Bachelor's and Master's Theses
Process of a Thesis
The process of a thesis generally consists of the following phases:
- Initial Consultation
- Clarification of topics, preferred supervisor, requirements for the exposé
- Creation and Submission of the Exposé
- Please observe the deadlines mentioned below.
- Coordination and Finalization of the Exposé
- Confirmation or rejection of supervision
- Registration of the thesis with the Central Examination Office in coordination with our department
- Application for the thesis via email to Mrs. Westermann
- Writing the Thesis
- Submission of the Thesis
- The submission of your thesis is to be made at the examination office.
- You may preferentially print your thesis on both sides of recycled paper.
- Choose the binding method of your preference.
- Evaluation of the Thesis
- Evaluation aspects include criteria in the following areas: research question, content/theory, methodological approach, results, formalities & structure.
- Gender and diversity must be explicitly considered - the note "for better readability..." is not sufficient to address unconscious bias!Defense of the Thesis depending on your study and examination regulations
- Announcement of Grades
Topic Selection for Bachelor's and Master's Theses
The topics for Bachelor's and Master's theses are based on the teaching offerings as well as the research focuses of the department. Below, you will find specific and collaborative topics offered by the department that you could work on. Your own ideas and topics for Bachelor's and Master's theses are very welcome. Collaborative theses are encouraged. Please get in touch with the department's staff for further information!
Specific Topics Offered by the Department
- Waste & E-Waste (Literature reviews, political/legal situation, barriers, current trends, etc.)
- Alternative concepts to GDP
- Analysis of integrative management instruments
- Analysis of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
- Calculation of the climate impact, achieving climate neutrality in selected factors (in universities and companies)
- Calculation of CO2e emissions from TUC consumption
- Integration of TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) into management decisions
- Concepts for actual recordings of socio-ecological consumption (import-export)
- Circularity of specific components of automobiles (cars)
- Country comparisons (including Earth Overshoot Day)
- Life cycle assessments (LCAs) of various materials, products, processes, etc., including in the automotive sector - also in comparison
- Nudging (strategies for behavior change) at TUC
- Potential analysis of cooperative models in the textile industry in Saxony
- Pricing for automotive innovations
- Implementation of circular economy principles in the automotive industry
- Trust goods in various industries
Exposé
The research question to be addressed is always determined in close and individual coordination with the supervisor. For this coordination, it is necessary that you create a proposal according to the guidelines below. Please note the possible deadlines for submitting the proposal via email and subsequently registering the thesis.
- Creating a proposal is mandatory.
- Creating the proposal helps you structure and specify your work.
- It assists us in providing guidance.
- The proposal provides a guide for outlining the basic idea, content overview, and milestones of your thesis.
- The proposal should be between two to four pages and written in prose.
- Follow the guidelines for the preparation of scientific papers (e.g., citation, formatting, etc.) of the Department of Business Administration - Corporate Environmental Economics and Sustainability.
Structure of a Exposé
The following structuring idea provides assistance for the content of your proposal.
- Cover Page: Name, student ID, TUC email address, degree program, first and second supervising professors
- Tentative title of the thesis
- Problem statement or solution orientation
- Motivation for the topic selection: Why is this topic relevant?
- What is the problem area/solution orientation of the thesis?
- Derivation of the research gap based on scientific sources.
- Objectives and research question(s)
- What is the aim of the thesis? What is not? How do you differentiate your work from other works on the topic?
- What is the starting point of the research question?
- What question(s) should be answered?
- Establishing thematic relevance to sustainability
- Methodology and approach
- Rough outline
- Relevant scientific literature for the thesis
- Bibliography of the proposalTabular timeline
- Relevant milestones (e.g., registration, literature review, data collection, data analysis, finalization and formatting, proofreading, submission)
- Your/Open questions
Submission of the Proposal
We kindly ask you to submit your proposal via email in the following timeframes of your choice, as *.docx and *.pdf files:
- January 1st to January 15th, with thesis registration by February 28th/29th of the same calendar year.
- March 1st to March 15th, with thesis registration by April 30th of the same calendar year.
- June 1st to June 15th, with thesis registration by July 31st of the same calendar year.
- October 1st to October 15th, with thesis registration by November 30th of the same calendar year.
Outside of these timeframes, initially submitted proposals will not be discussed.
Principles of Scientific Work
Observing the principles of scientific work is a fundamental requirement for the creation of the thesis.
Please orient yourself either on the guidelines provided by the Professorship for Corporate Environmental Management and Sustainability.
Additionally, make use of the following and other literature:
- Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods, Oxford, neueste Auflage
Please also visit our offerings on academic writing.