CLEWS master thesis

As an interdisciplinary program, CLEWS offers a wide range of courses, not only in the natural sciences, but also in areas such as Climate Communication, Environmental Economics, and Climate Policy. This diversity is an important part of what makes the program special.

However, CLEWS is a Master of Science degree within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Therefore, the primary focus of a master’s thesis should lie in environmental and climate science research, with a strong quantitative, natural science perspective. This ensures that the scientific profile of the program is maintained, while the overall curriculum itself remains interdisciplinary. If you are unsure whether your planned topic is a good fit for CLEWS, I strongly recommend checking in with me early on. It’s always easier to clarify things in advance. In the end, each thesis topic needs to be formally approved by the examination board.

• The topic of the Master's thesis is assigned by an examiner appointed by the examination board. The candidate has the right to nominate the examiner. 
• The Master's thesis must be examined and assessed by two examiners from the field to which the thesis relates. Both examiners must work in the field in which you are writing your Master's thesis in order to be able to assess you..
• One of the examiners (usually the first) must be a professor at the University of Potsdam, actively teaching and entitled to examine. A junior professorship (or PD = "Privatdozent") is also acceptable.
• The second supervisor can also be from an external institution/university/company. This supervisor must (at least) have a higher degree than you. This means at least a completed Master of Science (or Diploma). This person does not have to teach.

Tip: Choose a topic and a supervisor that you feel comfortable with. You will usually discuss the various steps of your thesis with your supervisor over several months.

When to register?

At least 75 per cent (= minimum of 68 credit points) of the total number of module credit points to be completed in the programme must have been achieved.

For a helpful overview of all the steps you need to take, click here.

How to register?

1. Choose a topic and an initial supervisor. Discuss the topic with your supervisor and choose a title and a second reader for your thesis.
2. Fill in and sign the form "Application for the assignment of the thesis topic“  > click this link
3. Send an email to Andreas Kubatzki and Prof. Jan Härter in cc and attach:
   a) the completed and signed application form
   b) 2-3 sentences on the content of your Master thesis
   c) your PULS transcript of records
4. If the CLEWS board approves your title, you must register your topic by uploading the document via PULS to the Student Affairs Office within one week!

Note: If the registration is not made within the time limit, a new topic is to be assigned, provided that the candidate is responsible for the reasons for the delay.

• The submission deadline is set and communicated to you by e-mail. You will also see the latest submission date on your performance overview, which you can generate via PULS.
• The processing time for the Master's thesis begins with the registration of the topic with the study office. The processing time is six months.
• The thesis can be submitted at the earliest after one third of the processing time.

• The Master's thesis must be written in English. 
• As a rule, the length of the thesis should not exceed 3 DIN A4 pages per credit point (= 90 pages maximum). The CLEWS master’s thesis must not exceed 90 pages, including all content necessary to understand the work. This length should be sufficient to address the topic in full.  There is no minimum page requirement. A separate supplementary annex may be included for additional material such as extra graphs, code, tables, and similar content. This annex is considered supplementary information and will be presented separately. However, the thesis will be evaluated solely on the content of the main 90 pages, without reference to the annex.
• Those passages of the thesis which are taken verbatim or in spirit from external works must be acknowledged.
• Although your thesis must be written in English, you need to include a German summary! This is an official requirement of our university.
• You must include a Statement of Originality with your final thesis. In this declaration of academic integrity, you declare that you have written the thesis yourself and that you have not used any sources or aids other than those specified. For more information, please refer to the Senate's guidelines on plagiarism. When uploading your thesis in PULS, the included Statement of Originality does not necessarily have to be signed. Example for this statement: “I hereby declare that this thesis is the product of my own work. All the assistance received in preparing this thesis and the sources used have been acknowledged.”
• You submit your dissertation to the Student Administration Centre / Examinations Office in digital form only, using the Document Upload option in PULS. When uploading your dissertation in PULS, please check carefully that you have selected the correct version for submission. The Examination Office will forward the first document you submit to your examiners. An updated version of your dissertation that you submit later will not be forwarded to your examiners.

In the event of illness, the submission deadline can be extended by the period of sick leave. Please check online (link) to find out how to submit a detailed medical certificate confirming your inability to take the exam on time and what is required.

Please upload the medical certificate, together with the attachment to the certificate, to PULS by the deadline. As soon as your sick note has been taken into account, you will be informed of the new latest submission deadline by the Office of Student Affairs/Examinations Office.

In cases of delay that are not due to illness and for which you are not responsible, your examination board may, upon request, agree to an extension of the processing time in accordance with BAMA-O § 26 (7) and § 30 (7) / BAMALA-O § 26 (7) and § 30 (9). The application must be submitted before the end of the processing time. If your application is approved, please upload an informal letter from your examination board confirming the extension and stating the specific period of the extension (usually 1 month) to PULS for the Office of Student Affairs / Examinations Office immediately upon receipt. You will be informed of the new latest submission deadline by the Office of Student Affairs/Examinations Office. The new submission deadline will also be noted on your transcript of records.

For more detailed information and answers to frequently asked questions about the final thesis, please visit the following link . Please note that the content is currently only available in German, so we recommend using a translation tool of your choice to view it in English.

A third examiner can be arranged as an option. The two supervisors of your Master's thesis are sufficient for the CLEWS defense. However, if you or your supervisors wish to organise a third assessor, this person can attend to do the protocol of the defense and ensure that everything is done correctly. The third assessor should not grade your defense and should have a higher academic degree than the student.

If you would like to give your presentation in hybrid form, you can request assistance from our technicians in advance to help you set up the system. Contact either Martin Schüttig OR Daniel Bazant.

Your final record and transcript will be issued once your last grade is registered in the examination system. You will receive a notification by mail when your graduation documents are ready. The documents will be signed by the Examination Board and the Dean before being finalized. Further details can be found under the following link