Project Weeks

TUM Master’s students possess strong subject knowledge but have limited exposure to real-world business operations, company cultures, and practical applications of their skills. 1.000+ bridges this gap: in small teams, students collaborate with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to analyze a real business challenge and develop tailored solution strategies.

Through interviews, role-playing, and hands-on exploration of topics such as resource constraints, communication, product development, and decision-making processes, students gain practical, experience-based insights. The week concludes with a poster presentation and final pitch to the partner company, followed by a joint reflection session.

For more information, please visit 1000plus.cit.tum.de.

Contact: 1000plusspam prevention@cit.tum.de

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools from the second semester onward

Course no.: 0000002563

ECTS: 3

Period: whole semester

• Kickoff & team matching: End of February 2026
• Company briefing & preparation materials: March 2026
• Self-study phase: March 2026
• On-site Project Week (incl. final presentation & poster): 20 to 24 April 2026
• Final event with poster presentations: June 2026

AI at Work offers students at TUM the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is applied in real-world business scenarios—and to put that knowledge into practice. The seminar is structured into two progressive modules:

• AI for Business – Essentials provides the theoretical foundation for understanding AI and its strategic use in a corporate context.
• AI for Business – Advanced takes things further: students work in interdisciplinary teams of three to four members, collaborating with partner companies to tackle real business challenges using AI.

The seminar culminates in a hackathon during the Project Week (12 to 16 January 2026), where teams present their solutions. Outstanding projects will be recognized and awarded.

Contact: Sara Kappelhoff, Patricia Hornstein

For: Master’s students in Management & Technology and Informatics

Course no.: MGT001445S

ECTS: 12

Period: whole semester, Project Week 12 to 16 January 2026

Students will design and operate a virtual society where embodied agents—powered by Large Language Models (LLMs)—interact within a realistic simulation. Using Godot 4.3, students will build a 3D environment in which agents exhibit socially meaningful behavior and are simulated on GPU servers with near real-time responsiveness (5 to 10 seconds delay).

A custom-built infrastructure for communication and event processing ensures precise synchronization between the physical simulation and AI-driven reasoning. Students will work with various customizable agent architectures, focusing on optimizing context compression, interaction handling, and response speed.

The technical foundation was laid during the project week in Winter Semester 2024/25 and will now be further developed. This includes expanding the agents’ range of actions within the simulation. Interaction with the virtual society will be possible via a web interface or VR technology. Legal and social frameworks have already been drafted.

The final outcome will be a fully functional platform designed for interdisciplinary research—especially at the intersection of LLM technology and sociology.

Contact: Konstantinos Krikis

For: Master’s students of the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, and the TUM School of Engineering and Design

Course no.:  0000003536

ECTS: 6

Period: project implementation 1 December 2025 to 16 January 2026

Hosted by the TUM School of Management, this Project Week offers participants the opportunity to carry out a compressed interdisciplinary Legal Tech development project. At the heart of the program is the creation of an AI-based system for detecting antitrust collusion, using realistic case studies. Students analyze fictional corporate documents, extract risk-prone language patterns, and train a custom model to classify legally relevant communication. In addition to the technical work, students deepen their understanding of the legal framework (Art. 101 TFEU) and the technical foundations of LLMs, including prompt engineering, NLP pipelines, and model evaluation. The goal is to foster a thoughtful, practice-oriented integration of AI technology with legal risk analysis.

Contact: Julius Krüger, Dominik Mieskes

For: Master’s students of the TUM School of Management and the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology; experience in the use of Python and APIs using Python is an advantage

TUMonline module no.: MGT001481S

ECTS: 6

Period: whole semester

The course will cover two main themes: first, it explores how social science disciplines can adopt and benefit from AI tools for research, analysis, and problem-solving; and second, the course explores the impacts of generative AI on society and economy, including methods for measuring and evaluating these impacts. The primary objective is to introduce students to the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, society, and governance from a social scientific perspective. Students will evaluate how Generative AI is transforming society and the economy, and explore how AI tools can be used in social science. Students will design projects to audit Large Language Models through adversarial testing or red teaming exercises. 

Contact: Jan Zilinsky

For: Priority is given to master’s students, but bachelor’s students with programming experience and a strong interest in AI may also register and will be offered a slot if there is sucfficient space available.

TUMonline module no.: SOT86089

ECTS: 3

Period: Kick-off meeting: 31 October; project meetings: 7 and November (full days)

Detailed information and registration in TUMonline

Are you aspiring to become an educational technology researcher? Interested in designing EdTech solutions? Dreaming of developing your own AI-powered learning tools? To do so, you’ll need a solid understanding of how data flows into and out of educational technologies—how it captures, reflects, and potentially influences human behavior and learning. Integrating data-driven thinking is anything but trivial.

Data Design Studio offers an intensive introduction to the world of data-centric design. During the project week, participants engage in a student-centered, project-based learning experience, focused on designing data collection strategies for AI-supported educational technologies. Students choose a real-world educational challenge and design data flows for an AI-powered solution to address it. They work independently with specially developed learning materials and receive targeted feedback to support them through each phase of their project.

Contact: Laura Graf

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.:

• 0000001149 (lecture)
• 0000001249 (seminar)

ECTS: 3

Period: 12 to 16 January 2026

This Project Week gives students the opportunity to collaborate with Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GOEG) – Austria’s national public health institute – under the guidance of experienced researchers. Together, they will explore pressing questions around data management, data use, and data ethics in the context of the emerging European Health Data Space (EHDS).

The project offers a rare chance for students and partners to engage in a shared space for learning and problem-solving, with the goal of contributing concrete insights to the development of European data policy. It is supported by the Data Ethics Team from the Chair of Philosophy and History of Science at TUM and builds on the pioneering work of the Ethical Data Initiative at the TUM Think Tank.

Following the Data Clinic format—an interactive teaching and working model that bridges theory and practice in data ethics and governance – students work in small, interdisciplinary teams to tackle real ethical challenges and decision-making processes related to data use. The aim is to provide both students and partner institutions with practical insights into how to approach complex issues such as data protection, discrimination, transparency, and accountability in a thoughtful and responsible way, fostering a culture of ethical data practice.

Contact: Dr. Kim Hajek, Dr. Paul Trauttmansdorff

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools 

Course no.: 0000000587

ECTS: 6

Period: Kick-off 21 November 2025; Project Week 12 to 16 January 2026; Report-writing mini-workshop mid-February 2026; Final presentations 27 February 2026

The Project Week examines how insights from the interdisciplinary field of Judgment and Decision-making can be utilized to enhance our everyday decision-making by helping us identify and mitigate our cognitive and social biases. The course explores evidence-based methods to improve decision-making skills and foster critical thinking across various domains, including medical and financial decisions, the use of generative AI, and social media. The practical goal of the Project Week is to design the outline of a program on decision education, able to empower students with the skills and dispositions essential to learn actively, independently, and efficiently, and make better informed decisions.

Contact: Dr. Oana Stanciu

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools with fluency in English

Course no.: 00SOT10083

ECTS: 5

Period: whole semester

The interdisciplinary project “FEM for FSI with Open Source Software” addresses the challenges of coupled phenomena in nature and engineering and their numerical simulation using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Internationally recognized experts provide insights into the latest innovations in research and high-performance computing, as well as into the implementation of various solution strategies for fluid–structure interaction (FSI) in the open-source software Kratos Multiphysics.

As part of the project work, students immerse themselves in this numerical environment and, working in interdisciplinary teams, tackle various challenges in the field of fluid–structure interaction.

Contact: Dr. Ann-Kathrin Goldbach

For: Bachelor’s and master’s students from all disciplines and schools, especially from the TUM School of Natural Sciences, the TUM School of Life Sciences, and the TUM School of Medicine & Health.

Course no.: 0000002027

ECTS: 3

Period: 13 to 17 January 2026

The GovTech Innovation Lab offers a hands-on approach to the digital transformation of public administration. In interdisciplinary teams, students apply the design thinking process to identify concrete challenges at the intersection of citizens, businesses, and the state, and to develop innovative GovTech solutions. They are supported through keynote talks, interviews, and coaching sessions. The goal is to develop a concrete solution based on a specific problem—such as a functional prototype or minimum viable product (MVP)—and to convincingly present it in a final presentation before a jury of experts. The project week fosters entrepreneurial thinking, social responsibility, and the development of a network between students and public administration as a driver of innovation.

Contact: Andrea Capogrosso

For: Students of Business, Informatics, Engineering, or Natural Sciences

Course no.: MGT001480S

ECTS: 3

Period: 12 to 16 January 2026

Recently, some of the leading, often dominant tech companies – companies such as Alphabet, Meta, and Booking.com, which the EU has found to have engaged in exploitative and exclusionary conduct in European digital markets – have been found to have engaged in similar conduct across the African continent. To ensure competitive, contestable digital markets, African countries are considering the adoption of a Digital Market Competition Regulation (DMCR) under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Competition Protocol (CP) Article 11. Some of the leading proposals for such a DMCR are very similar to the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).  Whether the EU DMA or some other model best addresses the key challenges faced by African countries in digital markets, and which model should therefore serve as the blueprint for the governance of digital markets in Africa, is an open question that deserves vigorous debate. Participation in this project will allow students to gain an understanding of the distinct characteristics of digital markets in Africa, including the specific opportunities and challenges they face, through a series of focused tech-specific case studies.  Students will also be introduced to alternative approaches to regulating competition in digital markets, based in particular on the contrasting EU and U.S. experiences, presented to them in an interactive format, including through a debate between and with EU and U.S. experts. This understanding and exposure to competing approaches, gained during the first days of the project week, will empower and enable participating students to develop, in the second half of the week, targeted proposals for the better regulation of (and governance of competition in) African digital markets.

Contact: Prof. Tim Büthe 

For: Master’s students from all sisziplines and schools

Course no.: 0000000993

ECTS: 6

Period: 16 to 20 January 2026

Shape the Digital Future – fairly, sustainably, and consciously. We encounter digital products every day – but who actually decides how they are designed? In this interdisciplinary module, participants develop ideas for digital solutions that incorporate social responsibility, ecological sustainability, and inclusion. They will learn methods of Conscious Service Design and work hands-on in teams to develop their own concept. Whether your interests are technical, creative, or societal – students’ perspectives are essential. Participants will build skills that are in high demand in today’s job market: creative problem-solving, digital design, responsible thinking, and teamwork.

Contact: Prof. Stephan Krusche, Elisabeth Friesinger

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools; basic knowledge and interest in sustainability, social responsibility, inclusion, and digital product development are helpful

TUMonline module no.: CIT623000

ECTS: 6

Period: 5 practical days spread throughout the semester

In this project week, participants will develop an AI-based cultural companion prototype using the Pepper robot. The goal is to design inclusive and culturally sensitive interactions in which Pepper can act as a social companion. Students will learn how to enrich artificial intelligence with cultural context, consider user needs, and design interactive dialogues. In addition to developing and designing the prototype, participants will collaborate with stakeholders from various disciplines and reflect on the ethical and societal implications of such systems.

Kontakt: Carrie Lau

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students with experience in Python programming and an interest in Human-Robot Interaction, NLP, Large Language Models, and User-Centered Design

Course no.: 0000000462

ECTS: 6

Period: 26 January to 6 February 2026

Based on scientific projections, students immerse themselves in realistic future scenarios that illustrate the societal challenges we may face. Working in interdisciplinary teams, they develop concrete, creative, and actionable solutions to key problems our society could encounter in these scenarios.

For more information, please visit Seminar: Changemakers - Entrepreneurial and Design Competencies for Societal Transformation - TUM ERI

Contact: Prof. Annette Diefenthaler, Prof. Dr. Anne Tryba

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools 

Course no.: MGT001410S

ECTS: 6

Period: 13 to 17 Januar 2026 

“Communicating Curiosity – A Science Outreach Pop-Up Exhibition” is a Project Week aimed at fostering scientific curiosity within the community. This time, the project will focus on the topic of “trust in science.” Students will collaborate to design, plan and execute an engaging pop-up exhibition, while exploring the developmental roots of epistemic trust and examining the critical role science communication plays in fostering public confidence in research. The exhibition will feature interactive displays, hands-on activities, and informative presentations. As part of the course, students will (1) decide on the contents of the exhibition and the formats for presenting them in an accessible and engaging way, (2) actually implement the components of the exhibit, (3) plan the event logistics, (4) present the exhibition in public spaces in Munich and present to and interact with visitors, and (5) reflect their role in the project as well as potential future projects.

Contakt: Laura Schlingloff-Nemecz

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools 

Registration: Interested students should send an e-mail to laura.schlingloff-nemeczspam prevention@tum.de, briefly describing their background and why they are interested in the topic of the course (2–3 sentences).

Course no.: 0000001240

ECTS: 5

Period: five weeks with a total of ten attendance days between January and March 2026 (eight for preparation, one for the exhibition, one for follow-up: January 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 26, 2, 9, 16, 21 February, 2 March; students are expected to be present from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the attendance days.

The Project Week will focus on a in-depth investigation into the integration of structural engineering and climate-responsive design to the expressive element of a building. Taking their semester project as a reference, students will design and build a large-scale physical model during the week that will explore the following:

1. The role of structural engineering in shaping the experience and atmosphere of the space through exposed structures. 
2. The integration of daylight into the space by natural means. 
3. The integration of natural ventilation and passive heating/cooling measures together with the structural and spatial design. 
4. The relationship of these technical measures as architectural opportunities in designing the spatial the functional relationships in a building. 

The Project Week focuses on an intensive immersion into the three disciplines and give the students a specific goal and product to test these ideas.

The students will be asked to produce the following:

1. A larger scale model that captures a sequence of spaces within the building (1:20/1:50)
2. A documentation of the development process, focusing particularly on the analysis of daylight, air and structures
3. A documentation of the final result

Contact: Valentin Martin

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of the TUM School of Engineering and Design

Course no.: 0000002791

ECTS: 3

Period: whole semester

The module “Creative Mind Change: A Creativity Workshop” aims to strengthen the participants’ creative potential and empower them to develop new perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. By applying artistic methods and working with a wide range of materials, media, and sensory impressions, existing patterns of thinking and behavior are questioned, and new spaces of possibility are opened.

Participants learn to purposefully apply their creativity within their respective (academic or professional) contexts. They acquire the ability to connect different disciplines and to develop their own approaches to solving problems. A key focus is placed on the reflective process: participants learn to document and critically reflect on their personal experiences and observations.

Contact: Elisenda Passola i Lizandra

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools 

Course no.: CVL0001052

ECTS: 2

Period: 12 to 16 January 2026

Critical Making is a method that combines critical thinking and rapid prototyping, enabling students from diverse disciplines to collaborate. In this course, we combine the theoretical foundations and practical application of the method in an interactive prototype, created in multidisciplinary groups.

Together with the Fraunhofer Institut, we explore how biases, often invisible, are built into innovations and products during the research and development (R&D) process. We uncover far-reaching consequences in mechanical engineering, medicine, urban design, public transport planning, and many more fields. Guest lectures and engaging examples will help illustrate the complex issues we explore.

In this Project Week, you will not only dig deep to open up a brand new problem space, but you will also develop basic design skills that help you communicate your findings. Together, we get creative with Arduinos and other microcontrollers, 3D printers, and other rapid prototyping tools during a hardware hackathon day.  As a result, you will build interactive, research-backed prototypes that are surprising, engaging, and stimulate discussions for novel insights.

Contact: Dr. Regina Sipos

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools, especially Information Technology, Social Sciences, Engineering, Design

Course no.: 0000004188

ECTS: 6

Dates:

• 31 July 2025: Kick-off
• 9 September 2025: Seminar (online) 
• 15 to 17 September 2025: Seminar (onsite)
• 22 September 2025: Team feedback (online)
• 29 September 2025: Hackathon day (onsite)
• 10 October 2025: Final presentations (onsite)

As part of this teaching initiative, students participate in a practice-oriented, interdisciplinary seminar that combines tech ethics with interactive storytelling and game design. In this hands-on format, they explore how games – ranging from pen-and-paper to digital formats – can serve as tools to make the complex interconnections between innovation, regulation, and ethical decision-making in the tech ecosystem understandable. Working in diverse teams, participants develop playable prototypes that simulate real-world dilemmas from fields such as artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, business development, or societal impacts. The seminar is accompanied by contributions from international experts from academia, industry (e.g., TÜV Süd), and civil society (e.g., United Nations University). By the end of the seminar, students will have gained in-depth insights into collaborative problem-solving, user-centered design, and the interdisciplinary tensions that shape today’s technological landscape.

Contact: Auxane Boch

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no: 0000000742

ECTS: 6

Period: whole semester

The aim of the Project Week is to make the theme of diversity both visible and tangible within the urban space, while expanding the historical perspective of collecting and exhibiting to include its embedding in contemporary discourse. A particular focus will be placed on equal opportunities in the teaching and practice of design disciplines.

As part of the project week, a 1:1 design-build workshop will be held in which installations will be collaboratively conceived and implemented in public spaces across Munich. The goal is to introduce the projects and the participating architects to the urban environment and to connect the initiative with current questions in architecture and (urban) design.

Through this collective, cross-disciplinary self-build project, new approaches to teaching are explored, while simultaneously stepping beyond the academic context to engage with the public. The installations are designed to foster inclusion, interaction, and participation among the city’s residents.

Contact: Anna Jacob

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000002456

ECTS: 3

Period: 3 to 7 November 2025

Shaping the Future of Design – From Digital Concept to Industrial Impact. Designing for Additive Manufacturing (AM) is more than just mastering a new technology – it’s about rethinking how we design entirely. In this two-part university internship, students explore how complexity, customizability, and digital workflows redefine what is possible in product development and manufacturing. The course combines a semester-long series of eight workshops with an intensive project week, blending methodical design training with real-world challenges from industry partners (for example sports engineering, aerospace, medical engineering and energy management).

Students learn to use CAD and simulation tools, apply advanced design methods such as topology optimization, and critically assess manufacturability and economic viability. The focus lies on designing with intent – creating solutions that are not only functional, but also visionary and feasible for AM. In interdisciplinary teams, students tackle a real use case provided by an industry partner. Supported through project-based learning, coaching, and peer feedback, they develop and present innovative, sustainable AM solutions. Throughout the course, students have access to MEX 3D printers at our lab to prototype their ideas and iterate on their designs.

The best solution concept will be selected and printed. The winning team will receive hands-on training to print their part themselves using advanced AM technologies. The full university internship awards 8 ECTS (4 ECTS for the workshops running throughout the semester, 4 ECTS for the Project Week). Students who register for the design challenge will automatically be enrolled in the workshop series.

Contact: Claudia Geitner

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools 

Course no.: 0000000504

ECTS: 8

Period: whole semester

Participants will plan and construct a sample room module for a residential unit in a multi-story timber building. The project uses robotically manufactured components made from wood and clay. In the preceding theoretical section, students will explore topics such as (robotic) prefabrication, structural analysis, building physics, and architectural design, and will derive concrete requirements for the practical implementation. During the project week, the room module will be built at a 1:1 scale.

For more information, please visit www.cee.ed.tum.de/hbb/lehre/projektwochen.

Contact: Dominik Merk, Janna Vollrath, Tillmann Jarmer

For: Master’s students in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Vocational Education, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Resource-Efficient and Sustainable Building

Course no.: 0000001187

ECTS: 3

Period: 16 to 20 March 2026

In the “Technology-Supported Design Research” Project Week, students will learn to apply technology-supported research methods for understanding human behaviour. Working in the context of product, building and service design, we will explore the interactions between the built environment and our minds, brains and bodies. Students will learn how to use physiological sensors (including skin conductivity sensors, eye-tracking glasses and mobile EEG brain-measurement headsets) and AI computer vision models for e.g., path tracking and behaviour classification. In interdisciplinary teams, students will apply these new skills to investigate the user experience associated with a particular product, place or service. The goal is to derive insights about user behaviour that could inform the design process. Prior knowledge about psychophysiological measurement or artificial intelligence is not necessarily required. The focus here is on the application of mature technology totally new contexts. The course will be relevant both for anyone with an interest in human behaviour, technology or design.  

Contact: Dr. Chris McTeaguge

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000004369

ECTS: 6

Dates: Preparatory workshops on 20 November, 4 December, and 15 December 2025; Project Week from 12 to 16 January 2026; final presentation on 26 January 2026

This course format inspires students to develop entrepreneurial solutions that respect planetary boundaries and promote human well-being — right in the sweet spot of the Doughnut Economics model by Kate Raworth.

Throughout the course, students engage deeply with societal, ecological, or technological challenges and explore how these can be addressed through entrepreneurial approaches. To support this, they are introduced to methods and knowledge in areas such as system innovation, design thinking, future thinking, regenerative and impact-oriented business models, impact management, and financing.

Working in teams, students choose their own challenge with a social, ecological, or technological focus and develop solutions, which they present at the end of the semester in the form of impact-driven business and value creation models.

The course is offered as a blended learning format, combining an online course with several in-person block sessions and online meetings. The program also includes input from experts and founders, offering insights into the impact entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Contact: Carola Vogel, Verena Kaoui

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MGT001435S

ECTS: 6

Period: whole semester, Project Week 12 to 16 January 2026 

The Innovation Facilitator program revolves around an intensive five-day Design Thinking sprint, where interdisciplinary student teams tackle real-world challenges provided by diverse industry partners. Throughout these five days, students learn and apply all the steps of the Design Thinking process—starting from an unfamiliar problem and culminating in a pitch-ready solution. On day six, a final event offers the best teams the opportunity to present their ideas to a large audience, including partners, fellow students, and external guests. Additionally, students are required to attend a lecture on teamwork and submit a reflection paper detailing their personal growth during the sprint.

For more information, please visit UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators | Innovation Sprint

Contact: innovationsprintspam prevention@unternehmertum.de

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools with an interest in leadership or facilitation roles.

Course no.: MGT001347S

ECTS: 6

Period: 8 to 15 Januar 2026 (plus reflection phase until mid-February)

The Innovation Sprint program revolves around an intensive five-day Design Thinking sprint, where interdisciplinary student teams tackle real-world challenges provided by diverse industry partners. Throughout these five days, students learn and apply all the steps of the Design Thinking process—starting from an unfamiliar problem and culminating in a pitch-ready solution. On day six, a final event offers the best teams the opportunity to present their ideas to a large audience, including partners, fellow students, and external guests. Additionally, students are required to submit a reflection paper detailing their personal growth during the sprint.

For more information, please visit UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators | Innovation Sprint

Contact: innovationsprintspam prevention@unternehmertum.de

For: Bachelor’s and master’s students from all disciplines and TUM Schools with a completed Innovation Sprint exam (Bachelor) or Innovation Facilitator exam (Master).

Course no.: MGT001348S

ECTS: 6

Period: 8 to 15 January, 2026 (plus reflection phase until mid-February)

Outstanding founders, managers and investors covering a wide range of industries talk about their individual entrepreneurial career paths. They present the diversity of the entrepreneurial life, entrepreneurial personalities, skills and motivations. They also talk about identifying opportunities, innovation management, growth, leadership and facets of entrepreneurship. During the lecture students can ask guest speakers questions and discuss with them.    The lecture addresses students and PhDs from all faculties of the Technische Universität München. No specific management knowledge required. The goal is to get all participants interested in an entrepreneurial career and give them a basic understanding of starting and leading technology-based and growth-oriented businesses. Additionally the participants should reflect on their own personal quality, leadership ability and their entrepreneurial identity.

For more information, please visit UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators | Innovative Entrepreneurs

Contact: Christine Schuster 

For: Bachelor’s and master’s students from all disciplines and schools. No specific management knowledge is required.

Course no.: WI000285VO

ECTS: 3

Period: Weekly lecture series (online & hybrid), full semester

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. The course will first equip students with frameworks to crystalize their own values and principles. Students will learn to apply their own core values. A selection of readings and case studies will provide students with tangible examples of the challenges other entrepreneurs have faced. Each class will be highly immersive, featuring conversations with entrepreneurial guest speakers and break-out sessions. Through conversations with case protagonists and each other, students will leave the class more prepared to navigate the ethical dilemmas that they may encounter during their professional lives.

For more information, please visit UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators | Principled Entrepreneurial

Contact: pedspam prevention@unternehmertum.de

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools as well as advanced bachelor’s students, ideally with prior participation in entrepreneurship programs

Course no.: WI001141SE

ECTS: 6

Period: Several block sessions during the semester (9 on-site days)

This course prepares students for their Master’s thesis and other empirical research projects by covering empirical research methods. Students learn every step of the research process—from generating a research question through designing the study to data collection, analysis, and interpretation—in an applied manner. Guest lectures from academia and industry provide real-world perspectives. During a project week, participants work in interdisciplinary teams to develop their own research design on a chosen topic. The course aims to strengthen research skills holistically and to equip students for future scientific challenges in both academia and business. 

Contact: PD Dr. Theresa Treffers

For: advanced Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MGT001465S

ECTS: 6

Period: calender weeks 42/2025 to 05/2026

This course is a hands-on entrepreneurship seminar where student teams develop their own tech-based startup projects. Moving beyond theory, this module guides participants through the entire early-stage entrepreneurial journey: from recognizing and validating opportunities to prototyping and testing solutions with a clear value proposition, designing a sustainable business model and presenting their work with a compelling story. A key principle of this course is project ownership: all intellectual property (IP) remains with the student teams, empowering them to continue their ventures post-course. The course is structured around practical milestones, supported by peer-to-peer sessions. We will facilitate a structured team building process at the beginning of the semester to ensure teams are well-matched and aligned.

For more information, please visit UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators | Startup Launchpad

Contact: startup-launchpadspam prevention@unternehmertum.de

For: Bachelor’s and master’s students from all disciplines and schools; participation only in teams of 2–5 students (individual applications not possible; matchmaking events available)

Course no.: MGT000159S

ECTS: 6

Period: full semester

The Entrepreneur’s Playbook bietet TUM-Studenten die Möglichkeit, tiefe Einblicke in die Welt der Venture Capital Firmen (VCs) und des Unternehmertums zu gewinnen. Der Kurs ist auf die direkte Interaktion mit erfolgreichen Risikokapitalgebern und Gründern ausgerichtet und vermittelt sowohl theoretisches Wissen als auch praktische Erfahrungen. Das Seminar umfasst Gastvorträge, Workshops und Projektarbeit. Die Studierenden arbeiten in interdisziplinären Teams an der Entwicklung von Pitch Decks für Start-up-Ideen und erhalten dabei Feedback von erfahrenen VCs und Unternehmern. Der Kurs endet mit einer Pitch-Session, bei der die Teams ihre Arbeit präsentieren.

Contact: Jannik Nolden

For: Master’s students from the TUM School of Management

Course no.: MGT001444S

ECTS: 3

Period: 12 to 15, 30 January 2026

The Venture Guide (former “technology Entrepreneurship Lab”) is a dynamic and flexible 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.

To provide structure and a strong sense of community, the course includes several fixed in-person elements. It begins with two Kick-Off Days, then a Midterm, and lastly the Final Ceremony. These anchor points promote connection among participants and allow for shared reflection in a supportive environment. Throughout the semester you’ll gain practical experience by selecting your own “coaching opportunities” – just like a freelancer! Each student is expected to complete 60 hours of active coaching to pass the course. Whether you’re facilitating international student teams during Winter Schools, supporting early-stage founders in entrepreneurial programs, or guiding teams through reflective team workshops, each experience helps you grow into your role as a facilitator. You’ll learn how to navigate team dynamics, adapt to different group needs, and work with highly motivated, purpose-driven teams in diverse settings. Along the way, you’ll apply and teach innovation methods such as Design Thinking, Lean Start-up, and Rapid Prototyping in real-world situations.

For more information, please visit UnternehmerTUM Academy for Innovators | Venture Guide

Contact: venture-guidespam prevention@unternehmertum.de

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools with prior experience in entrepreneurship methods

Course no.: WI000813SE

ECTS: 6

Period: 

• Kick-off: 30 September and 1 Oktober
• Midterm: 17 December
• Final Ceremony: 31 March, 2026

This project introduces current challenges in medical technology within a real clinical environment and equips students with the skills to independently solve complex technical problems. Through clinical observations in the operating room, students gain first-hand insights into surgical procedures based on real interventions. In accompanying workshops, they are introduced to the principles of human-centered design in an interdisciplinary setting.

Following this, students work in small groups to independently develop and evaluate technical solution concepts. Throughout the process, they are coached by an interdisciplinary team of experts on development strategies. Comprehensive materials and a practice-oriented environment at the TUM University Hospital are available to support their work.

At the end of the course, students present their developed solutions, critically assess them, and reflect on the overall development process.

Contact: appsurg.lfespam prevention@ed.tum.de

For: students of the TUM School of Enineering and Design, the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, or the TUM School of Medicine & Health from the fourth Bachelor’s semester onward

Course no.: 0000005005

ECTS: 4

Period: 19 November 2025 to 1 December 2025

In this intensive Project Week, you will develop technological solutions for behavioral assessment in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis – hands-on, interdisciplinary, and patient-centered. You’ll gain insights into clinical tests and modern measurement systems, work in diverse teams, and collect real-world data during an excursion to a neurorehabilitation facility. Through lectures, practical sessions, and collaborative discussions, you’ll build a strong understanding of the opportunities and limitations of technology-based diagnostics in neurology.

Contact: Dr. Philipp Gulde

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools; experience with data collection or clinical environments is advantageous but not required

Course no.: MHP0100101

ECTS: 3

Period: 29 September to 2 October 2025

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.

Contact: Dr. Quirin

For: Master’s students in Human Factors Engineering, Biomedical Neuroscience, Computational Mechanics, Energy and Process Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics & Biomechanical Engineering, Management & Technology, Finance & Information Management, Consumer Science.

Course no.: MHP0001000

ECTS: 3

Period: full semester

In the project, the students will set up a social media channel with the aim of preparing reliable nutrition-related information for the broader public. The content prepared in the social media channel is based on the interests of the students working on the project and is determined in the planning phase. Teams of 5 to 7 students are supervised by a lecturer in creating contributions. Academic quality is ensured because each contribution must be approved by the respective supervisor before publication.

Open to students from all disciplines and schools, in particular students from the 4th semester onwards in the BSc Life Sciences Nutritional Science degree program, as well as from the related disciplines of biology, medicine, biochemistry, molecular biotechnology and food chemistry. We are also looking for students who have experience in the creation of social media content or know-how in graphic design, who want to contribute creative ideas for visual formats such as video, photography, computer graphics, AI, drawing, who enjoy creating texts and who like to communicate in a target group and topic-oriented manner.

Contact: nutritionspam prevention@tum.de

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000001301

ECTS: 5

Period: 

• Registration in TUMonline: until 17 October, 2025
• Submission of short application on Moodle: until 20 October, 2025
• Announcement of participants: from 24 October, 2025
• Plenary meetings (attendance in Freising required): 30 October, 6, 13, and 20 November, each at 5:00 p.m.
• Additional meetings: in Freising or Munich by arrangement with the instructors
• Project end and submission of learning portfolio: 30 January, 2026

This course is meant to introduce students to experimental methods in cognitive psychology, by means of a hands-on workshop. Students will replicate a classic paradigm in cognitive psychology and reflect on the challenges of reproducible research. Topics include: experimental design principles; reading and discussing foundational research; ethical guidelines and preregistration; stimulus creation and experiment setup; data visualization and statistical analysis in R; and scientific reporting. The course is structured around two intensive, hands-on teaching blocks, supported by guided independent work in between. Instruction will include lectures, group work, tutorials, and instructor feedback. A strong emphasis is placed on active learning, collaboration, and scaffolded skill development. 

Contact: Laura Schlingloff-Nemecz

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Information and registration:

English language skills are a requirement. No prior knowledge in experimental research methods is necessary, but a willingness to engage with data and basic coding tools is expected. To register, interested students should send an e-mail to laura.schlingloff-nemeczspam prevention@gmail.com, briefly describing their background and why they are interested in the topic of the course (2-3 sentences).

Course no.: 0000005388

ECTS: 4

Period: The project takes place over several weeks in February and March 2026. It includes a total of six in-person days in two blocks (11 to 13 February and 4 to 6 March, each from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). In the weeks between the blocks, students work on the project independently and are supported by the instructors during office hours.

The technological innovations of recent years  – in particular, advances in the field of position tracking – lead to enormous amounts of data in soccer. This present new challenges including such questions as

• how coaches and athletes can best exploit the possibilities to analyse game tactics and manage training processes
• how media companies can use this information to offer better and more innovative match coverage products and
• how new scientific insights into the nature of sporting phenomena in general and the factors that influence performance can be gained.

The range of methods includes simple geometrical models, machine learning approaches, dynamical systems theory as well as visual analytics. In the project, students will have to solve challenges of match analysis in professional soccer.

Students will work on spatiotemporal data and limb tracking data of players and the ball provided by German professional soccer league (DFL). They will learn how to implement intelligent algorithms for deriving complex performance indicators from raw data, develop meaningful visualizations and and create added value for performance analysis. Challenges include various topics such as rating individual player actions, detection of match phases and playing styles or estimating physical workload of players. Students will be organized in 9 interdisciplinary workgroups, with 6 students each (54 students overall), working independently on the challenges. 

Contact: Prof. Dr. Daniel Link

For: Master’s students in Computational Science and Engineering, Data Engineering and Analytics, Sport and Exercise Science 

Course no.: MHP0000401

ECTS: 5

Period: 13 January to 17 January 2026

After the successful support of the UEFA Women’s Euro, the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship will be accompanied by TUM’s Gender Equality Officer, Daniela Schwarz. The goal is to firmly embed gender relevance in sports and expand it to other areas of the university. The World Championship, taking place from 26 November to 14 December, 2025, in Germany and the Netherlands, serves as the foundation for a seminar aimed at promoting equal opportunities, health, and sports as a driver of societal change. The concept builds on methods developed by TUM’s Department of Sport and Health Sciences and seeks to advance them internationally.

Contact: Daniela Schwarz

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MHP0000501

ECTS: 3

Period: 

• Compact schedule until early December
• Important: Participation in the public screening on 2 December, 2025

This project aims to develop solutions for a major societal challenge: sustainable winter travel in the face of climate change and increasing snow insecurity in Bavaria. The goal is to empower students to design group travel experiences that (i) contribute to sustainable development and (ii) foster sustainability awareness, taking into account multi-stakeholder processes and interdisciplinary scientific insights. The focus is on group travel for children and adolescents — for example, in the context of school ski trips, holiday camps, training camps, or programs organized by sports clubs or faith-based organizations.

Contact: Dr. Thomas Froschmeier, Karina Konieczny

For: Teaching degree students with sports as didactical subject as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools.

Course no.: MHP00008

• MHP0000801 (Preparatory seminar)
• MHP0000802 (Project Week)

ECTS: 4

Period: Preparatory seminar: 30 October, 20 November, 11 December 2025, 8 January 2026 at Olympiacampus; Project Week in Oberaudorf: 12 to 16 January 2026

In this module, you will immerse yourself in the exciting world of modern technologies for tracking nutrition, physical activity, and sleep—key factors for our health. You will learn how innovative sensors and wearables are replacing traditional methods and how to work with and analyze this data in a practical way. In interactive projects and practical applications, you will develop your own solutions for current challenges in research and health monitoring.

Contact: PD Dr. Christoph Höchsmann

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools; basic knowledge of research methodology, study design, data processing, and statistical analysis using tools such as Excel, R, Python, or MATLAB is required

Course no.: MHP0000201

ECTS: 4

Period: whole semester

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.

Contact: Prof. Spitschan

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MHP0000601

ECTS: 3

Period: whole semester

This course offers an interdisciplinary setting in which the participants develop their own videogame concept (no programming required) — it is therefore aimed at all students, e.g. from the STEM sciences, Games Engineering and the School of Social Sciences and Technology. The students will be introduced to the social science perspective on STEM topics and the creative potential for reflection of video games, e.g. worldbuilding, storytelling and decision-making. Based on these inputs, the students develop their game-concept thematizing a STEM topic while enabling the creative potential of games to integrate societal and ethical aspects.

Contact: Clara Valdés Stauber

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools 

Course no.: CVL0001027

ECTS: 3, 5

Period: 12 to 16 January, 2026

In this project-oriented module, students will work in interdisciplinary teams alongside staff from public administration and government entities. By researching and analyzing current public sector projects, students will identify gaps and devise novel methods for political engagement. They will present and discuss their ideas with peers, public officials, learning how to successfully realize their proposals and create impactful projects for social purposes in interdisciplinary teams. The primary goal of the module is to actively create new methods to support and enhance public sector innovation for various groups.

Students will develop their ideas independently and then discuss their potential projects with representatives of public instiutions. After completion the resulting projects will be ready and fit to be used by the public sector for enhancing digital participation and democratic engagement. The module acts as a bridge between public sector entities and TUM, supporting the development of new digital participation opportunities and the interdisciplinary integration of technical implementation, governance perspectives, and societal needs concerning digital participation. The students will be working together on projects through a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to enhance digital participation and democratic engagement, thus strengthening democracy. At the end of the seminar, students will be capable of designing and implementing projects while incorporating different disciplines. 

Contact: Janine Schröder

For: Master’s students in STEM fields

Course no.: 0000001276

ECTS: 6

Period: full semester

Vacuum cleaners, furniture, books, cell phones, cars, gummy bears, shoes — things are everywhere. Human life unfolds within a “world of things” and is constantly shaped by it. Yet we rarely reflect on this fact. What actually is a thing? What defines it? Can things be systematically classified? To what extent do things determine our lives — our behavior, our thinking, our moods, our relationships to other living beings and to ourselves? Do things exist independently of humans? Or, as Ernst Bloch put it: “What do things ‘do’ without us? What does the room look like once you’ve left it?”

In this seminar, we will read and discuss philosophical texts by various authors who reflect on things from different perspectives. The aim is to get to know diverse approaches and apply them to concrete objects. In doing so, we will pay particular attention to raising awareness of the social and political implications of technological developments. This way, we will learn to reflect on everyday things, view them apart from familiar perspectives, and explore their conditions and multiple meanings.

Contact: Alfred Slanitz

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: CVL0000400

ECTS: 2, 3

Period: 

• 21 November, 5 December, 12 December,19 December, 2025
• 12 to 16 January, 2026

How our media landscape evolves is a question of vital importance to society as a whole. In this seminar, students explore how — and how much of — their world they perceive through media. They examine the foundations and working methods of different media formats and reflect on how and why they use various media in their daily lives.

Their own experiences and knowledge form the basis for envisioning a future media landscape: What do we want from media? What roles should they ideally play in the future? What limitations, if any, should they be subject to? What forms of media use are possible — and which are desirable?

To conclude the seminar, students present and discuss their visions for the future of media with professional communicators.

Contact: Dr. Miriam Voß

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000000830

ECTS: 3

Period: Block days on Fridays and during the Project Week between November 2025 and January 2026; final presentation by March 2026

Imagine the Earth is completely destroyed — but you have the chance to create a new civilization in a distant galaxy. How will people live there? How will they shape their everyday lives and interact with one another? We approach these questions about the future in a creative way — by inventing new worlds (“creare”) and by using creative skills: discovering connections, seeing the bigger picture, thinking in processes, and collaborating across disciplines. Painters, video artists, writers, theater professionals, and musicians will inspire us with their projects and ideas to engage in artistic perception and creation. Together, we will design visions of human life and present them in extraordinary ways.

Contact: wtg.stmspam prevention@sot.tum.de

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: CVL0001040

ECTS: 2

Period:

• 11 und 17. November, 2025
• 18 December, 2025
• 14 to 16 January, 2026

In this module, students develop a practical, full-day sports program that is pedagogically sound, inclusive, and economically sustainable. During the project week, they implement their concept with fifth and sixth graders in a skate park. The program promotes the children's enjoyment of exercise, resilience, creativity, and social skills. Students learn about the different perspectives of the groups involved (skate park founders, local authorities, teachers, students, etc.) and how to deal with challenges. At the end of the project week, the teams pitch their concepts, including financing recommendations, to a jury of experts.

Contact: Martina Wayand

For: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and teaching degree studentsfrom all disciplines and schools 

Course no.: MGT001482S

ECTS: 6

Period: Seminar: Tuesdays between 14 October and 23 December 2025; Project Week: 12 to 16 January 2026

This interdisciplinary module explores the role of Additive Manufacturing (AM) in advancing sustainable engineering practices. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of AM technologies and how they can be applied to reduce environmental impact across product life cycles. Through a combination of lectures, hands-on workshops, and a project week, participants will analyze real-world case studies, perform life cycle assessments using professional software (e.g. SimaPro), and prototype solutions with 3D printing. The course promotes teamwork, critical thinking, and practical application of sustainability concepts. It is open to students from diverse backgrounds and is suitable for both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels.

Contact: Dr. Josip Vinčić

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000000491

ECTS: 5

Period: whole semester

This interdisciplinary module invites Master students from all study backgrounds to explore one of the most urgent challenges of our time: global decarbonization. Participants will gain a strategic and systems-level understanding of sustainability, focusing on the role of businesses in addressing the Five Grand Challenges—manufacturing, electricity, agriculture, transportation, and buildings.

The course is designed around three key components:

• 1. Kick-off and Introduction (onsite at TUM, 14.11.2025): The course begins with an introductory day including a welcome session, administrative and organizational overview, and a comprehensive sustainability lecture. In this lecture, participants will explore the current state of global decarbonzation efforts and engage with the Five Grand Challenges in detail. Emphasis is placed on the role of businesses in climate mitigation and the core methodologies of strategic sustainability consulting. Students will then be introduced to five real-world companies  — one representing each challenge — for which they will develop decarbonization strategies. After forming teams (three students per company), each group will conduct initial research and deliver a 10-minute Kick-off presentation to outline their first strategic approach and project plan. This presentation is ungraded but will receive direct feedback to guide further work.
• 2. Group Work Phase:Over the course of 2–3 weeks, student teams will develop tailored decarbonization concepts for their selected company. One optional 30 mins online coaching session with the instructor will be available for individualized support and guidance.
• 3. Final Presentations (onsite at TUM, 02.12 2025):The module concludes with a half-day of final team presentations and discussions. Each group presents for 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of questions and feedback. The session wraps up with a course-wide reflection on the key takeaways and student feedback.

This course is ideal for students with a motivation to work at the intersection of climate action, strategic thinking, and business transformation—whether in consultancy, corporate roles, policy, or academia.

Contact: Sven Colen

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MGT001487S

ECTS: 3

Period: 

• 14 November, 2025: Kick-off and introduction
• 14 November to 2 December, 2025: Project work
• 2 December, 2025: Final presentations

The Applied Citizen Participation Project Week creates a common platform for interdisciplinary learning among students to explore the topic of participation in greater depth. During the week, students will gain in-depth methodological knowledge of citizen participation in urban and mobility development. However, the skills learned in the area of participation can also be transferred to other fields of application. The block course enables practice-oriented and interactive learning by having students develop a joint participation strategy for a real mobility challenge in the Munich metropolitan region. The challenges are set by the Munich Cluster for the Future of Mobility in Metropolitan Regions (MCube). The question “How can participation processes be designed in a transformative way so that they contribute to the long-term cultural anchoring of the mobility transition?” accompanies the entire course. 

Contact: Matthias Grundei, Carolin Zimmer

For: Master's students of Transportation Systems, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Architecture, Urban Planning, Conservation and Landscape Planning, Land Management and Geospatial Science, Politics, and Public Policy

Course no.: 0000001089

ECTS: 3

Period: 2 to 6 March 2026

The linear “throwaway society” is based on ever-increasing resource consumption and is clearly reaching its limits on a planet with finite resources: in 2019, humanity consumed more than 100 billion tonnes of natural resources for the first time. Around 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and over 90 percent of biodiversity loss can be traced back to current methods of resource extraction and processing.

As a sustainable alternative to the linear economic model, the circular economy is considered a promising concept for decoupling prosperity from environmental degradation. Despite broad support for the circular economy across individual disciplines, its successful implementation requires a holistic approach. This includes comprehensive life cycle assessments, behavioral economics strategies, innovative business models, and an integrated view of material flows. Only by combining these perspectives can a truly sustainable and resource-efficient circular economy be achieved.

In this interdisciplinary Project Week, students from various fields will receive a project-based introduction to the topic of circular economy from multiple angles. They will explore how these issues are addressed in both research and practice, and will develop their own solutions to current challenges in collaboration with partners from industry, startups, and research institutions.

During the project week in January, participants will work on a concrete problem in the form of a team challenge. They will collect and analyze their own data to develop a solution concept. The module is structured as a group project (e.g., four students per group), with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative approaches.

Contact: Konrad Kober and Robert Burkhardt (TUM School of Management), Vanessa Heinrich and Ann-Christin Kessler (TUM Campus Straubing)

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MGT001446S

ECTS: 6

Period:

•  13 October to 23 December: Input lectures and self-study
• 12 to 16 January 2026: Project Week

In this interdisciplinary design challenge, students from different fields of study bring their skills and perspectives together to jointly develop an effective simulation game on the climate crisis. The goal is to create a practical prototype that appeals to young people, makes complex interrelationships understandable, and encourages sustainable action—with the aim of reaching as many learners as possible.

Structure: Block 1: Joint start with expert input from teaching and learning research, game design, and democratic education. Intermediate phase: Self-organized development work in teams – each discipline contributes its own strengths. Block 2: Internal test rounds in the seminar; optional initial trials with school classes in cooperation with TUM reference high schools. The design challenge offers the opportunity to work on a real social challenge, learn new methods, and experience one's own effectiveness in a team.

Contact: Dr. Maximilian Knogler

For: Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000001244

ECTS: 6

Period:

• Block 1: 17 to 19 October 2025
• Block 2: 15 to 17 January 2026

This course deals with the narrative construction of reality and artistic approaches to future-making. In particular, it offers students the opportunity to explore how narratives shape individual and collective experience, and the role of unconsciousness in social transformation processes. Through hands-on collaboration in a studio-like setting and fieldwork along the Isar River, the course focuses thematically on the thawing of permafrost in the Alps and around the world – not only as a material phenomenon but also as a narrative provocation.

Through the use of expanded documentary techniques, participants will combine observation with imagination to explore hidden realities and experiment with socio-environmental entanglements. The course ends with an exhibition of project works, and a discussion about the potential(s) of semi-fictional storytelling in contemporary innovation practice. To succeed in the course, participants should be prepared to take part in full-day excursions, familiarise themselves with fundamental issues, and actively shape conceptual work.

Contact: Julian Krauss

For: Master’s students of all disciplines and schools

Course no.: MGT001447S

ECTS: 6

Period: full semester

This project-based course provides both fundamental and advanced knowledge of particle-based numerical methods, which play a key role in simulating extreme loading scenarios involving granular or fluid materials. Typical application areas include the modeling of natural hazards such as rockfalls, avalanches, debris flows, or tsunamis, as well as their impact on civil engineering structures (e.g., protective barriers, bridges, etc.).

The course introduces various particle-based approaches, including the Discrete Element Method (DEM), Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), and the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM). The methodological focus is on the Material Point Method (MPM), whose concepts are explored in depth and implemented using the provided educational software. Theoretical understanding is reinforced through hands-on projects, where students apply the learned methods to complex engineering problems. The module is complemented by guest lectures from international experts, offering insights into current research and application areas.

Contact: Dr. Ann-Kathrin Goldbach, Dr. Veronika Singer

For: Master’s student of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)

Course no.: 0000005372

ECTS: 3

Period: whole semester

This course introduces the concept of mobility justice and enables students to critically analyze and question injustices in the accessibility and use of urban spaces. Based on a three-part structure—awareness, assessment, and addressing—participants examine theoretical foundations, practical approaches, and the experiences of affected individuals. Using case studies, they examine real-world problems using a mixed-methods approach. In groups, students develop creative social interventions – such as podcasts, comics, architectural models, or board games – to promote public awareness and drive change. By combining academic discussion and practical work, the course strengthens critical thinking, empathy, and commitment to a more equitable and inclusive mobility system.

Contact: Lea Zuckriegl, Dr. David Duran, Maria José Zúñiga

For: Bachelor’s and Master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: 0000000455

ECTS: 6

Period: whole semester

What does research mean to you? This course offers insight and a unique opportunity to engage with current research questions in the field of ecology! Do we bear responsibility for nature? If so, for what exactly – and why? What can I contribute to nature and species conservation? How does research in this area work, and how can I develop its “essence” further toward public discourse?

To connect the theoretical dimension of ethical argumentation with clear practical options for everyday life, we will go out into the field and discuss with experts from both research and practice. We will combine real case studies from the natural sciences (ecological research) with methods and perspectives from the social sciences and humanities (philosophy/ethics).

TUM’s research stations and the TUMlab at the Deutsches Museum provide a vivid, hands-on connection to current research. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the nature of scientific work. They will learn about key ethical theories and how to apply them. This enables them to clearly distinguish between factual and normative dimensions of a problem and to reach decisions based on transparent, well-weighted criteria. The course explicitly fosters competencies in problem differentiation, reflective reasoning, and critical judgment.

Contact: Eva Sandmann

For: Bachelor’s and master’s students from all disciplines and schools

Course no.: CVL0001066

ECTS: 3

Period: 

• 17 and 24 November, as well as 1 and 15 December, each afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• 12 January to 16 January, 2026 (full day)