Thesis Paper
In your thesis paper, you should execute scientific research in the field of medical engineering. If you are not yet familiar with the concept of scientific work, you can acquire these skills in the course “Nailing your Thesis” (only offered in summer semester). Many labs also offer regular colloquium meetings for students to discuss problems and advances regarding their thesis projects. If you are in need of practical tips and support with your writing process in German or English, our Writing Centre is there to help you.
For the Master Thesis the following applies:
The topic is issued by a fulltime university teacher of the School of Engineering whose lab/institute is participating in the lectures offered in the Medical Engineering program (Bachelor or Master) (consult the lists of labs involved in our Study Guide Medical Engineering). Companies cannot issue thesis topics.
The thesis paper is supervised by the issuing university professor involved in the Medical Engineering program (or one of his/her employees, usually PhD students) and additionally by a medical supervisor (staff member of the university hospital or a similar institution, i.e. member of a different clinic/radiology centre or a licensed physician, in any cases the supervisor must hold an academic title). Many supervisors in the Medical Engineering program already have contacts to medical supervisors and can help you with finding one. Please discuss with your medical supervisor early on to which degree he/she wants to be involved in the process of your work – whether you should report on your thesis regularly or whether he/she will only read your final paper.
You can register your Master’s thesis as soon as you have completet at least 75 ECTS credits and found at topic and supervisor. You must register for the thesis paper at the Examinations Office through your supervising lab using the Registration form for thesis papers (English Master’s thesis registration form (=English reading help – NOT to be filled out!). You submit a copy of the form at the Examination Office and keep the original as it is needed for the final registration (see below).
The time required to complete the final thesis paper is predetermined. For every ECTS point you will need about 30 hours.
For the Master´s thesis you will receive a period of six months for completion, i.e. the last semester should be entirely devoted to your Master´s thesis.
| Thesis Type | Overall extent in ECTS | Overall extent in hours | deadline |
| Master’s thesis |
30 |
900 |
6 months |
You have to hand in the final thesis paper at the supervising lab until the official deadline. You must submit it in two copies – one printed and bound, the other one in PDF format on a storage device (e.g. USB stick). The thesis presentation and the grading can take place after the deadline. After that, the grade will be communicated to the Examinations Office by your supervisor within four weeks, using the bottom section of the Registration form for thesis papers (see above).
In many cases potential thesis subjects are advertised on the labs’ webpages or noticeboards. In order to find your thesis topic please browse the websites of the respective labs (all of them have a “research” and/or “thesis” section) and contact the responsible people. If you are interested in inadvertised subjects you can contact the researchers in charge (mostly PhD students) directly and inquire if it is possible to work on a subject of their research field. You are also welcome to make an appointment with a professor (usually through their secretary – see UnivIS) and discuss with them in person which projects they currently offer.
Start early! In the Master´s programme it is recommended to search for possible topics in the second year of your studies. This way, you still have time to take matching study modules to acquire specialised knowledge you will need for the thesis. At the very latest, you should start looking for a topic at the end of your penultimate semester. You can only register for your thesis if you have cleared all conditional subjects and have acquired at least 75 ECTS points. Master’s students studying accordig to the examination regulations of 2018 also have to proof the completion of the mandatory modules of their branch of study when registering.
In general it is allowed to write a final thesis paper in cooperation with a business or a research institution, provided that the academic supervisor from the Medical Engineering programme agrees. The above mentioned regulations also apply in this case. It is the student´s responsibility to coordinate and communicate the topic and the requirements between the issuing university teacher and the external partner. For more information please consult the Information pamphlet for issuance and procedure of “external” Bachelor and Master Theses and dissertations. Your best chance to pursue a thesis project in cooperation with an industry partner is to inquire at a lab which already maintains cooperations with companies (more info can be found on the lab’s website). The other way round, i.e. finding a project with an external partner und then looking for a lab to supervise it is hardly ever successful and therfore not recommended. Topics advertised by companies do usually not meet acdemic standards and/or our labs’ research profiles. Please do not sign any contracts with a company regarding a potential thesis paper before having a supervisor at FAU!