If you are interested in writing your bachelor’s or master’s thesis with us, we look forward to hearing from you.
We supervise both theoretical and empirical theses. You are also welcome to write a project-based thesis with us and become actively involved in one of our ongoing research projects.
We recommend that you review the research focuses of our team members listed on the staff pages of our department and contact the person with whom you would like to write your thesis. (Please refrain from contacting multiple members of our department at the same time.)
FAQs on Theses
Which members of the Research Methods department are authorized to grade theses?
Prof. Dr. Julia Gorges and Dr. Matthias Krepf are authorized to supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s theses.
What deadlines do I need to keep in mind when registering my Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis?
You can find information on the applicable deadlines at your respective registrar’s office.
Do I also need to arrange for a second examiner for my thesis?
If you would like a specific person to serve as your second examiner, please feel free to let us know. Otherwise, we will handle the process internally to find a second examiner whose expertise aligns with the topic of your thesis.
I’m not sure if I’m up to the task of writing an empirical thesis, since I haven’t conducted any research on my own yet. What would you advise?
Prior experience in the form of independent research is not a mandatory requirement for a successful thesis. Of course, it is advantageous if you have a basic understanding of research methodology, such as what we teach in our courses. Nevertheless, we explicitly encourage students with limited prior knowledge to contact us. We would be happy to discuss on a case-by-case basis how an empirical thesis can still be carried out and how we can support you. A general recommendation in this case would be, for example, to write a project-based thesis in which you can be integrated into one of our ongoing research projects and receive particularly close supervision.
What does it mean to write a project-based thesis in the Research Methods Department?
For a project-based thesis, we actively involve you in one of our ongoing research projects. This may mean, for example, that you assist with data collection or data entry and are allowed to participate in project group meetings. This allows you to gain a realistic insight into what it means to conduct research in a university setting. In addition, a project-based thesis offers you the advantages that you do not have to carry out the steps associated with an empirical study entirely on your own, an experienced team of researchers is at your side, and you can draw on our preliminary work (e.g., in the development of a survey instrument or the recruitment of study participants).
What formal requirements must I follow if I want to write a thesis in the Research Methods Unit?
Please follow the guidelines of your respective registrar’s office and refer to the guides and information available in our download section. You are also welcome to use the template linked there for creating an abstract and our formatting template for seminar papers and theses.
Downloads
Guide to Academic Presentations
Information on Citation Styles and Compiling a Bibliography