Final Module in the Master's Program M.Sc. Business Administration

The application for the master's thesis must be submitted once all modules required for admission to the master's thesis according to the subject-specific regulations have been successfully completed, and the number of semesters allotted for these modules has been exceeded (§ 14 Abs. 2 of the Examination Regulations).

How many ECTS credits must be at least obtained?

Applicants must have successfully completed modules totaling at least 45 ECTS credits to apply for the master's thesis (§ 14 Abs. 2 sentence 1 of the subject-specific regulations).

When is the latest time to apply for admission?

Once at least 90 ECTS credits have been obtained within the specified curriculum structure and the fourth semester has been completed, the application for the master's thesis must be submitted immediately. The thesis must then be registered and started within four weeks. This four-week period begins from the deadline for the announcement of grades after the examination period in which the student achieved the 90 ECTS credits.

All relevant deadlines, including the grade announcement cutoff date, can be found in the semester-specific schedule on the Academic Office website under: Dates and Deadlines 

• Students must be enrolled at the University of Hamburg at the time of registration for the master's thesis, during the processing period, and upon submission.
• Part-time study is not permitted in the semester in which the thesis is scheduled (according to § 4 Abs. 5 of the Examination Regulations).
• Admission to the master's thesis can be granted during a leave of absence semester.

The master’s thesis is generally recommended to be completed in the 4th semester and can be written in the "Methods" area or in one of the two specialization subjects chosen by the students. However, no strict, uniform schedule for registration is specified. Students are advised to check with the instructors of their chosen specialization whether particular timeframes are preferred. Before registering, students should contact their supervisors to discuss and agree on a topic for the master’s thesis.

Students must register their master’s thesis using the form "Application for Admission to the Master’s Thesis (M.Sc. Business Administration)"

Students complete and sign the form and then send it to the Academic Office via email at to verify the minimum requirement of 45 ECTS credits. Once the Academic Office confirms receipt by email, students then contact the examiners with whom they had the preliminary discussion to agree on the topic, the start date of work, and other framework conditions. After consulting with the students, the examiners formulate the topic of the master’s thesis and record it on the form. The topic is then officially announced to the students, and the date of the announcement is entered on the form along with the examiner’s signature. This date, when the students are informed of the topic, marks the start of the six-month processing period for the thesis. The fully completed form is forwarded to the Academic Office. Once registered, the topic of the thesis may not be changed during the ongoing processing period (this applies even to title translations into another language). The master’s thesis topic, start date, and due date will be communicated to students separately via a STiNE notification from the Academic Office.

Return of the Topic

The topic can only be returned once, within the first four weeks after it has been issued, and only with justified reason. If you wish to return your thesis topic, you must submit a justified application to the Head of the Examination Board within the specified deadline and also submit it to the Academic Office on time.

Withdrawal of the Topic

The supervising person can also withdraw the thesis topic upon justified request if working on it is not feasible for academic reasons. In case of doubt, the Head of the Examination Board makes the final decision.

Please note

After returning or withdrawing the topic, a new topic must be issued immediately, but no later than within four weeks (according to §14 Abs. 5 Satz 3 of the Examination Regulations).

If an extension of the processing period for the master’s thesis is needed, a request must be submitted using the form "Form for Proof of Incapacity to Take the Exam – Thesis" to the Head of the Examination Board.

The thesis can be extended by a maximum of four weeks (except in cases of exceptional hardship), according to §14 Abs. 7 of the Examination Regulations. In case of illness, a qualified medical certificate (see §14 Abs. 7 of the Examination Regulations) must be submitted immediately at the service point of the Academic Office or sent immediately by post to the BWL Academic Office (Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg). Timeliness is maintained if the certificate is submitted no later than seven days after issuance, either at the Academic Office or by post (the date on the postmark or receipt is decisive). Submitting only a certificate of incapacity for work (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) is not permitted. Qualified medical certificates are periodically reviewed by the Head of the Examination board for approval. The extension of the processing period will then be visible in STiNE. If the student does not receive a decision by the current valid deadline, they assume the risk of a possible late submission. To meet deadlines, an electronic preliminary version (PDF file) can be submitted via email to the Academic Office. Additional Extension for Child Illness In case of illness of a child up to 12 years old, an extension of an additional 10 days can be requested upon presentation of appropriate proof. Further details are available at the BWL Academic Office. Even in this case, the extension of the processing period and the new submission date will be visible in STiNE.

• The document should have the DIN A4 format.
• The scope of the thesis should be discussed with the supervisors.
• The thesis can be written in German or English. Switching languages within the document is not permitted.
• The first page of the thesis must be blank. The following cover page should include: - Title of the master’s thesis - Name, matriculation number, and degree program of the author - Name of the examiner / first reviewer - The date of submission approved at the time of registration

The last page of the thesis must contain a handwritten declaration affirming that the work was created solely with the sources and aids listed (according to §14 Abs. 8 of the examination regulations). The statement must be exactly as follows in German, even if the thesis is written in English:

„Ich versichere an Eides statt, dass ich die vorstehende Arbeit eigenständig verfasst und mich anderer als der im beigefügten Verzeichnis angegebenen Hilfsmittel nicht bedient habe. Alle Stellen, die wörtlich oder sinngemäß aus Veröffentlichungen übernommen wurden, sind als solche kenntlich gemacht. Alle Internetquellen sind der Arbeit beigefügt. Des Weiteren versichere ich, dass ich die Arbeit vorher nicht in einem anderen Prüfungsverfahren eingereicht habe.“

Any form of plagiarism constitutes a violation of this sworn declaration. It is considered an offense under § 156 of the German Criminal Code and may be prosecuted accordingly.

The thesis must meet academic standards in its formal presentation (citation style, etc.). Please also refer to the University of Hamburg’s statutes for ensuring good scientific practice.

Additionally, please review the information sheets on the use of AI tools, which can be downloaded from the following link.

Students have a period of six months to complete their master's thesis. This results in a binding deadline for submission.

The deadline is considered to have been met if the master's thesis is submitted to the study office on the specified deadline or posted in the mailbox of the BWL Academic Office by midnight. If the submission deadline for the master's thesis falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday, the thesis must still be submitted by midnight on the specified submission date (see also §31 (3) of the HmbVWVf) by placing it in the mailbox of the BWL Academic Office.

If the thesis is sent by post to the BWL Academic Office, the date of the postmark shall be considered the date of submission, and the burden of proof for the delivery of the master's thesis lies with the examinee.

Students shall submit (in accordance with §14 (8) of the examination regulations) three written copies of the master's thesis and three copies on an electronic data carrier (preferably on USB sticks) to the Business Administration Study Office or send the thesis by mail to the BWL Academic Office. The submission shall be recorded by the examination office.

If the submission deadline is missed, the master's thesis will be graded as “unsatisfactory” (5.0).

Assessment of the Thesis

According to §14 Abs. 10 of the examination regulations, the evaluation of the master’s thesis should be done by both examiners immediately but no later than three months after submission. In cases of a high number of examination procedures or for similar objective reasons, a longer evaluation period may be permitted.

Repetition of the Thesis

If the overall grade is “not sufficient” (5.0), the master’s thesis can be repeated once. The repeat must be applied for and officially registered within four weeks after the notification of the negative result, and the work must be recommenced accordingly (see §14 Abs. 11 of the examination regulations).

This requires re-approval and a new registration of the thesis, so that the six-month processing period for the second attempt begins again at the end of the above-mentioned deadline.