Bsc and MSc Theses

The BSc and MSc theses offered in our group can involve programming, simulations, lab or online experiments, or theoretical work, depending on the particular topic. For example, the thesis may a) involve the design and development of a new market platform, b) involve the design and execution of a lab or online experiment, c) involve the development of a large-scale simulation environment, d) involve a theoretical analysis of a mechanism and the design of a new one, etc., or even some subset of all of the above. We will do our best to find a good matching between the student's background and interests and the topic of the BSc/MSc thesis. However, please note that unfortunatley, we do not always have a BSc/MSc thesis available, even when we are approached by highly-qualified students. Topics which we have offered for BSc theses in the past include:

1. Market User Interface Design Experiments on Amazon Turk
2. Simulation of Boundedly Rational Manipulation Strategies in One-Sided Matching Markets
3. The BetMe App: Resolving Bets via Amazon Turk
4. Large-Scale Experiments in Markets without Money

Generally, we only accept students for a BSc/MSc thesis if they have successfully completed our course "Economics and Computation." We only make exceptions for students who have acquired relevant knowledge (e.g., game theory, mechanism design, etc.) in some other way. Ideally, in addition to having done well in "Economics and Computation" you have also taken at least one other course related to Economics and Computation. Please see here for a course guide. If you are planning on doing your BSc/MSc thesis with us, then please let us know about your intentions as early as possible (after you have completed "Economics and Computation" or obtained other relevant background knowledge). The earlier you let us know about your intentions, the better we can help you plan for your BSc/Msc thesis. For example, it may make sense to also do your BSc-Vertiefungsprüfung, your MSc-Basismodul and/or your MSc project with us. This often gives you a chance to see if you like the kind of work we do at our chair, and this gives us a chance to get to know you better and to find a suitable thesis topic for you. However, while this often makes sense, it is absolutely not required!

If you are interested in doing your BSc/MSc thesis with the Economics and Computation Research Group, and if you have completed "Economics and Computation" or obtained other relevant background knowledge, then please send an email to Sven Seuken with the following information (please provide short, concise answers):

1. Course "Economics and Computation": Did you already take the course "Economics and Computation" or what kind (if any) of other relevant background knowledge do you have (e.g., game theory, mechanism design, econometrics, etc.)?
2. Transcript: A transcript listing all courses (with grades) you have taken in your BSc program and in your MSc program (if applicable), such that we can see what kind of background you already have.
3. BSc-Vertiefungsprüfung (for BSc students): Have you already done your BSc-Vertiefungsprüfung? If not, are you planning on doing your BSc-Vertiefungsprüfung with us as well?
4. MSc-Basismodul (for MSc students): Have you already done your MSc-Basismodul? If not, are you planning on doing your MSc-Basismodul with us as well?
5. MSc Project (for MSc students): Have you already done your MSc project? If not, are you planning on doing your MSc project with us as well?
6. Topics: Which topics related to Economics and Computation are you particularly interested in?
7. Style of Thesis: Are you more interested in a thesis that involves a) programming, b) designing and executing an experiment, or c) theoretical work? Or are you interested in a particular combination of these three?
8. Programming Proficiency: For each programming language you have used before, please estimate your level of proficiency according to the following scale: low (I have tried it before), medium (I have taken one course in it), high (I have taken multiple courses and/or done a project in it), excellent (I have used this language for a long time).
9. Other CS Skills: If you have any other particular CS skills, or special background knwoledge (e.g., experience with R, or experience with smartphone programming, etc.), then feel free to list that as well (not required).
10. Part-time? (for BSc students only): Are you planning on doing your BSc thesis part-time (i.e., over 6 months instead of 4 months)?
11. Starting Date: When would you like to begin your thesis?
12. End Date: By when would you like to be done with your thesis?
13. Other Comments: Anything else you think we should know?

Once we have received this email from you, we will generally get back to you by email within 1-2 weeks to schedule an appointment. If you have any remaining questions, please do not hesitate to ask Prof. Seuken

There are currently no specific thesis topics.

If you are interested in completing a thesis with the Computation and Economics Research Group but did not find something that you are interested in, we encourage you to propose your own thesis topic, or let us know about your particular interests, and we will let you know when we have an unlisted project that fits your interests.