It is necessary to have passed all compulsory modules before starting a master thesis.
To find a supervisor and a topic to their own liking and interest, students may take the following steps:
In general any lecturer of a program module of the Master Program in Biostatistics can be the supervisor of a master thesis in biostatistics, other UZH researchers and lecturers could also be supervisors conditional on the approval of the coordinator.
External theses are in general discouraged since the control over the topic and supervision is often not optimal. Exceptions to this rule are possible but they require a longer preparation phase, see below on timing advice. Master theses in industry entail suitable compensation by the company towards the Master Program in Biostatistics for time and organisational expenses.
A master thesis is not bound to the lecture period, it can be started at any time and takes about 6 months full time. It is a good idea to start searching for a topic and a supervisor about 2-4 months before the intended start date. The best situation is to be able to concentrate on the thesis throughout 6 months, i.e. with only a small workload on a job and without prolonged absences due to vacation. Exceptions to this rule are possible and should be discussed with the supervisor.
For more organisational information see the Infosheet and the registration forms for master thesis and master exam.