This guide is a (non-binding) compilation of tips, rules and information on Bachelor's theses with the aim of avoiding common problems from the outset. It is intended to provide assistance and orientation and does not claim to be exhaustive. The guide was compiled by members of the Study Committee and the Student council. Please send corrections, additions and comments to the members of the Uwi study committee (Chair is Prof. Dr Heinz Wilkes), the Student Advisory Service or the Student council.

The specifications from the Bachelor's examination regulations are decisive and binding. It is advisable to read them.

1 Formal requirements

• Bachelor's thesis module (bam, 15 CP = 12 CP Bachelor's thesis + 3 CP accompanying course; 1 CP = 30 hours). The work must be completed within 4 months.
• At least 120 credit points must have been earned beforehand and the basic curriculum (compulsory modules) must have been completed.
• Typical steps in the preparation of a Bachelor's thesis are
  • familiarisation and literature research
  • Data collection, planning and execution of experiments and measurements
  • Analysing and processing data, compiling results
  • Writing and submitting the thesis
  • Attendance of the accompanying course (during the work/semester)
    • Regular attendance, usually during the preparation of the Bachelor's thesis
    • Presentations on the project presentation and work progress (ungraded, no "defence" of the thesis)
• The required work must be related to the Bachelor's thesis and should be carried out during normal office hours. Laboratory work is subject to the general regulations and is only permitted after instruction and safety instruction and in the presence of another qualified person.
  Possiblespecialisations that go beyondthe scope of a regular Bachelor's thesis may only be carried out at the student's request. Under no circumstances may these determine the grade of the thesis.
• The Bachelor's thesis should always have an independent, academic topic. A reference to a previous contact internship is possible, but a clear thematic delimitation must be made in advance. This must be agreed with the supervisors of the Bachelor's thesis and the module coordinator of the contact internship (and other supervisors if necessary).

2 Procedure for the thesis

Finding a topic and supervisor

The Bachelor's thesis is an important element of self-directed study; the acquisition of competences and skills often goes beyond the usual modules. You therefore need to be proactive when looking for a topic. In principle, it is possible to think about a topic yourself and find a suitable person to supervise you. Pre-defined topics are often offered. The topic must correspond to the purpose of the examination, i.e. usually have an environmental science content.

Options for finding a suitable topic (expand and read more)

• Information events with topic presentation of individual research areas or working groups (e.g. Buchwald, Kiel, Massmann working group): Announcement also in Stud.IP ("Presentation of upcoming topics...")
• Stud.IP list in the section Thesis topicsbut this is only used by some working groups
• Announcement of topics on the websites of the working groups (e.g. AG Wolff); but is not used consistently
• Lists for interested parties on notice boards at the working groups and notices on notice boards (e.g. ICBM stairwell)
• On request in working groups, from lecturers and other academics; topics are then sought and defined, some lead time may be required
• own suggestion of a topic for which suitable supervision is sought
• Theses can be written in all Uwi-related working groups at the UOL (these working groups are listed in Stud.IP under bam - Bachelor thesis module), but theses can also be completed at external locations (see "Supervision and topic allocation").

Planning with the supervisor

When planning the thesis, it should be clarified as early as possible what preliminary work is expected (e.g. software, literature research, etc.). The type of Bachelor's thesis, or the components of the thesis, must be clarified with the supervisor. The following types of experimental or theoretical projects can be roughly distinguished:
Literature work
Field surveys, field work
Laboratory work
Data analysis (of existing data)
Method development (in the laboratory or theory)
...

Scope/form

There are no generally applicable, fixed rules for scope and form. There are no general rules on the number of pages. This must be agreed with the lecturer. Some lecturers have written down rules on the expected form. Data documentation is often an important part of Bachelor theses, which can lead to longer appendices. The appendix is not part of the core of the thesis. In addition to traditional forms of work, the form of a manuscript in publication form may be desired. The latter is often more compact.

It should also be clarified with the supervisor whether a special writing programme (such as LaTeX) is desired. The working group may also have a ready-made layout for theses (you can also look at other departments for orientation).

Collection of questionscollection

These questions should serve as suggestions and indicate possible topics that should be clarified when planning the thesis.

• What is the concept of the thesis? (Detailed work on a scienti. (detailed work on a scientific question, methodological work, application or practical test)
• Which points should be worked out in the thesis, where are the main topics?
• Which methods will be used? What steps need to be taken? (Possibly additional date for the exact arrangement of field or laboratory work)
• Are there any time constraints that need to be planned? (e.g. laboratory times or times when using equipment that is required by different people or (seasonal) time periods for field work)
• What insurance information must be observed?
• What literature is recommended? Are there older works on this topic?
• Is there or has there been further work on this topic?
• Who are the contact persons for the individual parts of the Bachelor's thesis or for individual methods or equipment?
• Is it possible to get a workplace in the corresponding working group?
• Will a computer be provided? Can computers with the necessary software be used?
• Which programmes should be used for evaluation? Will these be provided?
• What materials will be provided, what will you have to obtain yourself?
• If parts of the Bachelor's thesis are carried out outside Oldenburg: What about accommodation etc. on site? Are all areas accessible by bike/local public transport/walking, or is a car required?
• At what intervals and with what regularity are there further meetings? (If possible, arrange a new date directly).
• How will the seminar accompanying the Bachelor's thesis be organised? When should a presentation be given, what should it look like?
• When will the Bachelor's thesis be (officially) registered? When is the deadline for submission?
• Is the timetable realistic (especially for experimental work)? Are there alternatives if necessary?
• Are there alternatives if, for whatever reason, laboratory or field work cannot take place as planned?
• How much attendance per week is expected?
• How is it possible to attend other courses at the same time?
• Is there work at unusual times (weekends or at night)?
• What should the format and structure of the thesis be? Outline, list of figures, list of tables, literature and citation, appendix [how should it be numbered])
• Will a test correction be made by the examiners (see "Correcting the thesis")?

Registration of the Bachelor thesist

The first and second examiners and the topic must be known when registering the Bachelor's thesis. The type of assignment and the task should also be determined with the supervisor before the topic is issued.
Registration form [pdf] (Examinations - Forms and forms - "Registration of the thesis")

Examiners

According to the examination regulations (§7/§22), two examiners are required - at least one of the examiners must be a university lecturer (i.e. professor or private lecturer) from the degree programme (exceptions must be applied for at the Examinations Office and should be agreed with the Examinations Office beforehand). As a rule, the university lecturer is the first examiner.

Who is authorised to examine can be found in the list of examiners (to the list of authorised examiners for BSc Uwi). The list also includes some lecturers who do little or no teaching in the B.Sc. Uwi but are authorised to supervise Bachelor's theses. Other examiners can be admitted by submitting a proposal via the Examinations Office.

External bachelor theses

It is possible to carry out Bachelor's theses outside the university, e.g. at research institutes (e.g. HIFMB, ZMT, ...), in companies or at public authorities. This is also possible abroad.

External persons can be either first or second examiners. However, external examiners must submit a proposal for examination entitlement. This can be done informally by email to the Examinations Office or using the application form (available from the Examinations Office or here). The qualification of the examiner should be proven, e.g. by means of a short CV or a link to the person's website. This is no problem for a person who works at a university related to the subject; it is particularly important for people from the field. Please send the proposal together with the application for admission to the final thesis to the Examinations Office (p-amt.fk5.fk6.dez3@uol.de or via the online contact form).

Examinations Office document on external theses:
Information on the assignment and processing of theses involving companies and organisations outside the university [pdf]

Bachelor's thesis abroad following a semester abroad (example ERASMUS)

• Occasionally, a Bachelor's thesis abroad is written directly after a semester abroad, sometimes in combination with the contact internship.
• This is possible, but is carried out according to the rules of the Oldenburg BPO. It is not possible to complete the Bachelor's thesis module (bam) via an application for recognition (according to information from the Examinations Office).
• The person supervising abroad can be the first or second examiner, often the UOL-internal university lecturer is the first examiner. There is a form to apply for this, which is easy for people working at a foreign university (available from the Examinations Office or here). The qualification of the examiner should be proven, e.g. by a short CV or a link to the person's website.
• The second examiner is then an authorised UOL examiner. It is advisable that this person not only writes the second opinion, but also supports and accompanies the process and procedure in Oldenburg.
• To register the thesis, the first and second examiners and the topic must be known. The two proposals are submitted together via the Academic Examinations Office (p-amt.fk5.fk6.dez3@uol.de or via online contact form).
• If the credit points earned in the (first) semester abroad are required for admission to the Bachelor's thesis in the near future, recognition should be applied for as soon as possible at the Academic Examinations Office (anrechnung.dez3@uni-oldenburg.de). The application for recognition should be sent to the Examinations Office. It is best to ask for quick processing, as you need the credits for your thesis. Recognition is usually not a problem, especially not in established programmes (such as Sogdal) and in the case of recognition within the framework of the modules mar991, 992 or 993, or the professionalisation area.

Carrying out work/evaluating results

Supervision / working hours

Supervisors must ensure that the practical work is supervised. This can be done by the supervisor or by an appropriately competent and authorised person designated by the supervisor. Appropriate persons must be present during the work or at least be reliably and continuously available in case of questions or assistance required on site. This applies in particular to work that should/must take place outside core working hours (e.g. at night, weekends) for justified reasons.
It is the sole responsibility of the supervisors to organise and ensure on-site supervision by appropriate persons. This is not the responsibility of the students.

Obligations of supervisors and students

By agreeing to supervise the Bachelor's thesis, the lecturer confirms that...
> regular consultations take place as agreed,
> unscheduled queries are answered within a reasonable period of time
> and it is ensured that the necessary funds and resources are available and support is provided for the completion of the thesis.

By accepting the BSc thesis offered, the student confirms...
> to come to the meetings prepared,
> to keep to time and organisational commitments,
> and to use the resources and means provided carefully and conscientiously.

Upon acceptance of the topic, the student must register the thesis with the Examinations Office and the topic must be confirmed by the first examiner(proposal for admission to the thesis). The maximum processing time of 4 months begins with the registration. The specified submission deadline must be adhered to.

Methods

All specific knowledge required for the preparation of the thesis and for the execution and planning of experiments must be imparted to the students in sufficient scope and depth by the supervisors or by competent and authorised persons appointed by them. Knowledge based on the basic training in the degree programme and corresponding to the level of the degree programme is assumed.

For the use of programmes that are desired or required for the evaluation and presentation of results, assistance must be provided by the supervisor or a competent contact person must be appointed in advance (see "Planning with the supervisor").

Writing the thesis

It must be agreed with the supervisor whether there are any specifications for the format and structure of the thesis (see "Planning with the supervisor").
It is essential to include an affidavit in the submission document. This must state in writing that the thesis was written independently and that only the specified sources and aids were used. In addition, the general principles of scientific work and publications of the CvO Oldenburg must be observed (see: Guidelines of good academic practice of the University of Oldenburg, as well as
https://uol.de/uni/amtliche_mitteilungen/dateien/AM2017-013_Ordnung_gute_wiss_Praxis.pdf).

Info: Theses - Frequently asked questions; point 2.7

When writing longer texts, it is most effective to make consistent use of the layout options offered by word processing programmes right from the start (format templates, inserting and labelling tables and figures, cross-references, inserting citations from reference management programmes). An introduction to the use of reference management programmes for researching and writing academic texts is offered in the 2nd semester. Free software is available from the UOL.

Submitting your thesis

The completed thesis is sent to the Examinations Office in PDF format (1 file) attached to an email. Team 3 is responsible for School V. Printed and/or bound copies are produced after consultation with the supervisors.
The thesis must be assessed by both assessors within 6 weeks. As a rule, the Examinations Office will inform you of the marking by entering the grade.

Notes on De-registration

How does De-registration take place?

When the last examination has been completed (often the Bachelor's thesis), the Examinations Office will register the completion of the degree programme. De-registration then takes place at the end of the semester. Students who wish to remain enrolled for a justified reason must inform the Examinations Office. The current practice seems to be that no degree is entered if the student informs the Examinations Office that he/she still wishes to complete credits.

A proposal for De-registration (on Stud.IP: Study details > My studies > Applications) and the CampusCard must be submitted to the University. More information can be found at https://uol.de/studium/studierendenstatus under De-registration.

By when do I have to hand in my application so that I don't have to pay for the following semester?

Reimbursement of contributions and fees paid is only possible if the proposal is submitted before or within one month of the start of the lecture period.

BAföG information

Detailed information is available from the Studentenwerk Oldenburg > BAföG

Students are entitled to educational support until the end of the month in which the overall result of the final examination is announced, for a maximum of two months after the last examination has been taken. If this is before the end of the funding period, the Studentenwerk must be informed immediately in writing. (see Studentenwerk Oldenburg)

Transition month: If there is only one month between the completion of the Bachelor's programme and the start of the Master's programme, this month can also be funded in accordance with § 15b BAföG. If the Bachelor's degree was completed in July and the Master's programme started in October, the funding for August and September would have to be repaid. (Information on request by email).

Transition to the Master's programme

The following applies to Master's applications in Oldenburg:
"You do not need a Bachelor's degree to apply for the first semester of a Master's programme. A grade certificate with at least 150 CP is sufficient. If you are admitted, you have until the end of the first Master's semester to submit your Bachelor's degree."
Zeitplan_Uebergang_Bachelor_Master.pdf

3. accompanying course for the Bachelor's thesis

The accompanying course (3 credit points) may vary depending on the working group. Often seminars are offered (e.g. "Anleitung zum wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten") or the usual working group seminar is used. These are announced in Stud.IP and participants register there. The exact requirements and the implementation of the seminar must be clarified with the supervisor.

In these seminars, it is customary to talk about and discuss work in progress. As a rule, Bachelor's theses are also discussed in this context and Bachelor's/Master's candidates report on the planning, progress and results of their theses. This is standard practice for academic work. There is no formal "defence" of the thesis or marking of a presentation at the end of the Bachelor's thesis. In the case of external supervisors/Bachelor's theses, participation in an accompanying seminar must be guaranteed by the university supervisor.

The seminars do not replace the continuous supervision of the thesis or individual discussions.

Participation in the Bachelor's thesis seminar is certified by the "Bachelor's module certificate" form. Please note that the certificate can only be submitted to the Examinations Office after the thesis has been registered, or the seminar may only be (formally) attended at this point. In practice, this may be regulated differently.

4 Contact persons for problems

Technical problems should first be discussed with the supervisor and members of the working group. If no internal solution can be found, student contact persons can be found in the Uwi Student council. Uninvolved lecturers or the student advisory service can be contacted in the same way as the members of the Uwi study committee. Formal contacts are the examining board or the study commission and the Dean's Office.

If non-subject-related problems arise during the Bachelor's thesis, such as discrimination or disadvantages, contact persons at the university can be reached. These liaison officers exist both in the student body and in the institutes of School V. All status groups are represented among the liaison officers in ICBM and IBU. They are not professionally trained, but regularly take part in training courses and are bound to confidentiality. Lisann Bierbaum is currently one of the trained liaison officers for the Student council Uwi.

Information on liaison officers on the ICBM website

5. sources and information

• Study regulations and forms (BPO, subject-specific annexes)
• List of authorised examiners for BSc Uw
• InfoPortal Studies: Theses
• Guidelines of good academic practice of the University of Oldenburg
• Student Services Oldenburg > BAföG
• GUVH statutory accident insurance cover around the university

Note on accident insurance

According to the current status, it must be assumed that students are NOT legally insured against accidents during external activities that are not directly supervised on site as part of their studies. This is also the case, for example, if field work or sampling is carried out independently without the direct presence of a supervisor. It is advisable to take out (possibly temporary) accident insurance. Laboratory work at the university, on the other hand, is subject to the applicable safety regulations. Students are generally covered by accident insurance. The Bachelor's thesis should also be registered in good time for insurance reasons.

Information from the German Social Accident Insurance DGUV:
Statutory accident insurance cover around the university