After successful completion of the course, students are able to...

better structure their own process of realizing their diploma or master thesis, and to break it down in smaller work-packages.

The aim of this course is to provide an accompanying orientation for improving the process of thesis-writing to all master/diploma students who are writing their final thesis at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Urban Culture and Public Space. The facilitation of peer-to-peer learning and debate rounds on salient urban studies, planning theory and space-theoretical issues is an important achievement here.

This course includes active participation in the so-called 'Thesis Fenster'. All ongoing thesis projects currently carried out under primary or secondary supervision at the Interdisciplinary Center for Urban Culture and Public Space (Research Unit E280-09) will be discussed here (working languages are German, English and Spanish). In addition to the content-relevant aspects of urban research (current phenomena of urban development, public spaces, urban and everyday culture, wider issues in urban studies, etc.), we jointly explore other research issues such as research design, questions, barriers and ethics. Participants will be supported in the creation of work plans. We jointly discuss the setting up of concrete milestones along individual thesis projects. We turn the "huge" thesis project into "tiny little pieces" which can be elaborated and finalised.

For updates on room bookings, dates and topics, please check TISS LVA No. 280.A73 and the respective TUWEL online course:

Unit 1 Thesis Fenster KickOff  05.10.2023 | 09:00 bis 10:30 |Seminar Room EBEG2 | Karlsgasse 11 | Research Design (Master/PhD) and Clustering of Themes and Topics  

Unit 2 Urban Studies Intro 05.10.2023 | 11:00 bis 12:30 | Contents and Clustering (PhD/Master)  

Unit 3: Thesis Fenster 12.10.2023 | 09:00 bis 10:30 | Unit 3 Creative Writing Workshop (PhD/Master)  

Unit 4: Thesis Fenster 12.10.2023, 11:00 bis 12:30 | Unit 4 Creative Writing Workshop (PhD/Master)  

Unit 5: Thesis Fenster 16.11.2023 | 9:00 - 10:30 |  independent and self-organized group or individual thesis related work: please prepare individual thesis project presentations

Unit 6: Thesis Fenster  16.11.2023 | 11:00 - 12:30 | independent and self-organized group or individual thesis related work: please test-present and feedback individual thesis project presentations

Units 7, 8, 9: Thesis Fenster 23.11.2023  9:00 - 13:00 | Individual Thesis Project Presentations 

9:00 am Presentation Emma

9:25 am Presentation Kate

9:50 am Presentation Ariela

10:15 am Presentation Laura

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11:00 am Presentation Stine

11:25 am Presentation Friederike

11:50 am Presentation Noa

12:15 am Presentation Julia

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13:00 am Presentation Katrin

13:25 am Presentation Hannes

Unit 10: Thesis Fenster 21.12.2023 | 09:00 bis 10:30 | Societal Relevance Workshop (PhD/Master, via zoom) 

Unit 11: Thesis Fenster 21.12.2023 | 11:00 bis 12:30 |  Societal Relevance Workshop (PhD/Master, via zoom) 

Unit 12: Seminar Closing Workshop 18.01.2024, 09:00 bis 10:30 | (Master/PhD: Seminar, hybrid) 

Unit 13: Seminar Closing Workshop 18.01.2024, 11:00 bis 12:30 | (Master/ PhD: Consultations: hybrid)

Debates about research methods are key ingredients of research designs in empirical urban research and planning theory. Therefore, we will discuss these alongside each respective research project.

Each set of teaching units features a new focus characterized by teaching inputs, debates and (self-organized) tasks.

• min. 80% of attendance is required
• Active participation in feedback sessions and debates is required.
• Presentation of your own topic, including updated materials
• Peer-to-peer feedback

- Upload of a thesis exposé incl. overview of a preliminary table of contents and work plan on TUWEL until until 30th January 2024.

For master students: You should have ideally finalized most of the courses and have developed a first sketch of your master thesis project ideas and you should have contacted ideally Prof. Dr. Knierbein via personal email prior to attending a thesis fenster.