Chair of Organization and International Management
Thesis
Chair of Organization and International Management 

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Information on theses

We appreciate your interest in writing your thesis at the Chair of Organization and International Management. In order to make the process as structured as possible, we kindly ask you to carefully read the following information on the procedure.

Step 1: Application and requirements

Formal application process: Applications for Bachelor's theses at the chair are possible until March 31st and September 30th for the following semester by using this application form (Bachelor). Applications for Master's theses at the chair are possible until March 31st and September 30th for the following semester by using this application form (Master).

An application at the beginning of the semester requires a registration by the end of the respective semester at the latest (regardless of the actual beginning of work on the thesis), otherwise the confirmation of supervision is no longer valid!

Together with the completed application form, an outline of your idea (2-5 pages) must be submitted (if required by your preferred supervisor), containing the following information:

  • Name of the student
  • Preliminary title of the thesis
  • Potential research question(s)
  • Agenda of the thesis
  • Relevance of the topic and research question
  • Planned theoretical foundation
  • Planned methodological approach
  • Initial list of relevant, current literature

Requirements: Please note that the general requirements for registering and being admitted to a bachelor's or master's thesis are regulated in the respective examination regulations (Prüfungsordnung) and must be taken from these. We also (usually) require that you:

  • are currently attending a course taught by the professorship or have already successfully completed one, and
  • are interested in a topic that fits with the research fields and interests of the professorship.

Step 2: Identifying topics

You can and should suggest possible topics for your thesis yourself. For supervision of a topic you have suggested yourself, it is crucial that the topic falls within the area of expertise of the professorship and its staff. If you propose your own topic, you must first discuss it with a chair staff member and ultimately reach an agreement with him or her to ensure that your thesis will be supervised by the chair. This should be done well in advance of your application.

At the chair, you can write either empirical (qualitative/quantitative) or purely conceptual literature-based theses. This also applies to theses that you would like to write in collaboration with industry partners. Please note that theses written in collaboration with industry partners are more than just practical projects and must therefore meet the corresponding academic standards!

Step 3: Scientific work

Bachelor's and master's theses are academic qualification papers with a clear educational purpose: while the bachelor's thesis consolidates the fundamentals of independent academic work, the master's thesis serves to deepen, independently apply, and further develop these skills. For this reason, strict requirements are placed on the academic working process, which are taken into account in the assessment of the theses.

Notes: The formal requirements for a thesis can be found here.

Assessment:

  • The criteria for the assessment can be reviewed here.
  • For reasons of fairness to other students, late submission will result in failure.

Thesis topics

In addition to the formal criteria, great importance is attached to ensuring that the final academic theses for the bachelor's and, in particular, the master's degrees are based on an appropriate and solid theoretical foundation. Generally speaking, the topics can be approached in three ways:

  • as theoretically grounded literature reviews,
  • as theoretically grounded empirical analyses (possibly also in collaboration with industry partners),
  • as theory-driven analysis and design of organizational practice.

Our key topics below provide a rough guide and should be clarified in advance of your application and in the subsequent discussion with the specified supervisor:

  • Organizational Theories
  • Strategic Management
  • International Management
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Governance
  • “Top Management Team”
  • Critical Management Studies
  • Inequality, discrimination, and underrepresentation of certain social groups within organizations
  • Gender and diversity in organizations
  • Dissemination and implementation of management concepts
  • Alternative forms of organization
  • Learning, change, and professionalization of organizations

Specific thesis topics/questions are not announced, so we look forward to hearing your own ideas! Seminar paper topics that have been worked on at our chair can (usually) be continued in the thesis.