Incoming

As one of Europe's leading universities, TUM combines top-class facilities and cutting edge research with unique learning opportunities for students all over the world.

However, coming to TUM starts at your home university, first: Please browse availabe information on the website of your home university, contact your "International Office" and ask for counselling in order to find out, whether your home university is an official partner of TUM or one of its Departments:

The Departments at the TUM Garching Campus are:

• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Physics
• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Informatics
• Department of Mechanical Engineering

Please note: Other TUM Departments, Schools and Research Institutes are either situated at the Munich City Campus or at the TUM School of Life Sciences in Weihenstephan or on another satellite campus. In order to get a feel for the size and structure of TUM please take a look at the central TUM webpages www.tum.de or go directly to https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/our-university/locations/ . The according maps can be found here: https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/contact-directions/ .

The following full time degree study programs are offered by and administered at the TUM Department of Chemistry:

• Chemistry, Bachelor of Science / Master of Science
• Food Chemistry, Bachelor of Science
• Biochemistry, Bachelor of Science / Master of Science
• Chemical Engineering, Bachelor of Science / Master of Science

Consequently, our range of lectures and laboratory courses are custom-made for these study programs.

Teaching language at the TUM Department of Chemistry is mainly German, in particular all (undergraduate) Bachelor lectures and laboratory courses are held in German only. The portion of Master courses in English is increasing, but still small in numbers. Advanced undergraduate exchange students may choose courses at Master level, assuming they hold the correct prerequisites, as some Master courses are specifically designed for well advanced students with their major in the respective subject.

So please be aware, that you need to have sufficient language skills by the time you arrive here.

• Minimum requirement for courses in German is a solid A2 level, but we strongly advise to hold a minimum of B1.
• Minimum requirement for courses in English is B1, but we strongly advise B2 or C1 for better achievements.

"Courses" are not necessarily equivalent with "modules", as a module can consist of more than one course. In the module description you get the full information about the contents, prerequisites, time frame, teaching language, exams, ECTS etc.

The identification of a "module" are two or three letters and a four to five digit number, e.g CH3005 Hauptgruppen Molekülchemie (Main Group Molecular Chemistry).
The module ID is used for the online exam registration!
Please include preferrably the module IDs in your Learning Agreements / Study Plans.

The identification of a „course“ is a long series of digits, e.g.
0000000613 Hauptgruppen Molekülchemie (Main Group Molecular Chemistry)
The course ID is used for the online registration for the lecture!

This is how you find all TUM modules with module descriptions:

• Log on https://campus.tum.de/tumonline/
• Choose "en" top right for English, if necessary
• Click "Search" top right and tick "Module handbook"
• Insert either a module title or module ID or a keyword and enter
• Click on the little book icon for the module description, for pdf or print version click "Export"

You can find manuals and tutorials for TUMonline, available both in German and in English, on the starting page of TUMonline, hidden in the tiny bottom line.
Direct link to manuals / tutorials: https://www.it.tum.de/tumonline/ --> click "en" top right for English, if necessary.

Hints and tricks how to use the "Search" function to match your specific interests:

Search related to TUM study programs run at Department of Chemistry
https://campus.tum.de/tumonline/ --> [top left] „en“ for English if necessary --> [left navigation column] Chemistry --> [column Teaching and Research] Degree Programmes -->  [click triangle] 17 Bachelor of Science or 16 Master of Science --> click onto the little book icon next to the study program of your interest for a completed module handbook [Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering only, as Industrial Chemistry is based in TUM Asia Singapore]

Search related to teaching language
https://campus.tum.de/tumonline/ --> [top left] „en“ for English if necessary --> [left navigation column] Chemistry --> [column Teaching and Research] Courses --> [column Language of instruction] activate filter and enter; not 100% reliable, though.

The best overview concerning modules for all our Bachelor programs are actually the odd time tables (German: Stundenpläne) – suitable for all with „robust“ German skills!

https://www.ch.tum.de/studium/ --> Stundenpläne

Chemie= Chemistry
Biochemie= Biochemistry
Lebensmittelchemie= Food Chemistry
Chemieingenieurwesen= Chemical Engineering

Winter terms are 1. / 3. / 5. semester time tables.
Summer terms are 2. / 4. / 6. semester time tables.

The best overview concerning modules for the Master program Chemistry, sorted by subject related majors (Inorganic / Organic / Physical / Technical Chemistry an other), can be found here.

The section „Technical Chemistry“, „Material Chemistry“, „Catalysis“ and other also apply to those specializing in Chemical Engineering.

For ordering a synopsis file with potential Master modules in Chemical Engineering please contact the Departmental International Office.

In order to fulfill the conditions for your financial grants, we recommend a Learning Agreement / Study Plan with

• a minimum of 15-20 ECTS per semester (average TUM module: 5 ECTS)
• a maximum of 30-35 ECTS  per semester for the ambitious.

Generally speaking, you may attend courses from all TUM Departments, but 50-60% of your study plan contents should be within the range of our Chemistry-related courses, or - in accordance with your full time degree study programs at home - related to other natural sciences or engineering.

For example, those studying Chemical Engineering may pick courses from our neighboring Department of Mechanical Engineering, as their modules are an integrative part of the curriculum/ syllabus of the TUM study program Chemical Engineering.

Exceptions from the rule are negotiable, if you can give convincing reasons.

In case of questions please contact the Departmental International Office.

Generally speaking, there is no direct access to laboratory courses or research oriented internships for exchange students, due to safety issues. Any participation in laboratory work affords a previous individual check of prerequisites, qualification and lab skills of the applicant. Most of all, it already requires your initiative before the start of your mobility:

1. Self-motivated orientation and research:
Research and find out relevant addressees in the desired field or subject: www.ch.tum.de --> click "en" top right for English --> Faculty / Scientific Institutions --> Department

2. Specified application in the desired field directly to the person in charge:
Contact directly the Chairs/Professors in charge for the relevant subjects/ research fields, hand in your CV, your transcript of records (grade report) and a motivation letter. Tell them your planned period of stay, ask for laboratory and supervision capacity and check out obligatory prerequisites; if you find a research group or a Chair that accepts you, the Professor in charge should issue a brief "Letter of Supervision" for you. (Please note, that some laboratory courses and interships have a limited number of places and in these cases full time degree students have priority.)

3. Add the pre-organised intership to your Erasmus/TUMexchange "Learning Agreement" and attach the "Letter of Supervision" when you hand in the application at your home university.

In case you want to include a laboratory course or research internship during mobility:

The pre-assessment as described above is usually done based on your documents and a personal interview with the potential supervisor in charge before registration for the lab course. In every case you need the explicit permission of the supervisor in charge. Please also inform the Departmental International Center when adding lab work to your study plan.

How the SARSCov2/Covid19 pandemic affects lab work:

Apart from the necessity to check your prerequisites and lab skills first, we are currently suffering from a general shortage of laboratory and supervision capacity. During the pandemic related lock-downs, lots of lab work had to be interrupted or postponed and consequently the need accumulated. At present, the distancing rules force us to spread out and work in shifts, therefore our TUM full time degree students have priority!

At TUM a study year starts on October 1st and is divided in a winter semester and a summer semester.

Winter semester (abbreviated WS or WiSe): From October 1st to March 30th
Summer semester (abbreviated SS or SoSe): From April 1st to September 30th

The lecturing period usually starts +/- two weeks after the beginn of the semester. The recent data can be found here.

Most relevant for you is specific information for exchange students, to be found here:

https://www.international.tum.de/en/exchangestudents/

In case you were tested positive with SARS-Cov2 see https://wiki.tum.de/x/qYMFKQ (in English).
However, we hope you will never need those contacts: Stay safe and healthy!