Your German programme is taught in English, your supervisor has agreed a topic, and the examination office tells you the clock starts on the day of registration: what exactly are you agreeing to? The Masterarbeit in Germany is regulated more tightly than most international students expect. The start date, the number of months, the grounds for an extension, the number of reviewers, the grading scale and the wording of the declaration you sign are all written in the examination regulation of your programme, and a late submission is not a penalty but a fail.
This article is part of our guide How to Write a Master’s Thesis by the Mastermind PhD team and relates to our Master’s Thesis support service. Sources last checked: November 2026.
This guide explains how a Masterarbeit in English works, using current pages from Bielefeld, Göttingen, Erfurt, TU Dresden and TUM (checked October 2026), separates what is common practice from what each university decides, and ends with a timeline from registration to grade.
What is a Masterarbeit? The Masterarbeit (master’s thesis) is the final examination of a German master’s programme: an independent piece of research completed within a fixed processing time (Bearbeitungszeit), usually worth 30 credit points, assessed by two reviewers (Gutachter) on the German grade scale from 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail), and accompanied by a signed declaration that the work is the candidate’s own. Its rules are set by the programme’s examination regulation (Prüfungsordnung) and administered by the examination office (Prüfungsamt).
Who sets the rules: the Prüfungsordnung, not the programme website
German universities regulate degrees in two layers. A general regulation covers all programmes (at TUM the Allgemeine Prüfungs- und Studienordnung, APSO, which “apply to all Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs offered by TUM”; at Bielefeld the prüfungsrechtliche Rahmenregelungen), and a programme-specific regulation (TUM calls it the FPSO) sets admission requirements, standard duration, deadlines and the thesis rules for your degree. English translations are often provided for international students writing a Masterarbeit in English, but universities state that only the German text is legally binding.
The practical consequence: when a website, a handbook and the Prüfungsordnung disagree, the Prüfungsordnung wins, and the person who applies it is the chair of the examination board (Prüfungsausschuss), not your supervisor.
How do you register the thesis (Anmeldung)?
Registering a Masterarbeit in English or German is a formal act with prerequisites, and nothing counts before it. The pattern across the pages checked:
- Admission requirements first. TUM’s registration form states that a thesis may only be registered once the conditions in the programme regulation are met; Göttingen’s examination office checks the student’s record against the admission requirements before admission “is effected”; TU Dresden’s Zittau institute issues a confirmation of admission that is “a requirement for the assignment of the thesis topic”.
- Supervisor and reviewers agreed. At Göttingen’s Faculty of Humanities the candidate first obtains the consent of an authorised examiner to supervise as first reviewer, then the consent of a second authorised examiner to assess the thesis; both generally hold a doctorate. Bielefeld’s module description notes that the examiners are appointed at registration.
- A dated form. TUM’s form records the topic in German and English (the German title is not needed if the thesis is written entirely in English) and states that the registration date is the date of the supervisor’s signature. Erfurt’s Faculty of Philosophy works to a monthly cycle: applications submitted by the 15th start on the 1st of the following month, after the examination committee approves the topic and supervisors and the dean’s office issues the topic by email.
Keep a copy of the signed form; the deadline on it is the only one that matters.
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How long is the processing time, and can it be extended?
The Bearbeitungszeit is fixed by regulation and runs from the issue of the topic. Six months for a 30-credit thesis is the most common figure, but it is not universal:
| University and programme (page checked) | Processing time | Extension rule | Late submission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bielefeld, MSc Molecular Biotechnology, module 39-M-MBT-MSc_a | 6 months; 30 credit points; 900 hours | In exceptional cases the programme coordinator may extend to 12 months | Thesis must be submitted on time to the Prüfungsamt |
| Göttingen, Faculty of Humanities, MA thesis | 6 months | Maximum 6 weeks for good cause not attributable to the candidate; application at least 4 weeks before the deadline; illness reported within 3 days with a medical certificate | Governed by the regulation |
| Erfurt, Faculty of Philosophy, master’s thesis | 5 months from the issue letter | Certified illness extends the deadline by the days of sick leave; the examination committee may extend for chronic illness, disability, pregnancy or parental leave | Governed by the regulation |
| TU Dresden, IHI Zittau, MSc Ecosystem Services | 20 weeks | Examination board may grant a maximum of another 12 weeks on reasoned request, case by case | Graded “not sufficient” under section 13(1) of the regulation |
| TUM, School of Social Sciences and Technology (registration form, 2023) | 6 months under section 46(3) FPSO | Only in exceptional cases, section 18(6) APSO | “the final thesis will receive a failing grade” |
Three rules follow for every Masterarbeit in English or German. Extensions are exceptional, short and documented; they are applied for before the deadline, not after; and the consequence of missing the deadline is a failed attempt. Most regulations allow a failed thesis to be repeated once with a new topic; yours states the number of attempts. Illness interrupts the clock only if it is reported in the way, and within the days, that the regulation specifies.
Who grades the thesis, and what does the scale mean?
Two reviewers assess a Masterarbeit in English independently, exactly as they would one in German, and the grade is normally their average. Erfurt’s guidelines show what happens when they disagree: “If the grades of both appointed supervisors differ by 2.0 or more”, or one rates the thesis as insufficient, a third examiner is brought in. Many programmes also attach a presentation: Bielefeld requires a presentation of the results followed by a discussion as a study requirement alongside the written thesis.
The grade scale is national in form and local in detail. TUM’s grading page states that work is graded from 1.0 to 5.0, “1,0 being the best achievable grade and 4,0 the passing grade”, in the steps 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.7 and 4.0, with 4.3 and below counting as not passed. Bauhaus-Universität Weimar publishes the verbal bands:
| Grade range | Verbal grade | Weimar’s descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 to 1.4 | very good (sehr gut) | “The performance meets the requirements to a particularly high degree.” |
| 1.5 to 2.4 | good (gut) | “The performance fully meets the requirements.” |
| 2.5 to 3.4 | satisfactory (befriedigend) | “The performance generally meets requirements.” |
| 3.5 to 4.0 | sufficient (ausreichend) | “The performance shows deficiencies, but still meets requirements overall.” |
| 4.1 to 5.0 | insufficient (nicht ausreichend) | Fail |
Band boundaries vary slightly between universities (some write 1.0 to 1.5 for very good), and some award only the 0.3 steps, so check the table in your own regulation before converting a grade for a CV or a PhD application. A thesis graded 5.0, including one failed for late submission, counts as a failed attempt.
Can you write the Masterarbeit in English?
In an English-taught programme, yes, and in many German-taught programmes too, but the permission to submit a Masterarbeit in English is written down somewhere and you should find it.
Erfurt’s Faculty of Philosophy allows German or English; any other language needs the first supervisor’s approval before the topic is issued, and then a short German summary must be attached. Göttingen’s humanities faculty writes that the thesis is generally in German, that other languages require an application, and that no application is needed for English. TUM’s form simply drops the German title when the thesis is written entirely in English.
For a Masterarbeit in English, check two further points: whether the abstract or title page must also appear in German, and whether the declaration of authorship must be signed in German even when the thesis is in English (TU Dresden’s form carries both versions).
What is the declaration of authorship (eidesstattliche Erklärung)?
Every German thesis carries a signed declaration, called variously Eidesstattliche Erklärung, Ehrenwörtliche Erklärung or Selbstständigkeitserklärung.
TU Dresden’s Zittau form shows the typical content, in German and English: the candidate declares that the thesis was completed independently without undue help from others and without tools other than those specified; that all tools used, including AI assistance systems, are declared in a directory; that thoughts from external sources are clearly attributed; that the thesis has not been submitted for another degree; that the electronic version matches the printed one; and that the candidate agrees to the thesis being checked with a plagiarism detection service.
Göttingen builds the declaration into the upload: “Without ticking the declaration of independence the upload is not possible”, and recommends a separate statement on AI use. Erfurt asks for the declaration signed by hand and uploaded as a separate file, not inside the thesis PDF.
The declaration has the same legal weight for a Masterarbeit in English as for one in German. A false declaration is grounds for the thesis to be graded as failed and, in serious cases, for a degree already awarded to be withdrawn. Support with language, formatting or the technical execution of a statistical analysis is compatible with the declaration only when the research decisions, the text and the interpretation remain yours and the help is disclosed where the regulation requires it.
How long, and in what format?
For a Masterarbeit in English or German, length is stated in pages rather than words. Bielefeld’s module description expects “usually 50 to 80 pages” for a 30-credit thesis; at roughly 300 words per page that is 15,000 to 24,000 words of main text.
Format rules are local: Erfurt requires a single PDF of no more than 20 MB uploaded through its WISEflow platform, with table of contents, bibliography and page numbers, and with the title page and declaration kept out of that file; Göttingen requires electronic submission only, completed with a final “hand in” step; TU Dresden’s Zittau institute still asks for two printed copies and a CD. Ask the Prüfungsamt for the current format sheet in the month you register, because these rules change more often than the regulation itself.
A timeline from registration to grade
The steps below assume a typical Masterarbeit in English with a six-month processing time; adjust them to your regulation.
- Two months before registration: check the admission requirements (credits completed), secure the first reviewer, agree the second, and draft the exposé your faculty may require.
- Registration day: form signed and dated; deadline calculated by the Prüfungsamt and confirmed in writing.
- Month 1: literature review and methods fixed; data access, permits or company agreements signed.
- Months 2 to 4: data collection and analysis; regular supervision; a log of every AI tool and software used, for the declaration.
- Month 5: full draft; language check within the rules; formatting to the format sheet.
- Final two weeks: declaration signed, upload tested, printed copies if required, submission at least two working days early.
- After submission: the reviewers grade within the period the regulation gives them; the presentation or colloquium is scheduled; the grade is entered and the certificate issued.
If illness or an unforeseen event threatens the deadline of your Masterarbeit in English, apply for the extension your regulation allows before the deadline, with the certificate it requires; a reasoned, timely request is routinely considered, a late one usually cannot be.
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Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to write a Masterarbeit?
Usually six months for a 30-credit thesis, but the figure is set by your programme’s examination regulation: the pages checked for this guide show 6 months at Bielefeld, Göttingen and TUM, 5 months at Erfurt’s Faculty of Philosophy and 20 weeks at TU Dresden’s Zittau institute. The clock starts when the topic is issued or the registration form is signed.
Can the deadline be extended?
Only in the cases the regulation names, usually illness or circumstances beyond your control, and only for a limited period: Göttingen allows a maximum of six weeks, TU Dresden’s Zittau institute a maximum of twelve weeks, TUM “only in exceptional cases”. Apply before the deadline with the documents required; a thesis submitted late is graded as failed.
What grade is a pass for the Masterarbeit?
4.0 is the lowest passing grade on the German scale, where 1.0 is the best. Weimar’s bands give very good as 1.0 to 1.4, good as 1.5 to 2.4, satisfactory as 2.5 to 3.4 and sufficient as 3.5 to 4.0; anything from 4.1 to 5.0 is a fail. Two reviewers grade independently and a third is appointed if they differ widely.
Do I need the eidesstattliche Erklärung if my thesis is in English?
Yes. The declaration is required for a Masterarbeit in English just as for one in German; universities often provide the German text with an English version, as TU Dresden’s Zittau form does. It confirms independent work, disclosure of tools including AI, correct attribution of sources and no prior submission, and it may include consent to plagiarism checking.
Is a Masterarbeit worth 30 ECTS everywhere?
Thirty credit points is the common value and corresponds to about 900 hours of work, as Bielefeld’s module description states, but programmes also set other values with shorter or longer processing times. Your programme’s regulation states the credits, the months and the expected length together.
Sources
- Universität Bielefeld. Modulbeschreibung 39-M-MBT-MSc_a: Masterarbeit, Molekulare Biotechnologie (M.Sc.). https://ekvv.uni-bielefeld.de/sinfo/publ/modul/365142331 (accessed October 2026)
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Faculty of Humanities. Information on the application for admission to the M.A. thesis. https://uni-goettingen.de/en/687557.html (accessed October 2026)
- Universität Erfurt, Faculty of Philosophy. Guidelines for the Master’s thesis. https://www.uni-erfurt.de/en/faculty-of-philosophy/faculty/service/masters-thesis (accessed October 2026)
- Technische Universität Dresden, International Institute Zittau. Application for admission to the master’s thesis, MSc Ecosystem Services (processing time, extension and declaration of authorship). https://tu-dresden.de/ihi-zittau/ressourcen/dateien/pruefungsamt/Zulassung-zur-Masterarbeit_ESS_EN.pdf (accessed October 2026)
- Technische Universität München, School of Social Sciences and Technology. Anmeldung Abschlussarbeit / Registration Final Thesis (2023). https://www.gov.sot.tum.de/fileadmin/w00bzh/innotech/documents/Anmeldung_Abschlussarbeit_Registration_Final_Thesis.pdf (accessed October 2026)
- Technische Universität München, School of Natural Sciences. Grading System at TUM. https://academics.nat.tum.de/en/studies/org/faq/studies/grading (accessed October 2026)
- Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. The German Grading System. https://uni-weimar.de/en/university/international/for-our-partner-universities/grading-system (accessed October 2026)
Sources last checked: November 2026. This article is general educational guidance and does not replace your university regulations or your supervisor’s instructions. How we prepare our content.