Questions related to the Master Program in Economics

Choosing a professor as supervisor for Master's thesis
A suitable supervisor for your Master’s thesis can be chosen from all professors of the department who are currently teaching over the period during which you are writing your thesis. Please refer to the department information on the planned sabbatical semesters of professors.

Registering your Master’s Thesis

Supervision and topic choice will be coordinated directly through the chair of your respective department.
Upon final registration of your thesis, all details regarding your topic, deadline etc. will be filled out in a form with the department chair and then registered with the ISC (Examination Office). The required form can be found with your academic chair.
The time allotted for your thesis (22 weeks) starts on the day on which your topic assignment was registered.
A template for the title page of a Master’s thesis can be found here (in German).
A template for the declaration accompanying your thesis can be found here (in German).

Topic Assignment
The final topic assignment will be assigned by your professor.
You have the opportunity to reject the topic suggested by the professor one time, and it must be within two weeks of assignment.

Master’s Thesis Deadlines
After the official topic assignment through your department chair, you have a maximum of 22 weeks to work on your thesis.
In case of circumstances beyond your control (e.g. illness), interfering with your ability to work on your thesis, you may appeal for a deadline extension per written request.
You must provide sufficient evidence of these circumstances, for example with an official doctor’s note – see what to do in case of illness.

Length of Your Thesis
A Master’s Thesis is typically between 60,000 and 120,000 characters long.

Selecting Your Topic
The topic of your thesis should in principle be taken from the field of economics.
Upon written request (to turn in at the ISC, room 20), it’s possible to write your thesis in a different subject area. In the request you must provide information regarding your desired subject area, an explanation of how a topic in that field is relevant to the study of economics, as well as the name of your advisor/professor and a letter of their consent.
Your Master’s thesis may then be registered after you are informed of the decision regarding your request.

Turning in Your Completed Master’s Thesis
You are to turn in your Master’s thesis on time (i.e. before the deadline) at the Examination Office (ISC), room 20.
You must turn in two printed and bound copies (no spiral binding! After binding, your Master’s thesis will take around 1-2 hours to dry: please plan accordingly), and one electronic copy.
If the electronic copy of your thesis is less than or equal to 10 MB, it may be submitted online through the following link: Master’s thesis online submission form (in German). If the file is larger than 10 MB, please load it onto a flash drive (USB stick) and hand it in along with your printed copies.

Failing/Rewriting Your Master’s Thesis
Your Master’s thesis will be determined “unsatisfactory” if it is turned in after the deadline.
If your Master’s thesis is determined “unsatisfactory”, or is graded by the professor as “unsatisfactory”, it can be repeated one time during the next possible time period.
The regular period of study is 4 semesters.
1. The master’s examination counts as provisorily (temporarily) failed if the regular period of study has been exceeded by more than one semester for reasons within the student’s control, and
2. as permanently failed, if the regular period of study has been exceeded for more than two semesters for reasons within the student’s control.
If you have a reason which qualifies for a deadline extension, please consult the examination office (ISC).

In the Master’s Program in Economics there is no compulsory semester of study abroad. However, Master’s students have the option to spend a semester abroad at one of our partner universities within the framework of our exchange program.

You can find information for Outgoing Exchange Students from the Department of Economics Exchange Office regarding study abroad.

The regular period of study consists of 4 semesters. The maximum study period is 6 semester, within this time the 120 ECTS points have to be achieved.

For Compulsory Module courses which are only offered once per year, there will be a repeat tutorial as well as a repeat final exam in the following semester.

The repeat tutorial is not a replacement for attending the lecture, but instead focuses primarily on going through and discussing the assignments once more. It’s required that the students already know the content of the lecture.
We strongly recommend that you attend the regular lectures and complete the exam during the corresponding semester. Writing the repeat exam as your first attempt is in principle allowed, though not recommended.
Here is an overview of the exams concerned:
Microeconomics: Course in WS; Exam retake in SoSe
Macroeconomics: Course in WS; Exam retake in SoSe
Mathematics: Course in WS; Exam retake in SoSe
Econometrics: Course in WS; Exam retake in SoSe
Public Economics: Course in WS; Exam retake in SoSe

Following successful completion of the Master’s examinations you will receive:

The Master’s Diploma in German and in English showing that you have obtained the academic qualification Master of Science (M.Sc.).
The Master’s Certificate in German and English, which includes the title of your Master’s Thesis and the overall grade achieved.
A Transcript of Records in German, which lists all the modules you have successfully completed and the courses contained in them, including the ECTS points awarded.
A Diploma Supplement in English, which gives detailed information about the form and level of the Master’s qualification, the status of the LMU Munich as well as a description of the Master’s Program in Economics.

You are allowed to view every completed final exam after correction and grading. The dates during which you may do this will be determined and announced by the respective department chair or responsible lecturer.

Viewings cannot be guaranteed outside the given timeframe!

Passed Exams:

Exams taken first within the standard study period (6 semesters) which were passed during the first attempt can be taken again for an improved grade one time and only during the next regular offered exam date according to the regulations regarding voluntary exam retakes.
Failed Exams:

Failed exams (with the exception of a master’s thesis) can be retaken as many times as you like before the end of your sixth semester.
Please note:

Only the highest grade of the two will be recorded. In case you receive the same grade both times, the second one will be recorded.
During a leave of absence you cannot retake an exam for a better grade.
In courses with limited capacities (e.g. specialized seminars), students who are taking the exam for the first time have priority.
To retake an exam for a grade improvement, simply register through LSF for the next available exam date in the respective module.
Optional modules are worth 6-12 ECTS credits, and are considered complete when the exam for the corresponding module course has been passed. If you register to take more than one exam in a single module, the regulations regarding grade improvement for a voluntary exam retake come into effect, and you lose ECTS-Credits because only one exam can be evaluated in the case of a voluntary exam retake.
Please note, therefore, that you should normally only apply for one exam per module!