Theses

Bachelor Theses

We are pleased that you are interested in doing a bachelor's thesis at the Department of Macroeconomics! An important note in advance: Please read the dates listed below carefully. Unfortunately, deviations from this process are not possible for organizational reasons. We offer literature-based work (processing time for WiWi is 9 weeks, 12 weeks for WiMa and WiIng) as well as work with independent econometric or model-based analysis (13 weeks - only B.Sc. WiWi) on the following macroeconomic topic areas:

- Labor markets, unemployment and labor market policies

- Macroeconomic consequences of automation and artificial intelligence

- Economic inequality: causes, regional differences and policy options, (heterogeneous agents) models in macroeconomics, inequality in consumption/income/wealth, consumption/income risk.

- Inflation, shocks, expectations and institutions

- Public finances: tax policy, social insurance and (sustainable) public debt

- Sustainable growth and climate policy

- Growth and innovation

- Housing markets: causes of price fluctuations and housing market policies

- Globalization, trade and trade policy

So that your work can build on a solid foundation, it is recommended that you have attended at least one advanced course on an economics topic (Module 5 or 10). In addition, it is expressly desired that you have taken a course on empirical causal analysis (e.g. the course “Evidence-based Politics”). The next step: You select a topic from the list and make a suggestion on a narrowly defined question. Please fill out the form and send your application with your proposal, together with your complete BOSS grade extract and the topic of your seminar paper (which you wrote at our or another chair) to Ms. Engelhardt in the Macroeconomics Secretariat: mak.wiwi@tu-dortmund.de. After the application deadline has expired, you will receive feedback as to whether your application was successful and you will then send your binding acceptance for your bachelor's thesis to the secretariat within the specified deadline. Important note for the WIng and WiMa study programs: Please apply to your examination office (WiMa: pruefungsverwaltung-mathematik@tu-dortmund.de, WiIng: pruefungsverwaltung-mb@tu-dortmund.de) for the form for registering your bachelor's thesis ("Way Slip") ), which you submit to the Macroeconomics Secretariat in person or by post. Please note that delays may result in the bachelor's thesis being postponed until the next semester. If you have accepted, you will receive the exact question (based on your suggestion as much as possible), the basic literature (consisting of 2-3 papers on the question) and the registration form, which you sign and send back to the secretariat within the deadline.

The first meeting, which will be graded as part of the project seminar, takes place approximately two weeks after the start date of the work (WIng and WiMa students please note that the project seminar is not a comparable examination in your degree program). To prepare for this meeting, you will independently research around 5 current research papers that directly relate thematically to the base papers and which you will briefly summarize. In addition, write a short summary and a detailed structure of the planned work on approx. 2 pages in advance, together with a preliminary bibliography. The second meeting takes place approximately 6 weeks after the start date of the work, in which you briefly present your results so far. Questions about work and form can also be discussed here. In principle, all questions about form and content can only be asked at these meetings.

The scope of the work should not exceed 30 pages in standard formatting (font size 12, margins 2.5 cm, line spacing approx. 1.2). Graphics and tables should, if possible, be inserted in the text at the appropriate place (not smaller than font size ten), but do not count towards the page number. Possible appendices with additional graphics/tables or mathematical derivations also count as extra. Literal quotations or close paraphrases must be made in the main text with author and year details and exact page numbers, general references to the literature must be made with author and year details and be fully recorded in the bibliography. If a section refers to a specific paper, a single citation is sufficient. Direct quotations must always be marked as such. We recommend using the APA format for citations (see www.mendeley.com/guides/apa-citation-guide/). The work can be written in German or English. After submitting your bachelor's thesis as a PDF document (including the "affidavit") via ExaBase, you will prepare a 20-minute lecture using approximately 10-15 slides, followed by an approximately 10-minute discussion. Please note the deadlines for the oral examination listed below. Specific time slots will be communicated to you in good time by the chair/secretariat. The formal requirements for the bachelor's thesis can be found in Section 13 of the examination regulations: wiwi.tu-dortmund.de/storages/wiwi/r/studiengaenge/wiwi-bachelor/wiwi-bachelor-2019/ba-wiwi-2019-po -change-3.pdf

Timetable and deadlines for the winter semester 2024/2025 (deadlines for WiMa and WIng students are in brackets):

Application period: 29.07.-09.08.2024

Feedback on application by: 20.08.2024

Binding confirmation by: 22.08.2024

Formal registration by: 02.09.2024

Starting date: 30.09.2024 (16.09.2024)

First meeting: 14./15./17.10.2024 *

Second meeting: 11./12./15.11.2024 *

Submission deadline: 02.12.2024 (09.12.2024)

Oral examination: 20./21./23.01.2025 *

* date will be announced by the secretariat

Master theses

Thank you for your interest in a master’s thesis at the Department of Macroeconomics! We supervise work in particular on the topics mentioned above (under bachelor theses). You select a topic from the list and make a suggestion on a narrow question, which you present in a short exposé (1 page). Other macroeconomic topics are possible upon agreement. The prerequisite for supervision with us is that you have chosen the “Economics” study profile, with a macroeconomic focus enabling the best fit for the supervision. So that your work can build on a solid foundation, we recommend that you have taken a course on empirical causal analysis (e.g. the BA course "Evidence-based Politics" at our chair). You have 17 weeks (or 24 weeks for Wing/WiMa) and you can apply at any time. The binding key time dates are: You must formally register your work with the examination office by 01. September 2024 (01. July for WIng or WiMA) (consider the necessary lead time). The oral examination will take place on January 20th/21st/23rd, 2025 (the time will be announced by the secretariat). If you want to write an empirical paper, you have 26 weeks. In this case, formal registration must be completed by 15. June 2024 (applies to WiWi). The work should not exceed 80 pages and otherwise follows the same requirements as explained above for bachelor theses. Please fill out the form and send your application together with your exposé and your complete BOSS grade extract to Ms. Engelhardt from the Macroeconomics Secretariat: mak.wiwi@tu-dortmund.de. The formal requirements for the master's thesis for WiWi students can be found in § 13 of the examination regulations: wiwi.tu-dortmund.de/storages/wiwi/r/studiengaenge/wiwi-master/wiwi-master-2019/ma-wiwi -2019-po-change-2.pdf