How much time should I plan for?
A typical bachelor’s thesis has a maximum processing time of six months, with the actual workload expected to correspond to about three to four months (after all, you still have to do a few other things in parallel). The processing time does not have to be fully used.
Around the submission time – typically one month before or after submission – your own presentation in the seminar for theses should also be held.
Start time
For many students, the start time of the thesis is a critical issue – but there is in principle no semester calendar into which a thesis must be squeezed. To avoid extending your studies, it can make sense to submit a thesis so that it is completed within the semester.
If these eight weeks are no longer fully available, definitely talk to your supervisors. Also note that the seminars for the thesis either do not take place at all or only very irregularly during the lecture-free period and can be overcrowded.
If you do not have such time restrictions, you make it significantly easier for yourself and your supervisor.
Submission of the bachelor’s thesis
As a rule, the bachelor’s thesis must be completed no later than in the 9th semester.
Students affected by the Corona pandemic have an “extended individual standard period of study,” namely by the number of experienced (maximum 3) Corona semesters. Thus, the latest possible submission date is also postponed without an application to the examination board.
Time management
For the time planning of the individual work tasks, it is advisable to create a schedule, i.e., to roughly divide the available time before starting the project. Here you should:
- estimate how much time each task will take,
- consider which external and personal factors could influence the work,
- and record all these considerations in a schedule.
If this is your first major scientific work, writing will probably take longer than expected, so:
“Regularly monitor compliance with the schedule. You will probably have to adjust the schedule to the actual progress.”
– Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kornnagel
People involved in an engineering thesis
An engineering thesis is not written alone – in the truest sense of the word. Besides yourself, quite a number of other people are involved.
Who is involved in a thesis?
- Primary examiners supervise and grade
- Secondary examiners or lecturers support supervision and grade
- External supervisors, e.g. from companies, do not grade but issue an independent work certificate and ideally stay in contact with university supervisors
- Technical staff support the work (if you’re lucky)
- Writers – that is, yourself
- Fellow students, friends, family members, and the writing center can support you and give feedback: Finding support in the writing process
Frequently asked questions
When do I have to submit my bachelor’s thesis?
As a rule, you must complete your bachelor’s thesis no later than in the 9th semester. It must also be graded by then.
When should I start planning the timeline for my thesis?
It’s best to start already one semester before your submission semester.
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This article was published in August 2025 and last updated in November 2024.