Tips for Successful Studies

The structure and classification of courses at TUM will likely differ from the system in place at your home university. In Germany, you enroll for a broad range of courses each semester, classified by type: lecture, seminar, etc. Read each course description carefully to find out how many credits you will get for the course and how much time you need to complete the course. 1 ECTS has a workload of 30 hours. The usual numer of ECTS per semester is 30 ECTS. Some of the most common course types are listed below:

Education in Germany is influenced by the Humboldtian idea of science and research, dating back to the early 19th century, and the ideals of the Enlightenment. As a student in Germany, you are encouraged to find your own way of thinking, and to engage in independent reflection and analysis. Professors will share their newest findings in research to discuss them with you before publishing them. That is why you are expected to study and think independently, to pass constructive criticism, especially in lectures. Responsibility, organization, active involvement and time management are crucial for you to succeed.

As an international student, the German academic culture may take some getting used to, and you may need some time to figure out the right balance of courses. We recommend that, during the first few weeks of the semester, you visit all the courses you are interested in. That will help you to figure out which ones you want to stick with, and which ones aren’t for you. Additionally, it is fairly common for courses to take place at conflicting times, in these cases you will need to set your own priority and participate in one of the courses one semester or year later. 

Attendance at lectures is generally not compulsory – in contrast to seminars, practical courses, and certain tutorials which may require attendance. However, we strongly recommend that you attend lectures regularly, as you will likely have serious challenges passing a course if you do not. Often, current (research) topics are covered in lectures that are not included in lecture notes and PowerPoint slides. You will not find the ideas presented in the current literature, as our scientists are often yet to publish them. If you must miss a lecture, we recommend being in touch with the lecturer and with your classmates to go over what you missed.

• When should I arrive in Munich?
  In order to take care of all administrative matters before lectures begin, you should plan to arrive at least two weeks before the start of the semester. You should take enough time to find an apartment and to settle in Munich for the first time, so that you can fully concentrate on your studies when the orientation program begins. Arriving after lectures have begun is highly inadvisable – if you are not able to arrive in Munich before lectures begin, please postpone the start of your studies to the next semester.

• How do I assemble my course schedule?
  All informatics courses for the next semester are entered in TUMonline around the beginning of January (for summer semester) and the end of June (for winter semester). Search for the courses you are interested in by indicating the module number, e.g. INxxxx, in the search field of TUMonline. Make sure to indicate the correct semester. Click on Dates and Groups to see the schedule. Check to make sure that the times of the courses you plan to take do not overlap. 

• When do I register for courses?
  In TUMonline there is a column titled “Reg.” that shows a green “T” when registration is open – usually about one month before the semester start. For lectures, there is typically no hurry to register as they usually have unlimited spaces available. For language courses and soft skill (support elective) courses (see below), it is advisable to register immediately when registration opens. You can deregister from a course without any problem. For seminars and practical courses, deregistration has to be done in the first weeks of the semester; the exact dates will be announced by the lecturers. For lectures, deregistration is usually possible until the end of the semester.
  Explanations for course registration and other topics around TUMonline: Videos of the TUM Student Info

• Am I allowed to take Informatics courses in German?
  Yes, as an international student you can get German courses (and other language courses) counted towards the Support Electives in your study program.

Information on how to find a doctor, make an appointment and a doctor's visit, as well as explanations of the German health insurance system, can be found on the Medical Care in Germany page.

Regulations

You may apply for a leave of absence. Then you will not be placed one semester higher, i.e. your number of Semesters of enrollment in current degree program (Fachsemesterzahl) stagnates, BUT you can do as many exams as you want and are able to do. So the time limits stated in your examination rules are suspended. It is you who determines the pace of your studies. If you are too late for an application for a leave of absence, you may be eligible for an extension of your academic progress check (see below).

Helpful Links

• Studying at TUM with a family - Staff Unit Diversity & Equal Opportunities
• TUM - Students with Families
• Studying with a Child - Studierendenwerk München

On our Mentoring and Support Programs page, you will find programs from nationwide and Bavarian funding organizations, from the Technical University of Munich, from Informatics at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, and from companies related to computer science.

In order to be able to cope well with everyday study life, you need various learning- and self-competences. These include different skills and abilities in areas such as time- and self-management, learning techniques and strategies, exam preparation, stress management and motivation. There are various learning workshop offers at TUM. You will find a list of events for the current semester on the linked website, as well as online self-learning offers.

TUM has a language center that offers many language courses, including German courses. They can get counted as support electives in our study programs.

We especially encourage you to enroll in German language courses, as they are specially designed for international students.

Other offerings of the Language Center include:

• English Writing Center
• Schreibberatung – German Writing Assistance

• When and how do I register for exams?
  You must register for exams in TUMonline or you will not be allowed to take them. See the Examination page for details, including examination dates and registration deadlines. Usually you have until January (for winter semester) or June (for summer semester)  to register, but it may differ, especially if you plan to take courses outside of the informatics department.

• Can I deregister from exams?
  Yes, usually up to one week before the exam takes place.

• Can I register for a repeat exam even if I did not attend the regular exam?
  Yes, in informatics you can – for other departments, please inquire directly with the department

• Can I repeat an exam if I passed, but with a bad grade?
  No.

• What happens if I fail an exam?
  The fail grade will be entered in your transcript but not in your certificate. You can either repeat the exam or choose another course if it is an elective, seminar, or practical course.

• Is there a late registration for exams? 
  No. If you miss the registration period then you need to wait for the next one to register.

• What should I do if not all credits are listed in my transcript correctly (e.g. credits missing, credits not adding up correctly etc.)?
  Get in touch with your secretary of the examination board.

Examinations and other study achievements have to be done independent and exclusively under use of permitted aids. In the case of seminar papers and theses, but also exercises and programming exercises, it is therefore important to ensure complete and correct citations to avoid sources of plagiarism.

To offer our students the best education possible we support our students to avoid plagiarism and respect basic rules of citation. For this purpose we compiled a guideline.

Guideline: Student Code of Conduct

• How long is the master’s program?
  It is designed to take two years (4 semesters) to complete. You will need to earn 120 ECTS total, 30 ECTS per semester – which is the usual workload.

• Is it a problem if I do not complete 30 ECTS in a semester?
  It is acceptable for you to earn 20 ECTS every semester. You are required to complete 30 ECTS after the third semester, 60 after the fourth, 90 after the fifth, and 120 after the sixth (see below). Do not try to take more than 30 ECTS in one semester because you did not manage to complete enough in the previous semester. The more exams you have in one semester, the less time you will have to prepare – which means there is a greater risk for you to fail. If you run into any problems, come and see the academic advisors – they have a lot of experience and can advise you on how to best proceed in each situation.
   
• How long may I take to complete the master’s program?
  You may take a maximum of seven semesters to complete the master’s program. You must successfully complete at least one of the module examinations by the end of the second semester (Depending on your study program this regulation may has to be fulfilled with different modules.) and earn at least 30 ECTS by the end of your third semester, 60 after the fourth, 90 after the fifth, 120 after the sixth. If you do not have 120 after the sixth but 90 after the fifth all missing exams are marked "failed once" and you have one more semester to complete any missing coursework and/or the thesis.
   
• When do I have to pass my bridging courses?
  Sometimes it is possible that you get admitted to the master's program under the condition to do bridging courses (one or more Bachelor courses here at TUM). These courses have been stated in your admission letter.
  Bridging courses have to be passed in the first year after immatriculation in the study program. This deadline cannot be prolonged through a hardship request or a semester of leave of absence.
   
• Will the results of the repeat exams I take at the beginning of next semester count towards the ECTS calculation for the current semester?
  Yes.
   
• Are additional courses that do not count towards my degree included in my ECTS calculation?
  No, only modules that are in your curriculum.
  If you have taken any of the allowed support electives and they are not yet assigned to your degree program, please contact your secretary of the examination board.

If you do not reach the credit requirements you can find information on prolongations / suspensions and the neccessary documents on the page on hardship applications.

I have personal problems (e.g. illness, family problems, etc.) - who can help me?
Many students have to deal with some private problems during their studies - this happens more often than you might think. There are a variety of counseling services for students:

• TUM - Support and Advice
• Help with Mental Stress and Illness
• Advice and Counselling Network - Studierendenwerk
• TUM Evangelische Hochschulgemeinde (EHG TUM)
• TUM Katholische Hochschulgemeinde (KHG TUM)
• Nightline München

Do not hesitate to contact the academic advisors. They have a lot of experience and can discuss with you the effects on your studies, options and perspectives and point out contact persons.

• Do I have to do an internship?
  No, internships are optional, but some students do an internship, typically for half a year.
• Can I take a semester of leave for an internship?
  If it fits into your studies, you may apply for a semester of leave of absence in order to pursue an internhsip. If you choose this option we recommend applying for leave of absence for the semester just before you would start your master's thesis. The length of the internship must cover at least half of the lecture time, that means for wintersemesters at least 9-10 weeks, for summersemesters at least 7-8 weeks of the lecture period (see also Immatrikulationssatzung (in german)). In order to apply for a semester of leave, you will need a statement from the academic advisors. Please send your TUMonline examination report, your TUMonline enrollment record, a screenshot of your study plan/ curriculum support from TUMonline, your internship contract, if you are a Master's student your letter of admission, and a job description to study-advising(at)in.tum.de. 
• Is there any financial support for internships?
  If you do an internship in Europe, you may apply for financial support through the Erasmus+ Internship Program. 
• Can the internship be used to replace the practical course?
  No. The master practical course can only be completed at our department, which can be found in your curriculum.

Ranking at the end of your studies
Together with your certificate you get a grading table which lists the distribution of the grades of all degrees of your study program from the last two years before your certification date.

Ranking at the end of a semester
Semester rankings can be downloaded from the “Digital School Services NAT” portal from around May 15 (for achievements including the previous winter semester) or November 15 (for achievements including the previous summer semester). A ranking place is only shown for students who are still studying within the standard period of study.

• My student visa expires soon and I need a confirmation that I have completed my studies. Who can help?
  You can get the preliminary certificate which can be issued once all your grades are visible in your grade report in TUMonline (green). Please contact your secretary of the examination board so that they can launch your certificate at the Graduation Office and Academic Records Campus Garching. At this office you can then get your preliminary certificate immediately.

• I need an individual singed and stamped confirmation of my study progress for the student services, the KVR, DAAD, a scholarship etc. Who can help?
  If the grade report (which is valid without a stamp and a signature) and the confirmation of enrollment (print documents in TUMonline) is not sufficient please visit your Secretary of the examination board during their opening hours. There, it will be checked individually what kind of a confirmation can be issued.

• When will I receive my degree certificate?
  Your certificate can only be generated at the Graduation Office and Academic Records Campus Garching when you passed all the necessary examinations and all modules, which you have attended during your studies (including any additional examinations), are set valid in your TUMonline account. The certificate is applied for by your secretary of the examination board and it usually takes up to 6 weeks to process. Once the certificate is applied for the central examination office can also issue a preliminary confirmation. Best you contact your secretary of the examination board at the end of your studies to discuss your certificate and the timeline. 
  When the examination office compiled your certificate you will be notified by post to the address given in your TUMonline account - please do always take care of a valid, current address!
  For more information on graduation documents please visit the TUM webpage.

• Is there a graduation ceremony?

  Yes, the graduation ceremony usually takes place once a year in summer. You will receive an invitation to the graduation ceremony via your tum.de e-mail account and/or by mail to the address you entered in TUMonline.

• When will I be exmatriculated?
  Please visit this page for TUM regulations .