Frequently Asked Questions

At the heart of every academic paper is a research question and its investigation using scholarly sources. Put simply, academic work seeks to answer a question—but not just in any way. The answer must meet academic standards and be situated within the relevant scholarly discourse.

An academic assignment—whether a traditional term paper or another format such as an internet project, video essay, or podcast—serves to investigate an academic problem. By writing such a paper, you learn to narrow down a topic, formulate arguments, structure bodies of knowledge, and analyse problems from specific perspectives. You also develop the ability to work with academic sources and to formulate and justify your own position through well-founded arguments. A term paper is therefore not merely a summary or compilation of different scholars’ views, but an independent engagement with a topic in which the research question always remains central.

The development of a research question begins with narrowing your focus to a particular topic, such as film and education, digital inequality, or social media and identity. It is often helpful to develop a research question directly from a seminar. For example, you might (a) systematically compare different theories discussed in the course, (b) apply a theory to a new phenomenon or object (e.g. learning theories and digital transformation), or (c) describe and analyse an educational, cultural, or social phenomenon using appropriate analytical approaches and place it within a broader contemporary context (e.g. through film or media analysis).

It is essential that your research question is formulated precisely. You should also ensure that it is appropriate in scope for the assignment and that you have sufficient time and resources to answer it adequately. Developing a good research question is already a substantial part of the academic work. While research questions in academic research are expected to be innovative and connected to existing scholarly debates, research questions developed during your studies are not required to make original scholarly contributions. Nevertheless, they should reflect the current state of knowledge presented in the course and ideally develop an independent perspective on the topic—for example, by making a connection or exploring an aspect that was not explicitly discussed during the seminar.

If this answer does not fully address your concerns, we encourage you to consult additional resources from other universities on developing research questions or discuss your ideas with your instructor.

From time to time, assignments are submitted that have been downloaded from the internet or copied, either partially or entirely, from books or other sources. This constitutes intentional academic misconduct. In such cases, you forfeit the right to receive credit for the respective course.

Beyond the formal consequences, academic dishonesty also damages the trust that forms the basis of academic supervision. As a result, we would generally decline to supervise or examine future qualification theses, such as a Bachelor’s thesis. Academic misconduct therefore harms not only the discipline but, above all, your own academic development.

A written elaboration builds on a presentation that has already been given and therefore focuses on the content presented there. It is advisable to select one particular aspect and examine it in greater depth. As with any academic work, sources must be properly cited and included in a bibliography. Both the presentation and the elaboration are expected to be based on a clearly formulated research question.

The two formats differ not only in length but also in their academic ambitions.

A written elaboration allows you to further develop a topic that you have already prepared for a presentation. You may largely retain the argumentation and structure of your presentation, and the scope does not necessarily need to extend beyond the original topic. Formally, however, it must meet the same academic standards as a term paper.

A term paper, by contrast, should go beyond the content of the presentation. In addition to accurately describing the topic, it should establish connections to further theoretical or empirical perspectives. Where appropriate, you may also incorporate a small empirical research project, for example through interviews, questionnaires, or other academic methods. In any case, your conclusions should include critical reflection on your own findings and demonstrate your ability to assess both the limitations and the significance of your results.

A term paper is the fundamental form of academic engagement with a topic. It is organised around a research question that you develop independently on the basis of scholarly literature and introduce in the opening section. It is important that the research question is clearly defined and appropriately limited in scope. Rather than addressing a broad topic such as “Media and Violence” in general, a term paper should focus on a specific aspect or perspective.

The introduction usually explains the relevance of the topic, presents the research question, and outlines the structure of the paper. The main body discusses those aspects of the topic that are necessary to answer the research question, drawing on relevant academic literature. The conclusion brings these aspects together, returns explicitly to the research question, and presents the overall findings.

Deadlines for written coursework and examinations are determined individually within each course.

As a general rule, written assessments for courses held during the summer semester must be submitted no later than 30 September of the respective year. Written assessments for courses held during the winter semester must be submitted no later than 31 March of the respective year.

In justified exceptional cases, deadline extensions may be granted. Please contact your examiner in good time if you require an extension.

If you would like to take an oral examination, you should agree on both the topic and the examination date with your examiner in advance. During the examination, an additional member of staff will be present to document the proceedings.

In an oral examination or thesis presentation, you will usually present two prepared topics in a presentation of approximately 20–25 minutes. One of the topics should have a theoretical focus, while the other should be practice-oriented. The theses you present serve as the basis for a subsequent discussion with your examiners.

Grades for oral examinations are communicated immediately after the examination.

For written assessments, examiners generally have up to six weeks after the submission deadline to complete the evaluation.

Media projects may be completed individually or as group work. The size and scope of the project depend, among other things, on the design of the respective course and the assessment options available within the corresponding module.

Media projects may take the form of podcasts, film productions, video game essays, websites, apps, or other formats with a clear connection to media education and a focus on the critical and reflective engagement with media. The aim is to move beyond the limitations of the written word while maintaining academic standards. Like traditional term papers, media projects are expected to follow scholarly principles and be based on a clearly formulated research question.

Video and film projects completed as part of courses in the summer semester must be submitted by the end of the semester, no later than 30 September of the respective year.

Video and film projects completed as part of courses in the winter semester must likewise be submitted by the end of the semester, no later than 31 March of the respective year.

No. There are no mandatory design requirements for websites. However, we strongly recommend considering the following guidelines:

• Pay attention to loading times. Websites often require the loading of many additional files, particularly large assets such as high-resolution images.
• Ensure compatibility across different web browsers. Users access websites with a variety of browsers, so accessibility and consistent functionality are essential. In general, it is advisable to develop websites in accordance with W3C standards. Validating your markup is an effective way to identify and resolve potential issues.
• Keep usability in mind. A well-designed interface makes complex academic content easier to understand and navigate. Since scholarly topics can be highly complex, it is worth investing time in carefully planning the site’s structure and navigation before development begins.
• Maintain academic standards. Internet projects also require proper citation of all sources and a complete bibliography.

Take advantage of the hypertextual nature of the web. Use hyperlinks to provide readers with additional information and direct access to referenced sources wherever appropriate.

You do not need to be a professional web developer to create an excellent internet project. A wide range of content management systems as well as AI-assisted development tools (“vibe coding”) can help you design and present your project effectively.

You may also find our collection of useful web design tools and services helpful.

Yes, absolutely. If, based on your studies, you would like to pursue a topic related to media education, simply contact the relevant members of the working group. Together, we will discuss your ideas and the next steps for supervising your Bachelor’s thesis.

We also welcome inquiries from students whose thesis topics engage with media education from an interdisciplinary perspective. In such cases, you are encouraged to contact members of the working group to discuss your project, receive advice, and explore possibilities for supervision.

Yes. We are happy to supervise Master’s theses that address topics in media education, provided that you have acquired the necessary background knowledge through your studies.

Please contact the member of the working group with whom you would like to develop your Master’s project. We will then discuss your research idea together and clarify all questions regarding supervision, expectations, and the thesis process.

The required registration forms for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses are provided by the respective examination office of your degree programme.

Please refer to your programme’s examination office or faculty website to ensure that you use the current forms and follow the applicable submission procedures. If you have any questions regarding supervision or the registration process, feel free to contact the working group.