Bachelor's theses are allocated twice a year through the faculty’s centralised allocation procedure (zentrales Vergabeverfahren).
You can write your thesis in German or English, and the time for completion is two months.
Below, you will find information regarding thesis topics at the Chair of Corporate Finance, registration deadlines, and the registration process.
1. Zentrales Vergabeverfahren - Registration periods
The following registration periods/deadlines of the faculty’s centralised allocation procedure apply:
- Summer term: February 1 - February 15
- Winter term: July 1 - July 15
Please find more information here.
2. Topic assignment and schedule
The chair can select up to five students who prioritize our chair as their top choice ("Erstpräferenz") in the faculty’s centralised allocation procedure. All other students will be centrally assigned through the algorithm of the centralised allocation procedure.
The centralised allocation procedure will inform you about your assignment to our chair by the end of February (summer term) and July (winter term).
Subsequently, you will receive a mail that contains information about your thesis topic (see also Section 3 below) and an invitation for an initial meeting with your thesis advisor.
Following the initial meeting, you will register your bachelor’s thesis at the examinations office (Prüfungsamt).
Note that you can start your thesis at any time during the semester.
At the beginning of each semester, our chair offers a scientific writing class. In this class, you gain skills into effective scientific writing that help you to enhance your proficiency in articulating research findings and presenting them.
Toward the end of the semester, you will take an ungraded reflective oral examination ("Reflexionsprüfung"), during which you will present, explain, discuss, and critically reflect on various aspects of your thesis. The examination format and duration (typically consisting of a 20–30 minute session with a presentation followed by a discussion) are determined by the Chair and may vary from semester to semester.
3. General information on thesis topics
We offer students the opportunity to write their bachelor’s thesis in one of the following areas of finance:
1. Corporate Finance and Governance
- Corporate Investment, Capital Budgeting, and Payout Policy
- Financing Policy
- Corporate Risk Management
- CEOs and the Board of Directors
- Ownership Structure; Family Firms
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Distressed Firms and Corporate Bankruptcy
2. Household Finance
- Household Saving, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
- Financial Literacy
- Roles and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision-Making
3. Sustainable Finance
- Environmental, Social, and Governance Considerations in Corporate Finance
- ESG Ratings
4. Financial Institutions
- Investment Banking, Venture Capital, and Private Equity
- Digital Finance and FinTech
- Ratings and Rating Agencies
4. Early communication with our chair
Students who wish to make our chair their top choice (“Erstpräferenz”) for a bachelor’s thesis can express their strong preference via a submission form. By taking this step, you provide us with the opportunity to get to know you well before the centralised allocation procedure and to discuss your preferences and needs at an early stage.
Please communicate with the chair at the latest:
- Summer term: February 15
- Winter term: July 15
This early communication not only allows us to better understand your needs but also assists us in selecting (up to five) candidates from the group of students who prioritize our chair (“Erstpräferenz”), as highlighted above. However, note that this submission does not replace the official centralised allocation procedure.
Please fill our submission form and also upload a single PDF file including:
- Current CV
- Current transcript of grades of your bachelor’s degree
- Optional: Additional qualifications, e.g., internships, professional experience, study abroad, ...
5. Topic Area Preferences
On our submission form, you can also choose (and rank) up to two preferred areas of finance:
- Corporate Finance and Governance
- Household Finance
- Sustainable Finance
- Financial Institutions
- After securing a spot, students will be provided with a selection of specific thesis topics based on their preferred area(s) of finance.
- In addition, you have the option to provide additional information in free-text format (e.g. for an empirically-oriented thesis, literature review).
6. Self-Proposed Topics
Students who wish to propose their own topic should do so through the same submission form, which includes a separate field for self-proposed topics.
- Please note that self-proposed topics (including topics proposed in cooperation with a company) are subject to our approval and will only be considered if they are based on a specific and concrete research question, are well developed and clearly defined, and demonstrate a clear research focus within the field of finance.
If you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact the chair via email at cf@uni-hohenheim.de.
