Information for First Year Students

Student Representatives of Materials Science

Did you just start studying in Stuttgart? In this page you will find a bunch of useful information to make your start easier! Important dates, contact addresses and FAQ all compiled in one place.

Welcome!

Welcome to our master's program at the University of Stuttgart! We’re thrilled to have you join us and wish you a wonderful time in the Materials Science Master's program and hope you enjoy every moment of it!

On this page, you’ll find all the essential information to help you navigate the program. If any information is missing or outdated, don't hesitate to contact us.

 

The winter semester 2024/2025 officially starts on October 1st, and the first week of lectures is October 14th - 18th. More information on the academic calendar, breaks, holidays, examination dates, and more, you can find on the official site of the uni.

To get started, be sure to read the checklist for First Semester Students that we have for you, it's designed to guide you through your initial steps.  While it includes important tips especially for international students, there’s valuable information for everyone, regardless of country of origin, so don’t miss it!

 

Important dates and upcoming events

Winter and summer semester are always termed from 01. October to 31. March and from 01. Apil to 30. September, respectively. The lecture period usually starts around two weeks after the begin of the semester and ends two months early to allow time to study for examinations. The actual dates may shift a few days depending on the day of week. You will find all the dates including holidays and lecture free periods around Christmas and Easter on the page linked below. (They don't call it winter and spring break because you're supposed to study... how nice!)
https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/studienorganisation/semestertermine/

Important: If you are to continue studying in the following semester you have to re-register by transferring the tuition fee, usually at least one and a half months prior to the start of the new semester. You will be reminded by an automatic e-mail to your student's address but you can also find all details here:
https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/en/organizing-studies/formalities/re-registration/ 

The international office offers guidance on a great variety of topics for the incomming international students. The information offered by the IO is complementary to the information that the master program and the student representatives at materials science offer, since we focuss on specifics of the program and the IO is in charge of making sure that you have all the information and tools for the general formalities of being an international student at the Uni Stuttgart. Check out their orientation days and the information that they offer for you.

Most examinations, written or oral are conducted in the lecture free periods at the end of each semester. Most written exams are centrally organized by the examination office although some of them and most oral exams are organized by the institute or professor in charge of the lecture. To take part in any examination you must register with the examination office! To do that, register for each exam separately during the registration period. Find the deadlines and information on centrally organized exams on the pages of the examination office:
https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/en/exams/deadlines/

Welcome events and introductory meetings

Date Time Place What?
Friday, 18/10/24 14:00 PWR 55 ZG 634 (Student Reps room)

Master Welcome Event* organized by the Student Representatives

Please sign up here

TBD** TBD Campus Vaihingen Campus tour with the student reps
TBD TBD Max-Planck Campus Welcome Meeting for M.Sc. Materials Science students by the Academic Advisor Mr. Schacherl and the Student Reps

* This event is organized by the Student Representatives and is there to give you more (informal) information on how to start your studies and get around in Germany. To better plan this, please sign up here.

**TBD = to be determined: If you are interested, please email us with your date of arrival, so we can choose an appropriate date! (It will be in the week before lectures start or the first week of lectures.)

General information on lectures and exams

We have prepared a handout that briefly explains all the basics of the academic organization of the master program, in other words, this handout contains information on how each module is organized, the classes that are contained in there, and some recommendations on how to organize your studies.

Click here to access and download the PDF.

If you need detailed information, then check out the following sections, which explain in more depth all the classes that are part of our master program.

While it is technically not necessary to register for lectures, registration will allow you access to the respective ILIAS group and with that to all online resources, downloads, etc. That is especially important at the moment as most teaching happens online anyways and the ILIAS group will be used to share information, excercise sheets, videos and everything else.
Since registration is not mandatory you can generally join lectures at any time in the semester. However, this might be different for lab classes or tutorials as smaller groups may be set up in the beginning or you might be required to attend all or a certain percentage of meetings.

To register for a lecture/ tutorial/ ...

  • Log on to your C@mpus account and open My Degree Programme
  • Select a Module from the list and expand it with (+). In most cases you will find an examination marked with a red (P) and classes marked with a blue (Lv).
  • If there is a green (T) next to the name of the class on the right side, you can register. If there is no T the lecture probably is not offered in that semester (or registration is closed for some other reason). Click on the green arrow to get to the registration form.
  • The correct Container should already be selected (something like Materials Science → Compulsory Modules → <selected module>) so you can continue.
  • On the next page you can register by clicking the respective button.
  • A link on the module's C@mpus page should take you to the respective ILIAS group or you can directly search for the lecture's name in ILIAS.

Please note that you have to register separately for the exam!

Find a schematic of our program structure HERE. This is a recommendation but you may want to switch the lectures around a bit depending on your specializations. More on that in the next section Which Lectures to Choose, How to Build your Schedule.

A module may include lectures, tutorials, seminars or lab classes or a combination of several of the above. A module will result in a single grade or "passed" mark for all associated activities. A common example would be a lecture with an accompanying excercise/tutorial session. Turning in a set percentage of excercises may be a requirement to take the examination. This is called Schein (ticket). For every module you are awarded a number of credit points (CP) depending on the typical time consumed by all activities associated with the module. They come in multiples of three and are also called ECTS credits or Leistungspunkte (LP) in German.

There are compulsory modules, which every student has to take (shown in dark blue). They are offered once a year, either in summer (SS) or winter (WS). The seminar may be offered in summer and winter depending on the number of students and professors interested. The compulsory modules are:
Synthesis and Properties of Inorganic Materials (WS)
Advanced Materials Science Laboratory (WS)
Atomic Transport and Phase Transformations (SS)
Polymer Materials Science (SS)
Advanced Science Seminar (WS)

You can choose two out of our eight specialization subjects. Find all information concerning the specializations HERE. Some general remarks:

  • You can split the credit points among the two specializations 12:18 or 15:15 as you like. You don't have to decide beforehand, you can make it up as you go along, but do put some thought into which outs you will have in the end.
  • You cannot have more than 30 CP combined. That means if you already have 15 CP in one of your specializations and 12 CP in the other you cannot take another 6 CP module in either. If there is an additional lecture you would like to hear you can likely credit it in the optional courses (see below)
  • Some specializations have compulsory modules of their own. For example, if you choose the Inorganic Materials Chemistry specialization you must take the Inorganic Materials Chemistry for Material Scientists lecture, then may choose an additional one to hear.
  • Not all modules are offered in English, especially in the Plastics Engineering and Metals and Structural Materials specialization. However you can complete all specializations except Plastics Engineering with English lectures. If the title is English but teaching starts in German, be sure to tell your professor right away! Usually they will switch to English without giving it a second thought, they just forget to ask in the beginning.

In the section Optional Courses pretty much anything is possible. Therefore you can choose an additional module from your specialization, a module from a different specialization subject, from an entirely different course of study (chemistry, engineering, architecture, whatever) or one of the designated key qualifications modules (which you will find in this section in C@mpus). Lectures that are also available outside the key qualifications, for example everything listed in the tab [related to the subject] are treated like all other lectures as mentioned above. For more detailed information refer to the section Optional Courses, Key Qualifications, Registration for Key Qualifications below.

The module Practical Skills and Project Planning is supposed to prepare you for your master's thesis. You can get more information on the master thesis on the section All about the thesis.

Everything concerning the Optional Courses (9 CP) sometimes also referred to as soft skills or key qualification modules...

Here, you can choose pretty much any lecture available at the university. Therefore you can choose a lecture from a different specialization subject, from an entirely different program (chemistry, engineering, architecture, whatever) or one of the designated key qualifications modules (which you will find in the section named accordingly in C@mpus). Lectures that are also available outside the key qualifications, for example everything listed in the tab [related to the subject] are treated like all other lectures as discussed above.

The designated key qualifications modules [unrelated to the subject] are all 3 credits and mostly in German. You will find some in English though, so it is worth a look and you can also learn a new language here. Some are offered every semester others only in winter or summer. The number of participants is limited in most cases since everyboy in the whole university can apply. Therefore there are two registration phases. After the first registration phase (Registrierphase) there is a short assignment phase (Vergabephase) during which applicants will be notified which courses they got into. A second registration phase will then start to give you the chance to apply for more courses or try again if you did not get in. You can apply for several courses at once and prioritize your applications in Campus but you can only be allowed into two courses per semester. On these courses there may be a waiting list.

Keep in mind these are completely separate from the regular lectures, so you can fill the Optional Courses container with a 6 credit regular lecture (that includes "Key qualifications related to the subject") and one 3 credit key qualification (unrelated) or any other combination as long as the sum is 9 credits and no more.

The module Practical Skills and Project Planning is supposed to prepare you for your master's thesis. You can use the time (one semester half time or three months full time) to get to know the group, learn the techniques necessary for your thesis and do some preliminary work. If you notice that your topic was completely the wrong choice, theoretically you can still change it after the module. The module was originally created because some analytical methods like TEM or atom probe tomography take very long to learn.

The Masters Thesis - the cherry on the cake! By default you can do it with any professor that offers any module in our program, specialization or not. Otherwise there is not much to say about it - it's a thesis like anywhere else.
If you want to do your thesis in another group outside those or with a company you still need one of these professors as your first corrector and supervisor. In that case, talk to Prof. Bill, Head of the Examionation Board, for permission and necessary arrangements.

If you want information on how to register the master thesis, check out the information given in the official site of the master program by clicking here and scroll until the last topic. You will also find more details about the external completion of the thesis

Dates and Deadlines
Most examinations, written or oral are conducted in the lecture free periods at the end of each semester. Most written exams are centrally organized by the examination office although some of them and most oral exams are organized by the institute or professor in charge of the lecture. To take part in any examination you must register with the examination office! To do that, register for each exam separately during the registration period. Find the deadlines and information on centrally organized exams on the pages of the examination office:
https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/en/exams/deadlines/

Rules for Registration
You can register to as many exams as you like and you can withdraw your registration without explanation until one week before the exam. A withdrawal at a later stage requires a medical attestation from a doctor. A registration outside the registration period or re-registration after withdrawing is not possible. We recommend that you register for all exams that you might like to take during the semester. Then, when it becomes clear that you will not be able to take all of them you can later (but one week before the date) withdraw. Find more information and possible changes by following the above link.

Exams that are no exams (or are they?)
While not all modules will have an examination, the professor or teacher responsible always has to enter some kind of remark into the system that tells that you passed. That is the case for example in the Advanced Science Seminar or the Advanced Materials Science Lab Class. In order for them to be able to enter that passing remark you need to register for the exam (even though there is no exam). It works exactly as with a regular lecture, the process is described below. If you are not sure about it, just ask the organizer of the lab class or seminar, and they will tell you what to do.

How to Register for an Exam
Registration to an exam is done in C@mpus just like the registration for lectures (see in Lecture section below). Choose My Degree Programme from your start page, select a module and expand it. Lectures and tutorials are marked by a blue (Lv), exams are marked by a red (P). If the registration for exams is open (registration period) there is a green arrow next to the examination that will take you to the registration form.

For a detailed explanation what types of modules exist in our program and some regulations, please refer to the above section. The following guide is not official, however, from experience it can save you a lot of trouble later on or at least give you some rough guidelines.

When planning your schedule you have to take into account that
1) most modules are offered once per year (i.e. only in winter or summer) some even only every two years.
2) there are some compulsory modules you have to take and some less important things that you can swap out later, should you need to.
Therefore, the following guide aims to help you prioritize the modules and then select the best order to study all modules that you want. The weekdays and times one specific lecture is held is *usually* kept constant from one year to the next but it may still change. As a thumb rule, changes become less likely the more students attend a lecture and the more programs are involved. In very small specialization modules you might be able to talk to the professor and find a time that suits everyone. With a lot of choice comes a lot of responsibility: It is difficult to plan the whole schedule before the first semester and never change it before you receive your degree, but it helps a lot if you have a good idea of what you want to do and then only swap out a few components in your plan.

  1. Choose your specializations. Pick the two that you like the most, keep a third priority in mind. Note that Plastics Engineering is all German and other specializations may contain some German lectures as well so you won't have as many choices to pick from. Ask if you are not sure.
  2. From the specializations you chose, check if there are compulsory modules inside. Prioritize the other modules so you have a second choice in case something clashes. Note that you have to fill the specializations with exactly 30 CP (15+15 or 12+18, as explained in the above section).
  3. For each module, find out whether it is offered every semester (rarely the case), in summer or winter, or only every two years (also rarely, but this can lead to trouble). If you cannot find the information on the module's C@mpus page you can search the Module Catalog and check if it was offered in regular intervals in the past  (set the term in the top left).
  4. If you found any module you would like to take that is offered every two years, set that first. Note the term it will come up in, check what days of the week it will be on (they usually keep that constant) and keep that spot clear. If that time slot is also occupied by one of the compulsory modules you will have to move that to the other year and keep the time slot free for that as well.
  5. Note clashes between the other modules from your specialization subjects and compulsory modules. Plan out in which semester you will attend the compulsory modules and fill the gaps with your choice of modules from the specializations. If you move them around a bit, hopefully, everything will fit. Otherwise revert to the lower priorities. Keep the 30 CP limit in mind.
  6. If there is any module you could not fit you can still put it in the optional courses. It may not be listed there in C@mpus, but if you talk to our program manager Dr. Ralf Schacherl he will confirm if it is possible and tell you how to get it.
  7. Fill the remaining open CP in the optional courses with key qualifications related or unrelated to the subject or a combination of the two. Note that you can only be allowed two designated key qualifications modules per semester. For details refer to the Optional Courses section.

FAQ

If you are to continue studying in the following semester you have to re-register by transferring the tuition fee, usually at least one and a half months prior to the start of the new semester. You will be reminded by an automatic e-mail to your student's address but you can also find all details here:
https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/en/organizing-studies/formalities/re-registration/ 

In C@mpus in My Certificates you can print all documents related to studying. That includes the validation for your student ID (ECUS stamp), confirmation of enrollment (sometimes called matriculation certificate or Immatrikulationsbescheinigung in German), an overview of all modules and grades and the receipt for paying the tuition fee.

To know who is who at the Uni Stuttgart and at our master program, check out this handout that we have prepared for you!

Students of the University of Stuttgart can, within the framework of campus and state licensing agreements, obtain Software free of charge or for discounted university rates. You can check out the services provided by the  Technical Information and Communication Services from the Uni on the following link:

https://www.tik.uni-stuttgart.de/en/services-a-z/software-for-students/

The University of Stuttgart uses Cisco Webex Meetings as the conference tool of choice. You can join a meeting from the mobile or dektop apps or, without installing anything from the web browser. The university automatically set up an account for you with your student's e-mail address.

You can download the app here: https://www.webex.com/en/downloads.html

Log into your account in the app or on the web site HERE using your student's e-mail address (st123456@stud.uni-stuttgart.de) first. This will take you to a new page where you need to enter your C@mpus ID (st123456) and password.

Some more help, resources and FAQ:
https://www.tik.uni-stuttgart.de/en/support/service-manuals/webex/
https://www.tik.uni-stuttgart.de/en/services-a-z/Videokonferenzen-00001/

Need to fly home due to family matters? Struggling a lot with how things work here? The person called Studienlotse (loosely translates to student's pilot) is the one to turn to if something goes haywire and you don't know what to do. While we can help you with everyday questions, they are trained professionals that will confidentially deal with your personal affairs if there is something that you are not comfortable to disclose. They will work with you to solve your problem and certainly know all the right people to talk to. You'll find them here: https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/en/counseling/.

This handout is your quick guide to essential resources for both academic and non-academic life. Inside, you’ll find links to everything you need for your studies—libraries, research databases, and study tools—as well as resources to help you settle into the Mawi and Stuttgart life, from student services to extracurricular activities. Keep this handout handy; it’s a one-stop reference designed to make navigating your student experience easier and more enriching!

Kontakt

This image shows Fachgruppe Materialwissenschaft

Fachgruppe Materialwissenschaft

 

Student Representatives of the Materials Science

 

Postanschrift Fachgruppe Materialwissenschaft

Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569 Stuttgart

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