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Thesis Defense

The Thesis Defense is the final oral examination of the Thesis.

The Thesis Defense can only take place when all other proofs of performance of the study program (i.e., modules assignments, exams, and other Transfer Project papers) have been completed and passed and if the written Thesis has also been evaluated as passed.

 

If the evaluators deem the written Master 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 defense date become unavailable due to this process, a new defense date must be arranged. If rescheduling is not feasible within the current enrollment period, the student’s enrollment period will need to be extended accordingly.

 

The Thesis Defenses are conducted exclusively online and have a duration of one hour. The session begins with the student delivering a presentation on their Thesis, which lasts for 20 minutes. This presentation can be customized and should include visual aids such as PowerPoint, Miro, or Prezi to enhance understanding. This part of the defense provides the student with the opportunity to effectively outline the progression of their Thesis and showcase their findings. The following elements should therefore be examined in compliance with the time limit:

  • Problem/Challenge/Initial Situation
  • Research question
  • Definitions and core results of the literature review
  • Methodology and core results of data collection and analysis
  • Results: answer to the research question/guide for the addressee of the thesis
  • Limitations
  • Potential for generalization

 

Following the presentation, there will be an approximately 20-minute discussion between the student and the members of the Examination Board. During this discussion, the Examination Board will pose questions about the Thesis, including inquiries about the methodology, theoretical framework, and findings. After the presentation and discussion have concluded, the Examination Board will assign a grade for the defense. If the student successfully passes the defense, they will subsequently receive the final grade for their Thesis, which is determined by combining the grade of the written Thesis with the grade awarded for the defense.

 

Registration for the defense takes place simultaneously with the registration of the thesis. It is important to note that the defense must take place within the student’s enrollment period and can occur no earlier than six weeks after the thesis submission. 

 

Registration for the defense takes place simultaneously with the registration of the thesis. When registering for the thesis, students select their preferred date from the available defense dates. It is important to note that the defense must take place within the student’s enrollment period and can occur no earlier than six weeks after the thesis submission. This means that the latest possible submission of the thesis (and any other outstanding proof of performance) must be six weeks before the chosen defense date, and the defense date must be no later than the last day of the enrollment period. The six-week period between the thesis submission and the defense is intended for the evaluation of the thesis. In the list of available defense dates, this six-week period is therefore listed as the “admission period.”

 

It should also be noted that the submission deadline follows the processing time of the thesis and must be completely within the enrollment period. This means that (1) the "admission period" does not extend the processing time of the thesis; (2) the submission of the thesis and the defense must take place within the enrolment period.

 

If the preferred defense date is already fully booked at the time of thesis registration, a later date must be chosen. If this date falls outside the enrollment period, the study period must be extended accordingly.

 

To facilitate a timely Thesis defense and minimize the risk of the need to extend your study period, we recommend that you register your Thesis 4 to 6 months prior to your desired defense date.

 

If the written Master 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 of Steinbeis University, a Thesis that has not been passed may be resubmitted once before the examination entitlement expires. Similarly, if the defense is unsuccessful, the student is allowed one additional attempt to defend the Thesis before the examination entitlement lapses.