bachelor thesis biology example

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES MAJOR

Senior thesis examples.

Graduating seniors in Biological Sciences have the option of submitting a senior thesis for consideration for Honors and Research Prizes .  Below are some examples of particularly outstanding theses from recent years (pdf):

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Recent Submissions

Identification of mutants that affect mono-orientation in meiosis through a mutagenesis screen , investigation of rnai-dependent heterochromatin establishment in schizosaccharomyces pombe , investigating crispr-mediated gene editing and its relationship with dna repair in chlamydomonas reinhardtii , understanding the role of glucose-sensor hexokinase in seedling establishment in arabidopsis thaliana , metagenomic, metabolic and functional characterisation of polyextremophilic microbial consortia endogenous to acid mine drainage , understanding the genetic basis of ramularia disease resistance in barley , impact of nutrition and helminth infection on gut health and the microbiome using a lab-to-wild mouse mode , roles of nucleosome asymmetry and kat6b-mediated histone acetylation in the regulation of bivalent promoters , novel extremophilic metalloproteases for consumer product application , biosynthesis of methacrylate esters in saccharomyces cerevisiae , evolution of the legume flower: case studies in the early-branching papilionoid legumes (papilionoideae, leguminosae) , investigating the genetic architecture of complex traits in soay sheep , dgcr8-dependent control of antiviral immunity in human cells , evaluating assumptions & predicting impact in antimicrobial resistance research , optogenetic manipulation of cellular energetics in escherichia coli , genetic validation of the function of pfemp1 in plasmodium falciparum rosette formation , deciphering essential roles of camp signalling during malaria parasite transmission , elucidating the arabidopsis phytochrome a shade-signaling mechanism , specificity and mechanism of rna trafficking from mouse to bacteria in the gut , single-cell physiological response of escherichia coli to suppressive antibiotic combinations .

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• Thesis Guidelines

A thesis for Distinction in Biology is a wonderful way for you to close the loop on your undergraduate research experience and showcase your scientific scholarship. Your thesis will be evaluated by the Faculty in Biology and answers the following questions: What did you do? Why did you do it? What is the significance of your results? What else would you do, were you to continue the project?

In answering the above questions, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding and intellectual ownership of a project; not simply your productivity in the lab. The volume of results or completeness of the study is not critical for a successful thesis. Instead, we will be looking for the following:

• An argument for the significance of your research, contextualized within the scientific literature;
• A review of appropriate literature as evidence in support of claims you make in your argument;
• A statement of your research goals, i.e., a meaningful question of biological importance;
• A description of experimental approaches and methods ;
• Appropriate presentation of results through tables, figures, and images;
• A discussion of the meaning and significance of your results;
• A description of limitations and future directions for the project.

Expanded guidelines can be found in the Biology Thesis Assessment Protocol (BioTAP):

Format of the Thesis

The basic format of the thesis should resemble that of any scientific journal article that is common in your subdiscipline. It generally includes the following sections: Introduction & Background; Methods; Results; Discussion; Acknowledgements; and References. In some instances, it may be useful to sub-divide the Methods & Results section to correspond to multiple aims. However, if you chose to take this route, remember that there should still be a general Introduction and Discussion sections that address the project as a whole. The thesis should not consist of several "mini-papers" that are unconnected.  

Submission Guidelines

The format of the final copy should follow these guidelines:

• Cover Page ( sample ): Title; student's name; supervisor's name; date of submission; 3 signature lines at bottom right (Research Supervisor, DUS, Reader). Please follow the format and language of the sample.
• Abstract Page: single-spaced, roughly 250 words.
• Thesis should be double-spaced
• Pages should be numbered at the top right corner of the page
• It is preferred that figures are embedded within the document instead of all at the end
• There is no minimum page requirement or limit, although most are approximately 25 pages. 

Sample Theses

Examples of Distinction papers from previous years are available for examination in the Undergraduate Studies Office (Rm 135 BioSci).  Several samples are also available below as PDF files.

• Tracing the origins of antimalarial resistance in Plasmodium vivax
• Interaction network optimization improves the antimicrobial efficacy of phage cocktails
• Identifying how ufmylation of RAB1B regulates IFN-β signaling

Additional Resources

• Library Resources for Students Writing Theses
• How to write and publish a scientific paper by Barbara Gastel and Robert A. Day
• Biology 495(S): Scientific Argument in Writing . This course is particularly appropriate for seniors working on an undergraduate thesis or major research paper and is recommended, although not required, for all candidates for Graduation with Distinction in biology. The course is writing intensive and carries a “W” designation and, in the fall semester only, is a seminar and carries an “S” designation.
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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Molecular Biosciences > Theses and Dissertations

Molecular Biosciences Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Androgen Drives Melanoma Invasiveness and Metastatic Spread by Inducing Tumorigenic Fucosylation , Qian Liu

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Exploring strain variation and bacteriophage predation in the gut microbiome of Ciona robusta , Celine Grace F. Atkinson

Distinct Nrf2 Signaling Thresholds Mediate Lung Tumor Initiation and Progression , Janine M. DeBlasi

Thermodynamic frustration of TAD2 and PRR contribute to autoinhibition of p53 , Emily Gregory

Utilization of Detonation Nanodiamonds: Nanocarrier for Gene Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer , Allan E. Gutierrez

Utilizing neoantigen-specific CD4* T cells and immune checkpoint modulation to advance adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for metastatic melanoma patients , Maclean Scott Hall

Role of HLA-DRB1 Fucosylation in Anti-Melanoma Immunity , Daniel K. Lester

Targeting BET Proteins Downregulates miR-33a To Promote Synergy with PIM Inhibitors in CMML , Christopher T. Letson

The Role of the DNA Helicase Rrm3 under Replication Stress , Julius Muellner

Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis by M82 Peptidases: The Role of PrsS in the Staphylococcus aureus Stress Response , Baylie M. Schott

Histone Deacetylase 8 is a Novel Therapeutic Target for Mantle Cell Lymphoma and Preserves Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxic Function , January M. Watters

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Ceramide-1-Phosphate: A Novel Regulator of Golgi Fragmentation, Golgi-ER Vesicle Trafficking, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum Pathogenesis , Anika Nayar Ali

Regulation of the Heat Shock Response via Lysine Acetyltransferase CBP-1 and in Neurodegenerative Disease in Caenorhabditis elegans , Lindsey N. Barrett

Establishment of a Melanoma ESC-GEMM Platform and Its Use to Study PTEN Tumor Suppressor Functions , Ilah Bok

Adrenergic Modulation of Precursor Cells of Ovarian Cancer , Sweta Dash

Determining the Role of Dendritic Cells During Response to Treatment with Paclitaxel/Anti-TIM-3 , Alycia Gardner

To be or not to be: A Tale of Staphylococcal GpsB , Lauren R. Hammond

Origin and Epigenetic Regulation of Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma , Carly M. Harro

Cell-free DNA Methylation Signatures in Cancer Detection and Classification , Jinyong Huang

The Role Of Eicosanoid Metabolism in Mammalian Wound Healing and Inflammation , Kenneth D. Maus

A Holistic Investigation of Acidosis in Breast Cancer , Bryce Ordway

Characterizing the Impact of Postharvest Temperature Stress on Polyphenol Profiles of Red and White-Fruited Strawberry Cultivars , Alyssa N. Smith

Identification of Secondary Structural Elements Contained Within the Intrinsically Disordered N-Terminal Tail of the Bloom’s Syndrome Helicase. , Vivek Somasundaram

Defining the role of Oxidized Mitochondrial DNA in Myelodysplastic Syndromes , Grace Anne Ward

Lord of the Z-rings: Uncovering the Role of MraZ and FtsL in Bacillus subtilis Cell Division , Maria Louise White

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Multifaceted Approach to Understanding Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilm Formation and Drug Resistance , Jessie L. Allen

Cellular And Molecular Alterations Associated with Ovarian and Renal Cancer Pathophysiology , Ravneet Kaur Chhabra

Ecology and diversity of boletes of the southeastern United States , Arian Farid

CircREV1 Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer , Meagan P. Horton

Microbial Dark Matter: Culturing the Uncultured in Search of Novel Chemotaxonomy , Sarah J. Kennedy

The Multifaceted Role of CCAR-1 in the Alternative Splicing and Germline Regulation in Caenorhabditis elegans , Doreen Ikhuva Lugano

Unraveling the Role of Novel G5 Peptidase Family Proteins in Virulence and Cell Envelope Biogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus , Stephanie M. Marroquin

Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding Protein 2 Alternative Splicing Regulates HIF1α During Chronic Hypoxia , Emily M. Mayo

Transcriptomic and Functional Investigation of Bacterial Biofilm Formation , Brooke R. Nemec

A Functional Characterization of the Omega (ω) subunit of RNA Polymerase in Staphylococcus aureus , Shrushti B. Patil

The Role Of Cpeb2 Alternative Splicing In TNBC Metastasis , Shaun C. Stevens

Screening Next-generation Fluorine-19 Probe and Preparation of Yeast-derived G Proteins for GPCR Conformation and Dynamics Study , Wenjie Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Understanding the Role of Cereblon in Hematopoiesis Through Structural and Functional Analyses , Afua Adutwumwa Akuffo

To Mid-cell and Beyond: Characterizing the Roles of GpsB and YpsA in Cell Division Regulation in Gram-positive Bacteria , Robert S. Brzozowski

Spatiotemporal Changes of Microbial Community Assemblages and Functions in the Subsurface , Madison C. Davis

New Mechanisms That Regulate DNA Double-Strand Break-Induced Gene Silencing and Genome Integrity , Dante Francis DeAscanis

Regulation of the Heat Shock Response and HSF-1 Nuclear Stress Bodies in C. elegans , Andrew Deonarine

New Mechanisms that Control FACT Histone Chaperone and Transcription-mediated Genome Stability , Angelo Vincenzo de Vivo Diaz

Targeting the ESKAPE Pathogens by Botanical and Microbial Approaches , Emily Dilandro

Succession in native groundwater microbial communities in response to effluent wastewater , Chelsea M. Dinon

Role of ceramide-1 phosphate in regulation of sphingolipid and eicosanoid metabolism in lung epithelial cells , Brittany A. Dudley

Allosteric Control of Proteins: New Methods and Mechanisms , Nalvi Duro

Microbial Community Structures in Three Bahamian Blue Holes , Meghan J. Gordon

A Novel Intramolecular Interaction in P53 , Fan He

The Impact of Myeloid-Mediated Co-Stimulation and Immunosuppression on the Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Adoptive T cell Therapy , Pasquale Patrick Innamarato

Investigating Mechanisms of Immune Suppression Secondary to an Inflammatory Microenvironment , Wendy Michelle Kandell

Posttranslational Modification and Protein Disorder Regulate Protein-Protein Interactions and DNA Binding Specificity of p53 , Robin Levy

Mechanistic and Translational Studies on Skeletal Malignancies , Jeremy McGuire

Novel Long Non-Coding RNA CDLINC Promotes NSCLC Progression , Christina J. Moss

Genome Maintenance Roles of Polycomb Transcriptional Repressors BMI1 and RNF2 , Anthony Richard Sanchez IV

The Ecology and Conservation of an Urban Karst Subterranean Estuary , Robert J. Scharping

Biological and Proteomic Characterization of Cornus officinalis on Human 1.1B4 Pancreatic β Cells: Exploring Use for T1D Interventional Application , Arielle E. Tawfik

Evaluation of Aging and Genetic Mutation Variants on Tauopathy , Amber M. Tetlow

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Investigating the Proteinaceous Regulome of the Acinetobacter baumannii , Leila G. Casella

Functional Characterization of the Ovarian Tumor Domain Deubiquitinating Enzyme 6B , Jasmin M. D'Andrea

Integrated Molecular Characterization of Lung Adenocarcinoma with Implications for Immunotherapy , Nicholas T. Gimbrone

The Role of Secreted Proteases in Regulating Disease Progression in Staphylococcus aureus , Brittney D. Gimza

Advanced Proteomic and Epigenetic Characterization of Ethanol-Induced Microglial Activation , Jennifer Guergues Guergues

Understanding immunometabolic and suppressive factors that impact cancer development , Rebecca Swearingen Hesterberg

Biochemical and Proteomic Approaches to Determine the Impact Level of Each Step of the Supply Chain on Tomato Fruit Quality , Robert T. Madden

Enhancing Immunotherapeutic Interventions for Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia , Kamira K. Maharaj

Characterization of the Autophagic-Iron Axis in the Pathophysiology of Endometriosis and Epithelial Ovarian Cancers , Stephanie Rockfield

Understanding the Influence of the Cancer Microenvironment on Metabolism and Metastasis , Shonagh Russell

Modeling of Interaction of Ions with Ether- and Ester-linked Phospholipids , Matthew W. Saunders

Novel Insights into the Multifaceted Roles of BLM in the Maintenance of Genome Stability , Vivek M. Shastri

Conserved glycine residues control transient helicity and disorder in the cold regulated protein, Cor15a , Oluwakemi Sowemimo

A Novel Cytokine Response Modulatory Function of MEK Inhibitors Mediates Therapeutic Efficacy , Mengyu Xie

Novel Strategies on Characterizing Biologically Specific Protein-protein Interaction Networks , Bi Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Characterization of the Transcriptional Elongation Factor ELL3 in B cells and Its Role in B-cell Lymphoma Proliferation and Survival , Lou-Ella M.m. Alexander

Identification of Regulatory miRNAs Associated with Ethanol-Induced Microglial Activation Using Integrated Proteomic and Transcriptomic Approaches , Brandi Jo Cook

Molecular Phylogenetics of Floridian Boletes , Arian Farid

MYC Distant Enhancers Underlie Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility at the 8q24.21 Locus , Anxhela Gjyshi Gustafson

Quantitative Proteomics to Support Translational Cancer Research , Melissa Hoffman

A Systems Chemical Biology Approach for Dissecting Differential Molecular Mechanisms of Action of Clinical Kinase Inhibitors in Lung Cancer , Natalia Junqueira Sumi

Investigating the Roles of Fucosylation and Calcium Signaling in Melanoma Invasion , Tyler S. Keeley

Synthesis, Oxidation, and Distribution of Polyphenols in Strawberry Fruit During Cold Storage , Katrina E. Kelly

Investigation of Alcohol-Induced Changes in Hepatic Histone Modifications Using Mass Spectrometry Based Proteomics , Crystina Leah Kriss

Off-Target Based Drug Repurposing Using Systems Pharmacology , Brent M. Kuenzi

Investigation of Anemarrhena asphodeloides and its Constituent Timosaponin-AIII as Novel, Naturally Derived Adjunctive Therapeutics for the Treatment of Advanced Pancreatic Cancer , Catherine B. MarElia

The Role of Phosphohistidine Phosphatase 1 in Ethanol-induced Liver Injury , Daniel Richard Martin

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Changing the Pathobiological Paradigm in Myelodysplastic Syndromes: The NLRP3 Inflammasome Drives the MDS Phenotype , Ashley Basiorka

Modeling of Dynamic Allostery in Proteins Enabled by Machine Learning , Mohsen Botlani-Esfahani

Uncovering Transcriptional Activators and Targets of HSF-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans , Jessica Brunquell

The Role of Sgs1 and Exo1 in the Maintenance of Genome Stability. , Lillian Campos-Doerfler

Mechanisms of IKBKE Activation in Cancer , Sridevi Challa

Discovering Antibacterial and Anti-Resistance Agents Targeting Multi-Drug Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens , Renee Fleeman

Functional Roles of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Bone Metastatic Prostate Cancer , Jeremy S. Frieling

Disorder Levels of c-Myb Transactivation Domain Regulate its Binding Affinity to the KIX Domain of CREB Binding Protein , Anusha Poosapati

Role of Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 in Ovarian Cancer Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Drug Sensitivity , Chase David Powell

Cell Division Regulation in Staphylococcus aureus , Catherine M. Spanoudis

A Novel Approach to the Discovery of Natural Products From Actinobacteria , Rahmy Tawfik

Non-classical regulators in Staphylococcus aureus , Andy Weiss

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

In Vitro and In Vivo Antioxidant Capacity of Synthetic and Natural Polyphenolic Compounds Identified from Strawberry and Fruit Juices , Marvin Abountiolas

Quantitative Proteomic Investigation of Disease Models of Type 2 Diabetes , Mark Gabriel Athanason

CMG Helicase Assembly and Activation: Regulation by c-Myc through Chromatin Decondensation and Novel Therapeutic Avenues for Cancer Treatment , Victoria Bryant

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Undergraduate Theses, Department of Biology, 2022-2023

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Current results range from 2022 to 2023

• Stanford Digital Repository 23
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23 catalog results, online 1. a predictive model of human transcriptional activators and repressors [2023].

• Liongson, Ivan (Author)
• May 4, 2023

Online 2. A Representative Role for the Alternative Splicing of Synaptic Genes [2023]

• Choeb, Reyan (Author)

Online 3. Building a B Cell Differentiation Model for X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia Using Pluripotent Stem Cells [2023]

• Hernández González, Elaine (Author)
• May 5, 2023

Online 4. Dissecting the Parasympathetic Neural Circuits of the Heart [2023]

• Nguyen, Annie (Author)

Online 5. Early Life Stress Moderates the Relation Between Inflammation and Nucleus Accumbens Gray Matter Volume in Adolescents [2023]

• Jaeger, Emma L. (Author)

Online 6. Identification of DNA Termini in Sequencing Data through Combined Analysis of End Capture and Local Strand Bias [2023]

• Wang, William (Author)

Online 7. Identifying Endocrine Bases of Parental Neglect and Infanticide in the Mimic Poison Frog [2023]

• Lewis, Amaris (Author)

Online 8. Injectable Biomimetic Hydrogels Providing Prolonged Delivery of GLP-1 Analogues for Enhanced Diabetes Treatment [2023]

• Lu, Katie (Author)

Online 9. Internalization of anti-GD2 antibodies as a key component of the antibody-induced cell death mechanism in pediatric neuroblastoma [2023]

• Wang, Alice (Author)

Online 10. Investigating impacts of heat stress on symbiosis in cnidarian larvae using high-throughput fluorescence-based quantification [2023]

• Paul, Maitri (Author)

Online 11. Mechanisms of Ferroptosis Evasion Promoted by Extracellular Metabolites [2023]

• Alchemy, Grace (Author)

Online 12. Morphological Analysis of Axo-Axonic Cell Variability [2023]

• Linker, Lexi (Author)

Online 13. Mosquitoes in the Anthropocene: A Multi-Decade Study at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve [2023]

• Dutta Gupta, Tanvi (Author)

Online 14. Propagule size has context-dependent effects on colonization success in mixtures of gut microbial communities [2023]

• Goldman, Doran (Author)

Online 15. Spatiotemporal gene expression mapping of brain aging in mice [2023]

• Kedir, Blen (Author)

Online 16. Specific extrusion of Enterovirus-A71-infected cells from human colonoids and consequences for viral spread [2023]

• Craven, Ailsa (Author)

Online 17. Stuck in the Matrix- Patch Matrix Dynamics in Florida Scrub [2023]

• Narasimhan, Sriram (Author)

Online 18. The Junctional Epithelium Organoid: A Novel System for Periodontitis Research [2023]

• Dawid, Isaiah (Author)

Online 19. Using inducible signaling receptors for in vivo fate determination of hematopoietic stem cells to erythroid-specific lineages [2023]

• Majeti, Kiran (Author)

Online 20. We Are What We Eat: The Impact of Agricultural Intensity on the Microbiome of Honeybee Guts [2023]

• Murran, Aisling (Author)
• May 17, 2023

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Can the gut microbiota influence host appetite? Implications for the aetiology of obesity

Can vaccine innovation solve the last mile problem for vaccines in low-resource settings

Eradication of Polio: Past Challenges and Future Prospects

Is the age of antibiotics over?

Microbiome regulation of the gut-brain axis: implications for anxiety and depression

On the origin of the bacterial flagellum: an example of irreducible complexity?

Recent advances in the blockade of immune checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy

What are the major causes of delay in response to emerging disease outbreaks: the case of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa

Pharmacology

Cystic-fibrosis related diabetes

How do SNAREs mediate membrane fusion?

Is CRISPR ready for the clinic?

Phantom pain: a ghost in the machine or a biological basis?

Plant-derived polysaccharides - sweet medicine of tomorrow?

Why are opioids problematic analgesics?

Plant Sciences

"Scrambled Genomes": examining the methodology and goals of the Sc2.0 synthetic genome project

Engineering C4 Rice: Molecular Targets and Progress so far

Is Trehalose-6-phosphate a central regulator of plant carbon partitioning?

Sucrose signalling and its role in plant development

Who needs cells anyway?

Is visual adaptation diminished in autism spectrum disorders?

Memory reconsolidation blockade: a novel treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Parental influence on child language development: does gender matter?

Sleep disorders as model for Consciousness Research: a cognitive framework for parasomnias

The role of genetics in the transgenerational transmission of memories

The role of insulin in cognitive decline in the elderly

Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

Adaptations of cancer cells for metastasis to the brain

How and why is the infant gut microbiota affected by caesarean section? The crying need for well-designed research

How do astrocytes support and modulate neuronal function? Exploring neurovascular coupling, neurometabolic coupling, and gliotransmission

The missing nuances of science and society: How popular science is shaping policy and understanding

The role of operant conditioning in spinal cord plasticity and its potential therapeutic implications for spinal cord injury

The significance of proinflammatory mediators in disrupting HRV: a link to cardiovascular morbidity in schizophrenia?

Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour

Prenatal stress: relevance to major depressive disorder

Promises and limitations of a combinatorial approach to spinal cord injury

Social neurons? A critical examination of how individual neurons might implement primate social cognition

The bidirectional relationship between the hippocampus and metabolic syndrome

The Cognitive and Neurobiological Benefits of an Imperfect Memory

Why are drug seeking habits maladaptive?

How have homosexual mating preferences evolved in males and females?

How relevant is the Drosophila segmentation paradigm to the study of segmentation in other arthropods and other animals?

Mechanisms of mass extinction

Migration of Homo erectus out of Africa

The meaning of alarm calls: honesty and deception

Wolves verses Eurasian Lynx as candidates for large predator reintroduction in mainland Britain - which may be the most suitable and why?

Minor subjects

Conservation science.

Causes and remedies for the decline in red squirrel numbers in Britain

How do deer impact forest organisms in UK lowland woodland?

Reintroduction and translocation as conservation tools for rhinos

Translocation as a tool for tiger ( Panthera tigris ) conservation: problems and potential solutions

With respect to myxomatosis and RHD virus how have rabbit populations co-evolved with the viruses and how may rabbit populations be affected in the future?

Development and Psychopathology

To what extent have biasing in screening and diagnosis contributed to the sex ratios observed in autism?

Health, Medicine and Society

Medicalisation and violence against women: implications for the medical encounter

Human Ecology and Behaviour

The use of wood in prehistory

Neural Degeneration and Regeneration

Progress towards establishing lead times of biomarkers for early diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease

The Pharmacological Targeting of the Amyloid-beta pathway in Alzheimer's: issues and prospects

Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine

Dementia: how changing perspectives affect clinical decision making

Should the MMR vaccine be mandatory? The problem of herd immunity threshold

Psychology and Social Issues

Reducing Extremist Violence by increasing Integrative Complexity - why understanding the role of emotion is central to success

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If you wish to move to or from BBS or wish to change Major and/or Minor subject(s), please contact the departments involved AND the Faculty of Biology Office.

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Thesis proposal example 2

Senior Honors Thesis Research Proposal

Albert B. Ulrich III Thesis Advisor: Dr. Wayne Leibel 11 September 1998

Introduction:

Neotropical fish of the family Cichlidae are a widespread and diverse group of freshwater fish which, through adaptive radiation, have exploited various niches in freshwater ecosystems. One such evolutionary adaptation employed by numerous taxa is miniaturization, an evolutionary process in which a large ancestral form becomes reduced in size to exploit alternative niches. A considerable amount of research has been conducted on the effects of miniaturization on amphibians (Hanken 1983), but although miniaturization has been found to occur in 85 species of freshwater South American fish, little has been done to investigate the effects which miniaturization imposes on the anatomy of the fish (Hanken and Wake 1993).

Background:

Evolution is the process by which species adapt to environmental stresses over time. Nature imposes various selective pressures on ecosystems causing adaptive radiation, where species expand and fill new niches. One such adaptation for a new niche is miniaturization. Miniaturization can be defined as “the evolution of extremely small adult body size within a lineage” (Hanken and Wake 1993). Miniaturization is observed in a variety of taxa, and evolutionary size decreases are observed in mammals and higher vertebrates, but it is more common and more pronounced in reptiles, amphibians and fish (Hanken and Wake 1993). Miniaturization evolved as a specialization which allowed the organisms to avoid selective pressures and occupy a new niche. Miniaturization as a concept is dependent on the phylogenetic assumption that the organism evolved from a larger predecessor. Over time, the miniature organism had to adapt to the new conditions as a tiny species. All of the same basic needs had to be met, but with a smaller body.

In miniature species there is a critical relationship between structure of the body and body size, and frequently this downsizing results in structural and functional changes within the animal (Harrison 1996). Within the concept of miniaturization is the assumption that the species evolved from a larger progenitor. It is necessary then to explore the effects of the miniaturization process. “Miniaturization involves not only small body size per se, but also the consequent and often dramatic effects of extreme size reduction on anatomy, physiology, ecology, life history, and behavior” (Hanken and Wake 1993).

Hanken and Wake 1993 found that the adult skulls of the salamander Thorius were lacking several bones, others were highly underdeveloped, and many species within the genus were toothless. Several invertebrate species display the wholesale loss of major organs systems as a result of the drastic reduction in body size (Hanken and Wake 1993). Hanken and Wake also have shown that morphological novelty is a common result of miniaturization. Morphological novelty, in essence, is the development of new structures in the miniature organism. For example, as body size decreases, certain vital organs will only be able to be reduced by a certain amount and still function. As a result organs such as the inner ear remain large relative to the size of the miniature skull, and structural innovations have to occur in order to support the proportionately large inner ear.

In 1983, James Hanken, at the University of Colorado determined that the adult skull of the Plethodontid salamanders could be characterized by three observations: 1) there was a limited development or even an absence of several ossified elements such as dentition and other bones; 2) there was interspecific and intraspecific variability; 3) there were novel mophological configurations of the braincase and jaw (Hanken 1983).

In his experiments, Hanken found that cranial miniaturization of the Thorius skull was achieved at the expense of ossification. Much of the ossified skeleton was lost or reduced, especially in the anterior elements, which are seen typically in larger adult salamanders (Hanken 1983). In contrast to this ossified downsizing, many of the sensory organs were not diminished in size — therefore present in greater proportion to the rest of the reduced head. He also reported that due to the geometrical space availability, there is a competition for space in reduced sized skulls, and the “predominant brain, otic capsules, and eyes have imposed structural rearrangements on much of the skull that remains” (Hanken 1983).

Hanken proposed that paedomorphosis was the mode of evolution of the plethodontid salamanders (Hanken 1983). Paedomorphosis is the state where the miniaturized structures of the adult salamanders can be described as arrested juvenile states. To support this theory, Hanken showed data where cranial skeletal reduction was less extreme in the posterior regions of the skull. One of the hallmarks of paedamorphosis is the lack of conservation in structures derived late in development. Early developed structures are highly conserved, and the latter derivations become either lost, or greatly reduced. Again, Hanken has shown that elements appearing late in development exhibit greater variation among species than do elements appearing earlier in ontogeny (Hanken 1983). But the presence of novel morphological features cannot be accounted for merely by truncated development and the retention of juvenile traits. Miniature Plethodontid salamanders display features that are not present in other species, juvenile or adult. These novel morphological features are associated with the evolution of decreased size and are postulated to compensate for the reductions occurring in other areas (Hanken 1983).

In 1985, Trueb and Alberch published a paper presenting similar results in their experiments with frogs. They explored the “relationships between body sizes of anurans and their cranial configurations with respect to the degree of ossification of the skull and two ontogenetic variables‹shape and number of differentiation events” (Trueb and Alberch 1985). Trueb and Alberch examined three morphological variables: size, sequence of differentiation events, and shape changes in individual structures. Size and snout length were measured, and the data showed that the more heavily ossified frogs tended to be smaller, whereas the less-ossified species were of average size, contrary to what was hypothesized. But Trueb and Alberch also attributed the diminution in size to paedomorphosis, citing that the smaller frogs lacked one or more of the elements typically associated with anuran skulls‹these missing elements were typically late in the developmental sequence. It is significant to note, however, that although there was an apparent paedomorphic trend, it could not be “applied unequivocally to all anuans” (Trueb and Alberch 1985). Very little research has been done on the effects of miniaturization on fish. In 1993, Buckup published a paper discussing the phylogeny of newly found minature species of Characidiin fish, but the extent of the examination was merely an acknowledgment that the species were indeed miniatures so that they could be taxonomically reclassified ( Buckup 1993). It is this deficit of knowledge with regard to miniaturization in fish that prompts this research.

Statement of the Problem:

How does miniaturization affect other vertebrates, such as fish? There are over 85 species of freshwater South American fish which are regarded as miniature, spanning 5 orders, 11 families and 40 genera (Hanken and Wake 1993). One such species, Apistogramma cacatuoides, is a South American Cichlid native to Peru. It lives in shallow water bodies in the rainforests, where miniature size is necessary. Males in this species reach approximately 8cm, and females only 5cm. This makes A. cacatuoides an ideal specimen for examination. In this senior honors thesis, I intend to examine the effects of miniaturization on cranial morphology of A. cacatuoides.

Plan of Research:

In this thesis, I will compare the cranial anatomy of A. cacatuoides to that of “Cichlasoma” (Archocentrus) nigrofasciatum, a commonly bred fish reared by aquarists known as the Convict Cichlid, a “typical” medium-sized cichlid also of South American origin. The Convicts will be examined at various stages in development, from juvenile to adult, and will be compared to A.cacatuoides.

The first part of this project will involve whole mount preparation of A. cacatuoides, utilizing the staining and clearing procedures described by Taylor and Van Dyke, 1985. This procedure involves the use of Alizarin Red and Alcian Blue to stain bone and cartilage, and takes into account the adaptations and recommendations Proposed in an earlier paper (Hanken and Wassersug 1981). The Taylor and Van Dyke procedure is specifically for the staining and clearing of small fish and other vertebrates. I tested the procedure during last semester¹s Independent Study and made a few minor adjustments to the protocol.

First, the specimens will be placed serially into an absolute ethyl alcohol solution and stained with Alcian Blue. The fish will then be neutralized in a saturated borax solution, transferred to a 20% hydrogen peroxide solution in potassium hydroxide, and then bleached under a fluorescent light. The unwanted soft tissues will then be cleared using trypsin powder, and then stained in KOH again with alizarin red. The final preparation of the fish involves rinsing the fish, and placing them serially into 40%, 70%, and finally 100% glycerin.

Following the above preparation of the specimens, the crania of the A. cacatuoides specimens will be examined for morphological variation and compared to the cranial anatomy of the Convict cichlid as a progenitor reference point examined at various developmental stages to see if paedomorphosis in indeed the mechanism of miniaturization in A. cacatuoides.

Expected Costs:

The project is estimated to cost no more that five hundred dollars for chemicals and supplies for the entire year.

Literature Cited:

Hanken, J., 1983. Miniaturization and its Effects on Cranial Morphology in Plethodontid Salamanders, Genus Thorius (Amphibia: Plethodontidae). I. Osteological Variation”. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (London) 23: 55-75.

Hanken, James, 1983. Miniaturization and its Effects on Cranial Morhology in Plethodontid Salamanders, Genus Thorius (Amphibia, Plethodintidae): II.The Fate of the Brain and Sense Organs and Their Role in Skull Morphogenesis and Evolution . Journal of Morphology 177: 255-268.

Hanken, James and David Wake, 1993. Miniaturization of Body Size: Origanismal Consequences and Evolutionary Significance. Annual Review of Ecological Systems 24: 501-19.

Harrison, I. J., 1996. Interface Areas in Small Fish. Zoological Symposium No. 69. The Zoological Society of London: London.

Miller, P. J., 1996. Miniature Vertebrates: The Implications of Small Body Size. Symposium of the Zoological Society of London. No. 69: 15-45.

Taylor, William R. and George Van Dyke, 1985. Revised Procedures for Staining and Clearing Small Fishes and Other Vertebrates for Small Bone and Cartilage Study. Cybium. 9(2): 107-119.

Trueb, L. and P. Alberch, 1985. Miniaturization and the Anuran Skull: a Case Study of Heterochrony. Fortschritte der Zoologie. Bund 30.

Williams, T. Walley, 1941 Bone and Cartilage. Stain. Tech. 16:23-25.

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• Undergraduate
• Honors Thesis Examples

EBIO student's Honors Thesis submissions from past years are archived here with abstracts from the student's respective papers. Peruse several of the submissions to get a sense of the area's of study our students delve into for their Honors Thesis projects.

Landscape Patterns of Litter Decomposition in Alpine Tundra - H. A. O'Lear and T. R. Seastedt - 1994

Effects of Mobile Tree Islands on Soil Carbon Storage in Tundra Ecosystems - Sheridan J. Pauker and T. R. Seastedt - 1996

Effects of Sequestered Iridoid Glycosides on Prey Choice of the Prairie Wolf Spider,  Lycosa carolinensis  - Demetri Hilario Theodoratus and M. Deane Bowers - 1998

Effects of Soil Nitrogen Reduction on Nonnative Plants in Restored Grasslands - K.J. Reever Morghan & T. R. Seastedt - 1999

Phylogeny of hammerhead sharks (Family Sphyrnidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear genes -  Douglas D. Lim, Philip Motta, Kyle Mara, Andrew P. Martin - 2010

Beyond immunity: quantifying the efects of host anti-parasite behavior on parasite transmission -  Elizabeth W. Daly & Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2011

Land Use and Wetland Spatial Position Jointly Determine Amphibian Parasite Communities - Richard B. Hartson,  Sarah A. Orlofske,  Vanessa E. Melin,  Robert T. Dillon Jr., and Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2011

Effects of fuels reductions on plant communities and soils in a Piñon-juniper woodland - M.R. Ross, S.C. Castle, N.N. Barger - 2012

Investigating the dispersal routes used by an invasive amphibian, Lithobates catesbeianus , in human-dominated landscapes - Anna C. Peterson & Katherine L. D. Richgels & Pieter T. J. Johnson & Valerie J. McKenzie - 2012

Incorporation of an Introduced Weed into the Diet of a Native Butterfly: Consequences for Preference, Performance and Chemical Defense - Angela Knerl & M. Deane Bowers 

Quantifying the biomass of parasites to understand their role in aquatic communities - Jason Lambden & Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2013

Conceptual Revision and Synthesis of Proximate Factors Associated with Age-Related Improvement in Reproduction - Rachel J Bradley & Rebecca J. Safran - 2014

Patterns and ecological predictors of age-related performance in female North American barn swallows,  Hirundo rustica erythrogaster    -  R. J. Bradley & J. K. Hubbard & B. R. Jenkins & R. J. Safran - 2014

Assessing The Harmful Impacts Of Increased Commercial Shipping On Arctic Marine Mammals: A Systematic Literature Review - Hayley Wuestenberg - 2021

June 27, 2021

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Harmful Algal Blooms As A Possible Cause Of Late Cretaceous Vertebrate Mortality Events In Northwestern Madagascar - Christopher Mulligan - 2021

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Population Structure Of The Endangered Mud Shrimp Upogebia Pugettensis - Madeleine Horan - 2021

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Exploring The Biogeographic Relationship Between Variation In Parasites And Pathogens And Host Plant Dispersal Traits - Patrick Heffernan - 2021

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Flowering Time And Related Genes In Cannabis - Zachary Girard - 2021

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May Physical Activity Ameliorate Symptoms And Comorbidities Associated With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) Infection? - Elizabeth Enichen - 2021

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Nest Insulative Capacity Varies Between Chickadee Species But Not Along An Elevation Gradient - Shay Ding - 2021

Read more about Nest Insulative Capacity Varies Between Chickadee Species But Not Along An Elevation Gradient - Shay Ding - 2021

The Impact Of Early Snowmelt, Warming, And Microtopography On In Situ Geum Rossii Germination Rates In The Alpine - Nyika Campbell - 2021

Read more about The Impact Of Early Snowmelt, Warming, And Microtopography On In Situ Geum Rossii Germination Rates In The Alpine - Nyika Campbell - 2021

Entomology Education Since 2000: Methods, Outcomes, Challenges, and Suggestions for Practice - Elizabeth Woolner - 2020

Dec. 3, 2020

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Loss of Microbial Biodiversity: Implications for Human Health and Food Security - Shannon Ross - 2020

Dec. 2, 2020

Read more about Loss of Microbial Biodiversity: Implications for Human Health and Food Security - Shannon Ross - 2020

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How to Tackle Your Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis in Science* Without Losing Your Mind

* Based on my personal experience in successfully writing a bachelor’s thesis in biology and a master’s thesis in neurosciences in Germany. My view might be biased, but a lot of things probably apply across different fields and borders.

First of all, congrats! You made it! You are currently taking your first step into the direction of independent research. The only thing that is still separating you from your degree is your bachelor’s or master’s thesis work (and maybe some assignments and the last exam). You already heard from other people that stressful times are coming ahead and you are worried that everything will go wrong? It will not! To help you not loose your mind during the process, I put together some tips for you. I was lost in the beginning, too, and as a firstgen I thought I would never be able to find through the jungle and graduate. But here I am, holding a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and currently starting the most scary one so far: the PhD.

The Research Process

The research process of a bachelor’s or master’s thesis itself typically starts with an idea and is followed by a literature research identifying the status quo in the research field, resulting in refinement of the idea and the formation of a research question. Then, adequate methods to answer the question are decided, followed by data collection and analysis. The whole work is then finished off by writing the ‘thesis’.

As a bachelor’s or master’s student, you can technically jump in at any point of this process. Some labs have already decided on a question and the methodology you are going to use because it belongs to an ongoing project. This was for example the case in my bachelor’s thesis. As the bachelor’s thesis at my university needed to be conducted in a time frame of 12 weeks, I was working together with a PhD student collecting data (I was mainly staining brain sections, imaged them, and counted cells!). In my master’s thesis work (duration: 6 months), however, I was allowed to design my own project from beginning to the end and worked independently.

“Es ist noch kein Meister vom Himmel gefallen”

German for: A master has never come falling from heaven.

Lab work can be scary, you can feel like you are not good enough. I still remember how insecure I was on my first day in the lab as a bachelor’s student. I was shaking while pipetting under supervision because I was so nervous and didn’t want to do anything wrong. I thought my supervisor would think I was not made for the lab. But oh boy, was I wrong! No one, and I say NO ONE, expects you to be a perfect scientist already! You are in the process of learning the scientific method and getting trained! It is ok to make mistakes and ask for help, it is part of the learning process and will help you when conducting research in the future! Back then, thanks to great supervision, I gained confidence over time and was rewarded with beautiful immunofluorescence-stained brain sections!

How Do I Start?

1. choose a project you find interesting and a supervisor you feel comfortable with.

BOTH are important. You should choose a project you find interesting, in which you would enjoy working towards answering the research question and reading up on the literature. This will make it way easier to stay motivated. However, you should also be comfortable in your research environment. You will probably spend a lot of time with your supervisor and your supervisor might be the one grading you.

2. Ask for Important Literature and Example Theses

In order to gain a good overview of the field you will conduct your research in it is helpful to read up on literature straight ahead. A good way to do so and not miss the key concepts is to ask your supervisor. They are the expert in the field and can give you the most important papers. From there on you can guide your literature research looking through the names and references and checking related topics. Also, ask which data base (PubMed, WebOfScience, etc.) is commonly used in your field.

Since every university, even every faculty, and every professor has different guidelines and expectations for the thesis, try to get hold of theses from prior bachelor or master students. Often your supervisor or university library can provide them.

3. Create an Outline of Your Thesis

Maybe start out with a mind map. Write down EVERYTHING that comes to your mind when thinking about your topic. Write down what you already know. Write down your questions, which methods you are using. And then, connect the dots . Try to find a ‘red thread’ (= Roten Faden ) that you can weave through your text. Find the story you want to tell and arrange it in an order.

Then, open a word document and create the skeleton of your thesis. Put all headings and subheadings in an order. Start with the most obvious things: Create a space for your cover, the table of contents. Add the title ‘abstract’, introduction, material and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. Then add subheadings and a few bullet points about what you would like to write about in this section. This way you will already have a document that you can slowly feed with more information. And you will see your pages filling faster, which will give you a boost in motivation.

You don’t need to finish this all in one day. This can be a growing document meanwhile you are working in the lab.

4. Create a Schedule

If you are like me, you will probably still end up working up until the last minute, even if you scheduled everything perfectly and worked accordingly. However, it is definitely important to make a schedule of the whole time-frame of your research project. Schedule your experiments and when you are writing which chapter. Schedule how long the data analysis will probably take. Schedule the proof-reading, corrections, and formatting. Schedule the printing. Leave one- to two weeks extra for emergencies. Also, because it WILL take longer than you initially think. Especially, because you WILL probably be procrastinating at some points. But keep in mind: In case you get sick or something doesn’t work, most universities offer an extension of the deadline.

Also, try to schedule normal workdays for your thesis, include regular breaks, and enjoy time off (Feierabend!) of your thesis, too! This will keep you sane.

Tip: Check out how long copy shops take for printing BEFORE it is time for printing. Also make sure to put away some money, as it can sadly be quite expensive.

5. Invest Time in Learning a Citation Manager

It might take a moment, but will definitely pay off. When working on my bachelor’s thesis I made the mistake to not use one. I had more than 10 pages of references and sorting and formatting them took several days. Days that I could have used for proof-reading, or, finally relaxing for a bit 😉 Some examples are EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero.

Actually, I don’t understand why they don’t teach this in uni…

What to Think About When Writing the Different Parts of Your Thesis

Some general things on writing: don’t try to show off too much. Yes, it is important to use the adequate vocabulary when writing, but don’t make your sentences unnecessarily complicated. On a side note: not everyone is a native English speaker. I’m not. I actually wrote my bachelor’s thesis in German and only my master’s thesis in English. Looking back at it, I would choose to write the bachelor’s thesis in English, too, as it is easier to stick to the specific terms of the field, because most findings are reported in English. Besides, try to write every other day, even if it is just one sentence. Just write down what comes to your mind and directly put the reference next to it. It does not have to be a beautiful sentence. Beautiful sentences get born in the editing process. The flow of your text comes with time. Since we got that sorted now, let’s get to the different parts of your thesis!

Introduction

In this part you want to give an overview of the field of your research. Why is this research important (why important for scientists? why for the general public?)? Is it about a disease? How many people suffer from it? Why should people care? What has been done in this field already? Where are the gaps? Maybe there are controversial results? Typically the introduction ends with the aim/research question that is based on the literature review. How does the aim relate to findings of previous studies? What is the main question? What are the subquestions? With which methods are you going to tackle them?

Tip: As you do your literature research for the introduction, summarize the main findings of the paper already with the reference in form of bullet points and put them in the corresponding chapter of the introduction. This way you will already have a skeleton that you can use for writing. The introduction should have the ‘shape’ of an inverted cone in the end, meaning that you should go from the broader topic to the specific question.

Material and Methods

Here you want to describe the material and methods you have used and why you have used them. Don’t only write down the steps of the protocol you applied, but also write down how the method works and why you used the substances (for example: To remove DNA, an additional DNAse treatment was performed applying DNAsI solved in RDD buffer directly on the column and incubating it for 15 minutes at room temperature).

Don’t forget to explain your analysis

Your results depend on the analysis/statistics you applied, therefore it is crucial to describe the program and the statistical tests you used and WHY they fit your data. What kind of data do you have? What results to you consider as significant (p-value below 0.05?)?

Tip: Write the methods as you apply them in the lab. Since you are basically writing down a protocol, it is a fast way to fill your pages and feel like you already made progress. Also your memory is still fresh. Make sure to write down from which company your substances and programs are.

Describe your results, but don’t interpret them yet. Put the description of a table ABOVE the table and the description of a figure BELOW the figure. The description should be written in a way that one can understand the table/figure without reading the main text. You don’t need to arrange the results in a chronological order, you can also put them in an order that helps you tell your story. This order should be consistent over sections (use the same order in the discussion!). Besides, don’t put too many figures. Put the most important ones that help you tell your story. Any additional figures can be put into the appendix.

This section can naturally feel like it is the most important part of your thesis. A lot of people were stressing out about not having good results or not having the results they wanted. I can assure you: IT DOESN’T MATTER. Experiments do not always work how we wanted it and in such a limited time frame it is totally normal that you might not get ‘good’ results. No one will give you a bad grade for that. The point of your thesis is to show that you understood how scientific research is conducted and how to wrap it up. YOU DON’T NEED TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE (if you do tho, congrats!). If you don’t have good results, put more effort into a great discussion and the introduction and you will be fine.

Tip: It can help to arrange your results figures in a PowerPoint first to create your story. Put the numbers to the figures last. Make sure you refer to the correct figures.

Discuss your results based on previous literature/similar studies and your aims. Did you answer your question? Are your data analysed correctly? Were there any problems while running the experiments? Did the problems influence the results? How could one eliminate the problems? How can you apply your results on further research? Write a good conclusion of your findings after the discussion.

Usually the first thing after the table of contents, but often written last. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR THESIS. It is the part, that everyone will read first. It is there to quickly give an overview of your work and should include a few words about the background, the question, the methods, and the main findings. Try to not exceed one page.

Acknowledgements

You can put these in the beginning (before the table of contents) or the end (before or after literature) of your thesis. They are not only a way of showing your gratitude towards your supervisors, but also a way to state the resources you used for your thesis, such as intellectual input! So maybe also consider including the technical assistant or fellow student that helped you or teached you a new technique.

Make Your Supervisor Your Best Friend

Maybe not literally, but definitely stay in contact, send them the chapters of your thesis for feedback, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your supervisor might be the one grading your thesis or writing a recommendation letter for you.

I had weekly meetings with the direct supervisor of my master’s thesis. These were extremely helpful to stay on track, give updates, and receive valuable input. If you are stuck somewhere (e.g. data analysis), your supervisor can help you. Asking for help it is not a sign of weakness. In fact, your supervisor might even get suspicious if you don’t ask for help at all.

But please, also keep in your mind that your supervisors are busy people (they are first of all people!). Don’t expect them to tell you each and every step and plan all the meetings. Do your work and initiate meetings. They will happy to meet with you. Don’t send them your thesis one week before handing in and give them enough time to get back to you.

General Tips for Motivation

Find the right workplace for you. Some people work best in the library, some at home in pajamas (but keep the work out of your bedroom!). Try to incorporate rituals to condition yourself into a working mood. I was for example always lighting a scented candle when working and drinking coffee. I liked to have music or even Netflix in the background. Others prefer it quiet. Try what works for you.

Also, finding yourself a group of other students working on their theses, too, can be very helpful for motivation, but also for helping each other proof reading. Try to update each other regularly.

Accept That You Will Find Typos After Submission

Despite having it proof-read by supervisor and friends, I still had an extra word in the abstract of both my bachelor’s and my master’s thesis. After submission, I noticed several typos. THIS IS NORMAL. After having worked on your thesis for so long, it is hard to notice mistakes. As long as you don’t get stuck in every paragraph, no one will care.

Last but not Least: Make it Pretty!

You shouldn’t underestimate the importance of good formatting. If your thesis looks good to begin with, your examiners will be more pleased to read it (even if it might be subconscious) and vice versa . Try to deep dive a bit into the formatting functions of Word/your writing program (but of course stay also within the guidelines of your university).

Here are some of my suggestions:

• Use ‘styles’ for your headers and sub-headers. This way they will be already assembled in a hierarchy in the table of contents you are going to add in the end. Additionally, when converting your document into a PDF, you can just click the chapter titles and it will automatically jump to the corresponding section. Keep in mind that your examiner might read your thesis as a PDF 🙂
• Justify your text .
• Put conceptual paragraphs within chapters for easier reading.
• Turn on the non-printable signs to check for double-spaces and returns .
• Make sure you wrote out each term before you make it an abbreviation. If you created an abbreviation, use it throughout the whole text. If you have a lot of abbreviations, create a table of them.
• Use margins big enough for binding your printed thesis. The margins in my bachelor’s and master’s thesis were 3cm on both sides.
• Add a page number and automatically add the name of the chapter in header or footer. This helps orientation when reading the printed version of your thesis. For adding the name of the chapter, create a header. Go to the design tab and choose quick parts > field… A dialog box should pop up. Select Link and references from the drop down list, in field names you choose ‘StyleRef’. Then choose ‘Heading 1’ so you always get the heading of the first level displayed. Click ok. The name of the chapter can only be added automatically if a header style is applied.
• Use page breaks to arrange your text and figures so they don’t break off in weird places. I for example prefer to have the beginning/heading of the introduction/material and methods/results/discussion always at the top of the page. Also I don’t like it when the figure description is cut off.
• Use the same color scheme for figures throughout the whole thesis . Be consistent, for example the control group is always blue and the treatment group orange. You can find inspiration for well-fitting colors googling color palettes.
• Create your own figures. If you have that extra time, definitely invest it in creating ‘your own’ scientific illustration. A great website that makes it very easy in a consistent style is biorender.com .

Take Home Message

Remember, the first version will never be the final one. The beautiful sentences get born in the editing process. You will be stressed, but you will be able to handle it. You are not alone! Ask for help when you need it. I wish you all the best in your process, and hope that your labs find a way to still operate during these difficult times. If you have any further questions, leave a comment.

Remember: YOU CAN DO IT. YOU HAVE COME THIS FAR.

Stay safe. Stina. ❤

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Published by Stina Börchers

Stina Börchers is a German neuroscience PhD student at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She completed her undergrad studies in biology in 2017 and her master's in neurosciences in 2020. Next to studying, Stina blogs about scientific topics, her daily life and experiences as a student here and on instagram. View all posts by Stina Börchers

6 thoughts on “ How to Tackle Your Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis in Science* Without Losing Your Mind ”

I am currently writing my Master’s thesis. This is incredibly helpful, thank you 🥰

Oh great to hear that! I wish you the best of luck, you are going to nail this! ♥️

Thank you so much ! deffo really helpful and motivating to finally complete my thesis 🙂

Yay! Happy to hear that! Good luck with your thesis! Take care!

Ausgezeichnet, sogar glänzend! 🤠🎷🎼🎶🎶🎶

Thannks for this

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Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on September 9, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students on a similar thesis or dissertation topic to yours.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

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Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations, other interesting articles.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

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University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

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Bachelor's thesis in Biology

Home > ETD > Biology > ETDB_BIO

Biology Bachelor's Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Screening of enterobacteriaceae among selected cold beverages sold in Quiapo, Manila , Angela Kryztel D. Abrigo, Adrian Benedict E. Ang, Daniel B. Imbuido, Trishanne Louise T. Mendoza, and Charlene Annika B. Pandi

A bibliometric review on plant allantoin and nitrogen metabolism , Dayne Andrei dela Isla Aduna, Paulina Mikaela Valderama Cabero, Earl Dominic Palad Cristobal, Riley Jerard Dy Go, and Francine Clarisse C. Luakian

Isolation and identification of yeasts found in selected urban wastewater and assessment for in vitro antimicrobial resistance , Jana Karissa O. Arive, Angelo James M. Benedicto, Keesha Mikaela B. Castro, Juliana Rae M. Ibay, and Martha Alia M. Llamas

A novel approach to the decellularization of porcine skin as a potential bioink component for tissue engineering applications , Jean Andrea Nicola T. Banzon, Nathan Matthew S. Co, Glynis Jen J. Dawa, Anna Paula S. Policarpio, and Aika Angel F. Ubando

Effects of nicotine-colchicine induction in neurodegenerative behavioral signs in a zebrafish (danio rerio) model , Sean S. Borromeo, Mark G. Cortez, Linus C. Macasaet, and Ysabel T. Rivera

Prevalence of porcine cysticercosis with incidental detections of trichinella spp. in the National Capital Region of the Philippines , Claire Angela D. Crespo, Gilian Michel T. Flores, Jon Francis Rosseller E. Homires, and Miguel Alberto M. Ramos

An in silico analysis of the binding affinity of alliin from Allium sativum L. targeting HMGB-1 and IL-6 inflammatory cascade , Rejie May M. Cuabo, Katherine F. Gabia, Alyssa Bianca F. Palaypay, and Glen Andrei R. Roque

Assessing the effects of the leaf and seed ethanolic extracts of carica papaya against the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) , Alexandra Ysabel H. Del Rosario, Danica Marie S.D. Carmelina, Ma. Czarina Angela E. Marciano, and Trixie B. Yau

Prevalence of foodborne parasites in common street food in Manila , Mary Corinne Dolar Escutin, Matthew Williamson Yao Mendoza, Czarinah Isabelle Ilagan Persia, Angel Nicole Benavides Villanueva, and Krystlelyn Mae Lao Tan

Parasitic contamination in Ipomoea aquatica (water spinach) in Laguna de Bay, Angono, Rizal, Philippines , Godspeed Garcia Feliciano, Uriel Anne Torralba Bumanlag, Andrea Noya Galvez, Anne Ricyl Tagala Kaw, and Mikaela Marie Venturanza Garcia

Relative prevalence of microplastics on mangrove crabs and soil in targeted crab harvesting sites in Luzon , Antonio Miguel C. Imperial, Michaella M. Martinez, and Jehan Ginette O. Tan

Bacterial community and antimicrobial resistant genes profile in hospital wastewater among economic classes: A systematic review , Aiko B. Ishimura

Meta-analysis of the antihyperglycemic effect of different forms of coffee on Mus musculus and Rattus norvergicus induced with type II diabetes mellitus , Miguela C. Maligat and Patricia Fe D.S. Sarrate

Reaction time and mental agility among multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) gamers and non-MOBA gamers from De La Salle University Manila , Manuel Anthony A. Momongan, Angeline Gabrielle T. Pecina, Marianna Christia O. Pepingco, and Jimson C. Salapantan

Evaluation of secondary metabolites from commercially available Bacillus spp. probiotic products for their bioactivities , George Michael T. Nicolas, Orville Joshua R. Apostol, Keith Lauren S. Demdam, Margaux Sophia M. Mora, Richard Anthony F. Galian, and Glenn G. Oyong

A study on the characteristics of the reef flat bottom and its potential relationship on the size-structure and fine-scale distribution of protoreaster nodosus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Talim Bay, Lian, Batangas , John Anthony V. Olin, Augusta Loreine B. Arriola, and Eiren Gee B. Buenviaje

Cytotoxicity screening and phylogeny of isolated lactic acid bacteria from cabbage kimchi samples , Angelo Jamerodd A. Padilla, Alianna Franczesca Y. Constantino, Anne Bernadette R. De Leon, Ernest Gabriel C. See, and Jannah Miella V. Tomas

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) contamination in De La Salle University grounds , Marc Carlos Aying Pimentel, Mia Lourdes Angelica P. Carandang, Ma. Gracles S. Dela Rosa, Justine Winna Go, and Aliyah Gynelle A. Viyar

Knowledge review on polyethylene terephthalate-degrading microbes and selection of soil microbes from Muntinlupa, Philippines with potential PET-degrading activity , Johann Timothy C. Que, Margarita Claire T. Mangubat, and Laviña Kate M. Dapapa

Detection of wolbachia in aedes aegypti collected from the provinces of Laguna and Cavite , Angelo F. Sambile, Karl Mc Haile U. Pablo, Jannika Mae C. Pariñas, and Jenika Mari B. Ponce

Molecular docking studies on the interaction of the Cryptosporidium parvum proteins, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and calcium-dependent protein kinase-1 (CpCDPK1), with selected plant compounds , Ivan Gregg O. Samson and Rupert C. Quijano Jr.

Evaluating the phytoremediation potential of Hibiscus tiliaceus Linn.: A comparative study with Ficus nota (Blanco) Merr. on oil absorption efficiency, microscopic structures, and chemical properties , Ma. Juliana Erin Neria Santos, Gian Timothy Delos Santos Chung, Carlos Rafael Dosdos Carmona, Leila Maxine Martinez Chang, and Sidney Steffan So Ang

Physiological study on the impact of sleep deprivation on accuracy of odor identification , Bianca Margaret C. Tria, Juan Alexandro V. Legaspi, Abigail Anne R. Pepino, Iliana P. Reyes, and Shiela Antoinette V. Villanueva

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Developing a dengue risk index using the index for risk management (INFORM) framework at a regional scale in the Philippines , Patricia Denise S. Ang, Nagyeong Heo, and Jan Christine D. Latonio

In silico analysis of isocoumarin compounds targeting lanosterol C-14 α-demethylase and its potential inhibition of ergosterol synthesis in Candida albicans , Gabrielle Vaughn Alyssa Avante, Cayne Ashley D. Dela Cruz, and Miles C. Fernandez

An evaluation between the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory bioactivites of ethnobotanical plants from the lamiaceae family found in the Philippines , Maria Czarina V. Beltran, Ana Maria Noelle O. Domingo, and Ellen Stephanie C. Sy

Methods used by small-scale mangrove crab (Scylla spp.) producers to maintain production during the southwest monsoon season in the Philippines , Jannella L. Bolaños

A meta-analysis on the geographical distribution and prevalence of parasitic nematodes infecting cattle in four top cattle-producing countries of Asia , Elizabeth Paige R. Cagurangan and Miguel Antonio P. Capistrano

A systematic review and correlation of risk factors associated with the occurrence of histoplasmosis in Asian individuals with AIDS , Michaela Bucasas Casingal, Christian Jeofferson Layag Galang, and Marie Yvette Bustamante Villareal

Synthetic biological approaches in PET biodegradation and bioplastic conversion: Current advances and future perspectives , Pearl P. Castillo and Robbie Engelo A. Tinio

Assessing machine learning methods in predicting dengue incidence using climatic factors in Region IV-A (CALABARZON), Philippines , Ian Kevin G. Castro, Nikki Elisha M. Elquiero, and Jericho D. Fradejas

Probing factors associated with ecological footprint through machine learning , Arabelle Raisa C. Chupeco, Cher Danica T. Recel, and John Albert R. Martinez

An epidemiological study of COVID-19 in selected barangays in the city of Manila from March 2021 to March 2023 , Pamela P. David and Alea B. Villanueva

Examining the etiologic association between toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia: A comprehensive meta-analysis approach , Bea Ysabelle K. Deblois

A narrative review on wastewater-based epidemiology as a strategy for disease surveillance in the Philippines , Melissa Ellaine V. De Luna, Miriel A. Lacson, Kyle Gabriel R. Santos, Arabella Jannie A. Umali, and John Oliver M. Bagasbas

Cannabis sativa as a possible treatment for alleviating both motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: A meta-analysis , Lucy R. DeVera and Arcadia Marie Q. Pacaña

A study on the human lymphatic filariasis in selected countries in Southeast Asia: Transmission through migration , Nicolas Marcelle D. Dimaculangan, Therese Marie F. Dinopol, and Media Zofia S. Canlas

Anti-reflective coatings for photovoltaic module efficiency: A bibliometric review , Alistair V. Enhaynes, John Brian F. Anderson, and Jerik Adrian V. Bayon

The relationship between clostridium spp. and the incidence of colorectal cancer: A descriptive review , Louise Nicole C. Escueta

Preliminary assessment of microplastic contamination of fish from a Metro Manila wet market , Dennis Paolo M. Garcia

Virulence-associated genome plasticity of selected clinical candida albicans from a Philippine tertiary hospital , Maria Angelica R. Gerodias

Sequence analysis of antimicrobial resistance genes in staphylococcus aureus in selected Southeast Asian countries , Genevieve D. Giron, Marie Angeli N. Peña, and Therese Amber E. Oconer

Image-assisted assessment of the efficiency of comperiella calauanica as parasitoid of aspidiotus rigidus in Zamboanga Sibugay , Jona Marie Miranda Ilustre and Shannen Faye Marcayda Maiquez

Evaluation of pre-processing tools and provenance in RNA-Seq studies of breast cancer , Gillian Nicole A. Jamias

The association of the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of toxoplasmosis in Cebu, Philippines , Erika Ashley Meg G. Jayma and Catherine Bartolome Lee

A comprehensive study on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on intestinal parasitic infections among schoolchildren in developing countries , Jezzica D'Andre Raquel Laoque, Joelle Alessandra Cuesta Enrile, and Reggie Ballestar Saringan

An analysis on the behavioral, economic, and social patterning of Schistosoma japonicum infections in endemic areas in the Philippines and other endemic Southeast Asian countries , Ava Sabine L. Ledesma and Cyd Justin T. Solera

COVID-19 associated aspergillosis, candidiasis, cryptococcosis, and mucormycosis infections in patients with diabetes mellitus: A systematic review , Denise Vina Tan Li and Jasmine Gail F. Lizano

The effects of cannabidiol on skin: A bibliometric review , Shannen Meeka L. Lim and Brina Sabelle C. Secosana

An analysis on the variability of the tilapia lake virus (TiLV) whole genome to aid in detection and treatment target , Rain Allisha M. Lontok

Efficacy of antimalarial drug treatments for uncomplicated falciparum and vivax malaria in selected Southeast Asian countries: A meta-analysis , Jed Arvin S. Lurzano, Charles Paolo P. Platon, and Johan Christian T. Tansiongkun

Narrative synthesis on the antibacterial properties of plants from the apocynaceae family that can be found in the Philippines , Melice Mei Del Moro Mago and Jasmine Rose Colico Martinez

In silico screening of the SH3 resistance locus in coffea canephora and coffea arabica for candidate genes involved in coffee leaf rust resistance , Marc Lenard T. Merlin

A comparative study of the secondary metabolites contributing to the antimicrobial properties of plants belonging to Fabaceae and Lamiaceae families that are found in the Philippines , Jenny Anne Clanor Paloma, Raniel Angelo Guinto Ramos, and Bryll Jay Cerdan Carilla

Designing loop-mediated isothermal amplification primers for molecular-based nitrogen monitoring in Oryza sativa L. (rice) , Vivia Anne Lourdes O. Pepingco

Vitamin D deficiency as an indicator of asthma in children in developing countries: A meta-analysis , Benz Arielle T. Sabellon, Maria Patricia Micaela Y. Souza, and Camille Maxine Anne B. Viceral

A comprehensive study of maternal and congenital toxoplasmosis , Christiana J. Santiago, Jmelyn Nicole H. Sy, and Eunice Maryan S. Vargas

Caffeine as a preventive supplement for Parkinson’s disease: A meta-analysis , Swizza Rivera Siega, Lorraine Lim Simeon Cua, and Luis Reyes Oronce

Association of C-reactive protein and D-dimer with diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide as a pulmonary post-COVID-19 sequelae: A systematic review , Heidi Kristine C. Tan and Kimichiro B. Yagi

Prevalence and associated risk factors of waterborne parasitic infections in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand: A systematic review and meta-analysis , Francesca Frigillana Villanueva, Franco Almino B. Libre, and Ryan T. Paras

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

A comprehensive evaluation of medicinal plants from Mindanao, Philippines using secondary data reported between 1970 and 2020 , Derrick Myles Y. Acosta, Rolland Mae Z. Jose, and Josh Matthew R. Oronce

Exploring the effects of portulaca oleracea (olasiman) on maternal-neonatal wellness: ICR murine model , Christopher Sebastiano P. Almazar

Preliminary analysis of the biological response of sub-adult scylla serrata (mangrove crabs) on phosphate & on phosphate-containing shampoo , Kobee D. Bacolod

Clinical and nutritional outcomes of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis on maternal and child health , Francees Raphaiel Fortu Cabaltera, Arienne Therese Pangilinan Evangelista, and Ramon Joaquin Amparo Isaguirre

A meta-analysis on the therapeutic effects of silver nanoparticles on colitis-induced mouse models , Yuen Kun Chelsea Cheuk

Narrative synthesis of the medicinal plants in Luzon, Philippines based on online publications from 1996 to 2020 , Koleen Faye Umali Constantino and Mark Joseph Condeno Salazar

An assessment of the potential of long-term storage of pemphis acidula J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. “Bantigue” (Family Lythraceae) seeds pre-treated under different relative humidity conditions , Miguel Lorenzo Z. De Leon

Efficiency assessment of regionally derived 16S rDNA and COI sequences for widescale detection of mangrove crab (Scylla serrata) (Forskål) population structure , Alexis Gwyneth P. Desuasido

A systematic review on the association between the climatic factors and the prevalence of disease in the Philippines with respect to the trends in other Southeast Asian countries , Kyle Justine R. Gregorio and Ysabelle Marian M. Guzman

Evaluating variability in interferon gamma and toll like receptor 4 in the chicken (gallus gallus, linnaeus, 1758) for comparison of known breeds with the native Philippine chicken , Jed Allyn T. Hernandez and Zaki L. Suficiencia

Using alignment-based methods in the phylogenetic inferencing of genus Andrographis Wall. ex Nees , Ma. Loren Elena C. Juaban

A narrative synthesis of studies on medicinal plants from Visayas, Philippines reported between the period 1970 to 2020 , Daeun Lee, Kyle Jigger D. Bartolome, and Francis Christian L. Luakian

A systematic review of biosensors suitable for environmental biomonitoring of heavy metal water pollution in the Philippines , Winona Abidin Peñafiel and Dominique Ma. Francesca A. Ybañez

Criteria for comparisons and recommendations for a next generation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells as HIV-1 treatment , Anne Kimberly Bueno Sabado

Analysis of the variation of age-specific life expectancies between sexes due to Covid-19 in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Philippines , Aubrey Christine C. Tatoy

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

A comprehensive study on the prevalence of capillariasis associated with beliefs, practices, and dietary habits , Monica Louisse A. Briones and John Martin A. Borja

Zinc supplementation as an adjunct treatment for acute diarrhea among pediatric patients in developed countries: A meta-analysis , Claire Angelica A. Escueta

Meta-analysis of hypertension as a comorbid condition of COVID-19 patients , Margerie Zia Sayo Majarais and Princess Janna Bandrang Mala

Bioclimate-based species distribution modelling of the two key insect pests of Theobroma cacao in the Philippines , Tisha Marie F. Navarrosa, Camille Anne C. Angeles, and Gabriel John C. Tolentino

The influence of helminthiasis on the cognitive performance of school children: A meta-analysis , Katherina J. Soberano and Tiffany D. Blanquera

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Thesis: Bachelor & Master

The final thesis is one of the last sections of the degree program. For information on registration deadlines, please refer to your corresponding examination regulations, linked on the page Exams

The thesis must always be registered in the Student Administration Office (exception: Master IBT ). Please use the corresponding forms for this purpose:

Request for admission to the Bachelor thesis

Request for admission to the Master thesis

With the registration of a thesis, the student bindingly determines the title, start and submission of his/her thesis. The period of practical and written work until submission comprises six months. Each registered thesis is counted as an attempt. Without submission, final papers may be repeated once.

Further necessary information and forms from the examination boards of the biological sciences can be found on this page. If you are still missing something, please feel free to contact the appropriate contact person listed opposite.

External Bachelor thesis

External work can be done e.g. in researching companies, at institutes of other departments or faculties of the University of Ulm, at non-university research institutions or at institutes of other universities.

Bachelor theses in Biology B. Sc. programs are "external" if they are not officially supervised by a person who is appointed as an examiner in the aforementioned programs and is allowed to prepare the expert opinion. Appointed examiners are, in addition to the professors and post-doctoral lecturers of the Department of Biology, all post-doctoral lecturers (also from other subjects) who are regularly involved in teaching in the degree programs with an effort of at least 1 SWS in compulsory or elective courses.

If you want to do an external Bachelor thesis, you have to get it approved by the examination board Biology in time (at least two weeks) before starting the thesis. For this purpose, please submit an (informal) application to the Biology Examination Committee, including your complete sender (address), and addressed to the chairperson(s) of the Examination Committee.

The application must contain a brief description of the planned bachelor thesis. This must indicate where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there. As a rule, this person must have a habilitation. Furthermore, it must be clear from the application which methods will be used.

The brief description of the project can also be prepared as a separate letter by the potential supervisor and attached to the application. External work must always be reviewed by an examiner from biology in the sense mentioned above. You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as a reviewer.

Please send the application by email to Mrs Theilacker.

Your application will then be reviewed by the Examination Committee (PA) and you will be informed of the decision made as soon as possible.

The following criteria are important for the PA's decision:

• adequate supervision must be ensured,
• the subject must be biologically oriented,
• the range of methods must also be biological and appropriate to a scientific thesis;
• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm in a very similar way should not be prepared externally; if necessary, cooperations or the like can be sought here.

Application for external theses for students in the subject Biology

The following professors are involved in teaching biology (list not complete):

All professors in the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Biophysics, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, and additional:

• Central Facility Electron Microscopy: Prof. Dr. Walther
• Institute for Experimental Physics: Prof. Dr. Marti
• Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Prof. Dr. Kühl
• Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Naturopathy: Prof. Dr. Barth, Prof. Dr. Syrovets, Prof. Dr. Möpps, Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Papatheodorou
• Institute of Physiological Chemistry: Prof. Dr. Wirth
• Institute of Human Genetics: Prof. Dr. Siebert, Prof. Dr. Ammerpohl, Prof. Kehrer-Sawatzki
• Institute of Molecular Virology: Prof Dr Kirchhoff, Prof Dr Münch, Jun.-Prof. Sauter
• Institute of Virology: apl Prof. Dr. von Einem, Prof. Dr. Sinzger, Prof. Dr. Stamminger
• Clinic for Internal Medicine 1: apl. Prof. Dr. Oswald, apl. Prof. Dr. Schirmbeck
• Clinic for Neurology: Prof. Dr. Steinacker

Handout for students for writing an external thesis

Model contract

Bachelor theses in the Biochemistry B. Sc. program are "external" if they are not done in institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biophysics and not with certain associated lecturers (professors and private lecturers) who are substantially involved in the teaching of biochemistry (for a list of these institutes, as well as further notes on this, see below).

If you want to do an external bachelor thesis, you have to get it approved by the examination board Biochemistry in time before starting the thesis, at least six weeks before.

! Important for planning !

Applications for master theses to start in the period August to January have to be submitted for the May meeting of the examination board (submission until 30.4.). Applications for master theses to start in the period February to July have to be submitted for the November meeting of the examination board (submission until 31.10.).

To do this, please submit an application to the Biochemistry Examination Committee, including your full sender (address with email address) and addressed to the chair of the Examination Committee. The application must contain a short description of the planned Bachelor thesis. It must indicate where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there. As a rule, this person must be a habilitated professor. The brief description of the project can also be prepared as a separate letter by the potential supervisor and attached to the application.

Furthermore, the application must indicate which methods will be used.

External work must always be reviewed either by a reviewer from the institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biophysics or by associated faculty (professors and private lecturers) who are substantially involved in teaching biochemistry. A list of possible supervisors/reviewers can be found below.

You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as an "internal" or associated supervisor or reviewer.

Please send the application by email to Mrs Theilacker (Office of the Examination Committee).

Your application will then be reviewed by the Examination Committee and you will be informed of the decision taken as soon as possible.

The following criteria are important for the decision of the examination board:

• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm in a very similar way should not be done externally, but if necessary, cooperations or the like can be sought,
• the subject must be a "biochemical" one,
• the range of methods must also be biochemical and sufficient,
• adequate supervision must be ensured.

Important information for external final projects at companies (with non-disclosure agreement) can be found here, with an example of an agreement.

List of internal and associated supervisors/reviewers

1. internal supervisors/ reviewers

• All professors and private lecturers of the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, the Institute of Biophysics, and Prof. Dr. Gottschalk.

2. associated supervisors/reviewers

• Institute for Quantum Physics: Prof. Dr. Freyberger
• Institute of Naturopathy and Clinical Pharmacology: Prof. Dr. Syrovets
• Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology: Prof. Dr. Barth, Prof. Dr. Möpps
• Institute of Virology: Jun.Prof. Dr. von Einem
• Internal Medicine I: Prof. Dr. Oswald

External Master's thesis

External Master's theses can be written, for example, in research-based companies, at institutes of other departments or faculties of the University of Ulm, at non-university research institutions or at institutes of other universities.

Master's theses in the M. Sc. Biology program are "external" if they are not officially supervised by a person who is appointed as an examiner in the above-mentioned degree programs and who is allowed to prepare the expert opinion. Appointed examiners are, in addition to the professors and post-doctoral lecturers of the Department of Biology, all post-doctoral lecturers (also from other subjects) who are regularly involved in teaching in the degree programs with an effort of at least 1 SWS in compulsory or elective courses.

If you want to do an external Master's thesis, you have to get it approved by the Biology Examination Committee in due time (at least two weeks) before starting the thesis. To do so, please submit an (informal) application to the Biology Examination Committee, including your full sender (address), and addressed to the chairperson(s) of the Examination Committee.

The application must contain a short description of the planned master thesis. It must indicate where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there. As a rule, this person must be a habilitated professor. Furthermore, it must be clear from the application which methods will be used.

Please send the application by email to the Examination Committee Biology .

• Institute of Molecular Virology: Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff, Prof. Dr. Münch, Jun.-Prof. Sauter
• Department of Neurology: Prof. Dr. Steinacker

Information for students on the preparation of external theses

Master's theses in the Biochemistry MSc program are "external" if they are not done in institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biophysics and not with certain associated lecturers (professors and private lecturers) who are substantially involved in the teaching of biochemistry (for a list of these institutes, as well as further notes on this, see below).

If you want to do an external master thesis, you have to get the approval of the examination board Biochemistry in time before starting the thesis . The examination board decides on available applications in two meetings per year , usually one meeting takes place in May , the other in November . For the May meeting, applications must be submitted to the Examination Committee Biochemistry by 04/30, for the November meeting by 10/31. Please take this into account in your planning. Please also plan for the fact that your application may be rejected.

Application

To apply, please submit the following three documents:

• The filled out Application form for external Master thesis
• Project description prepared by the external supervisor (informal, 0.5 - 1 page)
• The filled out Declaration of the supervisor that he provides an assessment of the student

For external papers you need two reviewers , both reviewers must be appointed examiners, one reviewer must be from institutes of the Department of Chemistry, Biology or Biophysics. Please also include the names of both reviewers in the application (you must obtain their consent before doing so). Please send the application by email to Mrs Theilacker .

Your application will then be reviewed by the Examination Board in a meeting and you will be informed of the decision made as soon as possible. The review board meetings for external work requests are held twice a year, usually in May and November. Please keep this in mind when making your plans, please also be prepared for the possibility that your application may be rejected.

The following criteria are important for the decision of the review committee:

• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm in a very similar way should not be done externally, if necessary, one can then also strive for cooperation here. Please also note the offers of the internal working groups of the University of Ulm, which are linked here,
• it must be a biochemical issue,
• different methods should be used in the work and mainly biochemical methods should be used.

Important information for external final theses at companies (with non-disclosure agreement) you will find here . With an example of an agreement.

Wann müssen Sie einen Antrag stellen:

• Institutes of the Department of Chemistry,
• Biology and
• Biophysics and
• at Prof. Dr. Gottschalk.  
• Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology: Prof. Dr. Barth, Prof. Dr. Möpps
• Institute of Virology: Jun. Prof. Dr. von Einem
• Internal Medicine I: Prof. Dr. Oswald  

or all other institutes of the university (which are not listed under 1 and 2) ... is to be carried out!

Master theses in the M.Sc. Industrial Biotechnology program are " external " if they are not officially supervised by a person who is appointed as an examiner in the M.Sc. Industrial Biotechnology program.

A list of possible internal examiners can be found at the bottom of this page.

If you want to do an external master thesis, you have to get it approved by the Examination Board Industrial Biotechnology in time before starting the thesis. Please take into account in your planning that the examination board usually only decides once per semester on available applications. Please also plan for the fact that your application may be rejected.

For approval, please submit an application to the Industrial Biotechnology Examination Committee. The application must contain a short description of the planned master thesis. It must state where the work is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there*. Furthermore, the description must indicate which methods will be used. External work must always be examined by an examiner in the sense mentioned above. You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as an examiner. Furthermore, please submit the signed form " Information for students on the preparation of external theses " together with the application.

Please submit the application to Dr. Eigenstetter, the program coordinator at Biberach University (House PBT, Room P3.04) or to Mrs Dr. John , the study program coordinator at Ulm University (M24 / 574).

• the topic must be oriented towards the subject of the curriculum,
• the range of methods must also be oriented to the subject orientation of the curriculum and be appropriate for a scientific thesis;
• Topics that could also be carried out in a very similar way at institutes of the University of Ulm or the Biberach University of Applied Sciences should not be prepared externally; if necessary, cooperations or similar can be sought here.

*: In addition to a Master's degree, the external supervisor should have at least 3 years of professional experience before the supervision of the Master's thesis begins.

The following persons are possible as internal examiners of the master thesis (this list may not be complete, please ask Dr. Eigenstetter or Dr. John if necessary):

Biberach University of Applied Sciences, Institute for Applied Biotechnology :

• Prof. Dr. Carsten Schips
• Prof. Dr. Sybille Ebert
• Prof. Dr. Heike Frühwirth
• Prof. Dr. Hartmut Grammel
• Prof. Dr. Friedemann Hesse
• Prof. Dr. Hans Kiefer
• Prof. Dr. Jürgen Hannemann
• Prof. Dr. Katharina Zimmermann
• Prof. Dr. Chrystelle Mavoungou
• Prof. Dr. Oliver Hädicke
• Prof. Dr. Kerstin Otte
• Prof. Dr. Annette Schafmeister
• Prof. Dr. Sabine Gaisser
• Prof. Dr. Bernd Burghardt
• Prof. Dr. Ute Traub
• Dr. René Handrick
• Dr. Gerhard Eigenstetter
• Dr. Sabine Arnold
• Dr. Barbara Bottenbruch
• Dr. Francoise Chamouleau
• Dr. Jens Geier
• Dr. Anna Gilles
• Dr. Kinga Gerber

Ulm University, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology:

• Prof. Dr. Bernhard Eikmanns
• Prof. Dr. Peter Dürre
• Dr. Frank Bengelsdorf
• PD Dr. Christian Riedel

Ulm University, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology:

• Prof. Dr. Dierk Niessing
• Dr. Frank Rosenau
• Dr. Thomas Monecke

Ulm University, Institute of Animal Molecular Endocrinology:

• Prof. Dr. Jan Tuckermann

Ulm University, Institute for Experimental Physics:

• Prof. Dr. Kay Gottschalk

Master theses and / or advanced internships in the M.Sc. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology program are " external " if they are not officially supervised by a person appointed as an examiner in the M.Sc. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology program.

If you want to do an external master thesis and / or an external advanced internship, you have to get it / them approved by the Examination Board Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in time before starting the thesis. Please submit your application at least 2 months before the start of the external master thesis and / or external advanced internship. Please also plan for the fact that your application may be rejected.

For approval, please submit an application ( FSPO 2016 / FSPO 2020 ) (preferably in digital form) to the Examination Committee Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. The application must include a brief description of the planned master's thesis and / or advanced internship. This must indicate where the thesis and / or the internship is to be carried out and who is responsible for supervision there*. Furthermore, the description must indicate which methods will be used. External work and advanced internships must always be reviewed by an internal examiner. You should already indicate in the application whom you could win as an internal examiner. Furthermore, please submit the signed form " Information for students on the preparation of external theses " together with the application.

Please hand in the application to Ms. Annetraut Scheiffele (secretary's office of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; room N27 2.076).

• adequate supervision must be ensured
• the topic must be oriented towards the subject of the curriculum
• the range of methods must also be oriented to the subject orientation of the curriculum and must be appropriate for a scientific final thesis
• Topics that could also be carried out at institutes of the University of Ulm or the Biberach University of Applied Sciences in a very similar way should not be prepared externally, if necessary, cooperations or the like can be striven for here

 *: In addition to a Master's degree, the external supervisor should have at least 3 years of professional experience before the supervision of the Master's thesis begins.

The following persons are possible as internal/examiners for the master thesis and / or the advanced internship (this list may not be complete, please check with Dr. John if necessary):

Ulm University,  Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology (Ulm University Hospital):

• Prof. Dr. Barbara Möpps
• Prof. Dr. Holger Barth

Ulm University, General and Visceral Surgery (Ulm University Hospital):

• Prof. Dr. Uwe Knippschild
• PD Dr. rer. nat. Joachim Bischof
• Dr. med. Pengfei Xu

Ulm University, Institute of Virology (Ulm University Hospital):

• Jun.Prof. Dr. Jens von Einem

Ulm University, Department of Internal Medicine I (Ulm University Hospital):

• Prof. Dr. Franz Oswald

Extension of the thesis

Upon justified request, the Bachelor's or Master's thesis can be extended (see § 16c (7) of the framework regulations of UUlm).

A Bachelor's thesis can be extended by max. 2 weeks, a Master's thesis by max. 4 weeks (exception Master IBT: here an extension of the Master's thesis is limited to max. 2 months).

Please refer to the tab of your study program for the respective information on how to apply.

Requests for extension of the bachelor thesis must be submitted to the Biology Examination Committee 2 weeks before the first deadline. Bachelor's theses can be extended by 2 weeks depending on the circumstances.

For all extensions please fill in the following form:  Application form

Requests for extension of the master thesis must be submitted to the Biology Examination Committee 2 weeks before the first deadline. Master's theses can be extended by 4 weeks depending on the circumstances.

Please send the application by email tothe Examination Committee Biology .

Please send the application by email to the Examination Committee Biochemistry .

Please submit an informal application. This must contain the following information:

         1. the address of the sender,          2. the address of the person to whom the letter is addressed (chairperson(s) of the PBT Audit Committee),          3. the date the letter was written,          4. the date of the original deadline,          5. one - two sentences for a brief justification of why the extension is requested,          6. signature of the supervisor that he/she agrees with the extension.

Requests for an extension of the master's thesis must be submitted in original to the examination board at least 2 weeks before the first deadline. Master's theses can be extended by 4 weeks depending on the circumstances.

Please send the request to Ms. Annetraut Scheiffele (secretariat of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; room N27 2.076).

Requests for extension of the bachelor or master thesis must be submitted to the Examination Committee 2 weeks before the first deadline. Bachelor's theses can be extended by 2 weeks, master´s thesis by 4 weeks, depending on the circumstances.

"Methods course"

In the bachelor's and master's degree courses in biology and biochemistry, there is a so-called "methods course" before the thesis. This is carried out by the supervisor with whom the thesis is being carried out and, among other things, topic-specific working methods that are required for the respective thesis are learned.

After successful completion, the supervisor enters the relevant proof of achievement in the university portal. Independent registration is not possible. Please note that in the case of internships carried out externally, the internal supervisor must record the proof of achievement.

The "methods course" must be completed so that the thesis can be registered.

For students in the PO 2017, after passing the "methods course", a period begins to register the thesis in the study secretariat (in the bachelor: 2 weeks, in the master: 2 months).

Finally, you will find an overview of how the "methods course" is called in the individual courses and how many CP it includes:

 *: corresponds to regular participation in the working group seminar. In the Bachelor of Biochemistry, the supervisor registers the corresponding proof of achievement in the university portal. Independent registration is not possible. In the Master of Biology, please register yourself.

Office of the Study Commission Biology

• Rainer Pfaff
• Location: M24/573
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 23 93 1
• Fax: +49-(0)731-50 23 93 2
• Office hours:
• Mon. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Wed. 9 - 11 a.m. & 1 - 3 p.m. Fri. 9 - 11 a.m.
• Please send enquiries by email to sekretariat.biologie(at)uni-ulm.de
• Dr. Stephanie Wittig-Blaich
• Location: M24/570
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 22 25 9
• Consultation hours by arrangement*

*: Please arrange an appointment via sekretariat.biologie(at)uni-ulm.de

Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology

• Dr. Lena John
• Location: M24/574
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 22 38 4

Teaching profession

• Prof. Dr. Christian Riedel
• Location: M23/2412
• Phone: +49-(0)731-50 24 85 3
• Fax: +49-(0)731-50 22 71 9
• Office hours by arrangement

Biochemistry

FAQs concerning Master theses

Info Master thesis Biochemistry and Biology

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Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

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Degree Thesis and Projects in Molecular Biology

Of you'd like to perform one of the courses listed below you need to apply for the course at www.universityadmissions.se or antagning.se. Once admitted you will get access to a Canvas site with important information regarding eg. finding a supervisor, eligibility, examination Contact the study counsellor if you have questions.

Course plans

Practise in Molecular Biology, 7.5 ECTS Practise in Molecular Biology, 15 ECTS Project in Molecular Biology, 15 ECTS Project in Molecular Biology, 30 ECTS Advanced project in Molecular Biology, 15 ECTS Advanced project in Molecular Biology, 30 ECTS Bachelor Degree Thesis in Molecular Biology, 15 ECTS Degree Project in Engineering Biotechnology, 30 ECTS Magister Degree Thesis in Molecular Biology, 15 ECTS Master Degree Thesis in Molecular Biology, 15 ECTS Master Degree Thesis in Molecular Biology, 30 ECTS

Eligibility requirements for our practical courses

What are the eligibility requirements for practise?

20 ECTS from completed courses in Chemistry, including at least 5 ECTS in Biochemistry, or alternatively, 20 ECTS from a combination of completed courses in Chemistry and Physics and/or Mathematics, including at least 5 ECTS in Biochemistry; 45 ECTS from completed courses in Biology or Medicine, containing Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Physiology; practical experience of laboratory work corresponding to a minimum of 5 ECTS.

What are the eligibility requirements for project at basic level?

20 ECTS from completed courses in Chemistry, including at least 5 ECTS in Biochemistry, or alternatively, 20 ECTS from a combination of completed courses in Chemistry and Physics and/or Mathematics, including at least 5 ECTS in Biochemistry; 45 ECTS from completed courses in Biology, including Molecular Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Physiology; practical experience of laboratory work corresponding to a minimum of 15 ECTS. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6.

What are the eligibility requirements for project at the advanced level?

180 ECTS from completed courses including at least 60 ECTS in the area of Life Science of which altogether at least 45 ECTS in Genetics, Microbiology, Physiology and Cell- and Molecular Biology; 30 ECTS from completed courses in Chemistry of which at least 7.5 ECTS in Biochemistry as well as 30 ECTS in Molecular Biology at the advanced level; documented practical experience of laboratory work comprising a minimum of 30 ECTS. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6.

What are the eligibility requirements for bachelor's thesis?

30 ECTS-credits in Chemistry, with a minimum of 7,5 ECTS-credits in Biochemistry and 60 ECTS in Molecular biology, including at least 7.5 ECTS-credits in Genetics, 7.5 ECTS-credits in Microbiology and in total 15 ECTS in the areas of Plant- and Animal Physiology, and Cell- and Molecular Biology.

What are the eligibility requirements for master's thesis?

180 ECTS is required, including: 60 ECTS in Life Sciences (including Genetics, Microbiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Zoo Physiology and Plant Biology) of which a minimum of 7.5 ECTS should be in each of Genetics and Microbiology; 30 ECTS in Chemistry of which a minimum should be 7.5 ECTS credits in Biochemistry; documented practical experience of laboratory work comprising a minimum of 30 ECTS; as well as compulsory courses at the advanced level of the Master Programme in Molecular Biology corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS; English skills equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6; or equivalent proficiencies.

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• BS: General Biology (master)
• BS: Green Life Sciences (master)
• Business Administration (bachelor)
• Business Administration (master)
• Business Administration (premaster)
• Business Analytics (bachelor)
• Business Economics (master)
• Business Economics (premaster)
• Chemistry (master, joint degree)
• Chemistry (premaster)
• Chemistry: Analytical Sciences (master, joint degree)
• Chemistry: Molecular Sciences (master, joint degree)
• Chemistry: Science for Energy and Sustainability (master, joint degree)
• Child Development and Education (research master)
• Classics and Ancient Civilizations (master)
• Cognition, Language and Communication (bachelor)
• Commerciële rechtspraktijk (master)
• Communicatiewetenschap (bachelor)
• Communication and Information (duale master)
• Communication Science (bachelor)
• Communication Science (master)
• Communication Science (premaster)
• Communication Science (research master)
• Comparative Cultural Analysis (master)
• Comparative Literature (master)
• Computational Science (master, joint degree)
• Computational Social Science (bachelor)
• Computer Science (master, joint degree)
• Conflict Resolution and Governance (master)
• Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (master)
• Cultural Analysis (research master)
• Cultural and Social Anthropology (master)
• Cultural and Social Anthropology (premaster)
• Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (bachelor)
• Cultural Data & AI (master)
• Culturele antropologie en ontwikkelingssociologie (bachelor)
• Cultuurwetenschappen (bachelor)
• Curating Art and Cultures (duale master)
• Data Science (master)
• Data Science and Business Analytics (master)
• Data Science and Business Analytics (premaster)
• Documentaire en fictie (duale master)
• Duits, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Duits, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• Duitslandstudies (bachelor)
• Duitslandstudies (master)
• Earth Sciences (master)
• East European Studies (master)
• Econometrics (master)
• Econometrics (premaster)
• Econometrics and Data Science (bachelor)
• Economics (master)
• Economics (premaster)
• Economics and Business Economics (bachelor)
• Engels, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Engels, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• English Language and Culture (bachelor)
• English Literature and Culture (master)
• Entrepreneurship (master)
• ES: Environmental Management (master)
• ES: Future Planet Ecosystem Science (master)
• ES: Geo-Ecological Dynamics (master)
• European Competition Law and Regulation (master)
• European Policy (master)
• European Private Law (master)
• European Studies (bachelor)
• European Studies (premaster)
• European Union Law (master)
• Europese studies (bachelor)
• Exchange programme Economics and Business
• Exchange programme Humanities
• Exchange programme Law - Amsterdam Law School
• Exchange programme PPLE - Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics
• Exchange programme Science
• Exchange programme Social and Behavioural Sciences
• Film Studies (master)
• Filosofie (bachelor)
• Filosofie (master)
• Finance (master)
• Fiscaal Recht (bachelor)
• Fiscaal Recht (master)
• Fiscale Economie (bachelor)
• Fiscale Economie (master)
• Fiscale Economie (premaster)
• Forensic Science (master)
• Frans, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Frans, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• Franse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Future Planet Studies (bachelor)
• Geneeskunde (bachelor)
• Geneeskunde (master)
• Geneeskunde (schakelprogramma)
• General Linguistics (master)
• Geschiedenis (bachelor)
• Geschiedenis (master)
• Geschiedenis (research master)
• Geschiedenis (schakelprogramma)
• Geschiedenis van de internationale betrekkingen (master)
• Geschiedenis, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Gezondheidsrecht (master)
• Gezondheidszorgpsychologie (master)
• Global Arts, Culture and Politics (bachelor)
• Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Hebreeuwse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Heritage and Memory Studies (duale master)
• Holocaust and Genocide Studies (master)
• Human Geography (master)
• Human Geography (premaster)
• Human Geography and Planning (bachelor)
• Identity and Integration (master)
• Informatica (bachelor)
• Informatiekunde (bachelor)
• Informatierecht (master)
• Information Studies (master)
• Information Systems (master)
• Interdisciplinaire sociale wetenschap (bachelor)
• Internationaal en Europees belastingrecht (master)
• International and Transnational Criminal Law (master)
• International Criminal Law - Joint programme with Columbia Law School (master)
• International Development Studies (master)
• International Development Studies (premaster)
• International Development Studies (research master)
• International Dramaturgy (duale master)
• International Dramaturgy and Theatre Studies (premaster)
• International Tax Law (advanced master)
• International Trade and Investment Law (master)
• Italië Studies (bachelor)
• Jewish Studies (master)
• Journalism, Media and Globalisation (Erasmus Mundus Master's - joint degree)
• Journalistiek en media (duale master)
• Kunst, cultuur en politiek (master)
• Kunst, cultuur en politiek (schakelprogramma)
• Kunstgeschiedenis (bachelor)
• Kunstgeschiedenis (master)
• Kunstgeschiedenis (schakelprogramma)
• Kunstmatige intelligentie (bachelor)
• Language and Society (master)
• Language, Literature and Education (master)
• Language, Literature and Education (premaster)
• Latin American Studies (master)
• Latin American Studies (premaster)
• Law & Finance (master)
• Lerarenopleidingen
• Linguistics (bachelor)
• Linguistics (premaster)
• Linguistics and Communication (research master)
• Literary and Cultural Analysis (bachelor)
• Literary Studies (premaster)
• Literary Studies (research master)
• Literature, Culture and Society (master)
• Logic (master)
• Mathematics (master)
• Media and Culture (bachelor)
• Media and Information (bachelor)
• Media en cultuur (bachelor)
• Media Studies (premaster)
• Media Studies (research master)
• Medical Anthropology and Sociology (master)
• Medical Anthropology and Sociology (premaster)
• Medical informatics (master)
• Medical informatics (premaster)
• Medische informatiekunde (bachelor)
• Midden-Oostenstudies (master)
• Midden-Oostenstudies (schakelprogramma)
• Militaire geschiedenis (master)
• Museum Studies (duale master)
• Music Studies (master)
• Music Studies (premaster)
• Muziekwetenschap (bachelor)
• Natuurkunde en sterrenkunde (bachelor, joint degree)
• Nederlands als tweede taal en meertaligheid (duale master)
• Nederlands als tweede taal en meertaligheid (schakelprogramma)
• Nederlands, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Nederlands, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• Nederlandse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Nederlandse taal en cultuur (master)
• New Media and Digital Culture (master)
• Nieuwgriekse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Onderwijswetenschappen (bachelor)
• Onderwijswetenschappen (master)
• Onderwijswetenschappen (schakelprogramma)
• (Forensische) Orthopedagogiek (schakelprogramma)
• Oudheidwetenschappen (bachelor)
• P&A: Advanced Matter and Energy Physics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Astronomy and Astrophysics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Biophysics and Biophotonics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: General Physics and Astronomy (master, joint degree)
• P&A: GRAPPA - Gravitation, Astro-, and Particle Physics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Science for Energy and Sustainability (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Theoretical Physics (master, joint degree)
• Pedagogical Sciences (master)
• Pedagogische wetenschappen (bachelor)
• Pedagogische wetenschappen (master)
• Philosophy (master)
• Philosophy (research master)
• Philosophy of the Humanities and the Social Sciences (master)
• Philosophy of the Humanities and the Social Sciences (schakelprogramma)
• Physics and Astronomy (master, joint degree)
• Political Science (bachelor)
• Political Science (master)
• Political Science (premaster)
• Politicologie (bachelor)
• PPLE - Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (bachelor)
• Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image (duale master)
• Preventieve jeugdhulp en opvoeding (schakelprogramma)
• Privaatrechtelijke rechtspraktijk (master)
• Psychobiologie (bachelor)
• Psychologie (schakelprogramma)
• Psychologie (bachelor), NL
• Psychologie (master), NL
• Psychology (premaster)
• Psychology (bachelor), EN
• Psychology (master), EN
• Psychology (research master), EN
• Public International Law (master)
• Publieksgeschiedenis (master)
• Quantum Computer Science (master)
• Rechtsgeleerdheid (bachelor)
• Rechtsgeleerdheid met HBO-vooropleiding (schakelprogramma)
• Rechtsgeleerdheid met WO-vooropleiding (schakelprogramma)
• Redacteur/editor (duale master)
• Religiewetenschappen (bachelor)
• Religious Studies (research master)
• Russische en Slavische studies (bachelor)
• Scandinavië studies (bachelor)
• Scheikunde (bachelor, joint degree)
• Science, Technology & Innovation (bachelor)
• Security and Network Engineering (master)
• Sign Language Linguistics (bachelor)
• Social Sciences (research master)
• Sociale geografie en Planologie (bachelor)
• Sociologie (bachelor)
• Sociology (bachelor)
• Sociology (master)
• Sociology (premaster)
• Software Engineering (master)
• Spaanse en Latijns-Amerikaanse studies (bachelor)
• Spirituality and Religion (master)
• Spirituality and Religion (schakelprogramma)
• Staats- en bestuursrecht (master)
• Stads- en architectuurgeschiedenis (master)
• Stochastics and Financial Mathematics (master)
• Strafrecht (master)
• Taalwetenschappen (bachelor)
• Technology Governance (advanced master)
• Television and Cross-Media Culture (master)
• Theaterwetenschap (bachelor)
• Theatre Studies (master)
• Universitaire Pabo van Amsterdam (bachelor)
• Urban and Regional Planning (master)
• Urban and Regional Planning (premaster)
• Urban Studies (research master)
• Vertalen (master)
• Vertalen (schakelprogramma)
• Wiskunde (bachelor)

Thesis and graduation project

• Key competences of academic writing As a student you often have to write texts. Academic writing is a skill you will develop during the course of your studies.
• How do you find academic literature and research data? For research and writing, you need academic literature or data. How do you find the right sources? Learn how to use CataloguePlus, find relevant databases, and get useful tips.
• Help with academic writing If you want help or advice to improve your academic writing skills, the UvA offers free options to do so in both English and Dutch.
• Help with methods and statistics Here we explain where you can find help when you have questions about methodology and statistics. We also list sources where you can find answers to frequently asked questions.
• Guided study sessions
• Creating a study plan
• Reading effectively
• Plagiarism and fraud