Thesis
1. Topic Hunt
- Turning Your Professional Career into a Thesis Topic
Foreword (click here!)
Thesis
Credit value: 10
The aim of the Thesis Seminar is to enable students to demonstrate, within their chosen professional field, their ability to synthesize practical professional experience and theoretical knowledge. Through research on the selected topic and the preparation of the thesis, students are expected to further their development as performing artists by establishing a reflective relationship with their own professional experiences.
Theoretical knowledge to be acquired
Familiarity with fundamental research methodologies and ethical principles relevant to the field of movement-based performing arts. Understanding of the concept of plagiarism. Knowledge of the requirements and conventions of academic writing. Basic knowledge of argumentation techniques. Fundamental understanding of the dramaturgical and rhetorical structure of written and oral presentations.
Practical knowledge to be acquired
The ability to articulate practical experiences and communicate them effectively to a professional community, using professional terminology in a conscious and appropriate manner. Application of methods for source research and source utilization. Proficient use of text formatting and editing techniques. Clear distinction between one’s own ideas and those of others through the conscious use of rhetorical and grammatical devices. Understanding and application of citation and referencing principles according to specified academic standards. Application of the dramaturgical and rhetorical characteristics of oral and written presentations. Active participation in professional discourse and proficient use of fundamental argumentation techniques. Conscious application of ethical and professional considerations during discussions, feedback sessions, questioning, and responding to questions.
1. Description of the Challenge
Create a short professional review of your own career and use it to identify at least three possible thesis topics.
You do not need to come up with a completely new topic. It is often more useful to start from what you see and do every day, what you experience as a problem, or what you have wanted to understand more deeply for some time. You may also draw inspiration from a performance, your own learning process, or even the practice and refinement of a particular movement or trick—the possibilities are almost endless!
2. Basic Information for Completing the Task
For this task, please work on paper or in a notebook, as this can significantly support creative thinking. At the end of the lesson, document your work by taking a clear photograph or scanning it, then upload it to your folder in a readable format as instructed at the end of the lesson.
- Write down 5 important professional milestones, projects, performances, roles, or creative experiences from your career.
- Create a short outline-style list by answering the following questions. Your answers may overlap, and the same elements may appear more than once:
- what am I good at;
- what am I particularly interested in at the moment;
- what causes difficulties for me / what raises questions for me;
- what could I realistically investigate in a thesis research project?
- Circle the expressions or ideas that appear in at least two of your lists.
- Use these recurring elements to formulate 3 possible topic ideas. You may use the following sentence frame:
“I would like to examine X phenomenon in Y professional context from the perspective of Z.”
For example:
I would like to examine collaborative creative work with a partner (X) within my own performance practice (Y) from the perspective of communication (Z).
OR
I would like to examine the work of professionals who support performance practice (lighting, sound, choreography, costume design, etc.) (X) within my own professional practice, through my own creative works, (Y) from the perspective of how the working process is structured (Z).
- Clearly mark the one topic you would most like to research. As a first step, also consider whether a theoretical, empirical (experience- or data-based), or practice-oriented approach would be most suitable for it. If you are unsure, describe in your own words how you imagine the possible research process.
- If the different lists, underlining, and notes become difficult to follow, organise the parts related to your chosen topic on a separate sheet or page.
- Create a folder titled „Thesis_Your Name”. Upload the results of all subsequent lessons to this folder.
Online Resource / Checkpoint
Purdue OWL – Research: Where to Begin
Self-check question: Does my chosen topic genuinely grow out of my own professional experience and interests?
3. Method of Completion
Save the scanned or photographed document as NAME_Topic_Map.docx or .pdf in the previously created „Thesis_Your Name” folder.
Your explanation of why you selected this topic will later serve as source material for both your research plan and the introduction to your thesis.
