Theses

Requirements

For the assignment of a thesis topic, no further requirements (apart from the respective formal requirements of the examination regulation) need to be met. Ideally, however, you should already have attended lectures on finance, banking and/or insurance. It is also possible to submit a final thesis which is based on lectures on macroeconomics or statistics and econometrics.

For Bachelor students, successful participation in the module "Empirical Banking and Finance" is preferred. If you have not participated in the module, you are expected to have at least reviewed the course script. The course maps well the requirements of the chair in terms of research question and methodology and can therefore provide you with a good initial overview.

Application

It is possible to write a thesis at the department at any time. In the following, two options are described that you can use to find your topic.

Option 1 - Your own topic proposal

If you bring a topic proposal, we expect the following for the first discussion:

• Classification in a rough topic area
• One or two papers on which you have based your idea (see LITERATURE below for journal suggestions)
• As a basis for discussion during the first meeting, two to three rough questions clarifying your idea of the topic. These can be narrowed down and refined during the discussion.
• A first idea on the methodological procedure that may be used (Which data? Which method of analysis? What could a regression look like?)

We would appreciate it if you could send us a page with your thoughts to the chair's email address one or two days prior to the appointment. This first exposé is not about proving that you are already perfectly set up. It is about showing that you have thought about your topic. It also allows us to prepare for the interview in a more targeted way. 

Please also enclose a list of the lectures you have already attended at the department with this first e-mail. 

Option 2 - Topic from the Chair's list

The chair has made an Excel list available via the Wifa-Cloud, which is always up to date, and in which you can find suggestions for topics. You will find the link in the Moodle course linked below. 

If you are interested in one or more topics and the topic is not yet occupied (column G), please contact the person responsible (column J). If the cell is empty, you can send an e-mail to the chair and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

In addition, there are literature references for some topics (column H), please have a look at these before the first meeting. Also think about what interests you about the topic beforehand. Ideally, you will already have formulated one or two questions that you can imagine working on. 

Steps

• First step: Find the rough thematic direction. To do this, select topics for example from the list of topics that sound interesting and google it.
• Second step: Contact us by e-mail, when proposing your own topic include a short exposé as described above. When using one of the chais topics, include one or two possible research questions.
• Third step: Refining the topic and finding a research question. The desired topic is discussed in a personal interview and the research question underlying the work is jointly developed.
• Fourth step: Find literature. If you you chose one of the chairs topics, you will receive selected scientific articles (usually in English) for further reading on the topic and as a start for your independent further literature search. If you chose your own topic, you will have to find the literature yourself.
• Fifth step: Establish a research design. In personal meetings the research question will be further refined and developed into an empirical or experimental research design. 
• Sixth step: The research question is finally defined and the work is registered.
• Seventh step: You work on the topic independently. You can also make use of the support offered by the Academic Lab. You can send questions to your supervisor by e-mail at any time (no points will be deducted for this). Always state where and how you have already searched for answers.
• Eighth step: If necessary, make appointments for meetings during the writing process to clarify questions or discuss any further procedure. This is optional, please contact your supervisor if you have a need here.
• Ninth step: You hand in your work. 
• Tenth step: You receive your grade.

Literatur

When selecting the cited literature, articles in English-language journals should be used. You can find a ranking of leading journals in business studies, finance and economics HERE. The following journals are only some suggestions:

• Journal of Finance
• Journal of Financial Economics
• Review of Financial Studies
• American Economic Review
• Review of Finance
• Journal of Financial & Quantitative Analysis
• Journal of Financial Intermediation
• Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking
• Quarterly Journal of Economics
• Econometrica
• Journal of Political Economy
• Review of Economic Studies
• The Economic Journal