Master's Program in Economics
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Master's Thesis

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 12 p.m. on the relevant day) at the Examination Office (ISC) electronically. Printed copies are not necessary.
  • 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 at the ISC office (please make an appointment beforehand).


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).