Master's Thesis

The Master's thesis will typically cover the last term of the programme. One of the main learning goals is to advance your ability to work autonomously, conceptually and scientifically within a current research project.

Topics for Master's thesis can be found on the web pages of the different research groups at IAC and/or on the web page of the protected page MSc-Seminar:

It is also worthwhile getting in touch with the lecturers. Often, the most exciting and suitable subjects develop from a conversation.

Step-by-step guidance

There are subtle differences in the procedure between D-EAPS and D-USYS summarized in the following:

Master's thesis subjects will be presented in the first seminar of the spring semester and for the rest of the year they are published here and on the website of the research groups. You can certainly look at other institutions such as Meteoswiss, WSL and Agroscope.

D-USYS

The Master's thesis must be supervised by a professor of the Department, including honorary professors, associated professors and senior lecturers, or by someone on the Department's list of approved supervisors which can be found in moodle.

D-EAPS

The Master's thesis has to be carried out under the supervision of

- a professor of D-EAPS or of IAC or

- a professor in the master programme's module courses or

- a senior scientist from the list of approved supervisors of D-EAPS or D-USYS associated with the IAC

D-EAPS & D-USYS

You have to register through mystudies for the thesis, indicating your main supervisor.

If the starting date of the work is between July and January, the enrolment should be for the autumn semester; if it is between February and June it should be for the spring semester. If the period the work spans two semesters, the enrolment should be made for the first semester only, and the option 'leave of absence' (Urlaubssemester) should be chosen for the second semester.

If the workplace is at IAC, please fill out the Personalblatt together with your supervisor and send it back to Peter Isler. If you need a Linux account or additional storage please contact the system administrators.

D-USYS

A signed “Download Declaration of Originality (PDF, 183 KB)” together with a PDF document of the thesis must be submitted to the Student Administration Office (). More information can be found here. Furthermore you have to upload your thesis to the IAC thesis archive.

D-EAPS

The student hands in the Master’s thesis (physical copy or PDF) to the main supervisor (incl. the signed "Download Declaration of Originality (PDF, 183 KB)") no later than midnight of the individual deadline. The main supervisor confirms the submission in eDoz.
More information can be found here. Furthermore you have to upload your thesis to the IAC thesis archive.

D-USYS

The Master's thesis is assessed by the main supervisor and at least one additional supervisor/advisor, using the official evaluation form
(Download downloadable here (PDF, 799 KB)).

D-EAPS

The Master's thesis is assessed by the main supervisor and at least one additional supervisor/advisor using the official evaluation form (protected page downloadable here).

Please check your department's website for updated information on the submission deadlines for the current years diploma ceremony.

ETH offers travel allowances for individual journeys which are closely associated with a course of study program. Find out more on the Student portal of ETH.