How I develop topics for BSc and MSc thesis projects

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of supervising many BSc and MSc students. While I’ve been supervising MSc thesis students since I was a PhD candidate, I’ve noticed a steady increase in students reaching out to work with me in recent years. Perhaps it’s related to my increase in teaching responsibilities, or perhaps it’s because I’ve been posting more diverse topics. Either way, I’m quite happy with the interest. Guiding students through their first independent large project is a responsibility and a source of inspiration.

Over time, I’ve refined how I develop ideas for thesis topics. Below are the strategies I use to keep the ideas flowing while aligning them with both research relevance and student engagement:

• Align with research projects: Many topics stem directly from ongoing research projects in my group. This creates opportunities for students to contribute to active work, work within a research group and share ideas with peers, access relevant data or experiments, and engage in research that is already well-resourced.
• Explore student interests before defining the research question: Before settling on a topic, I always take time to understand the student’s interests, career goals, and strengths. We may start with a general direction, but together we refine the research question and methodology to create a project that the student feels excited and confident about.
• Be open to industry or government topics: Some of the most novel thesis projects come from collaborations with companies or government agencies. These externally suggested topics often address real-world problems and help students see the societal relevance of their work, and sometimes give students a soft launch into the world after university (and a paid internship).
• Keep a running list of ideas: I maintain a document with potential topics and update it regularly. When an idea feels promising, I write a short project description to clarify the scope, possible methods, and expected outcomes and post it in the thesis course online.
• Explore something that looks fun: Occasionally, I come across an idea that doesn’t fit neatly into current projects but sparks my curiosity. I allow myself to explore these ideas, sometimes by letting a student run with it. These topics can evolve into new research directions or simply provide a joyful research experience.

Ultimately, the art of supervising thesis students lies in finding the balance between the supervisor’s research agenda and the student’s interests, needs, and strengths. A successful thesis project isn’t just about contributing to science: it’s about building the student’s confidence, skills, and enthusiasm for research and for our profession at large.

How do you define thesis topics for your students?