Master's thesis
Students have to follow the general BOKU regulations:
Master's thesis
The master’s thesis has to be completed and defended at the home university, and must be co-supervised by the host university.
Each student has two thesis supervisors, the main supervisor from the home university and a co-supervisor from the host university. The expertise of the main supervisor needs to fall within the thesis theme.
The master’s thesis shall be written in English. The thesis defensio must be held in English.
How to find a topic and supervisor
You are responsible for choosing your thesis topic and supervisor. To find a thesis topic and supervisor you will have to contact potential supervisors directly. It is useful to pick a topic and supervisor in the area of your study which you personally prefer. Some departments/institutes offer master thesis topics on their webpage or during a thesis fair which is promoted on their webpages. You can also check the pinboards of the institutes. Please also check BOKU's new thesis platform (only available with BOKUonline login).
However, you can ask your NARMEE programme coordinator to help with suitable suggestions.
At BOKU professors and associated professors and Priv.Doz. (teachers with a "venia docendi" = "habilitiert") are allowed to act as your thesis supervisor or co-supervisor, but assistant professors may not.
Please be aware that you have to find your thesis topic and BOKU supervisor BEFORE you apply to LU resp. BEFORE you leave for CZU.
Before completing your Individual Course Plan:
Please send an e-mail to the programme coordinator (all information in 1 e-mail) listing
- your specialistion, your courses at the partner university and your free electives AND
- the thesis title, the supervisor and a thesis outline (1 page background, research questions/hypotheses, methods, expected results)
The programme coordinator will help you to find a co-supervisor.
Please forward the e-mail confirmation by the programme coordinator to ulrike.piringer(at)boku.ac.at.
You can only be accepted for an exchange to LU, if LU can provide you with a co-supervisor.
The following list of potential (co-)supervisors might be helpful. But please be aware that this is not a complete and final list and should only serve as a starting reference.
Involve the co-supervisor right from the beginning in your thesis work (research questions, methods, results,...) and make sure that your supervisors are in contact. Lincoln University will ask you to sign a Mutual Expectations Agreement.
Involvment of the Co-supervisor
- Contact your co-supervisor as soon as possible once you have been officially awarded a place as an exchange student at LU/CULS and keep him/her involved in your thesis right from the beginning (e-mails, regular joint skype meetings with both supervisors) ->
- Encourage direct communication between both supervisors)
- Communicate a rough schedule for your thesis work to your co-supervisor before you go to LU/CULS.
- Once you have arrived at LU/CULS, make sure to personally meet your co-supervisor right at the beginning of your stay.
- LU only: prepare and sign a mutual expectations agreement (you will receive the document upon arrival)
- Use your time at LU/CULS to strengthen the involvement of your co-supervisor in your thesis work (in case of publication, keep him/her involved too)
Registration of the Master's Thesis
You have to register your Master's thesis as soon as the task and the supervisors have been fixed. But there are no specific deadlines for the registration and submission of the Master's thesis at BOKU. According to the law the Master's thesis has to be registered before you start working on it.
Required documents for the registration of your thesis:
- Form "Master's thesis registration (for courses of study with a presentation or defensio)" with signatures of supervisor, co-supervisor and the head of the institute of the supervisor.
- E-mail from the programme coordinator stating that he agrees with supervisor and co-supervisor and the topic of the master's thesis (or signature on the form)
- E-mail or confirmation issued by the administrative coordinator at BOKU that the co-supervisor of the host university is allowed to supervise the thesis according to the university rules of the host university.
Please have your Individual Course Plan and your Transcript of Records from the host university checked a semester before you graduate, first at BOKU-International Relations (administrative coordinator) and then at the Graduation Office (Study Services, new address: Gregor Mendelstr. 33, 1180 Vienna)
Before you have your documents checked, you have to enter all courses done at the partner university (not BOKU) in your BOKUonline account (one data sheet per course) (info-guide accreditation/recognition)