Seitlicher Blick auf das D4 Gebäude.

Bachelor's Thesis

The Department of Economics supervises Bachelor's theses that are thematically related to the research and teaching areas of the department.

A prerequisite for writing a Bachelor's thesis is the completion of the course “Standards of Academic Work and Citation” or “Research Methods”. Completion of economics courses (especially specialization or elective courses) is strongly recommended for writing the Bachelor's thesis (typically the topic selection develops from this).

When writing a Bachelor's thesis, students must prove that they are able to structure a topic independently and deal with it systematically. It is advisable to contact the staff of the department at an early stage in order to ensure a thorough and precise development of the research question.

Specific information from the Department of Economics on the Bachelor's thesis process can be found in the document Ways to Write a Bachelor's Thesis at the Department of Economics. Details on the formal requirements of the thesis are set out in the document Recommendations for the Formal Design of Bachelor's Theses.

These documents are a supplement to the Guidelines for writing a Bachelor's thesis, which are published by WU as general information on writing Bachelor's theses in the Bachelor's program in Business, Economics and Social Sciences.

The WU Fit4Research and Student Support Area pages also provide comprehensive information on literature research and academic work.

     

Ways to Find a Research Question and a Supervisor

Here you will also find a list of all topics researched at the Department of Economics, sorted by research area.

  1. You contact a course instructor in the context of a course you are attending. These can be, for example, the specialization subjects or electives. However, topics can also be found as part of a CBK course.

  2. You apply for a topic from the department's list of topics below. Please note that not all professors advertise specific topics. In this case, please also complete the application questionnaire.

  3. If you are interested in a specific topic, you can suggest it to the scientist who is researching in this field. As a rule, scientists are happy to supervise Bachelor's theses in their research areas. Supervision by a scientist who does not yet have a doctorate is also possible in principle. However, care must be taken here to ensure that a corresponding agreement is made with a doctoral researcher who is responsible for the overall assessment. Here you will find a list of research areas sorted by researcher by opening the first sub-item “Academic Faculty”. Here you will also find a list of all topics researched at the Department of Economics, sorted by research area. If you choose this route, please also complete the application questionnaire.

  4. If you have any questions about finding a topic for your Bachelor's thesis, you are welcome to get in touch with the relevant contact person in the department (teaching coordinator) or the Center for Students of Economics.

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List of Open Topics for a Bachelor's thesis

DE

Econometrics/empirical macroeconomicsMeasuring heterogeneous effects of macroeconomic shocksMacroeconomics and econometrics; ideally “Advanced Macroeconomics” and “Econometrics II”Michael PfarrhoferDE/E
Econometrics/empirical macroeconomicsReal-time nowcasting and forecasting of GDP growth and inflationMacroeconomics and econometrics; ideally “Advanced Macroeconomics” and “Econometrics II”Michael PfarrhoferDE/E
Econometrics/empirical macroeconomicsLong-run trends in macroeconomics and the business cycleMacroeconomics and econometrics; ideally “Advanced Macroeconomics” and “Econometrics II”Michael PfarrhoferDE/E
Economic Power - Industrial EconomicsStudents should contact the supervisor with a specific topic proposal.Basic knowledge of industrial economics / industrial organizationChristoph WeissDE/E
International TaxationStudents should contact the supervisor with a specific topic proposal. Martin ZaglerDE/E
Italian and/or Austrian economic policyStudents should contact the supervisor with a specific topic proposal. Martin ZaglerDE/E
Long-term economic growthStudents should contact the supervisor with a specific topic proposal. Martin ZaglerDE/E
MacroeconomicsTrade effects of bilateral trade agreements Harald OberhoferE
MacroeconomicsTrade policy and the return of geopolitics Harald OberhoferE
MacroeconomicsEmpirical determinants of economic growth differences across countriesEconometricsJesús Crespo CuaresmaE
MacroeconomicsForecasting and projecting long-term GDP trendsEconometricsJesús Crespo CuaresmaE
MacroeconomicsEstimating Environmental Kuznets CurvesEconometricsJesús Crespo CuaresmaE
MacroeconomicsForecasting Sectoral Greenhouse Gas EmissionsEconometricsJesús Crespo CuaresmaE
MacroeconomicsPredicting Migration Flows Across CountriesEconometricsJesús Crespo CuaresmaE
Microeconomics/game theoryGame-theoretic explanations for social behaviorBasic knowledge of game theoryUlrich BergerDE/EN
Microeconomics/behavioral economicsDoes overconfidence have positive consequences on the labor market?Basic knowledge of game theoryGerlinde Fellner-RöhlingE
Microeconomics/behavioral economicsTransparency of conflict-of-interest in principal agent relationshipsBasic knowledge of game theoryGerlinde Fellner-RöhlingE
Microeconomics/behavioral economicsMoral licencing in power relationsBasic knowledge of game theoryGerlinde Fellner-RöhlingE
Public deptStudents should contact the supervisor with a specific topic proposal. Martin ZaglerDE/EN
Public Economics/municipal economic policyRolle der Gemeinden für aktuelle wirtschaftspolitische Herausforderungen: PflegereformFinanzwissenschaft IThomas KostalDE
Public Economics/municipal economic policyRolle der Gemeinden für aktuelle wirtschaftspolitische Herausforderungen: BildungssektorFinanzwissenschaft IThomas KostalDE
Public Economics/municipal economic policyDie Bedeutung von Ausgliederungen für die kommunale Wirtschaftspolitik und die Finanzierung von Gemeinden Thomas KostalDE

Bachelor's Thesis Application

Please fill out the questionnaire below to apply for an advertised topic or to propose your own topic. Please upload a PDF with your current academic record including grades at the end.

Please choose a supervisor from the faculty of the department https://www.wu.ac.at/en/economics/people/

Please upload your academic transcript including your grades here.

Your academic transcript will be sent together with the completed form to the following e-mail address: teaching-coordination.economics@wu.ac.at

* Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).