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Project Study Work (PSW)

The PSW serves as the structured starting point of the Transfer Project. Its primary aim is to provide orientation, clarity, and initial planning for all parties involved—the student, the university, and the project client.

The PSW marks the entry into the Transfer Project and is intended to provide all participants—students, the university, and project clients (if applicable)—with orientation and initial planning for the Transfer Project and its course.

In the PSW, students focus on the following aspects:

  • The challenge/problem/research interest as the starting point of the Transfer Project
  • The leading research question and any sub-questions to be answered in the final Thesis. These questions can also be changed in the further course of the Transfer Project, e.g., if initial research results make this seem useful.
  • Overview of theoretical approaches that can be used in the course of the Transfer Project.
  • First discussion of possible scientific methods that could be used in the Transfer Project.

A mandatory component of the PSW is an ungraded presentation of the research project in an online Project Presentation Session (PPS), even before the PSW is submitted. During the PPS presentation, a member of the Academic Management Team and a few other students will be present to give the presenters constructive feedback on the ideas of the Transfer Project so far. For this reason, students are recommended to participate in a PPS at least once as an observer to have a chance to learn from other students, question their own approach, and be able to incorporate information into their own PSW. 

A mandatory component of the PSW is an ungraded presentation of the research project in an online Project Presentation Session (PPS), even before the PSW is submitted.

Further information on the written elaboration of the PSW can be found in the Word template for the PSW. The chapters in this template provide insight into the Transfer Project and its planning. The following is the content structure of a PSW:

  1. The problem / challenge
  2. The research question of the Thesis
  3. The first forecast of relevant scientific theories
  4. The first forecast of relevant scientific methods

The table below describes the formal requirements for PSW.

 

SPO before April 2026
Applies to all students starting their studies before April 2026 (unless they explicitly switch to the new SPO by notifying S-Next)

SPO April 2026
Applies to all students starting their studies on and after April 2026

Size

15 Pages (from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4) + Presentation at the PPS

20,000-40,000 Characters
(approx. 10-20 pages, from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4) + Presentation at the PPS

Tolerance for size

Deviation up to +/- 33 % without point deductions
Deviation from +/- 33 % failed

No deviation allowed

Evaluation criteria

The evaluation criteria are documented in the Evaluation Reports, that the evaluators use to evaluate papers and presentations.

Templates

The MS Word and MS PowerPoint templates
are available in this folder

ECTS-Points

5 ECTS

Registration

Your PSW is registered as soon as you register to present at the PPS via the INSIDER "Transfer Project"

Method of submission

 via the Transfer Project Submission Page

Format of submission

As PDF, file name: Last Name-First Name_PSW

Processing time

We recommend submitting the PSW approx. six months after the start of your studies

The Project Study Work (PSW) templates provide a comprehensive framework for both documenting and presenting the foundation of your Transfer Project.

  • The MS Word template guides you through identifying and analyzing a practical problem or challenge, developing a preliminary research question, exploring relevant scientific theories, and evaluating suitable research methods, while also ensuring compliance with Steinbeis NEXT's formal and academic requirements.

  • The PowerPoint presentation template offers a recommended structure for presenting the key outcomes of your PSW during the Project Presentation Session (PPS), including the problem context, stakeholders, intended addressee of recommendations, and initial research question ideas.

Together, these templates help you prepare a well-structured PSW and communicate its core concepts effectively.

 If you started your studies before April 2026 and would like to request a switch to the new Study Regulation (with the new model of Transfer Project), please submit your request here.