eth biology master thesis

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Master in Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

Master's thesis.

The master's degree programme concludes with a master's thesis of 24 weeks duration that includes a written report and an oral presentation.

The master's thesis must be completed in a different group or company department - and supervised by a different professor - than at least one lab rotation!

Students completing the master's thesis in one of the research groups at ​BSSE: in addition to the registration via myStudies, you are required to inform the Department Administration about your stay at least 2 weeks before the scheduled start via the external page Registration Form .

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Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences

Msc biochemistry - chemical biology.

The degree programme was launched in 2023

Some key aspects of the programme

• Deepen academic knowledge with a focus on experimental scientific work in the areas of chemical biology, biochemistry and organic chemistry and their interfaces with biology, bioanalytics, pharmacy and biomedical fields.
• Specialization in core subjects in the area of chemical biology.
• Electives on biochemical, chemistry, molecular, systems and microbiological topics and molecular analysis.
• Elective category “Economics and Technology Management” to promote competences in the field of economy, leadership, coaching and project management.
• Semester projects to become familiar with the scientific way of working and to work on a current research topic.
• Master´s thesis project (6 months).
• Download vertical_align_bottom Programme Overview  (PDF, 35 KB)
• Download vertical_align_bottom Programme guide  (PDF, 157 KB)
• chevron_right Programme regulation 2023 (in German)

Introduction

The Master’s degree programme in Biochemistry – Chemical Biology (BCB) offers comprehensive training in all aspects of chemical biology and the adjacent areas. Itsgraduates are qualified to hold responsible positions in academia, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and public services.

Domain-specific knowledge and understanding

Graduates with a Master’s degree in BCB

• have in-depth knowledge of the various concepts, methods and aims of scientific research in chemical biology, biochemistry and molecular chemistry and their interfaces with biology, bioanalysis, pharmacy and the biomedical disciplines;
• have in-depth knowledge of the methods and principles of molecular biology;
• are familiar with the safety and environmental guidelines and are able to implement them;
• perceive the use of interdisciplinary approaches and can apply them in a targeted manner;
• are able to process tasks independently, in a structured manner and in accordance with scientific standards.

a) Analytical skills

Graduates with a Master’s degree in BCB are able to

• recognise, comprehensively analyse and and accurately and clearly document scientific and practical problems in chemical-biological and biochemical research and development;
• generate, analytically characterise and classify scientific data and compare it with existing databases, and to utilise such databases (e.g. genome, proteome and protein structure repositories);
• statistically analyse, interpret and visualise scientific data from their discipline in the correct manner;
• familiarise themselves with the latest developments in the field via the scientific literature and to critically evaluate them.

b) Development skills

• are, based on their scientific understanding and analysis of current data, able to formulate a hypothesis and propose and/or develop methods to test it experimentally;
• are able to assess a practical problem in the area of biochemical analytical research and development, elaborate solutions to it and implement these solutions;
• are able to recognise important developments in the research field and build upon them.

Personal and social competences

• clearly and accurately visualise and describe scientific data in oral and written form for specialists or laypersons;
• collaborate openly and constructively with specialists from their own and from neighboring disciplines;
• develop and apply specialist concepts and terminology and to convey the core concepts and strategies of chemical biology to other scientists, also in the context of multidisciplinary projects;
• recognise the social relevance and ethical dimension of their work and to act responsibly and prudently in accordance.

The total number of 120 credits necessary to obtain the Master’s degree must be acquired within four years.

Categories of course units

Students have to obtain credits in the following categories:

• Core and compensatory subjects: 18 credits
• Elective subjects: 36 credits
• Semester projects: 32 credits
• Electives in science in perspective (SiP): 2 credits
• Master's thesis: 32 credits

Description of the categories

Core and compensatory subjects Core subject area of «chemical biology». All students have to take three courses from this area.

Elective subjects Elective subjects include a broad spectrum of advanced topics in chemical biology, biology, and chemistry as well as topics from related areas. Students may also take as compulsory elective subjects (a) core subjects as long as they have not taken them as such, (b) elective subjects from the Bachelor's degree programme.

Semester projects Students have to carry out two semester projects, they are free to choose the area but it should fit to the programme. The chosen supervisor should be contacted at an early date.

Master's thesis The Master's thesis is carried out under the supervision of a professor in a core or elective subject area. Students are free to choose the area. The duration of the Master's thesis is 6 months.

Electives in science in perspective (SiP) All students must collect credits in courses offered by the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (D-GESS).

Subjects of the Master's programme in Biochemistry - Chemical Biology Autumn semester 2024 Spring semester 2024 The links take you to extracts from the ETH Course Catalogue .

• The Course catalogue is available in separate versions for the Autumn semester (1st semester) and for the Spring semester (2nd semester).
• Further links in blue colour
• The view «Course units» gives an overview of all courses
• The view «Catalogue data» shows detailed information
• Printout is possible in both views (Icon in top right corner)

The Master's degree programme uses a credit system which is based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Credits are a measure for the total labour required from the students to reach the educational goal. Calculations are based on a total of 1500 to 1800 working hours per year, equivalent to 60 credits. Therefore, 1 credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of total work.

Credits are allocated after the performance assessment intended for the course has been passed. Upon application by the student the Master's title is awarded when a total of 120 credits is reached. Download ETH Zurich’s Grading System and ECTS Grades (PDF, 54 KB)

Credits are allocated after the performance assessment has been passed. A performance assessment not passed can be repeated once. Exams and the Master's thesis are rated with a grade between one (lowest) and six (highest). In order to pass, a grade of four must be achieved. Other performance assessments may also be rated with passed/not passed.

Forms of performance assessments Performance assessments are in the form of exams, or of a semester performance. The course catalogue lists for each course the form and mode of the performance assessment. Exams are usually held in examination sessions during the last weeks of the semester breaks.

Admission to performance assessments Admission to the performance assessments normally requires that the Bachelor's studies are completed. Exceptions are specified individually for the various categories below.

Core subjects

• Performance assessments in this category are in the form of exams.
• Students who do not pass an exam in a core subject in two attempts get one further chance with a compensatory subject offered in the same area.
• Students enrolled in both the Bachelor's and Master's degree programme in BCB of ETH are admitted to examinations in core and compensatory subjects of the Master's degree programme on condition that they have to acquire no more than 11 credits in the category 'elective subjects' for their Bachelor's diploma.
• Students who were admitted to the Master's degree programme with the requirement to acquire credits from the ETH Bachelor's degree programme are admitted to examinations in core and compensatory subjects on condition that they have to acquire no more than 11 of the additional required credits.

Elective subjects

• Students enrolled in both the Bachelor's and Master's degree programme in BCB of ETH are admitted to examinations in elective subjects of the Master's degree programme on condition that they have passed the examination block I and the compulsory lab courses of the ETH Bachelor's degree programme's second year.
• Students who were admitted to the Master's degree programme with the requirement to acquire credits from the corresponding ETH Bachelor's degree programme are admitted to examinations in compulsory elective subjects on condition that they have to acquire no more than 11 of the additional required credits.

Semester projects

• Performance assessments in these categories are based on semester performance.
• Students enrolled in both the Bachelor's degree and Master's degree programme in BCB of ETH are admitted to the semester projects of the Master's degree programme on condition that they have to acquire less than 60 credits for their Bachelor's diploma.

Master's thesis

• Details on the Master's thesis are documented in the «Directives for Master's Theses». The Master's thesis cannot be started before the Bachelor's degree programme is completed.

Early electronic enrolment in myStudies is mandatory The programme includes two semester projects.

Subjects and supervision The semester projects are carried out under the supervision of a professor in a core subject area, or in an elective subject. Exceptions will be clarified by the student's administrator. Students enrolled in the Bachelor's programme in Biochemistry - Chemical Biology of ETH are admitted to the semester projects before graduation from the Bachelor's programme on condition that they have to acquire less than 60 credits for their Bachelor's degree.

Who must submit a request? Students who wish to carry out a semester project

• in a subject area other than a core subject area or a compulsory elective subject, or/and
• externally (outside of the curriculum according to the course catalogue or of D-​CHAB)

must submit a request at least four weeks ahead of the scheduled start using the Download application form (PDF, 117 KB) .

Supervision

The Master's thesis is carried out under the supervision of a professor in one of the core subject areas, or in an elective subject. Students are free to choose the area.

Registration for the thesis in myStudies before starting is mandatory!

The duration of the Master's thesis is 6 month. The thesis cannot be started before the Bachelor's degree programme is completed.

To whom must the thesis be submitted?

• Please submit the thesis to the supervisor.
• Check with the respective secretary whether the institute/laboratory wants to receive a copy for its files.
• The department does not get copies of Master's theses!

Who must submit a request?

Students who wish to carry out their Master's thesis outside D-​CHAB / D-BIOL must submit a request at least four weeks ahead of the scheduled start using the Download official application form (PDF, 90 KB) .

More details in the Download directives for the Master's thesis (PDF, 60 KB) .

Download Master's theses guidelines D-CHAB (PDF, 142 KB)

When the number of credits in the individual categories as defined in section "Programme outline" has been acquired students can submit a request for degree conferral via their student portale («myStudies») and the student administration. This has to be done no later than four years after the start of the Master's degree programme. The request must itemize the study achievements which should be listed in the final academic record. The maximum number of credits that can be taken into account is 130.

Students with an ETH Zurich Bachelor's Degree may spend one semester during their Master's degree programme at another university. A study programme for this semester abroad has to be compiled in advance in cooperation with the mobility advisor of the Department. Credits can be obtained externally in the categories semester projects and elective subjects up to a total maximum of 30 credits.

Students without an ETH Zurich Bachelor's Degree are not allowed to participate in exchange programmes of ETH Zurich. Individual mobility is possible but credits do not count towards the Master ́s degree. A Master’s thesis external to D-CHAB / D-BIOL must be carried out under the supervision of an ETH professor and would therefore neither run under the mobility programme nor count toward the maximum mobility credits allowed.

Study Administration and Counseling

• Location location_on HCI H 201
• Phone phone +41 44 633 45 80

Dep. Chemie und Angew. Biowiss. Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10 8093 Zürich Switzerland

Monday, Wednesday to Friday

Director of Studies

HCI F 215 Schweiz

Quick Links

• chevron_right Admission and application
• chevron_right Course catalogue
• chevron_right International students

Rules governing written scientific work

• chevron_right Citation etiquette
• chevron_right Declaration of originality

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Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering

Master in biotechnology.

The master’s degree programme in Biotechnology offers intensive training in the molecular science and engineering discipline of the 21st century with world-​renowned scientists in the heart of the world's pharma capital.

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Master in Biotechnology

Master's thesis.

The master's degree programme concludes with a master's thesis of 35 weeks duration that includes a written report and oral presentation. The topic of the thesis can be chosen according to the student's interests in the field of biotechnology.

The master's thesis must be completed in a different group or company department - and supervised by a different professor - than the research project/internship!

Students completing the master's thesis in one of the research groups at ​BSSE: in addition to the registration via myStudies, you are required to inform the Department Administration about your stay at least 2 weeks before the scheduled start via the external page Registration Form .

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Dept. of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Projects and master's thesis.

Master's students are required to complete one (2018 regulations) or two (2008 regulations) semester projects and one Master's thesis. The projects and the thesis are supervised by a professor of the Department (including adjunct professors ) or by a Download professor associated (PDF, 97 KB) with the Department. Most projects are carried out under the guidance of, and in close contact with, a PhD student of the supervising professor. If two semester projects are carried out, to broaden your horizon, they should be carried out with two different professors.

Semester projects

A semester project should take about half of a student‘s time during one semester, i.e., about 300 to 400 hours has a duration of 14 weeks. It is possible to do a semester project in 7 weeks full-time outside a semester, but it is not recommended. The project includes an oral presentation and a written report, and it is graded. Before starting, the project must be registered in mystudies ("Projects/papers/theses").

Master's thesis

The Master's degree programme concludes with a Master's thesis that lasts six months. The project includes an oral presentation and a written report (the Master's thesis), and it is graded. Before starting the project, the Master's thesis must be registered in mystudies ("Projects/papers/theses"). You will be admitted to the Master's thesis only if both semester projects (2008 regulations) are or one semester project (2018 regulations) is successfully completed.

Once the Master's thesis is successfully finished and all credits are obtained, students may request their diploma .

Information: Publication of Master Thesis in the Research Collection

Students have the possibility of publishing their master theses in the Research Collection . To publish master theses in the Research Collection, a letter of recommendation from the respective supervisor is needed. You can find further information on the webpage .

Semester project, Bachelor's and Master's theses offers at D-ITET:

If projects are taken, sometimes related projects may be available. Often, labs are willing to customize a project to match the students' interests. Many labs welcome students' own ideas for projects.

Below an overview of labs offering semester project and Master's thesis by specialisation:

• chevron_right Communication Technology Laboratory
• chevron_right Signal and Information Processing Laboratory
• chevron_right Chair for Mathematical Information Science
• chevron_right Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory
• chevron_right Computer Vision Laboratory
• chevron_right Chair for Computer Science
• chevron_right Computer Security Group
• chevron_right Computer Architecture (SAFARI Research Group)
• chevron_right Institute for Electronics
• chevron_right Institute of Electromagnetic Fields
• chevron_right Integrated Systems Laboratory
• chevron_right Millimetre-wave Electronics Laboratory
• external page call_made Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics at EMPA
• chevron_right Photonics Laboratory

Booklet Download Semester/Master's theses "Energy and Power Electronics" (PDF, 78.2 MB)

• chevron_right Advanced Power Semiconductor Laboratory
• chevron_right Laboratory for High-power Electronics Systems
• chevron_right Power Electronic Systems Laboratory
• chevron_right High Voltage Laboratory
• chevron_right Power Systems Laboratory
• external page call_made Institute of Neuroinformatics
• chevron_right Institute for Biomedical Engineering

For further ITET projects see external page SiROP website .

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Master in Comparative and International Studies (MACIS)

Master's thesis guidelines.

You may write your MA thesis in either during the spring or fall semester. The registration deadline is March and September respectively. The exact dates will be released a few weeks prior to the registration deadline (MA Thesis Guidelines).

MA Thesis Colloquium

You must attend the MA thesis colloquium, present your initial proposal and (later in the semester) the full research design, and actively participate in the discussions. Typically, there are around 5 meetings. You will need to register for the colloquium in myStudies. 

MA Thesis Workshop

You must attend the MA thesis workshop and present the results of your MA thesis research in front of all MACIS students. This workshop usually takes place March and July respectively.

Download MA Thesis Guidelines Fall 2024 (PDF, 619 KB) Download MA Thesis Guidelines Spring 2024 (PDF, 624 KB)

Outstanding Master’s theses are honoured with the Silver Medal of ETH Zurich and a financial sum. Please find the directives here Since the number of medals awarded is capped, the D-GESS is typically allocated with one medal over the three MA programs (MA CIS, MA GPW and MSc STP) each year. The directors of study will nominate the candidates and take a joint decision. The ETH Medal will be awarded at the Master's degree graduation ceremony.

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Master's thesis in earth sciences.

The Master's programme in Earth Sciences is concluded with the Master's thesis. The subject of the thesis is in the major study area and represents either an applied or fundamental research project.

In most cases, the project will be integrated into one of the research groups at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences . Students may contact the lecturers directly for a project or choose from the list of Master's thesis projects at the department .

If geological mapping or sampling are required, early planning of the project is essential to provide flexibility in scheduling time in the field.

Guidelines Master's thesis in Earth Sciences

Before starting the Master's thesis, students must:

• Have obtained their Bachelor's degree .
• Have fulfilled all additional requirements (if any).
• Have successful completed the MSc Project Proposal (651-4060-00).

The project is supervised by:

• Main supervisor (mandatory)
• Additional supervisor (optional)
• Examiner (if necessary)

Supervisors are involved in the Master's thesis. If the supervisor(s) belong to the same group an examiner belonging to another research group is necessary . The examiner will evaluate but not necessarily supervise the thesis.

At least one supervisor or examiner must be a professor/PD of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science or one of the department's authorised senior researchers . Exceptions must be approved by the Director of Studies.

Registration for “651-4062-00 Master’s Thesis” in myStudies  "projects/papers/theses"

• Students starting their Master’s thesis between August and January register for Autumn Semester. Students starting between February and July register for Spring Semester.
• Please do not register twice if the start and the end of the Master’s thesis are not in the same semester, but choose the option “leave of absence” (Urlaubsemester) on myStudies for the subsequent semester.
• myStudies calculates the individual deadline automatically at the time of registration (plus six months).

The students present their Master’s thesis in a group seminar. At least one member of the supervising committee must be present. The time of the presentation can be selected individually in consultation with the supervisors/examiner.

The presentation counts towards the final grade.

Besides the individual deadline  (calculated automatically at the time of registration) there is an annual deadline  for each cohort, which is defined each year by the department depending on the date of the graduation ceremony.

Both, individual and annual deadline follow the ETH Zurich Ordinance on Performance Assessments Art. 11 . Late submission will result in a fail grade. Requests for extensions must be submitted early and will only be considered for valid reasons, such as illness or accidents.

Individual deadline

The individual deadline is calculated automatically in myStudies based on the start date (plus six months) of the Master's Thesis. This deadline is binding and the student must submit the Master's thesis no later than this date (by midnight). Students whose individual deadline is set before the annual deadline will be officially invited to the graduation ceremony.

Annual deadline

The annual deadline  or cohort deadline depends on the date of the graduation ceremony and is defined each year by the department. Only students who submit their Master’s thesis by the following deadline , will officially be invited to the graduation ceremony.

• Submission of Master's thesis: 26 August 2024
• Grading in eDoz: 13 September 2024
• Request for diploma: 16 September 2024
• Submission of Master's thesis The student hands in the Master’s thesis (physical copy or PDF) to the main supervisor (incl. the Download signed declaration of originality (PDF, 183 KB) ) no later than midnight of the individual deadline. The main supervisor confirms the submission in eDoz.
• Grading in eDoz The main supervisor enters the final grade in eDoz based on the protected page Master’s Thesis - Assessment and Grading Form . A missed deadline results in a fail.
• Request for diploma The student must submit the request for diploma (Diplomantrag). He/she can only do so after the grade for his/her Master’s thesis is validated (verfügt) by the study administration.

If the Master's thesis is handed in after the annual deadline, the grades cannot be validated in time for the graduation ceremony. Thus the students will only be invited the following year.

The grades from all supervisors and examiner have equal weight for the final mark.

The main supervisor calculates the final grade ( protected page see assessment and grading form ) and enters the final grade in eDoz no later than four weeks after submission of the Master's thesis. A shorter submission of the grade applies to theses submitted by the annual deadline (see annual deadlines above) .

An excellent Master’s thesis (grade 6.0) can be suggested for the Silver Medal of ETH Zurich. The main supervisor must state reasons for the outstanding and excellent thesis by submitting a report.

The department encourages the publication of excellent Master's theses in the ETH Research Collection . Publcation of the Master's theses requires a letter of recommendation from the respective supervisor and a declaration of consent from the student.

The graduation ceremony takes place in late autumn (end of November). Only students who submit their Master’s thesis by the annual deadline, will officially be invited to the graduation ceremony.

Please contact the D-EAPS study administration in case of questions.

• Location location_on NO D 55
• Phone phone +41 44 632 64 83

Dep. Erd- u Planetenwissenschaften Sonneggstrasse 5 8092 Zürich Switzerland

Master in Space Systems

The Specialised Master in Space Systems starts in Autumn Semester 2024 and information about the Master's thesis in Space Systems is currently being prepared.

Master in Atmospheric and Climate Science

For information about the Master's thesis in Atmospheric and Climate Science visit the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Science website.

Master in Applied Geophysics

For information about the Master's thesis in Applied Geophysics visit the external page Joint Master Programme page on the IDEA League website .

Study grants

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Department of Biology

Microbiology and immunology, major overview.

Download Profile and description of the major, course list, contact information study advisor (PDF, 1.1 MB)

Important information

Microbiology deals with microorganisms, a large and very heterogeneous group of usually microscopically small prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, i.e. bacteria and archaea, protozoa, algae and fungi, but also viruses. Microbes are characterized by a high metabolic diversity allowing them to explore a wide variety of habitats. As pathogens and commensals, they are of central medical importance and represent the major target of our immune system. Immunology centers on the questions how such pathogens are recognized and how they are eliminated from the organism. Microorganisms play an important role in food processing and they are used in many different biotechnological processes, being it for the production of pharmaceuticals or chemical substances.

The first time you edit your master’s enrolment go to “Functions” -> “Specialisation” and choose your major.

Every student's study programme is defined in the learning agreement in myStudies.

• Go to “Functions” -> “Learning agreement”. The compulsory courses are already listed. The compulsory electives and the elective courses can be entered according to the discussion with your major advisor. In the end submit your entries to your major advisor for approval.
• The learning agreement does not have to be complete in the beginning and it can be changed during the course of the study time. All additions and changes have to be approved by your major advisor.
• All compulsory courses are marked with “Yes” in the section “Completion of mandatory courses”.
• Compulsory courses that were done in the ETH Biology Bachelor’s programme have to be marked with “Other programme”.
• In the rare case a compulsory course does not have to be taken with agreement of your major advisor it can be marked with “No”.
• The section “ECTS credits” shows the planned, the needed minimum and the missing CPs in the categories “Compulsory Subjects and Compulsory Electives”, “Electives” and “Research Projects” (not shown Master’s thesis, Master’s exam and GESS-course).
• For the Master’s degree 24 CPs must be acquired in the categories “Compulsory Subjects and Compulsory Electives” and “Electives” whereof at least 18 CPs have to come from the category “Compulsory Subjects and Compulsory Electives”.
• Courses listed in the learning agreement must be registered in myStudies under “Course registration” (no automatic transfer!).If a course is registered, the dot in front of the course’s name in the learning agreement turns green. Without a registration it turns red.
• Location location_on HCI G 417
• Phone phone +41 44 632 51 43
• Fax print +41 44 632 11 29
• contacts vCard Download

Institut für Mikrobiologie Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10 8093 Zürich Switzerland

Autumn semester

551-0313-00L Microbiology (part I) 551-0317-00L Immunology I

Spring semester

551-0314-00L Microbiology (part II) 551-0318-00L Immunology II

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Institute of Science, Technology and Policy

Master's thesis.

The Master’s thesis concludes the Master’s degree programme in Science, Technology and Policy. With the Master’s thesis, students demonstrate their ability to conduct scientific research based on the theoretical and methodological knowledge acquired during the MSc programme.

The thesis addresses a particular policy issue chosen by the student and does so in an interdisciplinary manner. Policy analysis plays a significant role in the research and the resulting thesis. Writing the Master’s thesis involves a full-time semester workload (six calendar months full-time, 30 ECTS). Because the thesis must be completed within six months, students are advised to refrain from taking additional courses and/or, as far as financially possible, from pursuing paid employment during this time.

Master's Thesis in short

On this page you can find a short overview of the features and requirements of the Master's thesis.

The complete regulation can be found in the documents below:

• Please check the Download Master's Thesis Guidelines (PDF, 228 KB) .
• Please download the Master’s Thesis Download Assessment Form (PDF, 253 KB) (fillable PDF document).

Students can commence work on the Master's thesis when both of the following conditions are met:

• They have completed their Bachelor's degree.
• They have acquired the number of ECTS points required for the Master's degree in all categories, with the except for credits for electives and the Master's thesis itself.  

The minimum number of credits required in each category is:

• Courses in social sciences: 27 credits
• Minor in natural sciences and engineering: 27 credits
• Case studies: 12 credits

The Master's thesis must be completed within 28 weeks. These 28 weeks include 26 weeks of work and 2 weeks for holidays, sick leave, and other brief absences.

Students are free to choose a start date in agreement with both supervisors. The start date is then registered in myStudies, subject to approval by the supervisor.

This binding deadline for each student is displayed on myStudies. If it is missed without notification, the Master's thesis will be graded as 'failed'. The Director of Studies can extend the deadline under exceptional circumstances. The reasons must be stated in a written request by the student and the request must be approved by the Studies Director.

There is no required or maximum length. A rule of thumb is 40 - 50 pages, excluding appendices.

• Front-page layout

The front page must contain the following information:

• ETH and ISTP Logo.
• Thesis type (Master's thesis).
• Name of the student.
• Student ID number.
• Master’s degree programme in Science, Technology and Policy.
• Title of the Master's thesis.
• Supervisor and Co-Supervisor, with their academic title and institution.
• Date of submission (dd/mm/yyyy).
• Declaration of originality

Students must submit a signed declaration of originality when they submit their Master's thesis. Each copy needs to contain a Download declaration of originality (PDF, 183 KB) .

If this student uses AI tools for language editing, this is acceptable but must be declared in the declaration of originality. Using AI tools for the substantive content of the thesis is not allowed.  

• Citation etiquette

All students are required to follow the guidelines Download 'Citation etiquette' (PDF, 67 KB) .

Please also visit the webpage on plagiarism on the ETH student portal.

Please be aware that supervisors will normally run Master's theses through PlagScan or a similar platform to identify plagiarism problems before assessing the content of the thesis.

The Master's thesis should be supervised by two professors, who serve as supervisor and co-supervisor, respectively. One of these professors must be from the social sciences. The other professor should be from the natural or engineering sciences or the social sciences. The supervisor must be an ETH Zurich professor. She or he has the lead role in supervising and mentoring the student and grading the thesis. The co-supervisor can be from ETH or another academic institution. Subject to approval by the ISTP studies director, the co-supervisor (whether from within ETH Zurich or another academic institution) can also be a postdoctoral researcher or senior researcher/scientist with demonstrated experience in advising Master's and doctoral students. Such a co-advisor must be independent of the supervisor, i.e., she or he should not be a staff member of the supervisor.

Subject to approval by the supervisor and the ISTP studies director, the Master's thesis research can also be undertaken outside ETH Zurich under the co-supervision of a professor or postdoc/senior researcher at that institution (meeting the same conditions as for the co-supervisor within ETH Zurich, see above). In such cases, the supervisor (who must be an ETH Zurich professor) should assess the submitted Master's thesis independently of the ETH-external co-supervisor and provide a separate assessment and grading proposal. If both supervisor and co-supervisor are from within ETH Zurich, they may provide a jointly agreed assessment.

The supervisor and co-supervisor must, under any conditions, have full access to data and other material when assessing and grading the thesis, if necessary, under a non-disclosure agreement with the external institution. Research findings reported in a Master’s thesis must be replicable by third parties, normally by everyone in the respective scientific field and, in exceptional cases, at least by the supervisor and co-supervisor. Students are also responsible for determining where their research requires approval by the ETH Ethics Committee and, if applicable, secure approval with support from their supervisor.

According to a directive by the rector of ETH Zurich, research for the Master's thesis as such cannot be paid for. That is, paid work time (e.g., in the context of an internship or as a research assistant) cannot be used for work on the Master's thesis. Reimbursements (e.g., for travel costs, additional charges for food or accommodation) are permitted.

The supervisor and co-supervisor have the following duties:

• Define the theme of the Master's thesis in consultation with the student.
• Define the tasks in writing.
• Determine the date on which the student can begin the Master's thesis and the date on which the student can submit the thesis.
• Define the criteria for assessment of the Master's thesis.
• Assess and grade the thesis.
• Finding a topic, supervisors and preparation of the thesis proposal

Students are free to develop their own thesis topic or to select a topic suggested by a prospective supervisor and/or co-supervisor, and they are free to choose a supervisor and a co-supervisor whose interest aligns with a particular topic, subject to the above rules. The thesis must focus on a policy-relevant issue, and policy analysis should play a significant role in the research and resulting thesis. Once a topic is identified and agreed upon by both the student and the supervisor, the student will draft a thesis proposal of around 2 - 5 pages. This proposal must be approved by the supervisor before the research starts. The proposal should cover the following points:

• Supervisor and co-supervisor.
• Research question and its relevance.
• References and relevant scientific literature.
• Potential theoretical arguments addressing this question.
• Empirical research strategy and timeline.

On the following sites, you can find inspiration for potential thesis topics. 

• Student Theses Energy and Technology Policy Group  
• Abschlussarbeiten Institut für Raum- und Landschaftsentwicklung (D-BAUG) (German only)
• external page SiROP
• Registration in myStudies

After the students and supervisors have agreed on a topic and a start date, students need to register for lecture number '860-0900-00 Master's Thesis' on myStudies .

The latest starting date can be 3 months after the end of the semester of registration.

To register the thesis in myStudies, students need to submit:

• Title of the thesis (the title can be changed later on).
• Start date.
• Names of the supervisors.
• Thesis proposal.

The duration of the Master's thesis is set to maximum 28 weeks (6 months plus 2 weeks), and the submission date will be displayed on myStudies .

• The main supervisor must confirm the thesis in myStudies.

The supervisor must confirm the thesis in myStudies for the student to be able to formally begin the Master's thesis. The student office approves the registration in myStudies. Students can start the Master's Thesis only when the status in myStudies is 'Definite'.

• Submission and evaluation

The supervisor will, subject to the consent of the co-supervisor, communicate the grade and the grading sheet(s) for a thesis to the Study Administration within eight weeks after submission, and preferably sooner. The supervisor and co-supervisor must send the grading sheet(s) to the student. They will commonly meet with the student in person or online to provide more detailed feedback.

• Awarding credit points

Students will be awarded 30 ECTS credit points upon successfully completing the thesis.

• Publication in the ETH Research Collection

Students have the opportunity to publish their Master's thesis in the ETH Research Collection. To publish Master's theses in the Research Collection, a letter of recommendation from the main supervisor is required.

• Degree request

Once the Master's thesis is successfully completed and all credits are obtained, students may request their diploma .

The Master's thesis will be graded, and this grade will serve as the student's performance assessment for the lecture unit. Theses are graded on a scale from 1 - 6. Students must earn a 4 or higher in order to pass.

Only the written Master's thesis is evaluated. Presentation of the Master's thesis is not compulsory; however, the ISTP encourages students to present their thesis in a seminar or a poster presentation.

The Master's thesis Download assessment form (PDF, 253 KB) will state the criteria that will be used to evaluate the thesis.

The supervisor and co-supervisor will evaluate a student's thesis separately. The scores for each criterion are averaged. The average of all of these scores will constitute the final grade. The main supervisor will be responsible for coordinating the grading process and for submitting the student's final grade to the Study Administration.

A Master's thesis that receives a grade lower than 4 may only be repeated once. If repeated, it must address a new theme. The repetition may proceed under a different supervisor and/or co-​supervisor. Repeating a Master's thesis that has received a grade of 4 or higher is not possible.

Master's Thesis Interviews

To gain deeper insight into how the Master's thesis process could look like, check out our interviews with previous Master's students:

• A thesis abroad: Bridging technology decision making and local engagement in Laos

Outstanding Master’s theses are honored with the Silver Medal of ETH Zurich and a financial sum. Please find the directives here. Past STP programme medal recipients include:

• Felix Zaussinger, MSc 2021 (2022 Medal Recipient)

Since the number of medals awarded is capped, the D-GESS is typically allocated with one medal over the three MA programs (MA CIS, MA GPW and MSc STP) each year. The directors of study will nominate the candidates and take a joint decision. The ETH Medal will be awarded at the Master's degree graduation ceremony.

Master's Theses Awards

- Marion Meyers, MSc 2023: external page 2024 GAIA Masters Student Paper Award