Studierende (BA & MA) wählen sich in der Regel selbst ein Thema für ihre Abschlussarbeit aus. In Ausnahmefällen bieten Dozierende auch mögliche Themen zur Bearbeitung an. Damit die Themenwahl aber nicht zur Qual wird, sollten Studierende sich drei wichtige Fragen stellen:

1. Was interessiert mich? Denk an vergangene Seminare oder an Prüfungsleistungen, die dir etwas gebracht haben! So kannst du auf Vorwissen aufbauen und Themen weiterentwickeln, zu denen du schon gearbeitet hast!
2. Was können die Lehrenden am Institut gut betreuen – regional oder thematisch? Wir Lehrenden betreuen vorzugsweise Abschlussarbeiten innerhalb unserer eigenen regionalen und thematischen Schwerpunkte, weil wir dazu auch am besten beraten können. Wir empfehlen deshalb, unsere Personalseiten auf Forschungsschwerpunkte unseres Instituts und einzelner Lehrender zu durchsuchen.
3. Was könnte für meine Zeit nach dem Studium sinnvoll und hilfreich sein? Welche Themen, Schwerpunktsetzungen und Arbeitsweisen bieten sich an angesichts meiner Planungen für Berufseinstieg oder Aufbau-Studium? Sollte ich ein Thema an der Schnittstelle zu einem anderen Fach wählen, weil mir dann die BA-Arbeit für ein MA-Studium in diesem anderen Fach angerechnet werden kann?

Weitere Anregungen:

1. Nachschauen, ob Lehrende konkrete Themen für Abschlussarbeiten anbieten! Zum Beispiel Prof. Schareika auf Studienprojekte (BA/MA)!
2. Unseren Showroom besuchen, in dem Studierende ihre Forschungsprojekte im Rahmen ihrer Abschlussarbeit vorstellen, und sich davon inspirieren lassen!
3. In unserer Galerie veröffentlichter Abschlussarbeiten stöbern und sich davon inspirieren lassen!
4. Im Ethnologie-OPAC die vielen Titel der Abschlussarbeiten anschauen, die dort erfasst sind (Suchschlüssel „Signatur“, Suchbegriff „Ex.A.*“)!
5. Weitere, allgemeine Hilfen und Materialien zur Themenfindung bietet die Sowi-Schreibberatung.

For theses, two supervisors are always required, who simultaneously also act as examiners. The first examiner is usually the main supervisor. When looking for suitable supervisors, we recommend researching the faculty’s research focuses on our websites to ensure the most appropriate academic guidance.

• For the BA, all staff members of the institute may act as supervisors, including those who have already completed their PhD as well as doctoral candidates. This also includes the associated professorships at CeMIS (e.g., Eisenlohr and Roberts). However, supervision by two doctoral candidates should be avoided. At least one supervisor should hold a PhD.
• For the MA, only staff members with a PhD may act as the first examiner; this also includes the associated professorships at CeMIS (e.g., Eisenlohr and Roberts). Doctoral candidates may be asked to act as the second examiner.
• In general, the second supervisor may also come from another institute/discipline or even from outside the university, provided they are academically qualified.
• A list of persons authorized to examine in Ethnology can be found on this page of the Examination Office (applies equally to BA and MA).

Further Recommendations:

1. The first meeting to request supervision should be well prepared! You should be able to convincingly demonstrate that you have already seriously considered possible topics, research directions, etc., ideally linking them to knowledge, literature, or focal points of completed seminars. Statements such as “I want to do something on ‘land grabbing’ or ‘women’s rights in Islam’” are not yet sufficient for a serious topic search.
2. A thesis proposal is a good way to concisely and concretely summarize your preliminary considerations regarding topic choice and research question. Possible elements of such a concept paper include: research question, research interest, objective, approach, selection of theories/methods/concepts, initial rough outline, literature consulted so far, and a timeline.
3. Once supervision has been agreed upon, the agreed timeline should be taken seriously. If there are delays or changes, these must be communicated to the supervisors. Otherwise, supervisors have the right to withdraw their commitment, especially given the high number of supervision requests.
4. The time planning should also take into account that regular supervision can only be guaranteed during the lecture period. During the semester break, faculty members are often absent due to research or vacation commitments.

• Theses at the Faculty of Social Sciences can be registered with the Examination Office throughout the year. The required registration forms and information sheets for BA/MA theses can be found on the Examination Office’s website.
• To register, a minimum number of credits in the respective field of study in which the thesis is written must have been achieved: 70 C for the single-subject BA, 50 C for the two-subject BA, 51 C for the single-subject MA, and 44 C for the combined MA (of which 33 C must be in the field of study).
• The title of the thesis must be entered on the registration form in both German and English. This is a working title, which may be slightly modified at the time of final submission, as long as the topic and research question remain the same.
• Signatures of the two examiners must be obtained by the students themselves (email is also acceptable).
• After registration, the clock starts, and the respective processing period begins (12 weeks for BA theses, 6 months for MA theses). The “best” time to register may vary individually, depending on whether a fixed submission deadline is motivating or hindering for the writing process.
• Withdrawal from a registered thesis is only possible within the first four weeks of the processing period.
• Extensions can only be granted upon submission of appropriate documentation (usually a medical certificate) to the Examination Office, specifying the relevant period. This documentation must be submitted directly via eCampus. Instructions for uploading a certificate can be found here.
• In the case of impairments or chronic illnesses, compensatory measures can be requested. Early contact with the Examination Office is strongly recommended: Information on compensatory measures.

• For formal requirements and guidelines for academic writing, our Guide for Academic Papers must be consulted.
• A good orientation for the writing process is also provided by our Theses Information Sheet: Assessment Criteria, which lists the quality standards by which theses are evaluated.
• Regarding the length of theses, planning can generally be based on about 40 pages for BA theses and 60–80 pages for MA theses. More information can be found in our information sheet On the Length of Theses.
• The supervisor primarily supports students during the phase of topic selection, in defining and narrowing the research question, choosing appropriate theoretical approaches and methodological procedures, and planning a meaningful structure for the thesis. If needed, supervision can also be used during the writing process itself, for example in case of writer’s block or fundamental difficulties in understanding.
• In addition, the Social Sciences Writing Support is available throughout the entire planning and writing process, offering many useful tips and various workshops (see also the chapter Tips & Suggestions).

• Submission: Before the end of the processing period, the thesis must be submitted exclusively in electronic form via an upload directly in FlexNow (more details in the information sheet on uploading). Submission also includes the declaration of independent work. The forwarding of the thesis to the examiners is handled by the Examination Office.
• Review and Grade Notification: The examiners prepare their evaluations within the applicable period (BA theses: 8 weeks; MA theses: 8 to a maximum of 10 weeks) and submit them to the Examination Office. The grades are then entered into FlexNow and the overall grade is calculated. The grade notification is sent automatically to the student’s university email address.
• Students who have a valid reason to request an accelerated review or need a preliminary confirmation of passing the thesis (e.g., for subsequent MA studies) should contact their examiners early, BEFORE submission!

Before applying for the diploma, BA students should carefully check whether they have exhausted all possibilities, such as grade conversion, allowed by their respective examination and study regulations. More information can be found in the Examination Office’s information sheet “Grade Conversions” . Application forms for grade conversion and diploma issuance for all degree programs can be found here.

• For bachelor’s students, attending a “Colloquium for Theses” is highly recommended throughout the entire writing process. These colloquia are offered every semester by all professors and can also be attended if the supervisors are not professors. In the colloquium, students learn how to create a concept for a scientific thesis, present it, and defend it with arguments. The colloquium also serves as an important peer format for mutual exchange among students, providing critical feedback and collegial support. Participation can be credited under SQ.Sowi.22 (BA Thesis Forum) with 4 C.
• Master’s students complete the master’s colloquium of their primary supervisor for the Master’s thesis module M.Eth.1000, where the concept of their thesis must also be presented and defended. The colloquium earns 5 credits, and the master’s thesis itself earns 25 credits.

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