Some topics are posted here, but this list is never complete. Some topics continue readings, seminar presentations, or projects a student has done as class work or research assistant at the institute; those are developed together with the student.

Many students like to get a feeling for the final outcome. In this case, check out previous theses (see here). You are also welcome to stop by our Advanced Seminar (see here) where ongoing student projects are presented.

Each thesis project builds on an academic paper; you find the link to the paper under "Topic and main paper." Note that you might have to be on the campus network to access the paper.
If you are interested in the topic of the paper, you can apply for the project at the following address:
www.tuhh.de/sts/student-theses/application-thesis-project-work

In the text field of the form, please state briefly (in about one paragraph) what you find interesting about the paper. Adding own ideas for what specifically you wanted to do in the project, is not required but could  be a plus. Do not forget to introduce yourself  (also see below: "How to get in touch via Email").

If the webpage lists no open topics, you may still apply and indicate your interests.

We organize the thesis project so that it provides also a good opportunity to learn and practice project management.

Before a thesis is officially registered, the student and his or her supervisors agree on an initial work plan, time plan, and deliverables. That way it is ensured that the thesis goals are feasible and the thesis project can succeed. In the course of the work, the student and his or her supervisor will jointly and regularly revise the plans to reflect the current state of the work. 

For Bachelor theses and project theses, we offer a weekly meeting of up to 45 minutes plus an additional answer by email in the weeks 1-7; additionally, we offer one proofreading pass of the thesis report where we provide comments before the report is handed in officially. Further, we provide the opportunity of an intermediate presentation, which is a free shot that is not graded but which students can use as rehearsal for the final presentation and where they get early feedback (see here).

1. The student applies on the web page Application Thesis and Project Work. The application will be put on the agenda of the next internal meeting and the student receives an answer by email directly after that meeting, but at the latest after 3 weeks (possibly earlier). If accepted, the topic is reserved for the student and the acceptance notification contains all necessary information for the next steps.
2. If accepted, the student participates in a short general introduction session where we explain what is expected from a good time and work plan (see the previous paragraph) and provide the opportunity to ask general questions; we also explain everything else one needs to know for thesis or project work. The (online) introduction is given by a research staff member; the notification email contains more details.
3. Within one week after the introductory meeting the student contacts the designated supervisor to arrange for the first meeting. If we do not hear from the student in time, the topic will no longer be reserved.
4. After the first meeting with the designated supervisor, the student has up to four weeks time to prepare a time and work plan; the designated supervisor offers up to 2 meetings for help. If the time and work plan is not realistic at the end of that period, we no longer reserve the topic for the student.

You can apply any time, but it is advisable to plan ahead---if you wait until you feel like starting, it could be that no topic is available. It is not uncommon that students approach the teachers at the end of a course to indicate their tentative interest, even if they do not want to take up the thesis work right away or are still exploring options.

The reports use Latex, a widely used open-source typesetting system, and can be written in English or German. You can find a template and the STS Logo on our Services page (here).

The number of pages of a thesis is not fixed but depends on the kind of problem or research question. Previous theses can give good hints, see here.

The institute subscribes to the goals of the Open Science policy at TUHH, which is part of the Hamburg Open Science initiative.

Below are links that help you to avoid some mistakes
https://www.scribendi.com/advice/how_to_email_a_professor.en.htm
https://wissenschafts-thurm.de/wie-man-professoren-eine-e-mail-schreibt