East Asian Economy and Society (EcoS)

MA Thesis & Defense Guide

The steps below will provide guidance for the final elements of the EcoS programme: the MA thesis and oral examination (defensio). At this point, students should already have completed the M5 Research Seminar and determined their supervisor.

Please read closely and contact us at ecos(at)univie.ac.at if you have further questions. 

Writing

Discuss the intended topic and research question with your supervisor. Refer to what you have learned in the M5 Research Colloquium and consult the related YouTube videos.

After you and your supervisor have agreed on a topic and research question, proceed step by step with the components of the theoretical framework, seeking feedback from your supervisor at each stage:

Refer to the YouTube videos and what you have learned in the M5 Research Colloquium. Click HERE to view the formatting guidelines.

Once the theoretical part of your thesis is completed (including a cover page, table of contents, page numbers, introduction, literature review, and analytical framework), submit it to your supervisor. You will receive comments and suggestions for revisions. 

This step may need to be repeated multiple times. 

After the theoretical part of the thesis is finished and reviewed, write an exposé and formally register your thesis with the SSC. Click HERE to access the SSC guide "Registration of Master´s Thesis." 

You will need to complete the following two forms, which you can find on the SSC website:

  • Ansuchen um Thema und Betreuung ("Request for Topic and Supervision")
  • Regeln der guten wissenschaftlichen Praxis (SL/W1) ("Rules of Good Academic Practice")

Finish writing your thesis by completing the empirical and analytical parts. Ensure that your thesis adheres to the formal criteria and required format. 

Submitting

Send the completed thesis to your supervisor for a final check. At this stage, detailed feedback will no longer be provided. You will only be informed whether the thesis meets the minimum passing grade (at least graded with a "4"). If the response is positive, you may proceed with the submission.

In order to submit your thesis and comply with the requirements to obtain your degree, you must have passed all the module courses and examinations defined in the EcoS Curriculum.

Your Record of Examination (Prüfungspass) must be validated before submitting your master’s thesis. To initiate this process, please consult Ms. Stefanie Yu via e-mail.

If your credits for the module M4 (East Asian Society) exceed 20 ECTS, please inform Ms. Yu of the courses you wish to be credited towards the M4 module. Any remaining credits will be added to the Module of Interest. Keep in mind that issuing the Record of Examination can take up to 8 weeks.

Check with the SSC's guide "Submission of Master's Thesis." At this stage, remove the existing cover page from your document, as a new one will be generated during the u:space submission process.

An unofficial (!) translation of the university's formal requirements for both print and electronic versions of a thesis is available for your review HERE. 

Your supervisor will grade your thesis within two months. You should plan for approximately four months between the formal submission of your thesis and your actual graduation.

In addition to a detailed grading sheet, you will receive a list of questions that your supervisor will ask during the oral examination (defensio).

Defending

Completing your MA studies at EcoS requires an oral examination (defensio). You will be examined by a committee consisting of three members: 

Use Termino to provide the examiners with concrete suggestions for the date and time of your oral examination.

After confirming the date and time with all members of your examination committee, contact our department's secretariat (sinologie(at)univie.ac.at) with the details of your oral examination as well as names and e-mail addresses of the committee members (with ecos(at)univie.ac.at in cc). We will arrange and book a room for you. Alternatively, online oral examinations via Zoom are also possible.

Complete the defense registration form and submit it via e-mail to the SSC. The form needs to be submitted at least 14 days prior to your scheduled examination date. Furthermore, please forward your thesis as a PDF to the second examiner of your committee via e-mail. 

Your examination will be an oral defence of your master's thesis (see EcoS Curriculum). This oral examination serves as an opportunity to showcase your expertise in your thesis topic. Please view the following YouTube video for more details on the actual structure and purpose of the MA examination.

Prepare your MA Poster and send it as a PDF to ecos(at)univie.ac.at, along with a signed Declaration of Consent at least one week before your examination date. Expect to receive feedback on your poster regarding orthography and layout. Consult the instructions for the MA Poster to ensure compliance with the guidelines.

Prepare the MA poster as handouts for the entire examination committee. This should consist of three A4-sized color prints and one A3-sized color print.

The examination will be a defensio type of exam (see EcoS Curriculum), which is a public defence of your MA thesis. The process will take approximately one hour and is structured as follows:

  1. Present the outline and main findings of your thesis (20min)
  2. Respond to your primary examiner's questions (20min) (questions received in advance)
  3. Respond to your secondary examiner's questions (20min) (questions not received in advance)

You may utilise notes for your presentation as well as for the questions.

Please note: The date of your oral examination also marks the day of your graduation. If the examination occurs before the end of the semester (March 31/October 31), you are not required to enrol for the following semester.