You can view all important information about your thesis (topic author, first and second asessor, thesis topic, topic announcement/start date, latest submission date) in KLIPS under "Meine Leistungen" -> "Abschlussarbeit". If a request for an extension of the submission deadline is granted, the changed date will be entered here within three working days of receipt. After receipt of the evaluation, it will also be published there.

•     Here you will find the Deadline extension request form
•     Here you will find the template for a medical certificate

1. Entry requirements

The admission requirements and deadlines are regulated in the respective examination regulations:

ER 2015

Bachelor of Business Administration

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis.  The topic of the Bachelor's thesis must be taken from one of the areas Accounting and Taxation, Corporate Development, Finance, Marketing as well as Supply Chain Management, the area Interdisciplinary Business Administration, the area General Business Administration or a specialisation module according to § 29 Paragraph 4 Nos. 8 to 23 PO. The prerequisite for admission to a Bachelor's thesis in one of the areas or in the area of Interdisciplinary Business Administration is the successful completion of a Bachelor's seminar in the corresponding area or in the area of Interdisciplinary Business Administration. The processing time for the Bachelor's thesis is a maximum of 12 weeks starting with the issue of the topic.

Bachelor of Economics

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis in the Economics degree programme must apply methods of economics learned during the degree programme. The processing time for the Bachelor's thesis is a maximum of 12 weeks beginning with the issue of the topic.

Bachelor of Economics in the Social Sciences

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis in the programme Economics in the Social Sciences must apply methods from the field of economics or social sciences learned during the programme. The processing time for the Bachelor's thesis is a maximum of 12 weeks starting with the issue of the topic.

Bachelor Social Sciences

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis in the degree programme Social Sciences must be taken from one of the groups in the supplementary or specialisation area. The processing time for the Bachelor's thesis is a maximum of 12 weeks beginning with the issue of the topic.

Bachelor of Health Economics

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis must be taken from one of the groups Health Economics or Health Economics Methods from the basic and advanced area or Economics from the supplementary area or the specialisation area. The processing time for the Bachelor's thesis is a maximum of 12 weeks beginning with the issue of the topic.

Bachelor of Information Systems

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis must have a clear reference to business informatics. The processing time for the Bachelor's thesis is a maximum of 12 weeks starting with the issue of the topic.

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Master Business Administration

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis in the Business Administration degree programme must be taken from the specialisation area or the group of the supplementary area taken by the examination candidate. If the topic is assigned to the supplementary area, the examination candidate must have already acquired 18 LP in the supplementary area. The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 6 months starting with the issue of the topic.

Master Economics

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must apply methods of economics learned during the course of study. The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 6 months starting with the issue of the topic.

Master Health Economics

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must be taken from the basic or advanced area or the focus area. The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 6 months starting with the issue of the topic.

Master Information Systems

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must have a clear reference to business information systems. The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 6 months starting with the issue of the topic.

Master Political Science

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis in the degree programme Political Science must be taken from the focus area or the group of the supplementary area taken by the examination candidate. The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 6 months starting with the issue of the topic.

Master Sociology and Social Research

Candidates who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis in the degree programme Sociology and Social Research must be taken from the focus area or one of the groups of the supplementary area taken by the examination candidate. Students who have successfully completed the Sociology research seminar may apply to write the Master's thesis. If the topic is assigned to the supplementary area, the examination candidate must have already acquired 18 LP in the supplementary area; in addition, the group to which the Master's thesis is assigned must have already been successfully completed. The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 6 months starting with the issue of the topic.

Master International Management

The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 3 months starting with the issue of the topic.

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ER 2021

Bachelor of Business Administration

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic must be taken from one of the areas Accounting and Taxation, Corporate Development, Finance, Marketing as well as Supply Chain Management, the area Interdisciplinary Business Administration or the area General Business Administration. Prerequisite for admission to a Bachelor's thesis in one of the areas or in the area of Interdisciplinary Business Administration is the successful completion of a Bachelor's seminar in the corresponding area or in the area of Interdisciplinary Business Administration.

Bachelor of Social Sciences

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis in the Social Sciences programme must be taken from one of the groups in the specialisation area according to § 30, Paragraph 1.

Bachelor of Economics

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write their Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis in the Economics degree programme must have a clear reference to economics and apply methods learned in the Economics degree programme.

Bachelor of Business Information Systems

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis in Business Information Systems must have a clear connection to Business Information Systems.

Bachelor Management, Economics and Social Sciences

Students who have acquired at least 108 LP may apply to write the Bachelor's thesis.

Bachelor Health Economics

Students who have acquired at least 100 LP may apply to write their Bachelor's thesis. The topic of the Bachelor's thesis must have a clear reference to health economics.

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Master Business Administration

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. In these degree programmes, the topic of the Master's thesis must be taken from the focus area or the group of the supplementary area taken by the examination candidate. If the topic is assigned to the supplementary area, the examination candidate must have already acquired 18 LP in the supplementary area.

Master Economics

Candidates who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must apply methods of economics learned during the course of study.

Master Economic Research

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must apply methods of economics learned during the course of study.

Master Information Systems

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must have a clear reference to information systems.

Master International Management

The processing time for the Master's thesis is a maximum of 3 months starting with the issue of the topic.

Master Political Science

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must have a clear reference to methods or contents of political science.

Master Sociology: Social and Economic Psychology

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the Master's thesis must be taken from the focus area or the area of Sociology: Social and Economic Psychology. Students who have successfully completed the specialisation module Research Seminar Social and Economic Psychology may apply to write the Master's thesis.

Master Sociology: Social Research

Students who have acquired at least 60 LP may apply to write the Master's thesis. The topic of the master's thesis must be taken from the specialisation area or the area of Sociology: Social and Social Research. Students who have successfully completed the specialisation module Research Seminar Social Research may apply to write the Master's thesis. If the topic is assigned to the supplementary area, the examination candidate must have already acquired 18 LP in the supplementary area; in addition, the group to which the Master's thesis is assigned must have already been successfully completed.

Master Business Analytics & Econometrics
Students who have earned at least 60 LP may apply to write the master's thesis.

2. Procedure

Registration for the final thesis

In order to be able to take a final thesis (Bachelor's or Master's thesis), you must register directly with an examiner of your choice or one who has been assigned to you by a distribution procedure of the faculty. Please note that the Examinations Office is not responsible for assigning topic examiners via an allocation procedure. Therefore, please contact the office responsible for this in good time if you have any queries.

The topic and the start of work on the topic are determined by the topic provider. You will be informed of the start date by the topic provider. In addition, the relevant information on the thesis will be posted in the campus management system (KLIPS) after the details have been sent to the examination office. Please note that it is only in the context of this notification that it will be checked whether you meet the admission requirements, which you will find further up the page.

At the time of registration, you must be enrolled in the degree program in which you wish to take the final thesis.

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Submission of the thesis to the examination office

The thesis must be submitted to the Examination Office by the deadline set.

Please note that you must be enrolled in the degree program in which you wish to submit your thesis on the day you submit it.

According to the decision of the Joint Examination Committee, a submission can be made in an electronic version protected against unintentional alteration in portable document format (PDF) via the WiSo Inbox. The file may only contain the cover sheet, the text of the thesis and an overview of the resources used, in particular the literature sources used. If the topic proposer requires additional data on the work (e.g. tools used), these are to be sent directly to the examiner in consultation with them. Please refrain from submitting the thesis more than once. Only the version submitted first will be considered.

In addition, the paper can still be submitted to the Examination Office in the form of a printed version (hard bound) and an electronic version (electronic version in portable document format (PDF) protected against unintentional alteration). This can be done by dropping it in the mailbox in front of the WiSo Student Service Point. Alternatively, you can hand in the paper on site during the opening hours of the WiSo Student Service Point or send it by mail to the Examination Office. In this case, the date of the postmark will be considered as the date of receipt (please note that a so-called free postmark does not bear such a date, which can be used to prove the date of dispatch!).

If the thesis is submitted in paper form, the corresponding electronic version must be enclosed on a CD or DVD. So-called ring bindings, a submission in a loose-leaf binder or similar are not permitted. The CD or DVD must be glued directly into the paper version of the thesis using an appropriate paper or plastic sleeve. The data CD or DVD, or the sleeve it is in, must be clearly labeled with the student's name, first name, and matriculation number. The submission of other storage media, e.g. a USB data stick, is not possible. The data carrier may only contain the cover sheet, the text of the paper as well as an overview of the aids used, in particular literature sources used. If the topic proposer requires additional data on the work (e.g. tools used), these must be sent directly to the examiner in consultation with the latter.

The submission of theses in electronic form via the WiSo-Inbox is recommended.

If you submit your thesis via the recommended portal WiSo-Inbox, you will receive a confirmation of the submission of one or more files. You will receive this confirmation as an e-mail. The same process also remains visible to you in your dash board of the WiSo-Inbox portal as a successful transfer. This is not a confirmation from the examination office that your thesis has been received in full and on time. It only confirms that one or more file(s) have been successfully transferred.

Further written confirmation of the submission of the thesis is not possible. The submission of the thesis is usually recorded in KLIPS within three working days at the latest and the thesis is then forwarded to the examiner for correction. From this point on, you can view this in KLIPS and there in the application 'meine Leistungen' and then by clicking on the title of the thesis as well as in your Transcript of Records. You will not receive a separate notification.

The thesis submitted to the Examinations Office will only be passed on to the persons authorized to do so under examination law or administrative law (in principle, the topic author, the second examiner and persons appointed by them, and the staff of the Examination Committee). A special declaration that the work may not be passed on to third parties is therefore not required.

If a confidentiality agreement with a third party (e.g. a company providing data for a thesis) provides for restrictions on the processing of the thesis, such as a ban on storing the thesis for the purpose of a plagiarism check, the student must notify the topic provider of this before the topic of the thesis is determined. At the latest with the notification of the topic, the topic proposer must inform the examination office of the special requirements.

As a matter of principle, the candidate as author is entitled to the exploitation rights of a thesis. However, exploitation - for example publication, submission to a competition, passing on to other persons or institutions - can only take place after written notification of the result. Coordination with the topic author is also strongly recommended, even if the examination procedure has been completed, as the examiner's rights may also be affected by the publication.

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In what form must the thesis be submitted?

Each paper must contain a list of the aids used, in particular the literature sources used. If the examiner has not specified any requirements, you can use the template provided here for the cover sheet of the paper.

An affidavit must be attached to each thesis.

To submit the affidavit, please use the form available here. Sign the first page and then submit it separately from the thesis. The second page is for your information.

Please note that this assurance must be submitted in German even if the rest of the thesis was written in English.

Since a false affirmation in lieu of an oath constitutes a criminal offence, in the event of an act of deception, the Joint Examination Committee must make a mandatory decision as to whether criminal charges should be brought by the Legal Office of the University of Cologne. In order to avoid acts of deception, you should urgently follow the respective guidelines of the chair/institute/seminar of the topic writer for writing academic papers.

A thesis that is not submitted on time or in the correct form is deemed to have been assessed with the grade "deficient".

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Announcement of the evaluation of the thesis

The result of the thesis is entered in KLIPS shortly after receipt of the review and can be viewed there from this point on. As a rule, the evaluation of the thesis must be known within eight weeks after submission of the thesis. There is no separate written notification.

3. Extension of the processing time of a thesis or return of the topic

The examination regulations stipulate that the processing time of a thesis can be extended by up to four weeks (Bachelor's thesis) or up to one month (Master's thesis International Management) or up to two months (Master's thesis in all other Master's programs) in justified cases. An extension beyond this is excluded. If, according to the provisions listed below, possible reasons for extension still exist, a withdrawal from the thesis can be applied for. The decision on the existence of such an individual case is incumbent upon the chairperson of the Joint Examination Committee.

At its meeting on 04.07.2022, the Joint Examination Committee decided on the following framework within which the chairperson makes this individual case decision:

An individual case to be taken into account is first of all when there is a longer lasting restriction of the student's ability to perform relevant to examination law.

An application for an extension of the deadline must be made immediately, without culpable delay, at the latest after the expiry of the respective reason. A request made no later than three business days after the reason no longer applies is considered to have been made without delay. In addition, an application must be submitted no later than the last day of the currently valid processing period. If a medical certificate is not available at that time, it may be submitted later.

Medical certificates attesting to an inability to take an examination for a period of more than two weeks after the date of issue can only be accepted in justified exceptional cases. In order to eliminate uncertainties about approvability, an application can also be submitted in the meantime, i.e. before the ability to perform has been restored.

The extension of the processing period is intended to compensate a student for the time disadvantage that occurs as a result of the above-mentioned incidents. Overcompensation must be avoided at all costs. Rather, strict attention must be paid to ensuring that only a reason defined by the examination regulations as compensable is used for an extension and that this reason is sufficiently proven. This also applies for the compelling reason of equal treatment of all students, because the examination performance with an extended deadline must still be comparable to work with a non-extended deadline.

In the event of an extension of the deadline, you will receive a notification stating the extended deadline and the period for which the processing time is or has been suspended. If you continue to work on your thesis during this period, this constitutes an attempt to cheat and will result in the thesis being graded as unsatisfactory (5.0).

The student must submit all supporting documents necessary for a decision to the chairperson of the examination board.

In order to facilitate the explanation in the case of an application for an extension of the deadline for the submission of a thesis due to illness and the obtaining of a medical certificate of an inability to take the examination, the Examination Office has prepared two forms:

• extension request form
• template for a medical certificate

Certificates can be issued on the form. There is no obligation to use the form. The decisive factor is not the use of the form, but that the required information are made on the part of the examinee within the specified time period and the medical certificate contains the necessary information of the examining physician (name of the doctor, doctor's stamp, signature of the doctor, date of issue, date of the last examination, period for which the impairment of performance was determined, brief description of the symptoms causing the impairment by the physician, confirmation that the doctor has taken note of the requirements of the examination law for determining the existence of a limitation of performance in the case of a thesis).

If the medical certificate certifies a restriction of performance for more than 14 days after the last examination, the doctor must explain in detail on the basis of which special circumstances such a prognosis is made.

A further reason for an individual case, which can justify the extension of a Master's thesis (does not apply to Bachelor's theses), is given if circumstances exist, which impair the examination candidate to a considerable extent in the completion of the examination performance, are not the responsibility of the candidate and are directly linked to the content of the Master's thesis. This is the case, for example, if data essential for writing the Master's thesis is not available at the agreed time, if interviews that are absolutely necessary take place late, or if tools that are important for writing the thesis and that have been promised are not available at the agreed time. In such a case, a written request must also be submitted to the Examination Office immediately, within three working days and at the latest before the end of the current processing period.

A deadline extension form can be used here.

In such a case, in addition to a detailed, freely formulated description of the reasons, it is mandatory to submit a certificate from the topic author confirming the existence of the stated reasons and a recommendation for the duration of a possible extension.

Irrespective of possible reasons, the deadline for a Bachelor's thesis can be extended by a maximum of four weeks and for a Master's thesis by a maximum of two months (in the Master's program International Management by a maximum of one month). In the case of a prolonged restriction of the ability to take examinations or other of the above-mentioned circumstances, only the return of the topic of the thesis can be considered.  The request for the return of the topic of a thesis must be submitted no later than on the last day of the (already extended) deadline for submission.

Applications for an extension of the deadline for a thesis or return of the topic of the thesis should be submitted via the WiSo Inbox.

4. Inspection and reconsideration

Students have the right to inspect the documents relating to the assessment of a thesis they have written and, if necessary, to submit an application for reconsideration of an assessment. The regulations decided by the Joint Examination Committee apply (in particular Nos. 16 and 18), which are published here.

5. Electronic checking of written examinations according to § 23 Para. 5 ER

Written examination performances such as theses can be electronically checked by examiners for unmarked text copies. Electronic checking also includes the use of written examination performances for the purpose of comparison with written examination performances of third parties, provided there is a factual connection between the examination performances.

At its meeting on 19.07.2021, the Joint Examination Committee decided on the following regulations:

• All written examination performances according to § 21 PO (Bachelor's and Master's theses) as well as according to § 12 para. 3 letter b (homework) can be examined electronically.

•  The examination board uses the administrative assistant PlagScan.

•  The texts may only be forwarded to the administrative assistant by the examiner without directly identifying data of the students, such as name and address. Transmission under pseudonymisation (in particular matriculation or examination number) is permitted.

• The use of the plagiarism software must not be arbitrary. The usage scenario must be determined and documented before the software is used. Only the following criteria may be considered:

  • Only work that is suspected of cheating is checked electronically. The suspicion must be documented.

  • Only randomly determined samples and suspicious cases are checked electronically. The type of sample determination must be documented.

  • Every piece of work is checked.

• The retention periods shall be in accordance with section 26, paragraph 4, sentence PO. Any storage with the administrative assistant that goes beyond this requires an explicit licence agreement with the examinee. The permission to use this must have been granted to the university voluntarily and may not be a prerequisite for registering for or submitting an examination.

The examined papers may only be uploaded to the administrative assistant in such a way that they can be viewed by the examiner. The examined papers may only be made accessible to third parties (e.g. the service provider, other examiners) for the purpose of future examinations with the express permission of the examinee. This permission must be given voluntarily and must not be a prerequisite for registering for or submitting an examination. In addition, the use by third parties must be permitted under data protection law (e.g. if personal data has been collected by consent of the persons concerned to publication or by effective anonymisation of the personal data used).

The listed regulations apply to the use of any electronic tool, i.e. not only the use of the administrative assistant, but also, for example, the use of internet search engines.