Thesis

The thesis is an application-oriented scientific research paper in which the knowledge and skills acquired during the course of study are applied to a project from the student's professional environment.

The table below contains the most important formal requirements for the Master Thesis.

	MBA and M.A. 60 ECTS	M.Sc. and M.A. 90 ECTS
Size	60 Pages (from the introduction to the beginning of the bibliography) + Defense	80 Pages (from the introduction to the beginning of the bibliography) + Defense
Tolerance for size	Deviation up to +/- 10% without point deductions Deviation from +/- 20% failed
Summary	5 pages summary as a separate PDF document
Format	Word Template	Word Template
ECTS-Points	15 ECTS	20 ECTS
Registration	Via the OnlineCampus Registration Page
Processing time	4 month	6 month
Form of submission	As PDF, File name: Last Name-First Name_Master-Thesis
Method of submission	Digital submission management in the OnlineCampus If an upload is not possible for larger attachments, the Thesis including the attachments can be sent to examination@steinbeis-next.de by email

With the publication of this guideline, we end an option to reduce a Thesis from 80 pages to 60 pages and to submit a video as part of the Thesis instead of the reduced pages. Students from Master's programs who will submit their Thesis by the end of October 2024 and who have planned or already implemented the creation of a video for this purpose may continue to submit this video as part of their Thesis. From November 2024, we will no longer accept videos as part of a Thesis.

There are no strict guidelines for the structure of the Master Thesis. However, the current scientific conventions should be observed. As a rule, the following chapters can be found in a Thesis:

Introduction
Results of the Study Work (if available)
Additional theoretical background
Methodology
Collection of data
Analysis of the data including discussion
Results: answer to the research question/guide for the addressee of the thesis
Limitations
Potential for generalization
Conclusion

Students sometimes ask whether the literature and theory in the Thesis are still necessary as they are outlined within the Study Work and that further elaboration of the literature and theory in the Thesis is not possible at all. This is not the case. The literature and theory work begins with the Study Work. It can and should be deepened or supplemented by new topics in the Thesis.

Together with the Master Thesis, a 3 to 5-page summary of the Thesis in the language of the Thesis must be submitted in electronic form by the deadline. This separate summary is mandatory but is not included in the evaluation. It can be created without citation from the elements of the introduction and the conclusion of the Thesis. The separate summary does not require any indexes or references.

Please continue to work closely with your Project Coach as you finalize your Thesis and prepare to complete your studies. You may also refer to this Evaluation Report for Master Thesis template to gain a clear understanding of the expectations for your written work.