MT: Master Thesis Architecture, Individual Subjects
Any Semester
Duration: 5 months
Content
In the project M3 - Master's thesis, students are given the opportunity to independently apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their studies to a complex task and to prove their individual architectural and urban planning qualifications on a project to be dealt with as an integral part of the project. Students are invited to make suggestions for a topic for the final thesis in order to individually determine their own focus and interests. The own desired topic can thus be seen as a profiling at the end of the Master's programme. Different emphases and topics are available for the Master's thesis conceivable.
Among other things, students can use the following guiding ideas as a basis for topic identification:
- Taking up urban planning or architectural challenges at home / home country (at home and abroad)
- Current competitions as an occasion for own work
- Further in-depth study of one of the topics of the previous projects M1 or M2
Request
The following procedure must be considered when requesting the primary supervision (main examiner) of a self-assigned Master's thesis at the Chair of Urban Design:
- Submission of a Preliminary Draft of the Exposé (Rough Project Proposal)*
This is a rough description of your project. Explain briefly and concisely the topic, the location, the objective and your motivation, as well as your general interest in the chosen topic. Since this is an advance copy of the exposé, it can already be complemented with pictures, maps and references.
Please submit the preliminary draft to Andreas Klozoris by the deadline. - Presentation of the Project Idea
In a joint meeting, you will present your project idea in a short presentation of 5-10 minutes. The contents of the above-mentioned preliminary draft are sufficient for this. - Selection / Confirmation of Supervision
The chair will make a selection of the projects based on the enquiries and available capacities. You will receive a confirmation of supervision within few weeks after the presentation. Please understand that we can only supervise a limited number of papers per semester. - Elaboration of the Exposé & Request for a Second Examiner
If you have been accepted for supervision, the project can now be further detailed. The exposé can be sharpened with the help of the assigned mentor and is intended to provide the editors with a clear framework for working on the project.
The further detailing of the project now makes it possible, in consultation with the mentor, to select and request the second examiner. - Submission of Exposé & Application for Admission
The exposé is finally submitted to the teaching unit.
The application for admission (including the signature of the second examiner) is also submitted to the ZPA. - Kick-Off Date
The start of the Master's thesis is initiated with the kick-off date. The project is described in a short presentation and the start is facilitated with the help of first hints by the supervisors.
Normally, three mentoring appointments and three interim colloquia are offered during the subsequent processing period.
* Topics in which several students are interested and jointly develop one or more individualised thesis tasks are welcomed. However, the Master's thesis must be completed individually.
For requests for second supervision (co-examination) please contact Prof. Reicher and Andreas Klozoris via email.
Deadlines for working on the Master's thesis
| current from 25 May 2023 | Dates WS 23/24 | Dates SS 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Submission of preliminary synopsis (rough project idea) |
until 5th June 2023 |
until 5th December 2023 |
| Presentation of project idea to the chair | 13th June 2023 | 12th December 2023 |
| Binding confirmation of supervision by the chair until 14th December 2022 | until 15th June 2023* | until 12th January 2024 |
|
Declaration of intent for the thesis in RWTHonline |
5th to 16th June 2023 |
8th to 19th January 2024 |
|
Elaboration / submission of the exposé & second examiner request |
until first Semptember 2023 | until 29th February 2024 |
| Submission of the "Application for Admission" to the ZPA (incl. confirmation of supervision) |
until first Semptember 2023 |
until 29th February 2024 |
| Kick-off date / start of the master thesis | 18th Semptember 2023 | 15th March 2024* |
| One-time return date | 15th October 2023 | 15th April 2024 |
| Submission of the Master's thesis | 16th October 2023 | 16th August 2024 |
| Master exams | 19th to 23rd February 2024 | 19th to 23rd August 2024 |
*Date still subject to change