Index
FAQ
Within the FAQs the following abbreviations are used: CBI (Chemical and Biological Engineering), CEN (Chemical Engineering – Sustainable Chemical Technologies), CEP (Clean Energy Processes), ET (Energy Technology), LSE (Life Science Engineering).
Further FAQs from university life can be found under FAU student a-z.
The Bachelor’s thesis is regulated in the ABMPO (General Study and Examination Regulation for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at the FAU Faculty of Engineering) and in the FPO (Program-specific Examination Regulations).
ABMPO, especially § 27 Bachelor thesis: ABMPO/TechFak
FPO CBI/CEN/LSE/ET, in particular § 40 Bachelor thesis (for ET: § 42): Examination regulations/TechFak
Short summary (please read the mentioned § of ABMPO and the respective FPO!):
- Admission requirement is the acquisition of at least 110 ECTS credits and the successful completion of the Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (GOP).
- The topic of the Bachelor’s thesis is assigned by a university lecturer from the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering working full-time at the Faculty of Engineering (for ET: the TF, § 42 FPOET) (see FPO). Topics can be found here and on the notice boards and websites of the chairs.
- Topic and date of starting the thesis have to be communicated to the examination office (informal notification by supervisor, chair if applicable). The chairs usually have their own templates. If necessary, this document can be used in consultation with the supervisor).
- The time from the assignment of the topic to the submission of the Bachelor thesis is approx. 360 hours (3-5 months) and can only be extended by a maximum of one month upon justified application (exception by medical certificate, see ABMPO § 27 (4)).
- The Bachelor thesis and its results are to be presented in a presentation of max. 30 minutes followed by a discussion.
- A failed Bachelor thesis can be repeated once (see ABMPO § 27 (5)).
The Degree Program and Examination Regulations (Fachprüfungsordnung (FPO)) provides important information about your studies, so it is worth knowing it from the beginning. The FPO contains, among other things, the study plan, the regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, names the GOP modules and regulates the transition from Bachelor’s to Master’s studies. There is a separate FPO for each degree program. It supplements the General Study and Examination Regulations for the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs at the Faculty of Engineering at FAU – ABMPO/TechFak. If you are looking for information in your FPO and cannot find it, please have a look at the ABMPO. In all likelihood, you will find the answer to your question here.
The degree program and examination regulations (your FPO and ABMPO) can be found on the homepage of the examination office:
Degree Program and Examination Regulations/Faculty of Engineering
Elective modules from the FAU-range (Module B 9 in the Bachelor LSE, Module M 12 in the Master LSE): Please see the FAQ in German.
Written examinations are scheduled centrally by the examination office of the Faculty of Engineering. Examination dates are usually announced at the latest during the registration period of the Faculty of Engineering (see Registration Periods for examinations/Faculty of Engineering).
You can find out more about exam scheduling here: Examination dates/Faculty of Engineering
The examinations of the Faculty of Engineering are held in two examination periods:
1st examination period – two weeks directly after the end of the lecture period.
2nd examination period – usually three weeks before the beginning of the following semester.
An overview of the dates of the upcoming examination periods can be found on the website of the examination office: Examination Periods/Faculty of Engineering
Erasmus, mobility in Europe: Partner universities of Department CBI
Students of Energy Technologies have the possibility to use Erasmus cooperation of the departments CBI, EEI and WW.
International partnerships of the Faculty of Engineering: Partner universities of Faculty of Engineering
Partner universities in FAU’s direct exchange program (for students of all faculties): Partner universities of FAU
Free Mover: You can also spend a semester at a university abroad outside of an FAU exchange program. Studying abroad as a “free mover” means that you must clarify study opportunities, admission requirements, financing (tuition fees are usually not waived!) with the foreign university on your own. You can find more information about this on the FAU website.
The fundamentals and orientation examination (in German: “Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung (GOP)) consists of 6 (CEP: 7) module examinations amounting to 40 (Energy Technology: 42.5) ECTS credits.
The GOP is passed when 30 ECTS of these have been earned.
The GOP examinations may only be repeated once in the event of failure (other examinations may be repeated three times).
The GOP must be taken in the first two semesters (at the latest in the third).
The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree program LSE comprises the following modules: Mathematik für LSE 1 (Mathematik D1, 1. Semester), Experimentalphysik (1. Semester), Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie (1. Semester), Mikrobiologie (1. Semester), Bioanalytik (2. Semester) and Bioprozesstechnik mit Hauptseminar (2. Semester). If you have not passed the exam of Experimentalphysik, for example, this is no reason to panic. You must pass Bioanalytik and Bioprozesstechnik mit Hauptseminar in the summer semester and your GOP is therefore passed. The Experimentalphysik exam is then no longer a GOP for you and you can repeat it three times.
The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree programs CBI and CEN is almost identical and comprises the following modules: Mathematik D1 (1. Semester), Experimentalphysik (1. Semester), Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie (1. Semester), Statik und Festigkeitslehre (1. Semester), Werkstoffkunde (2. Semester) and Chemische und Biologische Prozesstechnik mit Einführungsprojekt (CBPT, CBI) respectively Chemische Prozesstechnik mit Einführungsprojekt (CPT, CEN) (2. Semester). This is similar to the Bachelor’s degree program LSE: if you have failed the the exam in Experimentalphysik, for example, you must pass Werkstoffkunde and C(B)PT in the summer semester in order to pass the GOP.
The GOP in the bachelor’s degree program CEP includes the following modules: Mathematics I and II, Foundations of Chemical reaction engineering, Physics I, Renewable Energies, Introduction to Interface Engineering and Electrochemistry. These modules amout to a total of 40 ECTS of which you must have accumulated 30 ECTS points in the first two to maximum three semesters. Once you have passed the GOP, you can repeat the other exams three times.
The GOP in the Bachelor’s degree program in Energy Technology comprises the following modules: Mathematik für ET 1 und ET 2, Werkstoffe und ihre Struktur, Grundlagen der Elektrotechnik I und II, chemische Grundlagen der Energietechnik und Werkstoffe: Mechanische Eigenschaften und Verarbeitung (these lectures are part of the module: Mechanische Eigenschaften der Werkstoffe and Materialien für Regenerative-Energie-Anwendungen). This is a total of 42.5 ECTS of which you must have collected 30 ECTS points in the first two to maximum three semesters. Once you have passed the GOP, you can repeat the other examinations three times.
In the Master’s degree programs CBI, CEN, LSE an industrial (mandatory) internship of at least 12 weeks must be completed. The internship is to be carried out in an industrial company according to the guidelines, see: Industrial internship CBI/CEN/LSE.
Please note that the “mandatory” period is only 12 weeks. From the 13th week onwards, a voluntary internship begins for you. Please note the information about the minimum wage: Industrial Internship CBI/CEN/LSE (available in German only).
The internship office can issue a document stating that the internship is mandatory if this is desired by the company. However, we ask you to kindly refer to Annex 2 of the Degree Program and Examination Regulations of the respective degree program first, since the industrial internship is included in the curriculum as a compulsory module: Degree program and Examination Regulations/Faculty of Engineering.
For the recognition of the industrial internship of CBI, CEN, LSE, an internship certificate (not a report!) has to be handed in to the internship office via email: cbi-praktikumsamt@fau.de.
For the Bachelor Energy Technology a practical vocational activitity of 6 weeks and for the Master of Energy Technology of 8 weeks has to be proven.
The number of weeks pertains to a full-time internship. In case of part-time work (at least 8h/week), the number of weeks must be extended accordingly.
The internship office of the Department EEI is responsible for the recognition. All information can be found on the website of the Internship Office.
You can take a leave of absence from your studies, f.ex. because of a semester abroad as an exchange student or an industrial internship (or also because of illness, pregnancy, taking care of a close relative…). The application must be submitted to the Student Records Office of FAU, see Application for Leave of Absence and Guidelines for Leave of Absence: Website of the Student Records Office. For international students: Please check with the Foreigner’s Office which rules apply in your case and if a leave of absence can be taken!
The application should normally be submitted by the beginning of the lecture period. Retroactive leave of absence for semesters already completed (or after the lecture period) is not possible.
A leave of absence in the 1st semester with the purpose of an industrial internship or a stay abroad is not possible. For more information, see the guidelines for leave of absence from studies on the website of the student records office.
Important for exam planning: during the leave of absence, no first exams can be taken, only repeat exams. Repeat exams (second and third attempt) must even be taken! In this case it is advisable to consult the examination office. The staff member of the examination office can deregister you from the repeat examination.
The Master’s thesis is regulated in the ABMPO (General Study and Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs at the FAU Faculty of Engineering) and in the FPO (Program-specific Examination Regulations).
ABMPO, especially section 32 Master’s thesis: ABMPO/TechFak
FPO CBI/CEN/LSE/: Section 43 Master’s thesis
FPO CEP: Section 50 Master’s thesis
FPO ET: Section 48 Master’s thesis
For CBI/CEN/ET/LSE see FAQs on the German website
In the timetable of the 4th semester of the bachelor degree programs CBI and CEN you will find, among others, the following courses: “Chemical Thermodynamics” and “Interfaces in Process Engineering”. Together they form the module “Fundamentals of VT 1 – Phase Equilibria and Interfaces” (7.5 ECTS). At the end of the semester, an exam is written that consists of both parts.
The project planning course is a compulsory module in the master programs CBI, CEN and LSE. It is a block course offered twice a year (usually in March and September/October) with the aim of carrying out the project planning of a chemical or biochemical production plant in small groups. The project planning course should be taken after the 2nd semester at the earliest, since the specialized knowledge from the earlier semesters is required for successful participation. To learn more about the project engineering course, please visit the CBI/CEN/LSE project planning course website.
Registration takes place via Campo (see registration period for module exams: Examination Office/Faculty of Engineering) as well as via StudOn (usually in the first two weeks of lectures). The StudOn registration dates can be found in Campo and on the homepage of the project planning course.
In case of difficulties in your studies (exam anxiety, learning difficulties, integration difficulties, illness…) as well as in your private life (loneliness, family problems, addictions…) you can make use of the Counselling and Psychological Services of the Faculty of Engineering or the Studentenwerk. In both cases, “open consultation hours” are offered, but an appointment is strongly recommended!
Recognition of industrial internship: Industrial internship CBI/CEN/LSE
Recognition of internship: Internship CEP
Recognition for degree programs CBI/CEN/LSE: Recognition of academic achievements
Recognition for stays abroad: Going abroad
Recognition for degree programme Energy Technology (ET): Recognition of academic achievements ET
For registration in module examinations (exams, oral exams, lab courses…) a registration via Campo is necessary. Registration takes place during the registration period of the Faculty of Engineering (see Registration Periods/Faculty of Engineering). For the first attempt you have to register yourself. You can withdraw up to three working days before the first date (recommended: one week in advance). Withdrawal is possible via Campo. After that withdrawal is only possible with a medical certificate. You will be automatically registered for the second and third attempt and the “three days rule” no longer applies (only with a medical certificate).
Important! For lab courses, registration via StudOn is usually required in addition to registration via Campo. You will usually be informed about this in the first lecture of the module or by email.
Are you a new student and have questions about your studies or have you been here for a while and would like to volunteer for the interests of your fellow students?
Then please contact the FSI CBI.
You can find out more about the FSI here: Student association FSI CBI.
Homepage FSI CBI: cbi.fsi.fau.de
Email address: fsi-cbi@fau.de
Do you have questions about our degree programs? The Study Service Center (SSC) will be happy to help you with questions regarding applications to the degree program, the course of studies, master degree programs, planning a stay abroad, perspectives in the event of dropping out of studies, industrial internships and many other matters.
Please contact us!
Study programs CBI, CEN, CEP and LSE: Student Service Centre CBI
Study program Energy Technology: Student Service Centre ET
Please see: www.cbi.tf.fau.eu/education/degree-programs
HiWi positions/Final theses
Hiwi positions and final theses at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Open theses at the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBI) can be found on the respective chairs’ websites (listed below).
Additional theses in German or English are published on the German website of the department CBI.
Chair of Advanced Optical Technologies – Thermophysical Properties (AOT-TP)
Chair of Bioprocess Engineering (BVT)
Chair of Chemical Reaction Engineering (CRT)
Chair of Energy Process Engineering (EVT)
Chair of Particle Technology (LFG)
Chair of Medical Biotechnology (MBT)
Chair of Multiscale Simulation of Particulate Systems (MSS)
Chair of Power-to-X Technologies
Chair of Fluid Mechanics (LSTM)
Chair of Engineering Thermodynamics (LTT)
Chair of Engineering Thermodynamics (Prof. Wensing)
Chair of Separation Science and Technology (TVT)
Erlangen Centre for Interface Research and Catalysis (ECRC)
Fraunhofer UMSICHT:
HI ERN:
Open Hiwi positions
Chair of Chemical Reaction Engineering (CRT)
Chair of Energy Process Engineering (EVT)
You can find further announcements for HiWi positions on the websites of the chairs and on the portal FAU jobs.
Going abroad
Going abroad
Are you enrolled at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and thinking about spending some time abroad as part of your degree program? Do you want to broaden your horizons as international experience is essential for virtually any modern job? There are various possibilities for going abroad.
The most common one is going abroad with the Erasmus programme.
ERASMUS programme
| The ERASMUS programme was created by the EU Commission to promote the mobility of students, staff and lecturers within Europe in 1987. You can also participate in this exchange programme and spend up to two semesters at a partner university of the department CBI. Participants receive a grant for the duration of their stay.
Before you make a decision regarding the partner university, please have a look at the experience reports of our students and staff who have already been abroad.
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ERASMUS Application process
The application process for the Erasmus programme consists of the steps outlined below.
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- Selection of the university
- Application – 1 year in advance
- Nomination
- Registration at the Central International Office (RIA) of FAU
- Application at the partner university
| Photograph and report: Nils (Bachelor CEN), Gabriel (Master LSE) and Jörn (Master CEN), Erasmus semester at National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) |  |
| Photograph and report: Christoph (Master ET), Erasmus semester at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia |  |
| Photograph, report and video: Simon (Master CBI), Erasmus semester at NTNU in Trondheim, Norway |  |
| Photograph, report: Sandra (Master LSE), Erasmus semester at University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic |  |
| Photograph and report: Lukas (Master CEN), Erasmus semester at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands |  |
| Photograph and report: Anna (Bachelor CEN), Erasmus semester at Universidad de Oviedo, Spain |  |
| Photograph and report: CBI-ERASMUS-Coordinator, partner university AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland |  |
The department CBI has the following ERASMUS partnerships:
Depending on the destination, a different language level may be required.
An overview of our partner universities, from which you can select your desired university, is also available here.
Other exchange places (world map) can be found here.
Once you have made your choice regarding a partner university, you can start with the application.
The application must include:
- completed application form
- complete overview of grades
- curriculum vitae (see “3. Nomination”, additional criteria)
- language certificate(s)
- letter of motivation
The letter of motivation (in German) should generally include a list of the courses you would like to take abroad.
Your application must be received by the CBI coordinator, Dr. Hilbig, by January 15 (application deadline) usually 1 year prior to your planned semester abroad.
To do so, please fill out the following online form: APPLICATION
Please read “3. Nomination” to learn about the criteria for the allocation of places. If you are interested in a partner university in Northern Europe, please include the additional criteria listed below in your letter of motivation.
After reviewing all application documents, the nomination is made at the end of February. Since the number of places is usually limited to two seats, students are selected according to their course of study and grades (bachelor’s grade, or master’s grade in case of equality). If the number of applications for a partnership is too high, additional criteria such as volunteer work (social activities etc.), knowledge of the national language, content of the motivation letter, study progress, a-level grade are used.
The CBI Erasmus coordinator informs the applicants about the result and sends a nomination list to the Central International Office (RIA) of FAU.
The Central International Office (RIA) of FAU is responsible for the administrative process of the ERASMUS programme and for the payment of the study grant. The staff members RIA will ask all nominated students by email to register in the online system of the Central International Office. Furthermore, RIA informs the host university about the nominated students as well as the students about the registration modalities of the host university.
After RIA has informed you, you now have to register yourself at the partner university. Adhering to the respective registration deadlines is very important, otherwise no exchange place can be guaranteed!
Other ways to go abroad
Another possibility to go abroad is to do an internship in a foreign company, or a branch of a German company abroad. It should be noted that requests for an internship of only six weeks, for example, are usually rejected.
Further information on internships abroad can be found on the following FAU pages.
You can also spend a semester at a university abroad as a “free mover” outside of existing FAU exchange programmes or cooperations. You can find more information on the FAU website.
You can obtain further information from the following contact points, for example:
- Student Information and Counseling of the Faculty of Engineering
- Study Service Center of the Faculty of Engineering
- IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience)
Every semester, the Central International Office (RIA) of FAU organizes a series of informational events on the topic of studying abroad during your studies. An overview of the current presentations can be found here: Information events RIA
Important hints for stays abroad
The possibility of the recognition of study achievements done abroad must be checked before the stay abroad. The following rules apply to this:
Applications for recognition of study credits from abroad are processed at the Department CBI by the recognition officers:
- Prof. Castiglione (StuKo CBI, CEN chairwoman).
- Dr. Anna Hilbig (on behalf of the StuKo)
The possibility of recognition must be checked in the Study Service Centre CBI before the stay abroad.
In addition, the following applies (for modules taken at home and abroad):
- An elective module outside the catalogue (Master’s programmes CBI and LSE) must be requested from the StuKo chair, Prof. Castiglione.
- An elective module subject in the specialization module group A in the Master’s program CEN is applied for with Prof. Engel (responsible for the program CEN, on behalf of the StuKo chair).
For recognition, module descriptions of the foreign subjects have to be submitted to Mrs. Hilbig (for exceptions see above). If necessary, the lecturers of the respective courses can be contacted.
The subjects taken abroad must be entered in the Learning Agreement. The confirmation of the entire Learning Agreement takes place in the Student Service Centre.
After the stay abroad, the achievements you have passed in accordance with the Learning Agreement can be recognized. For this purpose, the Transcript of Records and the completed application for recognition of achievements must be submitted to Ms. Hilbig (by email). The results of the recognition will be communicated to FAU’s examination office at the end. The contact for complaints in connection with the Erasmus+ programme can be found here.
According to ABMPO/TechFak §16 (2), students who are unable to attend the regular date of a written examination due to the completion of a study abroad programme may, in agreement with the respective examiner, request that an oral substitute examination date be scheduled, provided that the change of examination form is compatible with the qualification objective of the module. The decision is made by the examination board.
The application must be accompanied by evidence of the intended study abroad and the written consent of the examiner. Please use the application for substitute examination date in case of a stay abroad.
Industrial Internship
The internship office CBI is responsible for the following degree programs:
- Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Life Science Engineering
- Chemical Engineering – Sustainable Chemical Technologies
- Clean Energy Processes – CEP students please refer to the information on the CEP website!
For the recognition of an industrial internship, the following documents and information must be submitted to the Internship Office (by e-mail: cbi-praktikumsamt@fau.de):
- Internship certificate with the name of the intern, the duration of the internship and a short but meaningful description of the activities completed
- Self-reflection questionnaire (in addition to internship certificate) – see template
- matriculation number
- degree program
New: From 01.04.2024, the documents and information must be submitted to the Internship Office via the online tool “Internship Office Online“:
Go to Internship Office Online
Dr. Anna Hilbig
91058 Erlangen
- Phone number: +49 9131 85-67599
- Email: anna.hilbig@fau.de
- Website: http://www.cbi.uni-erlangen.de/studium/studien-service-center/
Dipl.-Kffr. Karin Jess
91058 Erlangen
- Phone number: +49 9131 85-67598
- Email: karin.jess@fau.de
- Website: https://www.cbi.tf.fau.de/studium/studien-service-center/
Study Service Centre
Immerwahrstr. 2a
91058 Erlangen
Consultation hours by appointment
Email: cbi-praktikumsamt@fau.de
Please refer to the internship guidelines (in German) here.
The leave of absence during the industrial internship or during a semester abroad is regulated university-wide: Guidelines for leave of absence.
The application for leave of absence must be submitted to the student records office by the beginning of the lecture period.
A leave of absence is not possible in the first semester and because of an internship only once per study program (i.e. once in the Bachelor and once in the Master).
Please also note the information on the impact of the introduction of a minimum wage on student internships (in German).
You can decide for yourself where you would like to do an internship.
As a rule of thumb, it should be in a company where you could also work as a graduate.
To help you, there are folders available in the Internship Office in Immerwahrstr. 2a, in which internship references from other students are collected. Here you can see which companies might be suitable.
Possible companies can also be found in this overview of possible companies (correct addresses not guaranteed).
Furthermore, the alumni network offers a job exchange board for the Faculty of Engineering with vacant internship positions, among others.
You can also complete an internship abroad. Our internship guidelines (German) apply for the recognition of the internship. For the CEP internship guidelines please see the corresponding CEP website.
Internship search and/or possible scholarships:
- “ERA Fellowships – Green Hydrogen”: Scholarship for a two – three month long internship
- Internship portals ordered by countries and regions (FAU)
- Internships in Erasmus program countries
- Internships outside the EU – Erasmus partner countries
- RISE worldwide – Research Internships in Science and Engineering
- Study and work international – international internship placement portal
Application
We are pleased that you are interested in applying for a degree program at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering of FAU.
Below you can find a general overview of our degree programs and general information about the application.
B.Sc. degree programs
| Degree program | Degree | Start of program | Language of instruction |
Admission requirements |
| Chemical and Biological Engineering | B.Sc. | winter term | German | Direct enrollment |
| Chemical Engineering – Sustainable Chemical Technologies | B.Sc. | winter term | German | Direct enrollment |
| Life Science Engineering | B.Sc. | winter term | German | Direct enrollment |
| Energy Technology | B.Sc. | winter term | German | Direct enrollment |
| Clean Energy Processes | B.Sc. | winter term | English | English B2 |
M. Sc. degree programs
| Degree program | Degree | Start of program | Language of instruction |
Proof of language proficiency and level (CEFR) |
| Chemical and Biological Engineering | M.Sc. | winter and summer term | German and English | German (DSH 2) and English (B2) |
| Chemical Engineering – Sustainable Chemical Technologies | M.Sc. | winter and summer term | German and English | German (DSH 2) and English (B2) |
| Life Science Engineering | M.Sc. | winter and summer term | German and English | German (DSH 2) and English (B2) |
| Energy Technology | M.Sc. | winter and summer term | German and English | German (DSH2) |
| Clean Energy Processes | M.Sc. | winter and summer term | fully English-taught | English (B2) |
| Advanced Materials and Processes | M.Sc. | winter term | fully English-taught | see program website |
| Advanced Optical Technologies | M.Sc. | winter term | fully English-taught | see program website |
- The respective application deadlines must be seen on the corresponding degree program website.
- We advise international students to apply as early as possible in order to get their visa in good time.
How to apply at FAU via the Campo portal