Final Thesis

Please take note of the following steps required for the assignment of the topic for your final thesis:

1. Select a topic and choose an adviser
2. Discuss the topic and find a title for the final thesis
3. In consultation with your adviser, find a second reader for your thesis
4. Fill out and download the form "Application for assigning the topic for the final thesis" via PULS (Submit Applications / Degree Completion)
5. Sign the downloaded form. With your own signature you express your willingness to register your thesis
6. The Topic Assignment Form requires the signature of both readers of your thesis as well as of the examination board
7. The examination board confirms the final thesis topic (please note that a date is required on the Topic Assignment Form)

Once the examination board has confirmed your topic, you may proceed to register your final thesis. Please note the following:

• You must register your final thesis with the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office within one week of receiving confirmation of your topic from the Examination Board. To register your final thesis use the Document Upload Option in PULS. Upload a scan of the signed form.
• If you fail to register your final thesis within the stipulated period, a new topic must be assigned!
• The submission deadline will be determined and communicated to you.
• You will receive an email or letter, stating the date of registration and the submission deadline for your thesis. You will also see the submission deadline on your Transcript of Records („Leistungsübersicht“) in PULS.

As of November 1, 2023,

• you exclusively submit your final thesis digitally via the Document Upload option in PULS to the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office. You will no longer need to submit three bound copies and an electronic version of your final thesis (e.g. on a CD), that were previously required.
• Should you no longer be enrolled, please use following link to upload your thesis: Upload thesis.
• When uploading your thesis in PULS, please check carefully that you selected the correct version for your submission. The Examination Office will forward the document you submitted first to your examiners. An updated version of your thesis, provided afterwards, will not be forwarded to your examiners.
• You must submit a Statement of Originality in your final thesis. In this declaration of academic integrity you affirm, that the thesis was written by yourself and no sources or aids other than those specified were used. For more information, please see the guidelines on plagiarism provided by the senate. (E.g. “I hereby declare that this thesis is the product of my own work. All the assistance received in preparing this thesis and the sources used have been acknowledged.”) When uploading your thesis in PULS, the included Statement of Originality does not necessarily have to be signed.

If more modules have been successfully completed for an electives area on your transcript of records than are required in accordance with your subject-specific regulations, it is possible to select the modules that are to be included in the calculation of the final grade. The form “Selection of Elective Modules Relevant to the Final Grade” must be used for this purpose. The form must then be submitted via the Document Upload Option in PULS or by email to the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office, if you cannot access PULS anymore.

Please note that the selection of elective modules relevant to the final grade can only be made once and must be made no later than at the time of submission of the final thesis (BAMA-O Section 27(4), Section 31(2) / BAMALA-O Section 27(5), Section 31(5)). If no selection has been made at the time of submission of the final thesis then the elective modules count in the order in which they were completed until the required number of elective credit points is reached.

The Student Administration Center/ Examination Office forwards your thesis to your examiners (readers). The examiners provide an evaluation of the thesis, explaining the grade given. The first examiner is generally also the thesis advisor. If the second examiner agrees with the first examiner’s evaluation, she/he can shorten her/his own report by just stating her/his consent and mentioning the grade. In any case, the second examiner has to submit her/his own report. If the difference in grades between the first and the second examiner is higher than 2.0 or if one of the grades is lower than “sufficient” (4.0), the examination board will appoint a third examiner.

If your examination regulations state that you must defend your final thesis (disputation or colloquium), please make sure to contact your examiners in a timely manner to set up a defense date.