Internship regulations for the Bachelor's and Master's program in Mechanical Engineering (first-year students starting with WS 2016/17)

Important:

From WS 2016/17 on new study and examination regulations came into effect in the Bachelor's and Master's program in Mechanical Engineering. A professional internship is no longer part of the curriculum. Nevertheless, the Department of Mechanical Engineering explicitly recommends to complete a six-week basic internship before starting the Bachelor's program.

 

This is because: According to the admission regulations for the Master's program in mechanical engineering, an 18-week professional internship must be proven (for details, see internship regulations below).

The guidelines listed here are based in the study and examination regulations of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for the Master's program in Mechanical Engineering dated August 6, 2015, as well as the amendment to the admission regulations for the Master's program in mechanical engineering.

These guidelines apply equally to the Bachelor's program.

 

Contents and qualification goals according to the statutes for the university's own admission procedure

Admission to the Master's program in Mechanical Engineering requires a minimum of 18 weeks of professional internship. Of this, at least twelve weeks must be completed as a specialized internship. A maximum of six weeks can be completed as a basic internship.

The activities in the basic internship can be chosen from the following areas:

  • metal-cutting manufacturing processes,
  • forming manufacturing processes,
  • primary forming manufacturing processes and
  • thermal joining and separating processes.

Activities in at least three of the above-mentioned areas should be demonstrated.

The activities in the specialized internship must correspond in content to those of an engineer. Activities may be selected from the following areas:

  • heat treatment,
  • tool and fixture construction,
  • planning of maintenance, servicing and repair,
  • planning of measuring, testing and quality control,
  • surface engineering,
  • development, design and work preparation,
  • assembly/disassembly planning and
  • other specialty-related complex activities (projects) according to the selected focus areas.

At least two different areas should be chosen from these areas. Activities from the area of a skilled worker will not be accepted for the specialized internship.

Qualification goals: After their professional internship, students will know the principles of organizational structure and process organization (e.g. production planning and control) in an industrial company.

 

Recognition of the professional internship

For the recognition of the professional internship, an internship certificate of the company with the type and duration of the internship as well as the notice of admission are required. Company stands here synonymously for firms, enterprises,etc., which include a recognized training facility (but not, for example, a GbR) . The nature of the individual activities must be clearly evident from the proof. In case of ambiguity, the internship contract as well as the internship report on the completed basic internship (one page per week) can also be requested.

The internship is recognized by the Internship Office of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The Internship Office decides to what extent the practical activity complies with the internship regulations and whether or to what extent it can be recognized as a professional internship.

Absence days must be made up. Absence days also include vacation days and absence due to incapacity for work. Activities carried out at universities, equivalent institutions of higher education or comparable research institutions are not recognized as professional internships.

Proof of internships carried out prior to enrollment must be submitted in the 1st semester in order to fulfill a requirement according to the admission notice.

 

Internship contract

The internship relationship becomes legally binding through the training contract to be concluded between the company and the intern. The contract specifies all rights and obligations of the intern and the training company as well as the type and duration of the internship.

 

Applications for leave of absence

Applications for leave of absence must be submitted

  • be submitted four weeks before the start of the internship, if possible.
  • differ from previous internships in terms of content or field of activity and qualification goals (e.g. due to a different industry affiliation or work abroad if previous internships were in Germany).

Applications for leave of absence for Master's students in the 1st semester or in the 7th semester to carry out a voluntary internship will not be approved.

 
Note

Original documents submitted must be picked up again at the Internship Office four weeks after submission. Uncollected original documents will be destroyed two years after this deadline.