Application process
The application process is as follows:
There is no formal application process. If you fulfil the requirements to write a thesis at our chair, please contact the staff member whose research interests align with yours. There are usually no predefined topics, so you can propose one within the staff member’s research area. The specific topic will then be developed in collaboration with the supervisor. Whether you can write your thesis with our chair ultimately depends on whether you meet the requirements and whether the staff member has capacity to supervise.
Note: Students who wish to write their master’s thesis in the winter semester 2026/27 must already take the seminar “Advanced Theory and Methods in Strategy” in the summer semester 2026. It will not be possible to take this seminar in parallel in the winter semester 2026/27.
Information about master theses
Prerequisites
In order to write a master thesis at the Chair of Strategic Management and Leadership, certain requirements must be met. This ensures that the student has sufficient knowledge in the subject of strategic management to allow him/her to successfully work on a scientific topic from this subject. In general, the thesis can only be written once the student has completed at least 60 ECTS in the master’s program.
Prerequisites for Management students:
- Successful completion of the modules Business Strategy and Advanced Theory and Methods in Strategy
- Successful completion of at least two of the following six modules:
- Change Management
- Corporate Strategy
- Managerial Finance
- Start-up Consulting
- Strategische Herausforderungen im Profifußball – Projektseminar mit dem 1. FC Nürnberg (accepted if already completed, module is no longer offered)
- Strategy & AI (accepted if already completed, module is no longer offered)
Prerequisites for Master in International Business Studies students:
- Successful completion of the modules Advanced Theory and Methods in Strategy and
- Business Strategy OR Change Management
Students from other programs should contact the chair’s staff for the respective requirements.
Topic of the Master Thesis & Procedure
As noted above, the topic to be worked on in the thesis is either suggested by a member of the chair (supervisor) or developed by the student’s own suggestions. In any case, the topic should be in the research area of the respective member of the chair. In both cases, the topic of the thesis is concretized in an introductory discussion with the supervisor. Based on this, an outline and exposé are to be written, which is to be discussed with the supervisor. Subsequently, the outline and exposé are discussed with the chair holder.
Afterwards, the thesis is to be registered with the examination office, which marks the beginning of the six-month period. The student independently deals with the topic and writes the thesis – however, if questions or problems arise, the student should discuss them with the supervisor and, if necessary, with the chair holder.
Submission & Grading
Two copies of the finished thesis as well as an electronic version of the thesis (on CD or USB stick) must be submitted to the examination office by the specified deadline. The thesis will be reviewed as soon as possible; the chair aims to announce the grade of the thesis after a maximum of six weeks.
Formal Requirements
A detailed description of the formal requirements and the procedure of a thesis can be found in the Style Guide for the Preparation of Theses.