The topic of an external thesis must be relevant to the research projects and focus areas of the institute (see Forschung am IfT). Topics outside this area must be agreed upon independently by the students with an institute that is relevant to the subject area. The topic must be based on a scientific question; purely project-based work is therefore not permitted.

To be admitted to an external thesis, relevant modules with a subject-specific connection to the planned work must have been successfully completed. In addition, good to very good academic performance is desirable. Preparatory work at the institute can also serve as a basis.

To process a project, a preliminary task description and a project plan must be attached to the request. Support is primarily provided by the external partner, while the institute only accompanies the work with three appointments (kick-off, interim status, submission). The final evaluation is carried out by the examiners. Internal institute infrastructure such as workstations, software, or test benches are not available. Any additional services can be requested as a paid service.

A confidentiality clause on student work is not legally valid, as this work is the intellectual property of the student. The work is kept at the institute and made available to employees there in accordance with § 3 (2) of the collective agreement for the public service of the federal states (TV-L). In exceptional cases, any confidentiality requirements must be clarified in advance with the university's legal department in order to avoid delays.