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| Semester | spring semester 2024 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers |
Manuel Ebner (m.ebner@unibas.ch)
Aya Kachi (aya.kachi@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The primary purpose of this seminar is to guide you through the process of planning and completing your bachelor's thesis. Students in this seminar will work on topics that are related to energy and climate policy. Topics related to broader sustainability issues can be acceptable. Successful theses will engage in quantitative analyses – either empirical (data analysis) or formal theoretical (game theoretic) analyses. Those who want to conduct qualitative analyses should find a supervisor who is trained in qualitative methods, which is not us. At the beginning of the seminar, students will first identify relevant literatures and develop a research question by themselves. During the first two kick-of meetings, we go over potential topics (but not research questions) in the area of energy and climate policy as well as an ideal thesis structure. That is why your attendance at these meetings are mandatory. Identifying an important and interesting research question requires a great amount of effort, but it is also a creative and exciting process. I welcome students who are motivated to engage in this process and those who are strongly interested in these topics. As a formal requirement of this seminar, we accept theses that attempt to answer research questions only by quantitative analyses. By quantitative analyses, we mean either (i) formal theory (game theory, social choice theory) or (ii) quantitative data analyses (such as regressions). Generally speaking, it is not easy to learn a new analytical tool (e.g., game theory models or regression models) at the same time as you work on your thesis during the semester. (There have been a few impressive exceptions in the past!) Therefore, you are expected to join the seminar already with at least one quantitative analytical method at hand. During your study at the university, you can learn many things. However, there are not a plenty of opportunities where you can gain deep and thorough knowledge about a single topic. I hope that this thesis seminar offers you such an opportunity and, at the end of the semester, you can boast with confidence (and evidence) that you have developed good knowledge on certain issues related to energy and climate policy. If you are interested in country-level analyses, this year, we particularly welcome topics related to "emissions decoupling," meaning data analyses related to the decoupling of economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions. If you are interested in individual-level analyses such as public opinion, we can also recommend a few traditional and new survey datasets that you can work on. Of course, you can still propose your own ideas outside of this topic! |
| Comments | The two kick-off meetings are important for completing your thesis. If you wish to enroll in this thesis seminar, please first mark your calendar for these dates! (1) Kick-off meeting 1 (Lecture on thesis-writing and topics) February 26, 10:15 – 12:00 (2) Kick-off meeting 2 (Lecture on thesis-writing and topics) February 27, 10:15 – 12:00 (3) Individual meetings to finalize your research question. (You will sign up for a 30-minute time slot via Doodle once the semester begins) March 11, various 25-minute time slots via Zoom (4) Mid-term presentation on research questions (This can be shorter if the class is smaller.) March 13, 12:15 – 16:25 (5) Individual consultation is welcome as you work on your thesis during this time (By appointment.) (6) Submit the written thesis May 22 (7) Mini Conference: Final presentations and discussions. , or, in case of time conflict with other courses, the instructor and seminar participants will agree on alternative date(s) at the beginning of the semester. May 30, 12:15 – 16:00 May 31, 12:15 – 16:00 Full participation at (1) (2) (3) (5) and (7) is mandatory. The “Special Topic” groups will have extra meetings. The seminar will be "in-class." |
| Weblink | Weblink to Homepage |
| Admission requirements | Please read the “Inhalt” section carefully for the seminar’s formal methodological requirements. Admission requirements for students according to the old study regulations: - "Grundstudium" completed - at least 50 ECTS im "Aufbaustudium". Admission requirements for students according to the new study regulations (as of fall semester 2021): - "Grundstudium" completed, - at least 18 ECTS from the compulsory courses of the Aufbaustudium (from the modules Aufbau WiWi: 10134 «Intermediate Microeconomics», 10184 «Intermediate Macroeconomics» and Aufbau Methoden: 10136 «Mathematik 2», 10172 «Einführung in die Ökonometrie») - the seminar 65935 "Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten II: Verfassen und Präsentieren einer Seminararbeit" must be passed. Seminar-specific requirements: Highly recommended lecture: 43029 International Political Economy of Energy and Climate Policy Required: 10150 Arbeitsmarktoekonomie or 10199 Angewandte Oekonometrie (if you plan to write an empirical thesis) Required: 23347 Einführung in die Spieltheorie und Experimental Economics (if you plan to write a formal/game theory thesis) Those who completed all these lectures will be allocated with a higher priority. |
| Course application | The application for this seminar is done centrally until January 8, 2024 with the Studiendekanat. The link to the online application form and more information can be found here: https://wwz.unibas.ch/de/studium/bachelor/aufbaustudium/bachelorarbeit/ |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| unregelmässig | See individual dates | ||
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 26.02.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S16 HG.39 |
| Tuesday 27.02.2024 | 10.15-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Wednesday 13.03.2024 | 12.15-16.30 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S16 HG.39 |
| Thursday 30.05.2024 | 12.15-15.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S16 HG.39 |
| Friday 31.05.2024 | 12.15-15.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Modules |
Module: Bachelor's Thesis (Bachelor's Studies: Business and Economics) Module: Bachelor's Thesis II (Economics) (Bachelor's Studies: Business and Economics (Start of studies before 01.08.2021)) |
| Assessment format | bachelor’s thesis |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Registration/deregistration: faculty |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | one repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Business and Economics , studiendekanat-wwz@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Business and Economics |