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Technical University of Munich

Supervision of External B.Sc. and M.Sc. Theses by the Chair of Terrestrial Ecology

(Prof. Dr. Wolfgang W. Weisser)

 

General Guidelines:

  1. By agreeing to supervise a project, the Chair assumes responsibility for ensuring that the thesis topic is appropriate for the degree program and feasible to execute. For this reason, it is strictly mandatory that Prof. Weisser or a person designated by him be fully involved in the project.
  2. Therefore an externally conducted thesis always has to be supervised by the external supervisor together with a representative of the Chair.
  3. The topic of the thesis must align with the research activities of the Chair of Terrestrial Ecology.
  4. Questions regarding costs, permits, insurance coverage and labor law matters must be clarified in advance by the external supervisor.
  5. A project proposal and a supervision agreement must be prepared prior to the commencement of the work.
  6. The thesis will be graded by the Chair of Terrestrial Ecology.

Procedure:

Before carrying out the thesis work, the student must submit a project concept as well as a commitment of supervision from the external supervisor.

The 1–2 page project concept describes the content of the thesis, specifically the background (state of knowledge), the initial hypothesis, the methods to be employed, the expected results, and a schedule. The project proposal is discussed and refined by the student in consultation with both the external supervisor and the Chair.  It serves as the foundation for the execution of the thesis and must be signed well in advance of the project's start date by all parties involved (student, Chair, external supervisor).

The external supervisor must provide an informal written commitment of supervision, confirming that they will be supervising the student and that a workspace is available. Furthermore, this written commitment should address: 1) arrangements regarding the coverage of any potential costs; 2) the securing of necessary permits for conducting the research; and 3) matters pertaining to labor law and insurance coverage.

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