How do I get a thesis topic?

Thesis topics can be found in TISS under Lectures – Offered Theses, opens an external URL in a new window. There, click on "Extended Search" and filter the results by the organizational unit "E120 Department of Geodesy and Geoinformation." You can also filter by the type of thesis (Bachelor's Thesis BA, Master's Thesis DA, Dissertation DS) if needed.

In general: If none of the available topics appeal to you, please contact the research group (or individual members) of the department where you would like to write your thesis. Often, there are additional topics that have not yet been listed in TISS.

If you wish to write about a specific topic, please discuss it with the research group to which the topic belongs.

Some research groups also present their current Bachelor's thesis topics in the last unit of their lectures or exercises in the 4th or 5th semester.

A Bachelor's thesis is written and presented as part of the course "Bachelor Thesis in Geodesy and Geoinformation" (10 ECTS).

Important steps to complete the Bachelor's degree

  • The assignment and completion of the Bachelor's thesis do not need to be reported to the Dean's office. However, the thesis must be registered in TISS under Offered Theses (the supervisor will take care of this).
  • Scope of the thesis: (max.) 30-40 pages
  • The outcome of the thesis must be presented by the student. Typically, the thesis is presented to the research group to which it belongs, but it can also be presented department-wide upon request.
  • "The steps to submit" (= how and what needs to be submitted) are described on the dean's office website.
  • You will be notified by email from the dean's office when your graduation documents are ready for pickup (usually within 2 - 3 weeks).

Useful information

  • A bachelor's thesis does not need to be printed or bound.
  • The completion of the Bachelor's degree is possible at any time; there are no submission deadlines (unlike the Master's degree completion). Once the completion of studies has been confirmed by the dean's office, enrollment for the subsequent Master's program is possible.
  • Please note that the issuance of a credit recognition certificate may take 4-6 weeks. Therefore, please apply for credit recognition well in advance of your desired graduation date.

A Master's thesis/Diploma thesis is worth 27 ECTS and is presented as part of the final exam (3 ECTS) at the end of the studies.

Important steps to complete the Master's degree

  • The topic of the Master's thesis must be approved by the Dean of study affairs. This is done through TISS, where the student is assigned a thesis topic (this is handled by the supervisor). This should be done at the beginning of the work, as there is a possibility that the topic could be rejected.
  • The completed Master's thesis must be submitted to the supervisor in both printed and digital form. The supervisor evaluates the thesis with a grade from 1 (very good) to 5 (fail) and provides a written report ("Gutachten").
  • For the official application for the final exam:
  • The Dean's Office for Mathematics and Geoinformation will send an invitation to the final exam. The exam consists of two parts:
    • A 20-minute presentation of the Master's thesis
    • A public examination (examination senate)
  • The diploma and the certificate of the academic degree can be picked up at the dean's office approximately 2 to 3 weeks after the exam, upon presentation of an official photo ID.

Examination Senat

The examination senat consists of the supervisor of the Master's thesis and two other examiners. In general, only professors or individuals with habilitation are allowed to supervise academic theses, but they may be supported by non-habilitated staff members (who must also be mentioned on the title page of the Master's thesis).

  • Examiners should be chosen from different research groups and should be assigned to a course in the Master's curriculum.
  • One of the examiners can be an external (non-habilitated) lecturer.
  • Please contact your chosen examiners on your own and check whether they are available during the expected exam period.
  • The examination senat (examiners and exam subject) must be submitted to the Dean's Office for Mathematics and Geoinformation at least 4 weeks before the submission deadline. The examination board will be presented to the Dean of study affairs for approval.

Useful information

  • Please note that the issuance of a credit recognition certificate may take 4-6 weeks. Therefore, please apply for credit recognition well in advance of your desired graduation date.
  • If the planned final exam takes place until the deadline of continuation of studies of the past semester (until the end of October or end of March), no tuition fee for the upcoming semester needs to be paid.
  • The title page of the Master's thesis must meet certain criteria. A template (DOC or PDF) is available on the Dean's office website. The rest of the layout of the Master's thesis is free to choose.
  • Master's theses are automatically imported from TISS into reposiTUm.

A PhD thesis comprises 162 ECTS and is presented as part of the Rigorosum at the end of the study program. Additionally, courses amounting to 18 ECTS must be completed, with the following conditions:

  • Courses amounting to at least 5 ECTS of the VO type
  • Courses amounting to a maximum of 10 ECTS of the VU, PR, or UE type
  • Courses amounting to a maximum of 6 ECTS of the PV, SE type
  • A maximum of 50% of the required courses can be chosen from the course offerings of the research area in which the dissertation is written.
  • Please ensure that the selected courses have a clearly technical character.

Additionally, enrollment in a doctoral program is required: either in the Doctoral Program in Technical Sciences Geodesy and Geoinformation (this is the standard for students who have completed a Master's degree at the department) or in the Doctoral Program in Natural Sciences Geodesy and Geoinformation (due to the previously studied field). Here you can find information for admission with international qualifications, opens in new window.

Important steps for completing the doctoral program

  • Announcement of the PhD thesis + thesis agreement
  • Enrollment in the doctoral program and completion of courses.
  • Shortly before/after completing the dissertation: Selection of reviewers and scheduling of the Rigorosum.
    • Please follow the study regulations (§23) and the guidelines of the Dean of Studies for Geodesy and Geoinformation regarding the supervision and evaluation of dissertations.
    • At least one reviewer must be external to the university.
    • The Dean’s Office invites the reviewers to prepare their reports.
    • The dissertation is sent to the reviewers in a previously agreed-upon format either by the supervisor or the candidate.
  • All reviews must be signed and submitted to the Dean's Office (Ms. Jelovic) along with a grade proposal for the dissertation at least two weeks before the examination date.
    • It should be avoided that the reviews are sent exclusively to the Dean of Studies or the supervisor of the dissertation.
    • Additionally, a graded statement from the supervisor is required.
  • Registration for admission to the rigorous examination:
  • Rigorosum: Presentation (30 min), Defense (questions from the audience), Examination (about 1 hour), Announcement of results.

Useful information

Link validity: Over time, some of the links above may lose their relevance. Here you will find a compilation of the current guidelines at TU Wien, opens in new window.