Final state exam
How are the thesis defense and the final state exam organized?
The final state exam takes place in direct conjunction with the thesis defense. The procedure follows a fixed order: students first defend their thesis and then immediately proceed to the final state exam. There is no break between the two parts.
What is the purpose of the thesis defense?
The thesis defense is intended to assess whether you can clearly explain the focus and relevance of your thesis, demonstrate sound understanding of your research design and methods, and reflect critically on your results. It is not a repetition of the written thesis, but an opportunity to discuss your work orally with the examination board.
How does the thesis defense work in practice?
The defense begins with a short presentation by the student. You have 10 minutes for this presentation, which is conducted without slides. Since the examination board is already familiar with the written thesis, you should use only a few sentences to introduce and justify your research aim. Most of the presentation time should be devoted to discussing what you consider the most interesting, relevant, or surprising results of your research. Given the limited time available, the presentation should be carefully prepared in advance.
After the presentation, the examination panel will summarize the reviews. You are then given the opportunity to respond to the reviews and address the points raised. This is followed by a broader discussion with the examination panel. Together with the presentation, these stages typically result in a total defense duration of approximately 20–25 minutes.
What is the final state exam and what does it cover?
The final state exam follows immediately after the thesis defense. It is structured around three thematic areas that reflect the core foundations of the master’s program: energy policy in Central Europe, EU energy policy, and theoretical approaches and major concepts related to energy politics. A detailed list of topics and the required literature for each area is provided here:
FINAL EXAM TOPIC AREAS
How are the exam topics selected and how much preparation time is provided?
One hour before the start of the thesis defense, you will draw topics at random. You draw one topic from each of the three thematic areas, resulting in three topics in total. After drawing the topics, you are given 60 minutes to prepare. Once this preparation period ends, the thesis defense begins, followed directly by the final state exam.
How does the examination itself proceed?
During the exam, you may choose the order in which the three topics are examined. You are therefore free to begin with the topic you feel most confident about. For each question, it is recommended that you start your answer with a brief outline of the key points you intend to cover.
What is expected during the final state exam?
You are expected to demonstrate that you understand the selected topics in depth, can identify connections between different topics, and are able to link theoretical concepts to practical or empirical examples.
Additional information:
- Please arrive to the exam at least 90 minutes prior – 60 minutes are designated for preparation and an extra 30 minutes in case of any last-minute changes.
- The dress code is semi-formal.
- The exam and defense are open to the public. Come see how it works and support your classmates.