Masters Theses

Applying for a thesis at our chair

Prior to applying, we strongly recommend to check out the guidelines for your specific type of thesis posted on the right context menu.

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Students who are interested in writing their thesis with us, please email Constanze Coelsch-Foisner () to inquire for our availability.

With your inquiry, please send the following information (also check the guidelines document):

#1 - An ouline of your interest and fit if you apply to a selected topic (please, find selected topics below). 
#2 - A short description of your own research project (ca. 200-​300 words), clearly developing the research question and a proposed method (including a short statement how your project fits into the research areas of our chair and how it either contributes to new knowledge in that domain (MSc thesis) or helps solve a practical problem for a company (MAS thesis)). 
#3 - If applicable, who is the partner company or organization (usually only for MAS theses). 
#4 - The envisioned timeline for your thesis work, i.e. preferred starting date and, in the case of an MAS thesis, whether you intend to write full-time or part-time. 
#5 - A recent CV. 
#6 - A grade transcript. 

Note: We are a small team and can hence only supervise a limited number of thesis projects per year. Your request is more likely to be accommodated if you contact us well in advance, and your topic aligns with the research interests of our faculty.

Other requirements

Student conducting a thesis at our chair should have attended the introductory Entrepreneurship course and ideally one additional course from the chair's education portfolio as well as a methods course on "How to write a thesis" and "How to collect data."

Timing

While we aim to make a speedy evaluation of your application, it can take about 2-4 weeks. Early contact is advised!

Selected Topics

Topic 1: Outcomes of Technology Transfer Offices
In the current university landscape, there is a prevailing belief that universities should be compensated for their investments in research when it leads to the creation of spin-off or start-up ventures. As a result, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) engages in negotiations with the founders of these ventures to establish agreements that involve payments for patents or ownership stakes in the newly established companies. This Master's thesis aims to critically examine the quantitative outcomes of these agreements. Specifically, it seeks to determine whether the net income, which is the difference between the costs incurred by a TTO office and the income generated through patents or share sales, is positive. Additionally, the thesis aims to identify best practices by comparing the approaches of TTOs at prominent institutions such as ETH Zürich, Imperial College, Leuven, Stanford, and MIT. The first part of the research will focus on conducting a comprehensive cost and benefit analysis with the attention to detail. Conversely, the second part, which involves comparing best practices among universities, will be conducted through literature review and research publications, albeit with less granularity than the analysis conducted at ETH.

Topic 2: Entrepreneurial Misconduct - A Literature Review
Misconduct is a much studied subject in the context of large public organizations. In contrast, in the context of new ventures, the literature is still emergent. New ventures are nevertheless subject to different types of wrongdoing and pressures for deviant behavior. This project aims to open the agenda on this subject by comparing entrepreneurial misconduct with corporate misconduct, using a literature review method.

Topic 3: Impact Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs)
Impact investing has been on the rise. New actors in the landscape of entrepreneurial support organizations are also increasingly adopting an impact angle. This project aims to understand the different types of impact ESOs and how they aim to support startups to generate impact through an in-depth multiple case study of different impact ESOs.

Topic 4: Sustainability in the Context of Deep Tech Start-Ups
More information can be obtained after contact.

Topic 5: Understanding Different Types of Startups Studios
Startup studios are a relatively new phenomenon that simultaneously create, develop and launch new startups. Amongst prominent examples of startup studios are Jeff Bezos’ Bezos Expeditions, Pioneer Square Laps and Flagship Pioneering, who have built Moderna. With the help of secondary data, the theses will tackle how startup studios (also referred to as venture builders) vary and how different types of startup studios perform.

Topic 6: Assessing different frameworks for social impact
More information can be obtained after contact.