Bachelor and Master Theses

Prof. Bernecker mainly supervises theses in the field of economics and at the intersection to business. The focus is on theses in line with the focus topics listed here.  

You interested in writing a thesis under Prof. Bernecker's supervision? Details regarding the process can be found at the bottom of this page.

This is an incomplete list of theses supervised so far:

Summer 2023

  • Effekte des Ausbaus der erneuerbaren Energien auf den europäischen Strommarkt
  • Trade Under Sanctions: Evaluating the Impact of EU Sanctions on Imports and Exports between Germany and Russia
  • Auf dem Weg in eine bargeldlose Gesellschaft? - Die Chancen und Risiken von Bargeld

Winter 2022/23

  • Zukunft der Rente - Kann eine Erwerbstätigenversicherung das demografische Problem nachhaltig lösen?
  • Development of a Software-Driven Pricing Strategy for Bosch Perfectly Keyless Features
  • Wie gut misst Deutschland die Inflation? Eine kritische Analyse des Verbraucherpreisindexes
  • How was the economy of Qatar affected by the blockade of 2017?
  • Digital Currency in the Euro Zone - An analysis of centralized versus decentralized options

Summer 2022

  • On the effect of Corona pandemic caused good shortages on CPI and inflation
  • How can cultural beliefs impact financial decisions?
  • Chinas Start-Up Förderung – was Deutschland davon lernen kann
  • The resource curse and how to overcome it: analyzing the Democratic Republic of Congo versus Botswana
  • Financial performance of an international company [business simulation]

Winter 2021/22

  • The impact of a work week reduction on labour productivity and GDP
  • What are the fundamental causes of poverty in Congo and how should they be addressed?

Summer 2021

  • Would the decriminalization of opioids in the US have a positive net economic effect?
  • How should the German government prepare for increasing automation of labor?
  • The impact of automation on employment
  • The economic impact of mega sports events - analysis of two emerging economies cases
  • Covid - 19 lockdown strategies and their effects on microfinance
  • Causes and consequences of the ECB's zero interest rate

Winter 2020/21

  • Covid 19 policy responses and their economic impact: A comparison between Germany and the USA
  • Euro bonds and the implications for the Euro
  • Universal basic income in Germany – A critical analysis
  • How can Europe benefit from the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative?
  • Will Germany reach its 2030 climate goals in the transportation sector? - An investigation focusing on the new German emission trading system

Summer 2020

  • The effect of nudges on the environmental compatibility of consumer choices
  • How do regional trade areas influence the worldwide trade flow value and how is this affected by the development stage of countries 
  • Public debt and economic growth: an investigation focusing on Italy
  • Evolution and effects of foreign direct investments in Romania since 2000

 

If you consider writing a thesis under the supervision of Prof. Bernecker, this is how to get started:

Please note that these rules are subject to change and only available in English. Contact me via e-mail if you have any questions.

  1. Ideally, take part in an elective class taught by Prof. Bernecker.
  2. Start the process/thinking on your thesis about 6 months before you want to be finished with defending your thesis (“colloquium”).
  3. Think about potential topics for your thesis. If you need inspiration, consider thinking about the following:
    • Which modules/projects/topics did you enjoy the most during your studies?
    • Which topics outside of university (in the news/online, in books, from your student jobs and internships, …) spark your interest?
    • Which specialty interests of Prof. Bernecker (or titles of theses already supervised by him) listed on this website sound interesting to you?
  4. For each topic idea you want to suggest/discuss with Prof. Bernecker, write a one page document answering the following questions:
    • What is the question you want to answer in your thesis? (Try to make it as specific as possible. If you present it to others, do they all understand the same thing? Pay attention to not making your topic too broad, it needs to be possibly analyzed within the scope of a thesis.)
    • What is some of the key literature on this question that already exists? ("Key" means important to this topic and influential, i.e. not the first 1-2 papers you accidentically found.)
    • Why is it still justified to write yet another text on this question? (Think about what will make your paper special/interesting/relevant. What is the new part you will add to the existing literature?)
    • What are the sub-questions you will try to answer in your thesis to answer your overall question? (Think early about a convincing structure of your thesis, do not simply make this an un-ordered list of bullets.)
    • Which methods do you want to use and why/how? (Lit review? Analysis of existing data? Case studies? Own interviews? Own experiments? Own survey? ...)
  5. Send me an e-mail applying for my supervision including
    • your one page document(s)
    • your current transcript of records
    • the info in which semester you want to write your thesis