Research Laboratory (M6.2)

The Research Laboratory  (module M6.2 in your module catalog) emphazises the research focus of the degree program. It is not an industry internship but is usually conducted at the university. The Research Laboratory module is meant to be a miniature Master’s project in oder to prepare you for your final Master’s thesis. Therefore, you have to find a project and a supervisor at one of the chairs at the Faculty of Engineering. The Research Lab module is usually not a course but an individual project that you organize by yourself by contacting researchers at the chairs/labs you are interested in. For a start, it is always a good idea to have a look at the respective chair’s website. They all have a section called “research”, “student projects” or similar. But don’t be afraid to contact the staff directly and ask whether you can participate in a project they are working on if you cannot find it in the “student projects” section.

Besides the approach to finding an individual research lab project described above, you can also take a combination of Research Lab (M6.2) and Academic Lab (M6.1). These combination modules can be found in you module catalog under module group M6.

Research laboratory projects at the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Medicine can only be chosen if they have a clear focus on engineering and you are supervised by a professor with a technical background. Please contact your study advisor for more information before you take on any projects at these faculties.

All information on the procedure and content of the Research Laboratory can be found in the English Module Description. The research laboratory can be started and ended at any time that you agree on with your supervisor and that comprises the required workload of 150 hours. At the end of the Research Laboratory you must summarize your research in an academic paper (4-6 pages). Please be aware that your supervisor has to fill out the Certificate of Research Laboratory to confirm your successful completion of the module. Please submit this form to Mrs. Jahreis of our Examinations Office.

The Research Laboratory´s subject is assigned by an academic supervisor and will be processed at his/her department – or at an external institution if the supervisor agrees in a cooperation with external parties. The workload comprises 150 hours (equivalent to 5 ECTS credits) and can be carried out alongside your studies. The concrete time distribution has to be agreed upon with the supervisor. The Research Lab is ungraded (pass/fail). The Research Laboratory training can be completed during the regular lecture period (e.g. one day per week) or during the lecture-free period (semester break). You can organize the time distribution on an individual basis with your supervisor.

A company (or similar business) can be an external partner, i.e. you can combine your Research Laboratory with an Industry Internship if it meets the requirements of the module description. In any case, it is your duty to find a supervisor at our Faculty of Engineering who will take academic responsibility for your Research Laboratory and sign your certificate (more information below). It is of utmost importance that your find an FAU supervisor before you sign any contracts with a company! The best way to carry out the Research Lab in collaboration with an industry partner ist to talk to potential FAU supervisors first and ask them whether they have a cooperation with external partners.

If you study a semester abroad, the Research Laboratory is a favourable academic achievement to conduct. However, the certificate has still to be issued by an academic supervisor of the Faculty of Engineering at FAU.