Master’s Thesis Module: Research Software Engineering Thesis
The master’s thesis is the culminating component of the RSE programme. In this module, students apply the full spectrum of Research Software Engineering skills in a real-world research setting, demonstrating their ability to independently design, implement, and document a computational research contribution.
The thesis must address a research question in collaboration with a scientific or applied domain, but its core should include a substantial computational component. This may involve software development, data-intensive research, reproducibility infrastructure, or performance engineering — depending on the chosen topic and specialization.
Each thesis must be supervised jointly by:
- A domain expert (e.g., in physics, life sciences, or humanities)
- An RSE mentor (who ensures the quality and relevance of the computational contribution)
Students are expected to follow best practices in software engineering, version control, testing, and documentation. The final submission must include:
- A written thesis describing both the scientific and software contributions
- A structured, reproducible code repository
- A presentation and defense in a thesis colloquium
The colloquium serves as both a public communication exercise and a final evaluation, where students present their project and reflect on challenges and insights gained during the thesis.
Thesis: RSE Master Thesis
SWS: 10 ECTS: 30