Final thesis

FAQ about the thesis

1. can or must I find a topic myself?

You can approach the first examiner directly with your chosen topic. Alternatively, you can ask the examiner for a suitable topic and discuss his/her ideas on this topic with him/her.

2 Who is authorised to supervise my thesis?

The final thesis can be supervised and assessed by any authorised lecturer from the faculty (see § 9 Framework Examination Regulations); however, the Examination Board may also admit lecturers from another degree programme at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences as first/second examiners. Lecturers may issue and supervise theses with the approval of the Chair of the Examination Board, provided that they teach courses in an area relevant to the relevant degree programme. If the thesis is to be carried out at an institution outside of the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, this requires the approval of the Chair of the Examination Board.

3. do I have to organise a second examiner myself?

The final thesis must be assessed by two examiners. One of these should be the supervisor. The second examiner is appointed by the chairperson of the examination board at the suggestion of the supervisor. The contents (see question 2) apply accordingly, whereby one examiner must always be a professor. If the thesis is carried out at an institution outside of the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, the first examiner must be a member of the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences.

4. When and where can I register my thesis?

You can be admitted to the final thesis and thus register for it if you have completed any required practical study components and have been enrolled in your degree programme since at least the last semester. The minimum number of ECTS credits, if applicable, is specified in your degree programme's examination regulations.

You must register your thesis using the "Registration for Thesis" form, which must be completed in full and submitted to the Enrolment and Examination Office. You and the first and second examiners must sign the registration form. The start of the processing period is deemed to be the announcement or delivery of the topic to you.

5. does the topic of the thesis already have to be fixed when I register at the Enrolment and Examination Office? What do I have to consider if the topic of my thesis changes again?

The submitted topic can be an already defined topic or a working title with a subtitle; in this case, it is mandatory to coordinate this with the first examiner. The topic is confirmed by the examination board. The topic can only be returned once and only within one month of being announced.

6. how long is the processing time for my thesis? Can I extend it?

The application deadline, processing time, scope and the ECTS points to be achieved for your thesis are determined by the examination regulations in conjunction with the module descriptions.

The processing time varies from 8 to 16 weeks for Bachelor's theses and from 16 to 24 weeks for Master's theses, depending on the degree programme.

The completion time can be extended in justified exceptional cases upon request. Relevant evidence (certificate, etc.) must also be submitted. You will also find the relevant stipulations regarding the possible duration of the extension in the examination regulations for your degree programme.

In the event of illness, a doctor's certificate of incapacity to take examinations must be submitted to the Enrolment and Examination Office immediately.

7. can I interrupt the processing time of my thesis?

The time taken to complete the thesis may not be interrupted by taking a semester off. If a semester of leave is granted after a thesis topic has been assigned, the thesis topic must be returned. A thesis that has not been completed due to taking a semester of leave is deemed not to have been undertaken.

8. what questions/problems can I ask my examiner? Can I also send my examiner an interim version of my thesis for a first review?

If you are unable to solve a problem yourself, your work is stagnating or there are comprehension problems, you can contact the supervising examiners with your questions. Some examiners request to read the interim status at regular intervals. In other cases, the examiners offer to do this as required and on request.

9. What is a declaration of independence/declaration in lieu of an oath?

With the affidavit, you guarantee that the work was written independently and cited correctly and that all references are labelled and indicated.

Example of an affidavit

I hereby declare that I have written the Bachelor's/Master's thesis entitled _______________________________________________________________ independently, that I have not used any sources or aids other than those specified and that any ideas taken directly or indirectly from external sources have been identified as such. The thesis was not written by me, not even in part, using a text-based dialogue system (such as ChatGPT) or in any other way with the help of artificial intelligence. I have not yet submitted the thesis in the same or similar form or in extracts to any examination authority for examination purposes. Furthermore, I confirm that the written and electronic versions of the thesis are identical. I am aware that failure to comply with the contents of this declaration constitutes an attempt to cheat and will result in failure of the examination.

 

Neubrandenburg, Signature

10. how will my thesis be submitted?

In some degree programmes, the final thesis is submitted as an upload in Moodle. In other degree programmes, the thesis is still submitted in bound form. In both cases, the archiving and publication form must be submitted to the Enrolment and Examination Office.

You should check the thesis carefully before uploading and ensure that you are uploading the correct version. Sending it directly to the examiners does not fulfil the required form and deadline.

11. When will I receive the assessment of my thesis? How and when does a colloquium on the final thesis take place?

Die Bewertung der Abschlussarbeit soll von zwei Prüfer*innen unverzüglich spätestens vier bis sechs Wochen nach Einreichung erfolgen.

In der Fachprüfungsordnung ist festgehalten, ob ein Kolloquium erforderlich ist.

I. d. R. findet das Kolloquium nach Absprache in den ersten 4 Wochen nach Abgabe der Abschlussarbeit statt.

Das Kolloquium beinhaltet eine Kurzdarstellung der Arbeit, z. B. Aufgabenstellung und deren Einordnung, Arbeitsansätze und
-methoden, Ergebnisse und die Bewertung der Ergebnisse. Aber auch ein Einblick in die Erstellung Ihrer Arbeit ist wichtig. Was habe ich gemacht? Warum war das schwierig? Warum sind meine Ergebnisse als gut zu betrachten? Welches Problem ließ sich dagegen nicht lösen?

12. is it possible to view the reviews of my thesis?

If you would like to view the reports, please contact the person in charge at the Enrolment and Examination Office by e-mail.

13. do I have to publish my work?

In principle, every thesis must be made available to the university library for public inspection and, if necessary, for publication without restriction. Exceptions to the publication obligation are only permitted in justified cases, in particular if this is required by the confidentiality interests of third parties or statutory data protection. For Bachelor's theses, publication may also be waived if the overall quality or the quality of the external appearance or the linguistic presentation does not warrant this, despite the successful content. This is decided by the supervisor or the examiner.

14. do I have to re-register when I have completed all my work and only my final thesis is still outstanding?

You must be enrolled at the time of each examination. Even if the final thesis is your last examination, you must re-register if the submission date falls in a new semester or the colloquium does not take place until the next semester.