Final Thesis #

Here you will find the formal requirements for your thesis – from choosing the topic to receiving the certificate. An interactive overview is provided in this presentation.

Topic #

The topic of the thesis (Bachelor or Master) is determined in consultation with a supervisor. You can also propose your own topic, but there is no guarantee that this suggestion will be accepted.

To find a suitable topic, contact a faculty member or lecturer from the Department of Geography. You can use the department’s website to identify a research lab that matches your interests. Some labs post topic suggestions or lists of completed theses on their websites. It’s also a good idea to attend the research colloquia organized by individual labs early on. These sessions provide insight into current projects and other theses, and offer an excellent opportunity to network. If you have difficulty selecting a topic, reach out to your academic advisor for guidance.

Once the topic has been chosen, the thesis must be registered with the examination office. Within the first two weeks of the writing period, students may withdraw from the topic without providing a reason. This withdrawal is permitted only once per examination attempt.

Thesis examiners #

Theses are evaluated by two examiners (primary examiner and secondary examiner), who must be approved by the examination committee. The primary examiner is usually the person who assigned the topic of the thesis. They are also typically responsible for supervising the thesis. At least one examiner must be a professor. A list of qualified thesis examiners for theses at the Department of Geography can be found on the examination office’s website (Scroll near the bottom of the page. Under the heading Abschlussarbeiten, you will find a link titled Liste der prüfungsberechtigten Personen.).

External Examiners #

The approval of examiners who are not on the list of qualified examiners must be requested from the examination committee together with the application for thesis admission. When involving an external examiner, the following documents must be submitted:

• A brief explanation that no other faculty member with this expertise is available for evaluation. Please use the application form from the examination committee.
• A signed CV of the external examiner, showing the required competence and qualifications (pdf).
• Application for approval and assignment of a thesis topic (signed by both examiners).

Registration and Admission #

To officially register your thesis, submit the application for approval and assignment of a thesis topic, signed by you and both of your examiners, personally to the examination office. Registration can also be done by mail or as a PDF via email from your HU account. Important: The application can only be submitted once the requirements of the respective examination regulations are met.

Upon admission to the thesis by the examination committee, the requested topic becomes binding. A return of the topic is possible once within the first two weeks of the writing period without giving any reason. The specific title can be changed at any time without an application.

Language #

The thesis can be written in German or English. Exceptions are decided by the examination committee before the topic is assigned upon written request. In the Master’s program in Global Change Geography, the thesis must be written in English.

Format #

When writing the thesis, which should be 1.5-line spaced, make sure that there is a margin of about 25 mm on the left and right. A line should contain about 65 characters, and a page should have around 33 lines. Pages should be numbered consecutively. Printing can be double-sided. The length of the thesis depends on the specific examination regulations.

The copies of the thesis can be submitted with a hard cover (softcover or hardcover) or spiral binding.

Cover Page #

Please use this template for the cover page. If the first page or the binding of the thesis is intended to have a content-related design, the actual “cover page” may also be the second page of the thesis. The HU logo should not be used on the cover page.

Declaration of Independence #

Each thesis must include a signed declaration of independence. This document certifies that the submitted work was completed independently and that all sources of information have been clearly cited. This declaration must be included as the last page of the thesis, with an original signature and date.

Thesis Period and Extension #

The duration of the thesis period is determined by the specific examination regulations. It begins on the day following the official notification of the topic by the examination committee. The binding submission date will be communicated by the examination committee in the admission notice. Adherence to the designated thesis period is a requirement for passing the examination, and extensions may be granted only under exceptional circumstances.

Extension for Medical Reasons #

In the event of illness during the thesis period, students may apply for an extension. A medical certificate must be submitted to the examination committee. To apply for an extension due to medical reasons, please use the following form for extending the thesis.

Further information and regulations regarding sick leave in examination matters can be found on the examination office’s website. Regulations for failing to meet examination requirements can be found in §107 of the Interdisciplinary Regulations Governing Admission, Study, and Examinations at Humboldt University of Berlin (ZSP-HU).

Extension for Content-Related Reasons #

If an extension of the thesis period is necessary for content-related reasons, please submit the following documents:

• The signed form for extending the thesis with justification.
• A signed statement from the supervisor, explaining in detail:
  • What measures have been taken to ensure completion of the thesis before the deadline.
  • Why these measures were unsuccessful.
  • What new measures will be implemented within the requested extension period to ensure successful completion of the thesis.

Further applications are possible.

Students are required to retain and handle their research data with due care. The loss of data due to file overwriting, damaged or misplaced (external) storage devices, server errors, or similar technical issues arising from privately used or non-HU services does not constitute valid grounds for an extension of the thesis period.

Submission #

The completed thesis must be submitted in three printed copies and digitally (via email, download link, or USB stick) to the examination office or by mail. Discuss with your examiners what additional data should be submitted. The format and content must be identical in all copies.

The binding submission date will be communicated in the admission notice. The thesis must be submitted by the submission deadline (final deadline) after the appointment (Tel. 2093-6837) at the examination office or sent by email to pruefungsbuero.geographie@hu-berlin.de. If you send the thesis by mail, the date of the postmark will count. Please note that failure to meet the deadline without justification results in the thesis being marked as “failed.”

If the final submission day falls on a Sunday, a public holiday in Berlin, or a Saturday, the next working day will count instead. A working day is generally any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal public holiday. Therefore, if the last day of the submission period falls on a Saturday, you can submit your thesis on the following Monday or mail it (the postmark date applies).

Defense #

In the subject-specific examination regulations, it may be specified that a thesis must be orally defended. The written thesis must be passed in order for the defense to take place. The defense must be registered with the “Module Final Exam Registration” form at the examination office. Typically, the defense is held before the examiners who evaluated the thesis. It is open to the public if the student does not object.

Evaluation, Passing, and Failing #

Bachelor theses are typically evaluated within five weeks, and Master’s and other theses within eight weeks after submission. In addition to the grade, each examiner must provide a written report explaining their evaluation. Once the reports are available, you can view them at the examination office. A grade of 4.0 or better is considered “passed.” A grade worse than 4.0 means “insufficient” or “failed.” Since the thesis is evaluated by two examiners, the final grade is the arithmetic average of the two assigned grades. If the individual grades differ by more than two grades, or if at least one of the examiners gives an “insufficient” grade, a third examiner is appointed by the examination committee. Typically, the arithmetic average is recalculated based on all three evaluations. If the final grade for the thesis is “insufficient” (average worse than 4.0), the thesis is considered failed. It can be repeated once. If the repetition is also failed, the thesis is definitively failed, and the studies cannot be successfully completed.