Plug-in Modules

This module offers TUM students a comprehensive introduction to prompt and bot engineering for text generation with large language models (LLMs). Combining practical skills in prompt engineering with a focus on legal, ethical, and societal implications, the course covers topics such as prompt effectiveness, responsible deployment, human-computer interaction, and intellectual property issues.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Academic Prompt Engineering and Management: a Reflexive Introduction
• Workshop: Academic Prompt Engineering and Management: Responsible Use in Action

In this module, students will gain a deep understanding of how to align generative AI systems with societal values, focusing on fairness, accountability, and transparency. Through hands-on experience, they will learn to identify and mitigate biases in AI models, while developing the skills to balance innovation with ethical responsibility in real-world applications.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Aligning Generative AI to Social Values
• Seminar: Aligning Generative AI to Social Values

The seminar examines AI’s transformative potential for business and society by exploring its unique relationship with language and meaning. We’ll draw on philosophical insights concerning key concepts such as digital, data, text, information, model, digitization, and computation, examining their relationship with interpretation, understanding, emotional experience, and other dimensions of lived experience. Some of our discussion of AI’s impact on work, society, and the ethical challenges it presents will be joined by employees of Europe’s largest IT company, SAP, and others at the forefront of business AI.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This module helps students explore how digital data shapes the world around us and how to think critically about the way data is collected, analyzed, and used. Students will look at big questions like what data really tells us, how it can be used to understand or even change society, and how tools like data visualization and modeling fit into data-driven decision-making.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Critical Approaches to Data and Algorithms
• Excercise: Critical Approaches to Data and Algorithms

The aim of the course is to acquire intellectual tools to ask critical questions about the role of gender as a social category in scientific and technological knowledge production.  The seminar begins by exploring the performativity of scientific research on construction of the notion of gender. We then turn to a series of well-developed gender concepts such as technofeminism, and intersectionality to understand the recent scholarship in Gender Studies as well as Science and Technology Studies.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This module offers a comprehensive understanding of open science principles, including open access, research data, and open-source projects, with a focus on democratizing knowledge. Through hands-on activities and case studies, you’ll gain practical skills to apply open science practices in your future career, contributing to a more inclusive and accessible knowledge economy.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Introduction to Open Data – Open Science
• Seminar: Open Data – Open Science

The seminar explores philosophical questions about contemporary Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), focusing on Large Language Models (LLMs). While technically well understood, it is little understood how they can generate text that is relevant and meaningful to humans. The secret lies in their processing of the patterns of human language use in training text corpora. We discuss

• (1) what LLMs extract from text corpora and
• (2) the relationship between language use and meaning.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

The module covers the following topics:

• Data Governance Act: Data sharing; Data altruism; Data intermediaries
• Data Act: Access to data; cloud switching; interoperability
• GDPR & Foundations: policy, fundamental rights, history and relevance; Scope; Data subjects, controller, Joint controller, processors, third parties; Principles; Principle of Lawfulness; Data subject rights; Obligations of controllers und processors; Third country transfers; Enforcement, remedies, liability authorities, damages. Data protection legislation for specific sectors and conflicts

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Data Regulation and Law
• Exercise: Data Regulation and Law

The AI strategy involves analyzing business models, tech platforms, and ecosystems to scale AI solutions effectively. Key success factors include talent development, leadership structures, and responsible handling of regulatory and ethical requirements. Practical GenAI use cases highlight real-world applications, impact measurement, and lessons learned from transformation projects

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

A hands-on course for TUM students to master essential life, career, and financial skills for real-world success. We will enable comprehensive skill development, bust some myths about necessary skills, and help you develop your own personalized toolkit to navigate different domains of your life successfully.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This seminar teaches students the essential basics of negotiation theory and mediation procedures with direct relevance to economic and political issues. Through an interactive teaching programme, students learn how to conduct negotiations strategically, resolve conflicts constructively and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Students will immediately put the knowledge they have acquired into practice in a number of practical case studies.

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Set in a future scenario, students will be confronted with scenes (based on scientific projections) that make clear what circumstances we may live in in the future. In interdisciplinary project teams, students will create a real-life practical solution for a larger societal problem they encounter in these scenarios.

Detailed information and registration at the TUM School of Management

The Digital Product School is a three-month, full-time internship and training program by UnternehmerTUM with the mission to train the next generation of human-centric digital product makers. Talented people from all over the world come together, form cross-functional product teams, and develop digital products that solve real-world challenges.

Detailed information and registration at UnternehmerTUM

This lecture offers an introduction to industrial property rights, with a special focus on inventions originating from the academic sector. Patents, design protection, domain and trademark protection, software and copyright, as well as utility models are covered extensively. The lecture also explores the journey from the idea to obtaining the respective intellectual property rights and their commercial exploitation, particularly in the context of spin-offs.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

As part of the Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (GESS), international students from universities around the world spend seven days working intensively in teams on global challenges and the question of how these can be solved with the help of social and innovative business ideas. The GESS takes place in the summer (July to September 2025), the corresponding course, however, is part of the following winter semester, as the final report falls in this semester.

Detailed information and registration at the Social Entrepreneurship Academy

In five days, students learn to develop innovative, customer-orientated and effective business ideas by taking on the challenge of a partner in an interdisciplinary team.

Detailed information and registration at UnternehmerTUM

The Innovative Entrepreneurs lecture series offers inspiring insights into entrepreneurship with renowned founders, managers, and investors from various industries. In addition to the talks, participants engage in a personal development project to discover new skills and foster personal growth. The course aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to tackle complex challenges successfully.   

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This course will challenge the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs to think critically about how their personal values and principles inform the difficult decisions they will have to make as they grow their business.

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Students explore the internal and external factors influencing venture scaling. They will engage with key theories, scaling frameworks, and industry insights while collaborating in project teams to analyze, strategize, and present actionable scaling solutions for a real-life early-stage tech startup, preparing them to effectively lead or support ventures in their growth phase.

Detailed information and registration at the TUM School of Management

This hands-on seminar equips entrepreneurs with essential financial, tax, and legal knowledge needed for long-term success. Participants will gain a deep understanding of core topics, empowering them to make informed decisions about legal structures, tax optimization, and financial planning. By the end, attendees will have developed a personalized Smart Start Master Plan

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

A course with a start-up feel: In this course, students work in teams to develop their own entrepreneurial idea in agile, iterative cycles and receive well-founded feedback from the field. This course will equip you with all the necessary entrepreneurial basics to make your idea come to life. Delve into customer understanding, prototype development, market analysis, and business models with agile methodologies.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

 The following topics are covered in the module:

• Founding a start-up: legal form and tax law, financing and contracts, specifics, etc.
• Protection of intellectual property: intellectual property, patents, copyright, trade secrets, trademarks
• Data protection law
• Competition law

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

TUM Climate Ventures is a project-based course for researchers and advanced master's students that brings together multidisciplinary teams to develop business concepts for the commercialization of climate technologies developed at TUM. During the semester, the teams work on building their venture hands-on, benefiting from the network and resources of the TUM Venture Labs. The course format has a long-standing track record in the global climate tech ecosystem: originally developed at Stanford and MIT,  serving as a launchpad for more than 110 start-ups.

Detailed information and registration at TUM Venture Labs

The Venture Guide Program (Elab) is a dynamic and flexible university course designed for students who want to dive deeper into team facilitation, coaching, and innovation processes. The course is highly practical and offers real-life coaching experiences, preparing participants to take leadership roles in interdisciplinary and multicultural settings. Whether you’re passionate about entrepreneurship, curious about team psychology, or simply want to build your facilitation skills – this program offers a unique learning journey.  

Detailed information and registration at UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators

This module provides students with in-depth knowledge of applied ethics in the context of science and technology. Students learn to analyze, evaluate, and solve ethical conflicts – for example between technological progress and social acceptance – in a practical manner. Using case studies (e.g., social media, big data, genetic engineering), they develop their own solution strategies and research approaches, which can also be applied in the Master’s thesis. The focus is on ethical judgment, interdisciplinary reflection, and the ability to communicate complex contexts clearly.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This module provides a concise introduction to the fundamentals of meta-ethics and normative ethics. Following an introduction to key metatheoretical positions (realism, cognitivism, relativism, etc.), the three classical traditions – virtue ethics, deontological ethics (Kant, Ross), and consequentialist approaches – are systematically explored. In addition, students learn about alternative perspectives such as contract theories, ethics of care, pragmatic approaches, and selected non-Western approaches (such as Buddhist and Ubuntu ethics). The didactic concept combines short video lectures and asynchronous self-study with interactive reflection tasks. In application-oriented case studies on topics such as sustainable energy, autonomous systems, or medical technology, participants apply the theories they have learned and develop well-founded recommendations for action. 

The course is online and asynchronous.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

In this module, you will learn the basics of normative and applied ethics as well as responsibility in the professional field of engineering. You will develop competencies for analysing professional, social-normative, and ethical conflicts of goals using models and methods of responsible decision-making. The focus is on the sustainable implementation of responsible innovations, taking into account stakeholders, social acceptance, and ethically responsible coping strategies.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

In this module, you will explore how motivation, emotion, and coping can be better understood through modern computational methods such as simulations, machine learning, and agent-based modeling. You will develop your own models, program simulations, and connect psychological theories with practical applications in engaging projects. Through interactive teaching formats and creative group work, you will learn to digitally represent and scientifically analyze complex psychological processes.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

In this hands-on module, you will dive into the world of soccer analytics by working with real match data from professional leagues. In interdisciplinary teams, you will develop intelligent algorithms and visualizations to analyze tactical and technical aspects of the game—such as pressing, passing quality, or line breaks. By solving real-world challenges from clubs and data companies, you will gain practical experience in applying computer science methods to high-performance sports.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This seminar offers a comprehensive introduction to the field of global health and development through a specific gender lens. Key topics include: 1) the interconnections between health and development, 2) current trends in the global burden of disease, 3) violence against women and girls, 4) sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, among others. In addition, the course examines various strategies for health interventions at both political and individual levels—paying particular attention to their theoretical foundations and the underlying empirical evidence.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

Participants will learn how workplace health promotion and workplace health management can be systematically planned, implemented, and evaluated. They will analyse existing programmes, develop their own concepts for specific target groups and deal with current challenges in the world of work. Practical examples, interactive exercises, and dialogue with experts from companies make the module particularly application-oriented and lively.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

The seminar offers an introduction to central theories and concepts of health psychology with a focus on health, illness and prevention. Topics such as stress management, resilience, health behavior and the influence of personality and social change are examined in a practical way. Health-promoting interventions and current research findings are also presented.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

Participants will deepen their knowledge of health promotion in the workplace and learn how to evaluate and visualise scientific data with RStudio. They will work in small groups on current health topics such as mental health, shift work, or health-related behaviour and develop practical approaches for workplace health promotion. By preparing a scoping review and analysing empirical data, the course will combine theory, research, and application in a well-founded way.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This seminar explores the fascinating world of sleep and our internal biological clock, and how they influence our health and well-being. You will learn about modern methods in chronobiology and sleep research and critically engage with current scientific findings. Through student-led presentations and discussions, you’ll develop a deep understanding of how sleep, nutrition, exercise, and metabolism interact with our circadian rhythms. This seminar is designed for students with an interest in sleep research, chronobiology, and health sciences. It is ideal for those who are curious about how biological rhythms influence health and who enjoy engaging with current scientific literature and interdisciplinary perspectives. A basic understanding of human physiology and scientific communication is helpful but not mandatory.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

On the one hand, this module is about exploring the possibilities of encountering the body, posture, creativity, joy, expression, presence and connection. On the other hand, it is about experiencing diversity in dance (in its manifestations in dance). Students learn to get in touch with themselves and their inner and outer world through somatic mindfulness. Observing inner and outer processes is a powerful strategy to strengthen mental health.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

A rich body of research has demonstrated that active engagement with the world is a crucial component of learning: As soon as they can sit or walk, infants spontaneously grab and manipulate objects and approach or avoid people. This interactive seminar examines questions about children’s developing active learning abilities across domains such as visual attention, physical reasoning, causal learning, and problem solving. Featured readings will also address issues in explanation, exploration, and other related topics

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This project-based module connects students with practitioners from public administration and government. Working in interdisciplinary teams, participants analyse ongoing public-sector initiatives, uncover gaps and design novel tools for digital participation and democratic engagement. They pitch and refine their concepts in dialogue with public officials, moving them towards implementation-ready solutions that can be adopted by government bodies. The course thus acts as a bridge between TUM and the public sector, integrating technical development, governance insight and societal needs in a holistic innovation process. By the end, students can design and execute interdisciplinary projects that enhance public-sector innovation and strengthen democracy.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This module examines how digital technologies, especially AI, shape the lives and identities of young people. Students interactively explore how definitions of childhood and youth, as well as coming of age, are evolving through cultural and technological shifts. Through workshops, they develop innovative research approaches to enhance children's well-being in the digital age.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Introduction to Children, Well-Being, and Digital Technologies
• Seminar: Introduction to Children, Well-Being, and Digital Technologies
• Exercise: Introduction to Children, Well-Being, and Digital Technologies

In this project, students operate and optimizie an Instagram channel @tum_verdauungskanal) which provides reliable, nutrition-related information to a broader public. The topics are based on the students’ interests and are determined during the planning phase. The posts are created in teams of 5 to 7 students, who are accompanied by a lecturer who ensures the scientific quality of the posts. The course is open to students from all degree programs and schools who are interested in nutrition and/or in designing (text, image, and video) and managing a social media channel.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This interdisciplinary course at the Quantum Social Lab - open to all backgrounds - explores the societal implications of quantum technologies through the lens of generative and speculative design. Students engage with basic quantum theory, creative coding, and responsible innovation to examine how quantum technologies might shape future societal, ethical, and governance challenges. Through hands-on workshops, lectures, and iterative studio work, students develop the skills to translate abstract quantum concepts into design practices. The course culminates in the creation of a generative design artifact that reflects on the societal dimensions of quantum technologies and responsible innovation.

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The history of mankind is a history of struggle for human rights. The 20th century is closely connected with the worst experiences of war, genocide and violence in human history, at the same time it brought about democracy, times of peace, equality and prosperity. Towards the end of the 20th century history – esp. the history of genocide & the holocaust – became a creative and powerful tool to advocate for a different present and future. Which role do the history of war and genocide play today, in a time deeply shaken by polycrises and an uncertain future? Can a history of human achievements (such as overcoming war and violence), technological innovation and democratic politics contribute to a culture of confidence and hope?

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This course provides an overview of judgment and decision-making research, exploring how people make choices under uncertainty and why they often deviate from rational decision models. Students will examine key theories and empirical findings while learning to apply decision science principles across fields like education, medicine, and finance. The course emphasizes both the practical applications of these insights and the challenges of implementing decision science in real-world contexts.

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The module provides an introduction to psychology. It will focus on human behavior and the central questions: Why do people act the way they do? Which role does their environment play? How can we study human behavior?

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You want to find out what people think about food, health, or sustainability? In this course, students will design their own questionnaire, conduct an online survey, and gain hands-on experience with empirical research methods – from defining a research question to analyzing the results.

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This course introduces the foundations of critical thinking through the analysis of academic texts and diverse media sources. Students will engage with philosophical, psychological, and self-selected materials, exploring key concepts such as critique, intellectual humility, and cognitive biases. They will learn to evaluate arguments, compare perspectives, and critically reflect on their own judgments. The course will be held in English.

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This module examines how research can influence policy and practice, offering interactive approaches to maximize its impact. Through case studies and hands-on exercises, students develop creative formats to tailor research findings for diverse audiences. Collaboration with experts empowers them to translate research into real-world political and societal applications effectively.

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This module explores how different research methods—quantitative, qualitative, and computational—can be integrated to study complex social phenomena. Students will learn how to apply these methods in practice, understand their strengths and limitations, and critically reflect on how they shape the way we study social issues.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Mixed Methods
• Exercise: Mixeds Methods

This module explores how phenomenology can enhance our understanding of the fundamental concepts and goals of artificial intelligence (AI). By reflecting on human thought processes and experiences, students will critically examine how core AI concepts, such as intelligence and autonomy, are understood and applied. Participants will gain new perspectives on AI through a philosophical lens, uncovering deeper insights into its assumptions and potential.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This module provides a broad understanding of key philosophical questions related to science and technology. Students learn to engage with contemporary debates—such as the nature of scientific knowledge, the relationship between science and technology, and issues of rationality and method. They develop analytical skills to identify, defend, and critique philosophical positions and practice clear, structured argumentation.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

The module includes both a lecture and a seminar. The lecture covers key theories and practical aspects of risk and crisis communication, including media roles, political and psychological factors, and crisis management stages, supported by slides, discussions, and exercises. In the seminar, students work in teams to apply these concepts to a real-life crisis case, develop presentations and a communication plan.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Lecture: Risk & Crisis Communication: Theories and Beyond
• Seminar: Risk & Crisis Communication

Science communication and public engagement are becoming increasingly important. It’s not just about raising the profile of one’s own institution and research, but also about involving society, explaining the mission of science, and building trust in scientific work. Engaging with the public also helps researchers gain a clearer perspective on their own work.

In this course, participants will learn how to capture attention for scientific topics in an increasingly complex media landscape and how to communicate these topics across various formats—such as podcasts, social media, and science festivals. They will also learn how to identify target audiences and develop their own communication format.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

Students learn to assess the societal dimensions of data infrastructures and to evaluate their benefits, security requirements, and social impacts. They develop the ability to apply key social science approaches to the analysis of data infrastructures in specific contexts—such as critical infrastructure or healthcare. The course equips them to identify societal implications, underlying causes, and potential risks, and to develop responsible, forward-looking solutions.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

The course offers a deeper focus on psychological theories and perspectives that are integral to organizational contexts and play a key role into how work-based teams or groups form, develop and perform. Further, the seminar explores executive work-based motivational and behavioral theories that are integral to organizational processes.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

Do you worry and care about society? Do you feel your technological and scientific expertise should help us live together well? This course might help you achieve that. In an interactive lecture, it introduces you to the concept of 'the social' and how and why it matters in how we live together. It also discusses the role of science, knowledge, and technology in societies. The course is designed for everyone independent of prior knowledge. All that is required is a willingness to question your own thinking and a willingness to think about the world and the society you live in. Bring your own experiences – and engage in lively discussions!

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This Plug-in Module introduces students to the approaches of measuring and modeling discrete choice behavior of humans, e.g., to analyze why people favor the bus over the bicycle for their commute. Students will be equipped with the methodological tools to analyze policy impacts in various sectors. Through practical training in administering surveys, designing discrete choice experiments, and applying econometric methods, students from all fields can apply these skills to real-world policy analysis, from mobility to health and beyond.

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In this module, students work in interdisciplinary teams to develop entrepreneurial solutions based on a self-chosen challenge with societal relevance. These solutions are also created and analyzed in terms of their impact on our social, economical and environmental systems.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

Please note: The application process is closed, but there are a few places still available. If you are interested, please contact Carola Vogel or Verena Kaoui by e-mail. 

Bundle up, because we’re stepping out of the lecture hall – into the world that needs change! In this interdisciplinary module, the role of education in the context of sustainable development is critically reflected upon. Under the motto “Think globally – act locally,” we will work together on educational projects that actively contribute to societal transformation.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This course explores how developing countries can navigate sustainable transitions, balancing opportunities like carbon reduction and economic diversification with challenges such as limits to technological capabilities and behaviour change. Students apply three causal methods: willingness-to-pay, randomized controlled trials, and difference-in-differences. Through real-world examples, group work, and hands-on coding sessions in R, participants will gain practical skills for applying these methods in research or policy advisory. Attendance at the kick-off and all three in-person sessions is required.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

Students get to explore the theoretical foundations of sustainable development and examine its impact on economic, social, environmental, and health policies. Through lectures and discussions, students will analyze key sustainability challenges, such as global competition, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity, while understanding how policies differ in their approach to achieving long-term sustainability.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

This module introduces students to the challenges and opportunities of sustainability transitions (e.g., in innovation, finance, and development) with a particular emphasis on the rate and direction of technical change and the energy sector. It focuses on the role of public policy in governing these transitions.

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Technology is often promoted as a new “miracle solution” to longstanding developmental problems, among them, hunger, poverty, and gender discrimination. Yet a closer look shows this “miracle” is far from becoming a reality in many developing and emerging states. This seminar follows two goals: to look behind the curtain to discover the challenges inherent in using technology for developmental purposes; and to brainstorm about the opportunities–some as of yet unrealized–that technology creates and make concrete plans for realizing them.

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The module provides a fundamental introduction to environmental policy from an international comparative perspective. Central institutions, actors, processes, contents and results of environmental policy are examined and subjected to a comparative, theoretically guided analysis. The focus is on questions regarding the conflict constellations and basic problems that characterize the policy field, specific environmental policy control instruments and actor constellations. The multi-level problems of environmental policy in the European and international context are also addressed. Finally, the question of which determinants influence a country's environmental policy and which success and failure factors can be derived from the international comparison of pioneer and laggard states is addressed.

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline:

• Seminar 1: Environmental Politics in International Comparison
• Seminar 2: Environmental Politics in International Comparison