Obtaining the Master of Science (MSc) diploma

 

As with obtaining one’s Bachelor of Science diploma, several steps must be taken to ensure one receives one’s Master diploma in a timely manner. 

Therefore, we have provided another set of step-by-step instructions to ensure that nothing is forgotten. 

  1. Before one can think about submitting one’s thesis or preparing for one’s defensio, one’s Record of Examinations must be complete. This means that all modules, with the exception of the Master thesis, must be successfully completed. Only then can a completion of one’s studies be taken into consideration.
  2. Toward the end of the work on one’s thesis, the first and most important step is to obtain a submission folder from the relevant StudienServiceCenter (SSC). The folder contains, among other things, a template for the thesis’s title page.
  3. Completion of the Master Thesis: The title page must match the template, and the contents must meet the specified requirements. The form for the completion of the thesis must include the advisor’s assessment of the thesis, including the grade the advisor has given.
  4. Along with the forms from Steps 2 and 3, two hardbound copies of the thesis are to be submitted to the SSC, along with an electronic version of the thesis uploaded in advance. The submission folder must contain a confirmation of the upload. After this submission, no further changes may be made to the thesis, not even to its formatting.
  5. After roughly two weeks, the Master thesis module in one’s Record of Examinations in u:space should be completed. 
  6. In order to register for one’s defensio, it is necessary to arrange the following:  
    •  Chief examiner: The Defensio committee requires a chief examiner. This must not necessarily be the Director of Studies, however.
    • Examiners: The two examiners of the committee have usually obtained postdoctoral habilitation degrees. One of the two is generally one’s thesis advisor and tests one on the topic of one’s thesis. The other examiner poses questions on a related astronomical topic.
    • A room: The student must reserve the room in which the defensio is to take place for the duration of the exam. This can be arranged with the Institute’s secretaries.
    • A form: In order to register for a defensio, a separate form must be filled out and submitted to the SSC.
  7.  Directly after the defensio, one obtains an exam transcript and further instructions.
  8.  The transcript must be submitted to the SSC. The examiners each receive a copy.
  9.  The next step involves obtaining a discharge stamp (Entlastungsstempel) from the university library, which can only be done at the main building. One’s u:account is also only valid for 3 months after this point.
  10. After a few days, one should receive a notification that one’s diploma is ready to pick up.