Student Theses

The Institute of Fluid Mechanics supervises student research projects, Bachelor’s and Master’s theses in German or English language in all related scientific fields. During their thesis period, the students are integrated into the institute’s team and the projects of the respective division, i. e. they fully comprehend the implication of their work in current research projects of the institute.

Interested students (see also the section Prerequisites) are encouraged to consult the advertised projects (see below), and contact members of the various groups.

Prerequisites

To write a project thesis, B.Sc. thesis or a M.Sc. thesis at LSTM, we require the following:

• Study Background:
  We typically require the successful completion of at least basic courses in Fluid Mechanics at LSTM, for instance Fluid Dynamics/Fluid Mechanics or Strömungsmechanik I and Strömungsmechanik II.
• On-Site Attendance Requirements for Thesis Projects
  To ensure the highest academic standards, the Institute (LSTM) requires students undertaking a thesis project to conduct at least two-thirds (2/3) of their effective working hours on-site at our facilities. For example, a standard 6-month Master’s thesis demands approximately 26 hours per week of physical presence. Individual adjustments to accommodate external commitments (e.g., employment) may be discussed and arranged directly with the primary supervisor.
  This policy was established following extensive internal evaluation. The experience demonstrates that the quality of thesis works significantly benefits from consistent, direct exchange with supervisors and peers working on related topics. This collaborative environment is fundamental to both the scientific integrity of the project and the academic development of the student.
• External Thesis Projects
  Projects performed externally, e.g. in industry or a research centre, are only supervised in exceptional cases. This is following the general policy of the Department CBI, and not specific to LSTM.
• Resources Provided
  To support these requirements, the Institute provides all necessary resources, including dedicated workspaces, desktop PCs, screens for laptops, experimental setups, access to the computing cluster (if needed), and supervision by the LSTM staff.
  In the LSTM student rooms, the places are reserved for students actively working on-site. Do not block computers for remote access (Windows seems to only allow one session).

• References and Plagiarism
  When writing your thesis, make sure to follow the general rules of proper referencing to prior work. For more information: https://www.lstm.tf.fau.de/rules-plagiarism/

• Non-Disclosure Agreements
  We prefer to do thesis projects without the need of any NDA. If you need an NDA in exceptional cases, please refer to the template provided by FAU: https://www.intern.fau.de/lehre-und-studium/rechtsangelegenheiten-in-lehre-und-studium/#Pruefungsverfahren at „Muster für eine Geheimhaltungsvereinbarung zu Prüfungsarbeiten“.

• Final Presentation
  Each thesis should be concluded with a 20-30 minutes presentation at the institute. There is a standard zoom room for thesis presentations: https://fau.zoom-x.de/j/62687784969

Templates

There is a template for thesis projects available: https://github.com/pschlatt1/LaTeX-Template-LSTM. Please use this template for your thesis, including the cover page also on github. Note that you need to apply for a LSTM Tech. Rep. number (LSTM Tech. Rep. 01/2025) prior to submission at lstm-verwaltung@fau.de.

Templates for LSTM Powerpoint Slides and logos can be found here: link

Thesis Topics

If you are interested in doing your thesis at the LSTM, please refer to the following information on our research groups.