Your First Semester Courses in Management & Technology

In the first and second semesters, you follow a fixed schedule with mandatory courses.

First semester courses:

• Math 1 (GOP 6 credits)

• Economics 1 (GOP, 6 credits)

• Business Ethics (3 credits)

• Financial Accounting (6 credits)

• Entrepreneurship (3 credits)

• Operations Research and Decision Analysis (GOP, 6 credits)

Out of these six subjects, three are GOPs. Passing these GOPs is a requirement for continuing your studies: you must successfully complete them by the end of your second semester.

For GOPs, you are allowed only two attempts (the main exam plus one retake). For all other courses, however, you may take as many attempts as necessary, as long as you pass them before finishing your degree and keep up with your GOP requirements.

In total, there are four GOPs: three in the first semester and one (statistics) in the second. To remain enrolled, you must pass at least three out of the four. If you fail two GOPs (including their retakes), you will be kicked out of the program.

Given the course in WiSe25 is held by an entirely new lecturer, I cannot say for sure how it is structured.

For us it was the following:

Tue&Thu: Lectures

Mon/Tue: “Q&A Sessions” (according to my sources it is unclear if this will take place again)

Mon: Central exercise (The “H” problems of the problem sheets were discussed)

Thu: Additional exercise (Tutors are in the lecture hall to help you solve your problems)

An exercise is usually held by a doctoral student or a professor. Tutorials are held by a student from a higher semester who usually took the exam themselves a year ago. In addition, tutorials are usually much more interactive (similar what you are used to from school). The size of the classes also varies; tutorials have a maximum of 30 students. Exercises can be significantly larger. And in an exercise, the lecturer usually only explains the tasks and solutions. In a tutorial, you usually have time to solve the tasks yourself first and then, as mentioned, everything is discussed in a more interactive way. And since the tutorials are usually held by students themselves, they naturally have very useful tips.

Foundations of Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics are each worth 3 credits. They were originally one combined course, which is why each now runs for only half a semester. When one ends, the other begins, but the exams are held and graded separately.

(Information based on WiSe24 lecture, may vary)

- Tuesday: Lecture video (with optional on-site lecture)

- Wednesday: Guest lecture (via Zoom)

The lecture videos remain available throughout the semester, so you can structure your learning flexibly. The Wednesday guest lecture is usually connected to the Tuesday lecture content.

Important: Both formats are exam-relevant!

Although they are two separate courses with separate lectures, the exams are combined. You will receive one exam paper for each course. However, you must pass both parts individually-you cannot fail one and compensate with a high score on the other. Typically, you need at least 50% in each part (check with the professor for the exact threshold). Both exams are graded separately, and your final grade is the average of the two.

All relevant material is actually provided on PowerPoint slides, which are usually sufficient. If you want to read more about specific topics, the professor will usually recommend a few books in the first lecture. (Some professors even base their entire course on one book, but you don’t actually have to read them. Only if you want to read more about a topic). Don't worry, you don't have to buy them; most are available to borrow from the library or as PDF downloads from the online library. I recommend taking part in the campus tour, as, to my knowledge, the library staff will also tell you how that works.

In general, all mandatory lectures listed in the schedule (e.g., Math, ORDA, Production & Logistics, Business Law) are recorded. Electives, however, are usually not recorded in order to encourage attendance. While this rule of thumb holds in most cases, there are exceptions-so always check at the beginning of the semester to be sure.

Most professors record their lectures. However, since TUM changed the tool used to make lectures available last year, it is possible that occasionally a lecture may be missing in subjects that are normally recorded due to technical errors. But whether the professor records or not, they will usually let you know in the first lecture. The situation is quite different for exercises. If they are centralized, they are usually recorded, but if they are divided into many small groups, there is usually a maximum of one recording. Tutorials are not recorded at all.

Some exercise sessions (e.g., Business Law, Economics) are recorded, while others are not. In some cases, older recordings are provided, or the exercises are offered online. Always confirm with your tutor before skipping, so you don’t miss anything important.

No, except in those with limited places.

It is entirely realistic to finish within 6 semesters if you don’t plan on going abroad, follow the recommended course schedule, and avoid postponing exams too often. If you do take a semester abroad, completing in 6 semesters becomes more challenging, but not impossible-you’ll simply need to take additional electives in the earlier semesters and handle a heavier exam load than the standard schedule suggests.

For the project study you can refer to this page: https://www.fa.mgt.tum.de/cm/teaching/project-studies/.

Generally, you need at least one other student to complete a project study with. It’s a good idea to apply to several companies, since applications are often rejected or go unanswered. You can either choose a company from the official TUM list or find one on your own.

Once accepted, you should contact TUM (details are provided in the official project study page - link above). The university will assign you a supervisor from the relevant chair. You’ll also receive a link to officially register your project study so that your participation and final grade can be recorded in the system.

Together with your partner/partners and supervisor at the company, you’ll create a milestones plan that outlines smaller projects or deliverables to be completed by the end of the study. At the conclusion, you will need to submit a written report and give a presentation on what you learned during the project.

Since requirements can vary by semester and chair, make sure to clarify all expectations directly with your supervisor at the start.

All info is on the website so make sure to read it carefully.