation of final theses. You should attend at least during the preparation of your thesis. Depending on the chair, the number of registered students and the scope of your project, you will havethe opportunity to present once or twice in the colloquium and then exchange ideas with the group, a professor and your supervisor. However, you are welcome to register for a colloquium immediately after the first meeting with the supervising lecturer. This could help you to refine your project. You will also get a better impression of the expectations and numerous tips. Exchanging ideas with fellow students who are also in their final phase can be very beneficial. For example, it can also lead to further meetings between students working on the same topic or with the same method.
Note: In principle, you may take part in two different research colloquia - e.g. one on content and one on methodology, provided it is useful for your work. Please inform the professor leading the colloquium that you are attending a second colloquium! You are also welcome to take advantage of the 'Statistics advice for graduates' service. Students who are working on an empirical Bachelor's/Master's/Diploma thesis in the Sociology degree program will receive personal methodological advice. You can register during Oliver Brust 's office hours via Opal.
4. as soon as your exposé is ready and a suitable title has been found, you can register your thesis. Documents for the registration of theses can be found on the pages of the Examination Office of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science. A prerequisite for the supervisor to sign the registration form is their assessment that your project is precise enough and can be completed within the specified time frame. Although the form is signed by both supervisors, the second supervisor does not have to have signed it at the time of registration. His/her signature can be submitted at a later date.
Note: Please plan a certain 'time buffer' if you want to register during the lecture-free period. The availability of the supervisor may be limited due to vacation or research.
Timeline of the overall process: Here you will find a timeline for Bachelor's and Master's theses, which can serve as a guide:
* Examination regulations BA GKS 2023
** Examination regulations BA Soz 2016
*** Examination regulations MA Soc 2017
In light of these instructions, we advise you to carefully read the examination and study regulations relevant to you in order to familiarize yourself with the given framework for the thesis.
INFORMATION ON EXAMINATIONS
You will find all information on papers and examinations that must be written or taken at the Institute of Sociology in the "Introduction to Academic Writing".(If you notice an error, please report it to lena.lang@tu-dresden.de - thank you!)
The following guidelines and templates are also available:
- Info_Writing a bachelor thesis at the IfS_Stand Nov 2024.pdf
- Guidelines for qualitative theses
- Seminar paper template Word
- Seminar paper template LibreOffice
- Bachelor thesis template Word
- Bachelor thesis template LibreOffice
Do not forget: Declaration of independence
Authorized examiners for theses at the Institute of Sociology (supervisors or first and second assessors) for the degree programs BA Sociology, BA GKS 1st major in Sociology and MA Sociology
| Professors and postdoctoral lecturers: | Possible selection of subject areas (exemplary): |
|---|---|
| Prof. Dr. Antonia Kupfer |
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| Prof. Dr. Natalja Menold |
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| Prof. Dr. Dominik Schrage |
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| Junior Prof. Susann Wagenknecht |
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PD Dr. Anne-Laure Garcia * |
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| Prof. Dr. Karl-Siegbert Rehberg * |
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| Prof. Dr. Karl Lenz * |
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| Hon. Prof. Dr. Joachim Fischer * |
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| Apl. Prof. Dr. Michael Hofmann * |
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| Hon. Prof. Silvana Greco * |
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| PD. Dr. Ina Krause * |
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| Research Associates: | Possible selection of topics (exemplary): |
| Dr. Anne-Kathrin Hoklas |
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| Dr. Rolf Nichelmann |
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| Dr. Patrick Wöhrle |
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| Dr. Franz Heilgendorff (second opinion only) |
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* These members of the Institute are not or no longer employed at TU Dresden and therefore only supervise or review theses in individual cases.
Note: According to the decision of the Institute Council of 25.1.2017, first and second supervisors may not belong to the same Chair. One of the two supervisors must be a (junior) professor or habilitated.
We hope you enjoy this final stage of your studies and wish you good progress!
[Dresden in May 2025]
1 Some Chairs organize the colloquium primarily for Master's and Diploma theses. Bachelor's theses are supervised individually and are therefore not necessarily presented and discussed in the colloquium.