10. Master Thesis
(1) The Master's thesis is a compulsory part of the program. Admission to the Master's thesis must be requested by the candidate.
(2) The Master's thesis is an examination paper with which the candidate is to demonstrate the ability to independently process a problem arising from the area of study according to scientific methods during the specified period of time. The thesis aims to show that the candidate is able to master the basic techniques of scientific work and the form and structure of scientific argumentation, to open up and intellectually process new fields of knowledge, and to analyze and contextualize religious, cultural, or social issues in accordance with their theological background. In so doing, both the horizon of professional practice and the significance of the current academic discourse can be in the foreground.
(3) 20 credits are awarded for the Master's thesis. The time allowed for the Master thesis is 30 weeks; 1 ECTS credit reflects 30 hours of work. At the request of the candidate, the Examination Board, with the agreement of the supervisor, may extend the overall time, if there are good causes, for a maximum of six weeks. In the event of a possible extension, compliance with the standard period of study must be ensured.
(4) The preliminary topic of the Master thesis is to be agreed upon with the supervisor and submitted to the examination board with a confirmation from the supervisor. If the candidate does not find a supervisor, the respective study supervisor ensures that he receives a topic for his thesis in good time and assigns a supervisor. The topic of the work must be such that it can be reasonably edited in the time available.
(5) The topic can only be returned once and only within the first two weeks of the processing time. A new topic must be agreed upon immediately, but not later than within four weeks.
(6) The thesis must be submitted to the secretariat in due time according to the Module Handbook, in two bound copies and additionally in electronic form. The date of delivery is to be recorded. Upon submission, the candidate must assure in writing that he has written the work independently and has not used any sources or aids other than those specified. If the thesis is not submitted on time, it is deemed to be "not sufficient", less than 2.0 (5.0 German).
(7) The Program Director will direct the thesis to the supervisor as the first reviewer. At the same time, he appoints another reviewer from the circle of authorized examiners for the second evaluation and directs the work to him. At least one of the reviewers has to teach in the respective degree program.
(8) The grade (numerical value) of the Master thesis is calculated from the arithmetic mean of the evaluation of the two reviewers, provided the difference does not exceed 2.0. If the difference is more than 2.0 or if the work of only one of the two examiners is rated as "insufficient", the chairman of the examination board will appoint a third reviewer to evaluate the thesis; the third-party evaluator sets the grade independently of the two previous opinions.
(9) The module "Master thesis" is not passed if the grade is not at least "sufficient" 2.0, (4.0 German). An unsuccessful module "Master thesis" can be repeated once. The Program director ensures that the candidate receives a new topic for a thesis within six weeks of the announcement. A return of the topic in the period specified in paragraph (5) is only permitted if the candidate has not made use of this option when he first completed his thesis.