If you are interested, please make sure that you have successfully completed the following courses:

• The course “Academic Research Techniques” (Grundlagen wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens) (required)

• One course offered by an IGN member (e.g. ZuWi II, Kapitalismus & Kritik etc.)

Students of the BA Wirtschaftsrecht are also eligible to write their BA theses at the Institute for Social Change and Sustainability, as long as the thesis topic resonates with the topics of their BA programme.

In terms of academic sub-disciplines, Bachelor theses at the IGN normally fall into the following research areas:

• Political Sociology

• Environmental Sociology

• Eco-Political Theory

• Theory of Modern Society

• Social Movement Research

• Actor Analysis and Political Party Research

• Policy Analysis

• Democracy Research

• Transformation Research

• Environmental History

Possible research topics include, for example:

• Citizen participation

• Social movements & political parties

• Democratic systems and sustainability

• Populism

• Sustainability discourse

• Sustainable consumption

• Alternative lifestyles

• Sharing economy

• Post-growth society

• Social capital

• Social networks & collaboration

To get a better understanding of the IGN’s research areas and approaches you may also refer to our

academic profile

If your envisaged topic matches the research interests of the IGN, you may submit a proposal. Please follow the Institute’s guidelines regarding structure and content of the proposal.

Once completed, please send your proposal to Mirijam Mock, the Institute’s Bachelor thesis coordinator. He will check your proposal and, if approved, forward it to a suitable IGN supervisor.

The allocated supervisor will then arrange a first supervision meeting, during which he or she will discuss your topic and its realization in more detail. Only then you will receive your supervision agreement. As a matter of principle, supervision agreements will be valid for four months (starting from the date of the acceptance)!

When planning your thesis writing, please notice:

According to our experience, students need four to five months from their first idea to the submission of their thesis. Especially concerning deadlines for MA programmes, keep in mind that:

• Theses that are submitted after 30th of November are unlikely to be marked before the end of January

• These that are submitted after 15th of July are unlikely to be marked before the end of September

The supervision will take place via regular supervision meetings.

Considering future applications for international jobs or MA programmes, we also offer students the opportunity to write their thesis in English.

Please see the attached document.

If you have any further questions regarding Bachelor theses at the IGN, please contact Michael Deflorian.

Basic information about bachelor theses at the WU is provided by the Bachelorguide and the Student Service Center.

Between 2017 and 2020, the Institute for Social Change and Sustainability (IGN) awarded the IGN Best Dissertation Award for bachelor theses. The aim of this award was to make excellent dissertations more visible and to foster the students’ interest in the social scientific research on sustainability.

• 2016: Anna Steger on the topic of „Wirtschaftliche und soziale Entwicklung von Flüchtlingen in Kärntner Gemeinden unter Berücksichtigung essenzieller Integrationsfaktoren“

• 2017: Celestin Büche on the topic of „Politische Steuerung des Klimawandels. Dezentrierung der Demokratie: Zwischen der Stimme des Volkes und dem Wissen von Experten“

• 2018: Annika Maier on the topic of „Kapitalismuskritik in parteipolitischen Jugendorganisationen in Österreich. Eine empirische Annäherung“

• 2019: Laura Spitz on the topic of „Einbindung der Wertvorstellungen von Arbeitnehmern in das Employer Branding“

Since 2020 the IGN nominates excellent bachelor theses in the field of Zukunftsfähiges Wirtschaften (sustainable economy) and sends them into the race for the award.

• 2020: Sümeyye Cekic on the topic of  „Flexibilisierung der Arbeitszeit. Der 12-​Stunden-Tag und seine Auswirkungen auf Arbeitnehmer_innen“

The IGN nominates annually one excellent bachelor theses for the TALENTA Award to select the best dissertation at the WU subsequently.

• 2020: Teresa Strobl on the topic of „Framing der 'Neuen Rechten' – der Onlineauftritt der Identitären Bewegung Österreich“