* Generate an original scientific research question that translates a sustainability issue into a research problem, grounded in relevant literature
* Plan a research design and execute an independent study by selecting and applying methods appropriate to the research question
* Produce a logically structured, academically rigorous Master's thesis
* Critique their research choices, findings, and implications for sustainable development in written and oral form

The thesis trajectory of the Master SSPS programme consists of two phases: first, the Thesis Research Proposal (TRP) and second, the Master Thesis which includes the actual research, writing, and presenting.
The Master’s thesis builds on knowledge, attitude and skills (competencies) you have acquired in all the courses of the SSPS programme. Content-wise, your thesis should focus on a real-world sustainability problem and comprise an (integrative) analysis that results in recommendations for further research and for policymaking or business in pursuit of sustainable development. Methodologically, your thesis should be based on a scientific approach in the field of Sustainability Science and, where appropriate, make use of different methods for data collection and analysis.
From a students’ perspective, the thesis trajectory is above all an individual process where you have to prove that you can organize and implement a piece of scientific research completely on your own, but under guidance of your supervisors.
Delivering a Master’s thesis is a demanding task. It will lead to developing crucial generic research skills. These skills concern, in particular, identifying a relevant research topic, studying the literature to identify knowledge gaps, formulating research questions, selecting a suitable research strategy and methods, planning your research and organizing time, collecting and analysing data, reporting your research in a thesis, and presenting it to your supervisors.
In the first phase of the thesis trajectory you will work on your research proposal (TRP). With the help of tutorials and your supervisor you will formulate scientific research questions and select suitable research methods. During tutorials you will present your research questions, research methods, and TRP outline, and provide feedback to others. At the end of this phase, each student should have a final TRP, which is the entry point for phase 2: the thesis.
Phase two starts with a further elaboration of relevant literature in order to derive a framework - or lens - through which to study the sustainability challenge identified in the TRP. This will be followed by data collection, data analysis and ultimately, by interpretation of your findings. At the end of the thesis, you will relate your findings to the sustainability challenge you started with and come up with recommendations for further research and for addressing the challenge. During the process you submit drafts of the thesis (or parts of it) to your supervisor and discuss it with them. A good thesis gives a clear description of what you have done and how your work contributes to solving a sustainability problem. After completion and approval of the report, you present your research to your supervisor, classmates and others interested in the topic.
Through your Master’s thesis you show that you are competent to organize and implement a piece of independent scientific research, and that you are able to write up an account of that research in a report and present it publicly. Your supervisors will guide you during this process, but you are mainly responsible for your own research and writing.
Your Master’s thesis can be an important ‘entrance ticket’ for your further career. So, make the best of it!

No formal prerequisites are needed, though basic knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methods applied in social sciences is recommended.