Program Overview

Coaching Skills for Supervising Bachelor and Master Theses

Course Information

The course "Coaching Skills for Supervising Bachelor and Master Theses" is scheduled to take place on the following dates:

• Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Tuesday, June 2, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Registration opens on January 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM, and the registration deadline is March 31, 2026, at 12:00 PM.

Course Details

• The course is free of charge and is exclusively available to doctoral candidates and postdocs of the University of Basel, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 16 participants.
• The trainer for the course is Dr. Oliver Schürmann.
• The course is worth 1 ECTS credit and can be credited towards Higher Education Teaching Certificates, specifically Module Context Higher Education.
• The course is organized by the Graduate Center, Transferable Skills.

Aims

The primary aim of the course is to introduce participants to the solution-focused approach in coaching and its application in supervising bachelor and master theses. By the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand the value of resource-focus and psychological safety in thesis supervision
• Know and experience the process of solution-focused coaching
• Develop individual supervising skills and start to develop a personal style of supervision
• Acquire skills in giving useful feedback and constructively dealing with challenges

Content

The course content is structured as follows:

Day 1: Intro to Coaching

• Establishing Connection
• Solution-focused dialogue
• Practical applications
• Theoretical context

Day 2: Coaching and Supervision

• Expert – Coach Spectrum
• Challenging situations
• Case discussion
• Future development steps

Online Follow-Up

• Retrospective and Reflection
• Sharing of Experiences
• Further Deep-Dive

Methods

The course methods are based on the principles of solution-focused coaching, systemic thinking, and nonviolent communication. The training involves participative exercises in groups, with short recap sessions, to provide participants with hands-on experience of coaching skills.

Target Group

The course is designed for all doctoral candidates and postdocs.

About the Trainer

Dr. Oliver Schürmann holds a doctorate in cognitive psychology from the University of Basel and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin. He has extensive experience as a coach, trainer, and consultant in academia and private institutions.

Workload

The total workload for the course is 30 hours, consisting of:

• Preliminary work: 3 hours
• Course attendance: 16 hours
• Online follow-up: 4 hours
• Follow-up work: 7 hours

Feature

Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours, and course places will be allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24-hour period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Full course attendance is mandatory, and participants who fail to attend without prior notification or withdraw after the registration deadline may be subject to a fee.