BTU overview
Faculty 5
Study programme Transformation Studies Master of Arts (M.A.)

Study Project

Study Project in the programme Transformation Studies

A study project in the Master’s programme Transformation Studies at BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg is a 12 ECTS module planned for the third term, in which students plan and carry out an applied or research-oriented project related to transformation studies under supervision. It serves as a bridge between theoretical learning and practical inquiry, allowing students to apply scientific methods to a concrete question, case study, or interventio (if you are lucky in collaboration with external partners or within ongoing research contexts). Under the supervision of a professor, lecturer or researcher from BTU, students develop a project concept, conduct empirical or conceptual work, and document their findings in a written report, sometimes accompanied by a presentation. The study project is more application-oriented than project assignments you did before, could involve empirical work, case studies, fieldwork, reviews, or conceptual development. The project should relate closely to your field of study and your choosen major (socio-cultural, socio-economic/ institutional, socio-technical) and integrate theoretical knowledge with practical or empirical work. It prepares you for your Master Thesis.

Workload 12 ECTS ≈ 12 × 30 = ≈ 360 hours of work. This includes literature research, planning, execution, writing, meetings, revisions, etc.
Type of the ProjectIt is a independently conducted but supervised project,it may be more application-oriented than project assignments you did before, could involve empirical work, case studies, fieldwork, reviews, or conceptual development rather than entirely original research. It prepares you for your Master Thesis
SupervisionYou are obliged to find a supervisor (could be any professor, lecturer, or researcher from BTU) who guides the project, gives feedback, and monitors progress. Some students do study projects with partners outside university (companies, NGOs, etc.). You are free to approach any academic staff member of BTU with your project idea and aks for supervision, some also directly offer particular topics (see list below). Please note that the final report usually needs to be approved by a professor. The study project is registered with your student service, some chairs offer a particular study project module in the portal where you can register after approval.
Proposal / ExposéYou will likely need to prepare a project proposal or exposé describing the background, objectives, research questions, methodological approach, timeline, expected results, and preliminary literature. This must be approved by your supervisor.
DeliverablesYou will generally produce a written report, documentation, perhaps datasets, graphs, posters, etc. Additionally, there might be a presentation or poster session.
Structure & Formal RequirementsThe report usually follows academic structure: introduction, literature / theoretical basis, methodology, results / analysis, discussion, conclusion, references, and appendices. It also entails a declaration of independent work. Some chairs offer particular guides for academic writing, like this one.
Evaluation / GradingThe project is graded by your supervisor and possibly a second assessor. The grading criteria (e.g. originality, methodological rigor, clarity, presentation, coherence) is defined by the supervisor.
Prerequisites / EligibilityDepending on your supervisor, you may be required to have completed certain modules or to have accumulated a certain number of credits before you can enroll in the study project, (e.g. “Introduction to Transformation Studies” and “Transformation Theories”). The study project is scheduled for the third term. In some cases, students can build on the study project in their master thesis.

Study Project offers in Winter Term 2025/ 2026

(you are free to propose your individual topic to any academic staff at BTU and ask for supervision)
ChairContact PersonProjectsTopics
Micro-EconomicsJan Schnellenbach4-5Coordination and Freeriding in the Supply of Global Public Goods
Intercultural StudiesTetiana Havlin4Theater as a Decolonial Space (Collaboration with either Cultural Workers Studio in Berlin or Staatstheater Cottbus)
Intercultural StudiesTetiana Havlin2Living Legacies: The DDR in Contemporary Perspective (Winter Semester, collaboration with the Dieselkraftwerk)
Economic and Industrial SociologyJanina Puder3-4Strukturwandel im Hafen und Arbeitskonflikte als sozial-ökologische Transformationskonflikte
MarketingFlorian Dost4AI-assisted consumers, their choices, and opportunities for sustainable consumption
Organisation and Corporate GovernanceAlexander Martin4
  1. Identity and Identity Reconstruction in Structural/Organizational Transformation
  2. Employee’s Well-being in Organizational Transformation
Decarbonisation and Transformation of IndustryRoh Pin Lee3(1) Comparative analysis of decarbonization & transformation strategies in Latin Ameican countries vs. Europe
(2) Analysis of socio-political-economical-ecological aspects associated with resource extractivism
(3) Macroeconomic material flow analyses related resource extractivisim in Latin America
Management of regional energy systemsBernd Hirschl2-4regional economic effects in the context of the energy transition, energy communities, just transition topics, sustainable bioeconomy concepts etc.
Sociology of Technology and Environment*Melanie Jaeger-Erben and Mubarik Kassim Rabiu10Circular Consumption, Decluttering, Future Literacy (Study Project as Follow-Up of Fit4Future Summer School 2025)
Sociology of Technology and Environment*Stefanie Gerold4Topics based on module „Alternative Economies“ (e.g. diverse economies, feminist economics, ecological economics)
Chair of Public Law, with Focus on Environmental and Planning LawAnayo Ezeamama4
  1. Global best policies for just energy transitions in the global south 
  2. Institutional change management models for transformational impact 
  3. Community forest management (CFM) as a climate adaptation strategy and its role in socio-economy transformation.
  4. Leveraging indigenous knowledge in sustainable development in the global south
Chair of Public Law, with Focus on Environmental and Planning LawSteven Kramm2
  1. What is Ecosystem-Based Adaptation and how can it be successfully Integrated into national climate adaptation plans? – (Based on a selected case study)
  2. Unequal Benefits, Unequal Burdens? Climate Justice in Ecosystem-based Adaptation
Chair of Public Law, with Focus on Environmental and Planning LawDirk Marx6
  1. Acceptance-Research - What is the current state?
  2. Transdisciplinarity, a challenging way of conducting science; what exactly is this ‘method’ and how does it relate to sustainability?
  3. Citizen energy in Europe. How do energy projects in Germany compare with those in other European countries or internationally/globally?
  4. Energy sharing, a forward-looking concept. What are its advantages and disadvantages?
  5. Transdisciplinarity, a challenging way of conducting science; what exactly is this ‘method’ and how does it relate to sustainability?
  6. Citizen energy in Europe. How do energy projects in Germany compare with those in other European countries or internationally/globally?
Chair of Public Law, with Focus on Environmental and Planning LawEric Witte8
  1. The development of the privacy of correspondence, post and telecommunications in the course of technological progress
  2. Cyberthreats – Investigation and defence against cyber threats by civil authorities
  3. Automated decisions in administrative law
  4. ‘Robot judges? – Possible applications and limitations of artificial intelligence in the justice system’
  5. Constitutional issues surrounding a centralised citizen ID/general personal identification number
  6. ‘Data’ and ‘information’ as terms in the legal system
  7. The areas of protection covered by fundamental IT rights
  8. Requirements for justifying the use of surveillance software
MacroeconomicsTim Rottleb1-21) Economic geographies of transformation processes; 2) Critical political economy

*Check this guide before you send a proposal: https://www.b-tu.de/owncloud/s/q3YzWr25nmiaG7f