Master and Diploma Theses

General Information

The purpose of a thesis is to demonstrate your ability to apply economic concepts, i.e., using mathematical models. First, you have to outline the economic problem and the state of the literature. From this point, you can proceed in three ways: You discuss and criticize the models found in the literature, you modify a given model adequately, or you create your own (simple) model so as to address an aspect of the problem that has been neglected in the literature. In any case, the usage of economic models is inevitable. Empirical work that sustains or refutes the theoretical results is always welcome. Use the following tools for online literature research:

If you want to write your thesis on a topic in "Economics of Business and Law", please check carefully the topic lists for inspiration.

>> current theses

>> past theses

Please note that successful participation in an appropriate seminar or course in "Economics of Business and Law" is a prerequisite. Create your own research idea on a topic taken from one of the three areas “markets”, “incentives”, “Law and Economics”.

Please provide the following information (incomplete applications will not be processed):

• first name,
• family name,
• Matr.-No.,
• cell phone,
• email address,
• study program (in particular: Bachelor, Master, Diplom),
• a current transcript of your grades at the OvGU (virus free file, preferably PDF format),
• prospective starting date of your thesis,
• your topic proposal (title, short description).

We will then inform you whether you may come up with a more detailed research proposal, including some preliminary literature research. If so, please send in (within two weeks) your research proposal of maximum two pages. The proposal should contain ideas to the questions and aspects mentioned above, in the very first paragraph of this page. Please do NOT come up with a "concept" that is limited to "I find the topic very interesting, and it is a very important topic, and I have no idea yet what the keywords in the topic mean, but I want to learn everything about it while I write my thesis" (we’ve read that more than once). Put all the information into the body of your email, do not send attachments. If, in exceptional cases, it is inevitable to send an attachment, then assign a sensible filename, like "myname_grades.pdf". It is impossible to keep track of all the attachments cleverly named "thesis.doc" or "cv.pdf".

When you are assigned a topic, you are advised to obey the Guidelines for Academic Writing that are available at the Department of International Management.

You are invited to present the line of your argumentation and your model in a Colloquium (the exact date has to be negotiated) about two months after your start/before the deadline. As the deadline arrives, you are required to submit two copies of your thesis to the Examination Office in time; otherwise you fail. Moreover, you are requested to submit - directly to us - a CD or DVD containing all electronic results of your literature research, and a file of your thesis (PDF is preferred; DOC is also acceptable).