master thesis eth chemistry

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Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science

Open theses projects (bsc/msc).

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Dept. of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Projects and master's thesis.

Master's students are required to complete one (2018 regulations) or two (2008 regulations) semester projects and one Master's thesis. The projects and the thesis are supervised by a professor of the Department (including adjunct professors ) or by a Download professor associated (PDF, 97 KB) vertical_align_bottom with the Department. Most projects are carried out under the guidance of, and in close contact with, a PhD student of the supervising professor. If two semester projects are carried out, to broaden your horizon, they should be carried out with two different professors.

Semester projects

A semester project should take about half of a student‘s time during one semester, i.e., about 300 to 400 hours has a duration of 14 weeks . It is possible to do a semester project in 7 weeks full-time outside a semester, but it is not recommended. The project includes an oral presentation and a written report, and it is graded. Before starting, the project must be registered in mystudies ("Projects/papers/theses").

Students from outside ETH are advised to pick and to start a semester project right at the beginning of their first semester at ETH and to take these projects seriously.

Master's thesis

The Master's degree programme concludes with a Master's thesis that lasts six months. The project includes an oral presentation and a written report (the Master's thesis), and it is graded. Before starting the project, the Master's thesis must be registered in mystudies ("Projects/papers/theses"). You will be admitted to the Master's thesis only if both semester projects (2008 regulations) are or one semester project (2018 regulations) is successfully completed.

Once the Master's thesis is successfully finished and all credits are obtained, students may request their diploma .

Information: Publication of Master Thesis in the Research Collection

Students have the possibility of publishing their master theses in the Research Collection . To publish master theses in the Research Collection, a letter of recommendation from the respective supervisor is needed. You can find further information on the webpage .

Semester project, Bachelor's and Master's theses offers at D-ITET:

If projects are taken, sometimes related projects may be available. Often, labs are willing to customize a project to match the students' interests. Many labs welcome students' own ideas for projects.

Below an overview of labs offering semester project and Master's thesis by specialisation:

• chevron_right Communication Technology Laboratory
• chevron_right Signal and Information Processing Laboratory
• chevron_right Chair for Mathematical Information Science
• chevron_right Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory
• chevron_right Computer Vision Laboratory
• chevron_right Chair for Computer Science
• chevron_right Computer Security Group
• chevron_right Computer Architecture (SAFARI Research Group)
• chevron_right Institute for Electronics
• chevron_right Institute of Electromagnetic Fields
• chevron_right Integrated Systems Laboratory
• chevron_right Millimetre-wave Electronics Laboratory
• external page call_made Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics at EMPA
• chevron_right Photonics Laboratory

Booklet Download Semester/Master's theses "Energy and Power Electronics" (PDF, 78.2 MB) vertical_align_bottom

• chevron_right Advanced Power Semiconductor Laboratory
• chevron_right Laboratory for High-power Electronics Systems
• chevron_right Power Electronic Systems Laboratory
• chevron_right High Voltage Laboratory
• chevron_right Power Systems Laboratory
• external page call_made Institute of Neuroinformatics
• chevron_right Institute for Biomedical Engineering

For further ITET projects see external page SiROP website call_made .

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Department of Environmental Systems Science

Master’s thesis.

The Master’s thesis is a scientific thesis written independently by the student. In his / her thesis, the student specialises and elaborates on the chosen subject during six months.

Permission to write the Master’s thesis is only granted to students who

• have successfully completed their Bachelor's studies,
• have fulfilled all prerequisites for admission to the programme,
• have completed at least 32 of the required 40 CP in the core subjects of their specialisation.
• The Master’s thesis shall closely reference to the scientific field of the chosen specialisation subject or be linked to another interdisciplinary field.

Online you will find a list of available Master’s thesis topics in the field of Environmental Sciences.

• Various projects on different subjects and from different institutions, on both the national and international level, can be found on external page sirop call_made
• You have the option to create your own subject in agreement with your supervisor.
• The Master’s thesis can be executed as a group work, provided that the supervisors approves it.
• Writing the Master’s thesis is a full-time semester workload (30 CP). It is advised to restrain from gaining other credit points or working during this time.
• Ready for take-off: how to start your Bachelor's and Master's thesis . This course was developed by the ETH Library. In case of uncertainty the UMNW documents apply.
• The supervisor as well as at least one more co-supervisor (an expert in the topic) will grade the Master’s thesis.
• All names of authorised supervisors for Master’s theses can be found on the List of Authorized Supervisors on Moodle.
• If the Study Administration agrees, the Master’s thesis can also be executed outside of the D-USYS (national and international scope). In these cases, an authorized ETH-supervisor will be responsible for the supervision.
• External supervisors must be entered as co-supervisors on myStudies.
• Choose a supervisor and agree subject and form of thesis with him / her.
• Register online on myStudies > Functions > Register for, view and edit research projects/papers and Master's theses > Master's Thesis.
• Enter the name of your main supervisor, the name of co-supervisor, and the title of your thesis.
• The duration of the Master’s thesis is set to maximum 28 weeks (6 months plus 2 weeks) and will be displayed on myStudies.
• The Director of Studies can extend the deadline under exceptional circumstances. The reasons must be stated in a written request (post or e-mail). Medical reports must be sent to the Study Administration.
• In consultation with the supervisor, the Master's thesis can be written in a national language or in English.

There is no layout restriction e.g. order, picture, Logo (not ETH) but the front page must contain the following information:

• Thesis type (Master's thesis)
• Name of the student
• Student ID no.
• Degree Programme Environmental Sciences
• Title of the Master's thesis
• Supervisor and Co-Supervisor, with their academic institution note : both grade the thesis
• Advisor, with academic institution note : only if applicable; doesn't grade the thesis
• Date of submission (dd/mm/yyyy)
• Note "Confidential" note: only if asked
• Example: Download Front Page (PDF, 173 KB) vertical_align_bottom
• On the day of submission, the final written thesis must be in the supervisors’ possession. Any corrections afterwards will not be taken into consideration.
• All supervisors will evaluate the final version of the master’s thesis. The declaration of originality , signed by the student, is a necessary component.
• The form of submission (printed, bound, PDF, etc.) of the Master’s thesis needs to be agreed with the supervisor.
• With the agreement of the main supervisor, an excellent Master ’s thesis can be published in the Research Collection ETH . You can find further information on the webpage: https://documentation.library.ethz.ch/display/RC/Theses

A failed Master's thesis can be repeated only once. In this case, the student choses a new subject within his / her chosen scientific field. The student is free to choose another supervisor for the second attempt.

Here you find all documents in the overview .

• Phone phone +41 44 633 60 82

Study administration Universitätsstrasse 16 8092 Zürich Schweiz

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Master in Comparative and International Studies (MACIS)

Master's thesis guidelines.

You may write your MA thesis in either during the spring or fall semester. The registration deadline is March and September respectively. The exact dates will be released a few weeks prior to the registration deadline (MA Thesis Guidelines).

MA Thesis Colloquium

You must attend the MA thesis colloquium, present your initial proposal and (later in the semester) the full research design, and actively participate in the discussions. Typically, there are around 5 meetings. You will need to register for the colloquium in myStudies. 

MA Thesis Workshop

You must attend the MA thesis workshop and present the results of your MA thesis research in front of all MACIS students. This workshop usually takes place March and July respectively.

Download MA Thesis Guidelines Fall 2024 (PDF, 619 KB) vertical_align_bottom Download MA Thesis Guidelines Spring 2024 (PDF, 624 KB) vertical_align_bottom

Outstanding Master’s theses are honoured with the Silver Medal of ETH Zurich and a financial sum. Please find the directives here Since the number of medals awarded is capped, the D-GESS is typically allocated with one medal over the three MA programs (MA CIS, MA GPW and MSc STP) each year. The directors of study will nominate the candidates and take a joint decision. The ETH Medal will be awarded at the Master's degree graduation ceremony.

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Department of Materials

Master thesis.

The Master’s thesis concludes the Master’s degree programme. It constitutes a six-month, full-time project aimed at advancing the skills and capabilities of students to work independently and creatively toward the solution of a research problem.

Students are asked to register on myStudies for the Master's thesis and submit the  Download registration form (PDF, 868 KB) vertical_align_bottom  to the D-MATL Study Administration before starting to work on the thesis.

The Master's thesis generally takes place during the entire 4th semester of the Master’s degree programme and is conducted under the supervision of a D-MATL research group or an associated professor . During those six months the students are supported by doctoral students and other researchers of the respective research group. In specific cases it is possible to do the Master's thesis in another department of ETH or at another university.

The Master's thesis is concluded with a report and oral presentation that are graded by the supervisor. Please submit a copy of the report as a PDF to the D-MATL study administration.

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MAS in Management, Technology, and Economics

Master's thesis.

In the Master’s thesis you will prove your ability to do independent, structured and scientific work. 

Bring your knowledge to business

In the Master's thesis you will develop your own ideas by considering the implications of current thinking attained in the MAS MTEC programme on an applied context in business.

The Master’s thesis is supervised by a D-MTEC professor as well as a company supervisor and is typically written in the 4th semester , either on a full-time (10 weeks) or a part-time basis (16 weeks).

Execution of the Master's thesis

Students have to fulfil certain requirements before they can register for a Master’s thesis.

• Read the Download Citation Etiquette (PDF, 88 KB) vertical_align_bottom information sheet on plagiarism as well as the Download MAS MTEC Anti-plagiarism information sheet (PDF, 532 KB) vertical_align_bottom
• Pass the "365-1170-00 Epigeum's Avoiding Plagiarism Online Course" which covers anti-plagiarism topics and citation rules in your 1st semester of study

We recommend to start working on the Master’s thesis in the 4th semester by calendar week 12 at the latest.

D-MTEC Chair Guide

The D-MTEC Chair Guide summarises the research and teaching activities of the MTEC chairs and outlines the opportunities and prerequisites for writing a Master’s thesis at each of the chairs.

Study Guide

The study guide provides information and advice on how students can effectively manage their studies, as well as some information about regulations, financial issues, and campus life.

• Download vertical_align_bottom Study Guide for students starting in 2023  (PDF, 819 KB)
• Download vertical_align_bottom Study Guide for students starting in 2022  (PDF, 836 KB)

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Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences

Main content, an offer of support.

These are trying times given ongoing events in Europe. If you are personally affected by the war in Ukraine, the D-CHAB family is there for you. We offer our support to help you get through this crisis. Talking and discussion helps to cope, and your friends, mentors, and colleagues are here for you. Connect with others to help you through this.

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Princeton University

Class day marks achievement, determination and optimism.

By the Office of Engineering Communications

May 28, 2024

Class of 2024 award winners and Distinguished Teaching Award recipient Maria Garlock. Photos by Frank Wojciechowski

The Class of 2024 entered college at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and are leaving amid protests on campuses across the country, but through these challenges graduates have shown “courage, determination and optimism,” Dean Andrea Goldsmith said at the Class Day ceremony on Monday, May 27.

“You found new ways to support each other, to work, to study and to socialize utilizing technology as well as the very human skills that make up the fabric of our society and our Princeton community,” Goldsmith , the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said to graduates, family and friends gathered in the Friend Center courtyard.

Goldsmith said that she and other faculty members were inspired by the resilience students demonstrated during the pandemic and the compassion they showed for victims of conflict and violence. She said the new graduates’ achievements have been remarkable despite these challenges.

“I hope that going forward you will continue to engage as scholars and citizens of the world in bringing about positive change to benefit humanity,” Goldsmith said. She said that the students’ education, both in engineering classes and in the broader University, would allow them to create technology and solve complex and urgent problems facing the world. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact you all will have as engineers and as leaders in the years ahead. Your hard work, your dedication and perseverance are the attributes that led you to Princeton and to be so successful here, and they will be the foundation of your future.”

Goldsmith also congratulated graduates’ parents and family members for raising such a talented and extraordinary group of individuals. “I know that you are so proud of their accomplishments. I can feel that pride overwhelming me on this stage, and we are so very proud of them too.”

The Princeton Engineering Class of 2024 included 376 students receiving engineering degrees and 58 receiving bachelor of arts degrees in computer science, for a total of 434 members. Of the engineering graduates, 162 were women, representing 43% of engineering degree recipients, nearly double the national average.

“You are not just engineers,” Goldsmith told graduates. “This year’s graduates have played intercollegiate athletics. They’ve performed in theater, dance and musical events. They’ve developed novel technologies through their research as well as outside of the classroom and research labs. They’ve made incredible scientific discoveries and published them. They’ve composed art and music, and they’ve served the community and the world. You’ve been wonderful friends and mentors to each other, including being teachers to your faculty. You’ve inspired all of us with your passion for learning your deep curiosity, your diverse talents, and, most of all, your thoughtful perspective on the world.”

As well as honoring graduates, the engineering school recognized Maria Garlock with its Distinguished Teaching Award. Garlock, a professor of civil and environmental engineering , was honored for her dedication to her students and outstanding teaching. In presenting the award, Antoine Kahn , the vice dean of engineering, said that Garlock has had a transformative impact on engineering education.

“Professor Garlock has not only been a great course developer, a teacher, a mentor, but also an extraordinary innovator in teaching and a role model who has pushed the boundaries of modern engineering to the next level,” said Kahn, the Stephen C. Macaleer ’63 Professor in Engineering and Applied Science.

In addition to teaching foundational courses in civil engineering, Garlock also serves as head of Forbes College, co-director of the program in architecture and engineering, and interim director of the Council on Science and Technology.

Award winners at the 2024 Princeton Engineering Class Day, as presented by Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs Peter Bogucki, included:

THE J. RICH STEERS AWARD

Awarded for scholastic performance that demonstrates the potential for future engineering study and practice

Deb, an electrical and computer engineering major, used his senior thesis to apply graph language models to finance. His thesis coupled a graph language model and knowledge graph extraction to eliminate hallucinations and explain decisions and applied his model to financial portfolio diversification. Deb will be an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs while holding a reserve commission in the U.S. Army.

Anne Grinder

A civil and environmental engineering major, Grinder studied the historic Morris Island Lighthouse at Charleston, South Carolina, for her thesis. Cracking in the lighthouse had been attributed to an 1886 earthquake, but Grinder determined that the real cause was corrosion of iron beams. She proposed remediation based on her findings. After graduation, she will work for West Monroe as a consultant.

JEFFREY O. KEPHART ’80 PRIZE IN ENGINEERING PHYSICS

Awarded to the outstanding student in the Engineering Physics program as determined by the Engineering Physics faculty

Yiming (Cady) Feng

An electrical and computer engineering major, Feng’s thesis was entitled “Control Components for Rare Earth Ion Quantum Repeater Nodes.”  Establishing robust quantum networks with quantum repeater nodes is crucial for scalable quantum computing. Solid-state rare-earth ions offer a promising platform for such nodes. Feng explored new designs for components controlling these nodes and fabricated and tested custom circuits. After graduation, Feng will pursue a Ph.D. in applied physics at Stanford.

David Shustin

A computer science major, Shustin implemented a vector quantized variational autoencoder for heterogeneous reconstruction in cryo-electron microscopy for his thesis. Current approaches for modeling this heterogeneity use a generic neural field, whereas Shustin applied a structured generative model and evaluated the method on an experimental dataset. Next year, Shustin will pursue a master’s degree in computer science at Princeton.

THE TAU BETA PI PRIZE

Awarded to the graduate who has significantly contributed a major part of his or her time to service to the school

Brendan Kehoe

Kehoe, an electrical and computer engineering major, organized engineering tours for prospective students as vice president of the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi. He also served as a lab assistant for two engineering courses and helped organize departmental open houses. Kehoe’s senior thesis examined ways to avoid corrosion of metal electrodes by iodine in halide perovskite devices. He will work as an electrical hardware engineer at Lutron Electronics.

Owen Travis

A computer science major, Travis assisted with a range of school events including the Science and Technology Job Fair, Princeton Preview and Take Your Child to Work Day. After a semester at ETH in Zürich, he served as a B.S.E. Study Abroad Global Ambassador. Travis was also the editor of Tortoise, the writing program’s showcase of student writing. His senior thesis evaluated how moves made by humans playing the board game Go differed from those made by an AI. Travis will work as a software engineer at Netflix.

THE JOSEPH CLIFTON ELGIN PRIZE

Awarded to a senior who has done the most to advance the interests of the school in the community at large

Paige Silverstein

Silverstein, a civil and environmental engineering major, analyzed climate resilient, sustainable food systems with the Environmental Defense Fund over several years. Her senior thesis analyzed lead contamination in tap water and concluded that removal of lead water service lines is justified because of the lines’ significant contribution to contamination. The work also provided more detailed information about lead contamination in drinking water and potential sources of lead. After graduation, Silverstein will practice sustainable agriculture at Red Dog Farm in Washington State.

Yenet Tafesse

A computer science major, Tafesse served as president of the student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. She was instrumental in reviving the group after the COVID-19 pandemic, and she led large delegations to regional and national conferences. Her senior independent work, done jointly with Jad Bendarkawi, an electrical and computer engineering major, is an interactive, robotic display called “The Swarm Garden.” The exhibit consists of 36 modules that react to movement and noises from a wearable device. Tafesse will work as a software engineer for American Airlines.

THE GEORGE J. MUELLER AWARD

Recognizes a senior who has combined high scholarly achievement in the study of engineering with quality performance in intercollegiate athletics

Emily (Leilani) Bender

A civil and environmental engineering major, Bender was a flanker and co-captain for the women’s rugby team. She was an Academic All-Ivy player and National Intercollegiate Rugby Association All-Academic player. Bender received the rugby team’s annual Phil Rogers award for leadership and the Varsity Club’s Chris Sailer Award for leadership and service. Her senior thesis analyzed the effect of wind on canopies that transform into flood barriers. After graduation, Bender will pursue a master’s degree in education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Fry, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major, is a member of the women’s lightweight crew and the stroke of the number one varsity 8 in the country. She has been the stroke for the past two championship runs for a team that has had three consecutive undefeated seasons. Fry was named a Pocock Lightweight All American and a member of the IRA All-Academic team. Her senior thesis analyzed rotating detonation, a technique to improve engine efficiency. She refined her system, resulting in a plasma reactor design that could provide propulsion for robotic space exploration. She will pursue a graduate degree in aeronautics and astronautics at MIT.

THE CALVIN DODD MACCRACKEN SENIOR THESIS/PROJECT AWARD

Recognizes the senior thesis or project work that is most distinctive for its inventiveness and technical accomplishment

Holly Cheng

A molecular biology major, Cheng studied the large nuclei of frog eggs in the lab of Professor Clifford Brangwynne . She developed a system to harvest the eggs and inject RNA and chemicals into them. She developed a collaboration with the labs of Professor Howard Stone in mechanical and aerospace engineering and Professor Zheng Shi at Rutgers University. Cheng presented her work at a meeting of the Biophysical Society and won the Undergraduate Poster Award competition. In the fall, she will begin work on a Ph.D. at MIT.

Marina Mancoridis

Mancoridis, a computer science major, examined scientific publishing through a lens of cultural evolution. She framed her analysis as a multi-generational interplay between scientists and publishers and developing a multi-armed-bandit simulation model to examine the effects of different publication practices on the accuracy of the scientific record, leading to specific policy recommendations. Her work has been accepted for presentation at the annual conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Mancoridis will pursue a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.

Melissa Woo

An operations research and financial engineering major, Woo’s thesis examined sophisticated models used in areas such as credit scoring and risk assessment. Often these models operate as black boxes, with opaque decision-making processes that raise concerns about fairness and accountability. Woo’s work included a systemic study to assess the relative performance of algorithms across a suite of machine learning models along with a set of widely used model-agnostic post-hoc variable importance models to show the impact of feature correlation and target expression complexity. After graduation, Woo will work as a trading analyst at Morgan Stanley.

THE LORE VON JASKOWSKY MEMORIAL PRIZE

Recognizes a student who has participated in research that has resulted in a contribution to the field, has added to the quality of the university life, and intends to pursue a career in engineering or applied science

Feng, an electrical and computer engineering major, has participated in multiple research projects at Princeton. She began by doing research with professor Nathalie de Leon on superconducting qubits, which resulted in a co-authored paper in Physical Review X. She also worked with professor Jesse Jenkins and Dr. Erin Mayfield on multi-objective optimization of electricity infrastructure, which led to the co-authorship of a public report. A summer at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics resulted in the assembly of a 2D magneto-optical trap. Her senior thesis, with professor Jeffrey Thompson , was recognized with this year’s Kephart Prize. In the fall, Feng will begin studying for a Ph.D. in applied physics at Stanford.

Devdigvijay Singh

A mechanical and aerospace engineering major, Singh began in the lab of Professor Emeritus Lex Smits, in which he designed and constructed a motorized x-y platform with sub-micron positioning of intersecting lasers for stereo distortion calibration to measure turbulent pipe flow. Singh moved on to spend the summer of 2022 at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab working on stripping-cell charge energy ion analysis techniques. He conducted his thesis work with the TigerSats group with professor Ryne Beeson and Michael Galvin. The work studied dampers to de-tumble a spinning nanosatellite. After graduation, Singh will pursue a doctorate in mechanical engineering at Stanford.

JAMES HAYES-EDGAR PALMER PRIZE IN ENGINEERING

Awarded to a student who has manifested excellent scholarship, a marked capacity for leadership, and promise of creative achievement in engineering

Amélie Lemay

A civil and environmental engineering major, Lemay worked with professors Barry Rand and Sigurd Wagner on a project in which she analyzed the status and potential of rooftop solar adoption in the United States. Her findings led to a paper in the journal Energy Policy . For her senior thesis, Lemay worked with professor Ian Bourg to examine the group of environmental contaminants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as forever chemicals. The work created computer simulations that could one day lead to removing the chemicals from the environment. The study has been submitted to the journal Science. In the fall, Lemay will begin work toward a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering at MIT.

Reha Mathur

Mathur, a chemical and biological engineering major, is the recipient of a Barry S. Goldwater Scholarship. As a first-year student, she worked with Professor Thanos Panagiotopoulos to use quantum mechanical calculations to produce a machine-learning model for molecular dynamics simulations for carbon dioxide. The results were published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry . Her senior thesis developed a machine learning framework to explore where and how nutrients are used in metabolism. Her adviser, Professor Joshua Rabinowitz , said Mathur’s system performs better than previously available ones and advances the state of the field. She will join Dimension Capital as a biotech venture capital associate.

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