Thesis

person writing in notebook

Students complete the MPP program by writing a Master thesis. They research and analyze a specific problem in public policy in depth. Aided by a colloquium and assisted by a supervisor, students conduct a study with a distinct practical orientation on a particular policy issue.

The usual length of the thesis is 25.000 words. The time frame for completion is five months.

Below you find some examples of topics of master’s theses submitted to the MPP Examinations Committee in the past.

Global Public Policy

  • Asia-Africa Growth Corridor’s role as a geoeconomic rival to Belt and Road Initiative
  • Digital Authoritarianism in sub-Saharan Africa. A qualitative comparative analysis (QCA)
  • European Neighbourhood Policy and Democratic Development in Eastern Partnership Countries
  • The European Union and The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Human Rights and Democracy through the Cotonou Partnership Agreement
  • Exploring Variation in Carbon Pricing Regulations in Canada. A Comparative Case Study of Ontario and Quebec
  • Financing the Energy Transition. Determinants of Renewable Energy Investment in Developing Economies
  • Green Rebellion. An Analysis of the Policy Actions Taken by Cities in the Wake of America's Rejection of the Paris Accords

Development and Socio-Economic Policy

  • Can Migrant Workers Mitigate the Shortage of Skilled Labor in Germany? The Case of Thuringia
  • Financial Savings Behavior. Examining the Role of Culture and Policy ImplicationGhana and the G-20 Compact with Africa Initiative (CwA). Factors that facilitated Ghana’s adoption of the CwA initiative illustrated by the development of Ghana’s PPP law
  • Microfinance: A Small Step or a Quantum Jump? Analysis and Findings from the Women-led Self-Help Groups
  • The Impact of Financial Liberalization on Economic Growth. A Fixed Effect and Generalized Method of Moment Analysis
  • Initiatives fostering technological Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: A way to boost innovation in Africa?
  • The Role of Family Planning in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Pakistan. Good Health, Wellbeing and Gender Equality

Conflict Studies and Management

  • Arts-Based Approaches to Transitional Justice
  • Diasporas and Intra-State Conflict: Examining the Influence of Host Countries. Kurdish Diaspora Activism During the European Migration Crisis
  • Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine. Applying Mearsheimer’s Offensive Neorealism to Explain the Case of Ukraine
  • The Impact of Transnational Organized Crime in Germany. A Study of the Italian Mafia and Clans of Middle Eastern Origin
  • Indigenous Communities and Land Rights. Conflict between state law and customary law in the Philippines?
  • On the Brink of Escalation. Framers-Herders Conflict in Nigeria
  • Reintegration of Former Female FARC Combatants. The transformation of social roles

Non-Profit Management and Social Entrepreneurship

  • Human Rights and Culture. The Fight for the Girl Child against Female Genital Mutilation in Ghana
  • The Impact of Behavioural Aspects on Micro and Small Firms’ Performance in Developing Countries. An Analysis of Panel Data from Uganda
  • Institutional Complexity, Environmental Context and Social Entrepreneurship in Ghana. The Influence of Institutional Context on Social Entrepreneurship
  • International Organizations, International NGOs and the Fight against Corruption
  • Politisches Spitzenbeamtentum in den neuen Bundesländern: Ein abgeschlossener Transformationsprozess?
  • The Relation between Non-Governmental Organizations and Law Enforcement Agencies in the Combat against Wildlife Crimes and Corruption. The Case of the Natural Resource Conservation Network
  • Social Connections and Integration of Refugees in Germany. An Empirical Study of Social Media Use, Social Capital and Integration in Case of the Afghan Refugees

Do you need support?

Christian Tischmeyer
Christian Tischmeyer
MPP Program and Student Inquiries
(Willy Brandt School of Public Policy)
C19.02.40
+49 361 737-4643
publicpolicy@uni-erfurt.de

Apply now

Apply now for the MPP and start your journey through two years that will shape your professional path, make you grow personally and will add unforgettable memories to your life.

Find out more about requirements, deadlines and scholarships in the section on

Admissions

If you would like to learn more about life as a student at the Brandt School, feel free to contact the

Brandt School Student Government

If you are interested in finding out more about possible careers or research areas, please contact our

Alumni Ambassadors

Start your own MPP experience now!