https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/E_EDS3_TEDSThe thesis is the final stage of the B.Sc. program in Econometrics and Operations Research, track Econometrics and Data Science, in which the student demonstrates her/his abilities to conduct academic research on a specific topic in the field of econometrics and data science. The goals are (1) to conduct academic research; and (2) to record the results of this work in an academic paper. As part of goal (1) the student needs to formulate a research question, study the related literature, find an appropriate quantitative representation of the data or an econometric/statistical model, study the data/the model using the skills and techniques from econometrics/data science/statistics, and, finally, demonstrate which conclusions can be drawn from the analysis. As part of goal (2), the student needs to be able to write a thesis paper that describes clearly the research questions, the research design, the related literature, the used methods, the results, and the conclusions.The thesis research is supervised by a member of the Department of Econometrics and Data Science. Usually, a topic is related to a paper published in a scientific journal. A list is published on the Canvas site of the thesis at the beginning of period 4. Students may apply for a topic of their interests by contacting one of the staff members. The thesis will be graded by the thesis supervisor and by a co-reader. The co-reader is typically also a member of the EDS department, and is assigned by the supervisor. The following aspects are part of the assessment criteria and shall receive due consideration:Research question: formulate clearly the research problem (maybe with subproblems).Positioning in literature: review relevant studies.Research design: address the methodological issues, the data collection (if applicable) and the application of theory.Description and analysis of results: show understanding of the research question and present a readable derivation of the complex analysis.Conclusion and discussion: succeed putting the findings in a wide context.Poster and presentation: develop a clear and concise poster that highlights the key aspects and results of your thesis, and present this work in a professional and convincing manner (see details below).Editorial quality: compile a sound academic paper, preferably typeset in LATEX.Degree of independence: show your own initiative and do not always wait for input of yourIndividual meetings with the supervisor.Individual assessment based on two components:A written thesis that will be assessed by the supervisor and a second readerA poster (presentation) that will be assessed by the supervisor, second reader or an appointed alternative assessorAcademic articles relevant to the topic of the thesis.In case you wish to continue with a master program, it is important to check the deadlines for completing your bachelor study. For the SBE master programs (for instance MSc Econometrics) you need to apply your bachelor diploma at the latest on 31 July 2025. That gives the administration the time in August to check and approve your program and your course grades so that you can enrol a master program on 1 September 2025, and start registering for master courses via your Vunet. Hence, you need to have completed and received grades of all bachelor courses including the thesis before 31 July 2025. In case you wish to enrol a master program outside SBE, you should inquire yourself what their requirements and deadlines are.To start the thesis process, you are required to have obtained at least 120 ects of courses from the BSc EDS (including minor). In addition, it is strongly recommended to have completed at least 2 out of 3 of the following courses: Econometrics II, Multivariate Statistics, and Data Science Methods.Canvas will be used to communicate useful information related to your thesis throughout the whole thesis writing process. Examples include lists with supervisors and topics, updates on supervisor availability, and the planning and recording of an information session.