Credits are earned by successfully completing courses or through study abroad or internships.

You must earn 64 credits from compulsory courses, which comprise the core of the program and a significant portion of the topics for the final exam.

The remaining 56 credits can be earned through optional courses. Optional courses broaden the scope of the program and include also credits earned during study abroad (FSSn4410 Study Visit) or through an internship (FSSn4490 Placement Abroad or ESSn5900 Internship).

You can also earn up to 10 credits from courses offered by individual faculties and programs to all university students.

You should register your thesis topic during the penultimate semester of your studies. You then have almost until the final state exam to devote to writing. The thesis should be at least 9,000 words including the bibliography (abstract and attachments are not counted). All essential information is available in the section "Master's thesis".

You obtain 20 credits for successfully completing the thesis through the compulsory course ESSn4500 Diploma Seminar. You should enroll in this course in the semester you plan to finish the thesis and complete your studies.

The final state exam takes place in conjunction with the thesis defense. It is structured in the form of a discussion between you and a panel of your teachers regarding three topics drawn by you, one from each of the major categories of the exam syllabus.

More detailed information about the exam, the exam syllabus, and several useful tips are available in the section "Final state exam".