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Thesis in Germany – Tips to write your thesis at a company

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In order to graduate from your bachelor or master studies in Germany, you will probably need to write a thesis in your last semester. Having a thesis semester was not something that I was familiar with. I did my bachelor degree in Hong Kong, where we did not have a thesis semester. When I did my master degree in Germany , I had many questions relating to the thesis semester. In this post, I will explain to you what a thesis semester is and provide some tips about writing your thesis at a company.

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What is thesis semester?

Thesis semester is very typical in German universities. It is normally the last semester before your graduation. By the end of your last semester, you need to submit an academic thesis called Abschlussarbeit in German. You need to find a topic that is approved by your professor, write a thesis and present it in the end. The length of your thesis depends on your department’s requirement. To give you an idea, my master thesis was around 60 pages long. A thesis is a formal document. You need to write with formal wording, and quote your sources for whatever you state in the content.

There are three ways to do your thesis. The first way is to write a thesis by yourself. An advantage is that you are quite flexible with your location. You can write it at home, or even in another country, as long as you can submit your thesis in the end. The second way is to write at the university with a topic from a professor. If you are in a technical field, your professor may have some topics on hand that you are free to choose from. In that case, you need to work with your professor to understand his expectations and requirements for the specific thesis topics.

The third way to do your thesis is to write it with a company. Some companies are looking for thesis students to help them to investigate certain topics that are of their business interest. In this case, you need to write your thesis at the company. It is like you work for this company. You get a contract for a fixed period of time and you write your thesis in the office. In the end, you have to hand in your thesis to both the company and your professor.

Why do companies hire students to write theses?

There are different reasons for that:

To research on a topic

Sometimes, companies want to get more knowledge on a certain topic. A hypothetical example: the government is planning to change the law relating to foreign investment in 2 years. The company wants to know how this law will affect their investment strategy.

Since the regular employees may not have time to do this research, the company may want to hire a student who is fully dedicated to this task. The student needs to collect all information on this new law, and investigates how this law would affect the company and what the company can do about it. It is like a consultation that the company can use for their decision making in the future.

To develop a tool

Companies want to achieve some process improvement. An example: the employees have a tedious task that they need to do daily. They need to pull all the data from system A and put into system B and do some daily analysis with this data. It is a manual process that requires a lot of copy and paste. The company wants to automate this process so that it can save time for the employees.

In this case, the company may want to hire a student to look at how this process can be improved. A tool can be developed by the students which automates this process. This can be a creation of a Macro tool or using one of the existing systems tools in the company. The student needs to develop the tool, explains in the thesis what the tool does and how it helps the company. The company can benefit from the thesis as they get a tool now which helps to improve their process.

To find potential employees

Similar to hiring interns, hiring thesis students is a way to find potential good employees. It is kind of like a probation period. The thesis students work for a few months in the company. This gives a chance for the company to see how the students perform and if they are suitable to work permanently in the company. See also this post about tips to boost your chances of getting hired.

Why should you write your thesis with a company?

For me personally, I prefer to write a thesis with a company. There are some advantages relating to it:

You may get some money for it

As a student, I was living on a very tight budget. If you write your thesis for a company, you may be able to get some compensation (though not all companies will pay). For example, I got about 2000 EUR for writing my thesis. I spent around 6 months to write it. So, it was really not a lot of money. But it helped already and it was better than nothing. Check out this post as well for other ways to earn money in Germany as a student.

Writing for a company is more practical

When you write your thesis with a company, it is like you are working in this company. You work on your thesis in the office, you need to work with different people in the company, and your thesis has a business context. In my opinion, it is more practical as it relates to real life business, rather than just a student work with theory.

Interaction with other people

Writing thesis with a company is like having a full-time job in the company. You have a supervisor in the company who guides you on the topic and you need to work with other employees to collect the necessary information. In my opinion, this is more interesting than if I have to write my thesis at home on my own.

Exposure to the company’s management

After finishing your thesis, it is likely that you need to present the result to the company’s management. This is a good chance for you to practice your presentation skills in a real business setting. And it is your show time on all the hard work you put in for this thesis semester.

Future job opportunities

As mentioned before, some companies hire thesis students in order to find potential good employees. If you write a good thesis, you will have a chance to get hired after your graduation. You have an advantage since you already work in the company for a while and make some connections there. See this post about how I got my job offer after my thesis.

Besides, your thesis experience in a company will also make your CV looks good . You can request the company to give you a reference letter for future job search.

Read also: How To Write Your Cover Letter in Germany (+ English Example!)

How to find thesis opportunities with companies?

Basically, it is the same process as when you are looking for a permanent job. Here are some of the ways:

Apply online

You can find thesis offers in different job portals or directly on the career page of the companies’ websites. If you are curious about the compensation that you may get, check out my post about salary in Germany . Below are some of the portals that I used:

– Gehalt.de 

– Jobs.de

– Monster.de 

– LinkedIn 

– Xing  

It is quite common that some companies participate in job fairs to advertise their companies and find potential employees. These job fairs sometimes take place in universities. Each company has its own booth and it is a great chance for students to ask any questions relating to the companies and job positions. You can also ask around in the job fairs for any thesis opportunities.

Through an internship

I had an internship semester right before my thesis semester. During my internship, I made connection with different people in the company and asked about any thesis opportunities. I had an advantage since I knew the people and had some understanding of the business already through my internship. And this was how I got my thesis contract afterward.

How to generate a thesis topic by yourself in a company?

Let’s say you are doing an internship in a company now and you would like to write a thesis for this company afterward. How easy it is to get a thesis topic in the company depends a lot on your field. For example, if you study in a technical field like engineering, the company may have some thesis topics available already that you can just pick from.

However, if you are in a general business field like me, there may not be as many topics available in the company. What if you really want to write a thesis in the company, but they tell you that they have no thesis topic available?

Instead of waiting for the company to give you a topic, it is better to be proactive and suggest a topic by yourself. Think of a topic and suggest this to the company to see if they are interested. At least this was what I did. Below are some tips on how you can generate a topic for the company:

Research online or ask your classmates

Let’s say you study supply chain management. To get some ideas, you can research online to see what kind of thesis topics are out there. Besides, if your classmates are writing theses for other companies, you can also ask them what topics they are writing about and see if this topic applies to your company as well. The point here is not to pick a topic you find online or from your classmates. But it is more to give you an idea of what a potential thesis topic in your field is. This can help you to generate ideas for yourself which are also potentially interesting for your company.

Networking in your company

During your internship, you should try to network as much as possible. Networking should not be limited to the team you are working for, but also to other teams in the company. Tell the people that you are searching for a thesis opportunity and ask if they need help on any topic. The more connection you have, the better your chance is to get a thesis contract.

Think about what is your company’s interest

Companies like proactive students. You should be there to help the employees to solve problems, rather than to create more work for the employees. So, instead of begging people for a topic, you should be proactive and tell the people why you think writing on a certain topic is beneficial for the company. During your internship, you should already have some understanding of the business. Do you see a gap somewhere? Should any processes be improved?

For example, let’s say you are working in a local real estate company that is growing rapidly. Do you know if the company has a plan to expand internationally as well? If yes, which countries make sense for them to expand? What about expanding in Austria? How is the real estate market in Austria? What factors should the company consider for this expansion?

Another example: your company has recently acquired another company. Can you write a thesis regarding the acquisition? How does it affect the work and the employees? What should the company consider to have a smooth transition? What has the company done and how effective is the process?

These are just some hypothetical examples. You should think from your company’s perspective on what kind of topics can be interesting for them. If you don’t have an idea, start with networking and talk to as many people as possible in your company. Ask them what they do in their daily jobs and what kind of improvement they would like to see in their tasks/company. It may help you to think of a topic which is helpful for the people.

Improve your technical knowledge

Companies like practical and useful tools. The best is that you can create a tool that can improve their daily process. If you study in general business like me, you will probably think that “developing a tool” is too complicated and it is something for the technicians.

This is not completely true. For example, a tool can be as simple as an excel macro. I did not know anything about macro before. During my internship, I bought a book to learn about it because I know this can be beneficial for my thesis or future jobs. It never hurts to learn one more technical skill.

Some companies use enterprise resource planning systems for their operation. During your internship, you should try to learn the system as good as you can. This knowledge will be very helpful in case you want to do data analysis or develop a tool for your thesis.

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Have you written your thesis in a company? Leave a comment below to share your experience!

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4 Replies to “Thesis in Germany – Tips to write your thesis at a company”

Its informative blog, thanks.

Glad that you like it. Hope it helps you!

Many thanks for practical tips! Now I have much more clear picture of how I can organize my thesis at a company.

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Writing Your Master’s Thesis Whith a Company – MBS Alumnus Philip Dorpema Shares His Experiences

September 16, 2022

When students reach the home stretch of their degree, they not only need to find a suitable topic for their final thesis, they also need to decide whether to write their thesis at the university or while working at a company. MBS alumnus Philip Dorpema chose the second option and, in this interview, shares some key insights and tips for writing your master’s thesis from within a company.

MBS Insights: Philip, you wrote your master’s thesis in partnership with Generali Versicherung  rather than working on it solely at university. How exactly did that come about? Did you always plan to write your master’s thesis while working at a company? If so, how did you find the right company for your project?

Philip Dorpema: On the  Sports Business and Communications  program, we were told from the outset that we were welcome to write our master’s thesis while working at a company. I soon decided that I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, because it allows you to get so much input and support for your project that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to access. When the time came to look for a position at a company, I looked for internships at a number of firms who are active in the field of sponsorships, which I had chosen as the focus topic for my master’s thesis. That’s when I came across Generali.

MBS Insights: What differences do you think there are between writing a master’s thesis at a company and writing it at university?

Philip Dorpema: There are certain differences between writing a master’s thesis in a company and writing one at uni. The first difference is that you have at least two mentors you can turn to for advice: one at the university and another contact in the company. There’s also a stronger practical connection when working in a company. My bachelor’s thesis, which I wrote exclusively at university, was far more theoretical than the master’s thesis I wrote while working. For example, in my master’s thesis I was able to use data from active sponsorship projects Generali was running, which meant I was more closely connected to the topic. And, of course, it’s always nice to be paid for your work. I was employed as an intern for six months and was paid accordingly.

MBS Insights: What exactly was the topic of your master’s thesis? How did you come up with it?

Philip Dorpema: My master’s thesis focused on finding alternatives to conventional sponsorship in the digital space, as most events had been canceled due to the pandemic. As a result, companies and events increasingly resorted to digital platforms in order to reach their target audiences. Unfortunately, I can’t share the results because I signed a non-disclosure agreement. I’ve been interested in sponsorship for a long time, which is why I wanted to write my master’s thesis on the topic. At the onset of the pandemic, and many events were canceled and sponsorship contracts were terminated, so the topic soon crystallized in my mind. The staff at Generali were enthusiastic right away because it’s obviously a very important topic for them as a company. That’s another way that writing your master’s thesis in a company creates value: you work on a topic relevant to the company, which allows you to generate genuine added value.

MBS Insights: What insights from your master’s studies at MBS were you able to apply in your internship and in writing your master’s thesis?

Philip Dorpema: There were certain insights from my studies that I was able to apply in my internship and in writing my master’s thesis in the company. Among other things, I spent a lot of time working with social media and digital marketing during my internship, which we had discussed at length at uni. However, sponsorship was also a major part of my responsibilities during my internship. For example, I helped to develop sponsorship concepts for digital platforms and get them ready to present to sponsorship partners. It also involved platforms that were uncharted territory for Generali, like Twitch. In addition, I was responsible for identifying new KPIs for social media, which would then be integrated into new sponsorship contracts. All in all, I had a range of responsibilities in the fields of online marketing and sponsorship, which fed into my master’s thesis – and for which my time at MBS proved excellent preparation.

MBS Insights: How exactly does writing your master’s thesis in a company work? How do you structure your time working as an intern and writing your thesis?

Philip Dorpema: It was all very tightly scheduled. In the six months of my internship, I actually never quite started writing my master’s thesis. At the end of my internship, I conducted my interviews and collected the data I needed to write my thesis. I organized it this way so that I was able to gain as much practical work experience as possible and familiarize myself with the company and the topic as well as I could. After my internship, I started writing my master’s thesis, which enabled me to make optimal use of everything I had learned and the data I had collected.

MBS Insights: Who would you recommend to write their master’s thesis in a company and what tips would you give for writing it?

Philip Dorpema: Honestly, I would recommend that every student (at MBS) writes their master’s thesis in a company. Not only does it give you a better frame of reference for your master’s thesis and allow you to gather tips from your mentor in the company, it also makes it considerably easier to collect very usable data, because large companies collect data anyway for market research analyses. In addition, there are plenty of people in a company you can interview on certain topics, which means that you can write a quantitative, qualitative or mixed thesis in the company. My tip would be to think about your topic from an early stage and start looking for a suitable company early on. I started looking at a relatively late stage and was very lucky to find a good fit with Generali, which meant I was able to start my internship soon after.

After completing your bachelor’s degree, you would like to delve even deeper into the processes of international business administration and specialize in a particular area, such as finance, marketing, or sports business? Then you will find a broad selection of business master’s programs with different focuses at Munich Business School. In all programs, you’ll benefit from small classes, lecturers from the business world, and outcome-focussed learning that makes it easy to start your career. See for yourself: Master’s in International Business Master’s in International Business I Finance Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Master’s in International Marketing and Brand Management M aster’s in Sports Business and Communication

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Master thesis in Germany Writing your master thesis at a company: joining the team as a specialist

Companies have long since recognised the potential of Master's graduates. A growing number of companies are offering students the opportunity to put their specialist knowledge to practical use already before completing their studies - by writing their Master thesis at a company.

Take an application-oriented approach to work

The supervision and topic for the master thesis must be right, feedback loops and deadline extensions, kick-start your career with a master thesis.

For many, the greatest motivation for pursuing a Master's degree is personal development and enhancement of the future career opportunities. The opportunity to develop one's own specialist interests and become an expert also plays a major role. The specialist knowledge students acquire during the Master's degree course is attractive to many companies. According to the "JobTrends 2013" survey conducted by the Staufenbiel Institute, a Master's degree is the most popular qualification for 90 per cent of German companies. This is the reason why many companies advertise topics for Master's theses. 

This option for the final thesis is also advantageous to students: "If you want to do something with a practical application, writing your Master thesis at a company is ideal," says Arno Zimmermann, who is studying industrial engineering at the Technische Universität Berlin. While completing a practical at Bayer in China during his Master's course, he learned of an interesting company project that would make an excellent topic for the Master thesis. "It involves the further development of company technology to convert CO2 into plastic," the 26-year-old explains. "An extremely fascinating and innovative topic." Having written a very theory-based Bachelor thesis at university, the challenge of a Master thesis with a strong practical orientation appealed. "Something always emerges at the end that has an impact on the company, and this is extremely satisfying." The high practical orientation and results-oriented cooperation within a team are a major incentive for many students to spend the six-month Master thesis phase at a company. 

"I spent a solid three months in the library when I wrote my Bachelor thesis, and I definitely didn't want to repeat this experience," Ralf Knudsen explains. The 27-year-old resolved to go abroad after completing his Bachelor's degree in business administration at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. He signed up for a Master's degree course at the Copenhagen Business School specialising in accounting, and gained practical experience as a working student and during practical work at a company. He decided also to write his Master thesis at a company. For Knudsen, an important advantage of completing the Master thesis phase at a company was that "later on, there is rarely the opportunity to consider a problem affecting everyday work from a theoretical perspective". He decided on the precious metals and technology company Heraeus that he came upon in a list of so-called "Hidden Champions". These particularly successful companies are often still unknown despite their success. 

Despite being offered the opportunity to cover easier topics at two other companies, Knudsen decided for what he believed to be the most challenging option. "I felt that I would receive the most support at Heraeus." Besides the good expert supervision, Knudsen also receives commensurate remuneration from the company during the Master thesis phase. Zimmermann, who is also able to cover his living costs with his company pay, knows to appreciate the financing. The going is tough for those without any financial support wishing to work on their thesis full-time. However, the most important factors should be an enthusiasm for the topic and a desire to enhance one's appeal to the work market as an expert. Zimmermann also firmly believes that students should not make any major compromises when it comes to the topic for their Master thesis. "If the topic does not knock your socks off, then it won't be any fun to write about - regardless of whether you do so at a company or at university." The industrial engineer also highlights the importance of a structured, concentrated approach for not dissipating one's energies. Even those who make very high demands of themselves should remember that they do not need to re-invent the wheel. 

A whole semester is scheduled for the Master thesis. To ensure students do not lose sight of their goal during these six months, they should ensure they always keep the rules of play in mind. "There are three parties involved: the professor, the student and the supervisor at the company. The overlap between their mutual interests must be reviewed," Zimmermann describes the special challenge of writing a Master thesis at a company. "Feedback loops are therefore unbelievably important. While regular contact can be demanding, it is essential to make good progress." This is particularly the case if problems should arise with the topic chosen. "The topic should be defined narrowly as quickly as possible," Knudsen advises students who still have their Master thesis before them. The breadth of his chosen topic, the cooperation within the company and the need to complete a final few university courses meant he took a total of seven and a half months to complete his Master thesis. Luckily, this was not a problem for his professors in Copenhagen; in Germany, the deadlines are a lot stricter though. Structuring the topic well and starting to write early on is essential to meeting deadlines. 

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Knudsen joined the two-year trainee programme "Finance & Controlling" at Heraeus in February 2013. "We have a great deal of freedom and are able to decide on the individual stations," praises the 27-year-old, who was able to spend several months with the company in the USA. What's more, when the two years are completed, the prospects of a permanent position are good. Zimmermann, who has just submitted his Master thesis, is already planning his next big step: he wants to write a doctoral thesis within the same project. The framework for his collaboration within the EU-funded project has already been defined. Although the Master thesis phase left Zimmermann's and Knudsen's heads spinning, the writing process stalled and the despair was great, both would definitely choose to write their Master thesis at a company again. For the exciting opportunities this opened up to them were so very great. 

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FINAL THESIS.

You learn from us – we learn from you. The BMW Group offers you professional support in writing your Bachelor's or Master's thesis with practical relevance. In all areas of the BMW Group, you can show how you would like to shape the future in a sustainable way.

BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S THESES.

Are you an enrolled student at a university and would like to write your thesis with a high level of practical relevance and delve deeply into a specific field of research? Start as a Bachelor or Master student. General conditions.

• The paid contract period for your final thesis depends on the processing time specified in the examination regulations of your university and the corresponding degree programme (Bachelor's or Master's).
• You do not have any prescribed working hours during the contract period. Your work serves the purpose of writing your thesis. Therefore, you can plan your working hours individually in consultation with your department.
• After completion, you are required to provide the BMW Group with a copy of your thesis.

DISCOVER OUR POSITIONS FOR FINAL THESIS PROJECTS.

What awaits you as a bachelor's or master's student..

ONLINE WELCOME DAY.

At the beginning of your assignment, you will be welcomed by an online welcome event. Here you will receive all important information and content about your assignment as well as exciting and current insights into future topics of the company. 

STUDENT INITIATIVE NAWI.

NAWI is a student-founded initiative of the BMW Group. NAWI offers exchange and networking opportunities and organises exciting events at our various German locations. This way, you can network right from the start.

OWN PROJECTS.

We place special emphasis on your professional and personal development. Therefore, you have the opportunity to take responsibility for your own exciting projects during your assignment. 

During your thesis at the BMW Group, you will be assigned a permanent supervisor. This person will help you with all your questions right from the start, give you regular feedback and support you in a strength-oriented manner.

LECTURE SERIES.

In order to know early on how you can continue with us after your thesis, we regularly offer presentations on our entry-level programmes. Current participants in our different talent programmes will inform you about the programmes and answer your questions.

REGULAR FEEDBACK.

It is very important for us to receive regular feedback from you, as this is the only way we can improve and offer optimal opportunities. You will also receive feedback from your supervisor to support your professional and personal development.

WHAT WE OFFER.

CHECK OUT OUR BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS.

Experiences of our bachelor and master students..

Discover more.

EVENTS FOR STUDENTS.

Entry and Scholarship Programmes.

Internship Opportunities for Students.

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Master Thesis

Please find here information on writing master theses at the Department of Business Administration and Marketing.

General Information

1. requirements.

• Transcript of Records showing at least 78 credits
• Very good command of German and English
• Advanced skills in academic writing (e.g., database research, excerpting scientific literature)
• For more information, please see the exam regulations applicable to you.
• A focus on marketing, especially the successful completion of the seminar in marketing (M.Sc.) are highly recommended.

2. Module Information

• Credits: 24
• Time frame: 20 weeks

The time frame depends on the respective exam regulations of the study program of the student.

3. Schedule

• You will find information on the application for the bachelor thesis under #7 Application.
• Admission is granted only after successful application via the application form below. A confirmation of admission will be issued within a week of the deadline for applications.
• Customer Experience (Management)
• Digital Marketing
• Marketing and innovative technologies
• Sustainability Marketing
• Topics currently on offer

5. Topics by our Cooperation Partners

Our department supports praxis-oriented theses. If you are interested in the topics offered by our cooperation partners, please send your application directly to the partner in question. If you are chosen for a bachelor or master thesis by the company, the thesis can be registered and written at any time, independent of the application period listed below. For us to be able to supervise your thesis, the topic needs to have a focus on marketing questions and meet the standards of scientific theses. In order to ensure this, please send a research proposal (max. one page; content: topic’s relevance, research question, proposed method for answering the research question) as well as the company's acceptance of your application as one single PDF document to  [email protected] .

The following companies currently offer topics for theses:

6. Examination

• Length: 60-65 pages (roughly 35 for a paper-based thesis)
• The guidelines for writing a thesis at the Department of Business Administration and Marketing apply.
• The number of approved applications is based upon the capacity of the department.
• Master theses cannot be written as a group.
• It is possible to write a master thesis in cooperation with a company.
• Language: German or English (with German summary)

7. Application

• Short letter of motivation (max. one page) including your matriculation number and a list of up to three preferred topics
• Current transcript of records
• Research proposal (max. one page) if you want to propose your own topic (topic’s relevance, research question, proposed method for answering the research question)
• Link to the application form
• Winter semester:  21.09. 12:00 pm   -  08.10. 12:00 pm
• Summer semester: 21.03. 12:00 pm   -  08.04. 12:00 pm

Leon Lehnert

Research Assistant

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Master's thesis

The purpose of a master's thesis at the Area Marketing is the science-based examination of a marketing related subject and thereby the enhancement of marketing related knowledge. The supervision of the master's thesis is organized individually by each chair.

Prerequisites

The prerequisite for writing a master's thesis at the Area of Marketing is the successful completion of a seminar  MKT 7X0  at one of the marketing chairs (LS Homburg MKT 710, LS Stahl MKT 720,  LS Kuester MKT 730 , LS Kraus MKT 740 or LS Vomberg MKT 750). The prerequisites for attending the seminars are listed according to student cohorts on the respective information pages of the seminars.

We also recommend that students write their Master's thesis at the chair where the seminar paper was written, thus enabling early involvement in the respective research and project work of the chair.

Research-oriented topics

In general, students wishing to write their master's thesis at our chair have the opportunity 1) to submit an own topic proposal as well as 2) to choose from a wide range of interesting topics from different research fields.

Note: There is no central application period at our chair and students can apply at any point in time .

Please find lists of currently available master thesis topics sorted by research area in the following:

• Customer Experience (PDF)
• Consumer Behavior  (PDF )
• Consumer Behavior in Digital Contexts (PDF)
• Marketing of Innovations
• Digital Marketing and Online Communities (PDF)
• Market Theory and Research Methods (PDF)

In order to apply for one of the posted thesis topics, please contact the relevant supervisor. We look forward to receiving your application!

Own Topic Proposal

At our chair, you also have the possibility to apply with your own topic proposal for your master’s thesis at any time. To do so, please contact the respective supervisor whose research area comes closest to your proposed topic. Information about the research areas of our staff members and their contact details can be found on the profiles of our staff members . For an own topic proposal, some questions should be clarified independently in advance. Therefore, we ask interested students to submit the proposed topic together with a thesis proposal (max. 1 DIN A4 page) to an eligible supervisor. This proposal should discuss the following topics:

• Relevance of the topic: Is the proposed topic relevant? Why is it relevant? To justify, you should cite, for example, research calls from articles in recent VHB-A+/A/(B) journals, articles in relevant journals that report on the novelty and relevance of your topic, or recent news articles from credible sources (e.g., Handelsblatt, Harvard Business Review, etc.).
• Related literature: What literature streams do you want to build your topic on? What scholarly literature exists on the topic of your proposed work?
• Planned research objective and research questions: What do you want to research? What are the specific research questions you want to address based on your overall research objective?
• Intended research methodology: How will you address your research questions in your paper? What empirical method (e.g., surveys, online experiment, secondary data analysis, expert interviews, etc.) will you use in your work?
• Expected outcomes and contribution to research and practice: What outcomes do you expect? How will your research contribute to knowledge in the research area of your work? How will your findings improve the work of managers and what should they consider in practice based on your research findings?

Informationen about Scientific Writing

Please find the guidelines for the form and content of scientific papers at the Chair of Marketing & Innovation here, as well as the guidelines for the use of AI-tools in the Area Marketing & Sales. Please use the reference style of the American Marketing Association / Journal of Marketing in all scientific papers and presentations at our Chair.

• Guidelines regarding the form, content and language of academic papers
• Guidelines for the Use of AI-Tools in the Area Marketing & Sales
• AMA Reference List Style

Alexander Rupertus, M.Sc.

Contact person for Master's theses

For further information please contact Alexander Rupertus.

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Guidelines for Master’s Theses

There are very few formal requirements when writing your master’s thesis. We have put together the most important of these as well as additional helpful information in our guidelines for master’s theses .

You can also download a style sheet . This is a pre-formatted Word document you can directly use to write your thesis.

Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarizing can be found here .

We have also provided a list of past master’s theses to help you brainstorm ideas for your own thesis.

Final thesis abroad

Bachelor’s thesis, Master’s thesis, Diplom thesis or Magister thesis abroad

If your School or Department consents, you can write your final thesis (Bachelor’s, Diplom, Magister or Master’s thesis) abroad. However, this is a highly individual matter which requires thorough planning.

General conditions

Final theses are always subject to the regulations of the university at which you are enrolled and are graded according to these regulations. This means that FAU regulations also apply for your thesis even if you decide to complete it abroad. You should therefore consult the study and examination regulations in good time and possibly also contact your subject advisor. Aspects to bear in mind are deadlines which must be met, the scope of the work, registering for a thesis and such like. You always need someone at FAU to officially allocate the topic and grade your work.

There are two ways to obtain a final thesis abroad:

• You decide on a topic and find a supervisor at FAU and, in agreement with your supervisor, write the thesis at a university or a company abroad.
• You organise a final thesis at a university or a company abroad and find a supervisor there. Once you have found a suitable topic and a supervisor abroad, you still need to find a supervisor at FAU. To do so, contact the department closest to the subject of your thesis.

Contact & funding

There are several ways of contacting universities or companies abroad.

• Make the most of connections your lecturers have established to other institutions abroad. An official list is not available, please discuss your intention to work abroad directly with your lecturers.
• Find out about the exchange and scholarship programmes at FAU (e.g. Erasmus+ , DAAD PROMOS ) and external programmes (e.g. by the University Centre for Bavaria and Latin-America ).

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Innovation is in our blood. What about you? Work with visionary colleagues and mentors on your diploma, bachelor's or master's thesis.

Make the most of your thesis. Work on it at Mercedes-Benz. We'll suggest a subject. And you'll work on a live project with one of our development, manufacturing, or commercial business areas.

We can offer know-how, expertise, valuable experience and the chance to broaden your knowledge and your interpersonal skills. We'll provide tailored support while your write your thesis and help you both on a professional and personal level.

We'll value your ideas, enthusiasm, and academic curiosity, because your work will be making an important contribution, not just to your growth but to ours. And because a good degree is a good start, we may be working together after your thesis as well.

You can apply at any time. Applications are made online. Positions and subject areas are normally advertised on the Mercedes-Benz careers website two to six months before the start of the thesis placement.

You should have above-average grades and ideally be studying an engineering, science, IT, or business-related subject and have already completed specialist placements. Placements vary in duration depending on the complexity of the subject and the conditions set by your examinations office.

Note concerning thesis placements in Germany:

Non-EU applicants require a residency permit for Germany and, if applicable, a work permit.

Applicants who are citizens of the new EU member states require a freedom of movement permit and, if applicable, a work permit.

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Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - School of Business and Economics

Some thoughts on writing a master thesis with us…

Research at the Chair of Information Systems (CIS) focuses on big data analytics (BDA). Approaches associated with the support of managerial decision-making and quantitative, data-driven methods are of particular interest. This scope offers a variety of research questions to be examined in a master’s dissertation, examples for which you can find here . Hence, students with skills in, e.g., scientific computing, databases, programming, econometrics and statistics, machine learning, etc. are welcome to write their master thesis at the CIS.

Potential business fields to be studied include, but are not limited to, marketing, consumer finance and risk management, logistics and supply chain management as well as speculative and betting markets.  As a general guideline, a master’s thesis written at the CIS should contain an empirical part related to some real-world planning problem in one of above areas. For example, evaluating the effectiveness of a novel method from the realms of BDA in a real-world setting through empirical experimentation is a common task for a master thesis. Such endeavor may also include the development of an entirely new methodology or the extension of some known technique to better fulfill the requirements of the application setting in question.

There are several possibilities to acquire the data for such a study. For example:

• The master’s thesis is written in cooperation with a partner who provides data
• The data is collected during the work on the master’s thesis (e.g through accessing a data provider’s API, say Twitter, or web scraping)
• Data from an academic data mining/forecasting competition (KDD Cup, Data Mining Cup, NN3 or NN5 Competition, etc.) or a Kaggle competition ( www.kaggle.com ) can be used
• Data from ongoing research projects of the CIS can be used. At the moment projects/data sets from the following areas are available:
• Direct marketing / churn modeling
• Automotive industry /sales of pre-owned vehicles
• Real-time targeting in e-commerce
• Credit scoring or PD modeling
• Bet markets (esp. sport bets)

If required, data from the following fields can be obtained (not guaranteed)

• Data about energy consumption for electrical load forecasting
• Data from peer-to-peer lending

In addition to the data, a crucial issue is to clarify the research question(s) of the thesis and to define its research goal. There are multiple ways to achieve this. In general, the topic is somewhat flexible and can be adapted to students’ interests. Thinking about the type of data one would like to work with could help students in identifying a suitable thesis topic. Standard analytical methods work with structured data (tables as e.g. in a regression model). In addition, there is the special case of time series data (e.g., sales forecasts, stock predictions, etc.). Furthermore, one can analyze unstructured data such as textual data (e.g. sentiment analysis) and networked data (social media analytics).    

In a similar manner, the type of methodology one would like to work with helps with finding a thesis topic. Empirical prediction methods are at the core of the research at the CIS. For example, the following techniques are relatively used / sparsely used in business settings and thus interesting: 

• Ensemble selection (e,g, for marketing or credit-scoring)
• Kalman filter (e.g. for time series data or real-time targeting of advertising in e-commerce)
• Multi-armed bandit models (e.g. for or real-time targeting of advertising in e-commerce)
• Deep learning (basically applicable everywhere)
• Survival models (e.g. for price optimization in the automotive industry)
• Choice models / hierarchical Bayesian models (e.g. for or real-time targeting of advertising in e-commerce or bet markets)
• (Recurrent) neural networks (e.g. for turnover or financial markets predictions or in interaction with metaheuristics for model training or model selection)

Furthermore, there is a large body of literature on novel learning paradigms, which differ substantially from conventional explanatory (e.g regression or classification) or descriptive (e.g. clustering) methods. Evaluating such modelling strategies in business settings is also an interesting task for a master thesis. Some examples include:

• Active learning
• Causal machine learning
• Learning with privileged information (e.g. financial forecasting)
• Semi-supervised/ transductive learning (e.g. for churn prediction)
• Imbalanced learning (e.g. for  marketing or credit scoring)
• Multi-task learning (e.g. financial forecasting)
• Reject inference (credit scoring)
• Online learning

Hopefully, the previous exposition has conveyed the general notion of master theses at the CIS. In addition to the above topics/suggestions, it is always a good idea to look at our ongoing research projects to identify further opportunities for dissertation topics.

As soon as you have clarified your preferences (industry, business application, data, method), feel free to contact a member of the CIS to proceed with preparing for your master thesis.

Note that that it is in principle also possible to write a master thesis outside of our core research area in BDA. If you are interested in such setting, please prepare an exposé that describes your topic and send it to Prof. Lessmann. More specifically, your exposé should clarify:

• What research question(s) you would like to analyze
• What is the academic and empirical importance of the topic
• How your thesis contributes to existing literature  

To elaborate on the above points, it is useful to reference relevant literature in your exposé.

Please find FAQ to Bachelor and Master Dissertations at the Chair of Information Systems here .

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Points to take into account while writing your master's thesis

The topics you can choose for a master's thesis should be highly relevant for practice and policy and the thesis should to be empirically grounded.

Process of a master's thesis

• Discuss a possible topic with Prof. Liudvika Leišytė.
• Write a 2-page proposal (incl. title, table of contents and timeline of the thesis).
• Get approval for this by Prof. Leišytė.
• Prof. Leišytė will write a letter to the Central Examinations Office to declare that she will be your supervisor.
• Write the thesis: in the process, make sure to send the questionnaire for surveys or interview schedules to Prof. Leišytė to get approval before you start your empirical work.
• Submit your thesis to the Section Central Examinations Office, Dez. 4.3.

Type and time frame of the master’s thesis

• Generally, all theses at the Professorship are empirical (i.e. the self-organized collection and analysis of data is part of every thesis). This type of thesis has a time frame of 26 weeks (for details see the Prüfungsordnung ).
• In exceptional cases, theoretical theses are accepted. The specific topic must then be discussed and agreed on with Prof. Liudvika Leišytė. The time frame for this type of thesis is only 17 weeks.

The time frame (count of weeks) starts with the registration of your topic (letter from Prof. Leišytė to the Central Examinations Office).

Topic of the thesis

The topic you choose should relate to the main research fields of the Professorship of Higher Education. Possible Topics:

• Innovation through organizational learning
• Stakeholder representation and characteristics in the boards of universities
• Promotion of collaboration at German universities: policies and practices
• Changing governance of universities and implications of this for their performance
• The implementation of gender policies in German universities
• Characteristics and challenges of an inclusive professional organization

Academic entrepreneurship

• Policies of German universities to promote spin off creation in Germany
• The characteristics of founders of new high tech ventures in Germany
• Motivations of academic entrepreneurs to patent
• Gender and entrepreneurship: evidence from patenting activities

Academic profession and managerialism

• The role of new public management on publication behaviour of academics
• The role of performance based systems on grant acquisition of academics
• Gender in academia: what are the gender differences in academic productivity?
• Challenges of integration of foreign knowledge workers in Germany

Preconditions

Master's theses at the Professorship of Higher Education are accepted according to certain preconditions and according to capacities of scientific staff:

• Bachelor's degree
• Successful completion of two seminars of the Professorship of Higher Education
• Parallel to master’s thesis: Participation in the Research Colloquium of the Professorship

For theses in the Master WiWi as well as the exam regulations (Prüfungsordnung) see: WiWi: Master of Science

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How To Write A Bachelor/Master Thesis [2024]

It's that time of year again when students are wrapping up their final semester and beginning to write their dissertation. In Germany, students must adhere to some particular formatting standards while writing their Bachelor's or Master's thesis. 

The dissertation is a crucial component of all German higher education programs. Students may use it to demonstrate their understanding and abilities in a given field of study. The thesis also plays a crucial role in helping students develop critical thinking and research skills. They are a valuable preparation for future career opportunities.

In this article, we'll go through everything you must do to write a successful thesis. We will also provide tips and tricks to stay organized and on track throughout the process!

Thesis writing process

Bachelor’s thesis vs. Master’s thesis

A Bachelor's and a Master's thesis are two types of academic papers. A Bachelor's thesis is usually shorter and is meant to show that the student has learned the basics of the subject. In contrast, a Master's thesis is more extended and more in-depth. It should serve as evidence that the student has mastered their chosen subject.

How to format your Bachelor's or Master's thesis in Germany

The following are some of the most critical format requirements in any thesis:

Note:  Depending on the university and the "style" of the student's thesis, the formatting requirements might vary (e.g., Harvard or APA). Be sure to check with your supervisor or department for specific guidelines.

• Margins:  Your thesis must have 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Spacing:  The text must be double-spaced.
• Fonts:  Subtitles must be in a 14-point typeface. The text's main body should be in 12-point font, subheadings in a 14-point typeface, and title headings in a 16-point typeface.
• Length:  A Bachelor's thesis should be around 60 pages, while a Master's thesis should be about 80 pages.
• Language:  Your thesis must be written in German or English, depending on your program.

Let's take a look at each thesis component, starting with the Title page. The following are the required sections for both Bachelor's and Master's thesis.

Title page 

The title page of your thesis must include the following information:

• The title of your thesis
• The name of your supervisor
• The name of your program

The abstract is a summary of your thesis. It should be a maximum of one page long and include the following information:

• Your research questions

Table of contents

The table of contents must list all of the sections and subsections of your thesis.

• List of figures:   The figures must include all the figures used in your thesis.
• List of tables:   The list of tables must consist of all of the tables used in your thesis.

Introduction

The introduction should explain the context of your research and the problem you are trying to solve. A Bachelor's thesis should be around three pages, while a Master's thesis should be about five pages .

Literature review

The literature review critically analyzes the existing research on your topic. The literature review is an essential part of any research paper.

It helps you situate your research within the context of existing scholarship and allows you to critically evaluate the existing research on your topic. It is essential to be as critical as possible when reviewing the literature.  It would be best if you addressed questions such as:

• What are the limitations of the existing research?
• What gaps does the current research leave open?
• How can my research contribute to the current body of scholarship?

Methodology

The methodology section explains the research methods you used to collect data for your thesis. This information is crucial because it allows the reader to understand how you gathered your data and what conclusions you drew from it. It is also essential to be transparent when describing your research methods so the reader can evaluate them critically.

Results & Discussion

Result and discussion : The results section presents the data you collected during your research. The discussion section is where you interpret the data and discuss the implications of your findings.

The conclusion summarizes your findings and their implications for practice or future research. A Bachelor's thesis should be around three pages, while a Master's thesis should be about five pages.

Bibliography/References

The references section lists the sources you used in your thesis. It is essential to list all of the sources you used, even if you did not cite them directly in the text.

The appendices include any additional material relevant to your thesis but do not fit within the main body of the text. This part might consist of data sets, survey instruments, or detailed descriptions of research methods.

Tips and tricks for writing a successful Bachelor's or Master's thesis

Choose a topic you are passionate about : This factor will make writing your thesis much easier, as you already have some knowledge about the subject. Passion will also help you stay motivated throughout the writing process!

Do your research : Make sure to do a thorough literature review to be familiar with the existing research on your topic. This step will also help you develop new and original ideas for your thesis.

Create an outline : Once you have done your research, create an outline of your thesis to know what topics you will cover and in what order. It will help you stay organized and on track.

Start early and give yourself enough time : This will allow you to avoid unnecessary stress.

Create a schedule and stick to it:  This step will help you stay on track and make steady progress.

Take breaks and reward yourself : Breaks are essential to avoid burnout. Make sure to schedule some breaks and reward yourself for completing tasks! It will help you stay motivated.

Get feedback from your supervisor:  It is vital to get regular feedback throughout the process. It will ensure that you are on the right track.

Ask for help when you need it:  Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. There are many resources available to help you with the writing process.

These are the general guidelines for writing a Bachelor's or Master's thesis. However, checking with your supervisor and program for specific requirements is essential. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a Bachelor's or Master's thesis. However, these tips and tricks will help you write a successful dissertation!

Happy writing!

Chances after Graduation

Want to know what your life would look like after Graduation? Read the below article to learn more.

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