Final thesis
We mainly supervise qualitative empirical work, but theoretical theses and the development of study designs are also welcome at our chair.
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To ensure that you are familiar with the requirements of our chair, you should have completed at least one exercise course, seminar, or research course at Chair 07. Please also note the general information on final theses on the department homepage.
Please note that every written thesis must include a signed declaration of originality provided by the Institute of Sociology. You can download versions for both bachelor's (PDF, 551 KB) and master's (PDF, 551 KB) theses.
Bachelor thesis
In a Bachelor thesis (final module, 12 ECTS), students should work on a specific sociological problem. Writing a thesis documents the ability to work independently on a sociological problem using scientific methods and to present the results obtained in a professional manner.
The project module (6 ECTS) consists of an accompanying exercise course in which students are introduced to writing a longer academic paper. In addition, the current status of students' theses is presented and discussed.
- Time allowance
- 10 weeks
- Length
- 80,000 characters (approx. 40 pages)
- Contents
- Detailed information on each section of your bachelor's thesis, as well as formal requirements and assessment criteria, can be found in this info sheet (PDF, 392 KB).
Developing your own topic proposal for your bachelor's thesis is expressly encouraged. Qualitative empirical work is particularly valued in this department. Here are some examples of subject areas that are supervised in this department that might help you find a topic:
- Qualitative methodology
- Living environments and communities
- Social inequality and diversity
- Postcolonial sociology
- Migration, ethnicity, and culture
- Health and illness
- Racism, discrimination, and stigmatization
- Social movements
Other topics are also possible in consultation with your chosen supervisor.
Once you have contacted a supervisor, the next step is to create an exposé (i.e., a project description) for your thesis.
The exposé should briefly (max. 6 pages) include the following components:
- Name
- (Working) Title
- Topic (background, problem)
- Theoretical positioning, framing
- Research question
- For empirical work: Brief description of methodology, material, and field access
- Structure (i.e., outline)
- Time schedule
- Preliminary bibliography
The exposé is not binding: If, during the course of your work, it becomes apparent that the topic or methodological approach initially described in the exposé was not optimal, you may deviate from it accordingly, after consulting with your supervisor.
Submit your exposé as a PDF to your supervisor.
You have the option of choosing between three different formats:
- Empirical work
- Development of a study design
- Theoretical work
More detailed information can be found in this info sheet (PDF, 437 KB).
Conducting empirical work with data collection is time-consuming. This should be taken into careful consideration as part of your project planning.
Fill in your details on the registration form available on the PAGS website and send it by email as a PDF document to your supervisor.
Submit a printed copy of the form to the chair office.
The completed registration form will then be forwarded to PAGS.
max. 20 minutes with 45 minutes for discussion
Approximately three weeks before submitting your Bachelor thesis, the aim is to gather final feedback for the final phase from the discussion of the results achieved so far. Have the courage to address any remaining gaps—the presentation will not be included in the grading of your thesis!
The following points should be addressed:
- Research question
- State of research/theory
- Planned approach to data analysis (possibly initial results)
- Open questions and problems
Please note the information on presentations at Chair 07 when preparing your presentation.
Students are required to submit two bound copies of their Bachelor thesis (printed double-sided) including a signed declaration of originality by the submission deadline to PAGS. Please note the detailed instructions from PAGS regarding submission, and direct all organizational inquiries (including extensions) to PAGS.
In addition, Bachelor theses must be submitted to the supervisor as a PDF via email. Please also submit data and transcripts as separate files.
File names:
Last name_First name_Bachelor thesis.pdf
etc.
Assessments will be completed approximately 6 weeks after submission. Essential information from the report will be sent to you via email.
Master thesis
In a Master thesis (final module, 24 ECTS), students should develop a sociological question based on the relevant state of research, present it precisely, and use methodological tools and methods.
The project module (6 ECTS) consists of an accompanying exercise course in which students present and discuss the current status of their Master thesis.
- Time allowance
- 18 weeks
- Length
- 140,000 characters (approx. 80 pages)
- Content
- Detailed information on each section of your bachelor's thesis, as well as formal requirements and assessment criteria, can be found in this info sheet (, null KB).
Developing your own topic proposal for your bachelor's thesis is expressly encouraged. Qualitative empirical work is particularly valued in this department. Here are some examples of subject areas that are supervised in this department that might help you find a topic:
- Qualitative methodology
- Living environments and communities
- Social inequality and diversity
- Postcolonial sociology
- Migration, ethnicity, and culture
- Health and illness
- Racism, discrimination, and stigmatization
- Social movements
Other topics are also possible in consultation with your chosen supervisor.
Once you have contacted a supervisor, the next step is to create an exposé (i.e., a project description) for your thesis.
The exposé should briefly (max. 6 pages) include the following components:
- Name
- (Working) Title
- Topic (background, problem)
- Theoretical positioning, framing
- Research question
- For empirical work: Brief description of methodology, material, and field access
- Structure (i.e., outline)
- Time schedule
- Preliminary bibliography
The exposé is not binding: If, during the course of your work, it becomes apparent that the topic or methodological approach initially described in the exposé was not optimal, you may deviate from it accordingly, after consulting with your supervisor.
Submit your exposé as a PDF to your supervisor.
You have the option of choosing between three different formats:
- Empirical work
- Development of a study design
- Theoretical work
More detailed information can be found in this info sheet (PDF, 437 KB).
Conducting empirical work with data collection is time-consuming. This should be taken into careful consideration as part of your project planning.
Fill in your details on the registration form available on the PAGS website and send it by email as a PDF document to your supervisor.
Submit a printed copy of the form to the chair office.
The completed registration form will then be forwarded to PAGS.
max. 15 minutes with 45 minutes for discussion
The aim of this first presentation is to gather final feedback for the final phase from the discussion of the results achieved so far. Have the courage to address any remaining gaps—the presentation will not be included in the grading of your thesis!
The following points should be addressed:
- Research question
- State of research/theory
- Planned approach to data analysis (possibly initial results)
- Open questions and problems
Please note the information on presentations at Chair 07 when preparing your presentation.
20 minutes
The oral exam refers to the state of research and the resulting research gap that your Master thesis intends to tackle. Three relevant studies from the state of research will be discussed with regard to their significance for your thesis.
The 3 studies must be briefly presented in the oral examination (8-10 slides) and include the following points:
- Name, topic of the master's thesis
- Summary and discussion of three studies that are particularly relevant to your research question. Key questions or discussion points could be, for example:
- Which theoretical assumptions and definitions shape your research question?
- Which methods have you used and with which sample?
- What are your findings?
- Which limitations did you encounter and which questions remain unanswered?
- Conclusions for your analysis
Please discuss the details of the oral exam with your supervisor.
max. 20 minutes with 45 minutes for discussion
About three weeks before submission, it is important to collect feedback from the discussion of the results achieved so far for the final phase. Have the courage to address any remaining gaps—the presentation will not be included in the grading of your thesis.
Students are required to submit two bound copies of their Bachelor thesis (printed double-sided) including a signed declaration of originality by the submission deadline to PAGS. Please note the detailed instructions from PAGS regarding submission, and direct all organizational inquiries (including extensions) to PAGS.
In addition, Master theses must be submitted to the supervisor as a PDF via email. Please also submit data and transcripts as separate files.
File names:
Last name_First name_Master thesis.pdf
etc.
Assessments will be completed approximately 6 weeks after submission. Essential information from the report will be sent to you via email.
Supervision
At Chair 07, Bachelor theses can be supervised by all academic staff members. Master theses are supervised by post-doc staff.
To ensure optimal supervision of your work, please contact the relevant supervisor by email as soon as possible to discuss your topic. Please inform yourself beforehand (!) about the exact procedures.
We recommend inquiring in advance as to which member of staff would be best suited to your project in terms of subject matter.