On the Way to Graduation – Your Bachelor Thesis

With your bachelor thesis you demonstrate your ability to independently and within a given period work out and present an issue from the field of Jewish studies or religious studies  using academic methods.

Comprehensive information on the central webpages of University of  Potsdam, can be found in the section 'Questions and Answers on the final thesis'

Please note, that this page, as well as the link below is in German! If you have questions concerning your bachelor thesis, please direct them to the contact person of your degree course (see student counselling)

To Do's

• Find a topic of interest on which you want to work for a longer period.
• Ask the supervisors of your choice if they can supervise your thesis. Together with your supervisor(s), name the exact title of your paper and consult with them on content and other questions, if necessary. Take the initiative! It is your research project!
• Fill out the form ‘Assignment of topics for the bachelor/master paper' and have it signed by your first and second supervisors and the head of the examination board. Submit the form at the examination office.
• After completing your paper, submit it at the examination office hardbound and in triplicate, along with a copy in digital form. 
• Please, however, calculate an adequate length of time between the application (which takes place with your submission of the assignment of topics form) and the submission of your bachelor thesis. Submitting a paper on the day of its application is not possible.

Self-Plagiarism

In your bachelor paper, you are allowed in principle to follow a topic of one of your module papers Thus you can deal with a topic more deeply and intensively. You have to consider, however, that according to the plagiarism guideline of University of  Potsdam §2 (2) c), you should not submit “one and the same paper (or part thereof) without any further identifying marks to various examinations or seminars”. Quoting from your own papers without proper citations would be self-plagiarism. In any case, you should consult this with the supervisor of your bachelor thesis.

Supervision

All listed examiners of the Department of Jewish Studies and Religious Studies can serve as supervisor for your bachelor thesis. Please take into consideration, however, that according to a decision of the faculty council of the Faculty of Arts, at least one of your supervisors has to be habilitated.