Final Theses
In order to ensure the quality and consistency of final theses prepared at our Chair of Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, we have established certain guidelines. The following sections outline the process from the prerequisites to the completion of the work.
To be eligible to prepare a final thesis, you must meet the requirements specified in the examination regulations applicable to your study program.
In addition, the following requirements apply at the Chair of Business Administration, Supply Chain Management:
- Coursework: You must have successfully completed at least one of the Bachelor's or Master's courses offered at the Chair.
The application for a final thesis at the Chair of Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, is exclusively submitted through the online form and serves as a registration for the mandatory seminar.
Application Deadlines
| Final thesis | Deadline for application |
|---|---|
| summer term (SS) | February 28th |
| winter term (WS) | August 31st |
The deadlines apply to all final theses (announced topics, initiative topics, and practice works).
Announced Topics: 1-Page Exposé
- If the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of the Chair, the Chair reserves the right to select applicants based on their academic progress (typically completed courses at the Chair) and the quality of their submitted exposé.
- The exposé for determining the topic of your final thesis must include the following sections, clearly structured and scientifically sound: Motivation and Thematic Context (Why this chair and this topic?) as well as further Specification of the Research Project (What will be investigated?).
- At the end of the online form, all applicants must upload a 1-page exposé (text only, excluding title page and bibliography).
- This exposé serves as evidence of your scientific interest and competence in dealing with one of our research focuses. It is not the final topic of your thesis, but a thematic working sample that is part of the selection process.
- If you have applied for an announced topic (1-page exposé), you will receive your specific topic after successful confirmation. The announced topics are aligned with the research focuses of the Chair and its staff.
- Research focuses for the upcoming semester
- Smart Circular Business Model,
- Sustainability and Digital Product Pass,
- Carbon Accounting in the Supply Chain,
- Supply Chain Resilience,
- Digital Platforms in the Supply Chain,
- Risk Management, and New Space Technologies.
Initiative Topics / Practice Works: 3-Page Exposé
- The proposal or practice work must be aligned with the specific research focuses of the Chair or the scientific staff (see here).
- A 3-page exposé (text only, excluding title page and bibliography) must be submitted:
- Introduction (ca. 0.5 pages): Explanation of how the topic fits into a research focus of a Chair staff member.
- Possible theoretical foundations (ca. 0.5-1 page): On which the work is based.
- Methodology/Approach (ca. 0.5-1 page): With which the research questions are answered.
- Expected results (ca. 0.5 pages): For science and practice.
Supervision and Further Information
- A supervision confirmation or rejection will be sent after the expiration of the respective application deadline. Upon confirmation, you will also receive an invitation to the seminar "Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten im Rahmen der Bachelor-/Masterarbeit".
- Attendance at this seminar is mandatory for writing the final thesis at the Chair.
- The seminar must be taken in the same semester in which the final thesis is created.
- The seminar content provides an overview of the formal and content-related requirements for a successful final thesis at the Chair.
- Schedule for the Winter Semester 2025/2026 (subject to change):
- Term 1: Monday, October 15, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (F21/03.83)
- Term 2: Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (F21/03.83)
- Term 3: Wednesday, November 26, 2025, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (F21/03.83)
- Depending on the topic chosen, a supervisor will be assigned to the student, and this will be communicated in the seminar.
The process following a successful application is structured as follows:
1. Topic Allocation:
- Advertised topic: After attending the first term of the seminar, the admitted students send an email to abschlussarbeiten.bwl-scm(at)uni-bamberg.de with a list of preferred topics.
- Subsequently, the topics are allocated and the respective supervisor is announced.
- The Chair strives to take into account your preferences.
- Initiative Topics/Practice Works: The supervisor is informed to the students during the allocation of the announced topics. A list of preferences is not necessary.
2. Registration with the Examination Office
- Within a specified timeframe (typically around 4 weeks) after attending the 1st term of the seminar, the final thesis is registered with the Examination Office.
3. Work Period and Colloquium/Oral Presentation
| Type of work | Period | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's thesis | 2 month | Oral Presentation after submission (ca. 20 minutes presentation of results, 10 minutes Q&A) |
| Master's thesis | 4 month | Oral Presentation around the middle of the work period (ca. 20 minutes presentation of methodology, intermediate results, planned approach, 10 minutes Q&A) |
4. Time Schedule (Orientation)
| Date/Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| by February 28th or August 31st | Application deadline via online form (with expose) |
| After application deadline | Supervision confirmation/rejection via email |
| First semester week | First seminar term (introduction to topics) |
| After first term | Submission of topic preference list |
| Around 4 weeks after first term | Registration with the Examination Office |
| After 2 months processing time | Submission and oral presentation for Bachelor’s/Oral presentation Master’s |
| After 2 months processing time | Submission of Master’s thesis |
Queries
Any queries please direct to the following email address: abschlussarbeiten.bwl-scm(at)uni-bamberg.de
Please also note the current announcements of the Chair.