Diploma Theses in Co-operation with Companies at TU Graz: An Empirical Study

The Diploma Thesis ("Diplomarbeit") is a compulsory exercise at the end of any student's studies at TU Graz ("Technische Universität Graz"). The topic to be treated througouly, thereby assisted by a professor in the field, can be entirely academic or triggered by a company's needs concerning their scientific and/or technological background. Since data on the percentage of co-operative Diploma theses were not available and apperently not investigated for in any Austrian University, this study has been carried out. The main result is that at TUG roughly 60% Diploma theses in the average of all fields of study are completed in co-operation with and/or sponsored by external, non-academic institutions, mostly companies. Out of which approximately 50% have more than 250 employees and are located in the province of Styria.