Fakultät Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik

Study and Examination Regulations
for the International Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering
at the Munich University of Applied Sciences

dated 11^th April 2007

The University of Applied Sciences in Munich hereby adopts the following regulations on the basis of Art. 13, para. 1, sentence 2, Art. 43, paras. 4 and 6, Art. 44, para. 4, Art. 58, para. 1, Art. 61, paras. 2 and 3 and Art. 66, para. 1 of the Bavarian Higher Education Act (Bayerisches Hochschulgesetz or BayHSchG):

§ 1
Object of the Study and Examination Regulations

The following Study and Examination Regulations complete and supplement the Framework Examination Regulations for Universities of Applied Sciences (Rahmenprüfungsordnung, or RaPO) dated 17^th October 2001 (BayRS 2210-4-1-4-1-WFK) and the General Examination Regulations in force at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich dated 29^th October 2003 (BayRS 221041.0653-WFK) in their current versions.

§ 2
Objective of the Degree

(1) The International Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering, which takes the form of a modular, fee-paying course, is designed to enable students to perform independent, complex applications in the field of systems engineering and to develop scientific insights and processes in the same field in an autonomous manner. In addition, students must be taught the specific skills required for the execution of complex interdisciplinary projects.

(2) The Master’s course offers application-oriented education in the planning, drafting and integration of complex system solutions. Building on the basis of their previous studies and thus effectively combining knowledge from the fields of science, technology and economics, the students should also be equipped with the skills required to solve tasks in the development and planning of complex systems. The teaching and learning will thus focus on the application of methods and tools commonly used in system management (project management, quality and configuration management, risk management) and system design via modeling techniques. Practical courses and an extensive Master’s thesis, which must usually be prepared in collaboration with an industrial firm, form an essential part of the degree and testify to its application-oriented nature.

(3) In addition to the knowledge of system design and system management methodologies, one important aim of the Master’s course is the advanced development of comprehensive skills such as social and language expertise and the ability to communicate, thereby enhancing the candidate’s teamwork abilities and encouraging the development of leadership skills.

(4) The Master’s course is geared towards international students and endorses a global approach to complex projects. The course is designed in order to enable graduates to pursue professional opportunities in business enterprises, the public sector or to start their own companies). Moreover, the course may also form the basis for subsequent doctoral studies.

§ 3
Academic Requirements

(1) The academic requirements for admission to the International Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering are as follows:

1. Proof of a completed university degree in a technical or economics subject lasting a minimum of six theoretical semesters and corresponding to a Bachelor's degree at a German university. The degree must be graded ”good” or above, or the applicant must prove that he or she was placed in the top 50% of examinees in his or her year.

2. A written application in English explaining the applicant’s motivation to pursue the course of study in question.

3. Proof of a practical period of professional experience lasting a minimum of one year.

4. Proof of good knowledge of spoken and written English. This can be provided by the attainment of above-average results in the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), corresponding to a current minimum of 550 points in the written test and at least 210 points in the PC test, or by passing the UNIcert® English Level III entrance test at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. This condition for admission is considered fulfilled if the applicant has successfully completed a degree or course of study taught in English at a college of higher education or a university, or if English is his or her native language.

(2) The Chairman of the Examination Board (§ 8) makes all decisions regarding the equivalence of qualifications obtained from universities abroad in accordance with paragraph 1, point 1, taking account of Art. 63 of the Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHSchG).

§ 4
Admissions Procedure

(1) It is only possible to begin the Master’s degree during the winter semester of any one academic year. The application to commence the degree in the winter semester must be submitted in accordance with the application schedules and conditions in force at the Munich University of Applied Sciences.

(2) Applicants are selected by a minimum of two members of the Examination Board, nominated by the latter, on the basis of the application documents submitted.

(3) As a general rule, applicants are informed of the results of the admissions procedure within one calendar month after the application deadline.

§ 5
Course Structure and Standard Duration

(1) The Master’s degree is offered as a full-time course of study. The standard study duration is three theoretical semesters including the Master’s thesis. Precise details are included in the course curriculum.

(2) The University of Applied Sciences is under no obligation to offer the Master’s degree in the event that an insufficient number of applications is received.

(3) Applicants who have completed a university degree comprising less than 210 (but at least 180) ECTS credits must make up for the missing credits by passing examinations in the relevant basic subjects offered by the Munich University of Applied Sciences in order to obtain the Master's degree. The Examination Board decides which examinations have to be taken.

§ 6
Modules and Examinations

(1) The modules, including their respective subjects, number of study hours, type of course, number of ECTS credits, the type and nature of the examinations, the time allowance for the completion of written examinations and the weighting of the final subject grades are determined in Appendix 1 of the present regulations and in the course curriculum.

(2) The modules are subdivided into compulsory modules and mandatory elective modules.

1. All students enrolled in the Master’s course are required to complete the compulsory modules.

2. Students are required to select a number of specialist mandatory electives in accordance with the present regulations and the course curriculum. Mandatory elective modules are treated in the same way as compulsory modules.

§ 7
Course Curriculum

(1) The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology issues a course curriculum containing precise details of the study sequence in order to guarantee the specified tuition and as a guide for students, which is not part of the present Study and Examination Regulations. The course curriculum must be approved by the Faculty Board and officially published. Any announcements pertaining to changes in the curriculum must be published at the latest at the beginning of the lecture period of the semester to which they refer.

(2) In particular, the course curriculum contains regulations regarding:

1. the precise allocation of subjects to the relevant modules, the distribution of contact hours and ECTS credits per module and study semester, the type of course for each individual subject and the language of teaching and examinations, unless this is English or has already been regulated under the terms of Appendix 1 below.

2. the list of specialist mandatory elective subjects which may be selected by students within the scope of the mandatory elective modules, the relevant selection procedure, number of study hours and ECTS credits, and the type of course for each subject, in addition to the language of teaching and examination, unless this is English; the type and nature of the examination to be taken in each of the specialist mandatory electives in question and the time allowance for the completion of the written examinations,

3. the course objectives and contents of the lectures,

4. the type and nature of the required examinations and the time allowance for the completion of the written examinations.

(3) The Munich University of Applied Sciences is under no obligation to offer all the planned mandatory elective subjects. Likewise, the Munich University of Applied Sciences is under no obligation to guarantee that courses take place if there is an insufficient number of participants.

§ 8
Examination Board

(1) The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology sets up an Examination Board consisting of a minimum of five faculty professors including those teaching the International Master of Systems Engineering program. This Board is appointed by the Faculty Council.

(2) The members of the Examination Board elect the Chair and Deputy Chair from their midst.

§ 9
Master’s Thesis

(1) The Master’s thesis should demonstrate that the student in question is capable of executing an assignment related to a concrete project in an independent, methodical manner on a sound scientific basis. The academic level of the aforementioned assignment must correspond to that of the entire degree course.

(2) The Master’s thesis is to be written during the course of study, usually during the second and third semesters. The subject of the Master’s thesis can be chosen at the beginning of the second semester at the earliest.

(3) Students are given six months to complete the Master’s thesis. The Chair of the Examination Board may, on application, extend the thesis deadline by a maximum of three months in the event that its submission is delayed for reasons for which the student is not responsible. If the thesis deadline is not complied with, the Master’s thesis is awarded the grade “Non sufficient”.

(4) If the Master’s thesis is awarded the grade “Non sufficient”, it may be rewritten once, taking a new topic as its subject. The new topic in question must be determined one month at the latest after the announcement of the results pertaining to the failed Master’s thesis. The regulations outlined in paragraph 3 above apply to the new thesis.

§ 10
Deadlines for Sitting the Master’s Examinations
Fail Grade as a Result of Deadline Non-compliance

(1) All examinations must have been taken by the end of the third semester.

(2) Non-compliance with the deadline mentioned in (1) for reasons for which a student can be considered responsible results in each of the still outstanding examinations counting as taken and failed.

§ 11
Evaluation of Examinations and Overall Examination Grade

(1) The final grades for all subjects, with the exception of the examination in Project Management and the Master’s thesis, carry the same weight for the calculation of the overall grade. The final Project Management grade carries double weight, and the grade of the Master’s thesis carries triple weight.

(2) The examination grades are based on the following scale:

1.0 and 1.3 = Very good

1.7; 2.0; 2.3 = Good

2.7; 3.0; 3.3 = Satisfactory

3.7 and 4.0 = Sufficient and

5.0 = Non sufficient.

(3) The overall classification is shown with the grade value to one decimal place in brackets.

§ 12
Master’s Degree Certificate

A certificate is issued to all students who successfully pass the Master’s degree examinations in accordance with the supplement to the General Examination Regulations of the Munich University of Applied Sciences.

§ 13
Academic Degree

(1) Graduates of the Master’s course will be awarded the academic degree of “Master of Systems Engineering", abridged to "M. of Systems Eng.".

(2) A certificate regarding the award of the aforementioned academic degree is issued in accordance with the standards included in the supplement to the General Examination Regulations of the Munich University of Applied Sciences.

§ 14
Effect

These Study and Examination Regulations take effect from 1^st October 2007. They apply to all students who enroll in the International Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering after the summer semester of 2007.

Appendix 1: Overview of the Modules and Examinations Included in the International Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering
at the Munich University of Applied Sciences

1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Ser. no.	Module ¹⁾	CH¹⁾	ECTS credits ¹⁾	Type of study courses¹⁾	Type of examination and time allowance for written examinations in minutes ^{1), 2)}	Admission requirements for examinations ¹⁾
1	Philosophy of Systems Engineering module	4	4	SL/E	³⁾
2	System Design I module	6	6	SL/E/P	³⁾	P ⁵⁾
3	System Management I module	8	8	SL/E/P	³⁾	P ⁵⁾
4	General Soft Skills module	6	6	SL/E/Pres	³⁾	PP
5	Extended Soft Skills module	4	6	SL/E/Pres	³⁾
6	System Design II module	4	6	SL/E/P	³⁾	P ⁵⁾
7	System Management II module	4	6	SL/E	³⁾
8	System Management Supplement module	4	6	SL/E	³⁾
9	Synthesis of System Design and System Management module	6	6	SL/E/Pres	³⁾
10	Electives module	6	6	SL/E/P/Pres	^{3), 4)}
11	Master’s Thesis module		30		MT
	Total	52	90

Notes:

¹⁾ Details are specified by the Faculty Council in the course curriculum.

²⁾ Students must obtain a final minimum grade of “sufficient” in each subject within the module and the grade of “sufficient” or above in the Master’s thesis in order to obtain the Master's Degree.

³⁾ As a rule, the module subjects are tested via a written examination lasting a minimum of 90 minutes. The type and nature of the required examinations and the time allowance for the completion of written examinations are stipulated in the course curriculum.

⁴⁾ As regards the electives module, students must select mandatory elective subjects with six contact hours from a prescribed list of specialist mandatory electives.

⁵⁾ "Passed" in non-graded proofs of achievement is a prerequisite for admission to the examination in the subject in question.

Abbreviations:

1

Philosophy of Systems Engineering module

2

System Design I module

6

System Design II module

8

System Management Supplement module

11

Master’s Thesis module