Engineering Practice for Engineers (Ingenieurspraxis, IP)
Guidelines for the Industrial Internship for Engineers (Ingenieurspraxis, IP) in the study program towards a Bachelor's Degree in Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik
Note: Only the German version of these guidelines is legally binding.
Hinweis: Rechtsgültig ist nur die deutsche Version dieses Merkblattes.
Purpose and content of the Ingenieurspraxis (IP)
The IP is a part of the curriculum of the study program towards a Bachelor's Degree in Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik. It provides the students the possibility to practically apply what she or he has learnt so far in the study program.
Therefore the project carried out in the IP should
- give insights in the actual work of an engineer and correspond to the task spectrum in the respective job market,
- include planning and conceptual work,
- refer clearly to the competences aquired in semesters 1-4 (Grundstudium) of the study program towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik.
Time Frame of the IP
The IP is an evaluated course achievement ("bewertete Studienleistung") and therefore can only be started after the start of the study program at TUM (i.e., when registered in TUMonline). In general, the IP can be taken at any time during the degree program. However, it is advised to do it after the GOP (Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung) exams have been passed in order to build upon the aquired basic competencies in the area of electrical and computer engineering.
The duration of the IP is 9 weeks altogether full time work (corresponding to 12 ECTS).
The IP can be divided in 2 parts of 4 and 5 weeks, respectively.
In reasonably justified cases the IP also can be performed as part time work of at least 20 hours per week over a consecutive period of at least 8 weeks. Thus the overall duration is 18 weeks of at least 20 hours per week.
Vacation days as well as sick leave days have to be made up.
Procedure and approach
The student looks for an internship position in industry, in administration or in a research institution. The student also can do the internship at an university institute or chair under the same conditions (full time work), but without any payment. The IP can also be performed in a foreign company or foreign university. The supervisor at the company (institute) defines a project and drafts a working plan together with the student.
To perform the IP in an own company or the company of close relatives is not allowed.
The student submits the work plan at least 4 weeks before the start date of the internship together with the filled out and signed form (Antrag auf Ableistung der Ingenieurpraxis) to the student services office. There, the form and work plan will be distributed to a selected professor of the department (exemplary work plan 1, exemplary work plan 2). In order to help finding the corresponding professor, the student should mark the topic area of the planned IP on the form.
The professor confirms to superwise this IP by signing the form sends the form back to the student services office. From there the student will be informed about the acceptance of the IP or its denial, respectively.
The successful completion of the internship (with information about the duration and weekly working hours) will be confirmed through the company by signing the form (Bestätigung über die erfolgreich abgeleistete Ingenieurpraxis).
The student writes a technical report about his/her project, motivation, achievements and results (in German or English; at least 1 DIN A4 page for 40 working hours respectively 9 pages for 9 weeks full time) according to the sample structure provided (Example structure) and the guidelines for the report (Guidelines for writing a report for the Engineering Practice). Only those achievements described in the report can be evaluated.
The report, the filled out and signed form (Bestätigung über die erfolgreich abgeleistete Ingenieurpraxis) and the internship certificate ("Arbeitszeugnis") have to be submitted to the above assigned supervising professor (named by student services office) for evaluation. The student also has to make an oral presentation about his/her achievements at the chair of the supervisor. The duration as well as the type of presentation is determined by the supervising professor.
The professor confirms by signature the successful internship completion and submits the form (Bestätigung über die erfolgreich abgeleistete Ingenieurpraxis) to the student services office.
After successful completion the internship will be entered into TUMonline.
If the student fails in an IP he/she can repeat it as often as needed was part of the study program duration, but with a different topic.
Approval of achievements that have been performed before the start of the study program
The IP committee decides upon request about approval of achievements that have been performed before the start of the study program (e.g. vocational training) as an IP. If a student wants to make such a request, he/she has to submit the respective form (Antrag auf Anerkennung) to the student services office. The student has to submit all necessary documents: training certificate, confirmation of company, IHK certificate and a technical report of 5 DIN A4 pages (with a description of aquired skills and achievements obtained). The student must apply for the approval of achievements in the first semester. The report must be written according the sample structure and refer to the above mentioned criteria (point 1).
An appropriate apprenticeship can be acknowledged by the IP comittee. No technical report is necessary in this case.
Also a certificate of "Höhere Technische Lehranstalt" (Österreich) and "Gewerbeoberschule" (Südtirol) in the area of Electrical Engineering are approved without report.