Master's thesis
To conclude your MSc MTEC studies, you will write a Master's thesis. It is a testament to your ability to independently produce a coherent and scientific piece of work.
The Master's thesis is an independent scientific work you will write towards the end of your studies. It will showcase the knowledge and skills you have learned during your studies and prove that you can create an academic contribution in your field of specialisation.
You will be supervised by your tutor who will also help you select a topic and set the aims and bounds of the thesis. Usually, a researcher from your tutor's chair will provide guidance as an advisor. Upon agreement with your supervisor you may write your Master's thesis with a company or at another university abroad. In either of these cases, your tutor will remain the supervisor and grade your thesis.
The Master's thesis is written on a full-time basis, lasts six months and earns 30 Credit Points upon successful completion. You are not allowed to be remunerated for writing a thesis as per ETH directive.
You must adhere to the citation etiquette and uphold academic integrity.
The sections below explain how to organise and what to consider for your Master's thesis.
Selecting a topic
You will select a topic together with your tutor who will also supervise your Master's thesis. In relation to the topic, your supervisor will define the aim, set the beginning and submission dates of the thesis and communicate the the evaluation criteria in written form to you.
Many chairs publish a list of available topics, but you can also propose your own topic. You can find topics on the web pages of the respective chairs or contact them directly. The corresponding links are listed below, or in the D-MTEC Chair Guide. The latter is a good opportunity to explore and compare the chairs at D-MTEC.
You can also find research projects relevant for Master's theses in our SiROP feed.
We encourage you to think about your Master's thesis early during your studies. You should take elective and supplementary courses in the research area of the chair at which you plan to write your Master's thesis at. Some chairs require an extensive set of courses to qualify.
Before starting the Master's thesis
General conditions
The following conditions must be fulfilled before you start your Master's thesis:
- You have successfully completed your Bachelor's degree
- You have fulfilled any additional admission requirements for the MSc MTEC programme
- You have successfully completed the internship
- You have completed the academic writing course
Registering your Master's thesis
You have to register your Master's theses via myStudies before starting. The registration includes a preliminary title, the starting and submission date, and a task description.
Handing in the Master's thesis
You will have six month's time to complete your Master's theses. After registering the thesis in myStudies and providing a start date, the submission deadline will be determined automatically and displayed in myStudies. You have to deliver the thesis in the form decided upon with your supervisor. It must include a signed declaration of originality which is also provided on myStudies.
Your supervisor will then grade your Master's thesis. It is considered as passed if it is graded with at least 4. You can repeat a failed Master's thesis once. You must choose a new topic and you can change your supervisor if you want.
Submitted Master's theses are archived for 2 years by the chairs.
Late submission
If you hand in your Master's thesis too late, it is considered failed. The Director of Studies may grant an extension of the submission deadline for compelling reasons upon request.
Publication in the ETH Research Collection
A Master's thesis can be published in the ETH Research Collection if the supervisor supports its publication.
Awards
ETH Medal
ETH honours outstanding Master’s theses with the Silver Medal of ETH Zurich and a financial sum of CHF 2000. To be shortlisted, your Master's thesis must be graded with 6, your GPA must be at least 5.25 and your supervisor has to nominate you to the rector. The ETH Medal will be awarded at the graduation ceremony (MTEC Day).
External awards
MSc MTEC graduates have also received awards from external organisations, such as the Ernst Blickle Award from the SEW-Eurodrive Foundation, the Wissenschaftspreis awarded by GS1 Germany and the EHI Foundation, the HUMLOG Board Award, the BME Hochschulpreis, or the The Seghezzi Preis.