If you have any questions during your studies, you can contact the Mechanical Engineering Student Advisory Service at the Student Service Office at any time.

The degree programme is a challenge as you have to familiarise yourself with many different subject areas. This is rewarded with a practical understanding of physical effects. If you walk through the world with your eyes open, you will see many practical examples to which you can apply what you have learnt. This also gives you some help for your studies, which you can easily memorise.

The Mechanical Engineering degree programme is currently not subject to admission restrictions.

In order to enrol on the Mechanical Engineering degree programme at Paderborn University, you need either a general or a relevant subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. Prospective students without a general or relevant subject-specific higher education entrance qualification also have the opportunity to acquire a higher education entrance qualification. To do so, they must prove that they have a particular subject-related aptitude for the degree programme and a general education that meets the requirements of the university. Vocationally qualified persons without a general higher education entrance qualification have the opportunity to gain access to higher education in accordance with the Vocational Training University Access Ordinance (BBHZVO) of 7 October 2016 on the basis of

• advanced vocational training or
• vocational training and professional activity corresponding to the intended degree programme or
• a passed entrance examination or a successful trial study programme.

If you fulfil these requirements, you can enrol for the winter semester.

The enrolment deadline for the winter semester on the Mechanical Engineering degree programme usually runs from the beginning of June to the end of September each year. You can find more information on enrolment on the website of the Registrar's Office.

No, the supplementary degree programme has been discontinued and replaced by the Master's degree programme.

Due to the manageable size of Paderborn University, a more "personal" relationship can be established with the professors and lecturers in most fields.

Aptitude tests in maths, German and English are compulsory if you enrol on the Bachelor's degree programme with the Fachhochschulreife. The necessary preparatory courses usually take place in the four weeks before the start of the winter semester. The exact dates can be found in the course catalogue.

The news examination regulations stipulate a 6-week work placement (industrial internship) as a prerequisite for admission to the Bachelor's degree programme. However, for various reasons, some applicants are only able to complete part or all of this work placement before starting their degree programme. The new examination regulations stipulate that the complete internship must be completed by the time you register for the modules of the fourth semester at the latest.

Further information on the future internship can be found on the website of the Internship Office.

No. In the fields of mechanical engineering, you don't need to worry about overcrowded lecture theatres at the moment. Lecture rooms are rarely full to capacity.

The standard period of study for the Bachelor's degree programme is 6 semesters and 4 semesters for the Master's degree programme. The average duration of study for the Bachelor's degree programme is 7 semesters, while many students complete the Master's degree programme within 3 semesters. This is made possible by a smooth transition between the two degree programmes.

The Bachelor's degree programme in Mechanical Engineering only starts in the winter semester. An orientation week usually takes place in mid-October. Enrolment on the Master's degree programme is also possible in the summer semester.

A technical education has a positive effect in many fields of study. It certainly makes it easier to understand the content to be learnt.

Yes, this makes it easier to get into the programme, but it is still necessary to familiarise yourself with the subject matter. The first semester is a semester to bring all students up to the same level and thus create a basis for the subsequent semesters. It is therefore also possible to study mechanical engineering without a maths and physics course.

The foundation degree programme usually lasts 4 semesters. It is successfully completed when you have successfully passed all the examinations planned for the foundation degree programme. It is designed to teach the basic content and methods of mechanical engineering in accordance with the programme objectives.

You can find an overview of the content of the foundation course in the study guides for the Bachelor's degree programme.

Training is usually recognised as an internship. It is important that you can prove the time spent in the individual areas of activity and have written corresponding reports. Furthermore, you must have carried out the required activities in practice, not just "treated" them in theory. However, the recognition of the activities as an internship is not carried out by the Mechanical Engineering Student Advisory Service, but by the Internship Officer of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

A lecture held on one day of the week (two hours) is worth 2 credit hours; if it is held on two days of the week (two hours each), it is worth 4 credit hours. ECTS are credit points that can be compared and converted throughout Europe. One ECTS corresponds to 30 hours of student work. One semester usually comprises 30 ECTS.

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If you have any questions during your studies, you can contact the Mechanical Engineering Student Advisory Service at the Student Service Office at any time.

No, this is not possible. You can only take part in examinations if you have registered with the Examinations Office during the registration period.

According to the currently valid examination regulations of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, you can take examinations from the specialisation programme as soon as you have passed all examinations required by the curriculum in the first two semesters.

There is one exam per semester in the foundation course. If you fail a subject area, you don't have to worry. You can catch up on this subject area in the next semester.

In the specialisation programme, there are some subject areas that are only offered in writing once a year. In the following semester, you can take an oral examination in this subject area.

After the second attempt, there is one last attempt. This is always oral and an appointment is made with the examiner at least two weeks before the exam and registered with the Examinations Office. If you fail this examination, you will no longer be admitted to the degree programme.

If you fail the 3rd attempt in a basic or compulsory elective module, you can apply to change the basic or compulsory elective module. This change is only possible once!

Topics for the above-mentioned theses are posted by chairs of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering or assigned on request. It is also possible to obtain topics for these theses directly from companies. However, a professor from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering must be found for the academic supervision. Students can also suggest a topic themselves.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor's degree programme in Mechanical Engineering at Paderborn University can take examinations from the Master's degree programme in Mechanical Engineering ahead of schedule under the following conditions:

- at least 152 credit points relevant to the degree have been earned in the Bachelor's degree programme
- a fully completed and recognised internship
- the scope of the Master's credits to be brought forward does not exceed 30 credit points

If you wish to take Master's examinations ahead of schedule, please submit an application to the Examination Board.

Important!!!
It is only possible to bring forward Master's examinations once in a semester!
Bringing forward Master's examinations does not entitle the student to enrolment in the Master's degree programme or to a specific examination regulations. Bringing forward examinations is at the student's own risk. Furthermore, bringing forward Master's examinations does not result in automatic enrolment in the Master's degree programme. Enrolment in the Master's degree programme must be made by the student at the Registrar's Office by the deadline.

The Bachelor's or Master's thesis is generally the final examination in the respective degree programme. This means that, with a few exceptions, almost all examinations must have been passed and preliminary work such as internships must have been completed in order to be able to register for the final thesis. Admission to the Bachelor's thesis is possible if all examinations required by the curriculum in the first four semesters have been passed. Students can only be admitted to the Master's thesis if they have already acquired at least 80 credit points at the time of applying for admission, have successfully completed the coursework and industrial placement modules and, in the case of a condition, have proven that they have passed the specified examinations. Admission to the student research project, on the other hand, is not subject to any prerequisites. The student research project can be started and completed at any time during the Master's programme.

Yes, you can also write your thesis in collaboration with a company. However, the prerequisite is that you find a supervisor at the university.

Yes, it is possible to change the subject of the specialisation programme. It is recommended that you catch up on the material from the Bachelor's programme, e.g. as voluntary additional work.

After successfully completing your mechanical engineering degree, you can go on to do a doctorate in the field of mechanical engineering with a Master's degree (M.Sc.).

If you have any questions during your studies, you are welcome to contact the Mechanical Engineering Student Advisory Service at the Student Service Office at any time.