Thesis

You study BA JoKo, or MA KoDi and you would like to write your thesis next semester at one of the chairs of Communication Section (Prof. Hahn, Prof. Hohlfeld, , Prof. Schmid-Petri and Prof. Töpfl)?

Then please note the following procedure:
In advance, please read the research focuses – the chair only accept supervision for bachelor or master theses concerned with topics that correspond to their consulting and supervision competence and do not exceed their capacities. The focuses can be found on the website and on the list of themes.

Submit your request for supervision during the registration period, which typically ends in early June for the summer semester and early December for the winter semester (i.e., in the semester before you plan to write your thesis and attend the thesis seminar), by enrolling in the following Stud.IP courses:

200 Abschlussarbeiten am Lehrstuhl für Kommunikationswissenschaft
300 Abschlussarbeiten am Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftskommunikation
400 Abschlussarbeiten an der Professur für Journalistik
500 Abschlussarbeiten am Lehrstuhl für Politische Kommunikation mit Schwerpunkt auf Osteuropa und postsowjetische Regio

Please note the following dates:

Please check the exact registration deadline (usually early June for the summer semester and early December for the winter semester) for the courses listed above in stud.ip well in advance.

When you register for the course offered by your desired chair: Please be sure to assign all 4 priorities to ensure a fair allocation and to guarantee a supervision spot at one of the chairs within the department! Please email the topic you wish to work on at your preferred chair (Priority 1) to the chair´s secretary!

An entry after the deadline (usually early June for the summer semester and early December for the winter semester) is not possible, in other words, you cannot expect a supervision place at any of the chairs for the following semester!

By around mid-June (summer semester) or mid-December (winter semester) of the previous semester: Automatic allocation of places by Stud.IP. If there is no longer any supervision capacity at the chosen chair, you will be assigned to the chair with the next priority. If you do not specify any priorities, you will be given a supervision place by lottery.

Initial Discussions: take usually place during one of the final weeks of the preceding semester. You will be notified of your appointment.

Thesis registration: Mid-May (in the summer semester) or mid-November (in the winter semester)

Thesis seminar: In the semester in which you write your thesis, you will attend the Thesis seminar of the respective chair

Topics

Generally, the Chair of Political Communication with a Focus on Eastern Europe and the Post-Soviet Region only accepts supervising bachelor or master theses on topics that correspond to its consulting and supervision competence and fit in the capacities.

Including:

Science Communication (e.g. the investigation of communication about scientific topics online or offline, investigation of reporting on scientific topics online or offline, the communication of scientific actors to different target groups online or offline, the effect of scientific communication on different target groups, mediation of scientific content to the society, politicisation/instrumentalisation of science in political debates such as the climate change debate, …)
Political Communication (e.g. election campaign communication, media coverage of political campaigns, communication of political actors online or offline, (strategic) communication of civic actors/groups online or offline, media coverage of political topics online or offline, effects of political media coverage online or offline, war reporting, media coverage of terrorism, refugee debate online or offline, …)
Online Communication / Online Research (e.g. communication or discussion about certain topics on social media, activity/strategy of certain groups online, Blogs/Blogger, …)
Media reception, use and effects

Please only request appropriate topics within the chair's fields of expertise.

Please do not ask for a thesis, that implements cooperation with an enterprise. The chair does not supervise those.

Preparation: Development of topic idea(s) and possible methodological approaches
Objectives of the meeting:
- Discussion of your topic idea(s)
- Development of guidelines for the implementation of one of these ideas
- Agreement on a topic and a methodological approach, which you will formulate in the exposé prior to registration