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Evaluation and Grading of the Transfer Project

Here is a quick overview of how PSW, SW, and Thesis submissions are evaluated, including deadlines, criteria, reviewers, and what happens if a submission or defense fails.

After the submission of any Transfer Project paper—Project Study Work (PSW), Study Work (SW), or Thesis—students receive feedback in the form of evaluation reports. These reports are prepared by the project coaches of S‑Next for all components of the Transfer Project and are issued within the established correction deadline of 8 weeks.

All evaluation reports for PSW, SW, and Thesis are issued within 8 (eight) weeks after submission.

The evaluation reports provide structured feedback in two key areas:

  • Scientific Content – assesses the quality of your research design, theoretical foundation, argumentation, analysis, and the relevance and validity of your results.

  • Scientific Form – evaluates academic writing standards, structure, citation quality, formatting, clarity, and adherence to formal academic guidelines.

To ensure a consistent and high-quality assessment process, submissions are evaluated by members of S‑Next’s Academic Management, who collaborate closely with a network of well-coordinated external reviewers. This approach ensures that all submitted works are assessed according to uniform and transparent academic standards.

If a PSW, SW, Thesis, or Thesis Defense is unsuccessful, you will receive detailed feedback on what needs improvement and which project coaching sessions to attend before resubmission or a repeat examination.

If a Project Study Work, a Study Work, or a Master Thesis is evaluated as failed, or if a Thesis Defense is deemed unsuccessful, students receive explicit and detailed feedback outlining:

  • The specific deficiencies that led to the negative evaluation

  • Which of the relevant project coaching sessions are recommended to address these weaknesses (as described in the S-Next Wiki article "The Project Coaching of a Transfer Project")

Students may then attend these sessions—either for the first time or as a refresher—to further develop their skills and meet the academic expectations required for a successful resubmission or repeat examination.

If the evaluators deem the written Thesis to be "failed," the Examination Committee will establish a revision deadline in consultation with the student. This deadline will allow the student to revise and resubmit the Thesis for further evaluation. Should the original Thesis Defense date become unavailable due to this process, a new date must be selected. If rescheduling is not feasible within the current enrollment period, the student’s enrollment period will need to be extended accordingly.

If the written Thesis receives a passing grade but the Thesis Defense is deemed unsuccessful by the Examination Board, the student will be granted a second opportunity to defend their Thesis. In this situation, the written Thesis will remain unchanged. According to the Study and Examination Regulations (SPO) of Steinbeis University, a Thesis that has not been passed may be resubmitted once before the examination entitlement expires. Similarly, if the Thesis Defense is unsuccessful, the student is allowed one additional attempt to defend the Thesis before the examination entitlement lapses.