FAQ for Students

Generally, yes. Students are expected to develop their own topic and submit a research proposal through the Department of Finance Thesis Market. Supervisors sometimes also advertise specific topics for which interested students can apply through the platform. Even when topics are advertised, we recommend proactively considering your own topic, as the number of topics advertised is limited.

Yes. Please make sure you delete your other proposals from the DF Thesis Market once you have found a supervisor. If you can no longer delete them yourself, email theses@df.uzh.ch so that we can remove them for you.

Ideally, write your research proposal in the language in which you would like to write your thesis. When uploading your proposal, you can specify your preferred thesis language. If you are open to writing in either German or English, we recommend submitting your proposal in English, as some supervisors can only supervise theses in English.

Yes, this is generally possible. Please email theses@df.uzh.ch with the contact details of the person you would like to work with. We will review your request and provide the external supervisor with the relevant information. Please still upload your research proposal to the Department of Finance Thesis Market and add a comment stating that you plan to work with an external supervisor.

This depends on your supervisor, so we recommend discussing it with them directly. Unless agreed otherwise, you may choose your own citation style. The important point is to apply it consistently throughout your thesis.

This depends on your supervisor, so we recommend discussing it with them directly. Unless agreed otherwise, you may choose your own citation style. The important point is to apply it consistently throughout your thesis.

If you are writing your paper under the supervision of Alexander Wagner, please use the following citation style: Zitierstandard (Journal of Finance) (PDF, 83 KB)

Your research proposal may not have been accepted by a supervisor despite being submitted early. Review its feasibility again. Could the proposal be improved? If you have another idea, you can upload two different research proposals to improve your chances of finding a suitable supervisor. In urgent cases, please contact theses@df.uzh.ch.

The abstract provides a very brief overview of the thesis and should summarize the research question, the methodological approach, and the most important findings. We recommend that it be no longer than 100 words. The abstract is usually finalized only after the thesis is completed.

The executive summary summarizes the most important content and findings of the thesis for readers who do not wish to read the entire thesis. In particular, it should include the background, objectives, methodology, key findings, and the most important conclusions and recommendations for action. The length should be determined according to the supervisor’s guidelines and should generally not exceed three pages.

The exact length is determined by the advisor and may vary depending on the degree program, topic, and research design. What matters most is that the paper provides a complete, scientifically sound, and clear answer to the research question. Quality is more important than reaching a specific page count.

Tables and figures should be easy to read, numbered, and self-explanatory. Titles and captions must adequately explain what is being presented; screenshots are generally not appropriate. In general, we recommend placing the most important tables and figures in the main body of the paper and including additional or more detailed results in the appendix. Including your own graphics and tables also ensures a consistent layout. 

Data availability should be assessed as early as the topic selection phase or when drafting the research proposal. Data search, data access, and in particular data cleaning often take more time than expected. We recommend clarifying the data sources early on.

In a primary analysis, you collect the data yourself. This allows you to have greater control over the data collection process, but it usually involves more effort. In a secondary analysis, you use existing data. This is generally less time-consuming, but it requires a careful assessment of data quality and, if necessary, the harmonization of different data sources. 

The choice of software should be discussed with your advisor and based on the method, the volume of data, and your own prior knowledge. In general, we recommend software such as Python, R, Stata, or MATLAB. Excel may be suitable for smaller, simple analyses, but is only recommended to a limited extent for large datasets and more sophisticated statistical methods. If the advisor requires a specific program or format, this requirement must be followed.

Empirical results should be verifiable and reproducible. We therefore generally recommend keeping the data used, the complete program code, and a readme file with clear instructions.

Cite only publicly available and verifiable sources. Forums, public encyclopedias (e.g., Wikipedia), and texts generated by artificial intelligence should not be used. Instead, primary sources should be used and cited.

This depends on your supervisor. The assessment for your Bachelor's or Master's thesis is specified in your thesis assignment and may consist of different components. These may include an independent paper, data collection, application development, or an oral component such as a presentation, defense, or examination. The components and their weighting will be communicated to you at the start of your thesis. Students in the Master's program in Quantitative Finance are required to defend their Master's thesis.

You can use the following wording:

I hereby declare that I have completed this thesis independently and without using any resources other than those stated. I understand that I bear full responsibility for the academic quality of the submitted text. All passages quoted or paraphrased from published or unpublished works have been identified as such. This thesis has not previously been submitted, in the same or a similar form or in part, as part of another examination.

Yes. If you use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot when preparing your Bachelor's or Master's thesis, you must include an AI declaration in tabular form. It must specify the tool used, the purpose of use, the sections or tasks concerned, and how the output was reviewed and verified. You bear full responsibility for the academic quality, accuracy, and integrity of your submitted work.
The AI declaration should include the following information:

• AI Tool Used
• Purpose of Use
• Sections / Tasks Concerned
• Your Review and Verification

Example:

Also add the following statement below the table:

I confirm that I have critically reviewed all AI-assisted outputs and revised them where necessary. I remain fully responsible for the final submitted version of this thesis.

The documents you need to submit depend on the components of your Bachelor's or Master's thesis. The specific requirements are set out in your thesis assignment.

Unless your supervisor specifies otherwise, the following documents must be submitted electronically via OLAT:

• Executive summary (PDF): a summary of no more than 3 pages
• Complete thesis (LaTeX or Word file, as well as a PDF)
• All data used
• Computer code for replicating your results
• Electronically saved references (papers in PDF format).

If your thesis includes data collection or data analysis, the following additional materials may be required:

• Datasets used
• Code or scripts for the analysis
• Documentation or a codebook describing the variables, data structure, and processing steps
• A written summary or report in the agreed format

If your thesis includes application development, the following additional materials may be required:
Source code

• A working application or prototype
• A README file or user manual
• Required data, dependencies, or access information

The requirements in your thesis assignment and your supervisor's instructions are authoritative.