Master Thesis

By the third semester at the latest, students should engage in planning and conducting their Master's thesis. The module "Research and Writing" (5 CP) must be completed in the summer semester concurrently with the Master's thesis. The Master's thesis must be registered through the examination office of the OEI by mid-April (please check the precise registration dates because they change every year: https://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/studium/pruefungsbuero/studiengaenge/ma_studiengaenge/master-economic-systems/index.html)

Registration

Once you have found a topic and a first supervisor in Berlin (by default Theocharis Grigoriadis) and a second supervisor in Belgrade (by default Saša Ranđelović), you should register for your Master's thesis. According to the course schedule, this should be done in the beginning of the 4th semester. The processing period begins at the end of April with the issuance of the topic by the examination committee.

The examination office provides relevant information for registering the Master's thesis on its website. The exact deadlines are announced by the examination office (see information on Master's thesis registration).

In general, for registration, the corresponding registration form must be submitted with the signatures of the supervising individuals, as well as the chairperson of the examination committee, and the topic of the thesis. Students may, by agreement and depending on topic/fit, choose different combinations on both sides. However, the structure Berlin and Belgrade is mandatory.

Supervision

Students must independently seek primary and secondary supervision. In principle, the eligible examiners are responsible for supervising and evaluating the Master's thesis. Find out the topics and areas of expertise of the instructors and attend their office hours. The secondary evaluator should preferably be from the University of Belgrade.

Retired or emeritus professors from FU Berlin are entitled to teach and examine indefinitely. Those who have moved to another institution and are authorized to conduct examinations there may also supervise a Master's thesis.

Initially, supervision should be sought at the OEI. If no supervisor is found here, the search can be extended throughout the FU and beyond. In exceptional cases, the examination committee may approve external supervision (informal application with the CV of the desired individual and a justification). At least one supervisor (primary or secondary) must teach at the OEI. FU employees who do not have teaching obligations (such as project staff funded by third parties) may not supervise final theses. The topic of the Master's thesis is coordinated with the supervisor.

Content

The Master's thesis should be approximately 10,000 words and written in English. This length may only deviate by a maximum of 10%. For orientation: The Master’s thesis should be written like an economics research paper and it must be submitted in line with the SPO requirements (including all formal rules and submission procedures).

The processing period for the Master's thesis is 18 weeks and begins at the end of April with the issuance of the topic by the examination committee. The topic can be returned once within the first two weeks and then considered not issued.

Methodology

Students may specialize in one of three thesis tracks:

Theory (Model-based track)

Students develop a formal theoretical (mathematical) model grounded in established microeconomic or macroeconomic literature and apply it to a contemporary or historical economic issue in Eastern Europe (or in a comparative perspective). The thesis should emphasize model construction, assumptions, derivations, and analytical results, with a clear link to the chosen empirical or historical/policy context.

Empirics (Econometric track)

Students address a contemporary or historical economic question related to Eastern Europe (or comparatively) using an advanced econometric design. The thesis should emphasize identification strategy, data construction/measurement, estimation, robustness checks, and interpretation in line with standards of applied economics research.

Policy (Policy analysis track)

Students conduct a qualitative public policy analysis of a clearly defined issue (Eastern Europe or comparative), combined with a rigorous analytical component grounded in either economic theory or empirical evidence. The theory/empirics component is mandatory, but typically more concise than in the Theory or Empirics tracks; the main emphasis is on policy diagnosis, mechanisms, feasibility, and implications, supported by economic reasoning and evidence.

Extension of Deadline

If a student was prevented from completing their Master's thesis on time due to an acute temporary illness, the examination committee may extend the processing period by the period of proven examination incapacity upon request. The reason for the examination incapacity must be reported to the examination committee immediately in writing and must be substantiated by presenting a medical certificate. A medical certificate is a document that indicates why the student is incapable of studying and taking exams. A certificate of incapacity to work or simply stating that the examinee is incapable of taking exams is not sufficient. Rather, the content of the medical certificate must describe the health impairment/symptoms and indicate the resulting effects on performance in the examination. The examination committee decides on the examination incapacity.

The request for an extension of the processing time, along with the original medical certificate, can be sent by post to the examination office or dropped into the mailbox of the examination office. You will be notified by email of the new submission deadline for your Bachelor's/Master's thesis.

Submission

The Master's thesis must be submitted no later than the deadline and only as a PDF file in an email to the examination office (MA-EcoSys@polsoz.fu-berlin.de). Students will receive a confirmation of receipt via email. The evaluators will then receive the thesis forwarded to them.

Additionally, you must provide a written assurance that you have independently authored the Master's thesis and have not used any sources or aids other than those specified.

Grading

Once both evaluations for your Master's thesis are available, you can view the result in Campus Management. If you no longer have access to Campus Management, you can request the result via email from the examination office. Failed final theses may be repeated twice.

For more information: Study and Examination Regulations.