FAQ

Within the FAQs the following abbreviations are used: CBI (Chemical and Biological Engineering), CEN (Chemical Engineering – Sustainable Chemical Technologies), CEP (Clean Energy Processes), ET (Energy Technology), LSE (Life Science Engineering).

Further FAQs from university life can be found under FAU student a-z.

The Bachelor’s thesis is regulated in the ABMPO (General Study and Examination Regulation for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at the FAU Faculty of Engineering) and in the FPO (Program-specific Examination Regulations).

ABMPO, especially § 27 Bachelor thesis: ABMPO/TechFak

FPO CBI/CEN/LSE/ET, in particular § 40 Bachelor thesis (for ET: § 42): Examination regulations/TechFak

Short summary (please read the mentioned § of ABMPO and the respective FPO!):

  • Admission requirement is the acquisition of at least 110 ECTS credits and the successful completion of the Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (GOP).
  • The topic of the Bachelor’s thesis is assigned by a university lecturer from the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering working full-time at the Faculty of Engineering (for ET: the TF, § 42 FPOET) (see FPO). Topics can be found here and on the notice boards and websites of the chairs.
  • Topic and date of starting the thesis have to be communicated to the examination office (informal notification by supervisor, chair if applicable). The chairs usually have their own templates. If necessary, this document can be used in consultation with the supervisor).
  • The time from the assignment of the topic to the submission of the Bachelor thesis is approx. 360 hours (3-5 months) and can only be extended by a maximum of one month upon justified application (exception by medical certificate, see ABMPO § 27 (4)).
  • The Bachelor thesis and its results are to be presented in a presentation of max. 30 minutes followed by a discussion.
  • A failed Bachelor thesis can be repeated once (see ABMPO § 27 (5)).

 

The Degree Program and Examination Regulations (Fachprüfungsordnung (FPO)) provides important information about your studies, so it is worth knowing it from the beginning. The FPO contains, among other things, the study plan, the regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, names the GOP modules and regulates the transition from Bachelor’s to Master’s studies. There is a separate FPO for each degree program. It supplements the General Study and Examination Regulations for the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs at the Faculty of Engineering at FAU – ABMPO/TechFak. If you are looking for information in your FPO and cannot find it, please have a look at the ABMPO. In all likelihood, you will find the answer to your question here.

The degree program and examination regulations (your FPO and ABMPO) can be found on the homepage of the examination office:

Degree Program and Examination Regulations/Faculty of Engineering

Elective modules from the FAU-range (Module B 9 in the Bachelor LSE, Module M 12 in the Master LSE): Please see the FAQ in German.

Written examinations are scheduled centrally by the examination office of the Faculty of Engineering. Examination dates are usually announced at the latest during the registration period of the Faculty of Engineering (see Registration Periods for examinations/Faculty of Engineering).
You can find out more about exam scheduling here: Examination dates/Faculty of Engineering

The examinations of the Faculty of Engineering are held in two examination periods:

1st examination period – two weeks directly after the end of the lecture period.

2nd examination period – usually three weeks before the beginning of the following semester.

An overview of the dates of the upcoming examination periods can be found on the website of the examination office: Examination Periods/Faculty of Engineering

Erasmus, mobility in Europe: Partner universities of Department CBI
Students of Energy Technologies have the possibility to use Erasmus cooperation of the departments CBI, EEI and WW.

International partnerships of the Faculty of Engineering: Partner universities of Faculty of Engineering

Partner universities in FAU’s direct exchange program (for students of all faculties): Partner universities of FAU

Free Mover: You can also spend a semester at a university abroad outside of an FAU exchange program. Studying abroad as a “free mover” means that you must clarify study opportunities, admission requirements, financing (tuition fees are usually not waived!) with the foreign university on your own. You can find more information about this on the FAU website.

The fundamentals and orientation examination (in German: “Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung (GOP)) consists of 6  (CEP: 7) module examinations amounting to 40 (Energy Technology: 42.5) ECTS credits.
The GOP is passed when 30 ECTS of these have been earned.
The GOP examinations may only be repeated once in the event of failure (other examinations may be repeated three times).
The GOP must be taken in the first two semesters (at the latest in the third).

The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree program LSE comprises the following modules: Mathematik für LSE 1 (Mathematik D1, 1. Semester), Experimentalphysik (1. Semester), Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie (1. Semester), Mikrobiologie (1. Semester), Bioanalytik (2. Semester) and Bioprozesstechnik mit Hauptseminar (2. Semester). If you have not passed the exam of Experimentalphysik, for example, this is no reason to panic. You must pass Bioanalytik and Bioprozesstechnik mit Hauptseminar in the summer semester and your GOP is therefore passed. The Experimentalphysik exam is then no longer a GOP for you and you can repeat it three times.

The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree programs CBI and CEN is almost identical and comprises the following modules: Mathematik D1 (1. Semester), Experimentalphysik (1. Semester), Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie (1. Semester), Statik und Festigkeitslehre (1. Semester), Werkstoffkunde (2. Semester) and Chemische und Biologische Prozesstechnik mit Einführungsprojekt (CBPT, CBI) respectively Chemische Prozesstechnik mit Einführungsprojekt (CPT, CEN) (2. Semester). This is similar to the Bachelor’s degree program LSE: if you have failed the the exam in Experimentalphysik, for example, you must pass Werkstoffkunde and C(B)PT in the summer semester in order to pass the GOP.

The GOP in the bachelor’s degree program CEP includes the following modules: Mathematics I and II, Foundations of Chemical reaction engineering, Physics I, Renewable Energies, Introduction to Interface Engineering and Electrochemistry. These modules amout to a total of 40 ECTS of which you must have accumulated 30 ECTS points in the first two to maximum three semesters. Once you have passed the GOP, you can repeat the other exams three times.

The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree program in Energy Technology comprises the following modules: Mathematik für ET 1 und ET 2, Werkstoffe und ihre Struktur, Grundlagen der Elektrotechnik I und II, chemische Grundlagen der Energietechnik und Werkstoffe: Mechanische Eigenschaften und Verarbeitung (these lectures are part of the module: Mechanische Eigenschaften der Werkstoffe and Materialien für Regenerative-Energie-Anwendungen). This is a total of 42.5 ECTS of which you must have collected 30 ECTS points in the first two to maximum three semesters. Once you have passed the GOP, you can repeat the other examinations three times.

In the Master’s degree programs CBI, CEN, LSE an industrial (mandatory) internship of at least 12 weeks must be completed. The internship is to be carried out in an industrial company according to the guidelines, see: Industrial internship CBI/CEN/LSE.

Please note that the “mandatory” period is only 12 weeks. From the 13th week onwards, a voluntary internship begins for you. Please note the information about the minimum wage: Industrial Internship CBI/CEN/LSE (available in German only).

The internship office can issue a document stating that the internship is mandatory if this is desired by the company. However, we ask you to kindly refer to Annex 2 of the Degree Program and Examination Regulations of the respective degree program first, since the industrial internship is included in the curriculum as a compulsory module: Degree program and Examination Regulations/Faculty of Engineering.

For the recognition of the industrial internship of CBI, CEN, LSE, an internship certificate (not a report!) has to be handed in to the internship office via email: cbi-praktikumsamt@fau.de.

For the Bachelor Energy Technology a practical vocational activitity of 6 weeks and for the Master of Energy Technology of 8 weeks has to be proven.
The number of weeks pertains to a full-time internship. In case of part-time work (at least 8h/week), the number of weeks must be extended accordingly.

The internship office of the Department EEI is responsible for the recognition. All information can be found on the website of the Internship Office.

You can take a leave of absence from your studies, f.ex. because of a semester abroad as an exchange student or an industrial internship (or also because of illness, pregnancy, taking care of a close relative…). The application must be submitted to the Student Records Office of FAU, see Application for Leave of Absence and Guidelines for Leave of Absence: Website of the Student Records Office. For international students: Please check with the Foreigner’s Office which rules apply in your case and if a leave of absence can be taken!

The application should normally be submitted by the beginning of the lecture period. Retroactive leave of absence for semesters already completed (or after the lecture period) is not possible.

A leave of absence in the 1st semester with the purpose of an industrial internship or a stay abroad is not possible. For more information, see the guidelines for leave of absence from studies on the website of the student records office.

Important for exam planning: during the leave of absence, no first exams can be taken, only repeat exams. Repeat exams (second and third attempt) must even be taken! In this case it is advisable to consult the examination office. The staff member of the examination office can deregister you from the repeat examination.

The Master’s thesis is regulated in the ABMPO (General Study and Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at the FAU Faculty of Engineering) and in the FPO (Program-specific Examination Regulations).

ABMPO, especially section 32 Master’s thesis: ABMPO/TechFak

FPO CBI/CEN/LSE/: Section 43 Master’s thesis

FPO CEP: Section 50 Master’s thesis

FPO ET: Section 48 Master’s thesis

For CBI/CEN/ET/LSE see FAQs on the German website

In the timetable of the 4th semester of the bachelor degree programs CBI and CEN you will find, among others, the following courses: “Chemical Thermodynamics” and “Interfaces in Process Engineering”. Together they form the module “Fundamentals of VT 1 – Phase Equilibria and Interfaces” (7.5 ECTS). At the end of the semester, an exam is written that consists of both parts.

The project planning course is a compulsory module in the master programs CBI, CEN and LSE. It is a block course offered twice a year (usually in March and September/October) with the aim of carrying out the project planning of a chemical or biochemical production plant in small groups. The project planning course should be taken after the 2nd semester at the earliest, since the specialized knowledge from the earlier semesters is required for successful participation. To learn more about the project engineering course, please visit the CBI/CEN/LSE project planning course website.

Registration takes place via Campo (see registration period for module exams: Examination Office/Faculty of Engineering) as well as via StudOn (usually in the first two weeks of lectures). The StudOn registration dates can be found in Campo and on the homepage of the project planning course.

In case of difficulties in your studies (exam anxiety, learning difficulties, integration difficulties, illness…) as well as in your private life (loneliness, family problems, addictions…) you can make use of the Counselling and Psychological Services of the Faculty of Engineering or the Studentenwerk. In both cases, “open consultation hours” are offered, but an appointment is strongly recommended!

Recognition of industrial internship: Industrial internship CBI/CEN/LSE

Recognition of internship: Internship CEP

Recognition for degree programs CBI/CEN/LSE: Recognition of academic achievements

Recognition for stays abroad: Going abroad

Recognition for degree programme Energy Technology (ET): Recognition of academic achievements ET

For registration in module examinations (exams, oral exams, lab courses…) a registration via Campo is necessary. Registration takes place during the registration period of the Faculty of Engineering (see Registration Periods/Faculty of Engineering). For the first attempt you have to register yourself. You can withdraw up to three working days before the first date (recommended: one week in advance). Withdrawal is possible via Campo. After that withdrawal is only possible with a medical certificate. You will be automatically registered for the second and third attempt and the “three days rule” no longer applies (only with a medical certificate).

Important! For lab courses, registration via StudOn is usually required in addition to registration via Campo. You will usually be informed about this in the first lecture of the module or by email.

Are you a new student and have questions about your studies or have you been here for a while and would like to volunteer for the interests of your fellow students?
Then please contact the FSI CBI.

You can find out more about the FSI here: Student association FSI CBI.

Homepage FSI CBI: cbi.fsi.fau.de

Email address: fsi-cbi@fau.de

Do you have questions about our degree programs? The Study Service Center (SSC) will be happy to help you with questions regarding applications to the degree program, the course of studies, master degree programs, planning a stay abroad, perspectives in the event of dropping out of studies, industrial internships and many other matters.
Please contact us!

Study programs CBI, CEN, CEP and LSE: Student Service Centre CBI

Study program Energy Technology: Student Service Centre ET

Please see: www.cbi.tf.fau.eu/education/degree-programs

Bachelor’s Thesis
The Bachelor’s thesis is regulated in the ABMPO (General Study and Examination Regulation for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at the FAU Faculty of Engineering) and in the FPO (Program-specific Examination Regulations). ABMPO, especially § 27 Bachelor thesis: ABMPO/TechFak FPO CBI/CEN/LSE/ET, in particular § 40 Bachelor thesis (for ET: § 42): Examination regulations/TechFak Short summary (please read the mentioned § of ABMPO and the respective FPO!): Admission requirement is the acquisition of at least 110 ECTS credits and the successful completion of the Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (GOP). The topic of the Bachelor’s thesis is assigned by a university lecturer from the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering working full-time at the Faculty of Engineering (for ET: the TF, § 42 FPOET) (see FPO). Topics can be found here and on the notice boards and websites of the chairs. Topic and date of starting the thesis have to be communicated to the examination office (informal notification by supervisor, chair if applicable). The chairs usually have their own templates. If necessary, this document can be used in consultation with the supervisor). The time from the assignment of the topic to the submission of the Bachelor thesis is approx. 360 hours (3-5 months) and can only be extended by a maximum of one month upon justified application (exception by medical certificate, see ABMPO § 27 (4)). The Bachelor thesis and its results are to be presented in a presentation of max. 30 minutes followed by a discussion. A failed Bachelor thesis can be repeated once (see ABMPO § 27 (5)).  
Degree Program and Examination Regulations (FPO)
The Degree Program and Examination Regulations (Fachprüfungsordnung (FPO)) provides important information about your studies, so it is worth knowing it from the beginning. The FPO contains, among other things, the study plan, the regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, names the GOP modules and regulates the transition from Bachelor’s to Master’s studies. There is a separate FPO for each degree program. It supplements the General Study and Examination Regulations for the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs at the Faculty of Engineering at FAU – ABMPO/TechFak. If you are looking for information in your FPO and cannot find it, please have a look at the ABMPO. In all likelihood, you will find the answer to your question here. The degree program and examination regulations (your FPO and ABMPO) can be found on the homepage of the examination office: Degree Program and Examination Regulations/Faculty of Engineering
Elective modules – Bachelor and Master LSE
Elective modules from the FAU-range (Module B 9 in the Bachelor LSE, Module M 12 in the Master LSE): Please see the FAQ in German.
Examination dates
Written examinations are scheduled centrally by the examination office of the Faculty of Engineering. Examination dates are usually announced at the latest during the registration period of the Faculty of Engineering (see Registration Periods for examinations/Faculty of Engineering). You can find out more about exam scheduling here: Examination dates/Faculty of Engineering
Examination periods
The examinations of the Faculty of Engineering are held in two examination periods: 1st examination period – two weeks directly after the end of the lecture period. 2nd examination period – usually three weeks before the beginning of the following semester. An overview of the dates of the upcoming examination periods can be found on the website of the examination office: Examination Periods/Faculty of Engineering
Going abroad
Erasmus, mobility in Europe: Partner universities of Department CBI Students of Energy Technologies have the possibility to use Erasmus cooperation of the departments CBI, EEI and WW. International partnerships of the Faculty of Engineering: Partner universities of Faculty of Engineering Partner universities in FAU’s direct exchange program (for students of all faculties): Partner universities of FAU Free Mover: You can also spend a semester at a university abroad outside of an FAU exchange program. Studying abroad as a “free mover” means that you must clarify study opportunities, admission requirements, financing (tuition fees are usually not waived!) with the foreign university on your own. You can find more information about this on the FAU website.
GOP – Grundlagen und Orientierungsprüfung
The fundamentals and orientation examination (in German: “Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung (GOP)) consists of 6  (CEP: 7) module examinations amounting to 40 (Energy Technology: 42.5) ECTS credits. The GOP is passed when 30 ECTS of these have been earned. The GOP examinations may only be repeated once in the event of failure (other examinations may be repeated three times). The GOP must be taken in the first two semesters (at the latest in the third). The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree program LSE comprises the following modules: Mathematik für LSE 1 (Mathematik D1, 1. Semester), Experimentalphysik (1. Semester), Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie (1. Semester), Mikrobiologie (1. Semester), Bioanalytik (2. Semester) and Bioprozesstechnik mit Hauptseminar (2. Semester). If you have not passed the exam of Experimentalphysik, for example, this is no reason to panic. You must pass Bioanalytik and Bioprozesstechnik mit Hauptseminar in the summer semester and your GOP is therefore passed. The Experimentalphysik exam is then no longer a GOP for you and you can repeat it three times. The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree programs CBI and CEN is almost identical and comprises the following modules: Mathematik D1 (1. Semester), Experimentalphysik (1. Semester), Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie (1. Semester), Statik und Festigkeitslehre (1. Semester), Werkstoffkunde (2. Semester) and Chemische und Biologische Prozesstechnik mit Einführungsprojekt (CBPT, CBI) respectively Chemische Prozesstechnik mit Einführungsprojekt (CPT, CEN) (2. Semester). This is similar to the Bachelor’s degree program LSE: if you have failed the the exam in Experimentalphysik, for example, you must pass Werkstoffkunde and C(B)PT in the summer semester in order to pass the GOP. The GOP in the bachelor’s degree program CEP includes the following modules: Mathematics I and II, Foundations of Chemical reaction engineering, Physics I, Renewable Energies, Introduction to Interface Engineering and Electrochemistry. These modules amout to a total of 40 ECTS of which you must have accumulated 30 ECTS points in the first two to maximum three semesters. Once you have passed the GOP, you can repeat the other exams three times. The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree program in Energy Technology comprises the following modules: Mathematik für ET 1 und ET 2, Werkstoffe und ihre Struktur, Grundlagen der Elektrotechnik I und II, chemische Grundlagen der Energietechnik und Werkstoffe: Mechanische Eigenschaften und Verarbeitung (these lectures are part of the module: Mechanische Eigenschaften der Werkstoffe and Materialien für Regenerative-Energie-Anwendungen). This is a total of 42.5 ECTS of which you must have collected 30 ECTS points in the first two to maximum three semesters. Once you have passed the GOP, you can repeat the other examinations three times.
Industrial internship CBI, CEN, LSE
In the Master’s degree programs CBI, CEN, LSE an industrial (mandatory) internship of at least 12 weeks must be completed. The internship is to be carried out in an industrial company according to the guidelines, see: Industrial internship CBI/CEN/LSE. Please note that the “mandatory” period is only 12 weeks. From the 13th week onwards, a voluntary internship begins for you. Please note the information about the minimum wage: Industrial Internship CBI/CEN/LSE (available in German only). The internship office can issue a document stating that the internship is mandatory if this is desired by the company. However, we ask you to kindly refer to Annex 2 of the Degree Program and Examination Regulations of the respective degree program first, since the industrial internship is included in the curriculum as a compulsory module: Degree program and Examination Regulations/Faculty of Engineering. For the recognition of the industrial internship of CBI, CEN, LSE, an internship certificate (not a report!) has to be handed in to the internship office via email: cbi-praktikumsamt@fau.de.
Industrial internship ET
For the Bachelor Energy Technology a practical vocational activitity of 6 weeks and for the Master of Energy Technology of 8 weeks has to be proven. The number of weeks pertains to a full-time internship. In case of part-time work (at least 8h/week), the number of weeks must be extended accordingly. The internship office of the Department EEI is responsible for the recognition. All information can be found on the website of the Internship Office.
Leave of absence
You can take a leave of absence from your studies, f.ex. because of a semester abroad as an exchange student or an industrial internship (or also because of illness, pregnancy, taking care of a close relative…). The application must be submitted to the Student Records Office of FAU, see Application for Leave of Absence and Guidelines for Leave of Absence: Website of the Student Records Office. For international students: Please check with the Foreigner’s Office which rules apply in your case and if a leave of absence can be taken! The application should normally be submitted by the beginning of the lecture period. Retroactive leave of absence for semesters already completed (or after the lecture period) is not possible. A leave of absence in the 1st semester with the purpose of an industrial internship or a stay abroad is not possible. For more information, see the guidelines for leave of absence from studies on the website of the student records office. Important for exam planning: during the leave of absence, no first exams can be taken, only repeat exams. Repeat exams (second and third attempt) must even be taken! In this case it is advisable to consult the examination office. The staff member of the examination office can deregister you from the repeat examination.
Master’s Thesis
The Master’s thesis is regulated in the ABMPO (General Study and Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at the FAU Faculty of Engineering) and in the FPO (Program-specific Examination Regulations). ABMPO, especially section 32 Master’s thesis: ABMPO/TechFak FPO CBI/CEN/LSE/: Section 43 Master’s thesis FPO CEP: Section 50 Master’s thesis FPO ET: Section 48 Master’s thesis For CBI/CEN/ET/LSE see FAQs on the German website
Module Chemical Thermodynamics/Interfaces in Process Engineering
In the timetable of the 4th semester of the bachelor degree programs CBI and CEN you will find, among others, the following courses: “Chemical Thermodynamics” and “Interfaces in Process Engineering”. Together they form the module “Fundamentals of VT 1 – Phase Equilibria and Interfaces” (7.5 ECTS). At the end of the semester, an exam is written that consists of both parts.
Project planning course
The project planning course is a compulsory module in the master programs CBI, CEN and LSE. It is a block course offered twice a year (usually in March and September/October) with the aim of carrying out the project planning of a chemical or biochemical production plant in small groups. The project planning course should be taken after the 2nd semester at the earliest, since the specialized knowledge from the earlier semesters is required for successful participation. To learn more about the project engineering course, please visit the CBI/CEN/LSE project planning course website. Registration takes place via Campo (see registration period for module exams: Examination Office/Faculty of Engineering) as well as via StudOn (usually in the first two weeks of lectures). The StudOn registration dates can be found in Campo and on the homepage of the project planning course.
Psychological-Psychotherapeutic Counseling
In case of difficulties in your studies (exam anxiety, learning difficulties, integration difficulties, illness…) as well as in your private life (loneliness, family problems, addictions…) you can make use of the Counselling and Psychological Services of the Faculty of Engineering or the Studentenwerk. In both cases, “open consultation hours” are offered, but an appointment is strongly recommended!
Recognition of study achievements
Recognition of industrial internship: Industrial internship CBI/CEN/LSE Recognition of internship: Internship CEP Recognition for degree programs CBI/CEN/LSE: Recognition of academic achievements Recognition for stays abroad: Going abroad Recognition for degree programme Energy Technology (ET): Recognition of academic achievements ET
Registration for module examinations/laboratory courses
For registration in module examinations (exams, oral exams, lab courses…) a registration via Campo is necessary. Registration takes place during the registration period of the Faculty of Engineering (see Registration Periods/Faculty of Engineering). For the first attempt you have to register yourself. You can withdraw up to three working days before the first date (recommended: one week in advance). Withdrawal is possible via Campo. After that withdrawal is only possible with a medical certificate. You will be automatically registered for the second and third attempt and the “three days rule” no longer applies (only with a medical certificate). Important! For lab courses, registration via StudOn is usually required in addition to registration via Campo. You will usually be informed about this in the first lecture of the module or by email.
Student association FSI CBI
Are you a new student and have questions about your studies or have you been here for a while and would like to volunteer for the interests of your fellow students? Then please contact the FSI CBI. You can find out more about the FSI here: Student association FSI CBI. Homepage FSI CBI: cbi.fsi.fau.de Email address: fsi-cbi@fau.de
Student Service Centre Department CBI
Do you have questions about our degree programs? The Study Service Center (SSC) will be happy to help you with questions regarding applications to the degree program, the course of studies, master degree programs, planning a stay abroad, perspectives in the event of dropping out of studies, industrial internships and many other matters. Please contact us! Study programs CBI, CEN, CEP and LSE: Student Service Centre CBI Study program Energy Technology: Student Service Centre ET
Websites of the degree programs
Please see: www.cbi.tf.fau.eu/education/degree-programs