Bachelor and Master Theses

As part of the Bachelor's or Master's program at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, it is planned to write a Bachelor thesis (15 ECTS) in the third year of the Bacholor's studies or a Master thesis (18 ECTS) during the Master's program. The Chair of Finance and Accounting offers the supervision of bachelor and master theses in German and English.

The prerequisite for writing a thesis at the Chair of Finance and Accounting is the successful attendance of a BA course (Bachelor thesis) or MA course (Master thesis) in the field of finance. In addition to the suggested topics below, your own ideas are also welcome. A LaTex template can be requested by mail.

For all papers and theses the regulations of the faculty apply.

Guidelines for writing a scientific paper

Template Word

  • Topics for Bachelor Theses
    1. Private equity - the better shares?
    2. Shadow interest rates - Concept and consequences
    3. Investment calculation for solar power systems: Analysis and example calculation
    4. Private-Public Partnership (PPP): Economic analysis
    5. ESG reporting of industrial companies
    6. ESG reporting of trade companies
    7. ESG reporting of financial companies
    8. Green bonds: Concept and critical assessment
    9. Sustainable financial investments: Selection concepts
    10. Sustainable financial investments: Investment performance
    11. The restructuring of pension funds: Economic and legal analysis
    12. Measuring the interest rate risk of banks
    13. Management of interest rate risk in banks
    14. Significance of bond ratings
    15. ABS and MBS since the financial crisis
    16. Dividend policy in times of crisis
    17. Motives for share buybacks
    18. Over-indebtedness balance: Economic and legal requirements
    19. Macro strategies of hedge funds
    20. "Relative value" strategies of hedge funds
    21. Accuracy and stability of the share beta
    22. Stock beta in bull and bear phases
    23. Unsystematic equity risk in bull and bear phases
    24. Low interest phase and long-term corporate debt
    25. Active investors: Case studies
    26. Proposals for the taxation of internet companies: Presentation and critical discussion
    27. Concepts of the Robo Advisory
    28. Demographic development and expected stock returns
    29. Effect of short selling bans
    30. The Merton model of credit risk
    31. Comparison of credit risk measurement procedures
    32. The assessment of the quality of methods for forecasting insolvency
    33. Financial market reactions to the publication of quarterly reports
    34. Multiplier method of company valuation: Critical analysis using the example of the automotive industry
    35. Multiplier method of company valuation: Critical analysis using the example of the pharmaceutical industry
    36. Multiplier method of company valuation: Critical analysis using the example of the machine industry
    37. Timing capabilities of investment funds
    38. Skill versus luck: Driver of the performance of investment funds
    39. Forecasting power of stock recommendations by financial analysts
    40. The Jones model for identifying earnings management
    41. The Heston model of option valuation
    42. Monte Carlo simulation for the valuation of stock options
    43. Forward rates: Useful for forecasting interest rates?
    44. Credit spread for European government bonds since the financial crisis
    45. Underpricing for IPOs?
  • Topics for Master Theses

    1. Corona - Which sectors are doomed? A CDS analysis

    2. Corona - Earnings forecast revisions and earnings drift

    3. Corona - Post earnings announcement drift - Before and after

    4. Hedge funds as corporate owners – greedy locusts?

    5. Interfering investors – the missing link in corporate governance?

    6. “There will be sunshine after rain”? – Mean reversion in earnings

    7. Detecting earnings management – A critical analysis of the Jones model

    8. Exchange rate sensitivity of European stock returns

    9. Implicit capital costs – presentation, criticism and estimation for Switzerland

    10. The predictive power of target prices of financial analysts

    11. Market-related and specific stock price fluctuations – Intensity and relative importance in different market phases

    12. Price peaks and valleys of single shares – more and more frequent and extreme?

    13. Stock performance after inclusion in a leading index – Are the new ones the future loser?

    14. Value versus growth in bull and bear markets

    15. Volatility forecasts with volatility indices

    16. Are capital protection products fairly priced?

    17. Capital market reactions to capital expenditure announcements

    18. The smile in stock options

    19. The smile in currency options

    20. Expiration day effects for index options

    21. Value-at-risk for structured products

    22. Equity Premium Puzzle – State of the art

    23. International diversification through investment in multinational companies?

    24. Option valuation models – An empirical comparison

    25. Is prospect theory really that good? – Limitations and alternatives

    26. Capital market reactions to stock buyback announcements

    27. Framing and risk attitude