declaration bachelor thesis

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Universität Bonn

Guideline for the Bachelor’s thesis

Important Information about registering, writing and submitting your Bachelor’s thesis

Time of registration

Registration for the Bachelor’s thesis is possible as soon as 108 credit points have been achieved. As a rule, this should be the case during the fifth semester. The completion of the BA thesis is usually recommended for the sixth semester (submission by 30 September or 31 March, if the standard period of study must be adhered to and if, for example, a Master’s programme immediately follows).

Registration and topic

Please agree on a topic with your supervisor, who usually also acts as the first examiner, before registering your Bachelor’s thesis. As a rule, you must write it in your   major ; a topic from your minor is only possible if there is a connection in terms of content and/or methodology.

In the dual-subject Bachelor’s programme , the thesis can be registered in either of the subjects. An interdisciplinary topic in both subjects is possible if supervision by one examiner per subject is guaranteed.

The topic is agreed either in a personal meeting between the candidate and the examiners as part of a course/meeting or by exchanging emails with the first and second examiner. The topic specified in the email from the first examiner is binding and must be transferred to the registration form.

Please submit the completed “Registration for Bachelor’s Thesis” form, signed and dated by you and your supervisor ("Supervisor; First Reviewer; Examiner") and the second examiner, immediately by mail (or as a scan via the contact form) to the Examination Office.

The binding notification of the topic, including the setting of a submission deadline, is then sent in writing by the Examinations Office. The submission deadline is calculated from the date the topic is issued, based on the date of the first reviewer’s signature. You should therefore also endeavour to obtain the signature of the second examiner at the same time and submit the registration form to the Examination Office immediately after finalising the topic. 

If the topic was agreed by exchanging emails with the first and second supervisor, please forward the email from the first supervisor together with the email from the second supervisor and the scanned registration form (completed and signed by all parties) to the Examination Office via the contact form.

The binding notification of the topic, including the setting of a submission deadline, is then made in writing by the Examinations Office. The topic is therefore formally set by the examination Office (Examination Office, Maximilianstraße 22, 53111 Bonn) following registration.

The submission deadline is calculated from the date the topic is issued based on the date of the first reviewer's signature. You should therefore also endeavour to obtain the signature of the second assessor at the same time and submit the application to the Examinations Office immediately after agreeing on the topic. 

Important note : Please note that the examination regulations only recognise the term “topic”, not “title”. The topic of the thesis is therefore synonymous with the title of the thesis. The specific topic that you have indicated on the registration form and agreed with the reviewers is placed on the cover sheet and in the declaration of independence. Please refer to the separate point below under the heading ‘Changing the topic’ for the possibility of changing the topic at a later date.

You can download the registration form here: Registration form .

Examiners / Supervisors

In principle, all lecturers in your subject may act as examiners/supervisors for a Bachelor’s thesis. Please note that one of the two examiners must be employed with at least 50% at the University of Bonn. Both examiners must have at least the academic degree "Magister Artium (M.A.)" or "Master of Arts (M.A.)". Please also note that there is no legal entitlement to a specific examiner.

Writing period

A maximum period of three months from the issueing of the topic (date of signature of the first reviewer) is allowed for the writing of the provided topic & thesis. Upon justified request, the Examination Office may, in agreement with the examiner, grant an extension of up to six weeks for the submission of the Bachelor’s thesis. An extension of more than six weeks is not possible, even in cases of illness (in these cases it is only possible to withdraw from the registered examination, cf. the section “Withdrawal”).

Change of topic

It is possible to slightly change the focus of the original topic upon written request to the Examination Office, provided that your supervisor supports the request and documents this with his/her signature. Please note that a complete change or reorientation of the topic requires a withdrawal in accordance with the regulations.

There is a one-off opportunity to return the topic no later than one month after being notified of it by the Examination Office and to document this formally with a written request to withdraw from the Bachelor’s thesis registration. In this case, the topic is deemed not to have been issued; there is therefore no failed attempt. Please note that it is not possible to withdraw after this deadline. As an exception, this is only permitted after the deadline if there are valid reasons (in particular inability to take the examination due to illness). In both cases, the thesis must be re-registered later; the newly issued topic must differ significantly in content from the originally issued topic.

Scope and requirements

The text part of the Bachelor’s thesis should contain at least 70,000 characters including spaces and notes (or 35 A4 pages) and may not exceed 120,000 characters including spaces and notes (or 60 A4 pages). The content and form of the thesis must meet the standards of academic work at “Bachelor of Arts” or “Bachelor of Science” level. You should therefore enquire about the specific requirements with your academic advisor. Please also note that the regulation of registration becoming possible after achieving  108 credit points means that you can prepare the Bachelor’s thesis during your studies (as opposed to at the very end of them) thoroughly with the necessary research and readings before registering the thesis during your fifth semester.

Cover sheet / title page

To ensure that all the necessary information appears on the cover page of the Bachelor's thesis, please follow this template:  Sample cover page (DOCX).

Until further notice, Bachelor’s theses must still be submitted digitally AND by mail (three bound copies, see below). The content of the digital version and the written copies must be identical! CD-ROMs and USB sticks no longer need to be attached. As usual, the Examination Office will take care of forwarding the thesis to the first examiner and the second examiner. Once submitted, a Bachelor’s thesis cannot be withdrawn!

The thesis must be accompanied by a written declaration ("declaration of independence") in which you affirm that you have written the thesis independently, have not used any sources and aids other than those specified, have marked quotations and have submitted identical digital and written copies. Please note that the use of AI (applications such as ChatGPT) in the preparation of written work is prohibited! It is an unauthorised aid unless its use has been expressly permitted by the examiners. In cases of doubt, the Examination Office may request a sworn declaration.

Please attach the following declaration with date and original signature (not digital) as the last page of your thesis (Download Declaration of Independence here) :

“I hereby affirm that the Bachelor’s thesis entitled “...” was written by myself and without any unauthorised assistance, that it has not been submitted for examination at any other university, that it has not been published in whole or in part, and that the content of the text file of the digital version is identical to the written versions submitted. I have indicated in each individual case those parts of the thesis - including charts, maps, illustrations, etc. - which are taken from other works in terms of wording or meaning.”

This declaration must be submitted together with the other parts of the thesis, such as the cover sheet, the bibliographies and any appendices, firmly attached to the rest of the thesis (no loose sheets!).

1. digital submission:

Please send the digital version as a text file (Word document or PDF) from your University of Bonn e-mail address to the Examinations Office of the Faculty of Humanities or use the contact form. The hand-signed declaration of independence must be inserted as a scanned document into the Bachelor`’s thesis as the last page. This file of your Bachelor’s thesis will be forwarded to the respective two examiners by the Examinations Office; submission deadlines are met upon receipt of the electronically sent form at the Examinations Office. As we have already received the document in electronic form from you by e-mail/contact form, you no longer need to send us a CD-ROM or USB stick with the thesis by post until further notice.

2. submission by mail:

Your thesis must be submitted to us in triplicate by mail. Please submit each of these copies in bound form (adhesive, spiral or hardcover binding is the norm). Please also note that the indexes and appendices as well as the cover sheet and the self-signed declaration of independence are part of the thesis and must therefore be firmly bound. The paper version must be submitted by post no later than one week after the submission of the digital version.

Please send the three copies to the following address:

University of Bonn Faculty of Philosophy Bachelor/Master Examination Board Am Hof 1 53113 Bonn

Exceeding the submission deadline

If you exceed the deadline for submission, the Bachelor’s thesis must be assessed as "insufficient" (5.0). If necessary, please submit an application for an extension in good time before the deadline (at least three weeks before the deadline).

A failed Bachelor’s thesis can be repeated once . Failed attempts in the same subject at other universities will be recognised. In these cases, the topic can be chosen from another subject area. If the second Bachelor’s thesis is also assessed as "insufficient", the Bachelor's exam has been failed conclusively.

De-registration

In general, you must remain enrolled even after submitting your Bachelor’s thesis or another final exam in your degree programme in accordance with § 63 Para. 1, 2nd half-sentence HG; the examination procedure is only completed when it has been determined whether it was successful or unsuccessful. Students who have not re-registered, e.g. in order to save the associated fees, although they are not expected to know their examination result at the end of the previous semester are therefore taking a risk, especially as their uni-ID will be switched off and they will no longer have access to BASIS and their transcripts.

If you have not passed your last examin(s) and have therefore unfortunately not achieved your degree after all, you must re-enrol in order to re-sit your exams. If you have already missed the set re-registration deadline at this point, late re-registration at the Registrar's Office in accordance with Section 16 of the Enrolment Regulations can only take place later if the missed deadline is excused in writing for an important reason and proof of this is provided. You cannot register for the last outstanding exam before you are re-enrolled. It may also be the case that you can no longer be enrolled in your old examination regulations, but must continue your studies in accordance with the new examination regulations then in use, which may be followed by a time-consuming credit transfer procedure and possibly the loss of credits already earned.

However, if you have properly re-registered, you are entitled to a partial refund of the fees as soon as you have passed the final exam. You can find more information here . 

Underlying provisions

The regulations for the Bachelor’s thesis can be found in the following provisions, depending on which examination regulations you are studying under:

• §§ 18 und 19 der Prüfungsordnung für die Bachelorstudiengänge vom 5. August 2013 in ihrer aktuellen Fassung (BPO 2013)
• §§ 21 und 22 der Prüfungsordnung für die Bachelorstudiengänge und die konsekutiven Masterstudiengänge vom 17. August 2018 in ihrer aktuellen Fassung (BMPO 2018)
• §§ 20 und 21 der Prüfungsordnung für den Bachelorstudiengang „Psychologie“ und den konsekutiven Masterstudiengang „Psychologie“ vom 17. August 2018 in ihrer aktuellen Fassung (Psychologie-BMPO 2018)
• §§ 20 und 21 der Prüfungsordnung für den Bachelorstudiengang „Psychologie“ und den konsekutiven Masterstudiengang „Psychologie“ vom 28. August 2020 in ihrer aktuellen Fassung (Psychologie-BMPO 2020)  

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What’s Included: The Dissertation Template

If you’re preparing to write your dissertation, thesis or research project, our free dissertation template is the perfect starting point. In the template, we cover every section step by step, with clear, straightforward explanations and examples .

The template’s structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for formal academic research projects such as dissertations and theses. The template structure reflects the overall research process, ensuring your dissertation or thesis will have a smooth, logical flow from chapter to chapter.

The dissertation template covers the following core sections:

• The title page/cover page
• Abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary)
• Table of contents
• List of figures /list of tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction  (also available: in-depth introduction template )
• Chapter 2: Literature review  (also available: in-depth LR template )
• Chapter 3: Methodology (also available: in-depth methodology template )
• Chapter 4: Research findings /results (also available: results template )
• Chapter 5: Discussion /analysis of findings (also available: discussion template )
• Chapter 6: Conclusion (also available: in-depth conclusion template )
• Reference list

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover within each section. We’ve also included practical examples to help you understand exactly what’s required in each section.

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

FAQs: Dissertation Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The dissertation template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of dissertations/theses can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research projects such as dissertations or theses, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Will this work for a research paper?

A research paper follows a similar format, but there are a few differences. You can find our research paper template here .

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level thesis?

This template can be used for a dissertation, thesis or research project at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my dissertation/thesis be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. As a general ballpark, Masters-level projects are usually 15,000 – 20,000 words in length, while Doctoral-level projects are often in excess of 60,000 words.

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this dissertation template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our dissertation and thesis coaching services .

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How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX (Part 1): Basic Structure

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Author: Josh Cassidy (August 2013)

This five-part series of articles uses a combination of video and textual descriptions to teach the basics of writing a thesis using LaTeX. These tutorials were first published on the original ShareLateX blog site during August 2013; consequently, today's editor interface (Overleaf) has changed considerably due to the development of ShareLaTeX and the subsequent merger of ShareLaTeX and Overleaf. However, much of the content is still relevant and teaches you some basic LaTeX—skills and expertise that will apply across all platforms.

Your thesis could be the longest and most complicated document you'll ever write, which is why it's such a good idea to use L a T e X instead of a common word processor. L a T e X makes tasks that are difficult and awkward in word processors, far simpler.

When writing something like a thesis its worth splitting up the document into multiple .tex files. It's also wise to organise the project using folders; therefore, we'll create two new folders, one for all the images used in the project and one for all the .tex files making up the main body of the thesis.

• 1 The preamble
• 2 The frontmatter
• 3 The main body
• 4 The endmatter
• 5 All articles in this series

The preamble

In this example, the main.tex file is the root document and is the .tex file that will draw the whole document together. The first thing we need to choose is a document class. The article class isn't designed for writing long documents (such as a thesis) so we'll choose the report class, but we could also choose the book class.

We can also change the font size by adding square brackets into the \documentclass command and specifying the size—we'll choose 12pt. Let's also prepare the document for images by loading the graphicx package. We'll also need to tell L a T e X where to look for the images using the \graphicspath command, as we're storing them in a separate folder.

The start of our preamble now looks like this:

Now we can finish off the preamble by filling in the title, author and date information. To create the simplest title page we can add the thesis title, institution name and institution logo all into the \title command; for example:

This isn't the best way to alter the title page so we'll look at more elaborate ways of customising title pages later on in the series, but this will suffice for now.

This is what the \maketitle command now produces for us:

The frontmatter

After the title page we need to add in an abstract, dedication, declaration and acknowledgements section. We can add each of these in on separate pages using unnumbered chapters. To do this we use the \chapter command and add an asterisk. After these sections we'll add a table of contents using the \tableofcontents command:

The main body

Now for the main body of the document. In this example we will add-in five chapters, one of which will be an introduction and another will be a conclusion. However, instead of just composing these chapters in the main .tex file, we'll create a separate .tex file for each chapter in the chapters folder. We can then fill in these chapters with text remembering to split them up into sections and subsections.

Then to add these chapters into the document, we use the \input command in the root document. Remember to add in chapters/ before the file name so that L a T e X knows where to find it.

The endmatter

We will now add in an appendix at the end of the document. To do this we use the \appendix command to tell L a T e X that what follows are appendices. Again We'll write the appendix in a separate file and then input it.

If we now compile the document, all our chapters will be added to the document and the table of contents will be automatically generated.

Now we have a basic structure for a thesis set up. In the next post I will show you how to change the page layout and add headers.

All articles in this series

• Part 1: Basic Structure ;
• Part 2: Page Layout ;
• Part 3: Figures, Subfigures and Tables ;
• Part 4: Bibliographies with BibLaTeX ;
• Part 5: Customising Your Title Page and Abstract .
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• Learn LaTeX in 30 minutes

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• Using the Overleaf project menu
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• Creating your first LaTeX document
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Figures and tables

• Inserting Images
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References and Citations

• Bibliography management with bibtex
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Document structure

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Presentations

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• Understanding packages and class files
• List of packages and class files
• Writing your own package
• Writing your own class

Advanced TeX/LaTeX

• In-depth technical articles on TeX/LaTeX

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Statutory declaration

Creating the statutory declaration to be submitted with your electronic dissertation.

Sex: Please select     männlich weiblich

Title of the dissertation::

Please select faculty and institution. Bitte die Fakultät und das Institut wählen Fak. I, Institut für Pädagogik Fak. I, Institut für Sonder- Rehabilitationspädagogik Fak. I, Institut für Sozialwissenschaften ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fak. II, Department für Informatik Fak. II, Department für Wirtschafts- und Rechtswissenschaften Fak. II, Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre Fak. II, Institut für Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Wirtschaftspädagogik Fak. II, Institut für Rechtswissenschaften Fak. II, Institut für Ökonomische Bildung ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fak. III, Institut für Fremdsprachenphilologien Fak. III, Institut für Anglistik/Amerikanistik Fak. III, Institut für Niederlandistik Fak. III, Institut für Slavistik Fak. III, Institut für Germanistik Fak. III, Institut für Musik Fak. III, Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut: Kunst-Textil-Medien ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fak. IV, Institut für Evangelische Theologie Fak. IV, Institut für Geschichte Fak. IV, Institut für Philosophie Fak. IV, Institut für Sportwissenschaft ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fak. V, Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften (IBU) Fak. V, Institut für Chemie und Biologie des Meeres (ICBM) Fak. V, Institut für Mathematik Fak. V, Institut für Physik Fak. V, Institut für Psychologie Fak. V, Institut für Chemie

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Bachelor's Thesis

At the end of the study program, a final thesis is to be written. For the Bachelor's thesis three months are foreseen (maximum four months). Further details are specified by the Studies and Examination Regulations in § 14.

Registration of the bachelor's thesis

The bachelor's thesis may not be started until the prerequisites (at least 120 ECTS) have been fulfilled.

Fill in the Zulassungsbescheinigung and have it sent to Ms. Hofer via e-mail by the secretary's office of your supervisor together with the assignment signed by your supervisor. The documents should be submitted before the start of the bachelor's thesis, but must be send to the Bachelor Examination Board no later than four weeks after the start of the thesis.

The Bachelor Examination Board registers the bachelor's thesis in the Campus Management System and the student receives an e-mail. Please check the entered data, especially the title of the thesis, and report any errors to the Bachelor Examination Board ( julia.hofer∂kit.edu ).

Submission of the bachelor's thesis

On the deadline date, a printed copy of the bachelor's thesis must be submitted to the Bachelor Examination Board , Ms. Hofer, Building 40.12, Room -103. This copy will be forwarded to the second examiner after the submission date has been established. The official submission date is the date of submission to the Bachelor Examination Board.

Upon submission of the bachelor's thesis, it will be checked whether the assignment has been integrated in the front of the thesis and whether a signed declaration of originality (see "further information") has been included.

Further information

• The bachelor's thesis should not exceed 50 pages (without appendix).
• If the bachelor's thesis is written in English, the assignment and the declaration of originality must also be in English.
• The assignment with which the bachelor's thesis was registered with the Bachelor Examination Board must be included in the front of the thesis, as must any non-disclosure notice .
• German: "Ich versichere wahrheitsgemäß, die Arbeit selbstständig verfasst, alle benutzten Hilfsmittel vollständig und genau angegeben und alles kenntlich gemacht zu haben, was aus Arbeiten anderer unverändert oder mit Abänderungen entnommen wurde sowie die Satzung des KIT zur Sicherung guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis in der jeweils gültigen Fassung beachtet zu haben."
• English: "Declaration of originality: I hereby declare that I have composed this paper by myself and without any assistance other than the sources given in my list of works cited. This paper has not been submitted in the past or is currently being submitted to any other examination institution. It has not been published. All direct quotes as well as indirect quotes which in phrasing or original idea have been taken from a different text (written or otherwise) have been marked as such clearly and in each single instance under a precise specification of the source. I am aware that any false claim made here results in failing the examination."
• The scope of the bachelor's thesis corresponds to 12 ECTS. Three months are scheduled for the writing of the thesis (maximum four months without an application for extension). If necessary, a justified application for extension can be submitted to the Bachelor Examination Board.

External bachelor's thesis

For external bachelor's theses, § 14 (2) of the Studies and Examination Regulations must be considered.

- Merkblatt für Externe Abschlussarbeiten - Information on graduation theses written at external institutions

If you have any questions, please contact the Bachelor Examination Board , Ms. Hofer ( julia.hofer∂kit.edu ).

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Registering and Submitting Your Thesis

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Did you know...

• … you have to register a thesis resit attempt within three semesters if you do not pass the first time?

Registration

Before you can register your thesis, we at the ZPA first check whether you meet the admission requirements. In most degree programs, we confirm this on the registration form, which is then further completed by your examiner.

If the registration form is not available for download on the faculty or department website, you will receive it by email from your responsible clerk here at the ZPA. Please contact your ZPA contact person for this. They will also be happy to explain to you exactly how the registration process works for your degree program.

Once we have checked the admission requirements, we will either send you or the supervising chair the registration form by email. This is regulated differently among the degree programs. If the chair of your degree program sends us the registration form directly, please provide us with the necessary contact information in advance. In some degree programs, the registration form must also be signed by the examination board or the occupational field supervisor.

Once we have received the completed and signed registration form, we will register your thesis in RWTHonline. You can then view it there in the "My achievements" tab. Your latest submission date will also be published there.

In most degree programs, you have to submit your thesis to us at the ZPA. You can find out whether this also applies to your degree program in your subject-specific or discipline-specific examination regulations, available for download via the Official Announcements . Usually, the paragraph "Acceptance and Evaluation of the Bachelor's Thesis" or "Acceptance and Evaluation of the Master's Thesis" contains this information.

Please submit the following:

• the number of printed and bound copies specified in your subject-specific or discipline-specific examination regulations
• if applicable, a data carrier with a digital version of your thesis
• a separate (i.e. not bound) Declaration of Academic Integrity
• if applicable, your application for using a logo

If your submission is not complete, we will not be able to forward your work to your examiners. Therefore, until you have submitted the missing documents, your work will remain with us at the ZPA.

There are four ways of submitting your thesis:

Office Hours

If you would like to hand in your thesis in person, you can use our office hours. Please book an appointment via the appointment tool . Please note that we will send your thesis to your examiners by internal email in any case. You may not take your thesis with you and submit it to your examiners in person.

After-Hours Mailbox

You can submit your thesis via the after-hours mailbox around the clock. The submission date will be accurately recorded. Please pack your work in one or more envelopes and indicate the ZPA, including the name of your clerk , as the addressee. Please note that particularly large theses may not fit through the mail slot in one envelope. In this case, please use several envelopes and address them all as described above. If you are approaching it with the Main Building entrance in front of you, the after-hours mailbox is located on the right side, about 20 meters behind the entrance to the Bistro, covered under a glass roof. For directions, see this video .

Submission via Postal Mail

You can also send your thesis via postal mail. Please then pack your work in one or more suitable envelopes and address it to the clerk responsible for you. Please be sure to note that the date of receipt, not the postmark, is what counts when determining whether your submission is on time. Therefore, please allow sufficient postal delivery time.

Digital Submission

August 24, 2022, saw the start of a pilot project allowing students to submit their theses digitally using a new application (DivA). Students of the initially participating programs must now submit their theses in this way. You can find further information on the form of digital submission and transition periods in your course-specific examination regulations under RWTH’s Official Announcements.

Please be aware: Central European Time (CET) applies to the binding submission deadline.

If you will be submitting your thesis digitally, please also note the following:

If you would like to use an RWTH logo for your cover page, the corporate design regulations still apply, and you must upload an application for logo use. For more information and the application, please visit the Logo Usage webpage.

The title of the submitted work must be the same as the one under which you registered the work. If a title change is necessary, please apply to the responsible examination board for approval early on so that the ZPA can still change the title before your submission. Please note that, as a rule, the examiner must agree to the request for a title change.

Will I receive a written confirmation of my thesis submission?

No, however, we will note the submission on RWTHonline. You can see your submission date via the "My achievements“ tab there.

Do I have to successfully pass the “Scientific Integrity” module to register my Master’s thesis?

Yes, according to the General Examination Regulations, the “Scientific Integrity” module is a prerequisite for admission to the Master’s thesis for all students who have enrolled in a Master’s program for the winter semester of 2020/21 or later.

This module is offered in an online format only and is completed in a flexible and self-directed manner. All relevant information and materials can be found in the associated RWTHmoodle classroom. Access is gained by registering for the “Scientific Integrity” course in RWTHonline. The exam is offered twice a semester. Registration for the exam in RWTHonline is mandatory to complete the course.

Do I need to include a separate Declaration of Academic Integrity or logo use request for each copy of my thesis that I submit?

No. Please include only one Declaration of Academic Integrity or logo use request with your work.

I am currently in a location with a different time zone to Germany and would like to submit my thesis digitally. What do I need to bear in mind?

Please note that Central European Time (CET) applies to the binding submission deadline. Make sure you know the exact time difference with Germany ahead of time.

last updated: 12/07/2023

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Final Thesis

For general information on your thesis, please see the General Study and Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programs (§ 26 Bachelor’s Thesis / § 30 Master’s Thesis) .

Topic assignment

Please take note of the following steps required for the assignment of the topic for your final thesis:

• Select a topic and choose an adviser
• Discuss the topic and find a title for the final thesis
• In consultation with your adviser, find a second reader for your thesis
• Fill out and download the form "Application for assigning the topic for the final thesis" via PULS ( Submit Applications / Degree Completion )
• Sign the downloaded form. With your own signature you express your willingness to register your thesis
• The Topic Assignment Form requires the signature of both readers of your thesis as well as of the examination board
• The examination board confirms the final thesis topic (please note that a date is required on the Topic Assignment Form)

Further information:

If you decide to shorten the time frame for submitting your thesis (“ bloc processing ” as stated in BAMA-O Section 26 (5) / Section 30 (5) or BAMALA-O Section 26 (5) / Section 30 (7)), it has to be confirmed by the signature of your chair of the examination board on your application form.

If your Study and Examination Regulations allows to write your thesis in a Language other than German , you need to enclose a German summary to your thesis.

If you are enrolled in a dual-subject degree program (Bachelor’s degree) and consider registering your thesis in your second subject, please see BAMA-O Section 26 (1).

Registering the final thesis with the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office

Once the examination board has confirmed your topic, you may proceed to register your final thesis. Please note the following:

• You must register your final thesis with the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office within one week of receiving confirmation of your topic from the Examination Board . To register your final thesis use the Document Upload Option in PULS . Upload a scan of the signed form.
• If you fail to register your final thesis within the stipulated period, a new topic must be assigned!
• The submission deadline will be determined and communicated to you.
• You will receive an email or letter, stating the date of registration and the submission deadline for your thesis. You will also see the submission deadline on your Transcript of Records („Leistungsübersicht“) in PULS .

According to the Immatrikulationsordnung (Regulations on enrollment), you are not allowed to register your thesis during your leave of absence (Urlaubssemester) .

The topic can only be returned once within the first third of your processing time according to BAMA-O Section 26 (10) / Section 30 (10) or BAMALA-O Section 26 (10) / Section 30 (12).

Final thesis submission

As of November 1, 2023,

• you exclusively submit your final thesis digitally via the Document Upload option in PULS to the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office. You will no longer need to submit three bound copies and an electronic version of your final thesis (e.g. on a CD), that were previously required. Should you no longer be enrolled please use following link to upload your thesis: Upload thesis .
• When uploading your thesis in PULS, please check carefully that you selected the correct version for your submission. The Examination Office will forward the document you submitted first to your examiners. An updated version of your thesis, provided afterwards, will not be forwarded to your examiners.
• You must submit a Statement of Originality in your final thesis. In this declaration of academic integrity you affirm, that the thesis was written by yourself and no sources or aids other than those specified were used. For more information, please see the guidelines on plagiarism provided by the senate. (E.g. “I hereby declare that this thesis is the product of my own work. All the assistance received in preparing this thesis and the sources used have been acknowledged.”) When uploading your thesis in PULS, the included Statement of Originality does not necessarily have to be signed.

According to the General Study and Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programs (BAMA-O / BAMALA-O) the thesis may only be submitted after at least one third of the processing time has elapsed.

The latest date for submitting your thesis, as stated by the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office, only applies if this date is still within your examination deadline according to § 7a BAMA-O/ BAMALA-O . If your examination deadline (§ 7a BAMA-O/ BAMALA- O) expires on Mar 31/ Sept 30, the latest submission date will be Mar 31/ Sept 30 respectively. In case the extension of the examination deadline has been granted, the submission date will be adapted in accordance with the processing time.

If the deadline for submission falls on a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday (state of Brandenburg) , the thesis can also be submitted on the next following working day.

Selection of Elective Modules Relevant to the Final Grade

If more modules have been successfully completed for an electives area on your transcript of records than are required in accordance with your subject-specific regulations, it is possible to select the modules that are to be included in the calculation of the final grade. The form “ Selection of Elective Modules Relevant to the Final Grade ” must be used for this purpose. The form must then be submitted via the Document Upload Option in PULS or by email to the Student Administration Center/ Examination Office , if you cannot access PULS anymore.

Please note that the selection of elective modules relevant to the final grade can only be made once and must be made no later than at the time of submission of the final thesis (BAMA-O Section 27(4), Section 31(2) / BAMALA-O Section 27(5), Section 31(5)). If no selection has been made at the time of submission of the final thesis then the elective modules count in the order in which they were completed until the required number of elective credit points is reached.

Evaluation of the final thesis and thesis defense

The Student Administration Center/ Examination Office forwards your thesis to your examiners (readers). The examiners provide an evaluation of the thesis, explaining the grade given. The first examiner is generally also the thesis advisor. If the second examiner agrees with the first examiner’s evaluation, she/he can shorten her/his own report by just stating her/his consent and mentioning the grade. In any case, the second examiner has to submit her/his own report. If the difference in grades between the first and the second examiner is higher than 2.0 or if one of the grades is lower than “sufficient” (4.0), the examination board will appoint a third examiner.

If your examination regulations state that you must defend your final thesis (disputation or colloquium), please make sure to contact your examiners in a timely manner to set up a defense date.

Thesis: Bachelor & Master

The final thesis is one of the last sections of the degree program. For information on registration deadlines, please refer to your corresponding examination regulations, linked on the page Exams

The thesis must always be registered in the Student Administration Office (exception: Master IBT ). Please use the corresponding forms for this purpose:

Request for admission to the Bachelor thesis

Request for admission to the Master thesis

With the registration of a thesis, the student bindingly determines the title, start and submission of his/her thesis. The period of practical and written work until submission comprises six months. Each registered thesis is counted as an attempt. Without submission, final papers may be repeated once.

Further necessary information and forms from the examination boards of the biological sciences can be found on this page. If you are still missing something, please feel free to contact the appropriate contact person listed opposite.

External Bachelor thesis

External work can be done e.g. in researching companies, at institutes of other departments or faculties of the University of Ulm, at non-university research institutions or at institutes of other universities.

Bachelor theses in Biology B. Sc. programs are "external" if they are not officially supervised by a person who is appointed as an examiner in the aforementioned programs and is allowed to prepare the expert opinion. Appointed examiners are, in addition to the professors and post-doctoral lecturers of the Department of Biology, all post-doctoral lecturers (also from other subjects) who are regularly involved in teaching in the degree programs with an effort of at least 1 SWS in compulsory or elective courses.

If you want to do an external Bachelor thesis, you have to get it approved by the examination board Biology in time (at least two weeks) before starting the thesis. For this purpose, please submit an (informal) application to the Biology Examination Committee, including your complete sender (address), and addressed to the chairperson(s) of the Examination Committee.

The application must contain a brief description of the planned bachelor thesis. This must indicate where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there. As a rule, this person must have a habilitation. Furthermore, it must be clear from the application which methods will be used.

The brief description of the project can also be prepared as a separate letter by the potential supervisor and attached to the application. External work must always be reviewed by an examiner from biology in the sense mentioned above. You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as a reviewer.

Please send the application by email to Mrs Theilacker.

Your application will then be reviewed by the Examination Committee (PA) and you will be informed of the decision made as soon as possible.

The following criteria are important for the PA's decision:

• adequate supervision must be ensured,
• the subject must be biologically oriented,
• the range of methods must also be biological and appropriate to a scientific thesis;
• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm in a very similar way should not be prepared externally; if necessary, cooperations or the like can be sought here.

Application for external theses for students in the subject Biology

The following professors are involved in teaching biology (list not complete):

All professors in the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Biophysics, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, and additional:

• Central Facility Electron Microscopy: Prof. Dr. Walther
• Institute for Experimental Physics: Prof. Dr. Marti
• Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Prof. Dr. Kühl
• Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Naturopathy: Prof. Dr. Barth, Prof. Dr. Syrovets, Prof. Dr. Möpps, Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Papatheodorou
• Institute of Physiological Chemistry: Prof. Dr. Wirth
• Institute of Human Genetics: Prof. Dr. Siebert, Prof. Dr. Ammerpohl, Prof. Kehrer-Sawatzki
• Institute of Molecular Virology: Prof Dr Kirchhoff, Prof Dr Münch, Jun.-Prof. Sauter
• Institute of Virology: apl Prof. Dr. von Einem, Prof. Dr. Sinzger, Prof. Dr. Stamminger
• Clinic for Internal Medicine 1: apl. Prof. Dr. Oswald, apl. Prof. Dr. Schirmbeck
• Clinic for Neurology: Prof. Dr. Steinacker

Handout for students for writing an external thesis

Model contract

Bachelor theses in the Biochemistry B. Sc. program are "external" if they are not done in institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biophysics and not with certain associated lecturers (professors and private lecturers) who are substantially involved in the teaching of biochemistry (for a list of these institutes, as well as further notes on this, see below).

If you want to do an external bachelor thesis, you have to get it approved by the examination board Biochemistry in time before starting the thesis, at least six weeks before.

! Important for planning !

Applications for master theses to start in the period August to January have to be submitted for the May meeting of the examination board (submission until 30.4.). Applications for master theses to start in the period February to July have to be submitted for the November meeting of the examination board (submission until 31.10.).

To do this, please submit an application to the Biochemistry Examination Committee, including your full sender (address with email address) and addressed to the chair of the Examination Committee. The application must contain a short description of the planned Bachelor thesis. It must indicate where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there. As a rule, this person must be a habilitated professor. The brief description of the project can also be prepared as a separate letter by the potential supervisor and attached to the application.

Furthermore, the application must indicate which methods will be used.

External work must always be reviewed either by a reviewer from the institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biophysics or by associated faculty (professors and private lecturers) who are substantially involved in teaching biochemistry. A list of possible supervisors/reviewers can be found below.

You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as an "internal" or associated supervisor or reviewer.

Please send the application by email to Mrs Theilacker (Office of the Examination Committee).

Your application will then be reviewed by the Examination Committee and you will be informed of the decision taken as soon as possible.

The following criteria are important for the decision of the examination board:

• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm in a very similar way should not be done externally, but if necessary, cooperations or the like can be sought,
• the subject must be a "biochemical" one,
• the range of methods must also be biochemical and sufficient,
• adequate supervision must be ensured.

Important information for external final projects at companies (with non-disclosure agreement) can be found here, with an example of an agreement.

List of internal and associated supervisors/reviewers

1. internal supervisors/ reviewers

• All professors and private lecturers of the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, the Institute of Biophysics, and Prof. Dr. Gottschalk.

2. associated supervisors/reviewers

• Institute for Quantum Physics: Prof. Dr. Freyberger
• Institute of Naturopathy and Clinical Pharmacology: Prof. Dr. Syrovets
• Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology: Prof. Dr. Barth, Prof. Dr. Möpps
• Institute of Virology: Jun.Prof. Dr. von Einem
• Internal Medicine I: Prof. Dr. Oswald

External Master's thesis

External Master's theses can be written, for example, in research-based companies, at institutes of other departments or faculties of the University of Ulm, at non-university research institutions or at institutes of other universities.

Master's theses in the M. Sc. Biology program are "external" if they are not officially supervised by a person who is appointed as an examiner in the above-mentioned degree programs and who is allowed to prepare the expert opinion. Appointed examiners are, in addition to the professors and post-doctoral lecturers of the Department of Biology, all post-doctoral lecturers (also from other subjects) who are regularly involved in teaching in the degree programs with an effort of at least 1 SWS in compulsory or elective courses.

If you want to do an external Master's thesis, you have to get it approved by the Biology Examination Committee in due time (at least two weeks) before starting the thesis. To do so, please submit an (informal) application to the Biology Examination Committee, including your full sender (address), and addressed to the chairperson(s) of the Examination Committee.

The application must contain a short description of the planned master thesis. It must indicate where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there. As a rule, this person must be a habilitated professor. Furthermore, it must be clear from the application which methods will be used.

Please send the application by email to the Examination Committee Biology .

• Institute of Molecular Virology: Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff, Prof. Dr. Münch, Jun.-Prof. Sauter
• Department of Neurology: Prof. Dr. Steinacker

Information for students on the preparation of external theses

Master's theses in the Biochemistry MSc program are "external" if they are not done in institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biophysics and not with certain associated lecturers (professors and private lecturers) who are substantially involved in the teaching of biochemistry (for a list of these institutes, as well as further notes on this, see below).

If you want to do an external master thesis, you have to get the approval of the examination board Biochemistry in time before starting the thesis . The examination board decides on available applications in two meetings per year , usually one meeting takes place in May , the other in November . For the May meeting, applications must be submitted to the Examination Committee Biochemistry by 04/30, for the November meeting by 10/31. Please take this into account in your planning. Please also plan for the fact that your application may be rejected.

Application

To apply, please submit the following three documents:

• The filled out Application form for external Master thesis
• Project description prepared by the external supervisor (informal, 0.5 - 1 page)
• The filled out Declaration of the supervisor that he provides an assessment of the student

For external papers you need two reviewers , both reviewers must be appointed examiners, one reviewer must be from institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology or Biophysics. Please also include the names of both reviewers in the application (you must obtain their consent before doing so). Please send the application by email to Mrs Theilacker .

Your application will then be reviewed by the Examination Board in a meeting and you will be informed of the decision made as soon as possible. The review board meetings for external work requests are held twice a year, usually in May and November. Please keep this in mind when making your plans, please also be prepared for the possibility that your application may be rejected.

The following criteria are important for the decision of the review committee:

• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm in a very similar way should not be done externally, if necessary, one can then also strive for cooperation here. Please also note the offers of the internal working groups of the University of Ulm, which are linked here,
• it must be a biochemical issue,
• different methods should be used in the work and mainly biochemical methods should be used.

Important information for external final theses at companies (with non-disclosure agreement) you will find here . With an example of an agreement.

Wann müssen Sie einen Antrag stellen:

• Institutes of the Department of Chemistry,
• Biology and
• Biophysics and
• at Prof. Dr. Gottschalk.  
• Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology: Prof. Dr. Barth, Prof. Dr. Möpps
• Institute of Virology: Jun. Prof. Dr. von Einem
• Internal Medicine I: Prof. Dr. Oswald  

or all other institutes of the university (which are not listed under 1 and 2) ... is to be carried out!

Master theses in the M.Sc. Industrial Biotechnology program are " external " if they are not officially supervised by a person who is appointed as an examiner in the M.Sc. Industrial Biotechnology program.

A list of possible internal examiners can be found at the bottom of this page.

If you want to do an external master thesis, you have to get it approved by the Examination Board Industrial Biotechnology in time before starting the thesis. Please take into account in your planning that the examination board usually only decides once per semester on available applications. Please also plan for the fact that your application may be rejected.

For approval, please submit an application to the Industrial Biotechnology Examination Committee. The application must contain a short description of the planned master thesis. It must state where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there*. Furthermore, the description must indicate which methods will be used. External work must always be examined by an examiner in the sense mentioned above. You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as an examiner. Furthermore, please submit the signed form " Information for students on the preparation of external theses " together with the application.

Please submit the application to Dr. Eigenstetter, the program coordinator at Biberach University (House PBT, Room P3.04) or to Mrs Dr. John , the study program coordinator at Ulm University (M24 / 574).

• the topic must be oriented towards the subject of the curriculum,
• the range of methods must also be oriented to the subject orientation of the curriculum and be appropriate for a scientific thesis;
• Topics that could also be carried out in a very similar way at institutes of the University of Ulm or the Biberach University of Applied Sciences should not be prepared externally; if necessary, cooperations or similar can be sought here.

*: In addition to a Master's degree, the external supervisor should have at least 3 years of professional experience before the supervision of the Master's thesis begins.

The following persons are possible as internal examiners of the master thesis (this list may not be complete, please ask Dr. Eigenstetter or Dr. John if necessary):

Biberach University of Applied Sciences, Institute for Applied Biotechnology :

• Prof. Dr. Carsten Schips
• Prof. Dr. Sybille Ebert
• Prof. Dr. Heike Frühwirth
• Prof. Dr. Hartmut Grammel
• Prof. Dr. Friedemann Hesse
• Prof. Dr. Hans Kiefer
• Prof. Dr. Jürgen Hannemann
• Prof. Dr. Katharina Zimmermann
• Prof. Dr. Chrystelle Mavoungou
• Prof. Dr. Oliver Hädicke
• Prof. Dr. Kerstin Otte
• Prof. Dr. Annette Schafmeister
• Prof. Dr. Sabine Gaisser
• Prof. Dr. Bernd Burghardt
• Prof. Dr. Ute Traub
• Dr. René Handrick
• Dr. Gerhard Eigenstetter
• Dr. Sabine Arnold
• Dr. Barbara Bottenbruch
• Dr. Francoise Chamouleau
• Dr. Jens Geier
• Dr. Anna Gilles
• Dr. Kinga Gerber

Ulm University, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology:

• Prof. Dr. Bernhard Eikmanns
• Prof. Dr. Peter Dürre
• Dr. Frank Bengelsdorf
• PD Dr. Christian Riedel

Ulm University, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology:

• Prof. Dr. Dierk Niessing
• Dr. Frank Rosenau
• Dr. Thomas Monecke

Ulm University, Institute of Animal Molecular Endocrinology:

• Prof. Dr. Jan Tuckermann

Ulm University, Institute for Experimental Physics:

• Prof. Dr. Kay Gottschalk

Master theses and / or advanced internships in the M.Sc. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology program are " external " if they are not officially supervised by a person appointed as an examiner in the M.Sc. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology program.

If you want to do an external master thesis and / or an external advanced internship, you have to get it / them approved by the Examination Board Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in time before starting the thesis. Please submit your application at least 2 months before the start of the external master thesis and / or external advanced internship. Please also plan for the fact that your application may be rejected.

For approval, please submit an application ( FSPO 2016 / FSPO 2020 ) (preferably in digital form) to the Examination Committee Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. The application must include a brief description of the planned master's thesis and / or advanced internship. This must indicate where the thesis and / or the internship is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there*. Furthermore, the description must indicate which methods will be used. External work and advanced internships must always be reviewed by an internal examiner. You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as an internal examiner. Furthermore, please submit the signed form " Information for students on the preparation of external theses " together with the application.

Please hand in the application to Ms. Annetraut Scheiffele (secretary's office of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; room N27 2.076).

• adequate supervision must be ensured
• the topic must be oriented towards the subject of the curriculum
• the range of methods must also be oriented to the subject orientation of the curriculum and must be appropriate for a scientific final thesis
• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm or the Biberach University of Applied Sciences in a very similar way should not be prepared externally, if necessary, cooperations or the like can be striven for here

 *: In addition to a Master's degree, the external supervisor should have at least 3 years of professional experience before the supervision of the Master's thesis begins.

The following persons are possible as internal/examiners for the master thesis and / or the advanced internship (this list may not be complete, please check with Dr. John if necessary):

Ulm University,  Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Ulm University Hospital):

• Prof. Dr. Barbara Möpps
• Prof. Dr. Holger Barth

Ulm University, General and Visceral Surgery (Ulm University Hospital):

• Prof. Dr. Uwe Knippschild
• PD Dr. rer. nat. Joachim Bischof
• Dr. med. Pengfei Xu

Ulm University, Institute of Virology (Ulm University Hospital):

• Jun.Prof. Dr. Jens von Einem

Ulm University, Department of Internal Medicine I (Ulm University Hospital):

• Prof. Dr. Franz Oswald

Extension of the thesis

Upon justified request, the Bachelor's or Master's thesis can be extended (see § 16c (7) of the framework regulations of UUlm).

A Bachelor's thesis can be extended by max. 2 weeks, a Master's thesis by max. 4 weeks (exception Master IBT: here an extension of the Master's thesis is limited to max. 2 months).

Please refer to the tab of your study program for the respective information on how to apply.

Requests for extension of the bachelor thesis must be submitted to the Biology Examination Committee 2 weeks before the first deadline. Bachelor's theses can be extended by 2 weeks depending on the circumstances.

For all extensions please fill in the following form:  Application form

Requests for extension of the master thesis must be submitted to the Biology Examination Committee 2 weeks before the first deadline. Master's theses can be extended by 4 weeks depending on the circumstances.

Please send the application by email tothe Examination Committee Biology .

Please send the application by email to the Examination Committee Biochemistry .

Please submit an informal application. This must contain the following information:

         1. the address of the sender,          2. the address of the person to whom the letter is addressed (chairperson(s) of the PBT Audit Committee),          3. the date the letter was written,          4. the date of the original deadline,          5. one - two sentences for a brief justification of why the extension is requested,          6. signature of the supervisor that he/she agrees with the extension.

Requests for an extension of the master's thesis must be submitted in original to the examination board at least 2 weeks before the first deadline. Master's theses can be extended by 4 weeks depending on the circumstances.

Please send the request to Ms. Annetraut Scheiffele (secretariat of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; room N27 2.076).

Requests for extension of the bachelor or master thesis must be submitted to the Examination Committee 2 weeks before the first deadline. Bachelor's theses can be extended by 2 weeks, master´s thesis by 4 weeks, depending on the circumstances.

"Methods course"

In the bachelor's and master's degree courses in biology and biochemistry, there is a so-called "methods course" before the thesis. This is carried out by the supervisor with whom the thesis is being carried out and, among other things, topic-specific working methods that are required for the respective thesis are learned.

After successful completion, the supervisor enters the relevant proof of achievement in the university portal. Independent registration is not possible. Please note that in the case of internships carried out externally, the internal supervisor must record the performance record.

The "methods course" must be completed so that the thesis can be registered.

For students in the PO 2017, after passing the "methods course", a period begins to register the thesis in the study secretariat (in the bachelor: 2 weeks, in the master: 2 months).

Finally, you will find an overview of how the "methods course" is called in the individual courses and how many CP it includes:

Office of the Study Commission Biology

• Rainer Pfaff
• Location: M24/573
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 23 93 1
• Fax: +49-(0)731-50 23 93 2
• Office hours:
• Mon. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Wed. 9 - 11 a.m. & 1 - 3 p.m. Fri. 9 - 11 a.m.
• Please send enquiries by email to sekretariat.biologie(at)uni-ulm.de
• Dr. Stephanie Maritta Wittig-Blaich
• Location: M24/570
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 21 259
• Office hours by arrangement*

*: Please arrange an appointment via sekretariat.biologie(at)uni-ulm.de

Biochemistry / Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology

• Dr. Lena John
• Location: M24/574
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 22 38 4

Teaching profession / International

Dr. Eva Keppner Location: M24/570 Phone: +49-(0)731-50 23 93 0 Office hours by arrangement*

Teaching profession Biology

• Prof. Dr. Christian Riedel
• Location: M23/2412
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 24 85 3
• Fax: +49-(0)731-50 22 71 9
• Office hours by arrangement

FAQs concerning Master theses

Info Master thesis Biochemistry and Biology

Back to Program overview

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin

University of applied sciences, final thesis, table of contents, application.

In order to obtain permission to write your final thesis, you must

• fulfil the admission requirements stipulated in the examination regulations for your study programme,
• Application for Admission to the Bachelor Thesis [PDF]
• Application for Admission to the Master Thesis [PDF]

Please follow these two steps:

• Obtain written confirmation from the primary and secondary reviewers via email (informal and without signature). If applicable, attach the proof of the academic degree of the second reviewer.
• Combine all documents in one PDF file (file name: "Bachelor's/Master's thesis_programme_matriculation-number").

Specifics by Faculty:

• Faculty 1: You submit your application for admission to the Student Management in the Student Services Department
• Faculty 4 : Use the digital registration process for admission to the thesis. Students of the study programme Business Computing please use the ticket system
• Faculty 5 : Application for admission via department administration

If only the oral examination (colloquium) is missing before successfully completing your study programme, you do not have to re-register for the new semester in the event of passing your thesis.

If you do not re-register or if you successfully complete your studies you will get de-registered from HTW Berlin you are losing your right for possessing the HTW StudentCard (HSC). The HSC has to be emptied from all credits and has to be returned immediately and evidently to the Student Services Department of the HTW Berlin, Treskowallee 8, 10318 Berlin. You will receive your final certificates only after evidently handing in your HSC.

First and second supervisors

• You choose the person who you wish to act as the first supervisor for your final thesis. This person must be a professor at HTW Berlin.
• The second supervisor can either be chosen by yourself or by the examination board for your study programme. As a minimum requirement, this person must hold at least the university degree for which you are currently studying. This could therefore be a qualified individual from a company, a different study programme at HTW Berlin or at a different university. External supervisors generally agree a teaching contact to supervise the thesis.

The final examination panel — first and second supervisor — is assigned by the examination board for your study programme.

Non-disclosure agreement

A non-disclosure agreement can be concluded between the supervising professor and the company, corporation, etc. within the framework of the completion of the thesis. If a non-disclosure agreement is to be concluded, we recommend using the version available for this purpose on the HTW intranet . It can be downloaded by HTW employees.

In Bachelor's degree programmes:

• it is mandatory to fulfil the admission requirements according to your study and examinations regulation
• special consideration will be given to modules that were registered for the examination but could not be completed due to the crisis situation.

At the beginning of the semester, the examination board for your study programme will decide

• whether to grant you admission to write your final thesis
• who will serve on the examination panel — comprising the first and second supervisor
• the title of your final thesis
• when the period of time for writing your thesis will start and finish

You will receive confirmation of this information from the faculty administration.

If requested for the purposes of disadvantage compensation for disability or any other reason, the examination board may define a longer completion period. To apply for an extension for writing your final thesis, submit the following documents to the examination board:

• An application for extension of the completion time [PDF] . For Faculty 1: School of Engineering – Energy and Information you must submit the application for students of Faculty 1 [PDF] .
• If you are pregnant , a copy of your maternity record (Mutterpass) with the expected date of birth. The deadline is extended by the period of statutory maternity leave.
• In the event of illness , a medical certificate from a doctor or medical officer must be presented with a precise description of the reason why you are currently unable to write your thesis and the duration of your medical condition. The medical certificate must be presented within three working days. A certificate of incapacity for work is not sufficient.

Changing or withdrawing the topic of your final thesis

Even if you have already been granted permission to write your final thesis, the topic can be

• slightly changed. Submit an application to change the topic of the final thesis [PDF] to the examination board. For Faculty 1: School of Engineering – Energy and Information you must use the following form: topic specification of the final thesis for students of Faculty 1 [PDF] .
• withdrawn. Submit an request to reject topic of final thesis [PDF] to the examination board. For a Bachelor’s thesis a deadline of four weeks applies from the beginning of the writing period, for a Master’s thesis a deadline of six weeks applies.

Re-registration during the final semester

You do not have to re-register if (exception: Public und Nonprofit-Management):

• You have already been admitted to the thesis in the current semester and only the submission of the thesis and the final oral examination are still outstanding and the set submission deadline is in the first four weeks of the following semester.
• the thesis has already been submitted in the current semester and only its defence within the framework of a final oral examination is still due.

Please note:

• De-registration before submitting the thesis may have consequences for insurance issues (in particular the discontinuation of accident insurance when entering the HTW Berlin), child benefit, etc.
• You must re-register in any case if there are other module examinations open apart from the final thesis.
• If you do not re-register, you will automatically be de-registered at the end of the semester.

Submission of your thesis

• No personal data (only your first name and last name) is to be shown on the cover page of your thesis. Please adhere to the guidelines according to this sample [PDF] .
• Please submit only one PDF file containing all components (cover sheet, affidavit, etc.). If the file size for your email attachments is more than 25 megabytes, please save your file in reduced size.
• The thesis may only be submitted once and not in multiple versions.
• Please refrain from sending paper copies or CDs. Submit additional paper copies of your work only if the exam panel asks you to do so.
• Send your thesis only to the e-mail address of your department (FB 1: [email protected] , FB 2: [email protected] , FB 3: [email protected] , FB 4: [email protected] , FB 5: [email protected] ).

Publication of the final thesis

HTW Berlin publishes the final theses of its students electronically in the university library in OPUS , where they can be viewed and borrowed by other library users.

Repeating your final thesis

Your thesis will be graded with a "fail" (grade 5.0) if

• you fail to submit your thesis to the examination board on time,
• your notification of inability to take an examination is not recognised or
• you deliver work of inadequate content.

Can your first attempt be considered a free attempt (Freiversuch)? In the event that the first attempted final examination takes place within the standard study period and all required modules have been successfully completed in advance of this attempt, all or part of the final examination attempted shall be annulled if it is graded with “5,0”. If the final thesis is failed, the final examinations must be completed on a new topic without delay.

The Examinations Office will send you a request to submit a topic proposal for repeat theses [PDF] . You will be granted admission by the examination board.

Academic Writing

In Moodle you will find the information portal on academic writing . The learning centre offers support in the form of writing coaching and an open writing group.

Information for

About htw berlin, popular pages, counselling & advice.

Thesis Information

Admission to the thesis.

You must apply for admission to the thesis online at https://sharepoint.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/sites/Abschlussarbeit .

Requesting a new topic

You may request a new thesis topic for any reason, but only once and only within the first four weeks after the date of assignment.

Extension of Thesis Working Period

In the General Examination Regulations and if applicable additionally in the respective Programme-Specific Examination Regulations a working period (period from registration to submission) for the completion if the thesis is determined. Thus e.g. the working period for a Bachelor thesis in a full-time degree programme is three months.

In exceptional cases the Head of The Examination Board can grant an extension of the working period for up to four weeks on the basis of a justified application that has been filed before the thesis submission date. Please note that illness or illness-related inability to participate in examinations are not valid reasons for such an application. In these cases there is solely the option of deregistering from the examination.

Two hard copies of the thesis are to be submitted in due time (see § 188 BGB) at the examination service and in electronical form (PDF-Upload) in Sharepoint https://sharepoint.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/sites/Abschlussarbeit/ For deadline purposes, the date of receipt is defined as the day on which the first full copy of the thesis, whether digital or the two hard copies, is received. The remaining required copy of the thesis can be submitted as a next step, but the thesis is not considered fully submitted until all required copies have been received. Hence, the confirmation about completed submission will only be issued afterwards. When sent by post in due time the post stamp must state the last day of the submission deadline at the latest. For verification purposes in that case the posting receipt (date and signature of the recipient office) must be saved.

When sent by post the following addresses can be used:

Hochschule Rhein-Waal Prüfungsservice (Building 20) Marie-Curie-Str. 1 47533 Kleve

Hochschule Rhein-Waal Prüfungsservice (Building 4) Friedrich-Heinrich-Allee 25 47475 Kamp-Lintfort

In case the thesis cannot be submitted within the opening hours, please put it in an envelope and place it in the letterbox for concerns with a deadline outside of building 4.

Should the submission deadline be a Saturday, Sunday or holiday the next working day is the substitute deadline.

Please remember that each bound copy of your thesis must include an original, signed declaration of authorship.

• UGRD Reg Info & Deadline Booklet - Fall 2024
• Office of the Registrar

Deadlines & Registration Information

Future Approved Undergraduate Academic Calendar 2024-2025 (as of 4/18/2024) Fall Quarter 2024 Calendar University Communication Policy Office of Accessible Education Student Responsibility Registration Appointment Information Registration Information (including Unit Overload) Reading the Schedule of Classes When / Where Classes Meet Important Add and Drop Procedures Add/Drop Policy (including Petition link) Auditing Courses Administrative Cancellation of Course Enrollment Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid Leave of Absence or Withdrawal from the University Re-enrollment / Returning Student Form Grading Policies and Regulations Academic Credit Evaluation Non-Degree Students Academic Integrity Administrative Policies and Regulations (FERPA) Degree Requirements Academic Program Policies and Regulations Fall Final Exam Schedule University Honors Program Schedule of Classes FERPA Non-Disclosure Form

The ACCESS Office is located in the Benson Center (408) 551-1647

Bursar’s Office (Tuition) is located in the Admission & Enrollment Mgmt Bldg (408) 551-1000

Campus Bookstore is located in   Building 303 , 408/554-4356

Campus Safety is located in the   Parking structure, 1 st floor , 408/554-4441

Core Curriculum  

Cowell Health Center is located in   Building 701 , 408/554-4501

Drahmann Academic Advising & Learning Resources Center  is located in Kenna Hall 101 , 408/554-4318

Workday : Registering for Classes 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) 

Financial Aid Office is located in the Admission & Enrollment Mgmt Bldg , 1st floor, 408/551-1000

Institutional Research (Graduation Rate) is located in the   Walsh Administration Building , Lower Level, 408/554-4396

International Student Services  is located in Varsi Hall 1 st floor, 408/554-4318

Office of the Registrar is located in the   Admission & Enrollment Mgmt Bldg , 1st floor, 408/551-1000

Student Life is located in the   Benson Center 205 , 408/554-4583

Enrollment Service Center/OneStop is located in the   Admission & Enrollment Mgmt Bldg , 1 st floor, 408/551-1000

** For detailed refund information, refer to the Bursar Office's Refund Policies & Processes page .

The University will communicate with undergraduate students through a variety of formats. Information that is sent to undergraduate students from the University via their campus mailbox, local address, or their Santa Clara e-mail address is considered official communication and should be treated as such. Students are asked to check their campus mailbox and their Santa Clara e-mail account on a daily basis, and are responsible for reading and responding to the information they receive from the University.

Students with disabilities should contact the Office of Accessible Education . Their office is located in Benson 1.

Students are personally responsible for knowing all academic and administrative policies and regulations affecting their program of study and for abiding by all such policies and regulations during their period of enrollment at the University. Continued enrollment is subject to compliance with the academic and administrative policies and regulations as described herein and otherwise published by the University. Failure to understand the policies and regulations does not relieve a student of his or her responsibility for adhering to the policies and regulations.

When can you view assigned registration appointments?

You will be able to view your assigned registration appointment on Monday, April 22, 2024 , by using Workday Academics. For more information, visit https://www.scu.edu/registrar/frequently-asked-questions/registration-appointments/

How are registration appointments assigned?

Registration appointments are determined by academic level which is based on the number of units a student has completed. The following students qualify for priority registration which allows them to register ahead of the general population: students with documented disabilities, Honors Program students, LEAD Scholars, NCAA Athletes, Leavey Scholars, foster youth, and Military Science students.

Students with documented disabilities are given the first appointments at all levels (senior, junior, sophomore and first-year, and in that order). They are followed by senior and junior level students who are members of Honors or LEAD scholars or are NCAA qualified athletes. They are mixed together and then put in order by their class level standing based on earned units completed. Then senior students who are Leavey Scholars or Military Science students are mixed and ordered by their class level standing based on earned units completed. Following this group are seniors who are not members of a defined priority group and they are ordered by a number of units earned.

Next is the junior-level Leavey Scholars or Military Science students who are mixed together and then ordered by their class level standing based on earned units completed. Next are junior-level students who are not members of a defined student group.

The next group of students is sophomore and first-year level students who are a member of Honors or LEAD scholars or are NCAA-qualified athletes. Then sophomore students who are Leavey Scholars or Military Science students. Following this group are sophomores who are not members of a defined priority group.

Next are the first-year level Leavey Scholars or Military Science students who are then mixed. First-year level students who are not members of a defined student group are next.

Non-degree undergraduates can enroll with assistance from the Office of the Registrar during the first week of the term (complete the form found on the OOTR Forms page). Note that there are no appointments scheduled on the weekend or holidays.

Below is the URL that takes you to a chart that represents the order in which students are assigned appointment times. Again note that the groups listed under the "Group" heading are mixed.

To view the chart, go to:  https://www.scu.edu/registrar/frequently-asked-questions/registration-appointments/

REGISTRATION in WORKDAY

• Monday, April 22, 2024 - Course Section Availability found in Workday Academics (SCU Find CourseSections) will have classes that will be offered Fall Quarter 2024.
• Monday, April 22, 2024 - Go to Workday Academics to find out your registration appointment.

If you have a hold on your registration you MUST contact the office that placed the hold for reconciliation. The registration system will not allow you to register for classes if you have a hold.

REGISTRATION APPOINTMENT WINDOW (May 13-17, 2024)

• Most students may enroll for no more than 19 units during the first registration window. Students who have completed 131 units and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.20 or higher may enroll in up to 20 units without approval from a University Adviser in the Drahmann Center. One 2-unit course or two 1-unit courses are not counted as overload units. To add a 2-unit or 1-unit course, go to Request to Add Fractional, 1, 2 Unit Courses Up to 2 Units and complete the online form before the late registration deadline.

OPEN ENROLLMENT WINDOW (Sept 21-27, 2024)

• Students in the University Honors Program and/or students who have a cumulative grade point average at Santa Clara of least 3.3 may enroll in up to 25 units without written approval by a University Adviser at the Drahmann Advising Center.
• Students who do not fit into the above category may enroll in no more than 19 (or 20 if eligible) units during the second registration window. One 2-unit course or two 1-unit courses are not counted as overload units. To add a 2-unit or 1-unit course, fill out a Request to Add Fractional, 1, or 2 Unit Courses Up to 2 Units located at www.scu.edu/registrar/forms before the late registration deadline.
• Juniors and Seniors requiring permission to add overload units must obtain the signature of a University Adviser at the Drahmann Advising Center on the ‘Permission for Unit Overload Form’ located at www.scu.edu/drahmann. If the class is closed, the instructor’s approval will be required. Permission to exceed over 25 units is rare. Students must contact theDrahmann Center if they wish to be reviewed for an exception. The last day to add a class is Friday, Sept 27, 2024.

Exceptions to exceed maximum units are rare. Students must contact the Drahmann Center if they wish to be reviewed for an exception.

****** THE LAST DAY TO ADD A CLASS IS: Fri day, Sept 27, 202 4 ******

--------------------

SCU Find Course Sections  

https://www.myworkday.com/scu

Workday's "SCU Find Course Section" website provides access to class data for past, current and forthcoming terms, and course descriptions (where available). Course Section data is automatically updated from the University's administrative system database regarding seat information. 

Creating a Saved Schedule and Class Registration:

For instructions on creating a saved schedule for a given term, and enrolling in course sections, please visit the “ Training Guides for Students ” which provides numerous Quick Reference Guides for your reference.

Course offerings are organized by school: College of Arts & Sciences; Leavey School of Business; School of Engineering; and University Programs. Departments are listed alphabetically within each area and courses are listed sequentially 1 through 199 in each department. Courses numbered 1 through 99 are lower division and those numbered 100 through 199 are upper division. Students who have completed less than 44 units may not register for upper division courses without permission.

Each course shown in the schedule of classes is identified with a single line of information subdivided into ten parts. The line of identification information on each course includes the following items in this order:

1. Course subject abbreviation and number (e.g., ENGL 1)

2. Class Title - usually in abbreviated form, e.g. "CALC AN GEOM I" for "Calculus and Analytic Geometry I".

3. Days - scheduled meeting days for the section (M= Monday; T = Tuesday; W = Wednesday; R = Thursday; F = Friday).

4. Time - beginning and ending times for the section.

5. Location – Building and room number where class is to be held

6. Instructor – There are courses listed to which an instructor had not been assigned when the schedule was created. In such cases the instructor is listed as “Staff.” You may wish to contact the relevant department to learn the name of the professor teaching the course. “TBA” will appear occasionally in the schedule in place of the “room,” “days,” and/or “hour” information. This information is “To Be Announced or “To Be Arranged” when classes begin. The appropriate department will provide the information when it is available.

Undergraduate classes meet on Mon/Wed/Fri for 65 minute periods, and on Tues/Thurs for 100 minute periods. Classes are scheduled at the following times:

Schedule for Studio Art     

Where Classes Meet:

The full schedule of classes is available at Workday’s “SCU Find Course Section” . A pdf of the current term’s course section offerings will also be available on the Office of the Registrar’s website . In-person classes will include the specific location (building and classroom number).

**** Last Day to Add a Class - Friday, Sept 27, 2024 ****

If a class has filled to capacity, you may seek the instructor’s and/or academic department’s permission to add it. If you receive permission, the instructor will notify the course section’s academic department to administratively enroll you over the class capacity.

Important Drop Deadlines

Friday, Oct 18, 2024 --Last day to drop a class without a “W” grade being recorded Dropping courses must be done on Workday Academics.

Friday, Nov 8, 2024 --Last day to drop a class with a “W” grade being recordedWithdrawing from a class will result in a “W” be assigned to the student’s academic record.

Petition for an exception to University Policy

The Registrar's Office will not accept requests to add/drop courses after published deadlines. Exceptions may possibly be made depending on compelling reasons submitted by students.

If you have a compelling reason(s) you want to be reviewed for an exception to University policy you must submit a petition using "The Office of the Registrar - Petition for Exception to University Policy" form.

After submission of the petition, it will be reviewed by the University Registrar. A response will be returned to the student’s SCU email account within 48 hours of receipt of the petition (weekend submissions will take a longer response time).

Please note: To complete this process, you must check the ‘Acknowledge’ box on the web form. This means that you understand it is your responsibility to check your SCU email account within 48 hours of submission of your petition to find out what has been decided. You may not submit your petition without first acknowledging that you understand your responsibility.

Students admitted to degree status at Santa Clara may audit one course in addition to their regular course load in a term. A maximum of three courses may be audited during a student’s academic career. Permission to audit a course will be given only at the end of the late registration period and only if space is available in the class. No credit is assigned for an audited course, but the successful completion of an audit will be indicated on a student’s transcript by the notation “AUD.” Students pay a $100.00 per course audit fee. Full-time matriculated undergraduate students will not be charged. Non-degree students may not audit courses. This form is online at Course Audit Form .

Students who enroll in a course for which they are not eligible are subject to administrative cancellation of their enrollment in that course. Prior to the end of the late registration period, an instructor may notify the University registrar to drop first-year students who registered in upper-division courses, to drop students who have not satisfied the prerequisites for the course, or to drop students lacking the instructor permission required for certain courses.

For detailed tuition and fees, refer to the Bursar website link: http://www.scu.edu/bursar/refunds/ugrefund_policy.cfm

For Financial Aid, go to http://www.scu.edu/financialaid/ .

A Leave of Absence is when a student requests to take time away from SCU with the intention of returning within one year of the leave. The leave may be initiated in Workday for the current term by the end of the 7th week of the term. A leave during the current term will result in no courses appearing for that term if requested by the “Drop without W” deadline (the end of the 4th week of classes) or with W’s on the student’s record if requested between the 5th and 7th week of the term. A leave may not be requested for the same term after the 7th week of the term. Students may initiate a Leave of Absence in Workday for a future term at any point. All requests for a Leave of Absence require a meeting with a Drahmann Center advisor prior to their approval.

A University Withdrawal involves a student requesting a full withdrawal and termination from SCU, with the intent to not return. Students requesting a university withdrawal need to meet with a Drahmann Center advisor prior to the withdrawal being processed. A withdrawal request would elicit an exit interview in the Drahmann Center. If the formal requirements for a leave or withdrawal are met, the student’s registration will be adjusted accordingly without further academic penalty. Similar to a Leave of Absence, a university withdrawal during the current term will result in no courses appearing for that term if requested by the “Drop without W” deadline (the end of the 4th week of classes) or with W’s on the student’s record if requested between the 5th and 7th week of the term. A withdrawal may not be requested for the same term after the 7th week of the term. A leave may not be requested for the same term after the 7th week of the term.

Further instructions and guidelines on the Leave of Absence and Withdrawal process can be found here . Students who leave the University during a quarter without initiating a leave or withdrawing in accordance with the required procedures will receive an appropriate grade in all courses in which they were registered and are not eligible for a refund of tuition or other fees.

The effective date used for the determination of any refund of tuition is the date on which notification of withdrawal is received by the Enrollment Service Center/OneStop, not the last date of attendance by the student. Neither dropping all courses via Workday nor informing an individual faculty member, an academic department, or the Dean’s Office, constitutes an official withdrawal from the University. The official date of withdrawal from the University cannot be backdated prior to the date on which the student submits the applicable withdrawal form or notification to the Enrollment Service Center/OneStop.

Students who request a leave or withdraw from the University fall, winter, or spring term will receive a tuition refund in accordance with the following:

•Students who take a leave or withdraw from the University by the end of the first week of classes will receivea full refund of tuition for the term; less the applicable registration cancellation fee (dropping classes will NOTmake one eligible for a refund).

•Students who take a leave or withdraw from the University by the end of the second week of classes willreceive a 50 percent refund of tuition for the term (dropping classes will NOT make one eligible for a refund).

•Students who take a leave or withdraw from the University by the end of the third week of classes willreceive a 25 percent refund of tuition for the term (dropping classes will NOT make one eligible for arefund).

•Students who take a leave or withdraw from the University after the third week of classes will receive no tuition refund for the term.

Students who withdraw from the University are responsible for any outstanding financial obligations with the University. Students who used deferred payment plans or student loans during their attendance at the University must clear their financial obligations with the Office of Enrollment Services. Students who have unpaid bills or other unsettled financial obligations with the University will not receive academic transcripts or be eligible for re-enrollment until they have cleared all such obligations.

For detailed refund information, refer to the Bursar website . 

A student who requested a Leave of Absence from the University is eligible to re-enroll without special permission under the following conditions:

● The student left the University in good academic standing.

● The student has no outstanding financial obligations with the University.

● The student plans to return to the same college or school at the University.

● The student is returning within five years of the date of their withdrawal.

Students who do not meet the conditions above must seek permission to re-enroll from the Dean of Academic Support Services. Re-enrolling students are subject to degree and curriculum requirements in the Undergraduate Bulletin in effect at the time of re-entry.

Students initiating a Leave of Absence in Workday must indicate the term they plan to return. Students on a Leave of Absence are still considered active students. If they wish to adjust their return within the one-year required return timeline, they must contact the Office of the Registrar. If they do not return for the term they are scheduled to return, they are withdrawn from the University.

Students who have withdrawn from SCU and wish to re-enroll must complete the following Returning Student Form . The Office of the Registrar will respond by email within 5 working days. Please be mindful of the following deadlines to apply to be re-enrolled:

● End of last week of fall classes to re-enroll winter quarter;

● End of last week of winter classes to re-enroll spring quarter;

● End of last week of spring classes to re-enroll summer session;

● Friday, two weeks prior to the first day of fall classes to re-enroll fall

Students should consult with a University Adviser in the Drahmann Center to review their academic plans. Students on leave who have attended another college or university are only permitted to transfer in a maximum of 10 units of credit and are required to forward to the Office of the Registrar an official transcript of all work completed during their absence.

Pass/No Pass (P/NP)

Some courses are offered only on a pass/no pass basis. For courses that have optional grading bases, a student with junior or senior standing and a declared major may choose to take an elective course on a pass/no pass basis. The P/NP option cannot be requested for a course that satisfies a major, minor or core requirement or a major or minor elective requirement.

Upper-class students may enroll in only one course per quarter on a pass/no pass basis. This option must be elected by Friday of the 4 th week of class and may not be reversed.

A grade of “P” signifies that the quality of work done is equivalent to a letter grade of “C” or higher, while a grade of “NP” denotes work at the level of “C–” or lower. These courses are not used in calculating the student’s grade point average. A maximum of six courses taken under the pass/no pass option in which the student receives a mark of “P” can be used to fulfill the unit requirements for graduation. Students are able to opt for the P/NP grading basis when enrolling in a course section in Workday.

Audit (AUD)

The mark of "AUD" is assigned when a student enrolls in a class on an audit basis. A mark of "AUD" cannot be changed to any other grade. This form is online at Course Audit Form .

Withdrawn (W)

The mark of "W" is assigned by the Office of the Registrar when a student completes the formal requirements dropping a class or withdrawing from the University. A mark of "W" cannot be changed to any other grade or mark. A mark of "W" is included in the student's academic record and appears on the student's transcript, but is not included in the calculation of the student's grade point average.

Units Taken at Other Institutions:

Credit is awarded for coursework completed at other colleges and universities subject to certain limitations. Courses from accredited institutions are generally transferable if they are similar in nature to courses listed in the Santa Clara University Undergraduate Bulletin. Courses from California community colleges are also generally transferable under the same conditions and if designated as transferable to the University of California. Courses of a trade or technical nature do not transfer. Courses from colleges not accredited, trade schools, extension programs, or correspondence programs do not transfer.

Students can receive credit for coursework completed at other colleges and universities prior to matriculation at Santa Clara for no more than half of the total number of quarter units required for a Santa Clara degree. The Leavey School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences accept a maximum of 87.5 quarter units of transfer credit. The School of Engineering accepts credit for up to one-half of the total number of units required for each specific major. After enrolling at Santa Clara, students can receive credit for coursework completed at other colleges and universities for no more than 10 quarter units of free electives, subject to the limitation that no more than half of the total number of quarter units required for a Santa Clara degree can be earned at another institution. Students may apply up to 10 credits of transfer work post-matriculation that may satisfy degree requirements by following guidelines set forth in the following form (please click below):

Post-Matriculation Transfer Credit Pre-Approval Application

Transfer credit for all coursework completed at other colleges and universities require approval from the Drahmann Center and the chair of the department offering the equivalent Santa Clara course. The student must have earned a grade of “C” or better in a course for transfer credit to be granted. Courses taken on a pass/no pass or credit/no credit basis are not accepted as transfer credit. Grades for units earned at other institutions are not included in a student's Santa Clara academic history or in the calculation of the Santa Clara grade point average.

Study Abroad and Domestic Study Programs

Units and grades earned for coursework in University-operated study abroad programs, University-affiliated study abroad programs, University study abroad exchange programs, and University-affiliated domestic study programs are included in a student’s Santa Clara academic history. Units earned in approved study abroad and domestic study programs may be used to fulfill University Core Curriculum, college or school, department, or program requirements subject to prior approval by the appropriate dean’s office, department chair, or program director. However, such units do not satisfy the University residency requirement. Grades earned in approved study abroad and domestic study programs are included in the calculation of the Santa Clara grade point average.

Units earned for coursework in study abroad and domestic study programs not operated by or affiliated with the University are subject to the policies governing units taken at other institutions.

More information about Study Abroad Regulations can be found on their department website .

The Santa Clara University undergraduate program is designed primarily for full-time, degree-seeking students. To maintain the University’s commitment to its primary undergraduate constituency of degree students, non-degree students are permitted to register in accordance with the following policies subject to space availability in classes.

Santa Clara Alumni

Santa Clara alumni who have been awarded a degree from Santa Clara University may enroll in undergraduate classes on a for-credit basis or may audit undergraduate classes. Alumni may enroll for no more than 10 units per term on a for-credit basis, or they may audit one course per term. They are certified for enrollment by the Office of the Registrar and register for classes during the late registration period of the term. Contact Alumni Relations at https://www.scu.edu/alumni/about/alumni-benefits/ to request appropriate forms.

University Employees

University employees who are students at another accredited college or university may enroll in undergraduate classes at Santa Clara if they are in good standing and have a cumulative grade point average of “C” or better at their home institution. They may not enroll concurrently at Santa Clara and another college or university. University employees who are not currently admitted to degree status are certified for enrollment by the Office of the Registrar and may audit one course per term.

Students from Other Colleges and Universities

Students from another accredited college or university may enroll in undergraduate classes at Santa Clara if they are in good standing and have a cumulative grade point average of “C” or better at their home institution. They may not be enrolled concurrently at Santa Clara and another college or university. Students from other colleges and universities may enroll for no more than three quarters, not including summer session and are not eligible to audit classes. Students from other colleges and universities are certified for enrollment by the Drahmann Center and the Office of the Registrar and register for classes during the late registration period of the term.

Students from Other Colleges and Universities Participating in SCU Exchange Programs

Students from other colleges and universities participating in SCU exchange programs may enroll in undergraduate classes at Santa Clara if they are in good standing and have a cumulative grade point average of “C” or better at their home institution. They are not eligible to audit classes. Students from other colleges and universities participating in exchange programs are certified for enrollment by the International Programs Office and the Office of the Registrar.

Students from Other Institutions Enrolling in SCU Study Abroad Programs

Students from other colleges and universities who meet the applicable eligibility requirements for SCU study abroad programs may enroll in undergraduate classes at Santa Clara if they are in good standing and have a cumulative grade point average of “C” or better at their home institution. They are not eligible to audit classes. Students from other colleges and universities enrolled in SCU study abroad programs are certified for enrollment by the International Programs Office and the Office of the Registrar.

The University is committed to academic excellence and integrity. Students are expected to do their own work and to cite any sources they use. A student who is guilty of a dishonest act in an examination, paper, or other work required for a course, or who assists others in such an act, may, at the discretion of the instructor, receive a grade of “F” for the course. In addition, a student found guilty of a dishonest act may be subject to sanctions, up to and including dismissal from the University, as a result of the student judicial process as described in the Student Handbook. A student who violates copyright laws, including those covering the copying of software programs, or who knowingly alters official academic records from this or any other institution is subject to similar disciplinary action.

Student Records and Release of Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, protects the confidentiality of the University records of Santa Clara University students. The University is authorized under provisions of the Act to release directory information to any person on request, unless a student explicitly requests in writing that the University not do so and keep directory information confidential.

A student’s directory information is designated as follows:

•Address (campus, local and/or permanent; e-mail)

•Telephone number

•Date and place of birth

•Photographic image

• Major field of study, classification, dates of attendance, expected graduation date, degrees, and honors received

•Most recent previous educational institution attended

•Participation in officially recognized activities, including intercollegiate athletics

•Height and weight of participants on intercollegiate athletic teams

During the registration period and throughout the academic year, students may request in writing through the Office of the Registrar that directory information be kept confidential. Once filed, the request remains in effect until the beginning of the next academic year or a shorter period if designated by the student. Graduating students must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing to remove the non-disclosure notation from their record.

Certain records are excluded by law from inspection, specifically those created or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist in connection with the treatment or counseling of a student. Parents’ financial information, including statements submitted with scholarship applications, is also excluded by law from inspection. Third parties may not have access to educational records or other information pertaining to students without the written consent of the student about whom the information is sought.

Former or current borrowers of funds from any Title IV student loan program should note carefully that requests for nondisclosure of information will not prevent the University from releasing information pertinent to employment, enrollment status, current address, and loan account status to a school lender, subsequent holder, guarantee agency, the United States Department of Education, or an authorized agent.

Students have the right to inspect and review their educational records at the following offices:

● Official academic records, including application forms, admission transcripts, letters of acceptance, and a student’s permanent academic record are on file and maintained in the Office of the Registrar

● Working academic files are also maintained by the Drahmann Center

● Records related to a student’s nonacademic activities are maintained in the Office of Student Life

● Records relating to a student’s financial status with the University are maintained in the various student financial services offices

Students have the right to request the amendment of their educational records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights. Students may direct complaints regarding academic records to the dean of the college or school in which they are enrolled or to the University Registrar . In addition, students have the right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of the Act. Written complaints should be directed to the Family Policy Compliance Office, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4605.

Candidates for an undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University must complete all requirements for a bachelor’s degree as set forth by the University, their college or school, and academic departments or programs. Failure to understand those requirements does not relieve a student of his or her responsibility.

The requirements for a bachelor’s degree include:

Completing a minimum number of quarter units as specified below for each degree, no more than half of which may be satisfied with approved transfer credit:

• A minimum of 175 quarter units for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences (a minimum of 193 quarter units for engineering physics majors)
• A minimum of 175 quarter units for the Bachelor of Science in Commerce in the Leavey School of Business
• The minimum number of quarter units specified by the major department for the Bachelor of Science in the School of Engineering
• Completing a minimum of 60 quarter units of upper-division courses
• Attaining a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all courses completed at Santa Clara University and for all courses in the academic major and any academic minor (Candidates for a degree in the School of Engineering must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all courses taken in the School of Engineering.)
• Meeting the residency requirement of a minimum of 45 units at the Santa Clara campus after achieving junior standing
• Fulfilling the University Core Curriculum requirements
• Fulfilling the requirements for any declared academic majors and minors, including associated college or school requirements

Candidates for a degree must submit a completed “Candidacy Petition for the Bachelor’s Degree” according to the deadlines and procedures published by the Office of the Registrar . Forms are available at the Enrollment Service Center/OneStop.

Academic Majors

Students must complete the requirements for a primary academic major in the College of Arts and Sciences , Leavey School of Business , or the School of Engineering , including University Core Curriculum and college or school requirements, to receive a bachelor’s degree. Requirements for academic majors can be found under the departmental listings in the chapters for each respective college or school.

Students should declare their primary academic major by the end of the sophomore year. Students may declare a major at the time of initial matriculation, except in the Leavey School of Business, where declaration of a major is normally made no sooner than the end of sophomore year. Students who initially matriculate without a declared major must obtain the approval of the department chair of the intended major and submit a Program Petition Form to the Drahmann Center. Students participating in study abroad or domestic public sector study programs must declare a major before participating in the program.

Students may declare a second academic major in addition to their primary major, except for students in the Leavey School of Business, who may declare only one major in that school. Students who want to declare a second major must obtain the approval of the department chair of the intended major and submit a Program Petition Form to the Drahmann Center . To be awarded a second major, a student must complete all requirements of the University Core Curriculum, college or school, and departmental requirements for that major. Requirements for a second major are as binding as those of a primary major and must be completed before a degree will be awarded. If a student decides to drop a second major, he or she must submit a Program Petition Form to the Drahmann Center .

Academic Minors

Students may declare an academic minor from amongst the departmental minors offered through the college or schools, the general minors in business and engineering, or one of the interdisciplinary minors offered by the University. Requirements for the academic minors can be found in the chapters of the respective college or school.

Students who want to declare an academic minor must obtain the approval of the department chair or program director of the intended minor and submit a Program Petition Form to the Drahmann Center . To be awarded a minor, a student must complete all requirements of the minor as prescribed. Requirements for a minor are binding and must be completed before a degree will be awarded. If a student decides to drop a minor, he or she must submit a Program Petition Form to the Drahmann Center .

Second Bachelor's Degree

A student may earn a second bachelor’s degree at Santa Clara University, but may not duplicate a degree (i.e., Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in a natural science, Bachelor of Science in a social science, Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Bachelor of Science in Engineering). Students who are interested in pursuing a second bachelor’s degree concurrently or without interruption must have an academic record showing a strong probability of success including a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in both majors. The student must present for approval by the first term of the student’s senior year to [email protected] a proposed program of study for the second degree that fulfills the degree requirements in effect at their original date of matriculation with at least 45 units of credit on the Santa Clara campus beyond the first bachelor’s degree. Approval to pursue a second bachelor’s degree must be granted by the Office of the Registrar .

If a student is returning to the University after an absence, he or she must meet the criteria outlined above, but is subject to the degree requirements in effect at the time of re-entry. Approval from the dean of Academic Support Services is required to resume studies for a second degree after an absence.

Students whose first degree is from an institution other than Santa Clara must submit a formal application for admission to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions . Students admitted for a second bachelor’s degree are subject to the degree requirements in effect at the time of admission. At least half the units required for the second bachelor’s degree must be earned at Santa Clara.

Graduation with Honors

Candidates for a bachelor’s degree with a grade point average between 3.50 and 3.69 graduate cum laude (with honors); candidates with a grade point average between 3.70 and 3.89 graduate magna cum laude (with high honors); and candidates with a grade point average of 3.90 or higher graduate summa cum laude (with highest honors). Awarding of honors is based on all graded undergraduate courses attempted at Santa Clara University. An indication of honors at graduation contained in the commencement program is unofficial. The final determination will be made after a review of all completed undergraduate courses counted toward the degree.

Participation in Commencement

Candidates for a bachelor’s degree must have completed all degree requirements or have 20 or fewer units to complete prior to participating in commencement. Also, a minimum of a 2.00 is required in all majors/minors and in the cumulative grade point average.

Lower-division courses are numbered 1 through 99, and upper-division courses are numbered 100 through 199. In the College of Arts and Sciences and the Leavey School of Business , most lower-division courses carry four units of academic credit and most upper-division courses carry five units of academic credit. In the School of Engineering , unit values for courses vary.

Students wishing to change their major or to transfer from one school or college to another within the University must submit a Program Petition Form to the Drahmann Center . A change of major requires the approval of the relevant department chair or program director. The action taken on a petition to change from one college or school to another will depend on the applicant’s past academic record and on the availability of space within that college or school.

Students may only repeat a course in which they have received a grade of less than “C –.” In such cases, the grades of both the original and the repeated course are included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average, but units are awarded toward graduation only once for each course passed. Certain courses, such as special topics courses and performance courses, are repeatable, and students will receive a grade and units for each successful completion. Students should consult the chair of the department in which the course is offered to confirm that a given course may be repeated for credit.

Students may pursue independent study through directed reading, directed research, internships, practica, or cooperative education. To qualify, a student must have demonstrated a sufficient knowledge of the academic discipline involved to make independent study both possible and beneficial. No more than 20 units of independent study may be used to satisfy graduation requirements, and no more than 5 units of independent study may be taken per term. Students must enroll for the term in which the independent study occurs.

Directed reading and directed research are limited to upper-division students who undertake a research project or other well- defined study beyond the scope of a regular course under the supervision of a faculty member. Such work should be comparable to that required for courses of equivalent unit value.

Students can obtain practical learning experience through internships, cooperative education, and practica. Internships and cooperative education are approved work experiences in a non-classroom environment in industry, government, or other settings, generally available only to upper-division students. Students who enroll in an internship or cooperative education experience for academic credit must fulfill specified academic requirements in addition to the responsibilities expected by the organization hosting the internship or cooperative education experience. Practica p rovides practical experience in a discipline-specific field experience or an approved University program activity, such as participation in the school newspaper. Practica are generally available only to upper-division students, but some practicum experiences are available to lower-division students who meet specified eligibility criteria.

Students wishing to enroll in an independent study course must initiate the request for independent study with the appropriate faculty member and with the Career Center for cooperative education experiences. Complete and submit the Independent Study form . Final approval will come from the Drahmann Center prior to registering for the class.

Students may challenge certain courses to satisfy specific subject requirements for graduation. A student may petition to challenge any course listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin except those involving laboratory, studio, or specialized group work and those whose descriptions in the catalog are followed by the letters NCX. No more than one course may be challenged each term. Although course requirements may be fulfilled by challenging a course, a successful challenge neither earns units toward the total needed for graduation nor contributes to the fulfillment of the residency requirements.

In order to be eligible to challenge a course, a student must have completed at least one term at Santa Clara, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3, and receive permission of the faculty member and the chair of the department in which the course is offered. Only currently enrolled students are eligible to challenge a course.

To challenge a course, the student takes a special examination on the material covered by that course and meets any additional requirements specified by the department chair. Challenge examinations are arranged by the department chair after the student files a Petition for Credit by Examination with the Office of the Registrar and pay the applicable fee.

Students are responsible for completing all course requirements as set forth by the instructor. Class attendance expectations and consequences for absences from class are left to the discretion of individual instructors. Students are accountable for all course assignments, whether or not the assignments were announced during an absence.

Community-Based Learning (CBL) supported through Santa Clara University is informed by the Jesuit tradition. It is designed to foster moral, spiritual, and intellectual development in students, encouraging vocational discernment and a commitment to active global citizenship. Equally important are the benefits CBL contributes to the community. By bringing the skills of faculty and students to support the work of community partners, CBL helps the University to build productive and sustainable community relationships.

In academic courses at SCU that involve CBL, students will engage in critical and reflective community-based activities as a component of the curriculum of the course. These community engagement experiences generally take place off campus, yet are fully integrated with the in-class component of the course.

SCU is committed to providing CBL opportunities to students that will allow them to connect more deeply to a rigorous academic curriculum; explore issues of power, privilege, and oppression; bring knowledge from their discipline into dialogue with knowledge from the community; and experience the realities of the world for the purpose of fashioning a more humane and just society.

Cumulative final exams occur on the date and time scheduled by the Office of the Registrar . Take-home exams may not be due before the scheduled final exam time. After ten weeks of class meetings, final examinations are scheduled for the eleventh week. Exams will be held over a five-day period. Exams begin Monday, December 9 through Friday, December 13. Each exam period spans three hours.

Students can view their exam schedule by logging onto their Workday Academics, and clicking on the Course Schedule.

Please note that final exam locations may change due to conflicts - check your Workday Student course schedule for the most up-to-date schedule.

Grades are due from faculty five calendar days after the last exam.

Grades are posted to students’ records once the instructor has saved and submitted the grades to be posted.

Grades are available on your Workday Academics record as soon as they are posted.

UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM -

FALL QUARTER 2024

Footnotes, course descriptions and current information on courses listed below,

go to Workday Student Academics.

The University staff is committed to abiding by the guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended. FERPA stipulates that each college/university in the U.S. maintain the privacy of student records, notify students of the location of all "official records" kept by the University on students, and make adequate provisions for students to examine their own records upon formal request. Please contact the Office of the Registrar for additional information.

If you decide to file this form, please do so online by completing the Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information .

If this form is not received by the Office of the Registrar prior to the second week of class, it will be assumed that the above information may be disclosed for the remainder of the academic year. The non-disclosure will remain in effect until just before the Fall term begins.  A new form for non-disclosure must be completed each academic year.