These guidelines are for orientation purposes! It is only binding in the points that result from the respective valid examination regulations, the module handbook or the specifications of the Examinations Office and the examiners.

General explanations of the university regarding theses can be found on the website
Abschlussarbeiten - Häufig gestellte Fragen

The Master's thesis should show that the student is able to work independently on a problem from their chosen field of study using scientific methods within a given deadline.

The Master's thesis is part of the Master's thesis module. In addition to the Master's thesis, this module also includes a final colloquium. 24 credit points are allocated to the Master's thesis and 6 credit points to the final colloquium. The grade of the final Master's module is calculated from both parts of the module and weighted according to the credit points.

As a rule, students approach lecturers from their favourite subject areas and ask about the possibilities of writing a Master's thesis in the respective working group. The lecturers then usually suggest topics. It is also possible to choose a topic for a Master's thesis yourself in consultation with an assessor. The Master's thesis can also be written externally at other universities and Institutes in Germany and abroad.

ICBM working groups

The following outlines the usual procedure for a Master's thesis. Of course, this may vary in individual cases.

First meeting

The student has learnt of a topic for a Master's thesis and makes contact with the supervisor/reviewer. An initial meeting is arranged to discuss the realisation of the thesis and to clarify details of the content.

Familiarisation

The student familiarises him/herself with the topic. Approximately 3-4 weeks are planned for the duration of this phase.

Registration of the thesis

The thesis is registered with the Examinations Office. Once the Examinations Office has received the registration, it will send documents to all those involved, including the submission deadline.

Completion of the thesis

Over the next six months, the student completes the thesis. During this phase, he or she should meet regularly with the supervisor. In addition, the working group seminar of the respective department must be attended regularly.

Submission of the thesis

The written thesis must be submitted in triplicate to the Examinations Office by the deadline. The Examinations Office will inform the assessors of this and send them the written thesis.

The Master's thesis can also be completed outside the University of Oldenburg. In this case, the regulations of the examination regulations regarding possible reviewers must be observed (see under Supervisors/Reviewers)

As there are different regulations in the various countries and institutions, insurance cover must be clarified individually. The student is responsible for any additional health and accident insurance that may be required.

Admission to the Master's thesis is granted to students who are enrolled in the Master's programme in Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Oldenburg and have completed modules totalling at least 60 CP, including the module "Environmental Science Research Project".

The topic of the Master's thesis can be determined by any member of the professors' group of the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oldenburg who is involved in teaching the relevant Master's degree programme. With the consent of the examining board, the topic can also be determined by other authorised examiners in accordance with Section 7 (1); in this case, the second examiner must be a member of the professors' group of the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oldenburg who is involved in teaching the corresponding Master's degree programme.

In concrete terms, this means that in the case of an external reviewer, the second reviewer must always be a member of the professors' group, i.e. usually a professor from Oldenburg.

The first reviewer is also the supervisor of the thesis, whereby supervision is often delegated to a research assistant in the relevant working group. Regular, generally weekly meetings (as part of the working group seminar) are planned with the supervisor, in which both content-related and organisational aspects are discussed.

Master's theses must be registered with the Examinations Office. If the Master's thesis is carried out externally, a proposal for an external Master's thesis must also be submitted. General information from the University on external Master's theses is summarised in an information sheet.

Thesis registration form

External Master's thesis proposal form

Information sheet on the preparation of external theses

The duration of the Master's thesis is six months. The time starts with the date of registration at the Examinations Office. The Master's thesis must be submitted to the relevant Examinations Office by the deadline. It is possible to hand in the thesis earlier. According to the planned conversion formula "1 credit point = 30 hours of work", the planned weekly workload for the Master's module is approx. 38 hours (30 credit points * 30 hours / 24 weeks).

Please note that the Master's thesis may only be started once the topic has been issued by the Chair of the Examination Board. A premature start is not formally permitted. This means that a Master's thesis cannot be submitted immediately after registration.

The contents are variable and concern current research questions that are dealt with at a high scientific level.

The result of the Master's thesis is a written elaboration. The number of pages varies greatly from topic to topic and is usually between 30 and 100 pages for the text-only part. The Master's thesis is usually written in German or English.

The formatting of the thesis is based on the Examinations Office's specifications (information sheet), which you will receive with the confirmation of registration. Two copies in bound form and a PDF file must then be submitted by email.

Examinations Office information sheet for the preparation of the thesis

A possible structure for a Master's thesis is outlined below. The actual structure depends on the respective topic and the requirements of the assessors.

• Title page (as specified by the Examinations Office)
• Table of contents
• List of figures
• Introduction
• Material and methods
• Results of the study
• Discussion and conclusion
• Acknowledgements
• Bibliography
• Affidavit (as required by the Examinations Office)

The work must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines of good academic practice. This includes, among other things, correct citation and verifiability of the work carried out. You will receive a short form from the Examinations Office with the confirmation of registration.

Regulations on the principles for ensuring good academic practice at Carl von Ossietzky University

Active participation in (working group) seminars, including presentations with discussion, if possible in English, on the objectives and results of the work must take place as specified by the reviewers.

As a rule, 2-4 weeks (but no later than 12 weeks) after submission of the thesis, the student must give the final presentation in the working group seminar of the respective working group ("university-public final colloquium"). The duration of the presentation should be 30-45 minutes plus subsequent discussion. The total duration should not exceed 60 minutes.

The thesis must be assessed by both assessors within eight weeks of submission. The review is sent to the Examinations Office and is not sent to the student.

Examination regulations

Module Handbook