CHAIR OF ECONOMICS

APPLIED ECONOMICS

E-Learning

Topics/Themen of the summer term 2025:

1. Behavioral Effects of Video Games

2. Environmental Determinants of Road Safety

3. Lead Exposure and Health

4. Pesticides and Health

5. Shocks to Supply- Organ Donations and Policy

6. Publish or Perish? The Importance of Citations for Academic Careers

7. Birthweight Manipulation and Hospital Reimbursement

8. Police Violence and Educational Outcomes

9. Surname Initials and Academic Success

10. COVID-19 Mobility Restrictions and Crimes

11. Gender Bias in the Publishing Process

12. Natural Catastrophes and Fertility

13. Media and Racial Hate

14. House Prices and Fertility

15. Migration and Political Preferences

16. Additional Demand for Donations and Substitution Effects

17. School Meals and Child Outcomes

18. News Media and Anti-Immigrant Attitudes

19. Naturalization and Child Outcomes

20. Efficacy of Gun Control Laws

21. Determinants of Organ Donations

22. Longer School Days and Educational Attainment

23. Chess and Education Performance

24. Gender and Leadership

25. Immigration and School Performance of Natives

26. Determinants of Judge Decisions 

27. Behavioral Impacts of Air Pollution

28. Parenthood and Earnings Penalties

29. Health Effects of Medicaid Expansion

30. Determinants of Opiod Addiction

31. Labor Market Conditions of Sex Workers

32. Bartik Instruments in Migration Research

33. Sports Facilities and Ripple Effect

34. Social Media and Daily Activities

35. Social Media and Mental Health

Suggesting an own bachelor thesis topic-guidelines for the application:

• In case you want to write your bachelor thesis on a self-chosen topic, we would ask you to consider the following points in your application:

• Provide a (causal) research question for your topic (e.g. "Does an increase in x cause an increase in y?", "Does policy x cause a reduction in y?"...)!

• Suggest 2-3 empirical papers that tackle the suggested research question! Look for papers that make use of counterfactual methods i.e. Regression Discontinuity Designs, Difference-in-Differences, Instrumental variables, (Propensity Score) Matching, Synthetic Control Method.

• Write a short motivation for the topic: Why is the topic relevant? Provide context on the policy/main explanatory variable you want to investigate! Why is the topic interesting? Four to five sentences should suffice.

• In case the suggested topic is not suitable for a thesis at our chair, please signal whether you would be willing to write a thesis on a topic suggested by the chair (see list below) or you would prefer writing your thesis at another chair!