Fascination Mechanical Engineering

Objectives of the course

This course's aim is to close the gap between Abitur and university by establishing the correlation between physical effects and technical solutions. For this goal, fundamental topics of physics that are relevant to mechanical engineering are explained and fundamentals of electrical engineeing are conveyed. Additionally, the fundamental methods for systematically solving technical problems are elaborated on. Through this, students will understand technical solutions as system and interaction of different disciplines of mechanical engineering. For this reason, this course is jountly conducted by institutes of mechanical and electrical engineering. Qualification goals are:

naming and applying fundamental methods of engineering
identifying knowledge gaps and closing them through research
naming and applying the fundamentals of systematic technical problem solving
describing and abstracting technical solutions as a system
recognising easy technical problems with the aid of physical fundamentals and effects and transfering them onto technical solutions
describing their own ideas and solution approach and presenting them to an audience with the aid of digital media

Fundamental insight into mechanical engineering studies
Fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics
Fundamentals of oscillations and waves
Fundamentals of thermodynamics – heat and energy
Fundamentals of electrical engineering
Systems and systemic considerations – abstraction, system structure, subsystems, system boundaries
Fundamentals of design engineering and the methodical design process
Solution methods applied to technical problems
Fundamentals of entrepreneurship and innovation in an engineering context – from the technical idea to user needs to a simple business model

Latest information

Start of semester:
Examination date: 2026-08-20, 8.00 a.m.
Further information can be found on the StudIP event website.

StudIP - Lecture

StudIP - Project

Dates

The lecture takes place in the summer semester on tuesdays from 11.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in SN 19.2 (4205.00.006).

Further information about the schedule can be found on the StudIP event website.

The project is organized into two parts. On one hand, tutorials are offered, that present specific approaches to the individual topics, methods of computation, and problem solving methods. On the other hand, teams of of 4 to 6 students will develop a solution for a technical problem over the course of the semester and present their results. By succesfully completing the group work, students can aquire points for the exam. (Exam+)

The exam will be offered in the "Exam+" format. Students can earn points throughout the semester, that count towards the exam, by completing the group project. It is possible to successfully pass the exam without completing the group project.

Type: Written exam / Oral Exam
Duration: 90 min / 30 min