Transfer Project in Teams

When two students work together, the written papers must have double the scope:

• Project Study Work (PSW)

  Typically, the PSW should be 15 pages long. In this case, the PSW should be 30 pages long.

• Study Work (SW) and Thesis

  The SW and Thesis must have double the length, minus 10%, because the "Introduction" and "Conclusion" chapters do not have to be doubled.

  For example, a normal SW length is 30 pages. For an SW written in a team, the length would be ca. 55 pages instead of 60 pages because the above-mentioned chapters are not doubled.

This ensures that the total amount of scientific work corresponds to the effort required of two individual students.

Allocation of Responsibility (for SW and Thesis)

The higher education regulations require that the ability to produce academic work be demonstrated individually, even within a team project. For this reason, in team projects for the SW and Thesis, students must clearly assign responsibility for the scientific content:

• Responsibility must be indicated in each main chapter after the "Introduction"  chapter.

  • In the SW, students may include a chapter titled “Findings from Previous Work” to summarize key results from their PSW. This chapter is typically placed immediately after the "Introduction". If students choose to include this chapter, the main chapters for which individual responsibility must be indicated begin after this section.

  • Similarly, in the Thesis, students may include a chapter titled “Findings from Previous Work” to summarize key results from their PSW and SW. If students choose to include this chapter, the main chapters for which individual responsibility must be indicated begin after this section.

• Each main chapter must be assigned to exactly one student. Joint responsibility for the same chapter is not permitted.

• If necessary, chapters must be subdivided so that contributions can be individually identified.

Evaluation of Team Projects

The evaluation of team-based SW and Thesis is designed to ensure fairness, transparency, and individual accountability within a shared project. For each team submission, separate evaluation reports are created—one for each student. These reports:

• Clearly indicate that the submitted work was completed as part of a team project.

• Assess only the main chapters that the respective student was responsible for.

• Provide detailed feedback on both scientific content and scientific form for that student’s assigned sections.

This individualized evaluation is required because each student must independently demonstrate their academic competence, even when working collaboratively.

Conduct of the Thesis Defense

The Thesis Defense for a team project is conducted jointly with both students present. The format is adapted to ensure that each student has the opportunity to demonstrate their individual academic contribution.

Structure and Duration

• The defense follows the same structure as an individual defense, but with double the duration for both the presentation and the discussion.

• Each student must present the parts of the Thesis they personally worked on, ensuring that their individual contributions are clearly articulated.

• Students may take turns during the presentation.

  • They can switch presenters across slides, sections, or thematic blocks.

  • The structure of the presentation does not need to follow the chapter structure of the written Thesis. Students may choose a presentation format that best communicates their findings, even if chapters were divided differently in the document.

Discussion with the Examiners

• During the discussion phase, examiners will ask joint questions that address the overall project, requiring both students to demonstrate shared understanding of the research theme and coherence of the project.

• Examiners may also ask individual questions specifically directed to one student, focusing on the chapters or methodological decisions for which that student is responsible.

• The examiners assess not only content knowledge but also each student’s ability to justify their decisions, explain their methodology, and articulate the implications of their results.

This structure ensures that both students have equal opportunity to demonstrate their individual expertise while also reflecting the collaborative nature of a team-based Thesis.

Passing or Failing the Thesis Defense

Even though the Thesis Defense for team projects is conducted jointly, the assessment always remains individual. Each student is evaluated based on their own presentation performance, their contribution to the written Thesis, and their ability to answer questions related to their work.

Individual Outcomes

• If one student fails, the other student may still receive a passing grade.

  • The defense does not automatically fail for both students simply because one student performed insufficiently.

  • Each performance is judged separately according to academic standards.

• If both students fail, the entire defense must be repeated together, following the same extended team‑defense format.

  • Both students present again and answer questions jointly and individually.

  • The structure (double duration, shared defense) remains the same.

If Only One Student Must Repeat