Theses
From a research proposal to a successfully handed-in thesis.
- DE - Bitte beachten: Detaillierte Informationen zur Anmeldung erhalten Sie auf den ISC-Seiten
- EN - Please note: Detailed information on the handing-in process is available on the ISC-Sites.
Quick-Info
Bachelor's Thesis
- Prior to the Application
- When applying for the opportunity to undertake a bachelor's thesis at our institute, you can specify at least two topic preferences. These selections should be made from the provided tasks in the topic pool. Alternatively, you can propose your own specific topic. In doing so, please provide not only the title of the chosen topic but also a paragraph outlining the motivation, objectives, and scope of the study. For each self-proposed topic, two relevant introductory sources should be cited. To find topics, you can refer to recent articles published in leading accounting journals (e.g., Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, European Accounting Review, or Accounting, Organizations and Society), as well as the research interests of the academic staff listed on our institute's website. Please note that we can only consider self-proposed topics if you indicate them during the application process. If you have questions regarding your own topic idea, please contact Dr. Katharina Weiß. For administrative inquiries, please reach out to the institute management (Ms. Evelyn Gräfin Pachta). We will strive to accommodate your topic preferences but cannot guarantee this definitively.
- Application
- An application can be submitted online six times per year (on the 1st of January, March, May, July, September, and November). Please specify the exact titles of the topics from the topic pool when applying. Additionally, the following documents (compiled) should be submitted via email to rwp@som.lmu.de: Transcript of records (including proof of successful participation in a main seminar; we recommend the seminar "Accounting, Auditing & Analysis"), Curriculum Vitae (CV), and if applicable, information about the motivation, objectives, and scope of the chosen topic, as well as relevant introductory sources for self-proposed topics.
- Admission
- After reviewing your application, you will receive either an acceptance or rejection of supervision from the department, and if accepted, you will be assigned to a supervisor if necessary. Upon receiving acceptance, please contact your supervisor to schedule the first meeting, which will take place within the following week. During this initial meeting, the topic of your bachelor's thesis will be disclosed and discussed. The focus will be on refining the topic and developing the research question(s) (What?), discussing the relevance of the topic (Motivation) (Why?), and outlining the research methodology (How?). Please also refer to our guidelines for creating the exposé in terms of formatting requirements. In the second preliminary meeting with your supervisor, you will receive feedback before officially registering your thesis. This phase of topic selection is set to ensure that all students start in the same calendar week. Therefore, it's not possible to start the thesis later or with a delay. In the event of a supervision rejection, you are welcome to reapply in the next cycle. From the registration date, the processing time is exactly 8 weeks.
- Bachelor's Colloquia
- Approximately four weeks after starting the thesis, the first bachelor colloquium takes place, which all students working on a thesis must attend. The aim of this first colloquium is to present the current status and receive constructive feedback on the progress made so far. The time frame for a presentation, including feedback, is approximately 20 minutes.About two weeks after submission, the second bachelor colloquium is held. The purpose of this event is to present and discuss the main results of the thesis. The presentation, including discussion, lasts for 30 minutes.
- Further Feedback
- Of course, we are available during office hours to address any further questions you may have throughout your thesis process. Please reach out to your supervisor for assistance in this regard.
- Submission
- The thesis must be submitted in duplicate copies and electronically by 12:00 noon on the day of submission. Please adhere to the guidelines provided by the ISC regarding the electronic submission of theses.
Master's thesis
- Prior to the Application
- When applying for the opportunity to undertake a master's thesis at our institute, you can specify up to two topic preferences. These selections should be made from the provided tasks in the topic pool. Please note that we can only consider self-proposed topics if you indicate them during the application process. For self-proposed topics, please provide not only the title but also a paragraph summarizing the motivation, objectives, and research design of the investigation. Additionally, two relevant introductory sources should be cited. To find topics, you can refer to recent articles published in leading accounting journals (e.g., Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, European Accounting Review, or Accounting, Organizations and Society), as well as the research interests of the academic staff listed on our institute's website. If you have developed your proposal as part of the "Empirical Research" course, please specify this in your application. If you have questions regarding your own topic idea, please contact
Dr. Katharina Weiß.
- Application
- An application for a master's thesis is possible every two months on the first day of the month, i.e., 01.01., 01.03., 01.05., 01.07., 01.09., 01.11. The application for the acceptance of a master's thesis is conducted online. Please specify the exact titles of the topics from the topic pool when applying. Subsequently, a copy of the current transcript of records should be sent via email to rwp@som.lmu.de.
- Admission
- After reviewing your application, you will receive either an acceptance or rejection of supervision from the department, and if accepted, you will be assigned to a supervisor if necessary. Upon receiving acceptance, please contact your supervisor to schedule the first meeting, which will take place within the following week. During this meeting, the topic of your master's thesis will be disclosed and discussed. Following this meeting, you will have one week to formulate the thesis proposal (exposé) in writing (or further specify your chosen topic). The focus will be on refining the topic, developing the research question(s) (What?), discussing the relevance of the topic (Motivation) (Why?), and outlining the research methodology (Research Design) (How?). Please also refer to our guidelines for creating the exposé in terms of formatting requirements.In the second preliminary meeting with your supervisor, you will receive feedback before officially registering your thesis. This so-called "finding phase" is set to ensure that all students start in the same calendar week. Upon registering your master's thesis, the official processing time of 22 weeks begins. In the event of a supervision rejection, you are welcome to reapply in the next cycle.
- Master's Colloquia
- Approximately 11 weeks after starting the thesis, the first master's colloquium takes place, which all students working on a thesis must attend. The aim of this first colloquium is to present the current status and receive constructive feedback on the progress made so far. The time frame for a presentation, including feedback, is approximately 20 minutes.About two weeks after submission, the second master's colloquium is held. The purpose of this event is to present and discuss the main results of the thesis. The presentation, including discussion, lasts for 30 minutes.
- Further Feedback
- Of course, we are available during office hours to address any further questions you may have throughout your thesis process. Please feel free to reach out to your supervisor for assistance in this regard.
- Submission
- The thesis must be submitted in duplicate copies and electronically by 12:00 noon on the day of submission. Please ensure that you follow the instructions provided by the ISC regarding the electronic submission of theses.