Theses

From preparing your application to submitting your Bachelor's or Master's thesis at the Department of Finance, you will go through several steps. The application process is described in detail below. 

1. Finding a topic or applying for one: (You have two options.)

• Find your own topic, prepare a research proposal, and submit it via the DF Thesis Market. 
• Choose an advertised topic proposal and apply for it on the DF Thesis Market, including a letter of motivation. 

2. Supervisor: If your research proposal is accepted or your application for an advertised topic is successful, the person supervising your thesis will contact you. Your supervisor prepares the thesis assignment, taking your input into account. Depending on the topic and supervisor, the thesis may consist of different components, such as a written paper, data collection, application development, presentation, and/or an oral defense. 

3. Thesis assignment on OLAT: The thesis assignment sets out your official task and can be collected on OLAT once your supervisor has notified you. It specifies the components of your thesis, their weighting, and the respective requirements. The six-month completion period begins as soon as you collect your thesis assignment on OLAT. 

4. Components of the thesis: Depending on the topic and the advisor, the thesis may consist of various components, such as a written paper, data collection, application development, a presentation, and/or an oral defense.

5. Completion period: Start working on your thesis early and discuss any problems with your supervisor. You must complete the components specified in your thesis assignment independently. 

6. Submission: Unless otherwise specified in your thesis assignment, you submit your thesis via OLAT by uploading it and any additional documents or attachments as a ZIP file. 

7. Grading: You will receive your grade within one month. 

The following video  is a recording of a presentation (PDF, 276 KB) that informes students about the process and explains the individual steps in detail. 

Relevant prior knowledge in the subject area is a prerequisite for writing a Bachelor's or Master's thesis at the Department of Finance. In particular, you must have attended and passed the relevant courses. Advertised topic proposals may contain additional requirements, which are specified in the respective proposal. 

You must also follow the rules and guidance issued by the Dean's Office (Studies  and Graduation). You are responsible for complying with these requirements. 

To write a thesis at the Department of Finance, you must submit an online application through  the DF Thesis Market unless you have already arranged supervision directly. Your application requires the following documents:

• CV (PDF)
• Transcript of records (PDF, current export from Module Booking)
• Research proposal (if you are proposing your own topic)

To apply through the Department of Finance Thesis Market, you also need your UZH login credentials (shortname and password). There are two ways to apply for a thesis at the Department of Finance:

Option A: Your Own Topic

Develop your own topic and prepare a research proposal. In two to three pages, the proposal should summarize your motivation, objectives, planned approach, and expected results. The following documents provide guidance:

• Instructions for writing a Research Proposal (PDF, 69 KB)
• Example of a Research Proposal (PDF, 205 KB)

For an empirical thesis, check before submitting your application whether the data you need can be found in the available databases. We recommend using a specific example to assess whether the data quality is sufficient (for example, the availability of time series).

It is important to assign your research proposal to the correct research area so that it can be made available to suitable supervisors. The research areas and interests listed in the table below can help you decide. The links for each professor lead to Bachelor's and Master's theses they have supervised and can give you an idea of typical thesis topics.

Your final thesis assignment will be prepared on the basis of your research proposal. However, the Department of Finance reserves the right to request revisions to the proposal, make changes, assign a different topic, or reject your application.

Option B: An Advertised Topic

Apply through the DF Thesis Market for a topic advertised by a supervisor. Browse the topics on the platform, select one, and apply. In addition to a CV and transcript of records, you will need a short letter of motivation. Explain how the advertised topic matches your skills and interests and how it fits into your studies.

To help you assess the scope of a written thesis, we provide two sample theses:

• Bachelor’s thesis: The different theories of the 2010 Flash Crash with main focus on high-frequency trading (PDF, 1 MB)
• Master’s thesis: Strategic Allocation to Return Factors (PDF, 1 MB)

In addition, we are providing you with a template for LaTeX (ZIP, 416 KB).

The Department of Finance strongly recommends that you start exploring topics for your Bachelor's or Master's thesis early. Your application must be submitted at least one month before your intended starting month. For example, to begin writing at the start of May, you must apply by the end of March.
The matching process usually takes around one month, sometimes longer, especially for proposals on your own topic. All supervisors oversee several theses, and your proposal must align with your supervisor's research interests. We will let you know when the matching process is complete or if we need further information or substantive revisions from you. To start as soon as possible, you can also apply for one of the advertised proposals.
The Department of Finance endeavors to give all applicants the opportunity to write a thesis at the department. However, we cannot guarantee a specific topic or supervisor, and temporary supervision capacity constraints may arise. For questions or problems relating to your application, please email the department's Study Coordinator and Managing Director, Dr. Benjamin Wilding, at theses@df.uzh.ch.